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Coral reef restoration can protect hundreds of millions of dollars of coastal property and business activity annually from storm-driven flooding.

It can protect thousands of people, especially children, the elderly, minorities, and those below the poverty line. Thus, coral reef restoration is a mechanism to provide environmental equity.

Coral reef restoration can protect hundreds of millions of dollars of coastal property and business activity annually from storm-driven flooding.

It can protect thousands of people, especially children, the elderly, minorities, and those below the poverty line. Thus, coral reef restoration is a mechanism to provide environmental equity.

Coral reef restoration can protect hundreds of millions of dollars of coastal property and business activity annually from storm-driven flooding.

It can protect thousands of people, especially children, the elderly, minorities, and those below the poverty line. Thus, coral reef restoration is a mechanism to provide environmental equity.

La isla de Puerto Rico está sujeta a numerosos peligros naturales, incluyendo huracanes y erosión costera. La información sobre cómo responden los entornos costeros de la isla a estos eventos es fundamental para reforzar la resiliencia costera. La Dra.

The island of Puerto Rico is subject to numerous natural hazards including hurricanes and coastal erosion. Information on how the island’s coastal environments respond to these events is critical for bolstering coastal resilience. Dr.

El aumento de riesgos por inundaciones a lo largo de nuestras costas está causado por el cambio climático, el desarrollo urbano y la pérdida de hábitat.

El aumento de riesgos por inundaciones a lo largo de nuestras costas está causado por el cambio climático, el desarrollo urbano y la pérdida de hábitat.

During September 2017, Hurricane Maria triggered >70,000 slope failures throughout the mountainous regions of Puerto Rico (USA). Since then, the USGS has had a multi-faceted team working to understand landslide hazards in Puerto Rico.

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• En español.

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The increasing risk of flooding along our coasts is driven by climate change, development and habitat loss.

Climate change will strongly affect tropical island ecosystems.

Multiple stressors such as climate change impacts and invasive species can have compounding impacts on native inland fish.

My name is Kate Allstadt. I’m a research geophysicist with the U.S.

Dr. Elizabeth Vanacore talks about the installation of temporary seismic stations in southwest Puerto Rico.

The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards during storms. The protective services of these natural defenses are not assessed in the same rigorous economic terms as artificial defenses, such as seawalls, and therefore often are not considered in decision-making.

The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards during storms. The protective services of these natural defenses are not assessed in the same rigorous economic terms as artificial defenses, such as seawalls, and therefore often are not considered in decision-making.

Before a hurricane, USGS Scientists undertake a data collection effort of a grand scale. They install a temporary mobile network of sensors along the coasts to collect additional data on the intensity of storm surge, one of the most dangerous elements of a hurricane.

Landsat 8 imagery shows the change in vegetation on Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.



At the USGS EROS Center, we study land change, operate the Landsat satellites, and maintain the longest, continuously acquired collection of images of the Earth's land surface.

Curt Storlazzi of the USGS explains how the water cycle pulled him into oceanography, and how his personal interests parallel his profession.
 

America has questions about climate change, and the USGS has real answers. In this episode of Climate Connections, USGS scientists answer questions gathered from Puerto Rico. Questions include:

- Why has the rainy season been so long in Puerto Rico?

- How is global warming impacting the island of Puerto Rico?