Unified Interior Regions
Puerto Rico
We conduct impartial, multi- and interdisciplinary research and monitoring on a large range of natural-resource issues that impact the quality of life of citizens and landscapes of the Southeastern United States and the Caribbean region.
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We conduct impartial, multi- and interdisciplinary research and monitoring on a large range of natural-resource issues that impact the quality of life of citizens and landscapes of the Southeastern United States and the Caribbean region.
News
Special Issue on Reducing Flood Risk by Restoring Coral Reefs
In this special issue, explore the benefits provided by coral reefs off Florida and Puerto Rico - including flood risk reduction and protection for people, property, and natural resources. A new series of USGS reports demonstrates how the restoration of coral reefs can save hundreds of millions of dollars in storm-related damages every year.
Reducing Flood Risks by Restoring Coral Reefs
Healthy coral reefs are more than just hotspots of marine biodiversity—they’re also invaluable to long-term resilience against coastal storms.
USGS Scientists Add Another Piece to Puzzle of How Hurricanes Can Gain Strength
Unique observations collected by U.S. Geological Survey scientists during Hurricane María in 2017, revealed previously unknown ocean processes that may aid in more accurate hurricane forecasting and impact predictions.
Publications
Land-based sediment sources and transport to southwest Puerto Rico coral reefs after Hurricane Maria, May 2017 to June 2018
The effects of runoff from land on nearshore ecosystems, including coral reef communities, are influenced by both sediment supply and removal by coastal processes. Integrated studies across the land-sea interface describing sources and transport of terrestrial sediment and its nearshore fate allow reef protection initiatives to target...
Takesue, Renee K.; Sherman, Clark E; Reyes, Aaron O.; Cheriton, Olivia; Ramirez, Natalia I.; Viqueira Ríos, Roberto; Storlazzi, Curt Rapid observations of ocean dynamics and stratification along a steep island coast during Hurricane María
Hurricanes are extreme storms that affect coastal communities, but the linkages between hurricane forcing and ocean dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we present full water column observations at unprecedented resolution from the southwest Puerto Rico insular shelf and slope during Hurricane María, representing a rare set of high-frequency,...
Cheriton, Olivia; Storlazzi, Curt; Rosenberger, Kurt J.; Sherman, Clark E; Schmidt, Wilford Recent carbon storage and burial exceed historic rates in the San Juan Bay estuary peri-urban mangrove forests (Puerto Rico, United States)
Mangroves sequester significant quantities of organic carbon (C) because of high rates of burial in the soil and storage in biomass. We estimated mangrove forest C storage and accumulation rates in aboveground and belowground components among five sites along an urbanization gradient in the San Juan Bay Estuary, Puerto Rico. Sites included the...
Wigand, Cathleen; Eagle, Meagan; Branoff, Benjamin; Balogh, Stephen; Miller, Kenneth; Martin, Rose M.; Hanson, Alana; Oczkowski, Autumn; Huertas, Evelyn; Loffredo, Joseph; Watson, Elizabeth
Using Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Tres Palmas
Four video cameras look westward over the coast and the coral reef at Tres Palmas in Rincón, on the west coast of Puerto Rico. Two cameras look out at the horizon and over the ocean for the mid-field view; one camera offers a zoomed-in, far-field view overlooking the reef and out to the island of Desecheo, a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge; and another camera focuses on the beach.
Quantifying Flood Risk and Reef Risk Reduction Benefits in Florida and Puerto Rico: The Consequences of Hurricane Damage, Long-term Degradation, and Restoration Opportunities
Coastal flooding and erosion from extreme weather events affect thousands of vulnerable coastal communities; the impacts of coastal flooding are predicted to worsen during this century because of population growth and climate change. Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 were particularly devasting to humans and natural communities. The coral reefs off the State of Florida and the Commonwealth of...
Coral Reef Project
Explore the fascinating undersea world of coral reefs. Learn how we map, monitor, and model coral reefs so we can better understand, protect, and preserve our Nation's reefs.
The Value of U.S. Coral Reefs for Risk Reduction
Summary of the report, “Rigorously valuing the role of U.S. coral reefs in coastal hazard risk reduction”
Coral Reef Project: Puerto Rico
To better understand how waves move across coral reefs and cause flooding on tropical shorelines, USGS scientists have installed video cameras and oceanographic instruments off San Juan and Rincón, Puerto Rico. Their work is part of a study funded by USGS after Hurricanes Irma and María. The offshore instruments measure wave heights and speeds; the onshore video cameras show where waves break...
Utuado, Puerto Rico Landslide Monitoring Site
Recent Monitoring Data
Toro Negro, Puerto Rico Landslide Monitoring Site
Recent Monitoring Data
Susceptibility to Landslides Triggered by Intense Rainfall, Puerto Rico
Map Depicting Susceptibility to Landslides Triggered by Intense Rainfall, Puerto Rico
by K. Stephen Hughes and William H. Schulz
Puerto Rico is vulnerable to landsliding. This report summarizes creation of a new high-resolution model of rainfall-induced landslide susceptibility for the main island.
Sea-Level Rise and Climate Change Impacts to Reefs
Learn how the USGS studies sea-level rise and climate change impacts to coral reefs.
Landslides Triggered by the 2020 Puerto Rico Earthquake Sequence
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurred near Barrio Indios, Guayanilla, Puerto Rico on January 7, 2020. A study of the triggered landslides is ongoing.
30-day aftershock scenarios for Puerto Rico (Spanish)
Earthquakes are unsettling, destructive, and often tragic to the communities they affect. The USGS works diligently to help keep people safer by providing them and their emergency responders the science needed to respond to ongoing hazards.
30-day aftershock scenarios for Puerto Rico (English)
Los terremotos, como los ocurridos en Puerto Rico, pueden ser preocupantes, destructivos y en muchas ocasiones trágicos para las comunidades afectadas.
Projected flooding extents and depths based on 10-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year wave-energy return periods for the State of Florida, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands for current and potentially restored coral reefs
This data release provides flooding extent polygons based on wave-driven total water levels for the coral lined coasts of Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The locations of the restoration lines along and across shore were defined by the presence of continuous coral/hardbottom habitat of greater than 100 m alongshore length and proximity to the 3-m depth contour. The wave and...
Projected flooding extents and depths based on 10-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year wave-energy return periods for the State of Florida and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico before and after Hurricanes Irma and Maria due to the storms' damage to the coral reefs
This data release provides flooding extent polygons based on wave-driven total water levels for the coral lined coast of Florida and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The wave and sea-level conditions were then propagated using the XBeach over 100-m spaced shore-normal transects modified to account for base and post-storm scenarios. In situ observations following hurricanes Irma and Maria
Río Icacos, Puerto Rico, Turbidity, FDOM, and Water Temperature, March 2017 to March 2019
The data were collected as part of a six-site study (four in New Hampshire and two in Puerto Rico) to understand how the relative variation in stream chemistry and discharge responds to variations in climate, represented by anomalies in precipitation and temperature, and how these responses differed in forests in these contrasting locations and climates.
Multichannel Seismic-Reflection and Navigation Data Collected Using SIG ELC1200 and Applied Acoustics Delta Sparkers and Geometrics GeoEel Digital Streamers During U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2020-014-FA, Southwest of Puerto Rico, March 2020
In March 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez (UPRM) Department of Marine Sciences conducted a marine seismic-reflection experiment focused on observing geophysical evidence of submarine faulting and mass wasting related to the southwestern Puerto Rico seismic sequence of 2019–20.
Collection, analysis, and age-dating of sediment cores from mangrove wetlands in San Juan Bay Estuary, Puerto Rico, 2016
We collected sediment cores to determine carbon burial rates and vertical sediment accretion from five sites in the San Juan Bay Estuary. Cores were radiometrically-dated using lead-210 and the Plum age model. Sites had soil C burial rates ranging from 50 grams per meter squared per year (g m-2 y-1) in the San José lagoon to 632 g m-2 y-1 in the Caño Martin Peña in recent decades.
Cross-reef wave and water level data from coral reef environments
Direct field observations of wave dynamics across coral reefs and the resulting water levels are limited. Here we provide direct in situ measurements of waves and water levels across a number of coral reefs, extending from the fore reef, across the reef crest, and to the shoreline. These measurements are provided to help better understand the evolution of waves across coral reefs and...
Inventory of landslides triggered by the 2020 Puerto Rico earthquake sequence
Here we present an inventory of remotely and field-observed landslides triggered by 2019-2020 Puerto Rico earthquake sequence. The inventory was mapped using pre- and post-event satellite imagery (PR_landslide_inventory_imagery.csv), an extensive collection of field observations (https://doi.org/10.5066/P96QNFMB) and using pre-earthquake lidar as...
Geochemical and isotopic compositions of stream sediment, parent rock, and nearshore sediment from southwest Puerto Rico, April 2017-June 2018
Geochemical and isotopic compositions were determined in stream sediment and parent rocks collected in April 2017 and June 2017 and in nearshore sediment collected bimonthly in sediment traps from May 2017 to June 2018 in the coastal zone and 12 drainages of southwest Puerto Rico: Rio Loco, Yauco, Guayanilla, Macana, Tallaboa, Matilde, Portugues, Bucana, Inabon, Jacaquas, Descalabrado, and...
Coastal and Marine Geoscience Data System
Information about scientific data collected through field activities conducted by scientists in the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources program
National Water Information System (NWIS) Mapper
The NWIS mapper provides access to over 1.5 million sites contained in the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS), including sites where current and historical surface-water, groundwater, springs, and atmospheric data has been collected. Users can search by site type, data type, site number, or place.
Hydrologic Conditions of Selected Reservoirs in Puerto Rico
The following graphs show water surface elevations above NGVD 1929 in selected reservoirs for several years, including 2015. The purpose of these graphs is to compare water surface elevations during 2015 with water surface elevations observed during years when documented droughts have occurred.
Hydrologic Conditions of Selected Reservoirs in Puerto Rico
The following graphs show water surface elevations above NGVD 1929 in selected reservoirs for several years, including 2015. The purpose of these graphs is to compare water surface elevations during 2015 with water surface elevations observed during years when documented droughts have occurred.
This map shows the provinces assessed by the USGS for undiscovered oil and gas resources.
The 3DEP products and services available through The National Map consist of standard digital elevation models (DEMs) at various horizontal resolutions, elevation source and associated datasets, an elevation point query service and bulk point query service. All 3DEP products are available, free of charge and without use restrictions.
Rigorously valuing the coastal hazard risks reduction provided by potential coral reef restoration in Florida and Puerto Rico
The restoration of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, can reduce risks by decreasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards. In the United States, the protective services provided by coral reefs were recently assessed in social and economic terms, with the annual protection provided by U.S. coral reefs off the coasts of...
Storlazzi, Curt D.; Reguero, Borja G.; Cumming, Kristen A.; Cole, Aaron D.; Shope, James B.; Gaido L., Camila; Viehman, T. Shay; Nickel, Barry A.; Beck, Michael W.
Rigorously valuing the impact of projected coral reef degradation on coastal hazard risk in Florida
The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards. In the United States, the physical protective services provided by coral reefs were recently assessed, in social and economic terms, with the annual protection provided by U.S. coral reefs off the coast...
Storlazzi, Curt D.; Reguero, Borja G.; Yates, Kimberly K.; Cumming, Kristen A.; Cole, Aaron D.; Shope, James B.; Gaido L., Camila; Zawada, David G.; Arsenault, Stephanie R.; Fehr, Zachery W.; Nickel, Barry A.; Beck, Michael W.
Rigorously valuing the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on coastal hazard risks in Florida and Puerto Rico
The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards. In the United States, the physical protective services provided by coral reefs were recently assessed in social and economic terms, with the annual protection provided by U.S. coral reefs off the coasts...
Storlazzi, Curt D.; Reguero, Borja G.; Viehman, T. Shay; Cumming, Kristen A.; Cole, Aaron D.; Shope, James B.; Groves, Sarah H.; Gaido L., Camila; Nickel, Barry A.; Beck, Michael W. Land-based sediment sources and transport to southwest Puerto Rico coral reefs after Hurricane Maria, May 2017 to June 2018
The effects of runoff from land on nearshore ecosystems, including coral reef communities, are influenced by both sediment supply and removal by coastal processes. Integrated studies across the land-sea interface describing sources and transport of terrestrial sediment and its nearshore fate allow reef protection initiatives to target...
Takesue, Renee K.; Sherman, Clark E; Reyes, Aaron O.; Cheriton, Olivia; Ramirez, Natalia I.; Viqueira Ríos, Roberto; Storlazzi, Curt Recent carbon storage and burial exceed historic rates in the San Juan Bay estuary peri-urban mangrove forests (Puerto Rico, United States)
Mangroves sequester significant quantities of organic carbon (C) because of high rates of burial in the soil and storage in biomass. We estimated mangrove forest C storage and accumulation rates in aboveground and belowground components among five sites along an urbanization gradient in the San Juan Bay Estuary, Puerto Rico. Sites included the...
Wigand, Cathleen; Eagle, Meagan; Branoff, Benjamin; Balogh, Stephen; Miller, Kenneth; Martin, Rose M.; Hanson, Alana; Oczkowski, Autumn; Huertas, Evelyn; Loffredo, Joseph; Watson, Elizabeth Rapid observations of ocean dynamics and stratification along a steep island coast during Hurricane María
Hurricanes are extreme storms that affect coastal communities, but the linkages between hurricane forcing and ocean dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we present full water column observations at unprecedented resolution from the southwest Puerto Rico insular shelf and slope during Hurricane María, representing a rare set of high-frequency,...
Cheriton, Olivia; Storlazzi, Curt; Rosenberger, Kurt J.; Sherman, Clark E; Schmidt, Wilford Hillslopes in humid-tropical climates aren’t always wet: Implications for hydrologic response and landslide initiation in Puerto Rico, USA
The devastating impacts of the widespread flooding and landsliding in Puerto Rico following the September 2017 landfall of Hurricane Maria highlight the increasingly extreme atmospheric disturbances and enhanced hazard potential in mountainous humid‐tropical climate zones. Long‐standing conceptual models for hydrologically driven hazards in Puerto...
Thomas, Matthew A.; Mirus, Benjamin B.; Smith, Joel B. Mobility characteristics of landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico
Mobility is an important element of landslide hazard and risk assessments yet has been seldom studied for shallow landslides and debris flows in tropical environments. In September 2017, Hurricane Maria triggered > 70,000 landslides across Puerto Rico. Using aerial imagery and a lidar digital elevation model (DEM), we mapped and characterized...
Bessette-Kirton, Erin K.; Coe, Jeffrey A.; Schulz, William; Cerovski-Darriau, Corina; Einbund, Mason Muir
Bathymetric survey and sedimentation analysis of Lago Carite, Puerto Rico, January 2018
During January 23–30, 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, conducted a bathymetric survey of Lago Carite primarily to update estimates of the contemporary reservoir storage capacity and sedimentation rate. Previously designated transect lines were surveyed by using a depth sounder coupled...
Gomez-Fragoso, Julieta
Map depicting susceptibility to landslides triggered by intense rainfall, Puerto Rico
Landslides in Puerto Rico range from nuisances to deadly events. Centuries of agricultural and urban modification of the landscape have perturbed many already unstable hillsides on the tropical island. One of the main triggers of mass wasting on the island is the high-intensity rainfall that is associated with tropical atmospheric systems. Puerto...
Hughes, K. Stephen; Schulz, William
Potential duration of aftershocks of the 2020 southwestern Puerto Rico earthquake
AbstractAftershocks (earthquakes clustered spatially and chronologically near the occurrence of a causative earthquake) are ongoing in southwestern Puerto Rico after a series of earthquakes, which include a magnitude 6.4 earthquake that occurred near Barrio Indios, Guayanilla, on January 7, 2020, and affected the surrounding area. This report...
Van Der Elst, Nicholas; Hardebeck, Jeanne L.; Michael, Andrew J. Controls on sediment transport over coral reefs off southwest Puerto Rico: Seasonal patterns and Hurricane Maria
Guánica Bay in southwest Puerto Rico is highly turbid and has some of the highest PCB concentrations in the USA. To investigate how and to what extent the bay waters influence coral reef ecosystem health along the coastline, 6 months of hydrodynamic data were collected at 8 sites on the insular shelf. Bed shear stresses were primarily driven by...
Cheriton, Olivia; Storlazzi, Curt D.; Rosenberger, Kurt J.; Sherman, Clark
The Pedestrian Evacuation Analyst is an ArcGIS extension that estimates how long it would take for someone to travel on foot out of a hazardous area that was threatened by a sudden event such as a tsunami, flash flood, or volcanic lahar. It takes into account the elevation changes and the different types of landcover that a person would encounter along the way.
Reducing Flood Risks by Restoring Coral Reefs
The increasing risk of flooding along our coasts is driven by climate change, development and habitat loss.
Powerful climate-fueled hurricanes such as Irma and Maria in 2017 caused significant damage to coastal communities in Florida and Puerto Rico, not
Reducing Flood Risks by Restoring Coral Reefs (AD)
The increasing risk of flooding along our coasts is driven by climate change, development and habitat loss.
Powerful climate-fueled hurricanes such as Irma and Maria in 2017 caused significant damage to coastal communities in Florida and Puerto Rico, not
Impact of damage by hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico
Maps of Puerto Rico show the increase in annual coastal hazard risk due to damage by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
- Increase in population at risk due to coral reef damage per kilometer (top)
- Increase in value ($) of assets at risk due to coral reef damage per kilometer (bottom)
Potential annual coastal hazard risk decrease: Puerto Rico
Maps show the potential decrease in annual coastal hazard risk provided by coral reef restoration in Puerto Rico.
- Potential population protected by Ecological 25 Restoration Scenario per kilometer (upper left)
- Potential population protected by Structural 05 Restoration Scenario per kilometer (upper right)
- Potential values of assets ($)
Social and economic benefits of coral reef restoration: Puerto Rico 1
Report Summary
The Social and Economic Benefits of Coral Reef Restoration in Puerto Rico
Key Points
- The social and economic benefits of potential reef restoration scenarios, which varied in restored reef height and width, were assessed across the entire reef-lined coasts of Puerto Rico.
- Reef restoration in Puerto Rico
Social and economic benefits of coral reef restoration: Puerto Rico 2
Coral reef restoration can yield significant flood reduction benefits. These natural defenses were damaged in the 2017 hurricanes; their recovery would reduce the risks of further storm damages to nature, people and property.
The coastal protection benefits of coral reefs and other natural defenses are not usually assessed in the same rigorous,
...
Beneficios sociales y económicos de la restauración: Puerto Rico 1
RESUMEN DEL REPORTE
Los beneficios sociales y económicos de la restauración de arrecifes de coral en Puerto Rico
PUNTOS CLAVE
- Se evaluaron los beneficios sociales y económicos de los posibles escenarios de restauración de arrecifes, los cuales varían en altura y en ancho del arrecife restaurado, a lo largo de las
Beneficios sociales y económicos de la restauración: Puerto Rico 2
La restauración de los arrecifes de coral puede producir beneficios significativos en la reducción de inundaciones. Estas defensas naturales sufrieron daños a causa de los huracanes de 2017; su recuperación reduciría riesgos adicionales a la naturaleza, las personas y propiedades causados por tormentas.
Los beneficios de protección costera de los
...
Hurricanes increase future flood risk in Puerto Rico and Florida, 1
Report Summary
Hurricane Damage to Coral Reefs in 2017 Increases Future Flood Risk in Puerto Rico and Florida
The damage to reef natural infrastructure from Hurricanes Irma and Maria puts U.S. people and property at significant risk of future flooding
Key Points
- Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused significant damage to coral
Hurricanes increase future flood risk in Puerto Rico and Florida, 2
The significant flood risk consequences of damage to coral reefs from Hurricanes Irma and Maria clarify why the defense benefits from this natural infrastructure should be recovered, repaired and restored.
Coral reefs provide a significant first line of coastal defense from storms and hurricanes by serving as offshore submerged breakwaters. But
...
Huracanes aumentan el riesgo de inundaciones futuras en Puerto Rico, 1
RESUMEN DEL REPORTE
Los daños causados por los huracanes a los arrecifes de coral en 2017 aumentan el riesgo de inundaciones futuras en Puerto Rico y Florida
El daño a la infraestructura natural de los arrecifes por los huracanes Irma y María pone a las personas y propiedades de los EE. UU. en un riesgo significativo de futuras inundaciones
...
Huracanes aumentan el riesgo de inundaciones futuras en Puerto Rico, 2
Las consecuencias significativas del riesgo de inundación debido a los daños en los arrecifes de coral causado por los huracanes Irma y María clarifican por qué los beneficios de defensa de esta infraestructura natural deben recuperarse, repararse y restaurarse.
Los arrecifes de coral proporcionan una importante primera línea de defensa costera
...In this special issue, explore the benefits provided by coral reefs off Florida and Puerto Rico - including flood risk reduction and protection for people, property, and natural resources. A new series of USGS reports demonstrates how the restoration of coral reefs can save hundreds of millions of dollars in storm-related damages every year.
Healthy coral reefs are more than just hotspots of marine biodiversity—they’re also invaluable to long-term resilience against coastal storms.
Unique observations collected by U.S. Geological Survey scientists during Hurricane María in 2017, revealed previously unknown ocean processes that may aid in more accurate hurricane forecasting and impact predictions.
What happens when a 6.4 magnitude earthquake strikes Puerto Rico and the public needs critical information? How does a mostly English-speaking science agency reach a mostly Spanish-speaking public?
The USGS is working to identify and map faults in southern Puerto Rico, to estimate the location and magnitude of potential earthquakes.
Most residents of southern Puerto Rico were startled by the sequence of earthquakes that began Dec. 28, 2019 and included a magnitude 6.4 quake on Jan. 7, 2020. Aftershocks are expected to continue for years, including some relatively strong ones, like a May 2 magnitude 5.4 temblor.
On May 2, 2020, a magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck about 4 miles offshore of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico, at a depth of about 5-6 miles (9 kilometers). This story will be updated if/when more information becomes available.
A new U.S. Geological Survey map of Puerto Rico shows the relative risks of landslides due to the kind of intense rainfall brought on by hurricanes. It identifies 20% of the island as at high risk, 9% at very high risk, and 1% at extremely high risk of landslides under those conditions.
Budget Focuses on Bringing Science, Facilities, and Infrastructure into the 21st Century
A new landslide guidebook released February 5 is now available for Puerto Rico residents to learn more about the landslide hazards that can impact the island.
Links to forecasts and scenerios (below) will continue to be updated, however, text in this story will not be updated unless there is significant change to the aftershock behavior or to the USGS response to the earthquake.
7-day aftershock forecast [English]
A sequence of earthquakes in southwest Puerto Rico continues to affect people living there, with the largest recent aftershock a magnitude 5.2 on Jan. 15. U.S. Geological Survey scientists on the island and the mainland are providing up-to-date scientific information to help the Commonwealth government and the Federal Emergency Management Agency make decisions that protect the public.
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Locations
Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center - Puerto Rico Office
Phone: (787) 749-7400
Fax: (787) 749-7401