Publications
Explore scientific publications from the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center.
Filter Total Items: 921
Application of Bayesian Networks to hindcast barrier island morphodynamics
Prediction of coastal vulnerability is of increasing concern to policy makers, coastal managers and other stakeholders. Coastal regions and barrier islands along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are subject to frequent, large storms, whose waves and storm surge can dramatically alter beach morphology, threaten infrastructure, and impact local economies. Given that precise forecasts of regional hazards
Authors
Kathleen E. Wilson, Peter N. Adams, Cheryl J. Hapke, Erika E. Lentz, Owen T. Brenner
Lunar periodicity in the shell flux of planktonic foraminifera in the Gulf of Mexico
Synchronised reproduction offers clear benefits to planktonic foraminifera – an important group of marine calcifiers – as it increases the chances of successful gamete fusion. Such synchrony requires tuning to an internal or external clock. Evidence exists for lunar reproductive cycles in some species, but its recognition in shell flux time series has proven difficult, raising questions about repr
Authors
Lukas Jonkers, Caitlin E. Reynolds, Julie N. Richey, Ian R. Hall
Nearshore dynamics of artificial sand and oil agglomerates
Weathered oil can mix with sediment to form heavier-than-water sand and oil agglomerates (SOAs) that can cause beach re-oiling for years after a spill. Few studies have focused on the physical dynamics of SOAs. In this study, artificial SOAs (aSOAs) were created and deployed in the nearshore, and shear stress-based mobility formulations were assessed to predict SOA response. Prediction sensitivity
Authors
P. Soupy Dalyander, Nathaniel G. Plant, Joseph W. Long, Molly R. McLaughlin
Characteristics of storms driving wave-induced seafloor mobility on the U.S. East Coast continental shelf
This study investigates the relationship between spatial and temporal patterns of wave-driven sediment mobility events on the U.S. East Coast continental shelf and the characteristics of the storms responsible for them. Mobility events, defined as seafloor wave stress exceedance of the critical stress of 0.35 mm diameter sand (0.2160 Pa) for 12 or more hours, were identified from surface wave obse
Authors
P. Soupy Dalyander, Bradford Butman
Getting ocean acidification on decision makers' to-do lists: dissecting the process through case studies
Much of the detailed, incremental knowledge being generated by current scientific research on ocean acidification (OA) does not directly address the needs of decision makers, who are asking broad questions such as: Where will OA harm marine resources next? When will this happen? Who will be affected? And how much will it cost? In this review, we use a series of mainly US-based case studies to expl
Authors
Sarah R. Cooley, Elizabeth B. Jewett, Julie Reichert, Lisa L. Robbins, Gyami Shrestha, Dan Wieczorek, Stephen B. Weisberg
Variability of the carbonate chemistry in a shallow, seagrass-dominated ecosystem: implications for ocean acidification experiments
Open ocean observations have shown that increasing levels of anthropogenically derived atmospheric CO2 are causing acidification of the world's oceans. Yet little is known about coastal acidification and studies are just beginning to characterise the carbonate chemistry of shallow, nearshore zones where many ecologically and economically important organisms occur. We characterised the carbonate ch
Authors
Roberta Challener, Lisa L. Robbins, James B. Mcclintock
Quantifying the geomorphic resiliency of barrier island beaches
Hurricane Sandy had an extensive impact on the beaches along the Atlantic coast. To quantify beach recovery, and examine alongshore variations in coastal resiliency, we develop a morphometric within the upper portion of the beach that is based on observed historical storm response at Fire Island, NY. The beach change envelope (BCE) boundaries are elevation contours which capture the portion of the
Authors
Cheryl J. Hapke, Owen T. Brenner, Rachel E. Henderson
The effects of geomorphic changes during Hurricane Sandy on water levels in Great South Bay
Hurricane Sandy caused record coastal flooding along the south shore of Long Island, NY, and led to significant geomorphic changes. These included severe dune erosion along the length of Fire Island and the formation of the Wilderness Breach. This study attempts to use numerical models to quantify how these changes affected water levels inside Great South Bay during and after Hurricane Sandy. The
Authors
Maarten van Ormondt, Cheryl Hapke, Dano Roelvink, Timothy R. Nelson
Enhancing evaluation of post-storm morphologic response using aerial orthoimagery from Hurricane Sandy
Improved identification of morphological responses to storms is necessary for developing and maintaining predictive models of coastal change. Morphological responses to Hurricane Sandy were measured using lidar and orthophotos taken before and after the storm. Changes to dune features measured from lidar were compared to the occurrence of overwash deposits measured using orthophotos. Thresholds on
Authors
Jacquelyn Rose Smith, Joseph W. Long, Hilary F. Stockdon, Justin J. Birchler
Effects of proposed sediment borrow pits on nearshore wave climate and longshore sediment transport rate along Breton Island, Louisiana
As part of a plan to preserve bird habitat on Breton Island, the southernmost extent of the Chandeleur Islands and part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to increase island elevation with sand supplied from offshore resources. Proposed sand extraction sites include areas offshore where the seafloor morphology suggests suitable quantities
Authors
Patricia (Soupy) Dalyander, Rangley C. Mickey, Joseph W. Long, James G. Flocks
Field observations of artificial sand and oil agglomerates
Oil that comes into the surf zone following spills, such as occurred during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) blowout, can mix with local sediment to form heavier-than-water sand and oil agglomerates (SOAs), at times in the form of mats a few centimeters thick and tens of meters long. Smaller agglomerates that form in situ or pieces that break off of larger mats, sometimes referred to as surface re
Authors
Patricia (Soupy) Dalyander, Joseph W. Long, Nathaniel G. Plant, Molly R. McLaughlin, Rangley C. Mickey
Near-surface stratigraphy and morphology, Mississippi Inner Shelf, northern Gulf of Mexico
Over the past decade, the Mississippi Barrier Islands have been the focus of a comprehensive geologic investigation by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the National Park Service (NPS). The islands (Dauphin, Petite Bois, Horn, East Ship, West Ship, and Cat) are part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore (GUIS), and provide a diver
Authors
James G. Flocks, Jack Kindinger, Kyle W. Kelso, Julie Bernier, Nancy T. DeWitt, Michael FitzHarris