Images

Joseph Terrano collects field notes in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi marsh. 

Sediment tiles, used for short-term sedimentation rates, are collected in November 2019 from Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh following a 3-month deployment; the sediment accumulated on the tile will be measured and analyzed for diatoms and sediment properties.

Joseph Terrano of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center prepares water level loggers to install near the marsh shoreline in Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.

Mounds of sand cleared from the roadway stand high on both sides of a road near the beach in Pensacola Beach, Florida, in October 2004 after Hurricane Ivan.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researcher Dave Thompson stands next to a garage in Gulf Shores, Alabama, that filled with sand after Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

Established in 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Coral Assessment Network (USGS-CAN) provides data on coral-growth (calcification) rates throughout the Florida Keys. Pictured here is a coral at Crocker Reef in the upper Florida Keys.

Established in 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Coral Assessment Network (USGS-CAN) provides data on coral-growth (calcification) rates throughout the Florida Keys and St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Pictured here is one of 30 stations located in Buck Island Reef National Monument.

Sediments in estuarine and marsh environments contain organic peat, or material derived from life, that plays an important role in ecosystem health. Here, USGS geologist Chris Smith of the St.

The USGS Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics Group will be deploying a cross shore array at Pea Island, various intruments will be connected to the poles to measure oceanographic conditions

Dale Griffin of the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center is interviewed about the links between Saharan dust and harmful algal blooms off the coast of Florida. 

A scientist deploys a sound velocity cast from a boat while conducting a chirp geophysical survey offshore of the Rockaway Peninsula, New York. These geophysical data were used to quantify volumes of available shoreface sediment on this margin.

Scientists collected marine vibracores from a research vessel in Mississippi Sound to study shelf geology as part of a collaboration between Mississippi State University and the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center.

Photo of Fire Island, New York showing back barrier, dunes, beach, and nearshore environments.

Explore coastal change at Fire Island in this interactive Story Map.

Predicted probabilities of dune erosion (inner band), overwash (middle band), and inundation (outer band) for Hurricane Dorian. Photographs are representative of coastal change observed during past storm events.

Fire Island is a barrier island off the coast of Long Island, New York that hosts several protected areas, nesting habitat for shorebirds, and beachgoers looking for a relaxing place for recreation. USGS studies how the island changes over time - in both the past and present - to better understand how the island may evolve in the future. 

A great white heron standing atop the mangrove roots of Boggy Key, in the upper Florida Keys. This heron has a limited range, which includes the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park. It is rarely seen outside of these areas. 

USGS scientist Chelsea Stalk stands on a floating sled that enables sub‐bottom surveying in shallow water, nearshore, and shore‐face environments. The sled is equipped with an EdgeTech SB‐512i CHIRP system and single‐beam sonar. This equipment is used to collect seismic sub‐bottom profiles and single‐beam bathymetry.

USGS scientists use specialized equipment to measure sediment dynamics in nearshore and coastal systems. Access by boat is limited in these areas, so personal watercraft are equipped with GPS and echosounders to collect bathymetric data. Seismic sleds are pulled along transects from the beach across the water to measure changes in sediment type below the water.

Scientists from the St.

A colorful sunrise appears over the horizon of a calm ocean offshore of Melbourne, Florida. USGS Scientist RC Mickey collects data for location and elevation of sea turtle crawls and associated beach profiles this stretch of coastline.

The SQUID-5, or a Structure-from-Motion (SfM) Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with 5 cameras is a towed surface vehicle with an onboard Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and 5 downward-looking cameras with overlapping views of the seafloor.