Data

Accurate data and maps of sea-floor geology are important first steps toward protecting habitat, delineating marine resources, and assessing environmental changes due to natural or human effects. Initiated in 2003, the primary objective of the Geologic Mapping of the Massachusetts Sea Floor program is to develop regional geologic framework information for the management of coastal and marine resou

The objectives of the survey were to provide bathymetric and sidescan sonar data for sediment transport studies and coastal change model development for ongoing studies of nearshore coastal dynamics along Sandwich Town Neck Beach, MA. Data collection equipment used for this investigation are mounted on an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) uniquely adapted from a commercially sold gas-powered kayak an

The safety, effectiveness and longevity of many construction and geotechnical engineering projects rely on correctly accounting for the evolution of soil properties over time. Critical sediment properties, such as compressibility, can change in response to pore-fluid chemistry changes, particularly if the sediment contains appreciable concentrations of fine-grained materials. Pore-fluid changes

This field activity is part of an effort to map geologic substrates of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachusetts. The overall goal is to develop high-resolution (1-25,000-scale) interpretive maps, based on multibeam sonar data and seabed sampling, showing surficial geology and seabed sediment dynamics. The data collected in this study will aid research on the e

As part of a larger investigation to understand groundwater-surface water interactions in Greenwich Bay, Rhode Island, a geophysical survey was conducted from a small research boat on 14-15 May 2009. The specific research objective was to gain an improved understanding of the role of direct groundwater discharge in delivery of excess nitrogen to the bay, which may have contributed to the developme

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the Massachusetts coast. Seventy-six maps were produced in 1997 depicting a statistical analysis of shoreline change on ocean-facing shorelines from the mid-1800s to 1978 using multiple data sources. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added. More recently, in cooper

Sampling survey 2011-015-FA was conducted aboard the OSV Bold in September 2011 by the U.S. Geological Survey and Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management with partners from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Three hundred twenty-two stations were occupied with the large SEABOSS, where operational, or the ship's Van Veen grab sampler in

Elevation distribution in the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (EBFNWR), which spans over Great Bay, Little Egg Harbor, and Barnegat Bay in New Jersey, USA is given in terms of mean elevation of conceptual marsh units defined by Defne and Ganju (2016). The elevation data is based on the 1-meter resampled 1/9 arc-second resolution USGS National Elevation Data. As part of the Hurricane San

Integrated terrain models covering 16,357 square kilometers of the Massachusetts coastal zone and offshore waters were built to provide a continuous elevation and bathymetry terrain model for ocean planning purposes. The area is divided into the following four geographical areas to reduce file size and facilitate publishing: Massachusetts Bay from the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border south to Pr

Simulation of hydrodynamic circulation in Barnegat Bay for the period from 03-01-2012 to 10-01-2012. The bathymetry of the model was based on the National Ocean Service Hydrographic Survey data, and updated with recent bathymetric measurements. At the landward end (western boundary), we specified point sources of freshwater in accordance with USGS streamflow measurements at 7 gauges, and a radiati

The accretion history of fringing salt marshes located on the south shore of Cape Cod is reconstructed from sediment cores collected in low and high marsh vegetation zones. These marshes are micro-tidal, with a mean tidal range of 0.442 m. Their location within protected embayments and the absence of large rivers results in minimal sediment supply and a dominance of organic matter contributions to

Monitoring shoreline change is of interest in many coastal areas because it enables quantification of land loss over time. Evolution of shoreline position is determined by the balance between erosion and accretion along the coast. In the case of salt marshes, erosion along the water boundary causes a loss of ecosystem services, such as habitat provision, carbon storage, and wave attenuation. In te