PubTalk 6/2011 — Exploring California's Amazing Seafloor

--the visionary California Seafloor Mapping Program

by Sam Johnson, USGS Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center 

• California Seafloor Mapping Program
• California's Ocean faces unprecedented challenges from climate change, ecosystem degradation, coastal development, and geologic hazards
  • The collaborative California Seafloor Mapping Program is providing the resources and scientific expertise for an exciting new phase of multidisciplinary research and a comprehensive high-resolution,bathymetric, geologic, and habitat base map for all of California's coastal waters
  • New mapping technology is being used to delineate areas for marine ecosystem protection and restoration, refine nautical charts, develop models of sediment dynamics, improve natural hazard assessments, and evaluate sites for offshore energy
  • Can new exploration and development meet future high-tech industry needs for these materials?