A Model to Predict Sediment Bulk Density in the San Francisco Estuary
Oceanographic Instrumentation Detects Layers of Plankton Migration off Puerto Rico
Comparing Nearly 40 years of Satellite-derived Shorelines with Traditional Shoreline Measurements
Coastal Observing Cameras at America's Northernmost Point Decommissioned Due to Coastal Erosion
Impact of warming and suspended land-based sediment on Hawaiian reef corals
Hawaiʻi Abyssal Nodules and Associated Ecosystems Expedition
Defining the Anthropocene via the transport of invasive species
Sediment contaminants in Puget Sound: Implications for ecosystem health and remediation
Seasonal erosion and accretion in a San Francisco Bay marsh
New seafloor mapping offshore Kodiak Island, Alaska, reveals extensive submarine landslides
Land-based nutrient flux to a fringing reef: insights from Ofu Island, American Samoa
Frequency and Intensity of Storm Surges Underestimated Nationally, Study Finds
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
PCMSC is one of three centers serving the mission of the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program—the primary Federal marine geology and physical science research program responsible for the Nation’s entire coastal and marine landscape.
What We Do: Coastal and Marine Science at USGS Santa Cruz
What We Do: Coastal and Marine Science at USGS Santa Cruz
Get an overview of the coastal and marine research conducted by the USGS in Santa Cruz, California in our downloadable booklet.
Research Projects
Research Projects
Read about our science projects, find out where we are working, and discover the reasons why our research matters.
News
Sound Waves Newsletter: December 2025-January 2026
Sound Waves Newsletter: December 2025-January 2026
Photo Roundup: December 2025-January 2026
Photo Roundup: December 2025-January 2026
Satellite Imagery Shows Beach Widening in Southern California Driven by Human Activity
Satellite Imagery Shows Beach Widening in Southern California Driven by Human Activity
Publications
The biosphere in the Anthropocene The biosphere in the Anthropocene
Earth’s biosphere is in a period of rapid change, resulting from anthropogenic pressures such as climate change, habitat loss and species translocation and extinction. The extraordinary pace of change has led to the suggestion that we live in a new geological epoch of time called the Anthropocene. In this theme issue, we explore the major changes to the terrestrial and marine biospheres...
Coral reef protection may help avert risks to people, property, and economic activity caused by projected reef eegradation Coral reef protection may help avert risks to people, property, and economic activity caused by projected reef eegradation
Degradation of coral reefs over the past several decades has caused regional-scale erosion of the shallow seafloor that serves as a protective barrier against coastal hazards along southeast Florida, USA. How future change in coral reefs may affect coastal flooding, however, has been less attended than other factors contributing to increasing risks such as sea-level rise and more intense...
Biophysical controls on sediment erodibility in shallow estuarine embayments Biophysical controls on sediment erodibility in shallow estuarine embayments
The erodibility of cohesive sediment is known to vary both spatially and temporally but the factors governing its variation are not well understood. We conducted a field investigation of the influence of hydrodynamic forcing, sediment properties, and benthic infauna on erodibility in the muddy shallows of San Pablo and Grizzly Bays in northern San Francisco Bay in summer 2019 and winter...
Science
Where land meets sea: USGS science for resilient coastal habitats
USGS coastal science plays a critical role in supporting the effective, science-based management of coastal ecosystems, where the biodiversity of land and sea meet. It provides managers with the information they need to make sound decisions. Through cutting-edge research, predictive modeling, and decision-support tools, USGS empowers resource managers to make informed, science-based choices. From...
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Core Science Systems Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Land Management Research Program, Science and Decisions Center, Species Management Research Program, California Water Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Western Fisheries Research Center, Western Geographic Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Seafloor Benthic Mapping and Characterization: Enhancing our Understanding of Aleutian Islands’ Hazards, Potential Seabed Minerals and Deep Corals
A USGS-led expedition in the Aleutian Arc off Alaska will provide critical information on energy resources, underwater earthquakes and other hazards, seafloor habitats, and biological resources, including key fisheries, as well as potential seabed minerals.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization
Coastal Wetland Vulnerability to Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise: Understanding Ecological Thresholds and Ecosystem Transformations
Eighteen USGS coastal scientists from all four coasts of the conterminous United States are working together to advance the understanding of climate change and sea-level rise impacts to coastal wetlands.
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California Water Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center, Great Lakes Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Western Geographic Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center