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Publications

Scientific literature and information products produced by Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center staff

Filter Total Items: 1691

Physical and biogeochemical controls on light attenuation in a eutrophic, back-barrier estuary

Light attenuation is a critical parameter governing the ecological function of shallow estuaries. In these systems primary production is often dominated by benthic macroalgae and seagrass; thus light penetration to the bed is of primary importance. We quantified light attenuation in three seagrass meadows in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, a shallow eutrophic back-barrier estuary; two of the sites were
Authors
Neil K. Ganju, Jennifer L. Miselis, Alfredo L. Aretxabaleta

Shapefile for Coastal Zone Management Program counties of the United States and its territories, 2009 (CZMP_counties_2009.shp)

A shapefile of 492 Coastal Zone Management Program counties of the United States and its territories, current for the ground condition in 2009, has been extracted from the U.S. Census Bureau MAF/TIGER database. Geospatial information systems with the capability to search user-defined, polygonal geographic areas will be able to utilize this shapefile or secondary products derived from it, such as w
Authors
Stephen R. Hartwell, Dana K. Wingfield, Alan O. Allwardt, Florence L. Wong, Frances L. Lightsom

The National assessment of shoreline shange—A GIS compilation of vector shorelines and associated shoreline change data for the Pacific Northwest coast

Sandy ocean beaches are a popular recreational destination and are often surrounded by communities that consist of valuable real estate. Development along sandy coastal areas is increasing despite the fact that coastal infrastructure may be repeatedly subjected to flooding and erosion. As a result, the demand for accurate information regarding past and present shoreline changes is increasing. Inve
Authors
Meredith G. Kratzmann, Emily A. Himmelstoss, Peter Ruggiero, E. Robert Thieler, David Reid

National assessment of shoreline change: historical shoreline change along the Pacific Northwest coast

Beach erosion is a chronic problem along most open ocean shores of the United States. As coastal populations continue to increase and infrastructure is threatened by erosion, there is increased demand for accurate information regarding past and present trends and rates of shoreline movement. There is also a need for a comprehensive analysis of shoreline movement that is consistent from one coastal
Authors
Peter Ruggerio, Meredith G. Kratzmann, Emily A. Himmelstoss, David Reid, Jonathan Allan, George Kaminsky

Inferring tidal wetland stability from channel sediment fluxes: observations and a conceptual model

Anthropogenic and climatic forces have modified the geomorphology of tidal wetlands over a range of timescales. Changes in land use, sediment supply, river flow, storminess, and sea level alter the layout of tidal channels, intertidal flats, and marsh plains; these elements define wetland complexes. Diagnostically, measurements of net sediment fluxes through tidal channels are high-temporal resolu
Authors
Neil K. Ganju, Nicholas J. Nidzieko, Matthew L. Kirwan

Near-bottom circulation and dispersion of sediment containing Alexandrium fundyense cysts in the Gulf of Maine during 2010-2011

The life cycle of Alexandrium fundyense in the Gulf of Maine includes a dormant cyst stage that spends the winter predominantly in the bottom sediment. Wave-current bottom stress caused by storms and tides induces resuspension of cyst-containing sediment during winter and spring. Resuspended sediment could be transported by water flow to different locations in the Gulf and the redistribution of se
Authors
Alfredo L. Aretxabaleta, Bradford Butman, Richard P. Signell, P. Soupy Dalyander, Christopher R. Sherwood, Vitalii A. Sheremet, Dennis J. McGillicuddy

Limited denitrification in glacial deposit aquifers having thick unsaturated zones (Long Island, USA)

The goal of this study was to demonstrate how the extent of denitrification, which is indirectly related to dissolved organ carbon and directly related to oxygen concentrations, can also be linked to unsaturated-zone thickness, a mappable aquifer property. Groundwater from public supply and monitoring wells in Northport on Long Island, New York state (USA), were analyzed for denitrification reacti
Authors
Caitlin Young, Kevin D. Kroeger, Gilbert Hanson

Sea-floor geology and topography offshore in northeastern Long Island Sound

Datasets of gridded multibeam bathymetry, covering approximately 52.9 square kilometers, were used to interpret character and geology of the sea floor in northeastern Long Island Sound. Although originally collected for charting purposes during National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hydrographic survey H12012, these acoustic data and the sea-floor sampling and photography stations subsequ
Authors
L. J. Poppe, K.Y. McMullen, S.D. Ackerman, K.A. Glomb

New seismic data acquired over known gas hydrate occurrences in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico: Fire In the ice

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) led seismic acquisition in the Gulf of Mexico from April 18 to May 3, 2013, collecting ocean-bottom seismometer (OBS) and high-resolution 2D data at lease blocks Green Canyon 955 (GC955) and Walker Ridge 313 (WR313). This collaborative effort among the U.S Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the USGS was conducted to p
Authors
Seth S. Haines, Patrick E. Hart, Carolyn D. Ruppel

Seasonal circulation over the Catalan inner-shelf (northwest Mediterranean Sea)

This study characterizes the seasonal cycle of the Catalan inner-shelf circulation using observations and complementary numerical results. The relation between seasonal circulation and forcing mechanisms is explored through the depth-averaged momentum balance, for the period between May 2010 and April 2011, when velocity observations were partially available. The monthly-mean along-shelf flow is m
Authors
Manel Grifoll, Alfredo L. Aretxabaleta, Josep L. Pelegrí, Manuel Espino, John C. Warner, Agustín Sánchez-Arcilla

Geomorphic and human influence on large-scale coastal change

An increasing need exists for regional-scale measurements of shoreline change to aid in management and planning decisions over a broad portion of the coast and to inform assessments of coastal vulnerabilities and hazards. A recent dataset of regional shoreline change, covering a large portion of the U.S. East coast (New England and Mid-Atlantic), provides rates of shoreline change over historical
Authors
Cheryl J. Hapke, Meredith G. Kratzmann, Emily A. Himmelstoss