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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

2022 Annual Report

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Mapping methane reduction potential of tidal wetland restoration in the United States

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Opportunities to improve alignment with the FAIR Principles for U.S. Geological Survey data

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

Featured Journal Article

Herring River, Wellfleet, MA

Calibrating optical turbidity measurements with suspended-sediment concentrations from the Herring River in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, from November 2018 to November 2019

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Featured USGS Series

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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center—2022 Annual Report.  The 2022 annual report highlights accomplishments, includes a list of publications, and summarizes the work of the center and each of the science groups.

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Sound Waves

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Coastal and Marine Research News from Across the USGS

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Filter Total Items: 1691

Sea-floor geology in central Rhode Island Sound south of Sakonnet Point, Rhode Island

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are working together to study the sea floor along the northeastern coast of the United States. NOAA collected multibeam-echosounder data during hydrographic survey H11995 in a 63-square-kilometer area in central Rhode Island Sound, south of Sakonnet Point, Rhode Island. The USGS collected sediment samp
Authors
K.Y. McMullen, L. J. Poppe, S.D. Ackerman, C.R. Worley, M.A. Nadeau, M. V. Van Hoy
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Diversity of active aerobic methanotrophs along depth profiles of arctic and subarctic lake water column and sediments

Methane (CH4) emitted from high-latitude lakes accounts for 2–6% of the global atmospheric CH4 budget. Methanotrophs in lake sediments and water columns mitigate the amount of CH4 that enters the atmosphere, yet their identity and activity in arctic and subarctic lakes are poorly understood. We used stable isotope probing (SIP), quantitative PCR (Q-PCR), pyrosequencing and enrichment cultures to d
Authors
Ruo He, Matthew J. Wooller, John W. Pohlman, John Quensen, James M. Tiedje, Mary Beth Leigh
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Documentation of the U.S. Geological Survey sea floor stress and sediment mobility database

The U.S. Geological Survey Sea Floor Stress and Sediment Mobility Database contains estimates of bottom stress and sediment mobility for the U.S. continental shelf. This U.S. Geological Survey database provides information that is needed to characterize sea floor ecosystems and evaluate areas for human use. The estimates contained in the database are designed to spatially and seasonally resolve th
Authors
P. Soupy Dalyander, Bradford Butman, Christopher R. Sherwood, Richard P. Signell
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Identification of functionally active aerobic methanotrophs in sediments from an arctic lake using stable isotope probing

Arctic lakes are a significant source of the greenhouse gas methane (CH4), but the role that methane oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs) play in limiting the overall CH4 flux is poorly understood. Here, we used stable isotope probing (SIP) techniques to identify the metabolically active aerobic methanotrophs in upper sediments (0–1 cm) from an arctic lake in northern Alaska sampled during ice-free
Authors
Ruo He, Matthew J. Wooller, John W. Pohlman, Catharine Catranis, John Quensen, James M. Tiedje, Mary Beth Leigh
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Apalachicola Bay interpreted seismic horizons and updated IRIS chirp seismic-reflection data

Apalachicola Bay and St. George Sound contain the largest oyster fishery in Florida, and the growth and distribution of the numerous oyster reefs here are the combined product of modern estuarine conditions and the late Holocene evolution of the bay. A suite of geophysical data and cores were collected during a cooperative study by the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric A
Authors
V.A. Cross, D. C. Twichell, D. S. Foster, T. F. O'Brien
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Plate interaction in the NE Caribbean subduction zone from continuous GPS observations

Kinematic similarities between the Sumatra and Puerto Rico Trenches highlight the potential for a mega-earthquake along the Puerto Rico Trench and the generation of local and trans-Atlantic tsunamis. We used the horizontal components of continuous GPS (cGPS) measurements from 10 sites on NE Caribbean islands to evaluate strain accumulation along the North American (NA) - Caribbean (CA) plate bound

Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, Alberto M. Lopez-Vegas
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution geophysical data collected within Red Brook Harbor, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, in 2009

The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a high-resolution geophysical survey within Red Brook Harbor, Massachusetts, from September 28 through November 17, 2009. Red Brook Harbor is located on the eastern edge of Buzzards Bay, south of the Cape Cod Canal. The survey area was approximately 7 square kilometers, with depths ranging from 0 to approximately 10 meters. Data were collected aboard the U.S. G
Authors
Aaron M. Turecek, William W. Danforth, Wayne E. Baldwin, Walter A. Barnhardt
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Reconstruction of past methane availability in an Arctic Alaska wetland indicates climate influenced methane release during the past ~12,000 years

Atmospheric contributions of methane from Arctic wetlands during the Holocene are dynamic and linked to climate oscillations. However, long-term records linking climate variability to methane availability in Arctic wetlands are lacking. We present a multi-proxy ~12,000 year paleoecological reconstruction of intermittent methane availability from a radiocarbon-dated sediment core (LQ-West) taken fr
Authors
Matthew J. Wooller, John W. Pohlman, Benjamin V. Gaglioti, Peter Langdon, Miriam Jones, Katey M. Walter Anthony, Kevin W. Becker, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, Marcus Elvert
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Implementation of the vortex force formalism in the coupled ocean-atmosphere-wave-sediment transport (COAWST) modeling system for inner shelf and surf zone applications

The coupled ocean-atmosphere-wave-sediment transport modeling system (COAWST) enables simulations that integrate oceanic, atmospheric, wave and morphological processes in the coastal ocean. Within the modeling system, the three-dimensional ocean circulation module (ROMS) is coupled with the wave generation and propagation model (SWAN) to allow full integration of the effect of waves on circulation
Authors
Nirnimesh Kumar, George Voulgaris, John C. Warner, Maitane Olabarrieta
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Evidence for mid-Holocene shift in depositional style in Mobile Bay, Alabama

The Holocene stratigraphy of Mobile Bay, Alabama, was mapped using a combination of high-resolution seismic data and sediment cores to refine changes in the bay's evolution during this time. The base of the Holocene-era stratigraphy is an erosional surface formed during the last glacial maximum. Overlying Holocene deposits are primarily estuarine mud that has a finely laminated weak acoustic signa
Authors
David Twichell, Kyle Kelso, Elizabeth A. Pendleton
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Continuous resistivity profiling data from Northport Harbor and Manhasset Bay, Long Island, New York

An investigation of coastal groundwater systems was performed along the North Shore of Long Island, New York, during May 2008 to constrain nutrient delivery to Northport Harbor and Manhasset Bay by delineating locations of likely groundwater discharge. The embayments are bounded by steep moraines and are underlain by thick, fine-grained sediments deposited in proglacial lakes during the last ice a
Authors
V.A. Cross, J.F. Bratton, John Crusius, K.D. Kroeger, C.R. Worley
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

National assessment of shoreline change: A GIS compilation of vector shorelines and associated shoreline change data for the sandy shorelines of Kauai, Oahu, and Maui, Hawaii

Sandy ocean beaches are a popular recreational destination, and often are surrounded by communities that consist of valuable real estate. Development 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. Working with researchers from
Authors
Bradley M. Romine, Charles H. Fletcher, Ayesha S. Genz, Matthew M. Barbee, Matthew Dyer, Tiffany R. Anderson, S. Chyn Lim, Sean Vitousek, Christopher Bochicchio, Bruce M. Richmond
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center