New Tool Revolutionizes Coastal Shoreline Mapping with Decades of Satellite Data
Deep-Sea Mining and Potential Impacts on Marine Ecosystems: New Study Highlights Geochemical Implications
Seafloor Imaging Reveals Nearly 1,500 Submarine Landslides Off Southern California Coast
Revisiting the 1957 Aleutian Earthquake: New Insights into Tsunami Hazards for Hawaiʻi
Traversing the Sea for Science
How USGS Uses the Federal Fleet to Study Natural Hazards, Resources, and More
How USGS Uses the Federal Fleet to Study Natural Hazards, Resources, and More
New USGS-led Research Sheds Light on Deep-Sea Food Webs
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program Scientists Presented with Distinguished Service Awards
Carolyn Ruppel and Curt Storlazzi were presented with awards at DOI HQ
Carolyn Ruppel and Curt Storlazzi were presented with awards at DOI HQ
New Study Highlights Benefits and Challenges of Using Built Structures for Coral Reef Restoration
Sediment Flows Create Seafloor Pockmarks offshore of Central California
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
We conduct multidisciplinary scientific research in the coastal and offshore areas of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and other US Pacific Islands; and in other waterways of the United States.
Research Projects
Research Projects
Read about our science projects, find out where we are working, and discover the reasons why our research matters.
Science Seminar Series
Science Seminar Series
Join us for virtual science seminars via Microsoft Teams. Details will be posted here!
News
New Tool Revolutionizes Coastal Shoreline Mapping with Decades of Satellite Data
New Tool Revolutionizes Coastal Shoreline Mapping with Decades of Satellite Data
Deep-Sea Mining and Potential Impacts on Marine Ecosystems: New Study Highlights Geochemical Implications
Deep-Sea Mining and Potential Impacts on Marine Ecosystems: New Study Highlights Geochemical Implications
News Briefs: June 2024
News Briefs: June 2024
Publications
Invertebrate trophic structure on marine ferromanganese and phosphorite hardgrounds
The Southern California Borderland hosts a variety of geologic and oceanographic features that allow for diverse habitats to occur in a restricted region with a strong oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) and hard substrates. These include ferromanganese (FeMn) crusts and phosphorites targeted for deep-seabed mining in other regions. Baseline studies regarding hardground macro- (> 0.3 mm) and megafaunal (> 2
CoastSeg: An accessible and extendable hub for satellite-derived-shoreline (SDS) detection and mapping
CoastSeg is an interactive browser-based program that aims to broaden the adoption of satellite-derived shoreline (SDS) detection and coastal landcover mapping workflows among coastal scientists and coastal resource management practitioners. SDS is a sub-field of coastal sciences that aims to detect and post-process a time-series of shoreline locations from publicly available satellite imagery. Co
Metal release from manganese nodules in anoxic seawater and implications for deep-sea mining dewatering operations
The potential mining of deep-sea polymetallic nodules has been gaining increasing attention due to their enrichment in metals essential for a low-carbon future. To date, there have been few scientific studies concerning the geochemical consequences of dewatered mining waste discharge into the pelagic water column, which can inform best practices in future mining operations. Here, we report the res
Science
Eyes on Earth Episode 120 – Mapping the California Coastline
Coastline erosion can change your favorite beach. But it can also affect highways and buildings. Landsat, along with high-resolution data, can be used to model the past and predict the future of changes caused by sea level rise and coastal erosion.
Post-Fire Sediment Research at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) in Santa Cruz, California, has been growing our post-fire research contributions since 2017, through studies of post-fire sediment movement that address the Natural Hazards Mission Area objectives for understanding wildfire hazards.
Anthropogenic Nutrient Loading and Coral Health at Ofu, American Samoa
Declining water quality poses a significant and persistent threat to coral reefs worldwide, contributing to their widespread degradation. Identifying the specific impacts of water quality stressors is challenging due to the complex interplay of various physical and biological factors affecting reef health. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) plays a crucial role in transporting nutrients into...