USGS Coastal and Ocean Science

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USGS Coastal and Ocean Science

The USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program studies extreme events and processes that shape our coastal and marine environments.

Using this information, we identify hazards and provide critical information on our Nation’s resources.

05/21/2026

🌊🌱Understanding how sediment moves through tidal marshes is essential for understanding how these landscapes change over time.

At Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland, some marshes have been sinking relative to sea level for more than a century, while others have successfully maintained elevation. To better understand why, the USGS collected detailed measurements of suspended sediment in the tidal channels that feed these wetlands.

During two field campaigns in 2011, scientists deployed equipment at multiple sites to determine how much sediment was in the water, how it moved, and how these patterns differed between healthier and more vulnerable parts of the marsh. The resulting time‑series dataset includes water velocity, depth, turbidity, salinity, temperature, and pH.

This newly released dataset provides a valuable look at the processes that help—or hinder—marshes as they respond to sea‑level rise.

Researchers, coastal managers, and restoration planners can use these measurements to better understand sediment transport and support decisions that promote coastal resilience.

Learn more and download the data: https://ow.ly/G7Ek50YXT2S

📸: USGS scientists measuring sediment fluxes out of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge wetland complex.

05/19/2026

🌊🌱 Salt marshes don’t all respond to sea‑level rise the same way.

In a new study, scientists evaluated how marsh vulnerability varies across regions with different salinity and water-flow conditions. Findings show that even at the same normalized elevation, those closer to inlets are more vulnerable to sea-level rise than those farther inland.

These results challenge the idea that all marshes follow a single path of deterioration. Instead, they highlight the importance of accounting for local conditions and spatial differences when planning for future sea-level rise.

Read the paper to learn more: https://ow.ly/qWm850YXJxb

📸: Conceptual model of marsh response across hydrological region and salinity regime.

05/16/2026

A resource for safeguarding offshore infrastructure 🏗️🌊

We partnered with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement to develop a GeoPackage of seabed hazards for the U.S. Atlantic and Pacific continental shelves. By visualizing hazards in a spatial context, this resource helps people manage and protect essential offshore infrastructure.

Read the story to learn more and download the GeoPackage: https://ow.ly/aa2E50YWGHN

📸: Infrastructure offshore Louisiana, September 2023.

05/14/2026

🕵️‍♀️ We’re on it...

Underwater mudslides have repeatedly damaged pipelines, platforms, and other important infrastructure in the Mississippi River Delta Front—one of the most dynamic and geologically active areas in the Gulf of America.

As part of an interagency partnership, we’re investigating where and how these mudslides occur to support safe offshore operations and long-term coastal management and resilience planning.

Learn more on the new web page detailing the project: https://ow.ly/vwJP50YWiQy

📸: Taking core samples in the Mississippi River Delta Front.

05/01/2026

🪸 Akin to a tree's growth rings, hard corals lay down distinct layers as they grow. The physical and chemical properties of these layers document the ebb and flow of the surrounding environment.

By studying these layers using tools such as a CT scanner, scientists can reconstruct a month-to-month chronicle of events at a specific reef that may stretch back hundreds of thousands of years. This unique approach offers a window into the past, providing valuable insights into how coral reefs coped with disturbances such as flooding, storms, heat waves, and droughts. 🌊

Learn more about the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) archive of CT scans of coral cores: https://ow.ly/rQve50YON5J

🎥: Footage of scientists in the field collecting coral cores and scanning them in the laboratory

04/30/2026

⚓The USGS is leading a deep-sea sampling expedition in the Samoan Basin, working with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to map and study the abyssal seafloor. 🗺️

Using box cores, scientists collect square samples of seafloor sediment, minerals, marine life, and overlying water from depths of ~5,500 meters.

A key focus: polymetallic nodules—golf ball-sized rocks rich in manganese, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements that are essential for batteries, steel, magnets, and modern infrastructure.

This expedition is part of ongoing interagency efforts to map and characterize the seabed in federal waters and to better understand the potential of seabed mineral resources throughout these regions. Interdisciplinary USGS science provides the information that federal partners need to make decisions in a changing world. Learn more about the American Samoa Mapping Project: https://ow.ly/gRac50YRMV6

🎥: Footage of scientists at sea collecting and processing box cores during the American Samoa Mapping Project

04/18/2026

🗺️Maps, maps, maps!

The latest seabed maps for Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary offshore Boston, Massachusetts are now available.

This series of maps help support seabed management in the region. They also provide fundamental information on past and present sediment transport processes and the ecological needs of species that use the seabed.

🗺️Explore the maps and pamphlet: https://ow.ly/VJmK50YH3gU

📸: Map C—Backscatter Intensity and Sun-Illuminated Topography. Seabed backscatter intensity index and seabed type ranges from low/soft (blue) to high/hard (red).

04/16/2026

🌊🌧️What happens when coastal and pluvial (rain-driven) flooding strike at the same time?

Researchers found that rainfall can significantly expand the coastal flood zone up to 73% in some scenarios.

These insights can help city planners and emergency managers better understand where risks are highest and how to prepare communities for compound flood events.

Read the study to learn more. https://ow.ly/hF4e50YGMYc

📸: Street flooding at high tide during a storm event on January 17, 2022, at Crescent Beach in Niantic, Connecticut.

04/14/2026

📣Job Announcement

The USGS is hiring a Geologist to work at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center in Woods Hole, MA. This is a permanent position.

Duties will include:
✅ Making geological observations, computations, measurements, and contributing to interpretation.
✅ Using a variety of methods to prepare and analyze geological and geophysical data and laboratory samples.
✅ Utilizing geological and geophysical processing and interpretation software to adequately evaluate geologic-related projects.
✅ Preparing or leading technically authoritative reports and delivering presentations to professional audiences.
✅ Developing project plans with schedules and budgets; managing risks and coordinating resources.

📍 Woods Hole, MA
📅 Open April 13 – May 1, 2026

To learn more and apply, check out the links below:

Federal employees: https://ow.ly/GorT50YIk3x
Open to the public: https://ow.ly/RfjK50YIk3v

📷: Examining a sediment sample from the Eastern Galapágos Spreading Center during the expedition Ultra Fine-Scale Seafloor Mapping.

04/10/2026

New U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data release: Scientists developed a high-resolution (30-meter) bathymetry map of the southern Cascadia Margin, offering a detailed view of the seafloor.

These data support research on critical offshore geohazards, including:
🔎 Fault mapping
🌊 Submarine landslides
🧭 Sediment transport pathways
💨 Seafloor cold seeps

Detailed bathymetric maps enhance our understanding of the dynamic processes shaping the offshore environment. Access the data: https://ow.ly/JHrU50YEFX7

📷: Quick view image of the southern Cascadia Margin composite multibeam bathymetry surface

03/19/2026

🌊How do climate cycles shape coastlines?🛰️

By analyzing 40 years of Landsat Program imagery (1984–2024), researchers reconstructed shoreline change along ~750 km of the Pacific Northwest coast.

Their findings show that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation plays a major role in year-to-year beach evolution across Washington and Oregon.

The study mapped more than 10,000 shoreline transects, revealing how large-scale climate cycles shape coastal landscapes over decades: https://ow.ly/6zmi50Yt9ae

📹: Three split-screen clips show aerial and ground-based footage of sandy and rocky shorelines in the Pacific Northwest, accompanied by the sound of distant surf.

Address

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA
20192

Website

https://www.usgs.gov/natural-hazards/coastal-marine-hazards-and-resources

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