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.

06/03/2026

✨Five steps to bring a national coastal landscape change framework to life ✨

Predicting coastal change is critical to our Nation’s coastal communities, infrastructure, local economies, national security, and important ecosystems, however generating projections on a national scale is complex and challenging.

A new USGS-led study reviews the current information and products available to inform what, when, and where coastal change may occur in the future and recommends taking five clear steps to create a national-scale coastal landscape change framework.

🌊Read the story to learn more: https://ow.ly/VjY450Z4Lj3

📸: California coastal erosion.

05/27/2026

🏖️ We maintain historical shoreline position records for the United States.

This information allows coastal practitioners to monitor change over time and identify areas most susceptible to erosion or accretion.

Visit the National Shoreline Change Data Publication Catalog web page to access published shoreline change materials for coastal states. https://ow.ly/OEuV50Z2nGK

📸: Aerial shot of Nauset Beach in Orleans, Massachusetts.

05/26/2026

🍇 Up close, these polymetallic nodules from the abyssal seafloor offshore of American Samoa may look like clusters of tiny grapes—and there’s a scientific reason why.

Their rounded, bumpy texture owes to what’s called a botryoidal mineral habit, from the Ancient Greek bótrus, meaning “a bunch of grapes.” Over millions of years, minerals slowly accreted around tiny particles on the deep-ocean floor, building layer upon layer into the nodules seen today.

These deep-sea nodules contain minerals such as manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper—elements important for modern technologies and infrastructure.

Learn more about the American Samoa Mapping Project: https://ow.ly/UlRA50Z1R5J

📷1-3: Polymetallic nodules collected from the Samoan Basin by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists

05/23/2026

This popular software just got better...🤓

The Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) calculates how shoreline positions change over time. Version 6.1 is now available, offering new and reinstated features such as:
✅ the ability to forecast shoreline positions,
✅more data export options, and
✅enhanced editing tools.

Read the article to learn more and download the software: https://ow.ly/Mfxp50YZ75k

📸: Oblique air photo at Brigantine Inlet, looking south toward Atlantic City, NJ.

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

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12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA
20192

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

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