Home Page - USGS 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.

News & Announcements

Aerial photo of Elwha Estuary. Elwha River Studies

Surveys Reveal Deposition of Sediment Released by Dam Removal in Washington State:
The USGS Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center is leading surveys along the Elwha River delta in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington, to map coastal effects of sediment released during the largest dam removal in U.S. history. According to field-operations leader Andrew Stevens, bathymetric surveys from personal watercraft show that more than 5 meters of new sediment has been deposited on a large area near the Elwha River mouth during winter 2012-13, when initial discharge of sand from dam removal occurred. David Finlayson, Gerry Hatcher and Pete Dal Ferro are still surveying the region with high-tech sonar and camera systems deployed from the research vessel Snavely. (Jon Warrick, Santa Cruz, CA, jwarrick@usgs.gov, 831-460-7569)

New Lidar Scanner Collects High-Resolution Elevation Data to Document Changes Caused by Washington State Dam Removals:
On March 5-6, USGS physical scientist Joshua Logan and USGS oceanographer Andrew Stevens used a new ground-based lidar (light detection and ranging) scanner, purchased in 2012, for its first major field-data collection. They gathered high-resolution elevation data on the Elwha River coastal zone in Washington State to document the effects of sediment released during removal of two large dams upstream. As expected, the new tool is proving to be extremely useful for high-resolution change detection. For more information, contact Joshua Logan at jlogan@usgs.gov, or 831-460-7519.

Learn more about how our science is supporting the Elwha River Restoration Project: http://www.usgs.gov/elwha

Map showing area covered by OCOF. Interactive Online Tool for Assessing Climate-Change Impacts Along North–Central California Coast

USGS scientists, in collaboration with NOAA and PRBO Conservation Science (formerly Point Reyes Bird Observatory), recently released the beta version of an interactive tool for assessing climate-change impacts along the north-central California coast (Half Moon Bay to Bodega Bay), at http://data.prbo.org/apps/ocof/. The new Climate Impacts Tool—part of the Our Coast Our Future (OCOF) project to provide natural-resource managers and others with science-based decision-support tools—incorporates the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) developed by USGS and Deltares (an independent Dutch research institute) to assess the dual impacts of sea-level rise and severe storms. The USGS team members are now planning to apply the CoSMoS system for a similar purpose along shorelines in San Francisco Bay and southern California. (Patrick Barnard, Santa Cruz, CA, pbarnard@usgs.gov, 831-460-7556)

Scientists from Four USGS Science Centers Collaborate in Study of Coastal Groundwater Exchange in Hood Canal, Washington

This interdisciplinary approach, drawing on experts in geochemistry, hydrology, geology, and oceanography, is the central theme of the USGS Coastal Aquifer Project (CAPII), which was recently restructured by Peter Swarzenski (USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center), Kevin Kroeger (USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center), and Christopher G. Smith (USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center) to align with current USGS science strategies and opportunities. Read more...

South Korean Geoscientists Visit the USGS in Menlo Park and Santa Cruz, California

USGS emeritus geophysicist Jonathan Childs in Menlo Park and USGS geologist James Hein in Santa Cruz hosted scientists from the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM). The scientists were introduced to a range of USGS studies, including microbiology, radiometric dating, analytical labs, data-processing operations, the NetQuakes seismograph network, deep-sea mineral investigations, and more. Read more...

Strategic IODP Planning Workshop for Ultra-Deep Drilling into Arc Crust

Two USGS geologists—Amy Draut of the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, and Erin Todd of the Alaska Science Center in Anchorage—were among 58 international scientists who gathered in Kona, Hawai'i, from September 17 to 21, 2012, for a planning workshop on "Ultra-Deep Drilling into Arc Crust" by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP; formerly the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program). Read more...

Training to Use New Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) Scanner in Santa Cruz, California

A newly acquired terrestrial lidar (light detection and ranging) scanner was the focus of training at the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, in December 2012. USGS technicians and scientists learned how to operate the new instrument during a 4-day workshop organized by Deputy Center Director for Marine Operations George Tate and geographer Joshua Logan. Read more...

Remembering Asbury "Abby" Sallenger—Architect of the USGS Coastal Program

USGS scientist and renowned coastal-hazards expert Asbury "Abby" Sallenger, 63, died at home on the evening of February 5. He was a distinguished research scientist, a skilled communicator, and a mentor throughout his career. Seen as a leader in scientific response to coastal storms, Sallenger served as the voice of the USGS on hurricanes and coastal change since the USGS stood up its first scientific storm-response team in the mid-1990s. Read more...

Middlebury College Research Vessel Named for Retired USGS Scientist David Folger

The research vessel (R/V) David Folger, a 48-foot hydrofoil catamaran, is the newly dedicated research vessel for Middlebury College in Vermont. It will explore the waters of Lake Champlain while offering a state-of-the-art oceanographic platform for undergraduate students to learn the basics of marine research. Read more...

A Passion for Educational Outreach—Profile of USGS Geologist Carol Reiss

USGS geologist Carol Reiss of the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, gave her 99th educational-outreach presentation to a group of local fourth graders on December 17, 2012. Carol took the students on "geology field trips" around the facility's large conference room, where they saw rocks and fossils that Carol had collected from sites around the world, including Hawai'i, California, Mount St. Helens, Mount Everest, and the Juan de Fuca spreading ridge at the bottom of the North Pacific Ocean. Read more...

PCMSC Seminar Series

Please join us at our Santa Cruz, CA Science Center for
monthly talks and presentations given by local scientists and researchers.

http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/seminar/