Due to a lapse in appropriations, the majority of USGS websites may not be up to date and may not reflect current conditions. Websites displaying real-time data, such as Earthquake and Water and information needed for public health and safety will be updated with limited support. Additionally, USGS will not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted. For more information, please see www.doi.gov/shutdown
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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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.
Science
Read about our science projects, find out where we are working, and why it matters
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Watch science videos, explore the bottom of the sea, check out cool photographs from the field, and catch up on science lectures
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Check out our upcoming public seminars, plus photos and videos taken by our scientists
News
USGS scientist selected as next editor-in-chief of AGU’s Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
USGS research geologist Amy East, of the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, will be the next editor-in-chief of the American Geophysical Union’s Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, beginning January 1, 2019.
The State of Olympic National Park – The Natural Resource Condition Assessment
The USGS and National Park Service (NPS) have published the first Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Olympic National Park. A Natural Resource Condition Assessment, or NRCA, is a report that evaluates a subset of important natural resources in a NPS Unit.
Surveying deep-water habitats off US West Coast
Research cruise surveys deep-water coral, sponge, and fish habitats off U.S. West Coast.
Publications
Mineralization at oceanic transform faults and fracture zones
Mineral formation in the modern oceans can take place over millions of years as a result precipitation from ambient ocean water, or orders of magnitude more rapidly from hydrothermal activity related to magmatic and tectonic processes. Here, we review associations between transform faults and related fracture zones ...
Duarte, Joao C.; Gartman, Amy; Hein, James R. Geochemical sourcing of runoff from a young volcanic watershed to an impacted coral reef in Pelekane Bay, Hawaii
Runoff of sediment and other contaminants from developed watersheds threatens coastal ecosystems and services. A sediment geochemical sourcing study was undertaken on a sediment-impacted coral reef flat to identify terrestrial sediment sources and how these changed over time. Geochemical signatures were identified for watershed...
Takesue, Renee K.; Storlazzi, Curt D. Storm surge propagation and flooding in small tidal rivers during events of mixed coastal and fluvial influence
The highly urbanized estuary of San Francisco Bay is an excellent example of a location susceptible to flooding from both coastal and fluvial influences. As part of developing a forecast model that integrates fluvial and oceanic drivers, a case study of the Napa River and its interactions with the San Francisco Bay was performed. For this...
Herdman, Liv; Erikson, Li; Barnard, Patrick L.