Peter L. Pearsall

To conduct the science needed to understand coastal and marine geohazards, support habitat and resource management, and monitor how these environments change over time, the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program relies on engineering, mechanical, and electronics expertise for field operations along the coast, in the nearshore environment, and in the d

To conduct the science needed to understand coastal and marine geohazards, support habitat and resource management, and monitor how these environments change over time, the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program relies on engineering, mechanical, and electronics expertise for field operations along the coast, in the nearshore environment, and in the d

Most of the world’s beaches have regular cycles of erosion and recovery, but new USGS research is showing that these cycles may be considerably different from common perceptions. 

Coral reef restoration can protect hundreds of millions of dollars of coastal property and business activity annually from storm-driven flooding.

It can protect thousands of people, especially children, the elderly, minorities, and those below the poverty line. Thus, coral reef restoration is a mechanism to provide environmental equity.

Coral reef restoration can protect hundreds of millions of dollars of coastal property and business activity annually from storm-driven flooding.

It can protect thousands of people, especially children, the elderly, minorities, and those below the poverty line. Thus, coral reef restoration is a mechanism to provide environmental equity.

This is a remarkable film of the underwater landslide and tsunami at Valdez, Alaska, taken during the 1964 Great Alaska earthquake. 

It has never been seen before in its correct sequence. There is no other film that we are aware of that shows the formation of a large submarine landslide.

USGS scientists collect core samples from estuaries, lakes, coasts, and marine environments to study a range of physical and chemical properties preserved in sediment or coral over time. They process and analyze these core samples at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Sediment Core Lab. 

USGS science helps to understand the causes and effects of environmental change. Scientists in the Climate Research and Development Program focus specifically on these changes, conducting their work across many fields and disciplines throughout the United States and the globe.

USGS science helps to understand the causes and effects of environmental change. Ariana Sutton-Grier is the coordinator of the Climate Research and Development Program, whose scientists focus specifically on environmental changes that have occurred in the past, are taking place now, or will occur in the future. 

Natural hazards are unavoidable. But with proper preparedness, their impact can be reduced. The USGS and its partners work to prepare, monitor, assess, and alert people to the hazards around them. Are you ready if you're affected by a disaster?   

Join USGS Research Geologist and lifelong surfer Jon Warrick at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center Santa Cruz as he discusses how coastal and ocean geoscience contributes to a better understanding of how waves form and behave as they approach the shore—critical information with a broad range of applications, not least of which is surfing!

Research Geochemist Renee Takesue combines geology and chemistry to shed light on how chemical components from natural and human-made sources make their way into coastal environments. 

From volcanologists to oceanographers, biologists to paleontologists, the U.S. Geological Survey employs thousands of scientists across the Earth sciences. Each has a unique role in supporting the bureau’s mission of providing “science that matters” to the American people.

Research Ecologist Adam Terando helps people understand how climate change may affect their communities and ecosystems by using mathematical models to “downscale” large global climate models. 

Research Ecologist Brian Miller uses a process called “climate change scenario planning” to help managers think about the many ways climate change could impact the resources under their care, allowing them to create robust strategies ready for anything the future may bring.

Research Fish Biologist Holly Embke investigates how climate change is impacting inland fish populations used by recreational anglers and for Tribal subsistence activities.  

Research Ecologist Jeremy Littell explores how Alaska’s melting glaciers affect the region’s famously productive salmon fisheries. 

As the leader of the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center, Mari-Vaughn Johnson brings USGS science to communities in the Pacific Islands, her ohana, to help address the unique climate challenges in their region. 

Research Oceanographer Jessica Lacy investigates the influence of tides, waves, and water levels on wave-exposed tidal salt marshes, helping to understand how these important ecosystems will respond to sea level rise.