This sediment database contains location, description, and texture of samples taken during Cruise No. FERL01052 aboard the NOAA Ship Ferrel. These samples were taken on East and West Flower Garden Banks of the Flower Gardens Bank National Marine Sanctuary between May 28, 2002 and June 3, 2002. The information collected during this cruise is intended for a preliminary geologic interpretation of the surficial sediment distribution in order to determine sites for future sample collection. The interpretations presented in this Open File Report are subject to change with future data acquisition.

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center collected 303 surface sediment samples from Dauphin Island, Alabama, and the surrounding water bodies in August 2015. These sediments were processed to determine physical characteristics such as organic content, bulk density, and grain-size. The environments where the sediments were collected include high and low salt marshes, over-wash deposits, dunes, beaches, sheltered bays, and open water. Sampling by the USGS was part of a larger study to assess the feasibility and sustainability of proposed restoration efforts for Dauphin Island, Alabama, and assess the island’s resilience to rising sea level and storm events. The data presented in this publication can be used by modelers to attempt validation of hindcast models and create predictive forecast models for both baseline conditions and storms. This study was funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, via the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. This report serves as an archive for sedimentological data derived from surface sediments. Downloadable data are available as Excel spreadsheets, JPEG files, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata (data downloads).

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center collected 303 surface sediment samples from Dauphin Island, Alabama, and the surrounding water bodies in August 2015. These sediments were processed to determine physical characteristics such as organic content, bulk density, and grain-size. The environments where the sediments were collected include high and low salt marshes, over-wash deposits, dunes, beaches, sheltered bays, and open water. Sampling by the USGS was part of a larger study to assess the feasibility and sustainability of proposed restoration efforts for Dauphin Island, Alabama, and assess the island’s resilience to rising sea level and storm events. The data presented in this publication can be used by modelers to attempt validation of hindcast models and create predictive forecast models for both baseline conditions and storms. This study was funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, via the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. This report serves as an archive for sedimentological data derived from surface sediments. Downloadable data are available as Excel spreadsheets, JPEG files, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata (data downloads).

Understanding the processes that govern whether a coral reef is accreting (growing) or dissolving are fundamental to questions of reef health and resiliency. A total of 52 surficial sediment samples were collected within a 1-km x 1-km area around Crocker Reef in the Florida Keys, USA, between 2013 and 2014. Samples 1-35 were collected in July 2013 and samples 36-52 were collected in July 2014. The samples were processed using conventional, published techniques (see process step 2) to yield grain size and mineralogical data. The dataset, CRKR2013-2014_SEDIMENT_Mineralogy.zip contains a spreadsheet with mineralogical data for each sample. The dataset, CRKR2013-2014_SEDIMENT_GrainSize.zip contains a spreadsheet with grain size data for each sample.

Understanding the processes that govern whether a coral reef is accreting (growing) or dissolving are fundamental to questions of reef health and resiliency. A total of 52 surficial sediment samples were collected within a 1-km x 1-km area around Crocker Reef in the Florida Keys, USA, between 2013 and 2014. Samples 1-35 were collected in July 2013 and samples 36-52 were collected in July 2014. The samples were processed using conventional, published techniques (see process step 2) to yield grain size and mineralogical data. The dataset, CRKR2013-2014_SEDIMENT_Mineralogy.zip contains a spreadsheet with mineralogical data for each sample. The dataset, CRKR2013-2014_SEDIMENT_GrainSize.zip contains a spreadsheet with grain size data for each sample.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and Florida State University (FSU), collected the data presented here as part of a larger study of seafloor habitats on the shelf edge of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. It is a pilot study, carried out to demonstrate the utility of geologic mapping to fisheries management issues. This report contains sidescan-sonar mosaics, seismic-reflection profiles, texture and calcium carbonate content of sediment samples and interpretative maps of the seafloor morphology, sediments, and benthic habitats of the study area. The study area is an approximately 150-km2 area along the shelf edge in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. The site is on the eastern side of the DeSoto Canyon and 75 km due south of Cape San Blas on the Florida panhandle. Water depth ranges from about 50 meters (m) to 120 m. It was chosen because reports from fishermen suggested that high-relief rocky outcrops, which are preferred by gag grouper as spawning aggregation sites, would be abundant. The geologic maps help the fisheries biologists select station locations for ongoing monitoring studies and provide a basis for siting of future reserves.

In 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in partnership with the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, began a study to investigate processes affecting shoreline change along the northern coast of South Carolina, focusing on the Grand Strand region. Previous work along the U.S. Atlantic coast shows that the structure and composition of older geologic strata located seaward of the coast heavily influences the coastal behavior of areas with limited sediment supply, such as the Grand Strand. By defining this geologic framework and identifying the transport pathways and sinks of sediment, geoscientists are developing conceptual models of the present-day physical processes shaping the South Carolina coast. The primary objectives of this research effort are: 1) to provide a regional synthesis of the shallow geologic framework underlying the coastal upland, shoreface and inner continental shelf, and define its role in coastal evolution and modern beach behavior; 2) to identify and model the physical processes affecting coastal ocean circulation and sediment transport, and to define their role in shaping the modern shoreline; and 3) to identify sediment sources and transport pathways; leading to construction of a regional sediment budget.

In 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in partnership with the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, began a study to investigate processes affecting shoreline change along the northern coast of South Carolina, focusing on the Grand Strand region. Previous work along the U.S. Atlantic coast shows that the structure and composition of older geologic strata located seaward of the coast heavily influences the coastal behavior of areas with limited sediment supply, such as the Grand Strand. By defining this geologic framework and identifying the transport pathways and sinks of sediment, geoscientists are developing conceptual models of the present-day physical processes shaping the South Carolina coast. The primary objectives of this research effort are: 1) to provide a regional synthesis of the shallow geologic framework underlying the coastal upland, shoreface and inner continental shelf, and define its role in coastal evolution and modern beach behavior; 2) to identify and model the physical processes affecting coastal ocean circulation and sediment transport, and to define their role in shaping the modern shoreline; and 3) to identify sediment sources and transport pathways; leading to construction of a regional sediment budget.

In 2023, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS SPCMSC) conducted a sediment sampling survey at the northern Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana. Funded by the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 117-43) enacted on September 30, 2021, these data complement sediment data from samples previously collected from the Chandeleur Islands in 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, and 2015.

This file contains location and carbonate content analysis of samples taken during Cruise No. FERL01052 aboard the NOAA Ship Ferrel. These samples were taken on East and West Flower Garden Banks of the Flower Gardens Bank National Marine Sanctuary between May 28, 2002 and June 3, 2002. The information collected during this cruise is intended for a preliminary geologic interpretation of the surficial sediment distribution in order to determine sites for future sample collection. The interpretations presented in this Open File Report are subject to change with future data acquisition.