47 CFR 101.523 - Service areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, organized the 50 States and the District of Columbia into 172 EAs... Northern Mariana Islands; (2) Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; (3) American Samoa, and (4) the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico EA extends from 12 nautical miles off the U.S. Gulf coast outward into...

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Eagle Ford Group and associated Cenomanian–Turonian Strata, U.S. Gulf Coast, Texas, 2018

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whidden, Katherine J.; Pitman, Janet K.; Pearson, Ofori N.; Paxton, Stanley T.; Kinney, Scott A.; Gianoutsos, Nicholas J.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Burke, Lauri A.; Dubiel, Russell F.; French, Katherine L.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Haines, Seth S.; Le, Phuong A.; Marra, Kristen R.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Woodall, Cheryl A.

2018-06-22

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 8.5 billion barrels of oil and 66 trillion cubic feet of gas in continuous accumulations in the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Group and associated Cenomanian–Turonian strata in onshore lands of the U.S. Gulf Coast region, Texas.

77 FR 66580 - Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Gulf Coast Pipeline Project

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-06

... subordinate its rights, acquired under the Wetland Reserve Program, to allow the Gulf Coast Segment (Gulf.... Department of State (DOS) to build and operate the Keystone XL Project. In the original application, Trans... built in three segments: The approximately 850-mile long ``Steele City'' segment from the U.S. border to...

Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coast sea level change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douglas, Bruce C.

Twentieth-century relative sea level rise shows considerable variability along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts. Local rates of rise lie in the range of about 1.5 to more than 4 mm per year for records from Key West, Florida, to New York City. Rates of sea level rise in the Gulf of Mexico can be much higher. In Texas and Louisiana, long-term water levels are rising up to about 10 mm per year. This is having disastrous consequences in the form of wetlands loss in the region, estimated to be as much as 65 km2 per year in the Mississippi Delta area of Louisiana alone. Beach erosion is also significant along both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, resulting in ever-increasing exposure of fixed structures to the damaging impacts of storms. The especially high rates of sea level rise in Louisiana and Texas are a result of their particular geomorphology, and anthropogenic alterations in the form of sediment diversion and withdrawal of underground fluids. The average long-term local rate of sea level rise on the rest of the U.S. East and Gulf coasts when corrected for glacial isostatic adjustment is about 2 mm per year, in conformity with 20th century global sea level rise. U.S. East and Gulf coast tide gauge records also have regionally coherent low frequency (decadal and longer) variations that need to be understood because of their impact on wetlands loss, and to enable accurate determination of long-term trends of sea level rise.

Northern Gulf of Mexico: USGS science contributions to a resilient coast, 2006-2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2007-01-01

The devastating hurricane season of 2005 challenged U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop a science base for resource managers and policy makers that could provide an understanding of the multiple stressors and influence affecting the northern Gulf of Mexico coast and to rack changes in linked coastal systems. The complexity of the Gulf Coast requires a science strategy for data collection and data reporting that is consistent across regional ecosystems and that can be applied to both short-term and long-term responses to stressors.

Geologist argues for renewed, deeper look at US Gulf Coast

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pratsch, J.C.

1992-09-01

Over 10 bbo (billion barrels of oil) and about 130 Tcf of gas have been reported as proved reserves discovered in the offshore U.S. continental shelf (OCS or outer continental shelf) along the northern Gulf Coast. Of these reserves, only 2.5 bbo and 36,146 Bcf of gas remain, which seem small in comparison to a U.S. consumption rate of over 5 bbo/yr. Reserves, new additions and production levels in the Gulf Coast region have fallen for the last decade and more. Rig and crew boat counts are down, employment is down, and it is difficult for most to remain optimistic.more » This paper reports that there is good reason for optimism---A major new exploration play for oil and gas exists on the Texas/Louisiana shelf. Modern geological, geophysical (mainly seismic) and geochemical data, when combined, offer a sound base for a major renewed exploration campaign.« less

Port Needs Study (Vessel Traffic Services Benefits) Volume III

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1991-08-01

This study documents the benefits and costs of potential U.S. Coast Guard Vessel : Traffic Services (VTS) in selected U.S. deep water ports on the Atlantic, Gulf and : Pacific Coasts. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and Special Progr...

Zika Virus Vector Competency of Mosquitoes, Gulf Coast, United States.

PubMed

Hart, Charles E; Roundy, Christopher M; Azar, Sasha R; Huang, Jing H; Yun, Ruimei; Reynolds, Erin; Leal, Grace; Nava, Martin R; Vela, Jeremy; Stark, Pamela M; Debboun, Mustapha; Rossi, Shannan; Vasilakis, Nikos; Thangamani, Saravanan; Weaver, Scott C

2017-03-01

Zika virus has recently spread throughout the Americas. Although Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are considered the primary vector, Culex quinquefasciatus and mosquitoes of other species may also be vectors. We tested Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. taeniorhynchus mosquitoes from the US Gulf Coast; both were refractory to infection and incapable of transmission.

Chalk play tops Gulf Coast horizontal scene

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-11-18

This paper reports on horizontal drilling in the Cretaceous Austin chalk of Texas which dominates news of U.S. Gulf Coast horizontal action. In spite of a significant decline in horizontal drilling in Texas-the Texas Railroad Commission reported a 15 unit decline in the number of permits to drill horizontal wells during the third quarter-operators in East and South Texas continue to expand plays and develop new ones. The Cretaceous Bruda may be gaining some respect as a horizontal target in Texas. Elsewhere on the Gulf Coast, Mississippi soon will see more action on the horizontal drilling front.

Port Needs Study (Vessel Traffic Services Benefits) Volume 1: Study Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1991-08-01

This study documents the benefits and costs of potential U.S. Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) in selected U.S. deep draft ports on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Coasts. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and Special Programs ...

Climate Change and Health on the U.S. Gulf Coast: Public Health Adaptation is Needed to Address Future Risks.

PubMed

Petkova, Elisaveta P; Ebi, Kristie L; Culp, Derrin; Redlener, Irwin

2015-08-11

The impacts of climate change on human health have been documented globally and in the United States. Numerous studies project greater morbidity and mortality as a result of extreme weather events and other climate-sensitive hazards. Public health impacts on the U.S. Gulf Coast may be severe as the region is expected to experience increases in extreme temperatures, sea level rise, and possibly fewer but more intense hurricanes. Through myriad pathways, climate change is likely to make the Gulf Coast less hospitable and more dangerous for its residents, and may prompt substantial migration from and into the region. Public health impacts may be further exacerbated by the concentration of people and infrastructure, as well as the region's coastal geography. Vulnerable populations, including the very young, elderly, and socioeconomically disadvantaged may face particularly high threats to their health and well-being. This paper provides an overview of potential public health impacts of climate variability and change on the Gulf Coast, with a focus on the region's unique vulnerabilities, and outlines recommendations for improving the region's ability to minimize the impacts of climate-sensitive hazards. Public health adaptation aimed at improving individual, public health system, and infrastructure resilience is urgently needed to meet the challenges climate change may pose to the Gulf Coast in the coming decades.

GULF OF MEXICO AQUATIC MORTALITY NETWORK (GMNET)

EPA Science Inventory

Five U.S. states share the northern coast of the Gulf, and each has a program to monitor mortalities of aquatic organisms (fish, shellfish, birds). However, each state has different standards, procedures, and documentation of mortality events. The Gulf of Mexico Aquatic Mortality...

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in sandstone reservoirs of the Cotton Valley Group, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eoff, Jennifer D.; Biewick, Laura R.H.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Burke, Lauri; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Dubiel, Russell F.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Gianoutsos, Nicholas J.; Kinney, Scott A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Leathers, Heidi M.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Paxton, Stanley T.; Pearson, Ofori N.; Pitman, Janet K.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Whidden, Katherine J.

2015-08-11

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered mean volumes of 14 million barrels of conventional oil, 430 billion cubic feet of conventional gas, 34,028 billion cubic feet of continuous gas, and a mean total of 391 million barrels of natural gas liquids in sandstone reservoirs of the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Cotton Valley Group in onshore lands and State waters of the U.S. Gulf Coast region.

Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Lessons Learned for Protecting and Educating Children. Briefing for Congressional Staff. GAO-06-680R

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Government Accountability Office, 2006

2006-01-01

In August and September 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused devastating damage to states along the Gulf Coast. In the aftermath of the storms, many questions were raised about the status of the thousands of children living in the affected areas. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) prepared this preliminary information under the…

Impacts of Central American Fires on Ozone Air Quality along the US Gulf Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, S. C.; Wang, Y.; Estes, M. J.; Lei, R.; Talbot, R. W.

2017-12-01

Biomass burning in Central America is associated with agriculture activities and occurs regularly during April and May every year. Satellite observations have documented frequent transport of wildfire smoke from Mexico and Central America to the southern US, causing haze and exceedance of fine particle matter. However, the impacts of those fires on surface ozone in the US are poorly understood. This study uses both observations and modeling to examine the effects of the springtime Central America fire emissions on surface ozone over the Gulf coastal regions over a long-term time period (2002-2015). Passive tracer simulation in the nested-grid version of the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model over North America is used to identify the days when Central American fire plumes reached the US Gulf Coast. During the identified fire-impact days, Central American fires are estimated to result in an average of 9 ppbv enhancement of regional background ozone over the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria (HGB) region. Satellite-observed distributions of AOD and CO are used to examine the transport pathways and effects of those fires on atmospheric composition. Finally, we integrate satellite observations, ground measurements, and modeling to quantify the impact of Central American fires on springtime ozone air quality along the US Gulf Coast in terms of both long-term (2002-2015) mean and extreme cases.

33 CFR 165.754 - Safety Zone: San Juan Harbor, San Juan, PR.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... approximate position 18-29.3N, 66-07.6W and continuing until the vessel is safely moored at either the Gulf... in an area one half mile around each vessel beginning at either the Gulf Refinery Oil dock or Catano..., warrant, or petty officers of the U.S. Coast Guard. Coast Guard Auxiliary and local or state officials may...

33 CFR 165.754 - Safety Zone: San Juan Harbor, San Juan, PR.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... approximate position 18-29.3N, 66-07.6W and continuing until the vessel is safely moored at either the Gulf... in an area one half mile around each vessel beginning at either the Gulf Refinery Oil dock or Catano..., warrant, or petty officers of the U.S. Coast Guard. Coast Guard Auxiliary and local or state officials may...

33 CFR 165.754 - Safety Zone: San Juan Harbor, San Juan, PR.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... approximate position 18-29.3N, 66-07.6W and continuing until the vessel is safely moored at either the Gulf... in an area one half mile around each vessel beginning at either the Gulf Refinery Oil dock or Catano..., warrant, or petty officers of the U.S. Coast Guard. Coast Guard Auxiliary and local or state officials may...

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Jurassic and Cretaceous strata of the Gulf Coast, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dubiel, Russell F.; Warwick, Peter D.; Swanson, Sharon; Burke, Lauri; Biewick, Laura; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Coleman, James L.; Cook, Troy A.; Dennen, Kris; Doolan, Colin A.; Enomoto, Catherine; Hackley, Paul C.; Karlsen, Alexander W.; Klett, Timothy R.; Kinney, Scott A.; Lewan, Michael D.; Merrill, Matt; Pearson, Krystal; Pearson, Ofori N.; Pitman, Janet K.; Pollastro, Richard M.; Rowan, Elizabeth L.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Valentine, Brett

2011-01-01

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 147.4 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, 2.4 billion barrels of undiscovered oil, and 2.96 billion barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in Jurassic and Cretaceous strata in onshore lands and State waters of the Gulf Coast.

Southeast Regional Implementation Manual for Requirements and Procedures for Evaluation of the Ocean Disposal of Dredged Material in Southeastern U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coast Waters

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This Regional Implementation Manual was prepared by EPA Region 4 to provide guidance for applicants proposing open-water disposal of dredged material in southeastern U.S. coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk and Tokio and Eutaw Formations, Gulf Coast, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearson, Krystal; Dubiel, R.F.; Pearson, O.N.; Pitman, Janet K.

2011-01-01

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 957 million barrels of undiscovered oil, 3.6 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, and 363 million barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in the Austin Chalk and Tokio and Eutaw Formations in onshore lands and State waters of the Gulf Coast.

Definition of Greater Gulf Basin Lower Cretaceous and Upper Cretaceous Lower Cenomanian Shale Gas Assessment Unit, United States Gulf of Mexico Basin Onshore and State Waters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dennen, Kristin O.; Hackley, Paul C.

2012-01-01

An assessment unit (AU) for undiscovered continuous “shale” gas in Lower Cretaceous (Aptian and Albian) and basal Upper Cretaceous (lower Cenomanian) rocks in the USA onshore Gulf of Mexico coastal plain recently was defined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The AU is part of the Upper Jurassic-Cretaceous-Tertiary Composite Total Petroleum System (TPS) of the Gulf of Mexico Basin. Definition of the AU was conducted as part of the 2010 USGS assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in Gulf Coast Mesozoic stratigraphic intervals. The purpose of defining the Greater Gulf Basin Lower Cretaceous Shale Gas AU was to propose a hypothetical AU in the Cretaceous part of the Gulf Coast TPS in which there might be continuous “shale” gas, but the AU was not quantitatively assessed by the USGS in 2010.

Crew Training - Apollo 9 (Egress) - Gulf

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-11-20

S68-50989 (20 Nov. 1968) --- Astronaut James A. McDivitt, commander of the Apollo 9 prime crew, is hoisted up to a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter in a new type rescue net during water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hurricanes and the U.S. Gulf Coast: Science and Sustainable Rebuilding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2006-06-01

The knowledge available among AGU members provides scientific expertise on nearly all of the physical environment of the dynamic Gulf Coast ecosystem complex. Intelligently rebuilding features such as fisheries, oil fields, seaports, farms, and wetlands after hurricanes Katrina and Rita will require ``a well-constructed collaborative effort to maximize the role of science in decisions made about the rebuilding,'' wrote Charles Groat, former director of the U.S. Geological Survey, in a news article published in Eos that simulated an AGU meeting of experts. As a step toward developing a scientific basis for safer communities along the Florida-Alabama-Mississippi-Louisiana-Texas coastline, AGU convened an interdisciplinary `Conference of Experts' on 11-12 January 2006 to discuss what we, as Earth and space scientists, know about the present and projected environment in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast areas affected by the hurricanes of 2005. Twenty scientists, all experts in the fields of science relevant to the Gulf Coast, met to consider ideas for a coordinated effort to integrate science into the decision-making processes necessary for the area's sustainable rebirth. Political, economic, and social issues were intentionally not discussed. Nevertheless, it was recognized that these issues are intertwined with science and are of paramount importance. This report contains a summary of the discussion and is intended to be helpful in providing scientific understanding useful in redevelopment of the affected area.

Hurricane Katrina's carbon footprint on U.S. Gulf Coast forests.

PubMed

Chambers, Jeffrey Q; Fisher, Jeremy I; Zeng, Hongcheng; Chapman, Elise L; Baker, David B; Hurtt, George C

2007-11-16

Hurricane Katrina's impact on U.S. Gulf Coast forests was quantified by linking ecological field studies, Landsat and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image analyses, and empirically based models. Within areas affected by relatively constant wind speed, tree mortality and damage exhibited strong species-controlled gradients. Spatially explicit forest disturbance maps coupled with extrapolation models predicted mortality and severe structural damage to approximately 320 million large trees totaling 105 teragrams of carbon, representing 50 to 140% of the net annual U.S. forest tree carbon sink. Changes in disturbance regimes from increased storm activity expected under a warming climate will reduce forest biomass stocks, increase ecosystem respiration, and may represent an important positive feedback mechanism to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Preliminary results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission collaborative research program to assess tsunami hazard for nuclear power plants on the Atlantic and gulf coasts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kammerer, A.M.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Twitchell, David C.; Geist, Eric L.; Chaytor, Jason D.; Locat, J.; Lee, H.J.; Buczkowski, Brian J.; Sansoucy, M.

2008-01-01

In response to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC) initiated a long-term research program to improve understanding of tsunami hazard levels for nuclear facilities in the United States. For this effort, the US NRC organized a collaborative research program with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other key researchers for the purpose of assessing tsunami hazard on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. The initial phase of this work consisted principally of collection, interpretation, and analysis of available offshore data and information. Necessarily, the US NRC research program includes both seismic- and landslide-based tsunamigenic sources in both the near and the far fields. The inclusion of tsunamigenic landslides, an important category of sources that impact tsunami hazard levels for the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts over the long time periods of interest to the US NRC is a key difference between this program and most other tsunami hazard assessment programs. Although only a few years old, this program is already producing results that both support current US NRC activities and look toward the long-term goal of probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment. This paper provides a summary of results from several areas of current research. An overview of the broader US NRC research program is provided in a companion paper in this conference.

An Analysis of Moisture Fluxes into the Gulf of California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Man-Li C.; Schubert, Siegfried D.; Suarez, Max J.; Huang, Norden E.

2009-01-01

This study examines the nature of episodes of enhanced warm-season moisture flux into the Gulf of California. Both spatial structure and primary time scales of the fluxes are examined using the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis data for the period 1980-2001. The analysis approach consists of a compositing technique that is keyed on the low-level moisture fluxes into the Gulf of California. The results show that the fluxes have a rich spectrum of temporal variability, with periods of enhanced transport over the gulf linked to African easterly waves on subweekly (3-8 day) time scales, the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) at intraseasonal time scales (20-90 day), and intermediate (10-15 day) time-scale disturbances that appear to originate primarily in the Caribbean Sea-western Atlantic Ocean. In the case of the MJO, enhanced low-level westerlies and large-scale rising motion provide an environment that favors large-scale cyclonic development near the west coast of Central America that, over the course of about 2 weeks, expands northward along the coast eventually reaching the mouth of the Gulf of California where it acts to enhance the southerly moisture flux in that region. On a larger scale, the development includes a northward shift in the eastern Pacific ITCZ, enhanced precipitation over much of Mexico and the southwestern United States, and enhanced southerly/southeasterly fluxes from the Gulf of Mexico into Mexico and the southwestern and central United States. In the case of the easterly waves, the systems that reach Mexico appear to redevelop/reorganize on the Pacific coast and then move rapidly to the northwest to contribute to the moisture flux into the Gulf of California. The most intense fluxes into the gulf on these time scales appear to be synchronized with a midlatitude short-wave trough over the U.S. West Coast and enhanced low-level southerly fluxes over the U.S. Great Plains. The intermediate (10-15 day) time-scale systems have zonal wavelengths roughly twice that of the easterly waves, and their initiation appears to be linked to an extratropical U.S. East Coast ridge and associated northeasterly winds that extend well into the Caribbean Sea during their development phase. The short (3-8 day) and, to a lesser extent, the intermediate (10-15 day) time-scale fluxes tend to be enhanced when the convectively active phase of the MJO is situated over the Americas.

50 CFR Figure 3 to Part 679 - Gulf of Alaska Reporting Areas

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... limits of the US EEZ as described in the current editions of NOAA chart INT 813 (Bering Sea, Southern Part) and NOAA chart 500 (West Coast of North America, Dixon Entrance to Unimak Pass), between 170°00... the US EEZ as described in the current edition of NOAA chart 500 (West Coast of North America, Dixon...

50 CFR Figure 3 to Part 679 - Gulf of Alaska Reporting Areas

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... limits of the US EEZ as described in the current editions of NOAA chart INT 813 (Bering Sea, Southern Part) and NOAA chart 500 (West Coast of North America, Dixon Entrance to Unimak Pass), between 170°00... the US EEZ as described in the current edition of NOAA chart 500 (West Coast of North America, Dixon...

50 CFR Figure 3 to Part 679 - Gulf of Alaska Reporting Areas

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... limits of the US EEZ as described in the current editions of NOAA chart INT 813 (Bering Sea, Southern Part) and NOAA chart 500 (West Coast of North America, Dixon Entrance to Unimak Pass), between 170°00... the US EEZ as described in the current edition of NOAA chart 500 (West Coast of North America, Dixon...

50 CFR Figure 3 to Part 679 - Gulf of Alaska Reporting Areas

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... limits of the US EEZ as described in the current editions of NOAA chart INT 813 (Bering Sea, Southern Part) and NOAA chart 500 (West Coast of North America, Dixon Entrance to Unimak Pass), between 170°00... the US EEZ as described in the current edition of NOAA chart 500 (West Coast of North America, Dixon...

50 CFR Figure 3 to Part 679 - Gulf of Alaska Reporting Areas

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... limits of the US EEZ as described in the current editions of NOAA chart INT 813 (Bering Sea, Southern Part) and NOAA chart 500 (West Coast of North America, Dixon Entrance to Unimak Pass), between 170°00... the US EEZ as described in the current edition of NOAA chart 500 (West Coast of North America, Dixon...

Using Remote Sensing Data to Evaluate Habitat Loss in the Mobile, Galveston, and Tampa Bay Watersheds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steffen, Morgan; Estes, Maurice G.; Al-Hamdan, Mohammad

2010-01-01

The Gulf of Mexico has experienced dramatic wetland habitat area losses over the last two centuries. These losses not only damage species diversity, but contribute to water quality, flood control, and aspects of the Gulf coast economy. Overall wetland losses since the 1950s were examined using land cover/land use (LCLU) change analysis in three Gulf coast watershed regions: Mobile Bay, Galveston Bay, and Tampa Bay. Two primary causes of this loss, LCLU change and climate change, were then assessed using LCLU maps, U.S. census population data, and available current and historical climate data from NOAA. Sea level rise, precipitation, and temperature effects were addressed, with emphasis on analysis of the effects of sea level rise on salt marsh degradation. Ecological impacts of wetland loss, including fishery depletion, eutrophication, and hypoxia were addressed using existing literature and data available from NOAA. These ecological consequences in turn have had an affect on the Gulf coast economy, which was analyzed using fishery data and addressing public health impacts of changes in the environment caused by wetland habitat loss. While recent federal and state efforts to reduce wetland habitat loss have been relatively successful, this study implies a need for more aggressive action in the Gulf coast area, as the effects of wetland loss reach far beyond individual wetland systems themselves to the Gulf of Mexico as a whole.

33 CFR 72.05-1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., with the exception of Volume V, which is published biennially, covering the waters of the United States... River, South Carolina. (3) Volume III, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, from Little River, South Carolina, to Econfina River, Florida, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (4) Volume IV, Gulf of Mexico...

33 CFR 72.05-1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., with the exception of Volume V, which is published biennially, covering the waters of the United States... River, South Carolina. (3) Volume III, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, from Little River, South Carolina, to Econfina River, Florida, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (4) Volume IV, Gulf of Mexico...

33 CFR 72.05-1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., with the exception of Volume V, which is published biennially, covering the waters of the United States... River, South Carolina. (3) Volume III, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, from Little River, South Carolina, to Econfina River, Florida, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (4) Volume IV, Gulf of Mexico...

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in conventional and continuous petroleum systems in the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Group, U.S. Gulf Coast region, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dubiel, Russell F.; Pitman, Janet K.; Pearson, Ofori N.; Pearson, Krystal; Kinney, Scott A.; Lewan, Michael D.; Burke, Lauri; Biewick, Laura; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Cook, Troy A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Pollastro, Richard M.; Schenk, Christopher J.

2012-01-01

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey assessed means of (1) 141 million barrels of oil (MMBO), 502 billion cubic feet of natural gas (BCFG), and 16 million barrels of natural gas liquids (MMBNGL) in the conventional Eagle Ford Updip Sandstone Oil and Gas Assessment Unit (AU); (2) 853 MMBO, 1,707 BCFG, and 34 MMBNGL in the continuous Eagle Ford Shale Oil AU; and (3) 50,219 BCFG and 2,009 MMBNGL in the continuous Eagle Ford Shale Gas AU in onshore lands and State waters of the Gulf Coast.

Gulf Atlantic Coastal Plain Long Term Agroecosystem Research site, Tifton, GA

Treesearch

Timothy Strickland; David D. Bosch; Dinku M. Endale; Thomas L. Potter

2016-01-01

The Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain (GACP) physiographic region is an important agricultural production area within the southeastern U.S. that extends from Delaware in the Northeast to the Gulf Coast of Texas. The region consists mainly of low-elevation flat to rolling terrain with numerous streams, abundant rainfall, a complex coastline, and many wetlands. The GACP Long ...

Radon in unconventional natural gas from gulf coast geopressured-geothermal reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kraemer, T.F.

1986-01-01

Radon-222 has been measured in natural gas produced from experimental geopressured-geothermal test wells. Comparison with published data suggests that while radon activity of this unconventional natural gas resource is higher than conventional gas produced in the gulf coast, it is within the range found for conventional gas produced throughout the U.S. A method of predicting the likely radon activity of this unconventional gas is described on the basis of the data presented, methane solubility, and known or assumed reservoir conditions of temperature, fluid pressure, and formation water salinity.

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (EMAP): NATIONAL COASTAL ASSESSMENT, GULF OF MEXICO, AND INDICATOR DEVELOPMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The estuaries and coastal waters of the U.S. represent a complex set of ecosystems along the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Ocean. These ecosystems are affected by effluents and nutrients entering the coastal waters, as well as global stressors and anthr...

78 FR 50030 - Implementation of New Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-16

... issues, its experience working in the Gulf of Mexico, and its demonstrated ability to transfer research... Executive Oversight Board consisting of senior executives representing each of the NOAA Line Offices, as well as a senior executive from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, to oversee continuing development and...

Seasonal Levels of the Vibrio Predator Bacteriovorax in Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coast Seawater

PubMed Central

Richards, Gary P.; Watson, Michael A.; Boyd, E. Fidelma; Burkhardt, William; Lau, Ronald; Uknalis, Joseph; Fay, Johnna P.

2013-01-01

Bacteriovorax were quantified in US Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific seawater to determine baseline levels of these predatory bacteria and possible seasonal fluctuations in levels. Surface seawater was analyzed monthly for 1 year from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii; the Gulf Coast of Alabama; and four sites along the Delaware Bay. Screening for Bacteriovorax was performed on lawns of V. parahaemolyticus host cells. Direct testing of 7.5 mL portions of seawater from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts gave mean annual counts ≤12.2 PFU. Spikes in counts were observed at 3 out of 4 sites along the Delaware Bay 1 week after Hurricane Sandy. A comparison of summer versus winter counts showed significantly more Bacteriovorax (P ≤ 0.0001) in the Delaware Bay during the summer and significantly more (P ≤ 0.0001) in the Gulf during the winter, but no significant seasonal differences (P > 0.05) for Hawaiian seawater. Bacteriovorax counts only correlated with seawater salinity and temperature at one Delaware site (r = 0.79 and r = 0.65, resp.). There was a relatively strong negative correlation between temperature and Bacteriovorax levels (r = −0.585) for Gulf seawater. Selected isolates were sequenced and identified by phylogenetic analysis as Bacteriovorax clusters IX, X, XI, and XII. PMID:24454382

U. S. refining margins languishing: Ominous undercurrent

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-12-17

In recent weeks, most petroleum product prices have plunged on both the US Gulf and West Coasts. Even though most crude oil prices have weakened as well, the refining sector ends 1991 on a powerless note. The problem: from 1992 forward, continued cast infusions will scarcely afford sufficient processing and capacity changes in preparation for dramatic Clean Air Act requirements, while reluctant demand will scarcely accommodate cost increase pass throughs. This issue updates prices and margins for several important crudes processed in the US and tracks recent product price trends. The issue also presents the following: (1) the ED Refiningmore » Netback Data Series for the US Gulf and West Coasts, Rotterdam, and Singapore as of Dec. 6, 1991; and (2) the ED Fuel Price/Tax Series for countries of the Western Hemisphere, December 1991 edition.« less

EXPANSION OF PHRAGMITES AUSTRALIS INTO TIDAL WETLANDS OF NORTH AMERICA. (U915648)

EPA Science Inventory

Phragmites expansion into tidal wetlands of North America is most extensive along the northern and middle Atlantic coasts, but over 80% of the US coastal wetland area occurs along the Gulf of Mexico and southern Atlantic coasts and may be susceptible to ongoing expansio...

Water-quality assessment of the Trinity River basin, Texas : ground-water quality of the Trinity, Carrizo-Wilcox, and Gulf Coast aquifers, February-August 1994

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reutter, David C.; Dunn, David D.

2000-01-01

Ground-water samples were collected from wells in the outcrops of the Trinity, Carrizo-Wilcox, and Gulf Coast aquifers during February-August 1994 to determine the quality of ground water in the three major aquifers in the Trinity River Basin study unit, Texas. These samples were collected and analyzed for selected properties, nutrients, major inorganic constituents, trace elements, pesticides, dissolved organic carbon, total phenols, methylene blue active substances, and volatile organic compounds as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Quality-control practices included the collection and analysis of blank, duplicate, and spiked samples. Samples were collected from 12 shallow wells (150 feet or less) and from 12 deep wells (greater than 150 feet) in the Trinity aquifer, 11 shallow wells and 12 deep wells in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, and 14 shallow wells and 10 deep wells in the Gulf Coast aquifer. The three aquifers had similar water chemistries-calcium was the dominant cation and bicarbonate the dominant anion. Statistical tests relating well depths to concentrations of nutrients and major inorganic constituents indicated correlations between well depth and concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, bicarbonate, sodium, and dissolved solids in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer and between well depth and concentrations of sulfate in the Gulf Coast aquifer. The tests indicated no significant correlations for the Trinity aquifer. Concentrations of dissolved solids were larger than the secondary maximum contaminant level of 500 milligrams per liter established for drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 12 wells in the Trinity aquifer, 4 wells in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, and 6 wells in the Gulf Coast aquifer. Iron concentrations were larger than the secondary maximum contaminant level of 300 micrograms per liter in at least 3 samples from each aquifer, and manganese concentrations were larger than the secondary maximum contaminant level of 50 micrograms per liter in at least 2 samples from each aquifer. The pesticides atrazine, deethylatrazine, and pp'-DDE were detected in at least one sample from each aquifer. Diazinon was detected in 11 Trinity aquifer samples and 4 Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer samples. Each aquifer had one detection of a volatile organic compound-benzene in the Trinity aquifer, trichlorofluoromethane in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, and trichloromethane in the Gulf Coast aquifer.

Habitat Suitability Index Models: Southern and gulf flounders

USGS Publications Warehouse

Enge, Kevin M.; Mulholland, Rosemarie

1985-01-01

Both the southern and gulf flounders (paralichthrS lethostigma, f. albi~utta) are important commercial and recreationa species. Catch statlstics for flounder do not differentiate between species; however, southern flounders are more common than gulf flounders except on the gulf coast of Florida (Topp and Hoff 1972). The commercial fishery consists of incidental catches by shrimp trawlers. A total of 853,162 kg (1,880,900 lb) of unclassified flounder worth $572,142 was caught from the Gulf of Mexico in 1976 (U.S. Dep. Commerce 1980). The sport fishery consists of both hook-and-line fishing and gigging.

The Evolving Medical and Veterinary Importance of the Gulf Coast tick (Acari: Ixodidae).

PubMed

Paddock, Christopher D; Goddard, Jerome

2015-03-01

Amblyomma maculatum Koch (the Gulf Coast tick) is a three-host, ixodid tick that is distributed throughout much of the southeastern and south-central United States, as well as several countries throughout Central and South America. A considerable amount of scientific literature followed the original description of A. maculatum in 1844; nonetheless, the Gulf Coast tick was not recognized as a vector of any known pathogen of animals or humans for >150 years. It is now identified as the principal vector of Hepatozoon americanum, the agent responsible for American canine hepatozoonosis, and Rickettsia parkeri, the cause of an emerging, eschar-associated spotted fever group rickettsiosis identified throughout much of the Western Hemisphere. Coincident with these discoveries has been recognition that the geographical distribution of A. maculatum in the United States is far more extensive than described 70 yr ago, supporting the idea that range and abundance of certain tick species, particularly those with diverse host preferences, are not fixed in time or space, and may change over relatively short intervals. Renewed interest in the Gulf Coast tick reinforces the notion that the perceived importance of a particular tick species to human or animal health can be relatively fluid, and may shift dramatically with changes in the distribution and abundance of the arthropod, its vertebrate hosts, or the microbial agents that transit among these organisms. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2015. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Meeting and Public Listening

Science.gov Websites

Data Media & News Publications Press Releases Story Archive Home Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Meeting and Public Listening Session Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Meeting and Title: Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Meeting and Public Listening SessionDescription: The

Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources: U.S. Gulf Coast: Chapter H in Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roberts-Ashby, Tina L.; Brennan, Sean T.; Buursink, Marc L.; Covault, Jacob A.; Craddock, William H.; Drake II, Ronald M.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Slucher, Ernie R.; Warwick, Peter D.; Blondes, Madalyn S.; Gosai, Mayur A.; Freeman, P.A.; Cahan, Steven M.; DeVera, Christina A.; Lohr, Celeste D.; Warwick, Peter D.; Corum, Margo D.

2014-01-01

This report presents 27 storage assessment units (SAUs) within the United States (U.S.) Gulf Coast. The U.S. Gulf Coast contains a regionally extensive, thick succession of clastics, carbonates, salts, and other evaporites that were deposited in a highly cyclic depositional environment that was subjected to a fluctuating siliciclastic sediment supply and transgressive and regressive sea levels. At least nine major depositional packages contain porous strata that are potentially suitable for geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration within the region. For each SAU identified within these packages, the areal distribution of porous rock that is suitable for geologic CO2 sequestration is discussed, along with a description of the geologic characteristics that influence the potential CO2 storage volume and reservoir performance. These characteristics include reservoir depth, gross thickness, net-porous thickness, porosity, permeability, and groundwater salinity. Additionally, a characterization of the overlying regional seal for each SAU is presented. On a case-by-case basis, strategies for estimating the pore volume existing within structurally and (or) stratigraphically closed traps are also presented. Geologic information presented in this report has been employed to calculate potential storage capacities for CO2 sequestration in the SAUs that are assessed herein, although complete assessment results are not contained in this report.

Understanding Nuisance Flooding Conceptualizations and Concerns of Stakeholders in the Northern U.S. Gulf Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeLorme, D.; Collini, R.; Stephens, S. H.

2017-12-01

As sea level rises, nuisance flooding along coasts is increasing. There is a need to understand how the public views flooding events in order to tailor communications to different audiences appropriately and help improve community resilience. This interdisciplinary presentation is intended to foster greater awareness about present-day nuisance flooding, ongoing conversation about best practices for accurately and effectively communicating about this "cumulative hazard" and its risks, and consideration about possible preparation and mitigation options for community resilience. The presentation will begin by defining and explaining nuisance flooding according to scientific experts and the scholarly literature. Next, we will share several specific examples of how nuisance flooding is increasingly impacting certain areas in the Northern U.S. Gulf Coast to demonstrate the importance of raising attention to and better understanding of this phenomenon across a range of audiences. We will particularly focus on the complex interrelated social, economic, and ecological issues associated with this hazard. Then, we will compare and contrast conceptualizations of nuisance flooding (characteristics, causes, consequences) and associated concerns from the viewpoints and experiences of various stakeholders in the Northern U.S. Gulf Coast (e.g., natural resource managers, community planners, extension specialists). These data are synthesized from multiple research methods and engagement mechanisms (e.g., focus groups, workshop mapping exercises) implemented during the first year of a multi-year NOAA-sponsored interdisciplinary project on Dynamic Sea Level Rise Assessments of the Ability of Natural and Nature-based Features to Mitigate Surge and Nuisance Flooding. To conclude, we will provide future research recommendations along with references and resources about nuisance flooding.

Impacts of the Pacific Meridional Mode on Landfalling North Atlantic tropical cyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wei; Villarini, Gabriele; Vecchi, Gabriel A.; Murakami, Hiroyuki

2018-02-01

This study examines the impacts of the Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM) on North Atlantic tropical cyclones (TCs) making landfall along the coastal US, Caribbean Islands and Mexico, and provides insights on the underlying physical mechanisms using observations and model simulations. There is a statistically significant time-lagged association between spring PMM and the August-October US and Caribbean landfalling TCs. Specifically, the positive (negative) spring PMM events tend to be followed by fewer (more) TCs affecting the coastal US (especially over the Gulf of Mexico and Florida) and the Caribbean Islands. This lagged association is mainly caused by the lagged impacts of PMM on the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the subsequent impacts of ENSO on TC frequency and landfalls. Positive (negative) PMM events are largely followed by El Niño (La Niña) events, which lead to less (more) TC geneses close to the US coast (i.e., the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea); this also leads to easterly (westerly) steering flow in the vicinity of the US and Caribbean coast, which is unfavorable (favorable) to TC landfall across the Gulf of Mexico, Florida and Caribbean Islands. Perturbation simulations with the state-of-the-art Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Forecast-oriented Low Ocean Resolution Version of CM2.5 (FLOR) support the linkage between PMM and TC landfall activity. The time-lagged impacts of spring PMM on TC landfalling activity results in a new predictor to forecast seasonal TC landfall activity along the US (especially over the Gulf of Mexico and Florida) and Caribbean coastal regions.

40 CFR 408.260 - Applicability; description of the Atlantic and Gulf Coast hand-shucked oyster processing...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Atlantic and Gulf Coast hand-shucked oyster processing subcategory. 408.260 Section 408.260 Protection of... SEAFOOD PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Atlantic and Gulf Coast Hand-Shucked Oyster Processing Subcategory § 408.260 Applicability; description of the Atlantic and Gulf Coast hand-shucked oyster processing...

Restoring resilience to the Gulf of Mexico coast: Chapter 1A in Science and the storms-the USGS response to the hurricanes of 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Gregory J.

2007-01-01

Hurricane Katrina and its destructive aftermath in 2005 were unprecedented. Hurricanes Dennis, Rita, and Wilma were also powerful hurricanes affecting the Gulf of Mexico that year. These storms highlighted the need to integrate science that supports restoration of natural landscapes with intelligent coastal planning. The following essay describes both the value and vulnerability of the Gulf of Mexico's northern coast before the storms and the current need to connect science to the human dimension of restoring the coastal landscape. Readers are invited to ponder these concepts as they read the rest of the articles in this report that describe the scientific activities that the U.S. Geological Survey performed in late 2005 and early 2006.

Measurement of flows for two irrigation districts in the lower Colorado River basin, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coplin, L.S.; Liscum, Fred; East, J.W.; Goldstein, L.B.

1996-01-01

The Lower Colorado River Authority sells and distributes water for irrigation of rice farms in two irrigation districts, the Lakeside district and the Gulf Coast district, in the lower Colorado River Basin of Texas. In 1993, the Lower Colorado River Authority implemented a water-measurement program to account for the water delivered to rice farms and to promote water conservation. During the rice-irrigation season (summer and fall) of 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey measured flows at 30 sites in the Lakeside district and 24 sites in the Gulf Coast district coincident with Lower Colorado River Authority measuring sites. In each district, the Survey made essentially simultaneous flow measurements with different types of meters twice a day once in the morning and once in the afternoon at each site on selected days for comparison with Lower Colorado River Authority measurements. One-hundred pairs of corresponding (same site, same date) Lower Colorado River Authority and U.S. Geological Survey measurements from the Lakeside district and 104 measurement pairs from the Gulf Coast district are compared statistically and graphically. For comparison, the measurement pairs are grouped by irrigation district and further subdivided by the time difference between corresponding measurements less than or equal to 1 hour or more than 1 hour. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (to indicate whether two groups of paired observations are statistically different) on Lakeside district measurement pairs with 1 hour or less between measurements indicate that the Lower Colorado River Authority and U.S. Geological Survey measurements are not statistically different. The median absolute percent difference between the flow measurements is 5.9 percent; and 33 percent of the flow measurements differ by more than 10 percent. Similar statistical tests on Gulf Coast district measurement pairs with 1 hour or less between measurements indicate that the Lower Colorado River Authority and U.S. Geological Survey measurements are not statistically different. The median absolute percent difference between the flow measurements is 2.6 percent; and 30 percent of the flow measurements differ by more than 10 percent. The differences noted above between Lower Colorado River Authority and U.S. Geological Survey measurements with 1 hour or less between measurements and the differences between essentially simultaneous U.S. Geological Survey measurements are of similar orders of magnitude and, in some cases, very close.

Cholera in the United States, 2001–2011: a reflection of patterns of global epidemiology and travel

PubMed Central

LOHARIKAR, A.; NEWTON, A. E.; STROIKA, S.; FREEMAN, M.; GREENE, K. D.; PARSONS, M. B.; BOPP, C.; TALKINGTON, D.; MINTZ, E. D.; MAHON, B. E.

2015-01-01

SUMMARY US cholera surveillance offers insight into global and domestic trends. Between 2001 and 2011, 111 cases were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cholera was associated with international travel in 90 (81%) patients and was domestically acquired in 20 (18%) patients; for one patient, information was not available. From January 2001 to October 2010, the 42 (47%) travel-associated cases were associated with travel to Asia. In October 2010, a cholera epidemic started in Haiti, soon spreading to the Dominican Republic (Hispaniola). From then to December 2011, 40 (83%) of the 48 travel-associated cases were associated with travel to Hispaniola. Of 20 patients who acquired cholera domestically, 17 (85%) reported seafood consumption; 10 (59%) ate seafood from the US Gulf Coast. In summary, an increase in travel-associated US cholera cases was associated with epidemic cholera in Hispaniola in 2010–2011. Travel to Asia and consumption of Gulf Coast seafood remained important sources of US cholera cases. PMID:24865664

Hurricane Katrina storm surge distribution and field observations on the Mississippi Barrier Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritz, Hermann M.; Blount, Chris; Sokoloski, Robert; Singleton, Justin; Fuggle, Andrew; McAdoo, Brian G.; Moore, Andrew; Grass, Chad; Tate, Banks

2007-08-01

Hurricane Katrina (23-30 August 2005) struck low-lying coastal plains particularly vulnerable to storm surge flooding. Maximum storm surges, overland flow depths, and inundation distances were measured along the Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. The vehicle based survey was complemented by inspections with the reconnaissance boat along the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi Barrier Islands. The storm surge peaked to the East of Katrina's path exceeding 10 meters in several locations along the Mississippi coastline. The storm surge measurements show that the lower floors of specially designed buildings were damaged by the surge of seawater and associated wave action, while the upper floors sustained minimal wind damage. Furthermore, the storm surge measurements along New Orleans's Lake shore indicate that the 17th Street Canal levee failed prior to overtopping. The land loss on the barrier islands resulted in an increased vulnerability of the US Gulf Coast to future hurricane storm surges.

NOAA Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - Protecting Oceans, Coasts and Fisheries (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubchenco, J.

2010-12-01

As the nation’s leading scientific resource for oil spills, NOAA has been on the scene of the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill from the start, providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services to federal, state and local organizations. NOAA has mobilized experts from across the agency to help contain the spreading oil spill and protect the Gulf of Mexico’s many marine mammals, sea turtles, fish, shellfish and other endangered marine life. NOAA spill specialists advised the U.S. Coast Guard on cleanup options as well as advising all affected federal, state and local partners on sensitive marine resources at risk in this area of the Gulf of Mexico. As a major partner in the federal response to this incident, NOAA provided the necessary coastal and marine expertise required for sound, timely decision-making and helped protect the affected Gulf Coast communities and coastal marine environment and will continue to do so for ongoing restoration efforts.

Two Low Pressure Areas Fighting to Control the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Weather

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

NOAA's GOES-14 satellite captured a visible image of a low pressure area that will affect the Mid-Atlantic, Ohio Valley and northeast over the next couple of days. The low pressure area, the rounded area of clouds near southern Louisiana, is now moving in a northerly direction from the Gulf coast, and will track northward to the Great Lakes, passing west of the Mid-Atlantic region and bringing clouds and showers. It's associated warm front will also move up the U.S. East coast bringing a surge of warmth before a cold front sweeps in from the west. The clouds draped across the Mid-Atlantic today, Oct. 1, are from an area of low pressure and trailing frontal boundary located over the Atlantic Ocean just off the North Carolina coast and stretching back to the Gulf low. The image was created at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. by the NASA GOES Project. Credit: NASA GOES Project NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Concentrations and annual fluxes of sediment-associated chemical constituents from conterminous US coastal rivers using bed sediment data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horowitz, Arthur J.; Stephens, Verlin C.; Elrick, Kent A.; Smith, James J.

2012-01-01

Coastal rivers represent a significant pathway for the delivery of natural and anthropogenic sediment-associated chemical constituents to the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the conterminous USA. This study entails an accounting segment using published average annual suspended sediment fluxes with published sediment-associated chemical constituent concentrations for (1) baseline, (2) land-use distributions, (3) population density, and (4) worldwide means to estimate concentrations/annual fluxes for trace/major elements and total phosphorus, total organic and inorganic carbon, total nitrogen, and sulphur, for 131 coastal river basins. In addition, it entails a sampling and subsequent chemical analysis segment that provides a level of ‘ground truth’ for the calculated values, as well as generating baselines for sediment-associated concentrations/fluxes against which future changes can be evaluated. Currently, between 260 and 270 Mt of suspended sediment are discharged annually from the conterminous USA; about 69% is discharged from Gulf rivers (n = 36), about 24% from Pacific rivers (n = 42), and about 7% from Atlantic rivers (n = 54). Elevated sediment-associated chemical concentrations relative to baseline levels occur in the reverse order of sediment discharges:Atlantic rivers (49%)>Pacific rivers (40%)>Gulf rivers (23%). Elevated trace element concentrations (e.g. Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) frequently occur in association with present/former industrial areas and/or urban centres, particularly along the northeast Atlantic coast. Elevated carbon and nutrient concentrations occur along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts but are dominated by rivers in the urban northeast and by southeastern and Gulf coast (Florida) ‘blackwater’ streams. Elevated Ca, Mg, K, and Na distributions tend to reflect local petrology, whereas elevated Ti, S, Fe, and Al concentrations are ubiquitous, possibly because they have substantial natural as well as anthropogenic sources. Almost all the elevated sediment-associated chemical concentrations found in conterminous US coastal rivers are lower than worldwide averages.

Thermal Maturity Data Used by the U.S. Geological Survey for the U.S. Gulf Coast Region Oil and Gas Assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dennen, Kristin O.; Warwick, Peter D.; McDade, Elizabeth Chinn

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey is currently assessing the oil and natural gas resources of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico region using a total petroleum system approach. An essential part of this geologically based method is evaluating the effectiveness of potential source rocks in the petroleum system. The purpose of this report is to make available to the public RockEval and vitrinite reflectance data from more than 1,900 samples of Mesozoic and Tertiary rock core and coal samples in the Gulf of Mexico area in a format that facilitates inclusion into a geographic information system. These data provide parameters by which the thermal maturity, type, and richness of potential sources of oil and gas in this region can be evaluated.

VULNERABILITY TO HURRICANE DAMAGE ON THE U.S. GULF COAST SINCE 1950

PubMed Central

LOGAN, JOHN R.; XU, ZENGWANG

2015-01-01

We study hurricane risk on the U.S. Gulf Coast during 1950–2005, estimating the wind damage and storm surge from every hurricane in this extended period. Wind damage is estimated from the known path and wind speeds of individual storms and calibrated to fit actual damage reports for a sample of Gulf Coast storms. Storm surge is estimated using the SLOSH model developed by NOAA. These models provide the first comprehensive overview of the hurricane storm hazard as it has been experienced over a fifty-six-year period. We link the estimated damage with information on the population and specific socio-demographic components of the population (by age, race, and poverty status). Results show that white, young adult, and nonpoor populations have shifted over time away from zones with higher risk of wind damage, while more vulnerable population groups–the elderly, African Americans, and poor—have moved in the opposite direction. All groups have moved away from areas with high risk of storm surge since 1970. But in this case, perhaps because living near the water is still perceived as an amenity, those at highest risk are whites, elderly, and nonpoor households. Here exposure represents a trade-off between the risk and the amenity. PMID:25926706

Overview of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission collaborative research program to assess tsunami hazard for nuclear power plants on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kammerer, A.M.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Titov, V.V.

2017-01-01

In response to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC) initiated a long-term research program to improve understanding of tsunami hazard levels for nuclear facilities in the United States. For this effort, the US NRC organized a collaborative research program with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with a goal of assessing tsunami hazard on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. Necessarily, the US NRC research program includes both seismic- and landslide-based tsunamigenic sources in both the near and the far fields. The inclusion of tsunamigenic landslides, an important category of sources that impact tsunami hazard levels for the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts is a key difference between this program and most other tsunami hazard assessment programs. The initial phase of this work consisted of collection, interpretation, and analysis of available offshore data, with significant effort focused on characterizing offshore near-field landslides and analyzing their tsunamigenic potential and properties. In the next phase of research, additional field investigations will be conducted in key locations of interest and additional analysis will be undertaken. Simultaneously, the MOST tsunami generation and propagation model used by NOAA will first be enhanced to include landslide-based initiation mechanisms and then will be used to investigate the impact of the tsunamigenic sources identified and characterized by the USGS. The potential for probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment will also be explore in the final phases of the program.

Relative Linkages of Stream Dissolved Oxygen with the Hydroclimatic and Biogeochemical Drivers across the Gulf Coast of U.S.A.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gebreslase, A. K.; Abdul-Aziz, O. I.

2017-12-01

Dynamics of coastal stream water quality is influenced by a multitude of interacting environmental drivers. A systematic data analytics approach was employed to determine the relative linkages of stream dissolved oxygen (DO) with the hydroclimatic and biogeochemical variables across the Gulf Coast of U.S.A. Multivariate pattern recognition techniques of PCA and FA, alongside Pearson's correlation matrix, were utilized to examine the interrelation of variables at 36 water quality monitoring stations from USGS NWIS and EPA STORET databases. Power-law based partial least square regression models with a bootstrap Monte Carlo procedure (1000 iterations) were developed to estimate the relative linkages of dissolved oxygen with the hydroclimatic and biogeochemical variables by appropriately resolving multicollinearity (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency = 0.58-0.94). Based on the dominant drivers, stations were divided into four environmental regimes. Water temperature was the dominant driver of DO in the majority of streams, representing most the northern part of Gulf Coast states. However, streams in the southern part of Texas and Florida showed a dominant pH control on stream DO. Further, streams representing the transition zone of the two environmental regimes showed notable controls of multiple drivers (i.e., water temperature, stream flow, and specific conductance) on the stream DO. The data analytics research provided profound insight to understand the dynamics of stream DO with the hydroclimatic and biogeochemical variables. The knowledge can help water quality managers in formulating plans for effective stream water quality and watershed management in the U.S. Gulf Coast. Keywords Data analytics, coastal streams, relative linkages, dissolved oxygen, environmental regimes, Gulf Coast, United States.

Screening Level Assessment of Risks Due to Dioxin Emissions from Burning Oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico Spill

EPA Science Inventory

Between April 28 and July 19 of 2010, the U.S. Coast Guard conducted in situ oil burns as one approach used for the management of oil spilled after the explosion and subsequent sinking of the BP Deepwater Horizon platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this paper is to des...

Review of the NURE assessment of the U.S. Gulf Coast Uranium Province

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hall, Susan M.

2013-01-01

Historic exploration and development were used to evaluate the reliability of domestic uranium reserves and potential resources estimated by the U.S. Department of Energy national uranium resource evaluation (NURE) program in the U.S. Gulf Coast Uranium Province. NURE estimated 87 million pounds of reserves in the $30/lb U3O8 cost category in the Coast Plain uranium resource region, most in the Gulf Coast Uranium Province. Since NURE, 40 million pounds of reserves have been mined, and 38 million pounds are estimated to remain in place as of 2012, accounting for all but 9 million pounds of U3O8 in the reserve or production categories in the NURE estimate. Considering the complexities and uncertainties of the analysis, this study indicates that the NURE reserve estimates for the province were accurate. An unconditional potential resource of 1.4 billion pounds of U3O8, 600 million pounds of U3O8 in the forward cost category of $30/lb U3O8 (1980 prices), was estimated in 106 favorable areas by the NURE program in the province. Removing potential resources from the non-productive Houston embayment, and those reserves estimated below historic and current mining depths reduces the unconditional potential resource 33% to about 930 million pounds of U3O8, and that in the $30/lb cost category 34% to 399 million pounds of U3O8. Based on production records and reserve estimates tabulated for the region, most of the production since 1980 is likely from the reserves identified by NURE. The potential resource predicted by NURE has not been developed, likely due to a variety of factors related to the low uranium prices that have prevailed since 1980.

Validation of Delft3D as a Coastal Surge and Inundation Prediction System

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-07

Hurricanes Katrina (2005), Ike (2008), and Irene (2011) along the US Gulf and East Coasts, Cyclone Nargis (2008) along the coast of Myanmar, and the...established for their risk assessment of the New Orleans area following Hurricane Katrina (Ebersole et al. 2007) were used. In the following metrics the...System (CSIPS) based on Delft3D for operational use by the US Navy. Baseline studies using re-analysis winds during Hurricanes Ike and Irene as well

Nontoxigenic Vibrio cholerae Non-O1/O139 Isolate from a Case of Human Gastroenteritis in the U.S. Gulf Coast

PubMed Central

Hasan, Nur A.; Rezayat, Talayeh; Blatz, Peter J.; Choi, Seon Young; Griffitt, Kimberly J.; Rashed, Shah M.; Huq, Anwar; Conger, Nicholas G.; Colwell, Rita R.

2014-01-01

An occurrence of Vibrio cholerae non-O1/O139 gastroenteritis in the U.S. Gulf Coast is reported here. Genomic analysis revealed that the isolate lacked known virulence factors associated with the clinical outcome of a V. cholerae infection but did contain putative genomic islands and other accessory virulence factors. Many of these factors are widespread among environmental strains of V. cholerae, suggesting that there might be additional virulence factors in non-O1/O139 V. cholerae yet to be determined. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolate belonged to a phyletic lineage of environmental V. cholerae isolates associated with sporadic cases of gastroenteritis in the Western Hemisphere, suggesting a need to monitor non-O1/O139 V. cholerae in the interest of public health. PMID:25339398

Evaluation of Gulf Coast Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) for Ehrlichia and Anaplasma Species.

PubMed

Allerdice, Michelle E J; Hecht, Joy A; Karpathy, Sandor E; Paddock, Christopher D

2017-03-01

Amblyomma maculatum Koch (the Gulf Coast tick) is an aggressive, human-biting ixodid tick distributed throughout much of the southeastern United States and is the primary vector for Rickettsia parkeri, an emerging human pathogen. Amblyomma maculatum has diverse host preferences that include white-tailed deer, a known reservoir for Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species, including the human pathogens E. ewingii and E. chaffeensis. To examine more closely the potential role of A. maculatum in the maintenance of various pathogenic Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species, we screened DNA samples from 493 questing adult A. maculatum collected from six U.S. states using broad-range Anaplasmataceae and Ehrlichia genus-specific PCR assays. Of the samples tested, four (0.8%) were positive for DNA of Ehrlichia ewingii, one (0.2%) was positive for Anaplasma platys, and one (0.2%) was positive for a previously unreported Ehrlichia species closely related to Ehrlichia muris and an uncultivated Ehrlichia species from Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks in Japan. No ticks contained DNA of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia canis, the Panola Mountain Ehrlichia, or Anaplasma phagocytophilum. This is the first identification of E. ewingii, A. platys, and the novel Ehrlichia in questing Gulf Coast ticks; nonetheless the low prevalence of these agents suggests that A. maculatum is not likely an important vector of these zoonotic pathogens. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Public Meeting | NOAA Gulf Spill

Science.gov Websites

Publications Press Releases Story Archive Home Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Public Meeting Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Public Meeting share Posted on December 5, 2012 | Assessment and Early Restoration Restoration Area The Council, which was established by the Resources and Ecosystem

3 CFR 13626 - Executive Order 13626 of September 10, 2012. Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... information relevant to Gulf Coast restoration, including through research, modeling, and monitoring; and..., planning, and the exchange of information in order to better implement Gulf Coast ecosystem restoration and... Ecosystem Restoration Council (Gulf Restoration Council), which will build upon the Task Force's already...

Apollo 8 prime crew seen during water egress training in Gulf of Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1968-01-01

Astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., command module pilot of the Apollo 8 prime crew, in special net being hoisted up to a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter during water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico. Awaiting his turn for helicopter pickup is Astronaut William A. Andors (in raft), lunar module pilot. A team of Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) swimmers assited with the training exercise.

Executive summary - Geologic assessment of coal in the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

2011-01-01

The National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA) project of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has assessed the quantity and quality of the nation's coal deposits that potentially could be mined during the next few decades. For eight years, geologic, geochemical, and resource information was collected and compiled for the five major coal-producing regions of the United States: the Appalachian Basin, Illinois Basin, Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains, Colorado Plateau, and the western part of the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain (Gulf Coast) region (Figure 1). In particular, the NCRA assessed resource estimates, compiled coal-quality information, and characterized environmentally sensitive trace elements, such as arsenic and mercury, that are mentioned in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1990). The results of the USGS coal assessment efforts may be found at: http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/coal/coal-assessments/index.html and a summary of the results from all assessment areas can be found in Ruppert et al. (2002) and Dennen (2009).Detailed assessments of the major coal-producing areas for the Gulf Coast region along with reviews of the stratigraphy, coal quality, resources, and coalbed methane potential of the Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Eocene coal deposits are presented in this report (Chapters 5-10).

International dissemination of epidemic Vibrio cholerae by cargo ship ballast and other nonpotable waters.

PubMed

McCarthy, S A; Khambaty, F M

1994-07-01

In 1991 and 1992, toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1, serotype Inaba, biotype El Tor, was recovered from nonpotable (ballast, bilge, and sewage) water from five cargo ships docked in ports of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Four of these ships had taken on ballast water in cholera-infected countries; the fifth took on ballast in a noninfected country. Isolates examined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were indistinguishable from the Latin American epidemic strain, C6707; however, they differed significantly from the endemic Gulf Coast strain (VRL 1984), the sixth-pandemic strain (569-B), and a V. cholerae non-O1 strain isolated from a ship arriving from a foreign port. On the basis of our findings, the Food and Drug Administration recommended that the U.S. Coast Guard issue an advisory to shipping agents and captains requesting that ballast waters be exchanged on the high seas before entry of ships into U.S. ports.

International dissemination of epidemic Vibrio cholerae by cargo ship ballast and other nonpotable waters.

PubMed Central

McCarthy, S A; Khambaty, F M

1994-01-01

In 1991 and 1992, toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1, serotype Inaba, biotype El Tor, was recovered from nonpotable (ballast, bilge, and sewage) water from five cargo ships docked in ports of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Four of these ships had taken on ballast water in cholera-infected countries; the fifth took on ballast in a noninfected country. Isolates examined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were indistinguishable from the Latin American epidemic strain, C6707; however, they differed significantly from the endemic Gulf Coast strain (VRL 1984), the sixth-pandemic strain (569-B), and a V. cholerae non-O1 strain isolated from a ship arriving from a foreign port. On the basis of our findings, the Food and Drug Administration recommended that the U.S. Coast Guard issue an advisory to shipping agents and captains requesting that ballast waters be exchanged on the high seas before entry of ships into U.S. ports. Images PMID:8074532

Modeling the mesozoic-cenozoic structural evolution of east texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearson, Ofori N.; Rowan, Elisabeth L.; Miller, John J.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently assessed the undiscovered technically recoverable oil and gas resources within Jurassic and Cretaceous strata of the onshore coastal plain and State waters of the U.S. Gulf Coast. Regional 2D seismic lines for key parts of the Gulf Coast basin were interpreted in order to examine the evolution of structural traps and the burial history of petroleum source rocks. Interpretation and structural modeling of seismic lines from eastern Texas provide insights into the structural evolution of this part of the Gulf of Mexico basin. Since completing the assessment, the USGS has acquired additional regional seismic lines in east Texas; interpretation of these new lines, which extend from the Texas-Oklahoma state line to the Gulf Coast shoreline, show how some of the region's prominent structural elements (e.g., the Talco and Mount Enterprise fault zones, the East Texas salt basin, and the Houston diapir province) vary along strike. The interpretations also indicate that unexplored structures may lie beneath the current drilling floor. Structural restorations based upon interpretation of these lines illustrate the evolution of key structures and show the genetic relation between structural growth and movement of the Jurassic Louann Salt. 1D thermal models that integrate kinetics and burial histories were also created for the region's two primary petroleum source rocks, the Oxfordian Smackover Formation and the Cenomanian-Turonian Eagle Ford Shale. Integrating results from the thermal models with the structural restorations provides insights into the distribution and timing of petroleum expulsion from the Smackover Formation and Eagle Ford Shale in eastern Texas.

iss042e254702

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-02-12

ISS042E254702 (02/12/2015) --- US Astronaut Terry Virts took this picture of the United States Gulf Coast on Feb. 12, 2015 while he was on the International Space Station. Virts is a Flight Engineer with Expedition 42.

The molecular epidemiology of cholera in Latin America.

PubMed

Wachsmuth, I K; Evins, G M; Fields, P I; Olsvik, O; Popovic, T; Bopp, C A; Wells, J G; Carrillo, C; Blake, P A

1993-03-01

To explain the sudden appearance and rapid spread of cholera in Latin America in January 1991, molecular techniques were used to define Vibrio cholerae O1 isolates from around the world. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms of rRNA and ctxA genes, DNA sequence of cholera toxin B subunit gene ctxB, and multilocus enzyme electrophoresis data were used to characterize 197 isolates. Worldwide, there are at least four distinct toxigenic El Tor V. cholerae O1 clones: the seventh pandemic (Eastern Hemisphere), US Gulf Coast, Australian, and Latin American. Nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 previously isolated in Brazil, Mexico, and Peru are unlike current toxigenic isolates. The Latin American clone probably represents an extension of the seventh pandemic into the Western Hemisphere, while the US Gulf Coast clone most likely evolved separately. These data will be useful in monitoring the spread of cholera, determining the origin of outbreaks in both hemispheres, and implicating specific vehicles of transmission.

Far field tsunami simulations of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake: Implications for tsunami hazard to the U.S. East Coast and the Caribbean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barkan, R.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Lin, J.

2009-01-01

The great Lisbon earthquake of November 1st, 1755 with an estimated moment magnitude of 8.5-9.0 was the most destructive earthquake in European history. The associated tsunami run-up was reported to have reached 5-15??m along the Portuguese and Moroccan coasts and the run-up was significant at the Azores and Madeira Island. Run-up reports from a trans-oceanic tsunami were documented in the Caribbean, Brazil and Newfoundland (Canada). No reports were documented along the U.S. East Coast. Many attempts have been made to characterize the 1755 Lisbon earthquake source using geophysical surveys and modeling the near-field earthquake intensity and tsunami effects. Studying far field effects, as presented in this paper, is advantageous in establishing constraints on source location and strike orientation because trans-oceanic tsunamis are less influenced by near source bathymetry and are unaffected by triggered submarine landslides at the source. Source location, fault orientation and bathymetry are the main elements governing transatlantic tsunami propagation to sites along the U.S. East Coast, much more than distance from the source and continental shelf width. Results of our far and near-field tsunami simulations based on relative amplitude comparison limit the earthquake source area to a region located south of the Gorringe Bank in the center of the Horseshoe Plain. This is in contrast with previously suggested sources such as Marqu??s de Pombal Fault, and Gulf of C??diz Fault, which are farther east of the Horseshoe Plain. The earthquake was likely to be a thrust event on a fault striking ~ 345?? and dipping to the ENE as opposed to the suggested earthquake source of the Gorringe Bank Fault, which trends NE-SW. Gorringe Bank, the Madeira-Tore Rise (MTR), and the Azores appear to have acted as topographic scatterers for tsunami energy, shielding most of the U.S. East Coast from the 1755 Lisbon tsunami. Additional simulations to assess tsunami hazard to the U.S. East Coast from possible future earthquakes along the Azores-Iberia plate boundary indicate that sources west of the MTR and in the Gulf of Cadiz may affect the southeastern coast of the U.S. The Azores-Iberia plate boundary west of the MTR is characterized by strike-slip faults, not thrusts, but the Gulf of Cadiz may have thrust faults. Southern Florida seems to be at risk from sources located east of MTR and South of the Gorringe Bank, but it is mostly shielded by the Bahamas. Higher resolution near-shore bathymetry along the U.S. East Coast and the Caribbean as well as a detailed study of potential tsunami sources in the central west part of the Horseshoe Plain are necessary to verify our simulation results. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V.

Medical evacuations from oil rigs off the Gulf Coast of the United States from 2008 to 2012: reasons and cost implications.

PubMed

Thibodaux, Donald P; Bourgeois, Robert M; Loeppke, Ronald R; Konicki, Doris L; Hymel, Pamela A; Dreger, Marianne

2014-07-01

To identify reasons for air medical evacuations from oil rigs/platforms. Retrospective review of data of medical calls from 102 rigs/platforms in the US Gulf Coast from 2008 through 2012 with specific analysis of medevacs. On average, 1609 total calls per year relating to illness or injury on the 102 oil rigs/platforms with 4% to 7% requiring medical air evacuation. On average, 77% of medevacs were for nonoccupational medical injury or illness. Illness, not occupational injuries, is identified as the major reason for medical evacuations from oil rigs. Heart disease is the leading cause of chronic health conditions resulting in a medevac.

Geology and land use in the western part of the Gulf Coast coal-bearing region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.; Aubourg, C.E.; Hook, R.W.; SanFilipo, John R.

2002-01-01

This map series is a compilation of the outcrop geology in the U.S. Gulf Coast coal region. The maps show the regional geologic setting for primary coal occurrences and detailed geology and historic mining areas.The CD contains ESRI ArcView SHP files of cities, urban areas, historical mines (points and polygons), counties, current mines, 1:100,000 quadrangle outlines of the study area, fossil fuel powerplants, nuclear powerplants, political boundaries, federally managed lands, roads and railroads in the study area, hydrology in the study area (polygons and arcs), geology nomenclature breaks, geological features (faults), and geology. ArcExplorer is included on the CD.

Sources, trends and regional impacts of fine particulate matter in southern Mississippi Valley: significance of emissions from sources in the Gulf of Mexico coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chalbot, M.-C.; McElroy, B.; Kavouras, I. G.

2013-01-01

The sources of fine particles over a 10 yr period at Little Rock, Arkansas, an urban area in southern Mississippi Valley, were identified by positive matrix factorization. The annual trends of PM2.5 and its sources and their associations with the pathways of air mass backward trajectories were examined. Seven sources were apportioned, namely, primary traffic particles, secondary nitrate and sulphate, biomass burning, diesel particles, aged/contaminated sea salt and mineral/road dust, accounting for more than 90% of measured PM2.5 mass. The declining trend of PM2.5 mass (0.4 μg m-3 yr-1) was related to lower levels of SO42- (0.2 μg m-3 yr-1) due to SO2 reductions from point and mobile sources. The slower decline for NO3- particles (0.1 μg m-3 yr-1) was attributed to the spatial variability of NH3 in Midwest. The annual variation of biomass burning particles was associated with wildland fires in southeast and northwest US that are sensitive to climate changes. The four regions within 500 km from the receptor site, the Gulf Coast and southeast US accounted cumulatively for more than 65% of PM2.5 mass, nitrate, sulphate and biomass burning aerosol. Overall, more than 50% of PM2.5 and its sources originated from sources outside the state. Sources within the Gulf Coast and western Gulf of Mexico include 65% of the busiest ports in the US, intense marine traffic within 400 km of the coast burning rich in S diesel, and a large number of offshore oil and natural gas platforms and many refineries along the coast. This approach allowed for quantitatively assessing the impacts of transport from regions representing diverse mixtures of sources and weather conditions for different types of particles. The findings of this effort demonstrated the influences of emission controls on SO2 and NOx on PM2.5 mass, the potential effect of events (i.e. fires) sensitive to climate change phenomena on air pollution and the potential of offshore activities and shipping emissions to influence air quality in urban areas located more than 1000 km away from the sources.

Economic vulnerability to sea-level rise along the northern U.S. Gulf Coast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thatcher, Cindy A.; Brock, John C.; Pendleton, Elizabeth A.

2013-01-01

The northern Gulf of Mexico coast of the United States has been identified as highly vulnerable to sea-level rise, based on a combination of physical and societal factors. Vulnerability of human populations and infrastructure to projected increases in sea level is a critical area of uncertainty for communities in the extremely low-lying and flat northern gulf coastal zone. A rapidly growing population along some parts of the northern Gulf of Mexico coastline is further increasing the potential societal and economic impacts of projected sea-level rise in the region, where observed relative rise rates range from 0.75 to 9.95 mm per year on the Gulf coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. A 1-m elevation threshold was chosen as an inclusive designation of the coastal zone vulnerable to relative sea-level rise, because of uncertainty associated with sea-level rise projections. This study applies a Coastal Economic Vulnerability Index (CEVI) to the northern Gulf of Mexico region, which includes both physical and economic factors that contribute to societal risk of impacts from rising sea level. The economic variables incorporated in the CEVI include human population, urban land cover, economic value of key types of infrastructure, and residential and commercial building values. The variables are standardized and combined to produce a quantitative index value for each 1-km coastal segment, highlighting areas where human populations and the built environment are most at risk. This information can be used by coastal managers as they allocate limited resources for ecosystem restoration, beach nourishment, and coastal-protection infrastructure. The study indicates a large amount of variability in index values along the northern Gulf of Mexico coastline, and highlights areas where long-term planning to enhance resiliency is particularly needed.

Assessing the potential for Gulf Coast NAFTA maritime trade corridors.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-12-01

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was enacted in 1994 with the expressed intent of : reducing barriers to trade. Since that time, however, transborder congestion and delays between the United : States (US) and Mexico threaten achievemen...

Gulf Coast Community College's Memory Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burrell, Matthew D.

2005-01-01

Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Florida, is celebrating a fifty-year anniversary in 2007. Maintained by the library, the school's archives represent the historical contributions on a local and national level. Gulf Coast Community College library is ensuring the school's historical significance through the digitization of its…

Using a Bayesian Network to predict shore-line change vulnerability to sea-level rise for the coasts of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gutierrez, Benjamin T.; Plant, Nathaniel G.; Pendleton, Elizabeth A.; Thieler, E. Robert

2014-01-01

Sea-level rise is an ongoing phenomenon that is expected to continue and is projected to have a wide range of effects on coastal environments and infrastructure during the 21st century and beyond. Consequently, there is a need to assemble relevant datasets and to develop modeling or other analytical approaches to evaluate the likelihood of particular sea-level rise impacts, such as coastal erosion, and to inform coastal management decisions with this information. This report builds on previous work that compiled oceanographic and geomorphic data as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) for the U.S. Atlantic coast, and developed a Bayesian Network to predict shoreline-change rates based on sea-level rise plus variables that describe the hydrodynamic and geologic setting. This report extends the previous analysis to include the Gulf and Pacific coasts of the continental United States and Alaska and Hawaii, which required using methods applied to the USGS CVI dataset to extract data for these regions. The Bayesian Network converts inputs that include observations of local rates of relative sea-level change, mean wave height, mean tide range, a geomorphic classification, coastal slope, and observed shoreline-change rates to calculate the probability of the shoreline-erosion rate exceeding a threshold level of 1 meter per year for the coasts of the United States. The calculated probabilities were compared to the historical observations of shoreline change to evaluate the hindcast success rate of the most likely probability of shoreline change. Highest accuracy was determined for the coast of Hawaii (98 percent success rate) and lowest accuracy was determined for the Gulf of Mexico (34 percent success rate). The minimum success rate rose to nearly 80 percent (Atlantic and Gulf coasts) when success included shoreline-change outcomes that were adjacent to the most likely outcome. Additionally, the probabilistic approach determines the confidence in calculated outcomes as the probability of the most likely outcome. The confidence was highest along the Pacific coast and it was lowest along the Alaskan coast.

Climate change and its potential impacts on the Gulf Coast region of the United States.

PubMed

Tchounwou, P B

1999-01-01

The Gulf Coast region of the United States abuts five states, including Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. In general, the Gulf of Mexico has a surface area of 1.63 million square kilometers (630,000 square miles) and a watershed area of 4.69 million square kilometers (1.81 million square miles) in the United States. This region is one of the nation's largest ecological systems and is closely linked to a significant portion of the nation's economy. In the Gulf Coast region, energy, fisheries, agriculture, and tourism rank among the most significant sectors of the economy. The Gulf has five of the top ten fishing ports in the United States, and commercial fisheries in the Gulf annually produce nearly 2 billion tons of fish, oysters, shrimps, and crabs. Gulf ports handle one-half of the nation's import-export tonnage. Petroleum produced in the Gulf represents about 80% of the nation's offshore production. The Gulf Coast region largely relies on many natural resources to fuel many important sectors of its economy. But nevertheless, the health and vitality of the Gulf have declined in recent years, caused in part by increasing populations along its coast and the growing demand upon its resources and in part by the accumulation of years of careless depletion, abuse, and neglect of the environment. Equally important are the impacts of natural and human-induced climate change on the economy and on the quality of life for millions of people living in the Gulf Coast region. The results have generated alarming increases in damage to and destruction of the ecosystems and habitats of the Gulf. This paper reviews the nature of global environmental change and addresses the potential health and environmental impacts that may occur in the Gulf Coast region of the United States as a consequence of various environmental alterations resulting from global change.

Regional Industry Workforce Development: The Gulf Coast Petrochemical Information Network

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgin, Johnette; Muha, Susan

2008-01-01

The Gulf Coast Petrochemical Information Network (GC-PIN) is a workforce development partnership among industry businesses and area institutions of higher education in the four-county Gulf Coast region. GC-PIN partners develop new industry-specific curricula, foster industry career awareness, and retrain existing employees in new technologies.

33 CFR 334.782 - SUPSHIP Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Mississippi, Detachment Mobile, Alabama at AUSTAL, USA, Mobile...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... prohibited from entering the restricted area without permission from the Supervisor of Shipbuilding... Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, USN, Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Mississippi, or his/her authorized... enforced by the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, USN, Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Mississippi...

33 CFR 334.782 - SUPSHIP Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Mississippi, Detachment Mobile, Alabama at AUSTAL, USA, Mobile...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... prohibited from entering the restricted area without permission from the Supervisor of Shipbuilding... Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, USN, Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Mississippi, or his/her authorized... enforced by the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, USN, Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Mississippi...

GT- 9 Water Egress Training

NASA Image and Video Library

1966-04-09

S66-29498 (9 April 1966) --- Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, prime crew pilot of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Gemini-9 spaceflight, is hoisted aboard a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter during water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo credit: NASA

Gulf Coast Wetlands

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2014-05-15

article title:  Wetlands of the Gulf Coast     View Larger Image ... SpectroRadiometer (MISR) highlights coastal areas of four states along the Gulf of Mexico: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and part of ...

Molecular Analyses of Vibrio cholerae O1 Clinical Strains, Including New Nontoxigenic Variants Isolated in Mexico during the Cholera Epidemic Years between 1991 and 2000▿

PubMed Central

Lizárraga-Partida, Marcial Leonardo; Quilici, Marie-Laure

2009-01-01

We studied the evolution of Vibrio cholerae O1 during the 1991 to 2000 cholera epidemic in Mexico by biochemical, serological, and molecular characterization of strains collected during this period. Strains were divided into toxigenic and nontoxigenic groups according to the presence or absence of genes encoding cholera toxin. As previously reported, we characterized two populations among toxigenic strains, which were present from the first year of the epidemic. BglI rRNA analysis revealed that these strains had ribotype profiles, denoted M5 and M6 in our study, that were identical to those previously designated Koblavi B5 or Popovic 5 and Popovic 6a or Tamayo B21a, respectively. Ribotype M5 was isolated between 1991 and 1993. This ribotype had a low level of genetic variation as detected by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Ribotype M6 persisted from 1991 to 2000. However, PFGE profiles suggested that two epidemiologically unrelated strains coexisted within this single ribotype from 1995 until the end of the epidemic. We identified three new BglI ribotypes, Mx1, Mx2, and Mx3, from nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains isolated between 1998 and 2000; one of them grouped strains positive for the toxin-coregulated pilus island. They differed from nontoxigenic clones isolated in Latin America and on the U.S. Gulf Coast and are probably autochthonous Mexican V. cholerae O1 variants. Most of these new variants were isolated from states surrounding the Gulf of Mexico, where the highest incidence of cholera in the country was recorded. Thus, the Mexican Gulf Coast, like the U.S. Gulf Coast, may act as an environmental reservoir of V. cholerae O1. PMID:19213700

Molecular analyses of Vibrio cholerae O1 clinical strains, including new nontoxigenic variants isolated in Mexico during the Cholera epidemic years between 1991 and 2000.

PubMed

Lizárraga-Partida, Marcial Leonardo; Quilici, Marie-Laure

2009-05-01

We studied the evolution of Vibrio cholerae O1 during the 1991 to 2000 cholera epidemic in Mexico by biochemical, serological, and molecular characterization of strains collected during this period. Strains were divided into toxigenic and nontoxigenic groups according to the presence or absence of genes encoding cholera toxin. As previously reported, we characterized two populations among toxigenic strains, which were present from the first year of the epidemic. BglI rRNA analysis revealed that these strains had ribotype profiles, denoted M5 and M6 in our study, that were identical to those previously designated Koblavi B5 or Popovic 5 and Popovic 6a or Tamayo B21a, respectively. Ribotype M5 was isolated between 1991 and 1993. This ribotype had a low level of genetic variation as detected by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Ribotype M6 persisted from 1991 to 2000. However, PFGE profiles suggested that two epidemiologically unrelated strains coexisted within this single ribotype from 1995 until the end of the epidemic. We identified three new BglI ribotypes, Mx1, Mx2, and Mx3, from nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains isolated between 1998 and 2000; one of them grouped strains positive for the toxin-coregulated pilus island. They differed from nontoxigenic clones isolated in Latin America and on the U.S. Gulf Coast and are probably autochthonous Mexican V. cholerae O1 variants. Most of these new variants were isolated from states surrounding the Gulf of Mexico, where the highest incidence of cholera in the country was recorded. Thus, the Mexican Gulf Coast, like the U.S. Gulf Coast, may act as an environmental reservoir of V. cholerae O1.

Chapter 1: Executive Summary - 2003 Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources in the Upper Cretaceous Navarro and Taylor Groups, Western Gulf Province, Gulf Coast Region, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2006-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed an assessment of the undiscovered oil and gas potential of the Upper Cretaceous Navarro and Taylor Groups in the Western Gulf Province of the Gulf Coast region (fig. 1) as part of a national oil and gas assessment effort (USGS Navarro and Taylor Groups Assessment Team, 2004). The assessment of the petroleum potential of the Navarro and Taylor Groups was based on the general geologic elements used to define a total petroleum system (TPS), including hydrocarbon source rocks (source rock maturation, hydrocarbon generation and migration), reservoir rocks (sequence stratigraphy and petrophysical properties), and hydrocarbon traps (trap formation and timing). Using this geologic framework, the USGS defined five assessment units (AU) in the Navarro and Taylor Groups as parts of a single TPS, the Smackover-Austin-Eagle Ford Composite TPS: Travis Volcanic Mounds Oil AU, Uvalde Volcanic Mounds Gas and Oil AU, Navarro-Taylor Updip Oil and Gas AU, Navarro-Taylor Downdip Gas and Oil AU, and Navarro-Taylor Slope-Basin Gas AU (table 1).

Hurricane shuts down gulf activity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koen, A.D.

1992-08-31

This paper reports that producers in the Gulf of Mexico and plant operators in South Louisiana last week were checking for damage wrought by Hurricane Andrew. In its wake Andrew left evacuated rigs and platforms in the gulf and shuttered plants across a wide swath of the Gulf Coast. Operations were beginning to return to normal late last week. Not all gulf operators, especially in the central gulf, expected to return to offshore facilities. And even producers able to book helicopters did not expect to be able to fully assess damage to all offshore installations before the weekend. MMS officialsmore » in Washington estimated that 37,500 offshore workers were evacuated from 700 oil and gas installations on the gulf's Outer Continental Shelf. Gulf oil and gas wells account for about 800,000 b/d of oil and one fourth of total U.S. gas production. MMS was awaiting an assessment of hurricane damage before estimating how soon and how much gulf oil and gas production would be restored.« less

77 FR 42653 - United States Navy Restricted Area, SUPSHIP Gulf Coast Detachment Mobile at AUSTAL, USA, Mobile...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-20

... restricted area established around the AUSTAL, USA shipbuilding facility located in Mobile, Alabama. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, United States Navy (USN), Gulf Coast (SUPSHIP Gulf Coast..., 2011, replacing the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair, USN, Bath (SUPSHIP Bath). The...

Deepwater Horizon NRDA Trustees Commend Gulf Task Force Efforts | NOAA Gulf

Science.gov Websites

of the five Gulf states and two federal agencies, commend the members of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and the Gulf Coast region. “We share a common goal of a healthy , resilient Gulf ecosystem, and we intend to take into account the Task Force strategies and the public’s

Review of the NURE Assessment of the U.S. Gulf Coast Uranium Province

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hall, Susan M., E-mail: SusanHall@usgs.gov

2013-09-15

Historic exploration and development were used to evaluate the reliability of domestic uranium reserves and potential resources estimated by the U.S. Department of Energy national uranium resource evaluation (NURE) program in the U.S. Gulf Coast Uranium Province. NURE estimated 87 million pounds of reserves in themore » $$30/lb U{sub 3}O{sub 8} cost category in the Coast Plain uranium resource region, most in the Gulf Coast Uranium Province. Since NURE, 40 million pounds of reserves have been mined, and 38 million pounds are estimated to remain in place as of 2012, accounting for all but 9 million pounds of U{sub 3}O{sub 8} in the reserve or production categories in the NURE estimate. Considering the complexities and uncertainties of the analysis, this study indicates that the NURE reserve estimates for the province were accurate. An unconditional potential resource of 1.4 billion pounds of U{sub 3}O{sub 8}, 600 million pounds of U{sub 3}O{sub 8} in the forward cost category of $$30/lb U{sub 3}O{sub 8} (1980 prices), was estimated in 106 favorable areas by the NURE program in the province. Removing potential resources from the non-productive Houston embayment, and those reserves estimated below historic and current mining depths reduces the unconditional potential resource 33% to about 930 million pounds of U{sub 3}O{sub 8}, and that in the $30/lb cost category 34% to 399 million pounds of U{sub 3}O{sub 8}. Based on production records and reserve estimates tabulated for the region, most of the production since 1980 is likely from the reserves identified by NURE. The potential resource predicted by NURE has not been developed, likely due to a variety of factors related to the low uranium prices that have prevailed since 1980.« less

LETHAL LEVELS OF HYPOXIA FOR GULF COAST ESTUARINE ANIMALS

EPA Science Inventory

There is increasing concern about eutrophication and subsequent hypoxia problems in estuaries. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed Water Quality Criteria (WQC) for dissolved oxygen (DO) in saltwater for Cape Cod, MA to Cape Hatteras, NC but inadequate data exis...

Sea level rise drives increased tidal flooding frequency at tide gauges along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts: Projections for 2030 and 2045.

PubMed

Dahl, Kristina A; Fitzpatrick, Melanie F; Spanger-Siegfried, Erika

2017-01-01

Tidal flooding is among the most tangible present-day effects of global sea level rise. Here, we utilize a set of NOAA tide gauges along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts to evaluate the potential impact of future sea level rise on the frequency and severity of tidal flooding. Using the 2001-2015 time period as a baseline, we first determine how often tidal flooding currently occurs. Using localized sea level rise projections based on the Intermediate-Low, Intermediate-High, and Highest projections from the U.S. National Climate Assessment, we then determine the frequency and extent of such flooding at these locations for two near-term time horizons: 2030 and 2045. We show that increases in tidal flooding will be substantial and nearly universal at the 52 locations included in our analysis. Long before areas are permanently inundated, the steady creep of sea level rise will force many communities to grapple with chronic high tide flooding in the next 15 to 30 years.

Sea level rise drives increased tidal flooding frequency at tide gauges along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts: Projections for 2030 and 2045

PubMed Central

Fitzpatrick, Melanie F.; Spanger-Siegfried, Erika

2017-01-01

Tidal flooding is among the most tangible present-day effects of global sea level rise. Here, we utilize a set of NOAA tide gauges along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts to evaluate the potential impact of future sea level rise on the frequency and severity of tidal flooding. Using the 2001–2015 time period as a baseline, we first determine how often tidal flooding currently occurs. Using localized sea level rise projections based on the Intermediate-Low, Intermediate-High, and Highest projections from the U.S. National Climate Assessment, we then determine the frequency and extent of such flooding at these locations for two near-term time horizons: 2030 and 2045. We show that increases in tidal flooding will be substantial and nearly universal at the 52 locations included in our analysis. Long before areas are permanently inundated, the steady creep of sea level rise will force many communities to grapple with chronic high tide flooding in the next 15 to 30 years. PMID:28158209

Thunderstorm, Texas Gulf Coast, USA

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-04-29

This thunderstorm along the Texas Gulf Coast (29.0N, 95.0W), USA is seen as the trailing edge of a large cloud mass formed along the leading edge of a spring frontal system stretching northwest to southeast across the Texas Gulf Coast. This system brought extensive severe weather and flooding to parts of Texas and surrounding states. Muddy water discharging from coastal streams can be seen in the shallow Gulf of Mexico as far south as Lavaca Bay.

Groundwater environmental tracer data collected from the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers in Montgomery County and adjacent counties, Texas, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oden, Timothy D.

2011-01-01

The Gulf Coast aquifer system is the primary water supply for Montgomery County in southeastern Texas, including part of the Houston metropolitan area and the cities of Magnolia, Conroe, and The Woodlands Township, Texas. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, collected environmental tracer data in the Gulf Coast aquifer system, primarily in Montgomery County. Forty existing groundwater wells screened in the Gulf Coast aquifer system were selected for sampling in Montgomery County (38 wells), Waller County (1 well), and Walker County (1 well). Groundwater-quality samples, physicochemical properties, and water-level data were collected once from each of the 40 wells during March-September 2008. Groundwater-quality samples were analyzed for dissolved gases and the environmental tracers sulfur hexafluoride, chlorofluorocarbons, tritium, helium-4, and helium-3/tritium. Water samples were collected and processed onsite using methods designed to minimize changes to the water-sample chemistry or contamination from the atmosphere. Replicate samples for quality assurance and quality control were collected with each environmental sample. Well-construction information and environmental tracer data for March-September 2008 are presented.

NASA Watching Issac's Approach to U.S. Gulf Coast

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

The MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this visible image of Tropical Storm Isaac on Aug. 27 at 3:00 p.m. EDT is it was moving northwest through the Gulf of Mexico. Issac's large reach is seen by its eastern cloud cover over the entire state of Florida. To read more go to: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2012/h2012... Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

30 CFR 556.52 - Bond requirements for an oil and gas or sulphur lease.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... included in the Gulf of Mexico. Areawide bonds issued in the Gulf of Mexico will cover oil and gas or sulphur operations offshore the Atlantic Coast. The three areas are: (1) The Gulf of Mexico and the area offshore the Atlantic Coast. (2) The area offshore the Pacific Coast States of California, Oregon...

Screening Gulf Coast forest species for susceptibility to Phytophthora ramorum

Treesearch

Jason Preuett; Daniel Collins; Douglas Luster; Timothy Widmer

2013-01-01

Phytophthora ramorum, the causal agent of sudden oak death in California oak woodlands, poses a threat to woody plants in the rest of the United States, including the Gulf Coast area, which is regarded as a high-risk location. Several plant species native to Gulf Coast forests were tested for susceptibility to P. ramorum,...

75 FR 38802 - Copano Pipelines/Upper Gulf Coast, L.P.; Notice of Baseline Filing

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-06

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. PR10-43-000] Copano Pipelines/Upper Gulf Coast, L.P.; Notice of Baseline Filing June 28, 2010. Take notice that on June 24, 2010, Copano Pipelines/Upper Gulf Coast, L.P. submitted a baseline filing of its Statement of Operating...

Undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in the U.S. Gulf Coast Jurassic Norphlet and Smackover Formations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearson, Ofori N.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey has completed assessments of undiscovered technically recoverable oil and gas resources in the Jurassic Norphlet and Smackover formations of the onshore coastal plain and State waters of the U.S. Gulf Coast. The Norphlet Formation consists of sandstones and interbedded shales and siltstones deposited during a marine transgression. Along its northeast margin, deposition of the Norphlet was in alluvial fans, fluvial systems, and dune and clastic sabkha environments. Mudstones of the underlying Smackover Formation act as source rocks for Norphlet reservoirs. The Norphlet was divided into the following three assessment units (AUs): the Norphlet Salt Basins and Updip AU, the Norphlet Mobile Bay Deep Gas AU, and the Norphlet South Texas Gas AU. The lower part of the Smackover consists primarily of dark carbonate mudstone and argillaceous limestone deposited in low-energy environments, and is one of the Gulf of Mexico Basin’s major source rocks. The upper part of the Smackover is comprised primarily of grain-supported carbonates deposited in high-energy environments. The Smackover was divided into the following four AUs: the Smackover Updip and Peripheral Fault Zone AU, the Smackover Salt Basin AU, the Smackover South Texas AU, and the Smackover Downdip Continuous Gas AU. Although the Norphlet and Smackover formations have been the focus of extensive exploration and production, they probably still contain significant undiscovered oil and gas resources.

On the Coastal Dynamics of Sea Level Rise: A case study in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagen, S. C.

2012-12-01

One of the most prominent aspects of global climate change is sea level rise (SLR). With over half of the U.S. population living within 50 miles of the coast, SLR has the potential to considerably impact both human and ecological habitats. Effects of SLR will be felt along coastal beaches, estuarine waters, barrier islands, submerged aquatic vegetation beds, sand and mud flats, oyster reefs and tidal and freshwater wetlands. The Gulf of Mexico coast sustains a diverse habitat including delta marshes, lower river floodplain forests, and oyster reefs, which provide critical habitats for many commercially important species. How we choose to study these complex processes and the adaptation tools that we develop may determine our ability to sustain the human and ecological habitats. The purpose of this presentation is to examine the dynamic effects of SLR to the coasts and coastal habitats of the Northern Gulf of Mexico and to compare and contrast those results with a simpler bathtub model (static) approach. Dynamic assessments will be presented through integrated models representing wave, tidal, overland, bay and biological processes. The models are applied to regions of the Northern Gulf to simulate hydrodynamic properties including waves, tides, and surge, and to estimate impacts to coastal marshes, wetlands and estuaries. Results strongly indicate the importance of simulating the dynamical processes.

75 FR 5055 - Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet Active Sonar Training (AFAST)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-01

... U.S. to 45[deg] W. long. and south from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Coasts to approximately 23..., hunt, capture, or kill or to attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill marine mammals. Regulations... modifications, all of which are of little to no consequence to marine mammals (in fact, the annual take...

USGS Gulf Coast Science Conference and Florida Integrated Science Center Meeting: Proceedings with abstracts, October 20-23, 2008, Orlando, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lavoie, Dawn L.; Rosen, Barry H.; Sumner, Dave; Haag, Kim H.; Tihansky, Ann B.; Boynton, Betsy; Koenig, Renee; Lavoie, Dawn L.; Rosen, Barry H.; Sumner, Dave; Haag, Kim H.; Tihansky, Ann B.; Boynton, Betsy; Koenig, Renee

2008-01-01

Welcome! The USGS is the Nation's premier source of information in support of science-based decision making for resource management. We are excited to have the opportunity to bring together a diverse array of USGS scientists, managers, specialists, and others from science centers around the Gulf working on biologic, geologic, and hydrologic issues related to the Gulf of Mexico and the State of Florida. We've organized the meeting around the major themes outlined in the USGS Circular 1309, Facing Tomorrow's Challenges - U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 2007-2017. USGS senior leadership will provide a panel discussion about the Gulf of Mexico and Integrated Science. Capstone talks will summarize major topics and key issues. Interactive poster sessions each evening will provide the opportunity for you to present your results and talk with your peers. We hope that discussions and interactions at this meeting will help USGS scientists working in Florida and the Gulf Coast region find common interests, forge scientific collaborations and chart a direction for the future. We hope that the meeting environment will encourage interaction, innovation and stimulate ideas among the many scientists working throughout the region. We'd like to create a community of practice across disciplines and specialties that will help us address complex scientific and societal issues. Please take advantage of this opportunity to visit with colleagues, get to know new ones, share ideas and brainstorm about future possibilities. It is our pleasure to provide this opportunity. We are glad you're here.

Apollo 8 prime crew seen during water egress training in Gulf of Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1968-01-01

The prime crew of the Apollo 8 mission in life raft awaiting pickup by U.S. Coast Guard helicopter during water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico. They had just egressed Apollo Boilerplate 1102A, at left. Inflated bags were used to upright the boilerplate. Left to right, are Astronauts William A. Anders, lunar module pilot; James A. Lovell Jr., command module pilot; and Frank Borman, commander. A team of Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) swimmers assisted with the training exercise.

Apollo 8 prime crew seen during water egress training in Gulf of Mexico

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-10-19

S68-53217 (19 Oct. 1968) --- Astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., command module pilot of the Apollo 8 prime crew, in special net being hoisted up to a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter during water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico. Awaiting his turn for helicopter pickup is astronaut William A. Anders (in raft), lunar module pilot. Astronaut Frank Borman, commander, had already been picked up. A team of Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) swimmers assisted with the training exercise.

Apollo 8 prime crew seen during water egress training in Gulf of Mexico

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-10-19

S68-53223 (19 Oct. 1968) --- The prime crew of the Apollo 8 mission in life raft awaiting pickup by U.S. Coast Guard helicopter during water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico. They had just egressed Apollo Boilerplate 1102A, at left. Inflated bags were used to upright the boilerplate. Left to right, are astronauts William A. Anders, lunar module pilot; and Frank Borman, commander. A team of MSC swimmers assisted with the training exercise.

Assessment of the Adequacy of East Coast and Gulf Mexico Port Infrastructure to Accommodate Trade with Mexico

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-06-01

This Market Packages document is one of a series of deliverables documenting the National Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Architecture developed under contract to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This document defines the Market P...

OYSTER HABITAT SUITABILITY AS A COMPONENT OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Economic and ecological issues have led resource managers to examine depletion of eastern oyster reefs along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts. Crassostrea virginica is a lucrative commercial species (over $60M in 2000) that also supports ecosystem integrity by providin...

30 CFR 256.52 - Bond requirements for an oil and gas or sulphur lease.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Gulf of Mexico and the area offshore the Atlantic Coast. (2) The area offshore the Pacific Coast States... offshore the Atlantic Coast is included in the Gulf of Mexico. Areawide bonds issued in the Gulf of Mexico... to the United States under a bond or alternative form of security maintained under this section, the...

Sources, trends and regional impacts of fine particulate matter in southern Mississippi valley: significance of emissions from sources in the Gulf of Mexico coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chalbot, M.-C.; McElroy, B.; Kavouras, I. G.

2013-04-01

The sources of fine particles over a 10 yr period at Little Rock, Arkansas, an urban area in the southern Mississippi Valley, were identified by positive matrix factorization. The annual trends of PM2.5 and its sources, and their associations with the pathways of air mass backward trajectories were examined. Seven sources were apportioned, namely, primary traffic particles, secondary nitrate and sulphate, biomass burning, diesel particles, aged/contaminated sea salt and mineral/road dust, accounting for more than 90% of measured PM2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm) mass. The declining trend of PM2.5 mass (0.4 μg m-3 per year) was related to lower levels of SO42- (0.2 μg m-3 per year) due to SO2 reductions from point and mobile sources. The slower decline for NO3- particles (0.1 μg m-3 per year) was attributed to the increasing NH3 emissions in the Midwest. The annual variation of biomass burning particles was associated with fires in the southeast and northwest US. Of the four regions within 500 km from the receptor site, the Gulf Coast and the southeast US accounted cumulatively for more than 65% of PM2.5 mass, nitrate, sulphate and biomass burning aerosol. Overall, more than 50% of PM2.5 and its components originated from sources outside the state. Sources within the Gulf Coast and western Gulf of Mexico include 65% of the busiest ports in the US, intense marine traffic within 400 km of the coast burning rich in S diesel, and a large number of offshore oil and natural gas platforms and many refineries. This approach allowed for the quantitative assessment of the impacts of transport from regions representing diverse mixtures of sources and weather conditions for different types of particles. The findings of this effort demonstrated the influences of emission controls on SO2 and NOx on PM2.5 mass, the potential effect of events (i.e. fires) sensitive to climate change phenomena on air pollution and the potential of offshore activities and shipping emissions to influence air quality in urban areas located more than 1000 km away from the sources.

Exploring the erodibility of sediments and harmful algal blooms in the Gulf of Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butman, Bradford; Dickhudt, Patrick J.; Keafer, Bruce A.

2012-01-01

Investigators at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are cooperating with scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) to investigate harmful algal blooms along the New England coast in the Gulf of Maine. These blooms are caused by cysts of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense that overwinter in the bottom sediments and germinate in spring. Depending on conditions such as temperature, light, nutrient levels, and currents, these single-celled organismscan create a bloom along the coast, called ‘red tides.’Shellfish that have ingested these cells in sufficient concentration can become toxic to humans and require that the shellfisheries be closed. After the spring bloom, the organisms form cysts that sink to the sea floor and are sequestered in the bottom sediments over the winter.

Future mobility demand in megaregions : a national study with a focus on the Gulf Coast.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-09-01

About three fourth of national population and wealth are concentered in the 11 megaregional areas that occupy one fourth of the land areas in the US. NHTS reveal that megaregions also concentrate current and future mobility demand. This report presen...

78 FR 43959 - In the Matter of American Technologies Group, Inc., Bonanza Oil & Gas, Inc., and Gulf Coast Oil...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-22

..., Inc., Bonanza Oil & Gas, Inc., and Gulf Coast Oil & Gas, Inc.; Order of Suspension of Trading July 18... Commission that there is a lack of current and accurate information concerning the securities of Bonanza Oil... concerning the securities of Gulf Coast Oil & Gas, Inc. because it has not filed any periodic reports since...

Bayesian analysis of U.S. hurricane climate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elsner, James B.; Bossak, Brian H.

2001-01-01

Predictive climate distributions of U.S. landfalling hurricanes are estimated from observational records over the period 1851–2000. The approach is Bayesian, combining the reliable records of hurricane activity during the twentieth century with the less precise accounts of activity during the nineteenth century to produce a best estimate of the posterior distribution on the annual rates. The methodology provides a predictive distribution of future activity that serves as a climatological benchmark. Results are presented for the entire coast as well as for the Gulf Coast, Florida, and the East Coast. Statistics on the observed annual counts of U.S. hurricanes, both for the entire coast and by region, are similar within each of the three consecutive 50-yr periods beginning in 1851. However, evidence indicates that the records during the nineteenth century are less precise. Bayesian theory provides a rational approach for defining hurricane climate that uses all available information and that makes no assumption about whether the 150-yr record of hurricanes has been adequately or uniformly monitored. The analysis shows that the number of major hurricanes expected to reach the U.S. coast over the next 30 yr is 18 and the number of hurricanes expected to hit Florida is 20.

Climate projections of spatial variations in coastal storm surges along the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. east coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Zhigang; Xue, Zuo; He, Ruoying; Bao, Xianwen; Xie, Jun; Ge, Qian

2017-02-01

Using statistically downscaled atmospheric forcing, we performed a numerical investigation to evaluate future climate's impact on storm surges along the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. east coast. The focus is on the impact of climatic changes in wind pattern and surface pressure while neglecting sea level rise and other factors. We adapted the regional ocean model system (ROMS) to the study region with a mesh grid size of 7-10 km in horizontal and 18 vertical layers. The model was validated by a hindcast of the coastal sea levels in the winter of 2008. Model's robustness was confirmed by the good agreement between model-simulated and observed sea levels at 37 tidal gages. Two 10-year forecasts, one for the IPCC Pre-Industry (PI) and the other for the A1FI scenario, were conducted. The differences in model-simulated surge heights under the two climate scenarios were analyzed. We identified three types of responses in extreme surge heights to future climate: a clear decrease in Middle Atlantic Bight, an increase in the western Gulf of Mexico, and non-significant response for the remaining area. Such spatial pattern is also consistent with previous projections of sea surface winds and ocean wave heights.

How Will We Sustain a More Populated Planet?

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

An artist's view of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission spacecraft in orbit above the Gulf Coast of the U.S. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Landsat NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Influence of water temperature and salinity on Vibrio vulnificus in Northern Gulf and Atlantic Coast oysters (Crassostrea virginica).

PubMed

Motes, M L; DePaola, A; Cook, D W; Veazey, J E; Hunsucker, J C; Garthright, W E; Blodgett, R J; Chirtel, S J

1998-04-01

This study investigated the temperature and salinity parameters associated with waters and oysters linked to food-borne Vibrio vulnificus infections. V. vulnificus was enumerated in oysters collected at three northern Gulf Coast sites and two Atlantic Coast sites from July 1994 through September 1995. Two of these sites, Black Bay, La., and Apalachicola Bay, Fla., are the source of the majority of the oysters implicated in V. vulnificus cases. Oysters in all Gulf Coast sites exhibited a similar seasonal distribution of V. vulnificus: a consistently large number (median concentration, 2,300 organisms [most probable number] per g of oyster meat) from May through October followed by a gradual reduction during November and December to < or = 10 per g, where it remained from January through mid-March, and a sharp increase in late March and April to summer levels. V. vulnificus was undetectable (< 3 per g) in oysters from the North and South Carolina sites for most of the year. An exception occurred when a late-summer flood caused a drop in salinity in the North Carolina estuary, apparently causing V. vulnificus numbers to increase briefly to Gulf Coast levels. At Gulf Coast sites, V. vulnificus numbers increased with water temperatures up to 26 degrees C and were constant at higher temperatures. High V. vulnificus levels (> 10(3) per g) were typically found in oysters from intermediate salinities (5 to 25 ppt). Smaller V. vulnificus numbers (< 10(2) per g) were found at salinities above 28 ppt, typical of Atlantic Coast sites. On 11 occasions oysters were sampled at times and locations near the source of oysters implicated in 13 V. vulnificus cases; the V. vulnificus levels and environmental parameters associated with these samples were consistent with those of other study samples collected from the Gulf Coast from April through November. These findings suggest that the hazard of V. vulnificus infection is not limited to brief periods of unusual abundance of V. vulnificus in Gulf Coast oysters or to environmental conditions that are unusual to Gulf Coast estuaries.

Influence of Water Temperature and Salinity on Vibrio vulnificus in Northern Gulf and Atlantic Coast Oysters (Crassostrea virginica)

PubMed Central

Motes, M. L.; DePaola, A.; Cook, D. W.; Veazey, J. E.; Hunsucker, J. C.; Garthright, W. E.; Blodgett, R. J.; Chirtel, S. J.

1998-01-01

This study investigated the temperature and salinity parameters associated with waters and oysters linked to food-borne Vibrio vulnificus infections. V. vulnificus was enumerated in oysters collected at three northern Gulf Coast sites and two Atlantic Coast sites from July 1994 through September 1995. Two of these sites, Black Bay, La., and Apalachicola Bay, Fla., are the source of the majority of the oysters implicated in V. vulnificus cases. Oysters in all Gulf Coast sites exhibited a similar seasonal distribution of V. vulnificus: a consistently large number (median concentration, 2,300 organisms [most probable number] per g of oyster meat) from May through October followed by a gradual reduction during November and December to ≤10 per g, where it remained from January through mid-March, and a sharp increase in late March and April to summer levels. V. vulnificus was undetectable (<3 per g) in oysters from the North and South Carolina sites for most of the year. An exception occurred when a late-summer flood caused a drop in salinity in the North Carolina estuary, apparently causing V. vulnificus numbers to increase briefly to Gulf Coast levels. At Gulf Coast sites, V. vulnificus numbers increased with water temperatures up to 26°C and were constant at higher temperatures. High V. vulnificus levels (>103 per g) were typically found in oysters from intermediate salinities (5 to 25 ppt). Smaller V. vulnificus numbers (<102 per g) were found at salinities above 28 ppt, typical of Atlantic Coast sites. On 11 occasions oysters were sampled at times and locations near the source of oysters implicated in 13 V. vulnificus cases; the V. vulnificus levels and environmental parameters associated with these samples were consistent with those of other study samples collected from the Gulf Coast from April through November. These findings suggest that the hazard of V. vulnificus infection is not limited to brief periods of unusual abundance of V. vulnificus in Gulf Coast oysters or to environmental conditions that are unusual to Gulf Coast estuaries. PMID:9546182

Applications of Satellite Ocean Color Imagery for Detecting and Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms in the Olympic Peninsula Region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holt, Ashley C.; Stumpf, Richard P.; Tomlinson, Michelle C.

2003-08-01

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) attributed to Pseudo-nitzschia species, a diatom that produces Domoic acid, are a common occurrence and serious threat along the coast of the US Northwest. Monitoring these events or providing advanced warning of their occurrence at the coast would provide an important aid to fisheries managers. Remote sensing, which is being used in the Gulf of Mexico for HAB detection and forecasting (of a different algae), could provide a tool for monitoring and warnings. Chlorophyll and SST imagery are being used to support a research and monitoring program for the region, and HAB monitoring techniques used inmore » the Gulf of Mexico are being examined for their potential utility along the Washington coast. The focus of this study is to determine the efficacy of using satellite ocean color imagery for HAB monitoring off of Washingtons Olympic Peninsula region, and to provide support in the form of ocean color imagery products for management and mitigation efforts.« less

Rickettsia parkeri in Gulf Coast Ticks, Southeastern Virginia, USA

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

Rickettsia parkeri in Gulf Coast Ticks, Southeastern Virginia, USA Chelsea L. Wright, Robyn M. Nadolny, Ju Jiang, Allen L. Richards, Daniel E...Virginia. We found that 43.1% of the adult Gulf Coast ticks collected in the summer of 2010 carried Rickettsia parkeri, suggesting that persons living in...or visiting southeastern Virginia are at risk for infection with this pathogen. Rickettsia parkeri is an obligate intracellular bacterium belonging

The Calm AFTER the Storm: An Interview with Laura Bush about the Caring Power of the Gulf Coast School Library Recovery Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Julie

2012-01-01

In 2005, a record breaking 26 named tropical storms including 13 hurricanes ravaged the Gulf Coast of the United States. In response to the devastation of hundreds of schools, the Laura Bush Foundation swiftly created The Gulf Coast School Library Recovery Initiative to help school libraries become fully functional and to offer the needed print…

A Climate Change Risk and Resilience Assessment Process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Myers, Lisa

This presentation summarizes a site-specific climate resilience planning process applied at two different U.S. Department of Energy sites, in Colorado and along the Gulf Coast that federal site managers can use to identify and analyze potential climate-related risks and explore resilience options to minimize those risks.

A MODEL FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF BACTERIA IN THE SEAGRASS RHIZOSPHERE REDOX GRADIENT

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract and Oral presentation for the meeting of Wetland and Estuary Scientists from the US Gulf Coast and S.E. Atlantic.

A conceptual model of seagrass bed sediments accounts for observations on the distribution and activities of bacteria associated with seagrass roots i...

30 CFR 280.13 - Where must I send my application or notification?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 99503. (b) Atlantic Coast, Gulf of Mexico, Puerto Rico, or U.S. territories in the Caribbean Sea... notification? 280.13 Section 280.13 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND....S. territories in the Pacific Ocean Regional Supervisor for Resource Evaluation, Minerals Management...

NAVO MSRC Navigator. Spring 2001

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

preparations for UGC 2001 are almost complete. This year’s conference promises to be a good one, afford- ing us the opportunity to extend some Gulf Coast...cur- rent market pricing, and other rea- sonable estimates would not signifi- cantly alter the predicted trends. The performance model1 estimates CPU

The use of DMA to characterize the aging of asphalt binders : tech summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-06-01

Most of U.S. southeastern states experience both hot and wet summer weather. Extremely high relative humidity and a : low dew point maintain a continuous fi lm of water on Gulf Coast roads during the night and early morning hours. Should : the labora...

THE RED-TIDE DINOFLAGELLATE, ALEXANDRIUM MONILATUM, SUPPRESSES GROWTH OF MIXED NATURAL PHYTOPLANKTON

EPA Science Inventory

Alexandrium monilatum is a large, chain-forming, autotrophic dinoflagellate associated with red-tides and fish kills along the US Gulf of Mexico coast. When cultured inocula of A. monilatum were added to nutrient-amended seawater samples, growth rates and biomass yields of the na...

PROTOZOAL INFECTIONS OF THE EASTERN OYSTER (CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA) IN THE UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY: A POTENTIAL ECOLOGICAL FORECAST

EPA Science Inventory

Perkinsus marinus and Haplosporidium nelsoni cause devasting infections in populations of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, along the US Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico. Salinity and temperature are considered major controlling factors in the prevalence and infection i...

GROWTH RATES, PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICATORS AND ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION OF THE RED-TIDE DINOFLAGELLATE, ALEXANDRIUM MONILATUM

EPA Science Inventory

Alexandrium monilatum is a thecate, autotrophic, bioluminescent and chain-forming dinoflagellate. Although it has been known to be associated with red tides and fish kills along the US Gulf of Mexico coast for almost 50 years, little basic physiological information is available f...

A MORE COST-EFFECTIVE EMAP BENTHIC MACROFAUNAL SAMPLING PROTOCOL

EPA Science Inventory

Benthic macrofaunal sampling protocols in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) are to collect 30 to 50 random benthic macrofauna [defined as animals retained on a 0.5 mm (East and Gulf Coasts, USA) or a 1.0 mm mesh siev...

Characterization of Emissions and Residues from Simulations of the Deepwater Horizon Surface Oil Burns

EPA Science Inventory

The surface oil burns conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard from April to July 2010 during the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico were simulated by small scale burns to characterize the pollutants, determine emission factors, and gather particulate matter for subsequent...

Hurricanes, sea level rise, and coastal change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sallenger,, Asbury H.; Wang, Ping; Rosati, Julie D.; Roberts, Tiffany M.

2011-01-01

Sixteen hurricanes have made landfall along the U.S. east and Gulf coasts over the past decade. For most of these storms, the USGS with our partners in NASA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have flown before and after lidar missions to detect changes in beaches and dunes. The most dramatic changes occurred when the coasts were completely submerged in an inundation regime. Where this occurred locally, a new breach was cut, like during Hurricane Isabel in North Carolina. Where surge inundated an entire island, the sand was stripped off leaving marshy outcrops behind, like during Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. Sea level rise together with sand starvation and repeated hurricane impacts could increase the probabilities of inundation and degrade coasts more than sea level rise alone.

Multigene phylogeny of the scyphozoan jellyfish family Pelagiidae reveals that the common U.S. Atlantic sea nettle comprises two distinct species (Chrysaora quinquecirrha and C. chesapeakei)

PubMed Central

Gaffney, Patrick M.

2017-01-01

Background Species of the scyphozoan family Pelagiidae (e.g., Pelagia noctiluca, Chrysaora quinquecirrha) are well-known for impacting fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism, especially for the painful sting they can inflict on swimmers. However, historical taxonomic uncertainty at the genus (e.g., new genus Mawia) and species levels hinders progress in studying their biology and evolutionary adaptations that make them nuisance species, as well as ability to understand and/or mitigate their ecological and economic impacts. Methods We collected nuclear (28S rDNA) and mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase I and 16S rDNA) sequence data from individuals of all four pelagiid genera, including 11 of 13 currently recognized species of Chrysaora. To examine species boundaries in the U.S. Atlantic sea nettle Chrysaora quinquecirrha, specimens were included from its entire range along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, with representatives also examined morphologically (macromorphology and cnidome). Results Phylogenetic analyses show that the genus Chrysaora is paraphyletic with respect to other pelagiid genera. In combined analyses, Mawia, sampled from the coast of Senegal, is most closely related to Sanderia malayensis, and Pelagia forms a close relationship to a clade of Pacific Chrysaora species (Chrysaora achlyos, Chrysaora colorata, Chrysaora fuscescens, and Chrysaora melanaster). Chrysaora quinquecirrha is polyphyletic, with one clade from the U.S. coastal Atlantic and another in U.S. Atlantic estuaries and Gulf of Mexico. These genetic differences are reflected in morphology, e.g., tentacle and lappet number, oral arm length, and nematocyst dimensions. Caribbean sea nettles (Jamaica and Panama) are genetically similar to the U.S. Atlantic estuaries and Gulf of Mexico clade of Chrysaora quinquecirrha. Discussion Our phylogenetic hypothesis for Pelagiidae contradicts current generic definitions, revealing major disagreements between DNA-based and morphology-based phylogenies. A paraphyletic Chrysaora raises systematic questions at the genus level for Pelagiidae; accepting the validity of the recently erected genus Mawia, as well as past genera, will require the creation of additional pelagiid genera. Historical review of the species-delineating genetic and morphological differences indicates that Chrysaora quinquecirrha Desor 1848 applies to the U.S. Coastal Atlantic Chrysaora species (U.S. Atlantic sea nettle), while the name C. chesapeakei Papenfuss 1936 applies to the U.S. Atlantic estuarine and Gulf of Mexico Chrysaora species (Atlantic bay nettle). We provide a detailed redescription, with designation of a neotype for Chrysaora chesapeakei, and clarify the description of Chrysaora quinquecirrha. Since Caribbean Chrysaora are genetically similar to Chrysaora chesapeakei, we provisionally term them Chrysaora c.f. chesapeakei. The presence of Mawia benovici off the coast of Western Africa provides a potential source region for jellyfish introduced into the Adriatic Sea in 2013. PMID:29043109

Holocene climate and climate variability of the northern Gulf of Mexico and adjacent northern Gulf Coast: A review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poore, Richard Z.

2008-01-01

Marine records from the northern Gulf of Mexico indicate that significant multidecadal- and century-scale variability was common during the Holocene. Mean annual sea-surface temperature (SST) during the last 1,400 years may have varied by 3°C, and excursions to cold SST coincide with reductions in solar output. Broad trends in Holocene terrestrial climate and environmental change along the eastern portion of the northern Gulf Coast are evident from existing pollen records, but the high-frequency details of climate variability are not well known. Continuous and well-dated records of climate change and climate variability in the western portion of the northern Gulf Coast are essentially lacking.Information on Holocene floods, droughts, and storm frequency along the northern Gulf Coast is limited. Records of floods may be preserved in continental shelf sediments, but establishing continuity and chronologies for sedimentary sequences on the shelf presents challenges due to sediment remobilization and redeposition during storms. Studies of past storm deposits in coastal lakes and marshes show promise for constructing records of past storm frequency. A recent summary of sea-level history of the northern Gulf Coast indicates sea level was higher than modern sea level several times during the last few thousand years.

Current and Future Science Plans for Restoring a Resilient Coast: Chapter 8A in Science and the storms-the USGS response to the hurricanes of 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

2007-01-01

The overarching goal of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gulf Coast science in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane season will be to provide the scientific information, knowledge, and tools required to ensure that decisions about coastal land resource use, management practices, and future development in the coastal zone and adjacent watersheds promote restoration, increase coastal resilience, and mitigate risks associated with both human-created and natural hazards.

New views of the Gulf Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todd, R. E.

2016-02-01

The Gulf Stream plays a major role in the climate system and is a significant forcing agent for the coastal circulation along the US East Coast, yet routine subsurface measurements of Gulf Stream structure are only collected in the Florida Straits and between New Jersey and Bermuda. A recent pilot program demonstrated the feasibility of using underwater gliders to repeatedly survey across the Gulf Stream and to provide subsurface Gulf Stream observations to the community in realtime. Spray gliders were deployed on three-month missions from Miami, Florida to the New England shelf south of Cape Cod, during which they zigzagged back and forth across the Gulf Stream. Three such deployments have been completed so far with a total of more than 20 cross-Gulf Stream transects occupied. These new observations detail the subsurface structure and variability of the Gulf Stream upstream and downstream of its separation from the continental margin, reveal large-amplitude internal waves within the boundary current, and capture numerous eddies along the flanks of the Gulf Stream. Future routine glider deployments in the Gulf Stream promise to provide critical observations for examining inherent Gulf Stream variability, investigating western boundary current influences on coastal circulation, and constraining numerical simulations.

Geologic assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Albian Clastic and Updip Albian Clastic Assessment Units, U.S. Gulf Coast Region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merrill, Matthew D.

2016-03-11

U.S. Geological Survey National Oil and Gas Assessments (NOGA) of Albian aged clastic reservoirs in the U.S. Gulf Coast region indicate a relatively low prospectivity for undiscovered hydrocarbon resources due to high levels of past production and exploration. Evaluation of two assessment units (AUs), (1) the Albian Clastic AU 50490125, and (2) the Updip Albian Clastic AU 50490126, were based on a geologic model incorporating consideration of source rock, thermal maturity, migration, events timing, depositional environments, reservoir rock characteristics, and production analyses built on well and field-level production histories. The Albian Clastic AU is a mature conventional hydrocarbon prospect with undiscovered accumulations probably restricted to small faulted and salt-associated structural traps that could be revealed using high resolution subsurface imaging and from targeting structures at increased drilling depths that were unproductive at shallower intervals. Mean undiscovered accumulation volumes from the probabilistic assessment are 37 million barrels of oil (MMBO), 152 billion cubic feet of gas (BCFG), and 4 million barrels of natural gas liquids (MMBNGL). Limited exploration of the Updip Albian Clastic AU reflects a paucity of hydrocarbon discoveries updip of the periphery fault zones in the northern Gulf Coastal region. Restricted migration across fault zones is a major factor behind the small discovered fields and estimation of undiscovered resources in the AU. Mean undiscovered accumulation volumes from the probabilistic assessment are 1 MMBO and 5 BCFG for the Updip Albian Clastic AU.

History of Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation (OT and E) Mission, Organization, and Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-12-01

which also observed that "the decisive factor in the war with Iraq was the air campaign." DoD’s Gulf War report also noted the "extraordinary...and Air Warfare: Training and Testing at Eglin in World War II," in William S. Coker (ed.), The Military Presence on the Gulf Coast (Pensacola, FL...34Test and Evaluation," 12 May 72. 35. Hist of AF/XOOW, Jan-Jim 73. 36. US General Accounting Office, "Statement of Elmer B. Staats , Comptroller

Apollo 9 prime crew participates in water egress training in Gulf of Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1968-01-01

The Apollo 9 prime crew participates in water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico. Being hoisted up to the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter in a new type of rescue net (called a Billy Pugh net) is Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot. Sitting in the life raft awaiting their turn for helicopter pickup are Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart (on left), lunar module pilot; and James A. McDivitt, commander. A team of Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) swimmers assisted in the training exercise.

DOE tallies Class III oil recovery field projects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-07-25

Here are details from midterm proposals submitted as part of the US Department of Energy's Class 3 oil recovery field demonstration candidate projects. All of the proposals emphasize dissemination of project details so that the results, if successful, can be applied widely in similar reservoirs. Project results will also be fed into a national petroleum technology transfer network. The proposals include: Gulf of Mexico, Gulf coast, offshore California, a California thermal, immiscible CO[sub 2], produced/potable water, microbial EOR, California diatomite, West Texas Spraberry field, and other Permian Basin fields.

RESPONSE OF GULF COAST ESTUARIES TO NUTRIENT LOAD: DISSOLVED OXYGEN DEPLETION

EPA Science Inventory

GED has developed a process-based approach to hypoxia research on Pensacola Bay as a model Gulf of Mexico estuary. We selected Pensacola Bay because, like many Gulf coast estuaries, it is shallow, microtidal, and experiences seasonal hypoxia. We also have an historical database ...

Incorporating future change into current conservation planning: Evaluating tidal saline wetland migration along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast under alternative sea-level rise and urbanization scenarios

USGS Publications Warehouse

Enwright, Nicholas M.; Griffith, Kereen T.; Osland, Michael J.

2015-11-02

In this study, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, quantified the potential for landward migration of tidal saline wetlands along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast under alternative future sea-level rise and urbanization scenarios. Our analyses focused exclusively on tidal saline wetlands (that is, mangrove forests, salt marshes, and salt flats), and we combined these diverse tidal saline wetland ecosystems into a single grouping, “tidal saline wetland.” Collectively, our approach and findings can provide useful information for scientists and environmental planners working to develop future-focused adaptation strategies for conserving coastal landscapes and the ecosystem goods and services provided by tidal saline wetlands. The primary product of this work is a public dataset that identifies locations where landward migration of tidal saline wetlands is expected to occur under alternative future sea-level rise and urbanization scenarios. In addition to identifying areas where landward migration of tidal saline wetlands is possible because of the absence of barriers, these data also identify locations where landward migration of these wetlands could be prevented by barriers associated with current urbanization, future urbanization, and levees.

Solutions Network Formulation Report. The Potential Contribution of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission to the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hilbert, Kent; Anderson, Daniel; Lewis, David

2007-01-01

The 2005 hurricane season - especially Hurricane Katrina - left the Mississippi Gulf Coast devastated. In its efforts to assist in coastal re-building efforts, the U.S. Congress passed the Defense Appropriation Act of 2006. This legislation directed the Secretary of the Army, via the USACE, to generate reports discussing possible projects that would improve the State of Mississippi?s coastal region. These projects are referred to as the MsCIP. Data collected via the LDCM OLI could be used to evaluate the success of projects that result from the MsCIP by monitoring regional coastal changes associated with such projects. This Candidate Solution is in alignment with the Coastal Management, Water Management, and Disaster Management National Applications and will benefit society by improving the post-Hurricane Katrina Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Statewide summary for Texas: Chapter B in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Handley, Lawrence R.; Spear, Kathryn A.; Gibeaut, Jim; Thatcher, Cindy A.

2014-01-01

The Texas coast (Figure 1) consists of complex and diverse ecosystems with a varying precipitation gradient. The northernmost portion of the coast, extending from Sabine Lake to Galveston Bay, is composed of salt, brackish, intermediate, and fresh marshes, with humid flatwoods inland (Moulton and others, 1997). Coastal prairies are found across the entire coast. From Galveston Bay to Corpus Christi Bay, rivers feed into large bays and estuarine ecosystems. Barrier islands and peninsulas exist along the coast from Galveston Bay to the Mexican border. The southernmost portion of the coast is composed of wind-tidal flats and the hypersaline Laguna Madre. The Laguna Madre lacks rivers and has little rainfall and restricted inlet access to the Gulf. Semiarid rangeland and irrigated agricultural land can be found inland.Approximately 6 million people live in Texas’ coastal counties (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010; Texas GLO, 2013). Seventy percent of the state’s industry and commerce occurs within 160.9 km (100 miles) of the coast (Moulton and others, 1997). Texas ports support 1.4 million jobs and generate $6.5 billion in tax revenues (Texas GLO, 2013). Chemical and petroleum production and marine commerce thrive on the Texas coast. Agriculture, grazing, commercial and recreational fishing, and recreation and tourism are strong industries along the coast and in adjacent areas; oil and gas production, agriculture, and tourism are the state’s three largest industries.

Indicators, Metric and Tools for Informing the Science and Vision of Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration

EPA Science Inventory

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council will oversee restoration efforts the under the recently passed RESTORE Act in response to the historic Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Council will develop a Comprehensive Restoration Plan using best available ...

Evidence of multidecadal climate variability and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation from a Gulf of Mexico sea-surface temperature-proxy record

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poore, R.Z.; DeLong, K.L.; Richey, J.N.; Quinn, T.M.

2009-01-01

A comparison of a Mg/Ca-based sea-surface temperature (SST)-anomaly record from the northern Gulf of Mexico, a calculated index of variability in observed North Atlantic SST known as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and a tree-ring reconstruction of the AMO contain similar patterns of variation over the last 110 years. Thus, the multidecadal variability observed in the instrumental record is present in the tree-ring and Mg/Ca proxy data. Frequency analysis of the Gulf of Mexico SST record and the tree-ring AMO reconstruction from 1550 to 1990 found similar multidecadal-scale periodicities (???30-60 years). This multidecadal periodicity is about half the observed (60-80 years) variability identified in the AMO for the 20th century. The historical records of hurricane landfalls reveal increased landfalls in the Gulf Coast region during time intervals when the AMO index is positive (warmer SST), and decreased landfalls when the AMO index is negative (cooler SST). Thus, we conclude that alternating intervals of high and low hurricane landfall occurrences may continue on multidecadal timescales along the northern Gulf Coast. However, given the short length of the instrumental record, the actual frequency and stability of the AMO are uncertain, and additional AMO proxy records are needed to establish the character of multidecadal-scale SST variability in the North Atlantic. ?? 2009 US Government.

Proceedings of second geopressured geothermal energy conference, Austin, Texas, February 23--25, 1976. Volume V. Legal, institutional, and environmental

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vanston, J.H.; Elmer, D.B.; Gustavson, T.C.

Three separate abstracts were prepared for Volume V of the Proceedings of the Conference. Sections are entitled: Legal Issues in the Development of Geopressured--Geothermal Resources of Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast; The Development of Geothermal Energy in the Gulf Coast; Socio-economic, Demographic, and Political Considerations; and Geothermal Resources of the Texas Gulf Coast--Environmental Concerns arising from the Production and Disposal of Geothermal waters. (MCW)

Habitat suitability index models: redhead (wintering)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howard, Rebecca J.; Kantrud, Harold A.

1983-01-01

The redhead is a North American waterfowl species with economic as well as ecological importance. It is highly desired by hunters. Retrieved redhead kill in the United States averaged 143,000 birds during the three waterfowl seasons from 1975 to 1977 (U.S. Department of the Interior 1981a, 1981b). Populations on the principal breeding grounds of the redhead--the prairie and parkland region of south-central Canada and north-central United States--averaged 710,000 birds from 1955 to 1981 (Bellrose 1976; A. Novara, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS], Jamestown, North Dakota; pers. comm.). Redhead numbers began to decline in the 1960's. Killing redheads became illegal from 1960 to 1963, and strict bag limits were imposed after that (Bellrose 1976). A breeding population low of 387,000 birds occurred in 1963, but prairie populations began to recover after that time. Their numbers peaked in 1980 when 1,146,000 birds were recorded (A. Novara, pers. comm.). During the fall, over a third of the total redhead population uses the migration corridor that extends from the prairie breeding area to the Texas gulf coast. Another migration corridor extends from the second most important breeding area--the Great Salt Basin--to the Texas coast (Bellrose 1976). During the fall, over a third of the total redhead population uses the migration corridor that extends from the prairie breeding area to the Texas gulf coast. Another migration corridor extends from the second most important breeding area--the Great Salt Basin--to the Texas coast (Bellrose 1976).

Negotiating the Practitioner-Faculty Dialectic: How Counselor Educators Responded to Hurricane Katrina

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reybold, L. Earle; Konopasky, Abigail; Trepal, Heather; Haberstroh, Shane

2015-01-01

As Hurricane Katrina forced thousands of Gulf Coast residents to evacuate, U.S. communities established shelters for emergency intake. Faculty members across the country, especially those trained in counseling, volunteered immediately for crisis work. This study examined the experiences of a faculty response team from one counselor education…

Astronaut John Young hoisted aboard helicopter during water egress training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1966-01-01

Astronauts John W. Young, Gemini 10 command pilot, is hoisted up to a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter during water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico. A team of Manned Spaceflight Center (MSC) swimmers assists in the exercise. The Static Article 5 spacecraft can be seen in the water.

47 CFR 80.1011 - Transmitter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Mississippi River from the territorial sea boundary, and within either the Southwest Pass safety fairway or the South Pass safety fairway specified in § 166.200 of the U.S. Coast Guard's Rules, 33 CFR 166.200, to mile 242.4 AHP (Above Head of Passes) near Baton Rouge; (2) The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet from...

47 CFR 80.1011 - Transmitter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Mississippi River from the territorial sea boundary, and within either the Southwest Pass safety fairway or the South Pass safety fairway specified in § 166.200 of the U.S. Coast Guard's Rules, 33 CFR 166.200, to mile 242.4 AHP (Above Head of Passes) near Baton Rouge; (2) The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet from...

47 CFR 80.1011 - Transmitter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Mississippi River from the territorial sea boundary, and within either the Southwest Pass safety fairway or the South Pass safety fairway specified in § 166.200 of the U.S. Coast Guard's Rules, 33 CFR 166.200, to mile 242.4 AHP (Above Head of Passes) near Baton Rouge; (2) The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet from...

47 CFR 80.1011 - Transmitter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Mississippi River from the territorial sea boundary, and within either the Southwest Pass safety fairway or the South Pass safety fairway specified in § 166.200 of the U.S. Coast Guard's Rules, 33 CFR 166.200, to mile 242.4 AHP (Above Head of Passes) near Baton Rouge; (2) The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet from...

47 CFR 80.1011 - Transmitter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Mississippi River from the territorial sea boundary, and within either the Southwest Pass safety fairway or the South Pass safety fairway specified in § 166.200 of the U.S. Coast Guard's Rules, 33 CFR 166.200, to mile 242.4 AHP (Above Head of Passes) near Baton Rouge; (2) The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet from...

USE OF MOLECULAR PROBES TO ASSESS GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF PFIESTERIA SPECIES. (R827084)

EPA Science Inventory

We have developed multiple polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods for the
detection of Pfiesteria sp. in cultures and environmental samples. More than 2,100 water and
sediment samples from estuarine sites of the U.S. Atlantic and gulf coasts were assayed for the
p...

Marsh accretion in Oregon estuaries using the marker horizon method and implications of sea level rise

EPA Science Inventory

Sea level rise and the ability of marshes to keep up with this rise have been extensively studied on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the US; however, there is limited information available for marshes in the Pacific Northwest. Our research focuses on measuring marsh sediment acc...

77 FR 27742 - Notice of Public Meetings for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-11

...) 12114, the Department of the Navy (DoN) has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection... potential environmental effects associated with military readiness training and research, development, test... coast of North America and the Gulf of Mexico. The Study Area covers approximately 2.6 million square...

BIVALVE BIOGEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTIONS, ABUNDANCES, AND CLIMATE VULNERABILITY FROM THE BEAUFORT SEA TO THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA

EPA Science Inventory

As part of an U.S. EPA/USGS project to predict the relative vulnerability of near-coastal species to climate change along the Pacific Coast, we have synthesized the biogeographic distributions and abundances of bivalves found in depths <200 m. We have included the twelve &ldqu...

The Escambia Experimental Forest

Treesearch

Kristina F. Connor; Dale G. Brockway; William D. Boyer; Ronald K. Tucker

2009-01-01

The U.S. Forest Service established research centers throughout the country in the early 20th century. Six of these were located within the native range of longleaf pine, including one at Brewton, AL. The Escambia was established near the Brewton unit of the East Gulf Coast Research Center, Southern Forest Experiment Station, on April 1, 1947,...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacobson, Paul T; Hagerman, George; Scott, George

This project estimates the naturally available and technically recoverable U.S. wave energy resources, using a 51-month Wavewatch III hindcast database developed especially for this study by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Centers for Environmental Prediction. For total resource estimation, wave power density in terms of kilowatts per meter is aggregated across a unit diameter circle. This approach is fully consistent with accepted global practice and includes the resource made available by the lateral transfer of wave energy along wave crests, which enables wave diffraction to substantially reestablish wave power densities within a few kilometers of a linear array,more » even for fixed terminator devices. The total available wave energy resource along the U.S. continental shelf edge, based on accumulating unit circle wave power densities, is estimated to be 2,640 TWh/yr, broken down as follows: 590 TWh/yr for the West Coast, 240 TWh/yr for the East Coast, 80 TWh/yr for the Gulf of Mexico, 1570 TWh/yr for Alaska, 130 TWh/yr for Hawaii, and 30 TWh/yr for Puerto Rico. The total recoverable wave energy resource, as constrained by an array capacity packing density of 15 megawatts per kilometer of coastline, with a 100-fold operating range between threshold and maximum operating conditions in terms of input wave power density available to such arrays, yields a total recoverable resource along the U.S. continental shelf edge of 1,170 TWh/yr, broken down as follows: 250 TWh/yr for the West Coast, 160 TWh/yr for the East Coast, 60 TWh/yr for the Gulf of Mexico, 620 TWh/yr for Alaska, 80 TWh/yr for Hawaii, and 20 TWh/yr for Puerto Rico.« less

78 FR 71037 - New Orleans & Gulf Coast Railway Company, Inc.-Lease Exemption Containing Interchange Commitment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-27

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35777] New Orleans & Gulf... Company New Orleans & Gulf Coast Railway Company, Inc. (NOGC), a Class III rail carrier, has filed a... to a third-party railroad, BNSF Railway Company and the New Orleans Public Belt are located in very...

75 FR 17755 - Certificate of Alternative Compliance for the Offshore Supply Vessel GULF TIGER

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-07

... Compliance for the Offshore Supply Vessel GULF TIGER AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces that a Certificate of Alternative Compliance was issued for the offshore supply... for the h offshore supply vessel GULF TIGER. Full compliance with 72 COLREGS and the Inland Rules Act...

The cloud-radiative forcing of the U.S. landfalling atmospheric rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Qianwen

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are narrow channels in the atmosphere that transport an enormous amount of moisture from the tropics to the higher latitudes. Streaks of highly reflective clouds are observed along with the ARs in satellite imagery. These clouds both influence the moisture transport of ARs, as well as modify the Earth-Atmospheric energy budget through pathways such as cloud-radiative forcing (CRF). This dissertation studies the CRF of the U.S. Landfalling ARs in weather and climate scales. Three crucial questions are addressed. First, how do clouds produced by the ARs modulate the moisture and heat balance of the Earth-Atmospheric system? Even though studies of ARs date back to the 90s, past research has been primarily focused on their hydrological impacts. We addressed this research gap by comparing the dominant types of precipitating clouds and convection of two ARs. Through quantifying their effects on the energy balance in the midlatitudes, we found that when deep convection was the dominant cloud types of an AR, impressive CRF cooling was produced. Second, what are the sufficient climate conditions for the extensive CRF in the continental U.S.? We studied 60 ARs that reached the California coast (the Southwest ARs) and 60 ARs that reached Pacific Northwest during Nov-Mar, 2000-2008. It was found that when these West-Coast ARs were followed by the moisture surge from the Gulf of Mexico (the Gulf-Coast AR), it resulted in apparent statewide CRF. Such condition happened more frequently in the Southwest-AR scenario. Third, how does the subgrid-scale-convection-induced CRF influence the moisture transport of ARs?We ran two WRF ARW simulations for a Southwest-AR that was followed by a Gulf-Coast AR. The only difference between the two simulations was one considered the CRF of subgrid-scale clouds while the other did not. By comparing the two simulations, we found that the subgrid-scale-convection-induced CRF helped prolong the lifespan of clouds in an AR, thus enabling moisture to be transported further downstream. In short, this work helps improve our understanding of CRF of the U.S. landfalling ARs from both weather and climate perspectives. Our results are useful for validating the representation of clouds and radiation processes in weather and climate models, thereby help to improve AR predictions.

NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR)

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-25

Sunset Over the Gulf of Maine On July 20, 2013, scientists at sea with NASA's SABOR experiment witnessed a spectacular sunset over the Gulf of Maine. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR) experiment is a coordinated ship and aircraft observation campaign off the Atlantic coast of the United States, an effort to advance space-based capabilities for monitoring microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food chain. Read more: 1.usa.gov/WWRVzj Credit: NASA/SABOR/Wayne Slade, Sequoia Scientific .NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-20

On April 20, 2010, an explosion at an oil well in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in a major oil spill. Since then, emergency response efforts have been underway to contain the growing oil slick before it reaches the southern coast of the United States. Landsat imagery, acquired by the U.S. Geological Survey on May 1 shows the extent of the oil slick. The Landsat data are being used to monitor the extent and movement of the slick. Location: LA, USA Date Taken: May 1 2010 Credit: NASA/GSFC/Landsat NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Join us on Facebook

Medical Entomology in the United States Department of Defense: Challenging and Rewarding

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

of forces succumbing to such debilitating diseases as malaria, dengue , chikungunya, Rift Valley fever , etc. It is the mission of the US DoD’s...disease outbreaks. Military entomologists were also sent to the US Gulf Coast region to provide disease vector surveillance and control assistance...insidious, blood-sucking fly known as the “sand fly” (Phlebotomus spp.) has become well known to personnel deployed to the region . Sand flies can

Gulf Coast Deep Water Port Facilities study. Appendix B. North Central Gulf Hydrobiological Zones.

DTIC Science & Technology

1973-04-01

bottom and surface salinities , but their effect is more noticeable at the surface. Because of variation in these factors along the Gulf Coast... effects of discharge on salinity have been considered above. Numerous streams empty into the Gulf of Mexico along its north central portion but the...1967) investigated various aspects of osmoregulation in blue crabs in Mississippi Sound and adjacent waters and observed that salinity and temperature

Genetic homogeneity of the invasive lionfish across the Northwestern Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms.

PubMed

Pérez-Portela, R; Bumford, A; Coffman, B; Wedelich, S; Davenport, M; Fogg, A; Swenarton, M K; Coleman, F; Johnston, M A; Crawford, D L; Oleksiak, M F

2018-03-22

Despite the devastating impact of the lionfish (Pterois volitans) invasion on NW Atlantic ecosystems, little genetic information about the invasion process is available. We applied Genotyping by Sequencing techniques to identify 1,220 single nucleotide polymorphic sites (SNPs) from 162 lionfish samples collected between 2013 and 2015 from two areas chronologically identified as the first and last invaded areas in US waters: the east coast of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. We used population genomic analyses, including phylogenetic reconstruction, Bayesian clustering, genetic distances, Discriminant Analyses of Principal Components, and coalescence simulations for detection of outlier SNPs, to understand genetic trends relevant to the lionfish's long-term persistence. We found no significant differences in genetic structure or diversity between the two areas (F ST p-values > 0.01, and t-test p-values > 0.05). In fact, our genomic analyses showed genetic homogeneity, with enough gene flow between the east coast of Florida and Gulf of Mexico to erase previous signals of genetic divergence detected between these areas, secondary spreading, and bottlenecks in the Gulf of Mexico. These findings suggest rapid genetic changes over space and time during the invasion, resulting in one panmictic population with no signs of divergence between areas due to local adaptation.

Uncovering patterns of spring migration in the monarch butterfly using stable isotopes and demographic models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norris, R.; Miller, N.; Wassenaar, L.; Hobson, K.

2010-12-01

Each spring, millions of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) migrate up to 3000 km from central Mexico to re-colonize eastern North America. However, despite centuries of research, the patterns of re-colonization are not well understood. We combined stable-hydrogen (δD) and -carbon (δ13C) isotope measurements with demographic models to test (1) whether individuals sampled in the northern part of the breeding range in the Great Lakes originate directly from Mexico or are second generation individuals born in the southern US and (2) to estimate whether populations on the eastern seaboard migrate longitudinally over the Appalachians or originate directly from the Gulf Coast. In the Great Lakes, we found that the majority of individuals were second-generation monarchs born in the Gulf Coast and Central regions of the US. However, 25% individuals originated directly from Mexico and we estimated that these individuals produced the majority of offspring born in the Great Lakes region during June. On the eastern seaboard, we found the majority of monarchs (88%) originated in the mid-west and Great Lakes regions, providing the first direct evidence that second generation monarchs born in June complete a (trans-) longitudinal migration across the Appalachian mountains. The remaining individuals (12%) originated from parents that migrated directly from the Gulf coast during early spring. Our results demonstrate how stable isotopes, when combined with ecological data, can provide insights into patterns of connectivity in migratory insects that have been impossible to test using conventional techniques. The migration patterns presented here have important implications for predicting future changes in population size and for developing effective conservation plans for this species.

Workplace Safety Interventions for Commercial Fishermen of the Gulf.

PubMed

Levin, Jeffrey L; Gilmore, Karen; Wickman, Amanda; Shepherd, Sara; Shipp, Eva; Nonnenmann, Matthew; Carruth, Ann

2016-01-01

Commercial fishing continues to have one of the highest rates of occupational fatalities compared with other work sectors in the United States. Attitudes/beliefs among Vietnamese shrimp fishermen of the Gulf of Mexico may influence behaviors that are risk factors for fatal and nonfatal injuries. The study employs a community trial with quasi-experimental pretest/posttest intervention design. An advisory group made up of key stakeholders including representatives from the US Coast Guard was assembled. A survey was designed using the Theory of Planned Behavior as the theoretical framework. Three community groups at port sites along the Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coasts were identified. Focus groups were convened at each site to select priority areas for risk intervention using training and awareness measures. Initial and follow-up surveys were administered pre-/post-interventions for each of the three community groups (2008, n = 217 completed surveys; 2012, n = 206 completed surveys). The follow-up survey was condensed and "intent to act" questions were added for the priority concerns identified (noise-induced hearing loss, machinery/winches, and fatigue). Statistically significant changes (P ranging from .000 to .042) were observed in selective attitude/belief responses for hearing/noise and fatigue. Intent to action or to adopt the intervention was high among all three groups of shrimp fishermen (hearing conservation, 82.4%; machinery/winch safety, 94.6%; fatigue awareness, 95.3%). Simple, yet culturally appropriate training and awareness measures in the form of visual and written safety messages favorably influence attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral intent related to priority risk factors identified by Vietnamese commercial shrimp fishermen along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coasts.

Mesohaline submerged aquatic vegetation survey along the U.S. gulf of Mexico coast, 2001 and 2002: A salinity gradient approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merino, J.H.; Carter, J.; Merino, S.L.

2009-01-01

Distribution of marine submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV; i.e., seagrass) in the northern Gulf of Mexico coast has been documented, but there are nonmarine submersed or SAV species occurring in estuarine salinities that have not been extensively reported. We sampled 276 SAV beds along the gulf coast in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas in 2001 and 2002 in oligohaline to polyhaline (0 to 36 parts per thousand) waters to determine estuarine SAV species distribution and identify mesohaline SAV communities. A total of 20 SAV and algal species was identified and habitat characteristics such as salinity, water depth, pH, conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and sediment composition were collected. Fourteen SAV species occurred two or more times in our samples. The most frequently occurring species was Ruppia maritima L. (n = 148), occurring in over half of SAV beds sampled. Eleocharis sp. (n = 47), characterized with an emergent rather than submerged growth form, was a common genus in the SAV beds sampled. A common marine species was Halodule wrightii Asch. (n = 36). Nonindigenous species Myriophyllum spicatum L. (n = 31) and Hydrilla verticillata (L. f.) Royle (n = 6) were present only in oligohaline water. Analyzing species occurrence and environmental characteristics using canonical correspondence and two-way indicator species analysis, we identify five species assemblages distinguished primarily by salinity and depth. Our survey increases awareness of nonmarine SAV as a natural resource in the gulf, and provides baseline data for future research. ?? 2009 by the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium of Alabama.

77 FR 59881 - Special Load Line Exemption for the Gulf of Mexico: Petition for Rulemaking

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-01

... Line Exemption for the Gulf of Mexico: Petition for Rulemaking AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice... Mexico. The requested exemption would allow non-load line river barges to transit along the west coast of... special load line exemption on the Gulf of Mexico. All comments received will be posted, without change...

Gulf of Fonseca, Pacifica coast of Central America as seen from Apollo 9

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-12

AS09-19-3019 (3-13 March 1969) --- Gulf of Fonseca, on the Pacific coast of Central America, as photographed from the Apollo 9 spacecraft during its Earth-orbital mission. The gulf is shared by the nations of El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The prominent volcano on the peninsula in Nicaragua is Volcan Cosiguina.

Preliminary evaluation of the shale gas prospectivity of the Lower Cretaceous Pearsall Formation in the onshore Gulf Coast region, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Enomoto, Catherine B.; Scott, Kristina; Valentine, Brett J.; Hackley, Paul C.; Dennen, Kristin; Lohr, Celeste D.

2012-01-01

Recent work by the U.S. Geological Survey indicated that the Lower Cretaceous Pearsall Formation contains an estimated mean undiscovered, technically recoverable unconventional gas resource of 8.8 trillion cubic ft in the Maverick Basin, South Texas. Cumulative gas production from horizontal wells in the core area of the emerging play has exceeded 5 billion cubic ft since 2008. However, very little information is available to characterize the Pearsall Formation as an unconventional gas resource beyond the Maverick Basin in the greater Gulf Coast region. Therefore, this reconnaissance study examines spatial distribution, thickness, organic richness and thermal maturity of the Pearsall Formation in the onshore U.S. Gulf states using wireline logs and drill cuttings sample analysis. Spontaneous potential and resistivity curves of approximately forty wireline logs from wells in five Gulf Coast states were correlated to ascertain the thickness of the Pearsall Formation and delineate its three members: Pine Island Shale, James Limestone or Cow Creek Limestone, and Bexar Shale, in ascending stratigraphic order. In Florida and Alabama the Pearsall Formation is up to about 300 ft thick; in Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and East Texas, thickness is up to as much as 800 ft. Drill cuttings sampled from 11 wells at depths ranging from 4600 to 19,600 feet subsurface indicate increasingly oxygenated depositional environments (predominance of red shale) towards the eastern part of the basin. Cuttings vary widely in lithology but indicate interbedded clastics and limestones throughout the Pearsall Formation, consistent with previous regional studies. Organic petrographic and geochemical analyses of 17 cutting samples in the Pearsall Formation indicate a wide range in thermal maturity, from immature (0.43% Ro [vitrinite reflectance]) in paleo-high structural locations to the peak oil window (0.99% Ro) in the eastern portion of the Gulf Coast Basin. This is in contrast to dry gas thermal maturity throughout the Pearsall Formation in the South Texas Maverick Basin. Organic carbon content is low overall, even in immature samples, with a range of 0.17 to 1.08 wt.% by Leco in 22 Pearsall Formation samples. The pyrolysis output range was 0.23 to 2.33 mg hydrocarbon/g rock. The thermal maturity and Rock-Eval pyrolysis data and organic petrologic observations from this study will be used to better focus specific areas of investigation where the Pearsall Formation may be prospective as an unconventional hydrocarbon source and reservoir.

Annotated checklist of the decapod crustaceans of the Gulf of Oman, northwestern Indian Ocean.

PubMed

Naderloo, Reza; Ebrahimnezhad, Saeed; Sari, Alireza

2015-10-09

The decapod crustaceans of the Gulf of Oman have been documented based on the published literature and new sampling along the Iranian coast between 2005 and 2015. A total of 121 species were collected along the Iranian coast, of which 43 are new records for the Gulf of Oman. The Decapoda of the Gulf is currently represented by 258 species belonging to five infraorders: Axiidea, Achelata, Anomura, Brachyura, and Caridea. Brachyura, with 176 species, are the best represented group, followed by Anomura and Caridea with 42 and 17 species, respectively. The least diverse groups are Achelata, with five species, and Axiidea, with three. On the basis of the available information, the northern (Iranian) coast with 189 species is more diverse than the southern (United Arab Emirates and Oman) coast with 134 species.

75 FR 38913 - Long-Term Gulf Coast Restoration Support Plan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-06

... Coast Restoration Support Plan Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies The oil... must help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy. A long-term plan to restore the... to create a plan of Federal support for the long-term economic and environmental restoration of the...

Distributions and Changes of Carbonate Parameters Along the U.S. East Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Y. Y.; Cai, W. J.; Wanninkhof, R. H.; Salisbury, J., II

2017-12-01

On top of anthropogenic climate change, upwelling, eutrophication, river discharge, and interactions with the open ocean have affected carbonate chemistry in coastal waters. In this study, we present the large-scale variations of carbonate parameters along the U.S. east coast using in situ observations obtained during an East Coast Ocean Acidification (ECOA) cruise in summer 2015. Compare with previous large-scale cruises along the east coast, the ECOA cruise increases spatial coverage in the Gulf of Marine region and has more offshore stations for a better understanding of carbon dynamics in coastal waters and their interactions with open ocean waters. Our results show that the spatial distribution of water mass properties set up the large-scale advection of salt and heat and the distribution of total alkalinity (TA). However, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) shows a distinct pattern. Coastal water pH displays high variability in the Gulf of Maine and the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB). But it is relatively homogeneous in the South Atlantic Bight (SAB). In contrast, the distribution of aragonite saturation state (Ω) has an increase pattern from north to south similar to those of TA, SST, and SSS. A mechanistic discussion will be presented to understand the controls on Ω in eastern coastal waters. A comparison with previous cruises also suggests very different changes of pH and Ω in the MAB and SAB. Preliminary analysis suggests an overall increase in surface pH and Ω in the MAB. In contrast, pH and Ω in the SAB surface waters decrease over the past two decades. This work serves as a platform for the monitoring of large-scale carbon cycling in the U.S. east coast. It is also important to identify the physical and biogeochemical processes that affect these distributions and changes over time for a better understanding of carbon cycling and ocean acidification in coastal waters.

Environmental Impact Research Program. The Use of Fertilizer To Enhance Transplants of the Seagrasses Zostera marina and Halodule wrightii.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-08-01

throughout Florida, the Gulf Coast, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These two species co-occur only along a narrow band of the middle Atlantic ...Thayer et al. 1984). Zostera dominates the temperate seagrass community on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, while Halodule occurs in the United States...C and allowed to dry to a constant weight. After drying, each 9 - tN.WVunEY .M .UrS, .m w sample was pulverized with a mortar and pestle to ensure

Geospatial compilation of historical water-level changes in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers 1977-2013 and Jasper aquifer 2000-13, Gulf Coast aquifer system, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Michaela R.; Linard, Joshua I.

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, City of Houston, Fort Bend Subsidence District, Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, and Brazoria County Groundwater Conservation District has produced an annual series of reports that depict water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers of the Gulf Coast aquifer system in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas, from 1977 to 2013. Changes are determined from water-level measurements between December and March of each year from groundwater wells screened in one of the three aquifers. Existing published maps and unpublished geographic information system (GIS) datasets were compiled into a comprehensive geodatabase of all water-level-change maps produced as part of this multiagency effort. Annual water-level-change maps were georeferenced and digitized where existing GIS data were unavailable (1979–99). Existing GIS data available for 2000–13 were included in the geodatabase. The compilation contains 121 datasets showing water-level changes for each primary aquifer of the Gulf Coast aquifer system: 56 for the Chicot aquifer (1977; 1979–2013 and 1990; 1993–2013), 56 for the Evangeline aquifer (1977; 1979–2013 and 1990; 1993–2013), and 9 for the Jasper aquifer (2000; 2005–13).

77 FR 76066 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery Plan for the Gulf Coast Jaguarundi

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-26

... are habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation associated with agriculture and urbanization.... Reduce the effects of human population growth and development on potential Gulf Coast jaguarundi habitat...

Apollo 12 crewmen participate in water egress training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

A member of the prime crew of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission is hoisted up to a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter during water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico. Participating in the training were Astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander; Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot; and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot.

Infection of the Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma Maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae), with Rickettsia Parkeri: First Report from the State of Delaware

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-31

0279276E-D761-4A27-BFF7-7329E05E0F66 Infection of the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae), with Rickettsia parkeri: first report from...Spring, MD 20910-1230, U.S.A. Abstract The molecular detection of Rickettsia parkeri in a Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, collected in Delaware...near Smyrna, Delaware. All specimens were tested for the presence of Rickettsia with a genus-specific quantitative real-time polymerase chain

Reconstructing Common Era relative sea-level change on the Gulf Coast of Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gerlach, Matthew J.; Engelhart, Simon E.; Kemp, Andrew C.; Moyer, Ryan P.; Smoak, Joseph M.; Bernhardt, Christopher E.; Cahill, Niamh

2017-01-01

To address a paucity of Common Era data in the Gulf of Mexico, we reconstructed ~ 1.1 m of relative sea-level (RSL) rise over the past ~ 2000 years at Little Manatee River (Gulf Coast of Florida, USA). We applied a regional-scale foraminiferal transfer function to fossil assemblages preserved in a core of salt-marsh peat and organic silt that was dated using radiocarbon and recognition of pollution, 137Cs and pollen chronohorizons. Our proxy reconstruction was combined with tide-gauge data from four nearby sites spanning 1913–2014 CE. Application of an Errors-in-Variables Integrated Gaussian Process (EIV-IGP) model to the combined proxy and instrumental dataset demonstrates that RSL fell from ~ 350 to 100 BCE, before rising continuously to present. This initial RSL fall was likely the result of local-scale processes (e.g., silting up of a tidal flat or shallow sub-tidal shoal) as salt-marsh development at the site began. Since ~ 0 CE, we consider the reconstruction to be representative of regional-scale RSL trends. We removed a linear rate of 0.3 mm/yr from the RSL record using the EIV-IGP model to estimate climate-driven sea-level trends and to facilitate comparison among sites. This analysis demonstrates that since ~ 0 CE sea level did not deviate significantly from zero until accelerating continuously from ~ 1500 CE to present. Sea level was rising at 1.33 mm/yr in 1900 CE and accelerated until 2014 CE when a rate of 2.02 mm/yr was attained, which is the fastest, century-scale trend in the ~ 2000-year record. Comparison to existing reconstructions from the Gulf coast of Louisiana and the Atlantic coast of northern Florida reveal similar sea-level histories at all three sites. We explored the influence of compaction and fluvial processes on our reconstruction and concluded that compaction was likely insignificant. Fluvial processes were also likely insignificant, but further proxy evidence is needed to fully test this hypothesis. Our results indicate that no significant Common Era sea-level changes took place on the Gulf and southeastern Atlantic U.S. coasts until the onset of modern sea-level rise in the late 19th century.

The National Assessment of Shoreline Change: A GIS Compilation of Vector Shorelines and Associated Shoreline Change Data for the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Tara L.; Morton, Robert A.; Sallenger, Asbury H.; Moore, Laura J.

2004-01-01

Introduction The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey has generated a comprehensive database of digital vector shorelines and shoreline change rates for the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. These data, which are presented herein, were compiled as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Assessment of Shoreline Change Project. Beach erosion is a chronic problem along most open-ocean shores of the United States. As coastal populations continue to grow and community infrastructures are threatened by erosion, there is increased demand for accurate information including rates and trends of shoreline migration. There is also a critical need for shoreline change data that is consistent from one coastal region to another. One purpose of this work is to develop standard repeatable methods for mapping and analyzing shoreline movement so that periodic updates regarding coastal erosion and land loss can be made nationally that are systematic and internally consistent. This data compilation for open-ocean, sandy shorelines of the Gulf of Mexico is the first in a series that will eventually include the Atlantic Coast, Pacific Coast, and parts of Hawaii and Alaska. Short- and long-term shoreline change evaluations are based on merging three historical shorelines with a modern shoreline derived from lidar (light detection and ranging) topographic surveys. Historical shorelines generally represent the following time periods: 1800s, 1920s-1930s, and 1970s. The most recent shoreline is derived from data collected over the period of 1998-2002. Long-term rates of change are calculated by linear regression using all four shorelines. Short-term rates of change are simple end-point rate calculations using the two most recent shorelines. Please refer to our full report on shoreline change in the Gulf of Mexico, National Assessment of Shoreline Change: Part 1, Historical Shoreline Changes and Associated Coastal Land Loss Along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (USGS Open File Report 2004-1043) for additional information regarding methods and results. Data in this report are organized into data layers by state and are provided as single-point vector datasets with metadata. Vector shorelines may represent a compilation of data from one or more sources and these sources are attributed in the dataset. All data are intended to be GIS-ready inasmuch as the data should not require any additional cleanup, formatting, or renaming of fields in order to use the data in a Geographic Information System (GIS). This project employs the Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) ArcView as its GIS mapping tool and contains several data layers (or themes) that are used to create a geographic view of the margin off the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. These vector data form a basemap comprised of polygon and line themes that include a U.S. coastline (1:80,000), U.S. cities, and state boundaries.

An Integrated Gulf Coast Monitoring System Using Field, Remote Sensing and Model Results (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Sa, E. J.; Ko, D. S.; Stone, G.; Walker, N. D.

2010-12-01

The northern Gulf of Mexico is strongly influenced by the discharge of water, nutrients, dissolved and suspended particulate matter from the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River system, the largest in North America. It is also frequently impacted by energetic meteorological events that cause storm surge, high waves and affects water quality along its coastal waters. We describe the components of an integrated web-based Gulf Coast Information System (GCIS) (http://gulf-coast.lsu.edu) developed to serve remotely sensed products from a number of NASA satellite sensors such as the SeaWiFS and MODIS ocean color and the QuikSCAT wind sensors. GCIS also serves high-resolution nowcast and 48-hour forecast outputs (sea level variations, temperature, salinity and currents) from a 3-dimensional NCOM coastal circulation model for the coastal states of Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. The GCIS is coupled to the near real-time outputs of a field monitoring and satellite receiving system, the Wave-Current Information System (WAVCIS) (http://www.wavcis.lsu.edu) and Earth Scan Laboratory (ESL) (www.esl.lsu.edu), respectively that provide critical decision support during hurricanes to the Gulf Coast. We present results on the use of the combined field, satellite and model outputs to monitor the effects of fronts, hurricanes, oil spill and the potential to study longer term climate impacts along the Gulf coast.

Skin Transcriptomes of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the northern Gulf of Mexico and southeastern U.S. Atlantic coasts.

PubMed

Neely, Marion G; Morey, Jeanine S; Anderson, Paul; Balmer, Brian C; Ylitalo, Gina M; Zolman, Eric S; Speakman, Todd R; Sinclair, Carrie; Bachman, Melannie J; Huncik, Kevin; Kucklick, John; Rosel, Patricia E; Mullin, Keith D; Rowles, Teri K; Schwacke, Lori H; Van Dolah, Frances M

2018-04-01

Common bottlenose dolphins serve as sentinels for the health of their coastal environments as they are susceptible to health impacts from anthropogenic inputs through both direct exposure and food web magnification. Remote biopsy samples have been widely used to reveal contaminant burdens in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins, but do not address the health consequences of this exposure. To gain insight into whether remote biopsies can also identify health impacts associated with contaminant burdens, we employed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to interrogate the transcriptomes of remote skin biopsies from 116 bottlenose dolphins from the northern Gulf of Mexico and southeastern U.S. Atlantic coasts. Gene expression was analyzed using principal component analysis, differential expression testing, and gene co-expression networks, and the results correlated to season, location, and contaminant burden. Season had a significant impact, with over 60% of genes differentially expressed between spring/summer and winter months. Geographic location exhibited lesser effects on the transcriptome, with 23.5% of genes differentially expressed between the northern Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern U.S. Atlantic locations. Despite a large overlap between the seasonal and geographical gene sets, the pathways altered in the observed gene expression profiles were somewhat distinct. Co-regulated gene modules and differential expression analysis both identified epidermal development and cellular architecture pathways to be expressed at lower levels in animals from the northern Gulf of Mexico. Although contaminant burdens measured were not significantly different between regions, some correlation with contaminant loads in individuals was observed among co-expressed gene modules, but these did not include classical detoxification pathways. Instead, this study identified other, possibly downstream pathways, including those involved in cellular architecture, immune response, and oxidative stress, that may prove to be contaminant responsive markers in bottlenose dolphin skin. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Calibration of water-velocity meters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kaehrle, William R.; Bowie, James E.

1988-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, as part of its responsibility to appraise the quantity of water resources in the United States, maintains facilities for the calibration of water-velocity meters at the Gulf Coast Hydroscience Center's Hydraulic Laboratory Facility, NSTL, Mississippi. These meters are used in hydrologic studies by the Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Energy, state agencies, universities, and others in the public and private sector. This paper describes calibration facilities, types of water-velocity meters calibrated, and calibration standards, methods and results.

Modeling Catastrophic Barrier Island Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitley, J. W.; McNamara, D.

2012-12-01

Barrier islands, thin strips of sand lying parallel to the mainland coastline, along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts appear to have maintained their form for thousands of years in the face of rising sea level. The mechanisms that allow barrier islands to remain robust are transport of sediment from the ocean side of barriers to the top and backside during storms, termed island overwash, and the growth and alongshore propagation of tidal deltas near barrier island inlets. Dynamically these processes provide the necessary feedbacks to maintain a barrier island in an attractor that withstands rising sea level within a phase space of barrier island geometrical characteristics. Current barrier island configurations along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts exist among a wide range of storm climate and underlying geologic conditions and therefore the environment that forces overwash and tidal delta dynamics varies considerably. It has been suggested that barrier islands in certain locations such as those between Avon and Buxton (losing 76% of island width since 1852) and Chandeleur islands (losing 85% of its surface area since 2005) along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, respectively, may be subject to a catastrophic shift in barrier island attractor states - more numerous inlets cutting barriers in some locations and the complete disappearance of barrier islands in other locations. In contrast to common models for barrier islands that neglect storm dynamics and often only consider cross-shore response, we use an alongshore extended model for barrier island dynamics including beach erosion, island overwash and inlet cutting during storms, and beach accretion, tidal delta growth and dune and vegetation growth between storms to explore the response of barrier islands to a wide range of environmental forcing. Results will be presented that show how barrier island attractor states are altered with variations in the rate of sea level rise, storminess, and underlying geology. We will also investigate the conditions necessary for a barrier island attractor similar to those found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts to become unstable.

Late Holocene Hurricane Activity in the Gulf of Mexico from a Bayou Sediment Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodysill, J. R.; Donnelly, J. P.; Toomey, M.; Sullivan, R.; MacDonald, D.; Evans, R. L.; Ashton, A. D.

2012-12-01

Hurricanes pose a considerable threat to coastal communities along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Gulf of Mexico. The complex role of ocean and atmospheric dynamics in controlling storm frequency and intensity, and how these relationships could be affected by climate change, remains uncertain. To better predict how storms will impact coastal communities, it is vital to constrain their past behavior, in particular how storm frequency and intensity and the pattern of storm tracks have been influenced by past climate conditions. In an effort to characterize past storm behavior, our work contributes to the growing network of storm records along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts by reconstructing storm-induced deposits in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the Late Holocene. Previous work on the northern Gulf coast has shown considerable centennial-scale variability in the occurrence of intense hurricanes, much like the northern Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean Sea. The timing of active and quiet intervals during the last 1000 years amongst the Gulf Coast records appears to be anti-phased with stormy intervals along the North American east coast. The sparse spatial coverage of the existing intense hurricane reconstructions provides a limited view of the natural variability of intense hurricanes. A new, high resolution reconstruction of storms along the northern Gulf Coast would be beneficial in assembling the picture of the patterns of storminess during the Late Holocene. Our study site, Basin Bayou, is situated on the north side of Choctawhatchee Bay in northwest Florida. From 1851 to 2011, 68 storms have struck the coast within 75 miles of Basin Bayou, of which 10 were Category 3 or greater, making it a prime location to reconstruct intense hurricanes. Basin Bayou openly exchanges water with Choctawhatchee Bay through a narrow channel, which acts as a conduit for propagating storm surges, and potentially coarse-grained bay sediments, into the bayou. Our record is constructed from grain size analyses and core density measurements on multiple cores from Basin Bayou. The upper sediments were dated with 210Pb and 137Cs techniques and compared with the historical record of storms. We observe substantial centennial-scale variability in the occurrence of storm-induced deposits in Basin Bayou over the last 1500 years that aligns considerably well with the temporal distribution of intense storms from preexisting Gulf Coast reconstructions.

Surface temperatures and temperature gradient features of the US Gulf Coast waters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huh, O. K.; Rouse, L. J., Jr.; Smith, G. W.

1977-01-01

Satellite thermal infrared data on the Gulf of Mexico show that a seasonal cycle exists in the horizontal surface temperature structure. In the fall, the surface temperatures of both coastal and deep waters are nearly uniform. With the onset of winter, atmospheric cold fronts, which are accompanied by dry, low temperature air and strong winds, draw heat from the sea. A band of cooler water forming on the inner shelf expands, until a thermal front develops seaward along the shelf break between the cold shelf waters and the warmer deep waters of the Gulf. Digital analysis of the satellite data was carried out in an interactive mode using a minicomputer and software. A time series of temperature profiles illustrates the temporal and spatial changes in the sea-surface temperature field.

Oil and Water Don't Mix: The Gulf Coast Oil Disaster as a Preschool Social Studies Lesson

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruse, Tricia

2010-01-01

On April 20, 2010, an offshore oil-drilling platform exploded, spilling millions of gallons of oil into the gulf. From Louisiana to the Gulf Coast of Florida the effects are being felt by fisherman, shrimpers, dive charters, and other hardworking folks who depend on the water for their livelihood. But there is another population in these coastal…

Mass-mortality of guillemots (Uria aalge) in the Gulf of Alaska in 1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Piatt, John F.; van Pelt, Thomas I.

1997-01-01

During the first six months of 1993, about 3500 dead and moribund guillemots (Uria aalge) were observed throughout the northern Gulf of Alaska coast (ca 1800 km range). Mortality peaked during March. Highest numbers were observed in western Prince William Sound and along the south coast of the Kenai Peninsula. Large flocks of live guillemots gathered in nearshore waters, in contrast to most winters when guillemots reside offshore. Most guillemots recovered were extremely emaciated (ca 60% of normal weight) and sub-adult (80%). Based on carcass deposition and persistence experiments, we calculate that about 10 900 birds eventually came ashore on beaches that were surveyed. Even if most birds killed made it to shore, only a fraction of beaches in the Gulf of Alaska were surveyed and we estimate that a minimum total of 120 000 guillemots died. Results of other investigations on potential causes of mortality (biotoxins, pathogens, parasites, metals, etc.) were either negative or inconclusive, and necropsies lead us to believe that starvation was the proximate cause of death. Reduced food availability could have been related to anomalous sea conditions found during the prolonged 1990–1995 El Niño-Southern Oscillation event.

Gulf coast ports surrounding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-06-01

This fact sheet provides a snapshot of two major seaports : (New Orleans, LA, and Mobile, AL) and summary tables of : other Gulf coast seaports close to the Deepwater Horizon mobile : offshore drilling unit (MODU) explosion and oil spill. New : Orlea...

75 FR 48739 - Application of Gulf Coast Airways, Inc. for Commuter Air Carrier Authority

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-11

... Transportation is directing all interested persons to show cause why it should not issue an order finding Gulf Coast Airways, Inc., fit, willing, and able, and awarding it commuter air carrier authority to conduct...

33 CFR 334.815 - Menominee River, at the Marinette Marine Corporation Shipyard, Marinette, Wisconsin; naval...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... line without permission from the United States Navy, Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast or his/her... States Navy, Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast and/or such agencies or persons as he/she may...

How Schools Responded to Student Mental Health Needs Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Fact Sheet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

RAND Corporation, 2007

2007-01-01

This fact sheet summarizes a study that examined how schools in the U.S. Gulf Coast region perceived the mental health needs of students after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and how schools responded. According to the report, despite strong initial efforts to support the mental health needs of students displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many…

Astronaut John Young hoisted aboard helicopter during water egress training

NASA Image and Video Library

1966-06-18

S66-39713 (18 June 1966) --- Astronaut John W. Young, Gemini-10 command pilot, is hoisted up to a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter during water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico. A team of Manned Spaceflight Center (MSC) swimmers assists in the exercise. The Static Article 5 spacecraft can be seen in the water. Photo credit: NASA

Hardwood chip market--was 2006 a "normal" year?

Treesearch

Peter J. Ince

2007-01-01

In the context of other recent years, 2006 turned out to be a relatively "normal" year for the U.S. hardwood chip market in terms of factors that influence supply and demand; such as prevailing weather conditions, energy price trends, and pulp and paper production. Gulf Coast hurricanes and rising energy prices drove hardwood chip and pulpwood markets in 2005...

Coordination of Ocean Management: A Perspective on the Gulf of Maine,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-11-01

transportation modes. The U.S. Coast Guard operates two OMEGA stations; the remaining six are operated by host countries under international agreement. The...42 Reasons for a Comprehensive Approach .......................... 43 Regulatory Reform .................................. 44...physical ocean, but that framework falls short in its efforts to guide and coordinate the activities of ocean users. Much of the remaining effort in this

Beneficial Uses of Dredged Material. Proceedings of the Gulf Coast Regional Workshop Held on 26-28 April 1988 in Galveston, Texas

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-02-01

COL John Tudela, Commander of the Galveston District, US Army Corps of Engineers. As a former Pharmacist Mate, third class in the US Marine Corps, I... uti - lizing material from maintenance dredging at the entrance to the harbor. The port commission has lands and containment facilities prepared for...sensitivity. When considering disposal techniques, it is useful to retrace man’s uti - lization of estuaries and waterways. From earliest times, settlement

A multisensor analysis of Nimbus-5 data recorded on 22 January 1973. [measurement of rainfall rates for east coast of the United States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allison, L. J.; Rodgers, E. B.; Wilheit, T. T.; Wexler, R.

1975-01-01

The Nimbus 5 meteorological satellite has a full complement of radiation sensors. Data from these sensors were analyzed and intercompared for orbits 569 and 570. The electrically-scanning microwave radiometer (19.35-GHz region) delineated rain areas over the ocean off the U.S. east coast, in good agreement with radar imagery, and permitted the estimation of rainfall rates in this region. Residual ground water, from abnormal rainfall in the lower Mississippi Valley, was indicated under clear sky conditions by soil brightness temperature values in the Nimbus 5 electrically scanning microwave radiometer and U.S. Air Force Data Acquisition and Processing Program infrared data. The temperature-humidity infrared radiometer (6.7 micron and 11 micron) showed the height and spatial configuration of frontal clouds along the east coast and outlined the confluence of a polar jet stream with a broad subtropical jet stream along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Temperature profiles from three vertical temperature sounders are found to be in good agreement with related radiosonde ascents along orbit 569 from the subtropics to the Arctic Circle.

Population genetics of seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus) subspecies along the gulf of Mexico.

PubMed

Woltmann, Stefan; Stouffer, Philip C; Bergeon Burns, Christine M; Woodrey, Mark S; Cashner, Mollie F; Taylor, Sabrina S

2014-01-01

Seaside Sparrows (Ammodramus maritimus) along the Gulf of Mexico are currently recognized as four subspecies, including taxa in Florida (A. m. juncicola and A. m. peninsulae) and southern Texas (Ammodramus m. sennetti), plus a widespread taxon between them (A. m. fisheri). We examined population genetic structure of this "Gulf Coast" clade using microsatellite and mtDNA data. Results of Bayesian analyses (Structure, GeneLand) of microsatellite data from nine locations do not entirely align with current subspecific taxonomy. Ammodramus m. sennetti from southern Texas is significantly differentiated from all other populations, but we found evidence of an admixture zone with A. m. fisheri near Corpus Christi. The two subspecies along the northern Gulf Coast of Florida are significantly differentiated from both A. m. sennetti and A. m. fisheri, but are not distinct from each other. We found a weak signal of isolation by distance within A. m. fisheri, indicating this population is not entirely panmictic throughout its range. Although continued conservation concern is warranted for all populations along the Gulf Coast, A. m. fisheri appears to be more secure than the far smaller populations in south Texas and the northern Florida Gulf Coast. In particular, the most genetically distinct populations, those in Texas south of Corpus Christi, occupy unique habitats within a very small geographic range.

Florida Gulf Coast University Annual Accountability Report, 2013-14

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Board of Governors, State University System of Florida, 2014

2014-01-01

This statistical report provides data tables on Florida Gulf Coast University's (FGCU's) financial resources, personnel, enrollment, undergraduate education, graduate education, and research & economic development. Highlighted data include: (1) Recent results (fall 2013) of FGCU's participation in the National Survey of Student Engagement…

Hurricane hazards: a national threat

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2005-01-01

Hurricanes bring destructive winds, storm surge, torrential rain, flooding, and tornadoes. A single storm can wreak havoc on coastal and inland communities and on natural areas over thousands of square miles. In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma demonstrated the devastation that hurricanes can inflict and the importance of hurricane hazards research and preparedness. More than half of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of a coast, and this number is increasing. Many of these areas, especially the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, will be in the direct path of future hurricanes. Hawaii is also vulnerable to hurricanes.

Rayleigh and Love Wave Phase Velocities in the Northern Gulf Coast of the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, A.; Yao, Y.

2017-12-01

The last major tectonic event in the northern Gulf Coast of the United States is Mesozoic continental rifting that formed the Gulf of Mexico. This area also experienced igneous activity and local uplifts during Cretaceous. To investigate lithosphere evolution associated with the rifting and igneous activity, we construct Rayleigh and Love wave phase velocity models at the periods of 6 s to 125 s in the northern Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Alabama including the eastern Ouachita and southern Appalachian orogeny. The phase velocities are derived from ambient noise and earthquake data recorded at the 120 USArray Transportable Array stations. At periods below 20 s, phase velocity maps are characterized by significant low velocities in the Interior Salt Basin and Gulf Coast Basin, reflecting the effects of thick sediments. The northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas are imaged as a low velocity anomaly in Rayleigh wave models but a high velocity anomaly of Love wave at the periods of 14 s to 30 s, indicating strong lower crust extension to the Ouachita front. High velocity is present in the Mississippi Valley Graben from period 20 s to 35 s, probably reflecting a thin crust or high-velocity lower crust. At longer periods, low velocities are along the Mississippi River to the Gulf Coast Basin, and high velocity anomaly mainly locates in the Black Warrior Basin between the Ouachita Belt and Appalachian Orogeny. The magnitude of anomalies in Love wave images is much smaller than that in Rayleigh wave models, which is probably due to radial anisotropy in the upper mantle. A 3-D anisotropic shear velocity model will be developed from the phase velocities and will provide more details for the crust and upper mantle structure beneath the northern Gulf of Mexico continental margin.

Optimizing Surveillance for South American Origin Influenza A Viruses Along the United States Gulf Coast Through Genomic Characterization of Isolates from Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors).

PubMed

Ramey, A M; Walther, P; Link, P; Poulson, R L; Wilcox, B R; Newsome, G; Spackman, E; Brown, J D; Stallknecht, D E

2016-04-01

Relative to research focused on inter-continental viral exchange between Eurasia and North America, less attention has been directed towards understanding the redistribution of influenza A viruses (IAVs) by wild birds between North America and South America. In this study, we genomically characterized 45 viruses isolated from blue-winged teal (Anas discors) along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast during March of 2012 and 2013, coincident with northward migration of this species from Neotropical wintering areas to breeding grounds in the United States and Canada. No evidence of South American lineage genes was detected in IAVs isolated from blue-winged teal supporting restricted viral gene flow between the United States and southern South America. However, it is plausible that blue-winged teal redistribute IAVs between North American breeding grounds and wintering areas throughout the Neotropics, including northern South America, and that viral gene flow is limited by geographical barriers further south (e.g., the Amazon Basin). Surveillance for the introduction of IAVs from Central America and northern South America into the United States may be further optimized through genomic characterization of viruses resulting from coordinated, concurrent sampling efforts targeting blue-winged teal and sympatric species throughout the Neotropics and along the United States Gulf Coast. © Published 2014. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Intentional tanning behaviors among undergraduates on the United States' Gulf Coast.

PubMed

Daniel, Casey L; Gassman, Natalie R; Fernandez, Alyssa M; Bae, Sejong; Tan, Marcus C B

2018-04-03

Rates of melanoma have dramatically increased among adolescents and young adults in recent years, particularly among young women. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from intentional tanning practices is likely a major contributor to this epidemic. Southern and coastal regions have higher melanoma mortality rates among non-Hispanic whites in other parts of the U.S., yet little is known about tanning practices of adolescents and young adults in these regions. This study determines the prevalence and methods of intentional tanning utilized by an undergraduate population located on the United States' Gulf Coast. Undergraduate students enrolled at a university on the Gulf Coast completed an online survey from March-April 2016, self-reporting their engagement, knowledge, and attitudes regarding outdoor tanning (OT), indoor tanning (IT) and spray tanning (ST). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with tanning behaviors. 2668 undergraduates completed the survey. Of these, 64.9% reported OT tanning, 50.7% reported ever IT, and 21.2% reported ever ST. In the largest study to date of intentional tanning behaviors of adolescents and young adults from coastal regions, we found high rates of intentional tanning behaviors. There was also significant engagement in spray tanning by this population, not previously reported for adolescents and young adults in a sample of this size. We also identified a high association between different tanning methods, indicating this population engages in multiple tanning behaviors, a phenomenon whose health consequences are not yet known.

78 FR 54801 - Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-06

..., including port infrastructure. (g) Coastal flood protection and related infrastructure. (h) Promotion of... protection of natural resources, mitigation of damage to fish and wildlife, and workforce development and job..., marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, coastal wetlands, and economy of the Gulf Coast. The Council will...

Status of scientific knowledge, recovery progress, and future research directions for the Gulf Sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi Vladykov, 1955

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sulak, Kenneth J.; Parauka, F; Slack, W. Todd; Ruth, T; Randall, Michael T.; Luke, K; Mette, M. F; Price, M. E

2016-01-01

The Gulf Sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi, is an anadromous species of Acipenseridae and native to North America. It currently inhabits and spawns in the upper reaches of seven natal rivers along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico from the Suwannee River, Florida, to the Pearl River, Louisiana, during spring to autumn. Next to the Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula), the Gulf Sturgeon is currently the largest fish species occurring in U.S. Gulf Coast rivers, attaining a length of 2.35 m and weights exceeding 135 kg, but historically attained a substantially larger size. Historically, the spawning populations existed in additional rivers from which the species has been wholly or nearly extirpated, such as the Mobile and Ochlockonee rivers, and possibly the Rio Grande River. Most Gulf Sturgeon populations were decimated by unrestricted commercial fishing between 1895–1910. Subsequently most populations remained unrecovered or extirpated due to continued harvest until the 1970s–1980s, and the construction of dams blocking access to ancestral upriver spawning grounds. Late 20th Century harvest bans and net bans enacted by the several Gulf Coast states have stabilized several populations and enabled the Suwannee River population to rebound substantially and naturally. Hatchery supplementation has not been necessary in this regard to date. Sturgeon are resilient and adaptable fishes with a geological history of 150 million years. Research undertaken since the 1970s has addressed many aspects of Gulf Sturgeon life history, reproduction, migration, population biology, habitat requirements, and other aspects of species biology. However, many knowledge gaps remain, prominently including the life history of early developmental stages in the first year of life. Natural population recovery is evident for the Suwannee River population, but seems promising as well for at least four other populations. The Pascagoula and Pearl River populations face a challenging future due a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. These two populations, and perhaps the Escambia River population, are particularly vulnerable to periodic mass mortality due to major stochastic events including hurricanes, flooding, hypoxia, and toxic spills. The present manuscript provides a comprehensive synthesis of knowledge regarding the Gulf Sturgeon at the organismal and population levels, identifying knowledge gaps as priorities for future research. Topics not treated in the present synthesis include morphology, internal biology, physiology, and endocrinology. Topics only briefly treated include parasites and diseases, contaminants, and sturgeon aquaculture.

Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Activity in the Gulf Coast Region of Mexico, 2003–2010

PubMed Central

Adams, A. Paige; Navarro-Lopez, Roberto; Ramirez-Aguilar, Francisco J.; Lopez-Gonzalez, Irene; Leal, Grace; Flores-Mayorga, Jose M.; Travassos da Rosa, Amelia P. A.; Saxton-Shaw, Kali D.; Singh, Amber J.; Borland, Erin M.; Powers, Ann M.; Tesh, Robert B.; Weaver, Scott C.; Estrada-Franco, Jose G.

2012-01-01

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) has been the causative agent for sporadic epidemics and equine epizootics throughout the Americas since the 1930s. In 1969, an outbreak of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) spread rapidly from Guatemala and through the Gulf Coast region of Mexico, reaching Texas in 1971. Since this outbreak, there have been very few studies to determine the northward extent of endemic VEEV in this region. This study reports the findings of serologic surveillance in the Gulf Coast region of Mexico from 2003–2010. Phylogenetic analysis was also performed on viral isolates from this region to determine whether there have been substantial genetic changes in VEEV since the 1960s. Based on the findings of this study, the Gulf Coast lineage of subtype IE VEEV continues to actively circulate in this region of Mexico and appears to be responsible for infection of humans and animals throughout this region, including the northern State of Tamaulipas, which borders Texas. PMID:23133685

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus activity in the Gulf Coast region of Mexico, 2003-2010.

PubMed

Adams, A Paige; Navarro-Lopez, Roberto; Ramirez-Aguilar, Francisco J; Lopez-Gonzalez, Irene; Leal, Grace; Flores-Mayorga, Jose M; Travassos da Rosa, Amelia P A; Saxton-Shaw, Kali D; Singh, Amber J; Borland, Erin M; Powers, Ann M; Tesh, Robert B; Weaver, Scott C; Estrada-Franco, Jose G

2012-01-01

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) has been the causative agent for sporadic epidemics and equine epizootics throughout the Americas since the 1930s. In 1969, an outbreak of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) spread rapidly from Guatemala and through the Gulf Coast region of Mexico, reaching Texas in 1971. Since this outbreak, there have been very few studies to determine the northward extent of endemic VEEV in this region. This study reports the findings of serologic surveillance in the Gulf Coast region of Mexico from 2003-2010. Phylogenetic analysis was also performed on viral isolates from this region to determine whether there have been substantial genetic changes in VEEV since the 1960s. Based on the findings of this study, the Gulf Coast lineage of subtype IE VEEV continues to actively circulate in this region of Mexico and appears to be responsible for infection of humans and animals throughout this region, including the northern State of Tamaulipas, which borders Texas.

Advanced Regional and Decadal Predictions of Coastal Inundation for the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horton, B. P.; Donnelly, J. P.; Corbett, D. R.; Kemp, A.; Lindeman, K.; Mann, M. E.; Peltier, W. R.; Rahmstorf, S.

2012-12-01

Future inundation of the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts will depend upon both sea-level rise and the intensity and frequency of tropical cyclones, each of which will be affected by climate change. In this proposal, we will employ new interdisciplinary approaches to bring about a step change in the reliability of predictions of such inundation. The rate of sea-level rise along the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts has increased throughout the 20th century. Whilst there is widespread agreement that it continue to accelerate during the 21st century, great uncertainty surrounds its magnitude and geographic distribution. Key uncertainties include the role of continental ice sheets, mountain glaciers and ocean density changes. Insufficient understanding of these complex physical processes precludes accurate prediction of sea-level rise. New approaches using semi-empirical models that relate instrumental records of climate and sea-level rise have projected up to 2 m of sea-level rise by AD 2100. But the time span of instrumental sea-level records is insufficient to adequately constrain the climate:sea-level relationship. Here, we produce new high resolution proxy data of sea-level and temperature to provide crucial additional constraints to such semi-empirical models. Our dataset will span the alternation between the "Medieval Climate Anomaly" and "Little Ice Age". Before the models can provide appropriate data for coastal management and planning, they must be complemented with regional estimates of sea-level rise. Therefore, the proxy sea-level data has been collected from six study areas (Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia and Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida) to accommodate the required extent of regional variability. In the case of inundation arising from tropical cyclones, the historical and observational records are insufficient for predicting their nature and recurrence, because they are such extreme and rare events. Moreover, in the future, the resultant storm surges will be superimposed on background sea-level rise. To overcome these problems, we couple regional sea-level rise projections with hurricane simulations and storm surge models to map coastal inundation for the current climate and the best and worst case climate scenarios of the IPCC AR4. The products of this proposal will raise the bar for the scientific prediction of region-specific inundation probabilities in terms of coordinated semi-empirical proxy data, hindcast- and forecast-driven sea-level modeling and tropical cyclone forecasting. To optimize transfer of this often complex information for effective adaptive decision-making by managers and planners, we will systematically review >800 adaptation reports and consult early and often with primary endusers to identify their exact needs. We will produce high penetration print and web products for diverse audiences, specific to each region.

Introduction to the special issue on “Understanding and predicting change in the coastal ecosystems of the northern Gulf of Mexico”

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brock, John C.; Barras, John A.; Williams, S. Jeffress

2013-01-01

The coastal region of the northern Gulf of Mexico owes its current landscape structure to an array of tectonic, erosional and depositional, climatic, geochemical, hydrological, ecological, and human processes that have resulted in some of the world's most complex, dynamic, productive, and threatened ecosystems. Catastrophic hurricane landfalls, ongoing subsidence and erosion exacerbated by sea-level rise, disintegration of barrier island chains, and high rates of wetland loss have called attention to the vulnerability of northern Gulf coast ecosystems, habitats, built infrastructure, and economy to natural and anthropogenic threats. The devastating hurricanes of 2005 (Katrina and Rita) motivated the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Geology Program and partnering researchers to pursue studies aimed at understanding and predicting landscape change and the associated storm hazard vulnerability of northern Gulf coast region ecosystems and human communities. Attaining this science goal requires increased knowledge of landscape evolution on geologic, historical, and human time scales, and analysis of the implications of such changes in the natural and built components of the landscape for hurricane impact susceptibility. This Special Issue of the Journal of Coastal Research communicates northern Gulf of Mexico research results that (1) improve knowledge of prior climates and depositional environments, (2) assess broad regional ecosystem structure and change over Holocene to human time scales, (3) undertake process studies and change analyses of dynamic landscape components, and (4) integrate framework, climate, variable time and spatial scale mapping, monitoring, and discipline-specific process investigations within interdisciplinary studies.

Upper Paleocene and lowermost Eocene angiosperm pollen biostratigraphy of the eastern Gulf Coast and Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frederiksen, N.O.

1998-01-01

Strata comprising most of the upper Paleocene in eastern North America are divided into two new pollen zones, the Carya and Platycarya platycaryoides Interval Zones. Pollen data have proven to be important for correlations between Alabama-western Georgia and eastern Mississippi and between the eastern Gulf Coast and Virginia. Migration of tropical plant taxa from the Caribbean to the Gulf Coast began at least 4 m.y. before the end of the Paleocene. The Terminal Paleocene Extinction Event, accompanied by a distinct pulse of plant immigration from Europe, began several hundred thousand years before the end of the Paleocene.

Hurricane frequency and landfall distribution for coastal wetlands of the Gulf coast, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doyle, T.W.

2009-01-01

The regularity and severity of tropical storms are major determinants controlling ecosystem structure and succession for coastal ecosystems. Hurricane landfall rates vary greatly with high and low frequency for given coastal stretches of the southeastern United States. Site-specific meteorological data of hurricane wind speeds and direction, however, are only available for select populated cities of relatively sparse distribution and inland from the coast. A spatial simulation model of hurricane circulation, HURASIM, was applied to reconstruct chronologies of hurricane wind speeds and vectors for northern Gulf coast locations derived from historical tracking data of North Atlantic tropical storms dating back to 1851. Contrasts of storm frequencies showed that tropical storm incidence is nearly double for Florida coastal ecosystems than the westernmost stretches of Texas coastline. Finer-scale spatial simulations for the north-central Gulf coast exhibited sub-regional differences in storm strength and frequency with coastal position and latitude. The overall pattern of storm incidence in the Gulf basin indicates that the disturbance regime of coastal areas varies greatly along the coast, inland from the coast, and temporally over the period of record. Field and modeling studies of coastal ecosystems will benefit from this retrospective analysis of hurricane incidence and intensity both on a local or regional basis. ?? 2009 The Society of Wetland Scientists.

Landsat Imagery: A Tool for Updating Land Use in Gulf Coast Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harnapp, Vern

1978-01-01

Explores the use of Landsat imagery in mapping and updating land use for the purpose of planning. Examines Gulf Coast Mexico as a case study, because modern agricultural techniques used to expand the ranching industry have significantly altered the landscape. (Author/BC)

A review of Alabama lignite deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Aubourg, Claire E.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

2011-01-01

This review of Alabama lignite deposits is a part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA) of the Gulf Coast region (see Ruppert et al., 2002; Dennen, 2009; and other chapters of this publication). Because lignite is not currently mined in Alabama, a detailed assessment of the state was not made, and only a review is presented in this chapter.

Regional CMS Modeling: Southwest Florida Gulf Coast

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-01

by Kelly R. Legault and Tanya M. Beck PURPOSE: This Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering technical note (CHETN) describes a regional application of...the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Coastal Modeling System (CMS). This application spans three...Active federal projects include the Pinellas County Shore Protection Project (SPP), Tampa Harbor Deeping Project, Manatee County SPP at Anna Maria

Lessons from the Past: Three Modest Suggestions toward School Reform for Poor Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Matthew D.

2007-01-01

At the end of August 2005, Hurricane Katrina laid bare a wide swath of the U.S. Gulf Coast. The devastation left in the wake of this natural disaster and the all-too-slow governmental response to it shocked the nation. Hidden even deeper in the media aftermath of Katrina were the stories of the particularly harsh fury that the hurricane had…

Transport and Fate of Nutrients Along the U.S. East Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofmann, E. E.; Narvaez, D.; Friedrichs, M. A. M.; Najjar, R.; Tian, H.; Hyde, K.; Mannino, A.; Signorini, S. R.; Wilkin, J.; St-Laurent, P.

2017-12-01

As part of a NASA-funded multi-investigator project, a land-estuarine-ocean biogeochemical modeling system was implemented and verified with remote sensing and in situ data to examine processes controlling fluxes on land, their coupling to riverine systems, the delivery of materials to estuaries and the coastal ocean, and marine ecosystem responses to these changing riverine inputs and changing climate forcing. This modeling system is being used to develop nutrient budgets for the U.S. east coast continental shelf and to examine seasonal and interannual variability in nutrient fluxes. An important aspect of these nutrient budgets is the transport and fate of nutrients released along the inner shelf. Results from a five-year simulation (2004 to 2008) that used tracer releases from the main rivers along the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) and South Atlantic Bight (SAB) provide insights into transport pathways that connect the inner and outer continental shelf. Tracers released along the inner MAB spread along the shelf with a general southward and offshore transport. Inner shelf inputs from the large estuarine systems are transported to the mid and outer MAB shelf. Tracers that reach the mid to outer shelf can be entrained in the Gulf Stream. Export from the MAB to the SAB occurs during periods of southerly winds. Transport processes along the SAB are similar, but Gulf Stream entrainment is a larger component of tracer transport. Superimposed on the MAB and SAB transport patterns is considerable seasonal and interannual variability. The results from these retrospective simulations improve understanding of the coupling at the land-water interface and shelf-wide transport patterns that advance the ability to predict the effects of localized human impacts and broader-scale climate-related impacts on the U.S. east coast continental shelf system.

High-frequency internal waves and thick bottom mixed layers observed by gliders in the Gulf Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todd, Robert E.

2017-06-01

Autonomous underwater gliders are conducting high-resolution surveys within the Gulf Stream along the U.S. East Coast. Glider surveys reveal two mechanisms by which energy is extracted from the Gulf Stream as it flows over the Blake Plateau, a portion of the outer continental shelf between Florida and North Carolina where bottom depths are less than 1000 m. Internal waves with vertical velocities exceeding 0.1 m s-1 and frequencies just below the local buoyancy frequency are routinely found over the Blake Plateau, particularly near the Charleston Bump, a prominent topographic feature. These waves are likely internal lee waves generated by the subinertial Gulf Stream flow over the irregular bathymetry of the outer continental shelf. Bottom mixed layers with O(100) m thickness are also frequently encountered; these thick bottom mixed layers likely form in the lee of topography due to enhanced turbulence generated by O(1) m s-1 near-bottom flows.

BIOGEOGRAPHY OF BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES IN ESTUARIES ALONG THE GULF OF MEXICO AND WESTERN ATLANTIC COASTS

EPA Science Inventory

The community composition of benthic macroinvertebrates from 870 estuarine sites was examimed in order to either confirm or challenge established boundaries of biogeographical provinces along the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic coasts of the United States. The objective was t...

Chapter 4: The GIS Project for the Geologic Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas in the Upper Cretaceous Navarro and Taylor Groups, Western Gulf Province, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Biewick, Laura

2006-01-01

A geographic information system (GIS) focusing on the Upper Cretaceous Navarro and Taylor Groups in the Gulf Coast region was developed as a visual-analysis tool for the U.S. Geological Survey's 2003 assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and natural gas resources in the Western Gulf Province. The Central Energy Resources Team of the U.S. Geological Survey has also developed an Internet Map Service to deliver the GIS data to the general public. This mapping tool utilizes information from a database about the oil and natural gas endowment of the United States - including physical locations of geologic and geographic data - and converts the data into visual layers. Portrayal and analysis of geologic features on an interactive map provide an excellent tool for understanding domestic oil and gas resources for strategic planning, formulating economic and energy policies, evaluating lands under the purview of the Federal Government, and developing sound environmental policies. Assessment results can be viewed and analyzed or downloaded from the internet web site.

Gulf of California biogeographic regions based on coastal zone color scanner imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

SantamaríA-Del-Angel, Eduardo; Alvarez-Borrego, Saúl; Müller-Karger, Frank E.

1994-04-01

Topographically, the Gulf of California is divided into a series of basins and trenches that deepen to the south. Maximum depth at the mouth is greater than 3000 m. Most of the northern gulf is less than 200 m deep. The gulf has hydrographic features conducive to high primary productivity. Upwelling events have been described on the basis of temperature distributions at the eastern coast during winter and spring and at the western coast during summer. Tidal amplitude may be as high as 9 m in the upper gulf. On the basis of discrete phytoplankton sampling, the gulf was previously divided into four geographic regions. This division took into consideration only the space distribution, taxonomic composition, and abundance of microphytoplankton. With the availability of the coastal zone color scanner (CZCS) imagery, we were able to include the time variability of pigments to make a more detailed biogeographic division of the gulf. With weekly composites of the imagery, we generated time series of pigment concentrations for 33 locations throughout the gulf and for the whole life span of the CZCS. The time series show a clear seasonal variation, with maxima in winter and spring and minima in summer. The effect of upwelling at the eastern coast is clearly evident, with high pigment concentrations. The effect of the summer upwelling off the Baja California coast is not evident in these time series. Time series from locations on the western side of the gulf also show maxima in winter and spring that are due to the eddy circulation that brings upwelled water from the eastern side. Principal-component analysis was applied to define 14 regions. Ballenas Channel, between Angel de la Guarda and Baja California, and the upper gulf always appeared as very distinct regions. Some of these 14 regions relate to the geographic distributions of important faunal groups, including the benthos, or their life cycles. For example, the upper gulf is a place for reproduction and the nursery of many fish species, marine mammals and birds are specially abundant in Ballenas Channel, sardine spawning mostly occurs in the central gulf in spring, and shrimp are abundant off mainland Mexico.

Gulf Coast Clean Energy Application Center

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dillingham, Gavin

The Gulf Coast Clean Energy Application Center was initiated to significantly improve market and regulatory conditions for the implementation of combined heat and power technologies. The GC CEAC was responsible for the development of CHP in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. Through this program we employed a variety of outreach and education techniques, developed and deployed assessment tools and conducted market assessments. These efforts resulted in the growth of the combined heat and power market in the Gulf Coast region with a realization of more efficient energy generation, reduced emissions and a more resilient infrastructure. Specific t research, we did notmore » formally investigate any techniques with any formal research design or methodology.« less

Habitat planning, maintenance and management working group

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The Gulf of Mexico (GOM), called {open_quotes}America`s Sea,{close_quotes} is actually a small ocean basin covering over 1.5 million square kilometers. Because of the multiple uses, diversity, and size of the Gulf`s resources, management is shared by a number of governmental agencies including the Minerals Management Service, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, National Marine Fisheries Service, the US Coast Guard, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the five Gulf states fisheries agencies. All of these entities share a common goal of achieving optimum sustainable yield to maximize geological, biological, social, and economicmore » benefits from these resources. These entities also share a common theme that the successful management of the northern GOM requires maintenance and enhancement of both the quantity and quality of habitats. A closer look at the GOM shows the sediment to be clearly dominated by vast sand and mud plains. These soft bottom habitats are preferred by many groundfish and shrimp species and, thus, have given rise to large commercial fisheries on these stocks. Hard bottom and reef habitats, on the other hand, are limited to approximately 1.6% of the total area of the Gulf, so that, while there are high demands by commercial and recreational fishermen for reef associated species, the availability of habitat for these stocks is limited. The thousands of oil and gas structures placed in the Gulf have added significant amounts of new hard substrate. The rigs-to-reefs concept was a common sense idea with support from environmental user groups and the petroleum industry for preserving a limited but valuable habitat type. As long as maximizing long-term benefits from the Gulf s resources for the greatest number of users remains the goal, then programs such as Rigs-to-Reefs will remain an important tool for fisheries and habitat managers in the Gulf.« less

Early results from the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Change and Hazard Susceptibility Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brock, John C.; Lavoie, Dawn L.; Poore, Richard Z.

2011-01-01

The northern Gulf of Mexico coastal region and its diverse ecosystems are threatened by population and development pressure and by the impacts of rising sea level and severe storms such as the series of hurricanes that has impacted the northern Gulf in recent years. In response to the complex management issues facing the region, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) organized a multidisciplinary research program to coordinate the activities of USGS and other scientists working in the northern Gulf of Mexico region (fig. 1). The Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) Ecosystem Change and Hazard Susceptibility Project aims to develop a thorough understanding of the dynamic coastal ecosystems on the northern Gulf coast, the impact of human activities on these ecosystems, and the vulnerability of ecosystems and human communities to more frequent and more intense hurricanes in the future. A special issue of Geo-Marine Letters published in December 2009 is devoted to early results of studies completed as part of this project. These studies, which have been conducted at sites throughout the northern Gulf region, from the Chandeleur Islands to Apalachicola Bay, have focused on three themes: (1) The underlying geologic framework that exerts controls over coastal processes (2) The impact of human activities on nearshore water quality (3) Hurricanes and associated effects

Future hurricane storm surge risk for the U.S. gulf and Florida coasts based on projections of thermodynamic potential intensity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balaguru, Karthik; Judi, David R.; Leung, L. Ruby

Coastal populations in the global tropics and sub-tropics are vulnerable to the devastating impacts of hurricane storm surge and this risk is only expected to rise under climate change. In this study, we address this issue for the U.S. Gulf and Florida coasts. Using the framework of Potential Intensity, observations and output from coupled climate models, we show that the future large-scale thermodynamic environment may become more favorable for hurricane intensification. Under the RCP 4.5 emissions scenario and for the peak hurricane season months of August–October, we show that the mean intensities of Atlantic hurricanes may increase by 1.8–4.2 %more » and their lifetime maximum intensities may increase by 2.7–5.3 % when comparing the last two decades of the 20th and 21st centuries. We then combine our estimates of hurricane intensity changes with projections of sea-level rise to understand their relative impacts on future storm surge using simulations with the National Weather Service’s SLOSH (Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) model for five historical hurricanes that made landfall in the Gulf of Mexico and Florida. Considering uncertainty in hurricane intensity changes and sea-level rise, our results indicate a median increase in storm surge ranging between 25 and 47 %, with changes in hurricane intensity increasing future storm surge by about 10 % relative to the increase that may result from sea level rise alone, with highly non-linear response of population at risk.« less

Cetacean high-use habitats of the northeast United States continental shelf

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kenney, R.D.; Winn, H.E.

1986-04-01

Results of the Cetacean and Turtle Assessment Program previously demonstrated at a qualitative level that specific areas of the continental shelf waters off the northeastern US coast consistently showed high-density utilization by several cetacean species. They have quantified, on a multispecies basis and with adjustment for level of survey effort, the intensity of habitat use by whales and dolphins, and defined areas of especially high-intensity utilization. The results demonstrate that the area off the northeast US, which is used most intensively as cetacean habitat, is the western margin of the Gulf of Maine, from the Great South Channel to Stellwagenmore » Bank and Jeffreys Ledge. Secondary high-use areas include the continental shelf edge and the region around the eastern end of Georges Bank. High-use areas for piseivorous cetaceans are concentrated mainly in the western Gulf of Maine and secondarily at mid-shelf east of the Chesapeake region, for planktivores in the western Gulf of Maine and the southwestern and eastern portions of Georges Bank, and for teuthivores in the western Gulf of Maine and the southwestern and eastern portions of Georges Bank, and for teuthivores along the edge of the shelf. In general, habitat use by cetaceans is highest in spring and summer, and lowest in fall and winter.« less

Science supporting Gulf of Mexico oil-spill response, mitigation, and restoration activities-Assessment, monitoring, mapping, and coordination

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kindinger, Jack; Tihansky, Ann B.; Cimitile, Matthew

2011-01-01

The St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigates physical processes related to coastal and marine environments and societal implications related to natural hazards, resource sustainability, and environmental change. Immediately after the Deepwater Horizon event, the USGS began responding to data requests, directing response personnel, and providing coastal and shelf geophysical data to coastal-resource managers. The USGS provided oil-spill responders with up-to-date coastal bathymetry, geologic data, and maps characterizing vulnerability and levels of risk from potential spill impacts in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Baseline conditions prior to any spill impacts were documented through programs that included shoreline sampling and sediment coring from east Texas to the east coast of Florida and aerial photography of many environmentally sensitive Gulf coastal areas. The USGS responded to numerous verbal and written data requests from Federal, State, and local partners and academic institutions with USGS scientific staff participating in the Coast Guard Unified Commands (UC) and Operational Science Advisory Teams (OSAT). The USGS conducted technical review of reports and plans for many response activities. Oil-spill responders, managers, and personnel on the ground, including partners such as the National Park Service, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Chandeleur Islands Refuge, and State agencies, continue to rely on USGS products.

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force---Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Science Assessment and Needs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, Shelby; Dausman, Alyssa M.; Lavoie, Dawn L.

2012-01-01

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force (GCERTF) was established by Executive Order 13554 as a result of recommendations from “America’s Gulf Coast: A Long-term Recovery Plan after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill” by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus (Mabus Report). The GCERTF consists of members from 11 Federal agencies and representatives from each State bordering the Gulf of Mexico. The GCERTF was charged to develop a holistic, long-term, science-based Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy for the Gulf of Mexico. Federal and State agencies staffed the GCERTF with experts in fields such as policy, budgeting, and science to help develop the Strategy. The Strategy was built on existing authorities and resources and represents enhanced collaboration and a recognition of the shared responsibility among Federal and State governments to restore the Gulf Coast ecosystem. In this time of severe fiscal constraints, Task Force member agencies and States are committed to establishing shared priorities and working together to achieve them.As part of this effort, three staffers, one National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientist and two U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists, created and led a Science Coordination Team (SCT) to guide scientific input into the development of the Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy. The SCT leads from the GCERTF coordinated more than 70 scientists from the Federal and State Task Force member agencies to participate in development of a restoration-oriented science document focused on the entire Gulf of Mexico, from inland watersheds to the deep blue waters. The SCT leads and scientists were organized into six different working groups based on expanded goals from the Mabus Report: Coastal habitats are healthy and resilient.Living coastal and marine resources are healthy, diverse, and sustainable.Coastal communities are adaptive and resilient.Storm buffers are sustainable.Inland habitats and watersheds are managed to help support healthy and sustainable Gulf of Mexico ecosystems.Offshore environments are healthy and well managedEach working group was charged with defining their specific goal, describing the current conditions related to that goal (for example, the status of coastal habitats in the Gulf of Mexico), providing highlevel activities needed to further define and achieve the goal, with associated outcome-based performance indicators, and identifying the scientific gaps in understanding to accomplish the goal and implement the recommended activities. The overall scientific assessment reveals that the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem continues to suffer from extensive degradation, and action is necessary to develop a healthy, resilient, and sustainable Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. The six groups also were tasked with outlining the necessary monitoring, modeling, and research needs to aid in achieving the goals. Recognizing that (1) the scientific needs (monitoring, modeling, and research) overlap among many of the goals, and (2) an overarching scientific framework could be developed to implement the necessary science in support of the Strategy, a seventh group was created with several members from each of the original six working groups. This seventh group compiled all of the cross-cutting monitoring, modeling, and research needs previously identified by the individual groups. These scientific requirements are found in Chapter 5 of this document. The seventh group also has developed a Science Plan, outlined in Chapter 6. The Science Plan provides the basic science infrastructure to support the overall Gulf restoration program and Strategy. The Science Plan allows for the development of an iterative and flexible approach to adaptive management and decision-making related to restoration projects based on sound science that includes monitoring, modeling, and research. Taken in its entirety, this document helps to articulate the current state of the system and the critical science needs to support effective restoration of the Gulf of Mexico resources that have been trending towards decline for decades.

Understanding the science of climate change: Talking points - Impacts to the Gulf Coast

Treesearch

Rachel Loehman; Greer Anderson

2010-01-01

Predicted climate changes in the Gulf Coast bioregion include increased air and sea surface temperatures, altered fire regimes and rainfall patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather events, rising sea levels, increased hurricane intensity, and potential destruction of coastal wetlands and the species that reside within them. Prolonged drought conditions, storm...

47 CFR 80.477 - AMTS points of communication.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... waters of the Gulf of Mexico, with ship stations, and with land units in accordance with § 80.123. (b) AMTS licensees in the offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico may use AMTS coast and ship station... use AMTS coast and ship frequencies on a secondary basis for fixed service communications to support...

47 CFR 80.477 - AMTS points of communication.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... waters of the Gulf of Mexico, with ship stations, and with land units in accordance with § 80.123. (b) AMTS licensees in the offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico may use AMTS coast and ship station... use AMTS coast and ship frequencies on a secondary basis for fixed service communications to support...

47 CFR 80.477 - AMTS points of communication.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... waters of the Gulf of Mexico, with ship stations, and with land units in accordance with § 80.123. (b) AMTS licensees in the offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico may use AMTS coast and ship station... use AMTS coast and ship frequencies on a secondary basis for fixed service communications to support...

47 CFR 80.477 - AMTS points of communication.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... waters of the Gulf of Mexico, with ship stations, and with land units in accordance with § 80.123. (b) AMTS licensees in the offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico may use AMTS coast and ship station... use AMTS coast and ship frequencies on a secondary basis for fixed service communications to support...

Crisis Begets Change: Hurricane Recovery at Gulf Coast Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Mahauganee Dawn

2012-01-01

Despite a growing body of literature on campus crisis management and the breadth of research on organizational change, little is known about organizational changes prompted by campus crisis. The purpose of this study is to examine the changes made to the operational profiles of Gulf Coast institutions during the process of recovering from major…

SULFATE REDUCTION RATES IN A THALASSIA TESTUDINUM SEAGRASS BED, NORTHWEST FLORIDA USA GULF OF MEXICO COAST

EPA Science Inventory

Devereux, R., D.F. Yates and Robert L. Quarles. In press. Sulfate Reduction Rates in a Thalassia testudinum Seagrass Bed, Northwest Florida USA Gulf of Mexico Coast (Abstract). To be presented at the ASLO 2004 Summer Meeting: The Changing Landscapes of Oceans and Freshwater, 13-1...

76 FR 54375 - Safety Zone; Thunder on the Gulf, Gulf of Mexico, Orange Beach, AL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-01

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Thunder on the Gulf, Gulf of Mexico, Orange Beach, AL AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... protection of crews, vessels, persons, and spectators on navigable waters during the Thunder on the Gulf high... to hold their Thunder on the Gulf high speed boat races starting on October 6, 2011. Publishing a...

Introduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.; Hook, Robert W.; SanFilipo, John R.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

2011-01-01

The National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA) team of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has assessed the quantity and quality of coal beds and zones that could be mined during the next 20 years or more. Geologic, geochemical, and resource information was collected and compiled for the five major coal-producing regions of the United States: the Appalachian Basin, Illinois Basin, Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains, Colorado Plateau, and the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain, (Gulf Coast) (Figure 1). In particular, the NCRA assessed coal-quality information and characterized environmentally significant trace elements, such as arsenic and mercury, that are defined in and administered by 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1990). The results of various USGS coal assessment efforts may be found at: http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/coal/coal_assessments/index.html, and a summary of the results from all assessment areas can be found in Ruppert et al. (2002) and Dennen (2009).

Short-term changes in soil C, N, and biota following harvesting and regeneration of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.)

Treesearch

Mason C. Carter; Thomas J. Dean; Minyi Zhou; Michael G. Messina; Ziyin Wang

2002-01-01

In affiliation with the USDA-FS long-term soil productivity program, a series of studies have been established in the US gulf coast region to monitor the effects of intensive silviculture on site productivity. This report presents early results of a study of the interactive effects of harvest intensity and cultural treatments on soil C, N, and biological processes...

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Temporary Emergency Impact Aid Provided Education Support for Displaced Students. Report to the Congressional Requesters. GAO-11-839

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, George A.

2011-01-01

In August and September 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated large portions of the U.S. Gulf Coast, resulting in nearly 2,000 deaths and severe damage to 305,000 houses and apartments. Thousands of families relocated to communities throughout the United States and enrolled their children in local public or private schools. Some families…

The ecological classification of coastal wet longleaf pine (pinus palustris) of Florida from reference conditions

Treesearch

George L. McCaskill; Jose. Shibu

2012-01-01

Tropical storms, fire, and urbanization have produced a heavily fragmented forested landscape along Florida’s Gulf coast. The longleaf pine forest, one of the most threatened ecosystems in the US, makes up a major part of this fragmented landscape. These three disturbance regimes have produced a mosaic of differently-aged pine patches of single or two cohort structures...

The occurrence and behavior of radium in saline formation water of the U.S. Gulf Coast region.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kraemer, T.F.; Reid, D.F.

1984-01-01

Ra was measured in deep saline formation waters produced from a variety of US Gulf Coast subsurface environments, including oil and gas reservoirs, and water-producing geopressured aquifers. A strong positive correlation was found between formation-water salinity and Ra activity, resulting from the interaction of formation water with aquifer matrix. Ra isotopes enter the fluid phase after being produced by the decay of parent elements U and Th on and within the solid matrix. The processes believed to be primarily responsible for transfering Ra from matrix to formation water are chemical leaching and alpha -particle recoil. Factors controlling the observed salinity-Ra relationship may be one or a combination of the following: 1) ion exchange; 2) increased solubility of matrix silica surrounding Ra atoms, coupled with a salinity-controlled rate of re-equilibration of silica between solution and quartz grains; and 3) the equilibration of Ra in solution with detrital baryte within the aquifer. No difference was found in the brine-Ra relation in water produced from oil or gas wells and water produced from wells penetrating only water-bearing aquifers, although the relation was more highly correlated for water-bearing aquifers than hydrocarbon-containing reservoirs.-P.Br.

The occurrence and behavior of radium in saline formation water of the U.S. Gulf Coast region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kraemer, T.F.; Reid, D.F.

1984-01-01

Radium has been measured in deep saline formation waters produced from a variety of U.S. Gulf Coast subsurface environments, including oil reservoirs, gas reservoirs and water-producing geopressured aquifers. A strong positive correlation has been found between formation-water salinity and Ra activity, resulting from the interaction of formation water with aquifer matrix. Ra isotopes enter the fluid phase after being produced by the decay of parent elements U and Th, which are located at sites on and within the solid matrix. Processes that are belived to be primarily responsible for transferring Ra from matrix to formation water are chemical leaching and alpha-particle recoil. Factors controlling the observed salinity-Ra relationship may be one or a combination of the following factors: (a) ion exchange; (b) increased solubility of matrix silica surrounding Ra atoms, coupled with a salinity-controlled rate of reequilibration of silica between solution and quartz grains; and (c) the equilibration of Ra in solution with detrial barite within the aquifer. No difference was found in the brine-Ra relation in water produced from oil or gas wells and water produced from wells penetrating only water-bearing aquifers, although the relation was more highly correlated for water-bearing aquifers than hydrocarbon-containing reservoirs. ?? 1984.

Discharge between San Antonio Bay and Aransas Bay, southern Gulf Coast, Texas, May-September 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

East, Jeffery W.

2001-01-01

Along the Gulf Coast of Texas, many estuaries and bays are important habitat and nurseries for aquatic life. San Antonio Bay and Aransas Bay, located about 50 and 30 miles northeast, respectively, of Corpus Christi, are two important estuarine nurseries on the southern Gulf Coast of Texas (fig. 1). According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, “Almost 80 percent of the seagrasses [along the Texas Gulf Coast] are located in the Laguna Madre, an estuary that begins just south of Corpus Christi Bay and runs southward 140 miles to South Padre Island. Most of the remaining seagrasses, about 45,000 acres, are located in the heavily traveled San Antonio, Aransas and Corpus Christi Bay areas” (Shook, 2000).Population growth has led to greater demands on water supplies in Texas. The Texas Water Development Board, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission have the cooperative task of determining inflows required to maintain the ecological health of the State’s streams, rivers, bays, and estuaries. To determine these inflow requirements, the three agencies collect data and conduct studies on the need for instream flows and freshwater/ saline water inflows to Texas estuaries.To assist in the determination of freshwater inflow requirements, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, conducted a hydrographic survey of discharge (flow) between San Antonio Bay and Aransas Bay during the period May–September 1999. Automated instrumentation and acoustic technology were used to maximize the amount and quality of data that were collected, while minimizing personnel requirements. This report documents the discharge measured at two sites between the bays during May–September 1999 and describes the influences of meteorologic (wind and tidal) and hydrologic (freshwater inflow) conditions on discharge between the two bays. The movement of water between the bays is controlled primarily by prevailing winds, tidal fluctuations, and freshwater inflows. An adequate understanding of mixing and physical exchange in the estuarine waters is fundamental to the assessment of the physical, chemical, and biological processes governing the aquatic system.

Analysis of Groundwater Anomalies Estimated by GRACE and GLDAS Satellite-based Hydrological Model in the Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lotfata, A.; Ambinakudige, S.

2017-12-01

Coastal regions face a higher risk of flooding. A rise in sea-level increases flooding chances in low-lying areas. A major concern is the effect of sea-level rise on the depth of the fresh water/salt water interface in the aquifers of the coastal regions. A sea-level change rise impacts the hydrological system of the aquifers. Salt water intrusion into fresh water aquifers increase water table levels. Flooding prone areas in the coast are at a higher risk of salt water intrusion. The Gulf coast is one of the most vulnerable flood areas due to its natural weather patterns. There is not yet a local assessment of the relation between groundwater level and sea-level rising. This study investigates the projected sea-level rise models and the anomalous groundwater level during January 2002 to December 2016. We used the NASA Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) satellite data in the analysis. We accounted the leakage error and the measurement error in GRACE data. GLDAS data was used to calculate the groundwater storage from the total water storage estimated using GRACE data (ΔGW=ΔTWS (soil moisture, surface water, groundwater, and canopy water) - ΔGLDAS (soil moisture, surface water, and canopy water)). The preliminary results indicate that the total water storage is increasing in parts of the Gulf of Mexico. GRACE data show high soil wetness and groundwater levels in Mississippi, Alabama and Texas coasts. Because sea-level rise increases the probability of flooding in the Gulf coast and affects the groundwater, we will analyze probable interactions between sea-level rise and groundwater in the study area. To understand regional sea-level rise patterns, we will investigate GRACE Ocean data along the Gulf coasts. We will quantify ocean total water storage, its salinity, and its relationship with the groundwater level variations in the Gulf coast.

A survey of the occurrence of Bacillus anthracis in North American soils over two long-range transects and within post-Katrina New Orleans

USGS Publications Warehouse

Griffin, Dale W.; Petrosky, Terry; Morman, Suzette A.; Luna, Vicki A.

2009-01-01

Soil samples were collected along a north-south transect extending from Manitoba, Canada, to the US-Mexico border near El Paso, Texas in 2004 (104 samples), a group of sites within New Orleans, Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (19 samples), and a Gulf Coast transect extending from Sulphur, Louisiana, to DeFuniak Springs, Florida, in 2007 (38 samples). Samples were collected from the top 40 cm of soil and were screened for the presence of total Bacillus species and Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), specifically using multiplex-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using an assay with a sensitivity of ~170 equivalent colony-forming units (CFU) g-1 field moist soil, the prevalence rate of Bacillus sp./B. anthracis in the north-south transect and the 2005 New Orleans post-Katrina sample set were 20/5% and 26/26%, respectively. Prevalence in the 2007 Gulf Coast sample set using an assay with a sensitivity of ~4 CFU g-1 of soil was 63/0%. Individual transect-set data indicate a positive relation between occurrences of species and soil moisture or soil constituents (i.e., Zn and Cu content). The 2005 New Orleans post-Katrina data indicated that B. anthracis is readily detectable in Gulf Coast soils following flood events. The data also indicated that occurrence, as it relates to soil chemistry, may be confounded by flood-induced dissemination of germinated cells and the mixing of soil constituents for short temporal periods following an event.

A survey of the occurrence of Bacillus anthracis in North American soils over two long-range transects and within post-Katrina New Orleans

USGS Publications Warehouse

Griffin, Dale W.; Petrosky, T.; Morman, S.A.; Luna, V.A.

2009-01-01

Soil samples were collected along a north-south transect extending from Manitoba, Canada, to the US-Mexico border near El Paso, Texas in 2004 (104 samples), a group of sites within New Orleans, Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (19 samples), and a Gulf Coast transect extending from Sulphur, Louisiana, to DeFuniak Springs, Florida, in 2007 (38 samples). Samples were collected from the top 40 cm of soil and were screened for the presence of total Bacillus species and Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), specifically using multiplex-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using an assay with a sensitivity of ???170 equivalent colony-forming units (CFU) g-1 field moist soil, the prevalence rate of Bacillus sp./B. anthracis in the north-south transect and the 2005 New Orleans post-Katrina sample set were 20/5% and 26/26%, respectively. Prevalence in the 2007 Gulf Coast sample set using an assay with a sensitivity of ???4 CFU g-1 of soil was 63/0%. Individual transect-set data indicate a positive relation between occurrences of species and soil moisture or soil constituents (i.e., Zn and Cu content). The 2005 New Orleans post-Katrina data indicated that B. anthracis is readily detectable in Gulf Coast soils following flood events. The data also indicated that occurrence, as it relates to soil chemistry, may be confounded by flood-induced dissemination of germinated cells and the mixing of soil constituents for short temporal periods following an event.

The Gulf Coast Health Alliance: Health Risks Related to the Macondo Spill (GC-HARMS) Study: Self-Reported Health Effects.

PubMed

Croisant, Sharon A; Lin, Yu-Li; Shearer, Joseph J; Prochaska, John; Phillips-Savoy, Amanda; Gee, James; Jackson, Daniel; Panettieri, Reynold A; Howarth, Marilyn; Sullivan, John; Black, Bishop James; Tate, Joi; Nguyen, Dustin; Anthony, Amber; Khan, Asim; Fernando, Harshica; Ansari, G A Shakeel; Rowe, Gilbert; Howrey, Bret; Singleton, Chantele; Elferink, Cornelis

2017-10-31

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) explosion in 2010 is the largest oil spill (Macondo) in U.S. We focused on gaining an understanding of the physical health and mental health effects attributable to the Macondo oil spill. This is a report of a cross-sectional cohort study (wave 1) to establish 'baseline' findings and meant to provide descriptive information to be used for a multi-wave, longitudinal study. Gulf Coast Health Alliance: health Risks related to the Macondo Spill (GC-HARMS) uses a Community-Based Participatory Research approach, thus including multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional academic partners and representatives of three communities impacted by the spill. Three research sites were selected for human sampling along the Gulf of Mexico coast including two from Mississippi and one from Louisiana, with Galveston, Texas, serving as a comparison site, given that it was not directly impacted by the spill. One hundred participants were selected from each community, representing adults, seniors and children, with approximately equal numbers of males and females in each group. Participants completed initial assessments including completion of a 'baseline' survey and, rigorous physical assessments. Results from wave 1 data collection reported herein reveal changes in self-reported physical health and mental health status following the oil spill, disparities in access to healthcare, and associations between mental health and emotional conditions related to displacement/unemployment. Few environmental health studies have been conducted in communities impacted by significant oil spills. Results imply potential prolonged effects on mental health and community vulnerability.

The Gulf Coast Health Alliance: Health Risks Related to the Macondo Spill (GC-HARMS) Study: Self-Reported Health Effects

PubMed Central

Croisant, Sharon A.; Lin, Yu-li; Shearer, Joseph J.; Prochaska, John; Phillips-Savoy, Amanda; Gee, James; Jackson, Daniel; Panettieri, Reynold A.; Howarth, Marilyn; Sullivan, John; Black, Bishop James; Tate, Joi; Nguyen, Dustin; Anthony, Amber; Khan, Asim; Fernando, Harshica; Ansari, G. A. Shakeel; Rowe, Gilbert; Singleton, Chantele; Elferink, Cornelis

2017-01-01

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) explosion in 2010 is the largest oil spill (Macondo) in U.S. history. We focused on gaining an understanding of the physical health and mental health effects attributable to the Macondo oil spill. This is a report of a cross-sectional cohort study (wave 1) to establish ‘baseline’ findings and meant to provide descriptive information to be used for a multi-wave, longitudinal study. Gulf Coast Health Alliance: health Risks related to the Macondo Spill (GC-HARMS) uses a Community-Based Participatory Research approach, thus including multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional academic partners and representatives of three communities impacted by the spill. Three research sites were selected for human sampling along the Gulf of Mexico coast including two from Mississippi and one from Louisiana, with Galveston, Texas, serving as a comparison site, given that it was not directly impacted by the spill. One hundred participants were selected from each community, representing adults, seniors and children, with approximately equal numbers of males and females in each group. Participants completed initial assessments including completion of a ‘baseline’ survey and, rigorous physical assessments. Results from wave 1 data collection reported herein reveal changes in self-reported physical health and mental health status following the oil spill, disparities in access to healthcare, and associations between mental health and emotional conditions related to displacement/unemployment. Few environmental health studies have been conducted in communities impacted by significant oil spills. Results imply potential prolonged effects on mental health and community vulnerability. PMID:29088124

Simulation of asteroid impact on ocean surfaces, subsequent wave generation and the effect on US shorelines

DOE PAGES

Ezzedine, Souheil M.; Lomov, Ilya; Miller, Paul L.; ...

2015-05-19

As part of a larger effort involving members of several other organizations, we have conducted numerical simulations in support of emergency-response exercises of postulated asteroid ocean impacts. We have addressed the problem from source (asteroid entry) to ocean impact (splash) to wave generation, propagation and interaction with the U.S. shoreline. We simulated three impact sites. The first site is located off the east coast by Maryland's shoreline. The second site is located off of the West coast, the San Francisco bay. The third set of sites are situated in the Gulf of Mexico. Asteroid impacts on the ocean surface aremore » conducted using LLNL's hydrocode GEODYN to create the impact wave source for the shallow water wave propagation code, SWWP, a shallow depth averaged water wave code.« less

Simulation of asteroid impact on ocean surfaces, subsequent wave generation and the effect on US shorelines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ezzedine, Souheil M.; Lomov, Ilya; Miller, Paul L.

As part of a larger effort involving members of several other organizations, we have conducted numerical simulations in support of emergency-response exercises of postulated asteroid ocean impacts. We have addressed the problem from source (asteroid entry) to ocean impact (splash) to wave generation, propagation and interaction with the U.S. shoreline. We simulated three impact sites. The first site is located off the east coast by Maryland's shoreline. The second site is located off of the West coast, the San Francisco bay. The third set of sites are situated in the Gulf of Mexico. Asteroid impacts on the ocean surface aremore » conducted using LLNL's hydrocode GEODYN to create the impact wave source for the shallow water wave propagation code, SWWP, a shallow depth averaged water wave code.« less

75 FR 8819 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-26

.... 040205043-4043-01] RIN 0648-XU38 Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Reopening of the Gulf Group King Mackerel East Coast Subzone AGENCY..., little tunny, and, in the Gulf of Mexico only, dolphin and bluefish) is managed under the Fishery...

Initial estimates of hurricane Katrina impacts of Mississippi gulf coast forest resources

Treesearch

Patrick A. Glass; Sonja N. Oswalt

2007-01-01

Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Gulf Coast of Mississippi on August 29, 2005. The eye wall of the storm passed directly over Hancock and Pearl River Counties. Harrison, Jackson, Stone, and George Counties on the windward side of the hurricane's path sustained severe damage before the storm's strength dissipated as it moved farther inland (fig. 1).

Recommendations for Ensuring Long-Term Engagement of Communities if Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This report contains advice and recommendations about how the Agency can best engage minority, low-income, and tribal/indigenous communities for input on decisions about Gulf Coast restoration plans, particularly with respect to the impacts of such plans on permitting (such as wetlands restoration, equitable development, revitalization, cleanups, and sustainable energy).

The Gulf Coast Future Issues Council, Inc. Summary Report, June 1, 1984 to November 30, 1984.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughan, Jerry L.

Focusing on the period from June, 1984 through November, 1984, this report summarizes the activities of the Gulf Coast Future Issues Council (GCFIC), a non-profit corporation organized as a coordination center of community research, forecasting, trend analysis, and educational activities. After introductory material that highlights the role of the…

Analysis of the Gulf Coast Consortium Student Perceptions of College Services Spring 2001 Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin Community Coll., TX. Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

This is a report from Austin Community College (Texas) on a student satisfaction survey developed and administered by the Gulf Coast Consortium of Institutional Research (GCAIR). The survey includes student response data from four community colleges: Austin, Houston, North Harris Montgomery, and San Jacinto. A total of 3,267 students responded to…

Effective Communication to Aid Collaboration for Digital Collections: A Case Study at Florida Gulf Coast University Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VandeBurgt, Melissa Minds; Rivera, Kaleena

2016-01-01

Effective communication is one of the most important resources for successful outreach efforts. This article addresses the benefits that can emerge from successful communication as well as the negative effects that may stem from ineffective communication. A case study of Florida Gulf Coast University Archives, Special Collections, & Digital…

Characteristics of Concurrent/Dual Credit Students in the Gulf Coast Community Colleges of Texas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preston, David L.

2006-01-01

The Gulf Coast Association for Institutional Research (GCAIR) conducted a study of those concurrent/dual credit (CDC) students enrolled fall semester, 2001. The purpose was to determine a profile for this group of students which included gender, ethnicity, GPA, re enrollment, etc. Since there has been little research done on these students,…

GT-12 - EARTH SKY - IRAN, TRUCIAL COAST

NASA Image and Video Library

1966-11-13

S66-63485 (13 Nov. 1966) --- Iran, Trucial Coast, Oman, Zagros Mountains, and Qishm Island (large island at lower left), as seen from the Gemini-12 spacecraft during its 25th revolution of Earth. Gulf of Oman is at lower left edge and the Persian Gulf is large body of water in upper half of photo. Photo credit: NASA

Science project

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-23

DRIFTER sensor devices were designed by the Applied Science and Technology Project Office as inexpensive tools that can be used for science projects in local schools. The devices transmit information about water temperature and conductivity for use by Gulf Coast researchers. The DRIFTER project began as an effort to help Gulf Coast oyster fishermen dealing with the effects of fresh water intrusion.

US reliance on Arab oil stronger still: Lower cost, greater distance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-03-27

This issue details points of origin of U.S. oil imports, and finds that dependence upon the Eastern Hemisphere, especially upon members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, and most of all Arab nation members, has grown again. U.S. reliance on Eastern Hemisphere exporters has grown from about 43.4% of total imports in 1985 to 56.5% in 1989. This issue also contains the following: (1) ED Refining Netback Data Series for the US Gulf and West Coasts, Rotterdam, and Singapore as of March 9, 1990; and (2) ED Fuel Price/Tax Series for countries of the Western Hemisphere, March 1990 edition.more » 10 figs., 5 tabs.« less

KSC-07pd0881

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A female anhinga roosts in branches near the water. Anhingas can be found in freshwater ponds and swamps where there is thick vegetation and tall trees. Male anhingas are black and gray; females are distinguished by a buff-colored neck and breast. When anhingas are in their breeding plumage they have a blue ring around their eyes, as seen here. The female lays three to five light blue eggs. The nest is in a tree and it is made of sticks and lined with leaves. The chicks hatch in about a month. Anhingas breed off the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to Texas and in the Mississippi Valley north to Kentucky and Missouri. They winter along the Gulf Coast north to North Carolina. The anhinga diet is primarily fish. Using their sharp bills, anhingas spear the fish, flip them in the air and swallow them head-first. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife Nature Refuge. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the Refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

Hematological analyses of some fish species in the Gulf of Riga

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medne, R.; Balode, M.

2012-11-01

The objective of this work was to detect and compare blood parameters of European flounder ( Platichthys flesus), herring ( Clupea harertgus membras), eelpout ( Zoarces viviparous) and perch ( Perca fluviatilis) at the Eastern and Western coast of the Gulf of Riga. The number of erythrocytes in herring of the Gulf of Riga ranges from 1.45 to 2.57 × 1012/L. At the same time no statistically significant difference in red blood cells (RBC) count between herring of both coasts was detected. The most common white blood cells in GoR herring blood smear were lymphocytes ranging from 73 to 94%. The number of lymphoblasts was very small (0-4%), indicating that herring of the GoR is not exposed to chronic stress. The number of erythrocytes in flounder ranged from 0.8 to 2.65 × 1012/L, but hemoglobin—from 4.7 to 16.5 g/dL. RBC count and hemoglobin level in European flounder did not differ between coasts however hematocrit was significantly higher at the Eastern coast. White blood cell count in flounder near the Western and Eastern coast was almost equal. Blood indices in eelpouts were slightly higher at the Eastern cost. Slightly higher number of red blood cells and significantly higher hemoglobin level has been observed in perch feeding near the Eastern coast, indicating physiological disturbances of fish. Although hematological analysis pointed at slightly worse living conditions of fish at the Eastern coast, in general hematological picture did not give evidence of fish welfare decline in the Gulf of Riga.

National Assessment of Shoreline Change: Part 1, Historical Shoreline Changes and Associated Coastal Land Loss Along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morton, Robert A.; Miller, Tara L.; Moore, Laura J.

2004-01-01

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Beach erosion is a chronic problem along most open-ocean shores of the United States. As coastal populations continue to grow and community infrastructures are threatened by erosion, there is increased demand for accurate information regarding past and present trends and rates of shoreline movement. There is also a need for a comprehensive analysis of shoreline movement that is consistent from one coastal region to another. To meet these national needs, the U.S. Geological Survey is conducting an analysis of historical shoreline changes along open-ocean sandy shores of the conterminous United States and parts of Hawaii and Alaska. One purpose of this work is to develop standard repeatable methods for mapping and analyzing shoreline movement so that periodic updates regarding coastal erosion and land loss can be made nationally that are systematic and internally consistent. This report on states bordering the Gulf of Mexico (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas) represents the first in a series that will eventually include the Atlantic Coast, Pacific Coast, and parts of Hawaii and Alaska. The report summarizes the methods of analysis, interprets the results, provides explanations regarding the historical and present trends and rates of change, and describes how different coastal communities are responding to coastal erosion. Shoreline change evaluations are based on comparing three historical shorelines with a recent shoreline derived from lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) topographic surveys. The historical shorelines generally represent the following periods: 1800s, 1920s-1930s, and 1970s, whereas the lidar shoreline is 1998-2002. Long-term rates of change are calculated using all four shorelines (1800s to lidar shoreline), whereas short-term rates of change are calculated for the most recent period (1970s to lidar shoreline). The historical rates of change presented in this report represent past conditions and therefore are not intended for predicting future shoreline positions or rates of change. Rates of erosion for the Gulf of Mexico region are generally highest in Louisiana along barrier island and headland shores associated with the Mississippi delta. Erosion is also rapid along some barrier islands and headlands in Texas, and barrier islands in Mississippi are migrating laterally. Highest rates of erosion in Florida are generally localized around tidal inlets. The most stable Gulf beaches are along the west coast of Florida where low wave energy and frequent beach nourishment minimize erosion. Some beach segments in Texas have accreted as a result of net longshore drift convergence, and around tidal inlets that have been stabilized by long jetties. Seawalls and riprap revetments were constructed in all the Gulf Coast states as initial community responses to long-term beach erosion. Although some states, such as Florida, still permit shoreline stabilization structures, beach nourishment has become the preferred method of mitigating long-term erosion.

Mercury concentration in coal - Unraveling the puzzle

USGS Publications Warehouse

Toole-O'Neil, B.; Tewalt, S.J.; Finkelman, R.B.; Akers, D.J.

1999-01-01

Based on data from the US Geological Survey's COALQUAL database, the mean concentration of mercury in coal is approximately 0.2 ??gg-1. Assuming the database reflects in-ground US coal resources, values for conterminous US coal areas range from 0.08 ??gg-1 for coal in the San Juan and Uinta regions to 0.22 ??gg-1 for the Gulf Coast lignites. Recalculating the COALQUAL data to an equal energy basis unadjusted for moisture differences, the Gulf Coast lignites have the highest values (36.4 lb of Hg/1012 Btu) and the Hams Fork region coal has the lowest value (4.8 lb of Hg/1012Btu). Strong indirect geochemical evidence indicates that a substantial proportion of the mercury in coal is associated with pyrite occurrence. This association of mercury and pyrite probably accounts for the removal of mercury with the pyrite by physical coal cleaning procedures. Data from the literature indicate that conventional coal cleaning removes approximately 37% of the mercury on an equal energy basis, with a range of 0% to 78%. When the average mercury reduction value is applied to in-ground mercury values from the COALQUAL database, the resulting 'cleaned' mercury values are very close to mercury in 'as-shipped' coal from the same coal bed in the same county. Applying the reduction fact or for coal cleaning to eastern US bituminous coal, reduces the mercury input load compared to lower-rank non-deaned western US coal. In the absence of analytical data on as-shipped coal, the mercury data in the COALQUAL database, adjusted for deanability where appropriate, may be used as an estimator of mercury contents of as-shipped coal. ?? 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temperature of the Gulf Stream

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The Gulf Stream is one of the strong ocean currents that carries warm water from the sunny tropics to higher latitudes. The current stretches from the Gulf of Mexico up the East Coast of the United States, departs from North America south of the Chesapeake Bay, and heads across the Atlantic to the British Isles. The water within the Gulf Stream moves at the stately pace of 4 miles per hour. Even though the current cools as the water travels thousands of miles, it remains strong enough to moderate the Northern European climate. The image above was derived from the infrared measurements of the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on a nearly cloud-free day over the east coast of the United States. The coldest waters are shown as purple, with blue, green, yellow, and red representing progressively warmer water. Temperatures range from about 7 to 22 degrees Celsius. The core of the Gulf Stream is very apparent as the warmest water, dark red. It departs from the coast at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The cool, shelf water from the north entrains the warmer outflows from the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. The north wall of the Gulf Stream reveals very complex structure associated with frontal instabilities that lead to exchanges between the Gulf Stream and inshore waters. Several clockwise-rotating warm core eddies are evident north of the core of the Gulf Stream, which enhance the exchange of heat and water between the coastal and deep ocean. Cold core eddies, which rotate counter clockwise, are seen south of the Gulf Stream. The one closest to Cape Hatteras is entraining very warm Gulf Stream waters on its northwest circumference. Near the coast, shallower waters have warmed due to solar heating, while the deeper waters offshore are markedly cooler (dark blue). MODIS made this observation on May 8, 2000, at 11:45 a.m. EDT. For more information, see the MODIS-Ocean web page. The sea surface temperature image was created at the University of Miami using the 11- and 12-micron bands, by Bob Evans, Peter Minnett, and co-workers.

Worldwide Emerging Environmental Issues Affecting the U.S. Military. February 2007 Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-02-01

coast of Canada, sickening humans and animals. Oysters in Alaska are being infected by the bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus specific to warmer...waters, like the Gulf of Mexico . In Africa, mosquitoes are causing malaria in high villages at Mt. Kenya that had never been exposed to it before...CORDOVA, ALASKA — Oysterman Jim Aguiar had never had to deal with the bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus in his 25 years working the frigid waters

Grassland Birds Wintering at U.S. Navy Facilities in Southern Texas

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

Cenchrus echinatus N X X Coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex N X X X Slimspike windmill grass Chloris andropogonoides N X Fringed windmill grass Chloris...Hatch, Texas A&M University. Additional scientific expertise was provided by Gene Blacklock and David Newstead, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program...Inland Prairies of Texas The study area was located in two Texas ecoregions. Coastal study sites were located in the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes

Towards the creation of a multi-institutional HF Radar Network in the Gulf of Mexico.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores-vidal, X.; Flament, P. J.; Durazo, R.; Navarro, L. F.; Salles, P.; Alvarez, P.; Carrillo, L.; Kurczyn, J. A.; Ulloa, M. J.; Rodriguez, I.; Toro Valencia, V. G.; Marin, M.; Perales, H.; Sanay, R.

2016-12-01

The Gulf of Mexico is source of important resources for both Mexico and USA, its beaches and coasts bring economical resources for these countries through the generation of jobs on the fisheries, touristic and industrial sectors. However, systematic monitoring is still necessary to evaluate its health and dynamics. This work is part of a multi-institutional project named "Implementation of oceanographic observational networks (physical, geochemical and ecological) to generate scenarios for possible contingencies related to the exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico" (funded by SENER-CONACyT) which is an unprecedented Mexican joint effort to better understand the dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico. We will present the first actions towards the creation of the Mexican multi-Institutional HF Radar Network, which will allow us to synoptically map in real time the sea surface currents up to 200 km offshore. We expect to attract collaborations with the active or ongoing USA HF radar stations and institutions along the Gulf of Mexico, as well as to share methodologies and to evaluate standard data formats. The Radar Network in the Gulf of Mexico is planned to be active during 2017-2018, and it is expected to be permanent.

Influence of summer biogeography on wood warbler stopover abundance

Treesearch

Jeffrey F. Kelly; Rob Smith; Deborah M. Finch; Frank R. Moore; Wang Yong

1999-01-01

We evaluated the effect of summer biogeography of migrant wood warblers (Parulidae) on their stopover abundance. To characterize abundance patterns, we used mist-net capture data from spring and fall migration in the Middle Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico, spring migration on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, and fall migration on the Gulf Coast of Alabama. To describe the...

Status of Mississippi gulf coast Live Oak trees after Hurricane Katrina

Treesearch

Julie Ann Dobbs; David W. Held; Nebeker T. Evan

2006-01-01

Live oak trees, Quercus virginiana, have long been considered to be the symbol of the Old South. Part of the attraction of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts is the stately live oaks. These majestic live oaks have weathered many hurricanes in their >200 yr life span. Most recently, on 29 August 2005 Hurricane Katrina, with sustained winds exceeding 160...

Gulf of Mexico, coast of Yucatan, as seen from the Apollo 7 spacecraft

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-10-13

AS07-05-1635 (13 Oct. 1968) --- Gulf of Mexico, coast of Yucatan, Mexico, as seen from the Apollo 7 spacecraft during its 33rd revolution of Earth. Note road leading to city of Merida which is under cloud cover. Photographed from an altitude of 123 nautical miles, at ground elapsed time of 52 hours and 37 minutes.

GT-12 - EARTH SKY - IRAN, TRUCIAL COAST

NASA Image and Video Library

1966-11-13

S66-63486 (13 Nov. 1966) --- Iran, Trucial Coast, Oman, Zagros Mountains, and Qishm Island (large island at lower right), as seen from the Gemini-12 spacecraft during its 25th revolution of Earth. Gulf of Oman is large body of water at left and the Persian Gulf is body of water at right. View is looking east. Photo credit: NASA

Post-disaster Gulf Coast Recovery Using Telehealth

PubMed Central

Kim, Thomas J.; Eastburn, Sasha L.; Icenogle, Marjorie L.; Slagle, Michelle; Nuriddin, Azizeh H.; Brantley, Katrina M.; Foreman, Rachel D.; Buckner, Ayanna V.

2013-01-01

Abstract Objective: The Gulf Coast continues to struggle with service need far outpacing available resources. Since 2005, the Regional Coordinating Center for Hurricane Response (RCC) at Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, has supported telehealth solutions designed to meet high service needs (e.g., psychiatry) within primary care and other healthcare organizations. The overall RCC vision is to support autonomous, useful, and sustainable telehealth programs towards mitigating unmet disaster-related needs. Subjects and Methods: To assess Gulf Coast telehealth experiences, we conducted semistructured interviews with both regional key informants and national organizations with Gulf Coast recovery interests. Using qualitative-descriptive analysis, interview transcripts were analyzed to identify shared development themes. Results: Thirty-eight key informants were interviewed, representing a 77.6% participation rate among organizations engaged by the RCC. Seven elements critical to telehealth success were identified: Funding, Regulatory, Workflow, Attitudes, Personnel, Technology, and Evaluation. These key informant accounts reveal shared insights with telehealth regarding successes, challenges, and recommendations. Conclusions: The seven elements critical to telehealth success both confirm and organize development principles from a diverse collective of healthcare stakeholders. The structured nature of these insights suggests a generalizable framework upon which other organizations might develop telehealth strategies toward addressing high service needs with limited resources. PMID:23427981

Assessment of tsunami hazard to the U.S. Atlantic margin

USGS Publications Warehouse

ten Brink, Uri S.; Chaytor, Jason; Geist, Eric L.; Brothers, Daniel S.; Andrews, Brian D.

2014-01-01

Tsunamis caused by atmospheric disturbances and by coastal earthquakes may be more frequent than those generated by landslides, but their amplitudes are probably smaller. Among the possible far-field earthquake sources, only earthquakes located within the Gulf of Cadiz or west of the Tore-Madeira Rise are likely to affect the U.S. coast. It is questionable whether earthquakes on the Puerto Rico Trench are capable of producing a large enough tsunami that will affect the U.S. Atlantic coast. More information is needed to evaluate the seismic potential of the northern Cuba fold-and-thrust belt. The hazard from a volcano flank collapse in the Canary Islands is likely smaller than originally stated, and there is not enough information to evaluate the magnitude and frequency of flank collapse from the Azores Islands. Both deterministic and probabilistic methods to evaluate the tsunami hazard from the margin are available for application to the Atlantic margin, but their implementation requires more information than is currently available.

Science Should Inform Sustainable Rebuilding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boesch, Donald; Groat, Charles; Killeen, Timothy

2006-06-01

The return of hurricane season prompts reflection on how well those charged with rebuilding New Orleans and the U.S. Gulf Coast are integrating scientific understanding into important decision-making. An associated question relates to whether we, as scientists, are doing all we can to communicate our research results effectively to those very people who need it the most. Some AGU members may feel constrained engaging those responsible with rebuilding the Gulf Coast without an authoritative synthesis of the science that most directly bears on the challenges of rebuilding after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Such a synthesis is summarized on this page. There is a link to the full report on the AGU Web site. The report derives from an experts' conference held in January 2006 at AGU headquarters in Washington, D.C. The central objective of the conference was to bring together an interdisciplinary group of experts on various aspects of hurricane impacts to review our current scientific understanding of topical areas such as hurricane variability, storm surge response, flooding, wetland loss, subsidence, effects of climate change, and so forth.

Deep-Sea Research Submarine 'Ben Franklin' at the East Coast of the United States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

In this photograph, the deep-sea Research Submarine 'Ben Franklin' drifts off the East Coast of the United States (U.S.) prior to submerging into the ocean. Named for American patriot and inventor Ben Franklin, who discovered the Gulf Steam, the 50-foot Ben Franklin was built between 1966 and 1968 in Switzerland for deep-ocean explorer Jacques Piccard and the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation. The submersible made a famous 30-day drift dive off the East Coast of the United States and Canada in 1969 mapping the Gulf Stream's currents and sea life, and also made space exploration history by studying the behavior of aquanauts in a sealed, self-contained, self-sufficient capsule for NASA. On July 14, 1969, the Ben Franklin was towed to the high-velocity center of the Stream off the coast of Palm Beach, Florida. With a NASA observer on board, the sub descended to 1,000 feet off of Riviera Beach, Florida and drifted 1,400 miles north with the current for more than four weeks, reemerging near Maine. During the course of the dive, NASA conducted exhaustive analyses of virtually every aspect of onboard life. They measured sleep quality and patterns, sense of humor and behavioral shifts, physical reflexes, and the effects of a long-term routine on the crew. The submarine's record-shattering dive influenced the design of Apollo and Skylab missions and continued to guide NASA scientists as they devised future marned space-flight missions.

Preliminary Gulf Coast Coalbed Methane Exploration Maps: Depth to Wilcox, Apparent Wilcox Thickness and Vitrinite Reflectance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barker, Charles E.; Biewick, Laura R.; Warwick, Peter D.; SanFilipo, John R.

2000-01-01

Strong economic controls on the viability of coalbed methane (CBM) prospects make coal geometry and coal property maps key elements in identifying sweet spots and production fairways. Therefore, this study seeks to identify the apparent prospective areas for CBM exploration in the Wilcox Group (Paleocene-Eocene) lignite and coalbeds by mapping net coal thickness, depth to coal, and coal rank (vitrinite reflectance). Economic factors are not considered in this CBM prospects study. Given the comparatively extensive gas pipeline and other production infrastructure development in the Gulf Coast Region, these factors seem less a control compared to other areas. However, open leasable public lands are minimal or nonexistent in the Gulf Coast region and access to the CBM prospects could be a problem.

Forecasting hurricane impact on coastal topography: Hurricane Ike

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plant, Nathaniel G.; Stockdon, Hilary F.; Sallenger,, Asbury H.; Turco, Michael J.; East, Jeffery W.; Taylor, Arthur A.; Shaffer, Wilson A.

2010-01-01

Extreme storms can have a profound impact on coastal topography and thus on ecosystems and human-built structures within coastal regions. For instance, landfalls of several recent major hurricanes have caused significant changes to the U.S. coastline, particularly along the Gulf of Mexico. Some of these hurricanes (e.g., Ivan in 2004, Katrina and Rita in 2005, and Gustav and Ike in 2008) led to shoreline position changes of about 100 meters. Sand dunes, which protect the coast from waves and surge, eroded, losing several meters of elevation in the course of a single storm. Observations during these events raise the question of how storm-related changes affect the future vulnerability of a coast.

Tsunami Warning Services for the U.S. and Canadian Atlantic Coasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitmore, P. M.; Knight, W.

2008-12-01

In January 2005, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) developed a tsunami warning program for the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. Within a year, this program extended further to the Atlantic coast of Canada and the Caribbean Sea. Warning services are provided to U.S. and Canadian coasts (including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) by the NOAA/West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WCATWC) while the NOAA/Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) provides services for non-U.S. entities in the Caribbean Basin. The Puerto Rico Seismic Network (PRSN) is also an active partner in the Caribbean Basin warning system. While the nature of the tsunami threat in the Atlantic Basin is different than in the Pacific, the warning system philosophy is similar. That is, initial messages are based strictly on seismic data so that information is provided to those at greatest risk as fast as possible while supplementary messages are refined with sea level observations and forecasts when possible. The Tsunami Warning Centers (TWCs) acquire regional seismic data through many agencies, such as the United States Geological Survey, Earthquakes Canada, regional seismic networks, and the PRSN. Seismic data quantity and quality are generally sufficient throughout most of the Atlantic area-of-responsibility to issue initial information within five minutes of origin time. Sea level data are mainly provided by the NOAA/National Ocean Service. Coastal tide gage coverage is generally denser along the Atlantic coast than in the Pacific. Seven deep ocean pressure sensors (DARTs), operated by the National Weather Service (NWS) National Data Buoy Center, are located in the Atlantic Basin (5 in the Atlantic Ocean, 1 in the Caribbean, and 1 in the Gulf of Mexico). The DARTs provide TWCs with the means to verify tsunami generation in the Atlantic and provide critical data with which to calibrate forecast models. Tsunami warning response criteria in the Atlantic Basin poses a challenge due to the lack of historic events. The probability and nature of potential sources along the offshore U.S./Canada region are not well understood. Warning/watch/advisory criteria are under review to improve TWC response. Primary tsunami warning contact points consist of NWS Weather Forecast Offices, state warning points, U.S. Coast Guard, and the military. These entities each have responsibility to propagate the message through specific channels. To help communities prepare for a tsunami warning, the NWS established the TsunamiReady program. TsunamiReady sets criteria for communities which include: reliable methods to receive TWC warnings, reliable methods to disseminate messages locally, pre-event planning, hazard/safe zones defined and public education. Once the criteria are met, the community can be recognized as TsunamiReady. A hypothetical event off the east coast is examined and a timeline given for TWC analysis and product issuance.

Advanced Regional and Decadal Predictions of Coastal Inundation for the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horton, B.; Corbett, D. R.; Donnelly, J. P.; Kemp, A.; Lin, N.; Lindeman, K.; Mann, M. E.; Peltier, W. R.; Rahmstorf, S.

2013-12-01

Future inundation of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts will depend upon sea-level rise and the intensity and frequency of tropical cyclones, each of which will be affected by climate change. Through ongoing, collaborative research we are employing new interdisciplinary approaches to bring about a step change in the reliability of predictions of such inundation. The rate of sea level rise along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts increased throughout the 20th century. Whilst there is widespread agreement that it continue to accelerate during the 21st century, great uncertainty surrounds its magnitude and geographic variability. Key uncertainties include the role of continental ice sheets, mountain glaciers, and ocean density changes. Insufficient understanding of these complex physical processes precludes accurate prediction of sea-level rise. New approaches using semi-empirical models that relate instrumental records of climate and sea-level rise have projected up to 2 m of sea-level rise by AD 2100. But the time span of instrumental sea-level records is insufficient to adequately constrain the climate:sea-level relationship. We produced new, high-resolution proxy sea-level reconstructions to provide crucial additional constraints to such semi-empirical models. Our dataset spans the alternation between the 'Medieval Climate Anomaly' and 'Little Ice Age'. Before the models can provide appropriate data for coastal management and planning, they must be complemented with regional estimates of sea-level rise. Therefore, the proxy sea-level data has been collected from four study areas (Connecticut, New Jersey, North Carolina and Florida) to accommodate the required extent of regional variability. In the case of inundation arising from tropical cyclones, the historical and observational records are insufficient for predicting their nature and recurrence, because they are such extreme and rare events. Moreover, future storm surges will be superimposed on background sea-level rise. To overcome these problems, we coupled regional sea-level rise projections with hurricane simulations and storm surge models to map coastal inundation for the current climate and the best and worst case climate scenarios of the IPCC AR4. With agency, NGO, and business partners, we have integrated these findings into coastal policy initiatives, including the first ever adoption of sea level Adaptation Action Areas in a Florida city land use plan.

Rita Roars Through a Warm Gulf September 21, 2005

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-09-21

This sea surface height map of the Gulf of Mexico, with the Florida peninsula on the right and the Texas-Mexico Gulf Coast on the left, is based on altimeter data from four satellites including NASA’s Topex/Poseidon and Jason.

Characterization and cycling of atmospheric mercury along the central US Gulf Coast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Engle, M.A.; Tate, M.T.; Krabbenhoft, D.P.; Kolker, A.; Olson, M.L.; Edgerton, E.S.; DeWild, J.F.; McPherson, A.K.

2008-01-01

Concentrations of atmospheric Hg species, elemental Hg (Hg{ring operator}), reactive gaseous Hg (RGM), and fine particulate Hg (Hg-PM2.5) were measured at a coastal site near Weeks Bay, Alabama from April to August, 2005 and January to May, 2006. Mean concentrations of the species were 1.6 ?? 0.3 ng m-3, 4.0 ?? 7.5 pg m-3 and 2.7 ?? 3.4 pg m-3, respectively. A strong diel pattern was observed for RGM (midday maximum concentrations were up to 92.7 pg m-3), but not for Hg{ring operator} or Hg-PM2.5. Elevated RGM concentrations (>25 pg m-3) in April and May of 2005 correlated with elevated average daytime O3 concentrations (>55 ppbv) and high light intensity (>500 W m-2). These conditions generally corresponded with mixed continental-Gulf and exclusively continental air mass trajectories. Generally lower, but still elevated, RGM peaks observed in August, 2005 and January-March, 2006 correlated significantly (p 2.5 ??m). A potential source of the large fraction of coarse particulate Hg in the study area is sequestration of RGM within sea salt aerosols. The presence of rapidly depositing RGM and coarse particulate Hg may be important sources of Hg input along the Gulf Coast. However, the impact of these species on deposition rates is yet to be determined. ?? 2008.

Distribution and movement of suspended sediment in the Gulf of Mexico off the Texas coast

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, R. E.

1973-01-01

ERTS-1 imagery has proven very useful in studies of the distribution of suspended sediment in the Gulf of Mexico off the Texas coast. Moreover, by using suspended matter concentrations as tags on water masses, much information on water movement can be obtained. The utility of suspended sediment as a tracer is dependent on the sediment remaining in suspension long enough to travel an appreciable distance or to be visible on successive images. Although the evidence is not conclusive, it seems likely that much of the suspended sediment in Gulf of Mexico nearshore waters during normal seastate conditions has remained in suspension since the time of its entry into the Gulf of Mexico through rivers and tidal inlets.

Born in Hope and Controversy: The Challenges of Infusing Sustainability in the Campus Operations and Curriculum at Florida Gulf Coast University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wohlpart, A. James; Shepard, Joseph; Corcoran, Peter Blaze

2009-01-01

Florida Gulf Coast University, located in southwest Florida in the United States, opened its doors in 1997 with approximately 1,500 students as the tenth institution in the State University System. The site of the campus was a topic of disagreement between proponents of economic growth and development and proponents of sustainability and…

Light requirements of seagrasses determined from historical records of light attenuation along the Gulf coast of peninsular Florida

Treesearch

Zanethia D. Choice; Thomas K. Frazer; Charles A. Jacoby

2014-01-01

Seagrasses around the world are threatened by human activities that degrade water quality and reduce light availability. In this study, light requirements were determined for four common and abundant seagrasses along the Gulf coast of peninsular Florida using a threshold detecting algorithm. Light requirements ranged from 8% to 10% of surface irradiance for Halophila...

An Analysis of the Cost Efficiency of the Math-Science Division Instructional Personnel at Gulf Coast Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Etheridge, Sandra Y.

Prepared to provide a comprehensible and useable statement of the productivity of the members of the Math-Science Division at Gulf Coast Community College (GCCC), this report presents the methods and findings of a study of the income and expenditures related to each full- and part-time faculty member in the division. Following introductory…

An Annotated Bibliography of CERC Coastal Ecology Research.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

the Atlantic and gulf coasts of the United States. The experimentation has been directed toward the use of sand fences and dune grasses to catch and...Pismo Clams ," MP 8-75, U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers, Coastal Engineering Research Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., Sept. 1975, NTIS AD No. A016 948. Three...aspects of the ecology of Pismo clams were investigated in Monterey Bay, California: distribution, reproduction cycle, and age and growth. Pismo clam

Forces Shaping Future U.S. Coal Production and Use

USGS Publications Warehouse

Attanasi, E.D.; Pierce, Brenda S.

2001-01-01

More than half of the electricity in the United States is generated by coal-fired powerplants. U.S. coal producers sell almost 90 percent of their product for electricity generation, and so, the future of the U.S. coal industry will be determined by the future of coal-fired electricity-generation plants. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is completing a National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA) of five major coal-producing regions of the United States (fig. 1): (1) the Appalachian Basin, (2) the Illinois Basin, (3) the Gulf Coast, (4) the Colorado Plateau, and (5) the Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. The Powder River and Williston Basins are the principal producing areas of the Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains region.

Gulf Breeze, FL Lab--Office of Research and Development

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Gulf Breeze lab is recognized as a leader in advancing scientific knowledge concerning the effects of human-made stressors on the ecosystems of the Gulf Coast, and the impacts of those effects on the health and well-being of people and communities.

A life-cycle model for wave-dominated tidal inlets along passive margin coasts of North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seminack, Christopher T.; McBride, Randolph A.

2018-03-01

A regional overview of 107 wave-dominated tidal inlets along the U.S. Atlantic coast, U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast, and Canadian Gulf of St. Lawrence coast yielded a generalized wave-dominated tidal inlet life-cycle model that recognized the rotational nature of tidal inlets. Tidal inlets are influenced by concurrently acting processes transpiring over two timescales: short-term, event-driven processes and long-term, evolutionary processes. Wave-dominated tidal inlets are classified into three rotational categories based on net longshore sediment transport direction and rotation direction along the landward (back-barrier) portion of the inlet channel: downdrift channel rotation, updrift channel rotation, or little-to-no channel rotation. Lateral shifting of the flood-tidal delta depocenter in response to available estuarine accommodation space appears to control inlet channel rotation. Flood-tidal delta deposits fill accommodation space locally within the estuary (i.e., creating bathymetric highs), causing the tidal-inlet channel to rotate. External influences, such as fluvial discharge, pre-existing back-barrier channels, and impeding salt marsh will also influence inlet-channel rotation. Storm events may rejuvenate the tidal inlet by scouring sediment within the flood-tidal delta, increasing local accommodation space. Wave-dominated tidal inlets are generally unstable and tend to open, concurrently migrate laterally and rotate, infill, and close. Channel rotation is a primary reason for wave-dominated tidal inlet closure. During rotation, the inlet channel lengthens and hydraulic efficiency decreases, thus causing tidal prism to decrease. Tidal prism, estuarine accommodation space, and sediment supply to the flood-tidal delta are the primary variables responsible for tidal inlet rotation. Stability of wave-dominated tidal inlets is further explained by: stability (S) = tidal prism (Ω) + estuarine accommodation space (V) - volume of annual sediment supply (Mt). Rotating wave-dominated tidal inlets follow a six-stage evolutionary model; whereas wave-dominated tidal inlets that exhibit little-to-no rotation follow a five-stage evolutionary model.

The Influence of Shoreline Curvature on Rates of Shoreline Change on Sandy Coasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, A. B.; Lauzon, R.; Cheng, S.; Liu, J.; Lazarus, E.

2017-12-01

The sandy, low-lying barrier islands which characterize much of the US East and Gulf coasts are popular spots to live and vacation, and are often heavily developed. However, sandy shorelines and barriers are also naturally mobile landforms, which are vulnerable to sea level rise and storms and can experience high rates of shoreline change. Many previous studies have attempted to understand and quantify the factors that contribute to those rates of shoreline change, such as grain size, underlying geology, sea level rise, and anthropogenic modification. Shoreline curvature has not been considered in such analyses, but previous research has demonstrated that subtle coastline curvature (and therefore alongshore variation in relative offshore wave angle) can result in gradients in net alongshore transport that cause significant shoreline erosion or accretion. Here we present the results of a spatially extensive analysis of the correlation between shoreline curvature and shoreline change rates for the sandy shorelines of the US East and Gulf coasts. We find that, for wave-dominated sandy coasts where nourishment and shoreline stabilization do not dominate the shoreline change signal (such as parts of Texas, North Carolina, and Florida), there is a significant negative correlation between shoreline curvature and shoreline change rates over 1 - 5 km and decadal to centurial space and time scales. This correlation indicates that a portion of the coastal erosion (and accretion) observed in these areas can be explained by the smoothing of subtle coastline curvature by gradients in alongshore transport, and suggests that shoreline curvature should be included in future attempts to understand historical and future rates of shoreline change. Shoreline stabilization, especially through beach nourishment, complicates the relationship between curvature and shoreline change. Beach construction during nourishment creates a seaward convex curvature in the part of the shoreline moves seaward. These activities tend to produce correlations between observed curvature and shoreline change that would correspond to shoreline roughening rather than smoothing on an unstabilized coastline—even though coastline smoothing occurs between episodes of beach construction.

Coastal circulation and hydrography in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico, during winter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barton, E. D.; Lavín, M. F.; Trasviña, A.

2009-02-01

Winter observations of shelf and slope hydrography and currents in the inner Gulf of Tehuantepec are analysed from two field studies in 1989 and 1996 to specify the variability of near-shore conditions under varying wind stress. During the winter period frequent outbursts of 'Norte' winds over the central Gulf result in persistent alongshore inflows along both its eastern and western coasts. Wind-induced variability on time scales of several days strongly influences the shelf currents, but has greater effect on its western coast because of the generation and separation of anticyclonic eddies there. The steadier inflow (˜0.2 m s -1) on the eastern shelf is evident in a strong down-bowing of shallow isosurfaces towards the coast within 100 km of shore, below a wedge of warmer, fresher and lighter water. This persistent entry of less saline (33.4-34.0), warmer water from the southeast clearly originates in buoyancy input by rivers along the Central American coast, but is augmented by a general shoreward tendency (0.2 m s -1) in the southeastern Gulf. The resultant shallow tongue of anomalous water is generally swept offshore in the head of the Gulf and mixed away by the strong outflow and vertical overturning of the frequent 'Norte' events but during wind relaxations the warm, low-salinity coastal flow may briefly extend further west. In the head of the Gulf, flow is predominantly offshore (<0.2 m s -1) as the alongshore component alternates eastward and westward in association with elevation or depression, respectively, of the pycnocline against the shore. More saline, open ocean water is introduced from the north-western side of the Gulf by the inflow along the west coast. During extended wind relaxations, the flow becomes predominantly eastward beyond the shelf while nearshore the coastally trapped buoyant inflow from the southeast penetrates across the entire head of the gulf at least as far as its western limit. On the basis of these and other recent observations, it seems that the accepted view of a broad, persistent Costa Rica Coastal Current (CRCC) is the result of averaging over many relatively sparse observations and that the instantaneous CRCC is a highly variable and convoluted flow around and between constantly changing eddies. The buoyancy-driven shelf current reported here forms a hitherto unrecognized, but major, component of this CRCC system.

Phytoplankton variability in relation to some environmental factors in the eastern coast of Suez Gulf, Egypt.

PubMed

Nassar, Mohamed Z; El-Din, Nihal G Shams; Gharib, Samiha M

2015-10-01

Water samples were seasonally collected from 12 stations of the eastern coast of Suez Gulf during autumn of 2012 and winter, spring, and summer of 2013 in order to investigate phytoplankton community structure in relation to some physicochemical parameters. The study area harbored a diversified phytoplankton community (138 species), belonging to 67 genera. Four algal groups were represented and classified as Bacillariophyceae (90 species), Dinophyceae (28 species), Cyanophyceae (16 species), and Chlorophyceae (4 species). The results indicated a relative high occurrence of some species namely.; Pleurotaenium trabecula of green algae; Chaetoceros lorenzianus, Proboscia alata var. gracillima, Pseudosolenia calcar-avis, and Pseudo-nitzschia pungens of diatoms; Trichodesmium erythraeum and Pseudoanabaena limnetica of cyanophytes. Most of other algal species were fairly distributed at the selected stations of the study area. The total abundance of phytoplankton was relatively low (average of 2989 unit/L) in the eastern coast of Suez Gulf, as compared its western coast and the northern part of the Red Sea. The diversity of phytoplankton species was relatively high (2.35-3.82 nats) with an annual average of 3.22 nats in the present study. The results concluded that most of eastern coast of Suez Gulf is still healthy, relatively unpolluted, and oligotrophic area, which is clearly achieved by the low values of dissolved phosphate (0.025-0.3 μM), nitrate (0.18-1.26 μM), and dissolved ammonium (0.81-5.36 μM). Even if the occurrence of potentially harmful algae species was low, the study area should be monitored continuously. The dissolved oxygen ranged between 1.77 and 8.41 mg/L and pH values between 7.6 and 8.41. The multiple regression analysis showed that the dissolved nitrate and pH values were the most effective factors that controlled the seasonal fluctuations of phytoplankton along the eastern coast of Suez Gulf during 2012-2013.

Snapshot of Vibrio parahaemolyticus densities in open and closed shellfish beds in Coastal South Carolina and Mississippi.

PubMed

Moore, J Gooch; Ruple, A; Ballenger-Bass, K; Bell, S; Pennington, P L; Scott, G I

2014-11-01

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a Gram negative, halophilic bacterium that is ubiquitous in warm, tropical waters throughout the world. It is a major cause of seafood-associated gastroenteritis and is generally associated with consumption of raw or undercooked seafood, especially oysters. This study presents a snapshot of total V. parahaemolyticus densities in surface waters and shellstock American oysters (Crassostrea virginica) from open and closed shellfish harvesting areas, as well as "more rural areas" on two different US coasts, the Atlantic and the Gulf. Sampling was conducted from 2001 to 2003 at five sites near Charleston/Georgetown, SC and at four locations in the Gulfport/Pascagoula, MS area. V. parahaemolyticus numbers were determined by a direct plating method using an alkaline-phosphatase-labeled DNA probe targeting the species-specific thermolabile hemolysin gene (tlh) that was used for identification of bacterial isolates. The greatest difference between the two coasts was salinity; mean salinity in SC surface waters was 32.9 ppt, whereas the mean salinity in MS waters was 19.2 ppt, indicating more freshwater input into MS shellfish harvesting areas during the study period. The mean V. parahaemolyticus numbers in oysters were almost identical between the two states (567.4 vs. 560.1 CFU/g). Bacterial numbers in the majority of surface water samples from both states were at or below the limit of detection (LOD = <10 CFU/mL). The bacterial concentrations determined during this study predict a low public health risk from consumption of oysters in shellfish growing areas on either the Gulf or the Atlantic US coast.

Indians of the Lower South: Past and Present. Proceedings of the Gulf Coast History and Humanities Conference (5th, Pensacola, Florida, February 7-9, 1974).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahon, John K., Ed.

A product of the 1974 Fifth Gulf Coast History and Humanities Conference, this compilation of 13 essays on American Indians of the South includes the following sections and titles: (1) Teaching the Indian Past in History Courses ("The Southeastern Indian Oral History Program at the University of Florida"; "Notes on the Literature of…

Duckling survival, fecundity, and habitat selection of mottled duck broods on the upper Texas Gulf Coast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rigby, Elizabeth A.; Haukos, David A.

2015-01-01

Mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula) on the western Gulf Coast have exhibited a steep population decline since the mid 1990s. Low rates of breeding incidence and nest success have been implicated in this decline, but duckling survival and the habitat needs of broods have not been previously investigated in this region. We fitted mottled duck ducklings and adult females with radio transmitters and tracked broods to estimate duckling survival and brood habitat selection on the upper Texas Gulf Coast. Duckling survival to 30 days was high (range among models 0.354–0.567) compared to other dabbling duck species. Estimated fecundity was low, (range among models 0.398–0.634) however, indicating that overall reproductive output is low. Within coastal marsh, broods selected home ranges with more water cover and less upland and fresh marsh landcover than was available in the study area. Within coastal marsh home ranges, broods selected for water cover relative to other landcover types, and there was some evidence that broods avoided unvegetated landcover. Although high quality brood habitat is undeniably important, management efforts to increase mottled duck population growth on the western Gulf Coast may best be spent on increasing nesting habitat quality to increase nest success and breeding incidence.

76 FR 6364 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Coastal Migratory Pelagic...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-04

...) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) to commercial king mackerel fishing using run-around gillnets. This... run-around gillnets and hook-and-line gear (50 CFR 622.42(c)(1)(i)(A)(2)(i)). The southern subzone is... Gulf group king mackerel for vessels using run-around gillnet gear in the southern Florida west coast...

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-01

In this photograph, the deep-sea Research Submarine "Ben Franklin" drifts off the East Coast of the United States (U.S.) prior to submerging into the ocean. Named for American patriot and inventor Ben Franklin, who discovered the Gulf Steam, the 50-foot Ben Franklin was built between 1966 and 1968 in Switzerland for deep-ocean explorer Jacques Piccard and the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation. The submersible made a famous 30-day drift dive off the East Coast of the United States and Canada in 1969 mapping the Gulf Stream's currents and sea life, and also made space exploration history by studying the behavior of aquanauts in a sealed, self-contained, self-sufficient capsule for NASA. On July 14, 1969, the Ben Franklin was towed to the high-velocity center of the Stream off the coast of Palm Beach, Florida. With a NASA observer on board, the sub descended to 1,000 feet off of Riviera Beach, Florida and drifted 1,400 miles north with the current for more than four weeks, reemerging near Maine. During the course of the dive, NASA conducted exhaustive analyses of virtually every aspect of onboard life. They measured sleep quality and patterns, sense of humor and behavioral shifts, physical reflexes, and the effects of a long-term routine on the crew. The submarine's record-shattering dive influenced the design of Apollo and Skylab missions and continued to guide NASA scientists as they devised future marned space-flight missions.

U.S. 2013 National Climate Assessment of Oceans and Marine Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doney, S. C.; Rosenberg, A.

2012-12-01

We will discuss the key findings from the Oceans and Marine Resources chapter of the U.S. 2013 National Climate Assessment. As a nation, we depend on the ocean for seafood, recreation and tourism, cultural heritage, transportation of goods, and increasingly, energy and other critical resources. The U.S. ocean Exclusive Economic Zone extends 200 nautical miles seaward from the coast, spanning an area about 1.7 times the land area of the continental United States and encompassing waters along the U.S. east, west and Gulf coasts, around Alaska and Hawaii, and including the U.S. territories in the Pacific and Caribbean. This vast region is host to a rich diversity of marine plants and animals and a wide range of ecosystems from tropical coral reefs to sea-ice covered, polar waters in the Arctic. We will highlight the current state of knowledge on changing ocean climate conditions, such as warming, sea-ice retreat and ocean acidification, and how these may be impacting valuable marine ecosystems and the array of resources and services we derive from the sea now and into the future. We will also touch on the interaction of climate change impacts with other human factors including pollution and over-fishing.

Sustainability Research Supporting Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Restoration: EPA’s Office of Research and Development

EPA Science Inventory

The Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Task Force was formed by Executive Order, October 2010. The Task Force leads and coordinates research in support of ecosystem restoration planning and decision-making in the Gulf Coast region. In support of a comprehensive restoration strategy, re...

NASA DEVELOP Students Rev Up Response to Gulf Oil Spill

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Jason B.; Childs, Lauren M.

2010-01-01

After the April 20th explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, the world witnessed one of the worst oil spill catastrophes in global history. In an effort to mitigate the disaster, the U.S. government moved quickly to establish a unified command for responding to the spill. Some of the command's most immediate needs were to track the movement of the surface oil slick, establish a baseline measurement of pre-oil coastal ecosystem conditions, and assess potential air quality and water hazards related to the spill. To help address these needs and assist the Federal response to the disaster, NASA deployed several of its airborne and satellite research sensors to collect an unprecedented amount of remotely-sensed data over the Gulf of Mexico region. Although some of these data were shared with the public via the media, much of the NASA data on the disaster was not well known to the Gulf Coast community. The need existed to inform the general public about these datasets and help improve understanding about how NASA's science research was contributing to oil spill response and recovery. With its extensive experience conducting community-oriented remote sensing projects and close ties to organizations around Gulf of Mexico, the NASA DEVELOP National Program stood in a unique position to meet this need.

Disparity in ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Practices and Outcomes in Arabian Gulf Countries (Gulf COAST Registry)

PubMed Central

Zubaid, Mohammad; Rashed, Wafa; Alsheikh-Ali, Alawi A.; Garadah, Taysir; Alrawahi, Najib; Ridha, Mustafa; Akbar, Mousa; Alenezi, Fahad; Alhamdan, Rashed; Almahmeed, Wael; Ouda, Hussam; Al-Mulla, Arif; Baslaib, Fahad; Shehab, Abdulla; Alnuaimi, Abdulla; Amin, Haitham

2017-01-01

Objectives: The objective of this study is to describe contemporary management and 1-year outcomes of patients hospitalized with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in Arabian Gulf countries. Methods: Data of patients admitted to 29 hospitals in four Gulf countries [Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates (UAE)] with the diagnosis of STEMI were analyzed from Gulf locals with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) events (Gulf COAST) registry. This was a longitudinal, observational registry of consecutive citizens, admitted with ACS from January 2012 to January 2013. Patient management and outcomes were analyzed and compared between the four countries. Results: A total of 1039 STEMI patients were enrolled in Gulf COAST Registry. The mean age was 58 years, and there was a high prevalence of diabetes (47%). With respect to reperfusion, 10% were reperfused with primary percutaneous coronary intervention, 66% with fibrinolytic therapy and 24% were not reperfused. Only one-third of patients who received fibrinolytic therapy had a door-to-needle time of 30 min or less. The in-hospital mortality rate was 7.4%. However, we noted a significant regional variability in mortality rate (3.8%-11.9%). In adjusted analysis, patients from Oman were 4 times more likely to die in hospital as compared to patients from Kuwait. Conclusions: In the Gulf countries, fibrinolytic therapy is the main reperfusion strategy used in STEMI patients. Most patients do not receive this therapy according to timelines outlined in recent practice guidelines. There is a significant discrepancy in outcomes between the countries. Quality improvement initiatives are needed to achieve better adherence to management guidelines and close the gap in outcomes. PMID:28706594

Impact of iodine chemistry on coastal ozone levels at the Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuite, K.; Stutz, J.; Brockway, N.; Colosimo, S. F.; Tsai, J. Y.; Grossmann, K.; Alvarez, S. L.; Flynn, J. H., III; Erickson, M.; Caicedo, V.; Griffin, R. J.; Wallace, H. W., IV; Schulze, B.; Sheesley, R. J.; Usenko, S.; Yarwood, G.; Nopmongcol, U.

2016-12-01

Reactive iodine (Ix = I + IO) is known to destroy ozone through catalytic cycles in the marine boundary layer (MBL) and can thus have a significant impact on tropospheric ozone in coastal regions. As air quality standards for ozone become stricter, accurate background levels are increasingly important for the development of ozone reduction strategies. The Texas Gulf coast is an example for the significance of MBL background ozone, as onshore flows from the Gulf of Mexico contribute to the ozone levels in Houston and other coastal areas. The Gulf coast often experiences ozone mixing ratios below 20 ppb during summer onshore flow conditions, which are currently overestimated by regional and global air quality models. Modeling with the Comprehensive Air quality Model with extensions (CAMx) and GEOS-Chem including halogen chemistry identified iodine emissions from the Gulf of Mexico as a possible explanation. However, ambient measurements of Ix species for the Gulf of Mexico are needed to test this hypothesis and, if confirmed, refine models. We measured IO, O3, and other trace gases at the Gulf coast near Galveston, TX, using UCLA's long path DOAS instrument and a suite of in-situ instruments. During the study period from May 15 through July 12, 2016, several multi-day events with MBL ozone levels below 20 ppb were encountered. Here we present the observational data with a focus on time periods with onshore flow from the Gulf. A chemical steady state analysis will be used to assess whether the observed Ix mixing ratios can explain these low ozone mixing ratios. Our results will be compared to the CAMx and GEOS-Chem model simulations.

A multi-sensor analysis of Nimbus 5 data on 22 January 1973. [meteorological parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allison, L. J.; Rodgers, E. B.; Wilheit, T. T.; Wexler, R.

1973-01-01

The Nimbus 5 meteorological satellite carried aloft a full complement of radiation sensors, the data from which were analyzed and intercompared during orbits 569-570 on 22 January 1973. The electrically scanning microwave radiometer (ESMR) which sensed passive microwave radiation in the 19.35 GHz region, delineated rain areas over the ocean off the U.S. east coast, in good agreement with WSR-57 and FPS-77 radar imagery and permitted the estimation of rainfall rates in this region. Residual ground water in the lower Mississippi Valley, which resulted from abnormal rainfall in previous months, was indicated under clear sky conditions by soil brightness temperature values in the Nimbus 5 ESMR and U.S. Air Force Data Acquisition and Processing Program (DAPP) IR data. The temperature-humidity infrared radiometer showed the height and spatial configuration of frontal clouds along the east coast and outlined the confluence of a polar jet stream with a broad sub-tropical jet stream along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Temperature profiles from three vertical temperature sounders, the infrared temperature profile radiometer (ITPR), the Nimbus E microwave spectrometer (NEMS) and the selective chopper radiometer (SCR) were found to be in good agreement with related radiosonde ascents along orbit 569 from the sub-tropics to the Arctic Circle.

Lidar vegetation mapping in national parks: Gulf Coast Network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brock, John C.; Palaseanu-Lovejoy, Monica; Segura, Martha

2011-01-01

Airborne lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) is an active remote sensing technique used to collect accurate elevation data over large areas. Lidar provides an extremely high level of regional topographic detail, which makes this technology an essential component of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) science strategy. The USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program (CMGP) has collaborated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Park Service (NPS) to acquire dense topographic lidar data in a variety of coastal environments.

Habitat Suitability Index Models: Laughing gull

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zale, Alexander V.; Mulholland, Rosemarie

1985-01-01

A review and synthesis of existing information were used to develop a habitat model for laughing gull (Larus atricilla). The model is scaled to produce an index of habitat suitability between 0 (unsuitable habitat) and 1.0 (optimally suitable habitat) for areas along the Gulf of Mexico coast. Habitat suitability indices are designed for use with the Habitat Evaluation Procedures previously developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Guidelines for application of the model and techniques for measuring model variables are described.

Normal Hemostatic Profiles and Coagulation Factors in Healthy Free-Living Florida Manatees ( Trichechus manatus latirostris).

PubMed

Barratclough, Ashley; Floyd, Ruth Francis; Conner, Bobbi; Reep, Roger; Ball, Ray; Stacy, Nicole

2016-10-01

Hemostatic disorders presumptively play an important role in the pathophysiology of several important disease conditions in the Florida manatee ( Trichechus manatus latirostris). Prior to pursuing such clinical implications, it is essential to establish normal hemostatic profiles in clinically healthy animals. During annual health assessments of free-living manatees organized by the US Geological Survey, blood samples were collected from 12 healthy animals from the Atlantic coast and 28 from the Gulf of Mexico coast of Florida, with body lengths of 210-324 cm. The following analyses were performed on citrated plasma: prothrombin (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), and concentrations of fibrinogen, D-dimers, and coagulation factors VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII. Compared to other mammalian species, manatees had short PT (9.2±1.5 s) and PTT (10.7±0.5 s), fibrinogen was 369±78.7 mg/dL, antithrombin III was 132±11%, and D-dimer was 142±122 ng/mL. Baseline concentrations for the listed coagulation factors were established. When comparing coagulation factors between locations, Atlantic coast manatees had significantly higher factors VIII, IX, and X than did Gulf Coast manatees. This finding may reflect differences in water salinity, diet, or genetics. There were no differences in coagulation factors when among sexes and sizes. These baselines for hemostatic profiles and coagulation factors in healthy free-living manatees lay the foundation for diagnosis and future research of hemostatic disorders and contribute to understanding their role in the pathophysiology of manatees affected by various diseases.

Extreme changes to barrier islands along the central Gulf of Mexico coast during Hurricane Katrina: Chapter 5C in Science and the storms-the USGS response to the hurricanes of 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sallenger, Asbury; Wright, Wayne; Lillycrop, Jeff; Howd, Peter; Stockdon, Hilary; Guy, Kristy K.; Morgan, Karen

2007-01-01

Hurricane Katrina caused extreme changes to the barrier islands of the central Gulf of Mexico coast. Dauphin Island, Ala., migrated landward and stranded the remains of its oceanfront row homes in the sea. Chandeleur Islands, La., were completely stripped of their sand, leaving only marshy outcrops in the storm's wake.

GAO: Government Accountability Office and General Accounting Office

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-22

CASB), an executive agency in OMB (41 U.S.C. 422). In the aftermath of the devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005, the Comptroller General joined...federal organizations auditing the Gulf Coast Recovery Program. Besides GAO, these include offices of inspector general in the Departments of Defense...McCarl 1921-1936 Fred Herbert Brown 1939-1940 Lindsay C. Warren 1940-1954 Joseph Campbell 1955-1965 Elmer B. Staats 1966-1981 Charles A. Bowsher 1981

Arsenic and radionuclide occurrence and relation to geochemistry in groundwater of the Gulf Coast Aquifer System in Houston, Texas, 2007–11

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oden, Jeannette H.; Szabo, Zoltan

2016-03-21

Associated geochemical conditions conducive for mobility of arsenic and radionuclides and their spatial and vertical extent in the Gulf Coast aquifer system in Houston are important aspects to the areal management of the municipal groundwater supplies in Houston. Ongoing research is seeking to define chemical or geological factors that are the optimal indicators for elevated concentrations of these naturally occurring constituents.

Survivorship, development, and fecundity of buck moth (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) on common tree species in the Gulf Coast urban forest

Treesearch

P. J. Martinat; J. D. Solomon; Theodor D. Leininger

1996-01-01

Hemileuca maia maia (Drury), the buck moth, is abundant in urban areas of the Gulf Coast region where it defoliates oaks. However, the extent to which the buck moth can survive on other tree species common in the southern urban forest has not been reported. In the laboratory, the authors studied the suitability and acceptability to larvae of 14 common tree species in...

Prevalence of Salmonella among waterfowl along the Texas Gulf coast.

PubMed

Grigar, M K; Cummings, K J; Rankin, S C

2017-12-01

Migratory waterfowl may play a role in the ecology and transmission of zoonotic pathogens, given their ability to travel long distances and their use of varied habitats. Our objectives were to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella among waterfowl along the Texas Gulf coast and to characterize the isolates. Faecal samples were collected from hunter-harvested waterfowl at four wildlife management areas from September through November, 2016. Standard bacteriologic culture methods were used to isolate Salmonella from samples, and isolates were characterized by serotyping and anti-microbial susceptibility testing. The apparent prevalence of faecal Salmonella shedding was 0.5% (2/375). Serotypes identified were Thompson and Braenderup, and both isolates were susceptible to all anti-microbial agents tested. Although faecal contamination of agricultural fields or surface waters could serve as a potential source of zoonotic Salmonella transmission, waterfowl along the Gulf coast during the fall hunting season appear to pose minimal risk. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Patterns of Hits to the Nearshore from a Major Fairway in the Gulf of Finland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viikmae, B.; Soomere, T.

2012-04-01

The Baltic Sea hosts one of the heaviest ship traffic in the world. Although relatively small in size, still up to 15% of the world's cargo is transported along its numerous fairways. The largest threat to the environment is oil transportation that has increased more than by a factor of two in 2000-2008 and a 40% increase is expected by the year 2015. One of the major marine highways in the European waters enters the Baltic Sea through the Danish Straits, crosses the Baltic Proper and stretches through the Gulf of Finland to Saint Petersburg. An area that is highly vulnerable to ship pollution is the nearshore that usually has the largest ecological value. While the probability of coastal pollution for open ocean coasts can be reduced by shifting ship routes farther offshore, the problem for narrow bays, like the Gulf of Finland, is how to minimize the probability of hitting any of the coasts. To a certain extent, light can be shed to this problem by means of quantification of the offshore areas in terms of their ability to serve a danger to coastal environment if pollution would happen in these areas. A convenient way to address this problem is to use statistical analysis of a large number of Lagrangian trajectories of test particles representing the potential pollution and passively carried by surface currents. In this paper, we make and attempt to quantify the link between potential sources of pollution along an existing fairway and the sections of the coast reached by current-driven pollution. The problem is analysed by means of considering hits to the nearshore from a major fairway in the Gulf of Finland and by making sure whether certain parts of the coast are hit by pollution particles most frequently and whether or not these pollution particles stem from certain specific parts of the fairway. Trajectories are simulated in the Gulf of Finland by placing tracers among a line that follows one of the major fairways from the Baltic Proper to Saint Petersburg. The probabilities for the hit to different parts of the nearshore and the ability of different sections of the fairway to provide coastal pollution have extensive seasonal variability. The potential impact of the fairway is roughly proportional to its distance from the nearest coast. A short section of the fairway to the south of Vyborg and a segment to the west of Tallinn are the most probable sources of coastal pollution. The most frequently hit coastal areas are short fragments between Hanko and Helsinki, the NE coast of the gulf to the south of Vyborg, and longer segments from Tallinn to Hiiumaa on the southern coast of the gulf.

33 CFR 165.T08-290 - Safety Zone; Gulf of Mexico-Johns Pass, Florida.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Safety Zone; Gulf of Mexico-Johns... § 165.T08-290 Safety Zone; Gulf of Mexico—Johns Pass, Florida. (a) Regulated area. The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, in the vicinity of the John...

Mesohaline submerged aquatic vegetation survey along the U.S. gulf of Mexico coast, 2000: A stratified random approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, J.; Merino, J.H.; Merino, S.L.

2009-01-01

Estimates of submerged aquatic vegetative (SAV) along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) generally focus on seagrasses. In 2000, we attempted a synoptic survey of SAV in the mesohaline (5-20 ppt) zone of estuarine and nearshore areas of the northeastern Gulf. Areas with SAV were identified from existing aerial 1992 photography, and a literature review was used to select those areas that were likely to experience mesohaline conditions during the growing season. In 2000, a drought year, we visited 217 randomly selected SAV beds and collected data on species composition and environmental conditions. In general, sites were either clearly polyhaline (2: 20 ppt) or oligohaline (S 5 ppt), with only five sites measuring between 5 and 20 ppt. Ruppia maritima L. (13-35 ppt, n = 28) was the only species that occurred in mesohaline salinities. Halodule wrightii Asch. occurred in 73% of the beds. The nonindigenous Myriophyllum spicatum L. was present in four locations with salinities below 3 ppt. No nonindigenous macroalgae were identified, and no nonindigenous angiosperms occurred in salinities above 3 ppt. Selecting sample locations based on historical salinity data was not a successful strategy for surveying SAV in mesohaline systems, particularly during a drought year. Our ability to locate SAV beds within 50 m of their aerially located position 8 yr later demonstrates some SAV stability in the highly variable conditions of the study area. ?? 2009 by the Marine Environmental Silences Consortium of Alabama.

Historical shoreline changes along the US Gulf of Mexico: A summary of recent shoreline comparisons and analyses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morton, R.A.; Miller, T.; Moore, L.

2005-01-01

The US Geological Survey is systematically analyzing historical shoreline changes along open-ocean sandy shores of the United States. This National Assessment of Shoreline Change Project is developing standard repeatable methods for mapping and analyzing shoreline movement so that internally consistent updates can periodically be made to record coastal erosion and land loss along US shores. Recently, shoreline change maps and a report were published for states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Long-term and short-term average rates of change were calculated by comparing three historical shorelines (1800s, 1930s, 1970s) with an operational mean high water shoreline derived from lidar (light detection and ranging) surveys (post-1998). The rates of change, statistical uncertainties, original shorelines, and complementary geographic information system layers, such as areas of beach nourishment, are available on an Internet Map Server (IMS). For the Gulf of Mexico region, rates of erosion are generally highest in Louisiana along barrier island and headland shores associated with the Mississippi delta. Erosion also is rapid along some barrier islands and headlands in Texas, whereas barrier islands in Mississippi are migrating laterally. Highest rates of erosion in Florida are generally localized around tidal inlets. The most stable Gulf beaches generally are along the west coast of Florida, where low wave energy and frequent beach nourishment minimize erosion. Some long beach segments in Texas have accreted as a result of net longshore drift convergence and around tidal inlets that have been stabilized by long jetties. Individuals and some communities have attempted to mitigate the effects of erosion by emplacement of coastal structures, but those efforts largely have been abandoned in favor of periodic beach nourishment.

Tiered on-the-ground implementation projects for Gulf of Mexico water quality improvements

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Both the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Improving Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin (USEPA 2008) and the GOMA Governors’ Action Plan II for Healthy and Resilient Coasts (GOMA 2009) call for the development and ...

33 CFR 166.200 - Shipping safety fairways and anchorage areas, Gulf of Mexico.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... anchorage areas, Gulf of Mexico. 166.200 Section 166.200 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... Mexico. (a) Purpose. Fairways and anchorage areas as described in this section are established to control the erection of structures therein to provide safe approaches through oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico...

76 FR 10778 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Coastal Migratory Pelagic...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-28

... Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Closure AGENCY: National Marine...: Temporary rule; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS closes the commercial sector for king mackerel in the Florida east coast subzone. This closure is necessary to protect the Gulf king mackerel resource. DATES: The closure...

33 CFR 166.200 - Shipping safety fairways and anchorage areas, Gulf of Mexico.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... anchorage areas, Gulf of Mexico. 166.200 Section 166.200 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... Mexico. (a) Purpose. Fairways and anchorage areas as described in this section are established to control the erection of structures therein to provide safe approaches through oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico...

33 CFR 166.200 - Shipping safety fairways and anchorage areas, Gulf of Mexico.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... anchorage areas, Gulf of Mexico. 166.200 Section 166.200 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... Mexico. (a) Purpose. Fairways and anchorage areas as described in this section are established to control the erection of structures therein to provide safe approaches through oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico...

33 CFR 166.200 - Shipping safety fairways and anchorage areas, Gulf of Mexico.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... anchorage areas, Gulf of Mexico. 166.200 Section 166.200 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... Mexico. (a) Purpose. Fairways and anchorage areas as described in this section are established to control the erection of structures therein to provide safe approaches through oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico...

33 CFR 166.200 - Shipping safety fairways and anchorage areas, Gulf of Mexico.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... anchorage areas, Gulf of Mexico. 166.200 Section 166.200 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... Mexico. (a) Purpose. Fairways and anchorage areas as described in this section are established to control the erection of structures therein to provide safe approaches through oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico...

Gulf Coast climate change adaptation pilot study.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

Climate change-related issues place substantial operating and financial burdens on public transit agencies, particularly in coastal settings. Gulf of Mexico coastal transit agencies and their constituents are especially vulnerable to natural hazards ...

Dynamical Systems Analysis Of Transport In Flows Defined As Data Sets: Contaminant Control On The Coast Of Florida And Criteria For Warm Rings In The North Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lekien, F.; Coulliette, C.

In this talk we will briefly describe the dynamical systems framework for Lagrangian transport. In particular, we will show how dynamical systems theory can now be uti- lized in the context of "real" problems, such as those derived from remote sensing observations or the input of a large scale numerical model. We will illustrate these ideas by two examples. Study of fluid transport near the Atlantic coast of Florida us- ing a velocity field observed experimentally from high frequency radar measurements reveals that dynamical systems theory can be used to reduce contaminant density in coastal areas. We also study intergyre transport in a quasigeostrophic model of the North Atlantic. We investigate the structure of eddies detaching from the Gulf Stream and prove that in a double gyre structure cyclonic rings cannot contain fluid from the other gyre. Only anticyclonic rings can contain "foreign" fluid coming from another gyre. This explains many phenomenons, such as why counter-clockwise rings South of the Gulf Stream contain colder fluid advected directly from the northern gyre, which has been illustrated in many observational studies.

Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of undiscovered oil and gas, Cotton Valley group and Travis Peak-Hosston formations, East Texas basin and Louisiana-Mississippi salt basins provinces of the northern Gulf Coast region. Chapters 1-7.

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2006-01-01

The purpose of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Oil and Gas Assessment is to develop geologically based hypotheses regarding the potential for additions to oil and gas reserves in priority areas of the United States. The USGS recently completed an assessment of undiscovered oil and gas potential of the Cotton Valley Group and Travis Peak and Hosston Formations in the East Texas Basin and Louisiana-Mississippi Salt Basins Provinces in the Gulf Coast Region (USGS Provinces 5048 and 5049). The Cotton Valley Group and Travis Peak and Hosston Formations are important because of their potential for natural gas resources. This assessment is based on geologic principles and uses the total petroleum system concept. The geologic elements of a total petroleum system include hydrocarbon source rocks (source rock maturation, hydrocarbon generation and migration), reservoir rocks (sequence stratigraphy and petrophysical properties), and hydrocarbon traps (trap formation and timing). The USGS used this geologic framework to define one total petroleum system and eight assessment units. Seven assessment units were quantitatively assessed for undiscovered oil and gas resources.

Relative sea-level rise as indicated by gage data along the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coasts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Wilson, K.

2004-01-01

Global warming, or the increasing of earth's temperatures, leads to rising sea level as polar ice caps and mountain glaciers melt and ocean water undergoes thermal expansion. Tidal records collected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Mobile District, at Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, Mississippi, and at Mobile, Alabama, indicate trends of water-surface elevations increasing with time (relative sea-level rise). The trends indicated by the COE data were compared to relative sea-level trends indicated by the National Ocean Survey gages in the Gulf of Mexico. The average global rate of sea level rise has been suggested to approach about 2 mm/yr (0.007 ft/yr). Some leading scientists have suggested rates of sea level rise that are greater than 2 mm/yr, when accounting for effects of greenhouse gas emissions. As the sea level rises and inundates the coastal plain, structures along the existing coast and structures located in the back bays of estuaries will be even more adversely affected by future flooding. Also, if the land surface adjacent to the water also sinks due to soil compaction and other geologic processes (collectively call subsidence), additional land will be inundated. Copyright ASCE 2004.

Gulf Coast vulnerability assessment: Mangrove, tidal emergent marsh, barrier islands and oyster reef

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watson, Amanda; Reece, Joshua; Tirpak, Blair; Edwards, Cynthia Kallio; Geselbracht, Laura; Woodrey, Mark; LaPeyre, Megan K.; Dalyander, Patricia (Soupy)

2017-01-01

Climate, sea level rise, and urbanization are undergoing unprecedented levels of combined change and are expected to have large effects on natural resources—particularly along the Gulf of Mexico coastline (Gulf Coast). Management decisions to address these effects (i.e., adaptation) require an understanding of the relative vulnerability of various resources to these stressors. To meet this need, the four Landscape Conservation Cooperatives along the Gulf partnered with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance to conduct this Gulf Coast Vulnerability Assessment (GCVA). Vulnerability in this context incorporates exposure and sensitivity to threats (potential impact), coupled with the adaptive capacity to mitigate those threats. Potential impact and adaptive capacity reflect natural history features of target species and ecosystems. The GCVA used an expert opinion approach to qualitatively assess the vulnerability of four ecosystems: mangrove, oyster reef, tidal emergent marsh, and barrier islands, and a suite of wildlife species that depend on them. More than 50 individuals participated in the completion of the GCVA, facilitated via Ecosystem and Species Expert Teams. Of the species assessed, Kemp’s ridley sea turtle was identified as the most vulnerable species across the Gulf Coast. Experts identified the main threats as loss of nesting habitat to sea level rise, erosion, and urbanization. Kemp’s ridley also had an overall low adaptive capacity score due to their low genetic diversity, and higher nest site fidelity as compared to other assessed species. Tidal emergent marsh was the most vulnerable ecosystem, due in part to sea level rise and erosion. In general, avian species were more vulnerable than fish because of nesting habitat loss to sea level rise, erosion, and potential increases in storm surge. Assessors commonly indicated a lack of information regarding impacts due to projected changes in the disturbance regime, biotic interactions, and synergistic effects in both the species and habitat assessments. Many of the assessors who focused on species also identified data gaps regarding genetic information, phenotypic plasticity, life history, and species responses to past climate change and sea level rise. Regardless of information gaps, the results from the GCVA can be used to inform Gulf-wide adaptation plans. Given the scale of climatic impacts, coordinated efforts to address Gulf-wide threats to species and ecosystems will enhance the effectiveness of management actions and also have the potential to maximize the efficacy of limited funding.

The Gulf Coast Vulnerability Assessment: Mangrove, Tidal Emergent Marsh, Barrier Islands, and Oyster Reef

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watson, Amanda; Reece, Joshua S.; Tirpak, Blair; Edwards, Cynthia Kallio; Geselbracht, Laura; Woodrey, Mark; LaPeyre, Megan K.; Dalyander, P. Soupy

2015-01-01

Climate, sea level rise, and urbanization are undergoing unprecedented levels of combined change and are expected to have large effects on natural resources—particularly along the Gulf of Mexico coastline (Gulf Coast). Management decisions to address these effects (i.e., adaptation) require an understanding of the relative vulnerability of various resources to these stressors. To meet this need, the four Landscape Conservation Cooperatives along the Gulf partnered with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance to conduct this Gulf Coast Vulnerability Assessment (GCVA). Vulnerability in this context incorporates the aspects of exposure and sensitivity to threats, coupled with the adaptive capacity to mitigate those threats. Potential impact and adaptive capacity reflect natural history features of target species and ecosystems. The GCVA used an expert opinion approach to qualitatively assess the vulnerability of four ecosystems: mangrove, oyster reef, tidal emergent marsh, and barrier islands, and a suite of wildlife species that depend on them. More than 50 individuals participated in the completion of the GCVA, facilitated via Ecosystem and Species Expert Teams. Of the species assessed, Kemp’s ridley sea turtle was identified as the most vulnerable species across the Gulf Coast. Experts identified the main threats as loss of nesting habitat to sea level rise, erosion, and urbanization. Kemp’s ridley also had an overall low adaptive capacity score due to their low genetic diversity, and higher nest site fidelity as compared to other assessed species. Tidal emergent marsh was the most vulnerable ecosystem, due in part to sea level rise and erosion. In general, avian species were more vulnerable than fish because of nesting habitat loss to sea level rise, erosion, and potential increases in storm surge. Assessors commonly indicated a lack of information regarding impacts due to projected changes in the disturbance regime, biotic interactions, and synergistic effects in both the species and habitat assessments. Many of the assessors who focused on species also identified data gaps regarding genetic information, phenotypic plasticity, life history, and species responses to past climate change and sea level rise. Regardless of information gaps, the results from the GCVA can be used to inform Gulf-wide adaptation plans. Given the scale of climatic impacts, coordinated efforts to address Gulf-wide threats to species and ecosystems will enhance the effectiveness of management actions and also have the potential to maximize the efficacy of limited funding.

The unavoidable challenge: US transportation sector's addiction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-09-26

Driven by two powerful forces, the quest for energy security and the need for cleaner air, the U.S. Department of Energy, various state and local agencies, and business and industry are seeking ways to significantly reduce the dependence on oil as a transportation fuel. This issue of ED features the latest research findings on methanol, compressed natural gas, and electricity, focusing on a just-completed DOE study and report. This issue also presents the following: (1) the ED Refining Netback Data Series for the US Gulf and West Coasts, Rotterdam, and Singapore as of September 7, 1990; and (2) the EDmore » Fuel Price/Tax Series for countries of the Western Hemisphere, September 1990 edition. 5 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Genetic signature analysis of Perkinsus marinus in Mexico suggests possible translocation from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific coast of Mexico.

PubMed

Ek-Huchim, Juan Pablo; Aguirre-Macedo, Ma Leopoldina; Améndola-Pimenta, Monica; Vidal-Martínez, Victor Manuel; Pérez-Vega, Juan Antonio; Simá-Alvarez, Raúl; Jiménez-García, Isabel; Zamora-Bustillos, Roberto; Rodríguez-Canul, Rossanna

2017-08-02

The protozoan Perkinsus marinus (Mackin, Owen & Collier) Levine, 1978 causes perkinsosis in the American oyster Crassostrea virginica Gmelin, 1791. This pathogen is present in cultured C. virginica from the Gulf of Mexico and has been reported recently in Saccostrea palmula (Carpenter, 1857), Crassostrea corteziensis (Hertlein, 1951) and Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793) from the Mexican Pacific coast. Transportation of fresh oysters for human consumption and repopulation could be implicated in the transmission and dissemination of this parasite across the Mexican Pacific coast. The aim of this study was two-fold. First, we evaluated the P. marinus infection parameters by PCR and RFTM (Ray's fluid thioglycollate medium) in C. virginica from four major lagoons (Términos Lagoon, Campeche; Carmen-Pajonal-Machona Lagoon complex, Tabasco; Mandinga Lagoon, Veracruz; and La Pesca Lagoon, Tamaulipas) from the Gulf of Mexico. Secondly, we used DNA sequence analyses of the ribosomal non-transcribed spacer (rNTS) region of P. marinus to determine the possible translocation of this species from the Gulf of Mexico to the Mexican Pacific coast. Perkinsus marinus prevalence by PCR was 57.7% (338 out of 586 oysters) and 38.2% (224 out of 586 oysters) by RFTM. The highest prevalence was observed in the Carmen-Pajonal-Machona Lagoon complex in the state of Tabasco (73% by PCR and 58% by RFTM) and the estimated weighted prevalence (WP) was less than 1.0 in the four lagoons. Ten unique rDNA-NTS sequences of P. marinus [termed herein the "P. marinus (Pm) haplotype"] were identified in the Gulf of Mexico sample. They shared 96-100% similarity with 18 rDNA-NTS sequences from the GenBank database which were derived from 16 Mexican Pacific coast infections and two sequences from the USA. The phylogenetic tree and the haplotype network showed that the P. marinus rDNA-NTS sequences from Mexico were distant from the rDNA-NTS sequences of P. marinus reported from the USA. The ten rDNA-NTS sequences described herein were restricted to specific locations displaying different geographical connections within the Gulf of Mexico; the Carmen-Pajonal-Machona Pm1 haplotype from the state of Tabasco shared a cluster with P. marinus isolates reported from the Mexican Pacific coast. The rDNA-NTS sequences of P. marinus from the state of Tabasco shared high similarity with the reference rDNA-NTS sequences from the Mexican Pacific coast. The high similarity suggests a transfer of oysters infected with P. marinus from the Mexican part of the Gulf of Mexico into the Mexican Pacific coast.

Evidence of a Weakening Gulf Stream from In-situ Expendable Bathythermograph Data, 1996-2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roupe, L.; Baringer, M. O.

2014-12-01

A weakening of the Gulf Stream, the upper branch of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation system, has been hypothesized to accelerate sea level rise on the east coast of the United States, caused by changes in the Gulf Stream strength and, hence, sea level difference across the current. It still remains unclear if the Gulf Stream has in fact weakened or remains stable, along with the potential role of natural long-term variability. Tide gauges along the east coast show an accelerated sea level rise from Cape Hatteras to Cape Cod that is 3-4 times higher than global sea level rise. Satellite altimetry shows a weakening gradient in Gulf Stream sea surface height that is highly correlated (r=-0.85) with east coast sea level rise, however, direct velocity measurements showed no significant decrease in Gulf Stream strength over a similar time period. We introduce another in-situ dataset to examine the issues between these conflicting results. Expendable bathythermographs (XBTs) measure temperature at depth directly, and then depth and salinity can be inferred, along with geostrophic velocity and transport. XBT data has been used to measure transport in various current systems, however, the Gulf Stream transport has not been analyzed using the newest high-density XBT data made available since 1996. The trend in sea level difference is determined to be 3.3 +/- 3.2 mm/yr, resulting in an overall decrease of 5.2 cm in sea level from 1996-2013. This result agrees with satellite altimetry results that show a significant decrease in recent years. This data also shows a changing Gulf Stream core position, based on the 15°C isotherm at 200 m, of 0.03°N/yr that is negatively correlated with surface transport (r=-0.25). Issues remain in defining the core and width of the Gulf Stream and with eliminating the possibility of natural variability in the current system.

Adapting to Life after Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: An Examination of Psychological Resilience and Depression on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

PubMed

Blackmon, Bret J; Lee, Joohee; Cochran, David M; Kar, Bandana; Rehner, Timothy A; Baker, Alvin M

2017-01-02

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among depression, psychological resilience, and other sociodemographic factors of individuals who were highly exposed to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010. A spatially stratified random sample of 294 Mississippi Gulf Coast residents living in close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico were surveyed. Findings indicated that low education attainment, financial hardship, and disaster-related damages increased the likelihood of depression, whereas psychological resilience and having health insurance reduced the odds of depression. Implications for enhancing psychological resilience and increasing access to health insurance are discussed.

Houston, Texas and Gulf Coast area as seen from the Apollo 7 spacecraft

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-10-15

AS07-07-1872 (11-22 Oct. 1968) --- The Houston, Texas, and Gulf Coast area, looking southeast, as seen from the Apollo 7 spacecraft at an altitude of 101 nautical miles. This photograph was made during the spacecraft's 91st revolution of Earth, at ground elapsed time of 144 hours and 26 minutes. The morning sun causes a spectacular reflection on water surfaces such as the Gulf of Mexico, Galveston Bay, Buffalo Bayou, and the Brazos River, and causes a unique reflection in the canals and rice fields west of Alvin. Some of the landmarks visible in this picture include highways and freeways, the Astrodome, the new Intercontinental Airport, and the Manned Spacecraft Center.

Hurricane Katrina Soil Sampling

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005, causing widespread devastation along the Gulf Coast of the United States. EPA emergency response personnel worked with FEMA and state and local agencies to respond to the emergencies throughout the Gulf.

Hurricane Katrina Water Sampling

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005, causing widespread devastation along the Gulf Coast of the United States. EPA emergency response personnel worked with FEMA and state and local agencies to respond to the emergencies throughout the Gulf.

Hurricane Katrina Sediment Sampling

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005, causing widespread devastation along the Gulf Coast of the United States. EPA emergency response personnel worked with FEMA and state and local agencies to respond to the emergencies throughout the Gulf.

Seeing is Believing? An Examination of Perceptions of Local Weather Conditions and Climate Change Among Residents in the U.S. Gulf Coast.

PubMed

Shao, Wanyun; Goidel, Kirby

2016-11-01

What role do objective weather conditions play in coastal residents' perceptions of local climate shifts and how do these perceptions affect attitudes toward climate change? While scholars have increasingly investigated the role of weather and climate conditions on climate-related attitudes and behaviors, they typically assume that residents accurately perceive shifts in local climate patterns. We directly test this assumption using the largest and most comprehensive survey of Gulf Coast residents conducted to date supplemented with monthly temperature data from the U.S. Historical Climatology Network and extreme weather events data from National Climatic Data Center. We find objective conditions have limited explanatory power in determining perceptions of local climate patterns. Only the 15- and 19-year hurricane trends and decadal summer temperature trend have some effects on perceptions of these weather conditions, while the decadal trend of total number of extreme weather events and 15- and 19-year winter temperature trends are correlated with belief in climate change. Partisan affiliation, in contrast, plays a powerful role affecting individual perceptions of changing patterns of air temperatures, flooding, droughts, and hurricanes, as well as belief in the existence of climate change and concern for future consequences. At least when it comes to changing local conditions, "seeing is not believing." Political orientations rather than local conditions drive perceptions of local weather conditions and these perceptions-rather than objectively measured weather conditions-influence climate-related attitudes. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

Fog chemistry in the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast corridor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raja, Suresh; Raghunathan, Ravikrishna; Yu, Xiao-Ying; Lee, Taehyoung; Chen, Jing; Kommalapati, Raghava R.; Murugesan, Karthik; Shen, Xinhua; Qingzhong, Yuan; Valsaraj, Kalliat T.; Collett, Jeffrey L.

Fog samples were collected in two population centers of the US Gulf Coast (Houston, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana) using Caltech active strand cloud collectors. A total of 32 fogwater samples were collected in Baton Rouge (November 2004-February 2005) and Houston (February 2006). These samples were analyzed for pH, total and dissolved organic carbon, major inorganic ions, and a variety of organic compounds including organic acids, aromatics, carbonyls, and linear alkanes. Fogs in both environments were of moderate density, with typical fog liquid water contents <100 mg m -3. Fog samples collected in Houston reflect a clear influence of marine and anthropogenic inputs, while Baton Rouge samples also reflect agricultural inputs. The volume-weighted mean fog pH was somewhat more acidic (˜4.3) in Houston than in Baton Rouge (˜5.0). A wide pH range was observed in fog at both locations. Houston fog had higher concentrations of Cl -, NO 3-, Na +, Mg 2+, and Ca 2+. Sulfate to nitrate ratios were high in fogs at both locations, typical of many clouds in the eastern US. Total organic carbon concentrations were much higher in Houston fogs than in Baton Rouge fogs. Efforts to speciate dissolved organic carbon (DOC) reveal large contributions from organic acids and carbonyls, with smaller contributions from other organic compound families including aromatics, alkanes, amides, and alcohols. Approximately 40% of the fog DOC was unspeciated in samples from both study locations.

Gujarat, Western India

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Extremely high sediment loads are delivered to the Arabian Sea along the coast of Pakistan (upper left) and western India. In the case of the Indus River (far upper left) this sedimentation, containing large quantities of desert sand, combines with wave action to create a large sand-bar like delta. In the arid environment, the delta lacks much vegetation, but contains numerous mangrove-lined channels. This true-color image from May 2001 shows the transition from India's arid northwest to the wetter regions farther south along the coast. The increase in vegetation along the coast is brought about by the moisture trapping effect of the Western Ghats Mountain Range that runs north-south along the coast. Heavy sediment is visible in the Gulf of Kachchh (north) and the Gulf of Khambhat(south), which surround the Gujarat Peninsula.

Some Aspects of Forecasting Severe Thunderstorms during Cool-Season Return-Flow Episodes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, Steven J.

1992-08-01

Historically, the Gulf of Mexico has been considered a primary source of water vapor that influences the weather for much of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Although severe thunderstorms and tornadoes occur most frequently during the spring and summer months, the periodic transport of Gulf moisture inland ahead of traveling baroclinic waves can result in significant severe-weather episodes during the cool season.To gain insight into the short-range skill in forecasting surface synoptic patterns associated with moisture return from the Gulf, operational numerical weather prediction models from the National Meteorological Center were examined. Sea level pressure fields from the Limited-Area Fine-Mesh Model (LFM), Nested Grid Model (NGM), and the aviation (AVN) run of the Global Spectral Model, valid 48 h after initial data time, were evaluated for three cool-season cases that preceded severe local storm outbreaks. The NGM and AVN provided useful guidance in forecasting the onset of return flow along the Gulf coast. There was a slight tendency for these models to be slightly slow in the development of return flow. In contrast the LFM typically overforecasts the occurrence of return flow and tends to `open the Gulf' from west to east too quickly.Although the low-level synoptic pattern may be forecast correctly, the overall prediction process is hampered by a data void over the Gulf. It is hypothesized that when the return-flow moisture is located over the Gulf, model forecasts of stability and the resultant operational severe local storm forecasts are less skillful compared to situations when the moisture has spread inland already. This hypothesis is tested by examining the performance of the initial second-day (day 2) severe thunderstorm outlook issued by the National Severe Storms Forecast Center during the Gulf of Mexico Experiment (GUFMEX) in early 1988.It has been found that characteristically different air masses were present along the Gulf coast prior to the issuance of outlooks that accurately predicted the occurrence of severe thunderstorms versus outlooks that did not verify well. Unstable air masses with ample low-level moisture were in place along the coast prior to the issuance of the `good' day 2 outlooks, whereas relatively dry, stable air masses were present before the issuance of `false-alarm' outlooks. In the latter cases, large errors in the NGM 48-h lifted-index predictions were located north of the Gulf coast.

33 CFR 72.05-1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., its territories and possessions: (1) Volume I, Atlantic Coast, from St. Croix River, Maine, to Shrewsbury River, New Jersey. (2) Volume II, Atlantic Coast, from Shrewsbury River, New Jersey, to Little River, South Carolina. (3) Volume III, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, from Little River, South Carolina, to...

Disaster-related exposures and health effects among US Coast Guard responders to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Rusiecki, Jennifer A; Thomas, Dana L; Chen, Ligong; Funk, Renée; McKibben, Jodi; Dayton, Melburn R

2014-08-01

Disaster responders work among poorly characterized physical and psychological hazards with little understood regarding health consequences of their work. A survey administered to 2834 US Coast Guard responders to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita provided data on exposures and health effects. Prevalence odds ratios (PORs) evaluated associations between baseline characteristics, missions, exposures, and health effects. Most frequent exposures were animal/insect vector (n = 1309; 46%) and floodwater (n = 817; 29%). Most frequent health effects were sunburn (n = 1119; 39%) and heat stress (n = 810; 30%). Significant positive associations were for mold exposure and sinus infection (POR = 10.39); carbon monoxide and confusion (POR = 6.27); lack of sleep and slips, trips, falls (POR = 3.34) and depression (POR = 3.01); being a Gulf-state responder and depression (POR = 3.22). Increasing protection for disaster responders requires provisions for adequate sleep, personal protective equipment, and access to medical and psychological support.

South Persian Gulf Region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

This oblique view of the south Persian Gulf region (26.0N, 54.0E) was taken over Iran looking west across the south Persian Gulf into the Trucial Coast of the United Arab Emirates and the prominent Qatar peninsula. Rich in petroleum resources, this region supplies much of the world's oil needs from its many ports and off shore loading facilities.

Gulf Coast Resilience Coalition: An Evolved Collaborative Built on Shared Disaster Experiences, Response, and Future Preparedness.

PubMed

Hansel, Tonya Cross; Osofsky, Howard J; Langhinrichsen-Rohling, Jennifer; Speier, Anthony; Rehner, Tim; Osofsky, Joy D; Rohrer, Glenn

2015-12-01

For close to a decade, the Gulf Coast of the United States has been in almost constant disaster recovery mode, and a number of lessons have been learned concerning disaster recovery and behavioral health. The purpose of this report was to describe the natural development of a Gulf Coast Resilience Coalition (GCRC). The GCRC methods began with state-specific recovery goals following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and transitioned to a shared multistate and multidiscipline coalition. The coalition's effectiveness is demonstrated through continuation, procurement of funding to provide response services, and increased membership to ensure sustainability. The coalition has enhanced response, recovery, and resilience by providing strategic plans for dissemination of knowledge; post-disaster surveillance and services; effective relationships and communication with local, state, and regional partners; disaster response informed by past experience; a network of professionals and community residents; and the ability to improve access to and efficiency of future behavioral health coordination through an organized response. The GCRC can not only improve readiness and response, but work toward a shared vision of improved overall mental and behavioral health and thus resilience, with beneficial implications for the Gulf South and other communities as well.

Phytoplankton bloom in Spencer Gulf, Southern Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

South Australia occupies the center of the Australian continent. The deserts of the interior give way to more fertile land along the coast of the Southern Ocean. This true-color MODIS image from September 17, 2001, shows the marked contrast between the country's arid interior--where seasonal salt lakes stand out in white against the deserts' vast, red expanse--and the coastal regions, including Spencer Gulf, to the lower left of the image's center. The characteristic blue-green swirls of a phytoplankton bloom can be seen in the Gulf and southeastward along the coast. To Spencer Gulf's east, the brownish-gray pixels on the eastern coast of the Gulf of St. Vincent indicate the location of the city of Adelaide, the region's capital. The large dark areas that stand out amid the green vegetation do not indicate areas where vegetation had been damaged or burned. In fact, the opposite is actually true. In many cases, those areas are land protected by national and state parks and preserves, where the natural vegetation of the semi-arid landscape is allowed to exist undisturbed. For example, due east of Adelaide are Billiat Conservation Park and the semi-rectangular Murray Sunset National Park, which is across the border from South Australia in Victoria. South of those parks are the parks of the Big Desert (top) and Little Desert (bottom).

Generation and migration of hydrocarbons in offshore South Texas Gulf Coast sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huc, A. Y.; Hunt, J. M.

1980-08-01

The hydrocarbon content of two thick Tertiary sequences from the offshore Gulf Coast (South Padre Island and Mustang Island) was studied using a headspace technique, thermal distillation, pyrolysis and solvent extraction. The threshold of oil generation was determined to occur in the range of 3050 m (10,000 ft; 120°C) in Miocene sediments. In the South Padre Island well, the distribution of the different classes of hydrocarbons along the sedimentary column suggests some updip migration processes are occurring.

Central and North Gulf Coast, Texas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

In this view of the central and north Gulf Coast of Texas (30.0N, 96.0W), San Antonio Bay, Matagorda Bay and Galveston/Trinity Bay are clearly seen though small sediment plumes at the tidal passes are visible. The large field patterns of irrigated agriculture highlights an ancient deltaic plain formed by the Colorado and Brazos Rivers. Many manmade lakes and reservoirs, as far west as Lake Belton and Lake Waco and as far east as Toledo Bend are visible.

Hurricane Katrina - Murphy Oil Spill Boundary

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005, causing widespread devastation along the Gulf Coast of the United States. EPA emergency response personnel worked with FEMA and state and local agencies to respond to the emergencies throughout the Gulf.

A Slow-moving Isaac Brings Flooding to Gulf States

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-30

Strong tropical storm Isaac continues to create havoc across the Gulf Coast, from eastern Texas to Florida. This infrared image from NASA Aqua spacecraft, was acquired at 2:41 p.m. CDT on Aug. 29, 2012.

Wetlands of the Gulf Coast

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-11-21

This set of images from NASA Terra satellit highlights coastal areas of four states along the Gulf of Mexico: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and part of the Florida panhandle. The images were acquired on October 15, 2001 Terra orbit 9718.

Viruses in laboratory-reared cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marti, O.G.; Myers, R.E.; Carpenter, J.E.

2007-03-15

The cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Phycitinae), is a non-native species threatening a variety of native cacti, particularly endangered species of Opuntia (Zimmerman et al. 2001), on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Cactoblastis cactorum populations have expanded from Florida northward along the Atlantic coast as far as Charleston, SC, and westward along the Gulf of Mexico to Dauphin Island, south of Mobile, AL. It is feared that further movement to the west will allow C. cactorum to enter the US desert Southwest and Mexico, particularly the latter. Numerous cactus species, especially those of the genera Opuntia andmore » Nopalea, are native to the U.S. and Mexico. Local economies based on agricultural and horticultural uses of cacti could be devastated by C. cactorum (Vigueras and Portillo 2001). A bi-national control program between the US and Mexico is being developed, utilizing the sterile insect technique (SIT). In the SIT program, newly emerged moths are irradiated with a {sup 60}Co source and released to mate with wild individuals. The radiation dose completely sterilizes the females and partially sterilizes the males. When irradiated males mate with wild females, the F1 progeny of these matings are sterile. In order for the SIT program to succeed, large numbers of moths must be reared from egg to adult on artificial diet in a quarantined rearing facility (Carpenter et al. 2001). Irradiated insects must then be released in large numbers at the leading edge of the invasive population and at times which coincide with the presence of wild individuals available for mating. Mortality from disease in the rearing colony disrupts the SIT program by reducing the numbers of insects available for release.« less

Contribution of tropical cyclones to global rainfall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khouakhi, Abdou; Villarini, Gabriele; Vecchi, Gabriel; Smith, James

2016-04-01

Rainfall associated with tropical cyclones (TCs) can have both devastating and beneficial impacts in different parts of the world. In this work, daily precipitation and historical six-hour best track TC datasets are used to quantify the contribution of TCs to global rainfall. We select 18607 rain gauge stations with at least 25 complete (at least 330 measurements per year) years between 1970 and 2014. We consider rainfall associated with TCs if the center of circulation of the storm passed within a given distance from the rain gauge and within a given time window. Spatial and temporal sensitivity analyses are performed with varying time windows (same day, ±1 day) and buffer radii (400 km and 500 km) around each rain gauge. Results highlight regional differences in TC-induced rainfall. The highest TC-induced precipitation totals (400 to 600+ mm/year) are prevalent along eastern Asia, western and northeastern Australia, and in the western Pacific islands. Stations along the southeast of the U.S. coast and surrounding the Gulf of Mexico receive up to 200 mm/year of TC rainfall. The highest annual fractional contributions of TCs to total rainfall (from 35 to 50%) are recorded in stations located in northwestern Australia, southeastern China, the northern Philippines and the southern Mexico peninsula. Seasonally, the highest proportions (40 to 50%) are recorded along eastern Australia and Mauritius in winter, and in eastern Asia and Mexico in summer and autumn. Analyses of the relative contribution of TCs to extreme rainfall using annual maximum (AM) and peaks-over-threshold (POT) approaches indicate notable differences among regions. The highest TC-AM rainfall proportions (45 to 60%) are found in stations located in Japan, eastern China, the Philippines, eastern and western Australia. Substantial contributions (25 to 40% of extreme rainfall) are also recorded in stations located along the U.S. East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Mexico peninsula. We find similar patterns using the POT approach to identify extremes. The fractional contributions decrease as we move inland from the coast. Moreover, the relationship between TC-induced extreme rainfall and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation is also examined using logistic and Poisson regression. Results indicate that TC-induced extreme rainfall tends to occur more frequently in Australia and along the U.S. East Coast during La Niña, and along eastern Asia and northwestern Pacific islands during El Niño.

First Record of Invasive Lionfish (Pterois volitans) for the Brazilian Coast

PubMed Central

Ferreira, Carlos E. L.; Luiz, Osmar J.; Floeter, Sergio R.; Lucena, Marcos B.; Barbosa, Moysés C.; Rocha, Claudia R.; Rocha, Luiz A.

2015-01-01

The invasion of the northwestern Atlantic by the Indo-Pacific lionfish has developed extraordinarily fast, and is expected to cause one of the most negative ecological impacts among all marine invasions. In less than 30 years, lionfish have dramatically expanded their distribution range to an area encompassing the eastern coast of the USA, Bermuda, the entire Caribbean region and the Gulf of Mexico. The rapidity of the lionfish spread has raised concerns in other parts of the Atlantic that may be under the reach of the invasion. Despite the anticipation that lionfish would eventually extend their range throughout most of the eastern coast of South America, it had not been recorded in Brazil until now. Here we report the first lionfish appearance for the Brazilian coast and show that the individual collected by us is genetically linked to the invasive Caribbean population. Since small-range endemics are found in several locations in Brazil and are among the species that are most vulnerable to extinction, we recommend urgent control, management and education measures aimed at minimizing the effects of this impending invasion. PMID:25901361

First Record of Invasive Lionfish (Pterois volitans) for the Brazilian Coast.

PubMed

Ferreira, Carlos E L; Luiz, Osmar J; Floeter, Sergio R; Lucena, Marcos B; Barbosa, Moysés C; Rocha, Claudia R; Rocha, Luiz A

2015-01-01

The invasion of the northwestern Atlantic by the Indo-Pacific lionfish has developed extraordinarily fast, and is expected to cause one of the most negative ecological impacts among all marine invasions. In less than 30 years, lionfish have dramatically expanded their distribution range to an area encompassing the eastern coast of the USA, Bermuda, the entire Caribbean region and the Gulf of Mexico. The rapidity of the lionfish spread has raised concerns in other parts of the Atlantic that may be under the reach of the invasion. Despite the anticipation that lionfish would eventually extend their range throughout most of the eastern coast of South America, it had not been recorded in Brazil until now. Here we report the first lionfish appearance for the Brazilian coast and show that the individual collected by us is genetically linked to the invasive Caribbean population. Since small-range endemics are found in several locations in Brazil and are among the species that are most vulnerable to extinction, we recommend urgent control, management and education measures aimed at minimizing the effects of this impending invasion.

Meteotsunami Detection with ASOS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Y. Y.; Angove, M.

2017-12-01

A meteotsunami can strike almost any coast. Recent researches have shown that meteotsunamis are more common than previously thought and suggest that some past events may have been mistaken for other types of coastal floods, such as storm surges or seiches. In the United States, conditions for destructive meteotsunamis are most favorable along the East Coast, Gulf of Mexico, and in the Great Lakes, where they may pose a greater threat than earthquake-generated tsunamis. It is evident that meteotsunamis are strongly related to a mesoscale convective system or derecho of sufficient intensity and translational speed. Meteotsunamis are generated by pressure and wind disturbances related to the convective system above continental shelf area of the ocean. In this study it is noted that air pressure, wind gust speed, and air temperature display specific simultaneous changes favorable for meteotsunami development. Sudden wind gust rise, air pressure rise, and air temperature drop occur due to gust front related to cloud downdrafts. Therefore, we suggest that such a consistent tendency of wind gust speed, air pressure, and air temperature associated with mesoscale convective system capable of generating meteotsunami can be used for meteotsunami detection about one or two days before the event in the ocean. It was applied for the June 13, 2013 meteotsunami with automated surface observing systems (ASOS) meteorological data. For operational use of the detection of potential for meteotsunami development at U.S. East or Gulf of Mexico coasts in waters, detection threshold values for the three variables are also discussed.

Review of the circulation in the Beibu Gulf, South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Jingsong; Wu, Guidan; Ya, Hanzheng

2017-04-01

Although Beibu Gulf holds a significant geographical location and is rich in fishery resources, it has attracted only limited attention from researchers in recent decades. This study summarizes the conclusions based on the observations and model results regarding the circulation and cold water mass in the Beibu Gulf to provide a reference for further research. Affected by wind and density gradient, the spring circulation may be gulf-scale cyclonic and nested with an enclosed cyclonic gyre in the northern gulf and unclosed cyclonic gyre in the southern gulf. Meanwhile, the mechanisms of summer circulation remain controversial. Along with the results of a new numerical model, historical observations suggest that summer circulation is cyclonic and anticyclonic in the northern and southern gulfs, respectively. The northern and southern gulfs are mainly influenced by wind stress curl and South China Sea current, respectively. Similarly, although different views regarding the structure of winter circulation have been presented, a large amount of evidence supports the existence of two cyclonic gyres in the northern and southern gulfs. In addition, a southwestward current off the northwestern coast of Hainan Island is present. The circulation structure in the fall is similar to that in winter. However, the cyclonic gyre in the southern Gulf has a greater tendency to intrude northwards into the Beibu Gulf in fall than in winter, and the currents off the coast of Vietnam and the northwestern coast of Hainan Island are weaker in fall than those in winter. Most studies indicate that winter boreal circulation is driven by the monsoon wind. The most recent observations and model results suggest that the current in the Qiongzhou Strait (QS) is eastward on certain days in the boreal summer and is affected by the difference between the sea levels of the two ends of the QS and tidal rectification. Correspondingly, the volume transport is approximately -0.1 Sv (minus sign represents westward) in spring and from -0.1 to -0.4 Sv in boreal winter. By contrast, the volume transport in summer remains controversial. The cold water mass in the Beibu Gulf is generated locally in spring, matures in summer, and disappears in fall. Heat flux and wind dominate the formation of the cold water mass, and tidal mixing and topographic effects influence the variations in the cold water mass.

Feasibility of Estimating Relative Nutrient Contributions of Agriculture and Forests Using MODIS Time Series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Kenton W.; Gasser, Gerald; Spiering, Bruce

2010-01-01

Around the Gulf of Mexico, high-input crops in several regions make a significant contribution to nutrient loading of small to medium estuaries and to the near-shore Gulf. Some crops cultivated near the coast include sorghum in Texas, rice in Texas and Louisiana, sugarcane in Florida and Louisiana, citrus orchards in Florida, pecan orchards in Mississippi and Alabama, and heavy sod and ornamental production around Mobile and Tampa Bay. In addition to crops, management of timberlands in proximity to the coasts also plays a role in nutrient loading. In the summer of 2008, a feasibility project is planned to explore the use of NASA data to enhance the spatial and temporal resolution of near-coast nutrient source information available to the coastal community. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the viability of nutrient source information products applicable to small to medium watersheds surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. Conceptually, these products are intended to complement estuarine nutrient monitoring.

Feasibility of Estimating Relative Nutrient Contributions of Agriculture using MODIS Time Series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Kenton W.; Gasser, Gerald; Spiering, Bruce

2008-01-01

Around the Gulf of Mexico, high-input crops in several regions make a significant contribution to nutrient loading of small to medium estuaries and to the near-shore Gulf. Some crops cultivated near the coast include sorghum in Texas, rice in Texas and Louisiana, sugarcane in Florida and Louisiana, citrus orchards in Florida, pecan orchards in Mississippi and Alabama, and heavy sod and ornamental production around Mobile and Tampa Bay. In addition to crops, management of timberlands in proximity to the coasts also plays a role in nutrient loading. In the summer of 2008, a feasibility project is planned to explore the use of NASA data to enhance the spatial and temporal resolution of near-coast nutrient source information available to the coastal community. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the viability of nutrient source information products applicable to small to medium watersheds surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. Conceptually, these products are intended to complement estuarine nutrient monitoring.

Path of the Giant: Part II. Gasoline marketing in the United States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1986-12-19

Overkill in US petroleum industry investment in its distribution and retailing system was a consequence of regulatory conditions, especially the crude oil depletion allowance. Contraction within the gasoline market has made marketing more efficient, on the one hand, while on the other hand, accompanying changes in products and consumer response have caused the profileration of distinctly different price categories. This issue also contains the following: (1) ED refining netback data for mid-December 1986 for the US Gulf and West Coasts, Rotterdam, and Singapore; and the latest ED fuel price tax series for countries of both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.more » 7 figures, 6 tables.« less

3 CFR 13554 - Executive Order 13554 of October 5, 2010. Establishing the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... climate change, sustain safe seafood and clean water, provide recreational and cultural opportunities... climate change. (c) “Gulf State” means any of the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and...

Hurricane Katrina Air Quality Sampling/Daily Monitoring (AQSDM)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005, causing widespread devastation along the Gulf Coast of the United States. EPA emergency response personnel worked with FEMA and state and local agencies to respond to the emergencies throughout the Gulf.

Geological evaluation of Gulf Coast salt domes: overall assessment of the Gulf Interior Region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1981-10-01

The three major phases in site characterization and selection are regional studies, area studies, and location studies. This report characterizes regional geologic aspects of the Gulf Coast salt dome basins. It includes general information from published sources on the regional geology; the tectonic, domal, and hydrologic stability; and a brief description the salt domes to be investigated. After a screening exercise, eight domes were chosen for further characterization: Keechi, Oakwood, and Palestine Domes in Texas; Vacherie and Rayburn's domes in North Louisiana; and Cypress Creek and Richton domes in Mississippi. A general description of each, maps of the location, propertymore » ownership, and surface geology, and a geologic cross section were presented for each dome.« less

Conflicting energy and environmental policies: The portsmouth oil refinery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Yearn Hong

1984-03-01

This case study presents the series of decision-making processes surrounding a current environmental issue—the Portsmouth oil refinery in Virginia. Crude oil must be refined before it can be used as fuel. Additionally, some oil must be desulfurized for use other than as gasoline. In 1977, the nation imported about one million barrels of oil a day. Although the US Department of Energy has emphasized the critical need for greater east coast refinery capability, the east coast is to supply only 25% of its refined oil needs. In the same year, the east coast met its demands for petroleum products from three sources: (a) refinery production, 22.7%, (b) product imports, 28.0%, and (c) products from the Gulf Coast, 49.3%.1 The energy program after the Arab oil embargo has an objective of encouraging the construction of oil refineries and petrochemical plants in the United States rather than abroad. The tariff is higher on imports of refined oil products than of crude oil, and new refineries are allowed to import a large proportion of their requirements tarifffree. The US federal government does not directly regulate the locations for oil refineries or methods of desulfurization. The oil import program, however, does influence decisions concerning location of desulfurization facilities and refineries, and air and water pollution standards affect methods of refining, besides making desulfurization necessary.

Source characterization and tsunami modeling of submarine landslides along the Yucatán Shelf/Campeche Escarpment, southern Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chaytor, Jason D.; Geist, Eric L.; Paull, Charles K.; Caress, David W; Gwiazda, Roberto; Urrutia Fucugauchi, Jaime; Rebolledo Vieyra, Mario

2016-01-01

Submarine landslides occurring along the margins of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) represent a low-likelihood, but potentially damaging source of tsunamis. New multibeam bathymetry coverage reveals that mass wasting is pervasive along the Yucatán Shelf edge with several large composite landslides possibly removing as much as 70 km3 of the Cenozoic sedimentary section in a single event. Using GIS-based analysis, the dimensions of six landslides from the central and northern sections of the Yucatán Shelf/Campeche Escarpment were determined and used as input for preliminary tsunami generation and propagation models. Tsunami modeling is performed to compare the propagation characteristics and distribution of maximum amplitudes throughout the GOM among the different landslide scenarios. Various factors such as landslide geometry, location along the Yucatán Shelf/Campeche Escarpment, and refraction during propagation result in significant variations in the affected part of the Mexican and US Gulf Coasts. In all cases, however, tsunami amplitudes are greatest along the northern Yucatán Peninsula.

EAARL topography: Gulf Islands National Seashore: Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brock, John C.; Wright, C. Wayne; Nayegandhi, Amar; Patterson, Matt; Wilson, Iris; Travers, Laurinda J.

2007-01-01

This Web site contains 33 lidar-derived bare earth topography maps and GIS files for the Gulf Islands National Seashore-Florida. These lidar-derived topography maps were produced as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program, FISC St. Petersburg, Florida, the National Park Service (NPS), Gulf Coast Network, Network Inventory and Monitoring Program, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Wallops Flight Facility. One objective of this research is to create techniques to survey coral reefs and barrier islands for the purposes of geomorphic change studies, habitat mapping, ecological monitoring, change detection, and event assessment. As part of this project, data from an innovative instrument under development at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, the NASA Experimental Airborne Advanced Research Lidar (EAARL) are being used. This sensor has the potential to make significant contributions in this realm for measuring subaerial and submarine topography wthin cross-environment surveys. High spectral resolution, water-column correction, and low costs were found to be key factors in providing accurate and affordable imagery to costal resource managers.

EAARL topography: Gulf Islands National Seashore: Mississippi

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brock, John C.; Wright, C. Wayne; Nayegandhi, Amar; Patterson, Matt; Wilson, Iris; Travers, Laurinda J.

2007-01-01

This Web site contains 30 lidar-derived bare earth topography maps and GIS files for the Gulf Islands National Seashore-Mississippi. These lidar-derived topography maps were produced as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program, FISC St. Petersburg, Florida, the National Park Service (NPS) Gulf Coast Network, Inventory and Monitoring Program, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Wallops Flight Facility. One objective of this research is to create techniques to survey coral reefs and barrier islands for the purposes of geomorphic change studies, habitat mapping, ecological monitoring, change detection, and event assessment. As part of this project, data from an innovative instrument under development at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, the NASA Experimental Airborne Advanced Research Lidar (EAARL) are being used. This sensor has the potential to make significant contributions in this realm for measuring subaerial and submarine topography wthin cross-environment surveys. High spectral resolution, water-column correction, and low costs were found to be key factors in providing accurate and affordable imagery to costal resource managers.

Ships at anchor, Gulf of Oman

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

These supertankers, riding at anchor off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, Gulf of Oman (25.5N, 56.5E) cast long shadows and eddy currents in the late afternoon sun. The ships are anchored just outside the Persian Gulf. Because of a surplus of supertankers in the world, many of them are simply moored in the Gulf of Oman where they can be safely anchored and yet be close to the oil ports when activated.

Hurricane Rita TrackRadar Image with Topographic Overlay

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-09-22

The Gulf Coast from the Mississippi Delta through the Texas coast is shown in this satellite image from NASA Terra spacecraft, and the predicted storm track for Hurricane Rita acquired in February, 2000.

Astronaut observations of the Persian (Arabian) Gulf during STS-45

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ackleson, Steven G.; Pitts, David E.; Sullivan, Kathryn D.; Reynolds, R. M.

1992-01-01

As a result of the 1991 Persian Gulf war, between mid-January and June 1991, the Persian Gulf was contaminated with an estimated 4 to 6 million barrels of crude oil, released directly into the Gulf from refinement facilities, transhipment terminals, and moored tankers along the coast of Kuwait, and precipitated from oil fire smoke plumes. To assess the environmental impact of the oil, an international team of marine scientists representing 14 nations was assembled under the auspices of the United Nations International Oceanic Commission and the Regional Organization for Protection of the Marine Environment to conduct detailed surveys of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman, including hydrographic, chemical, and biological measurements. To supplement the field surveys and to serve as an aid in data interpretation, astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis photographed water features and coastal habitats in the Persian Gulf during mission STS-45 (24 March to 02 April 1992). The astronauts collected 111 hand-held, color photographs of the Gulf (72 70-mm photographs and 39 5-inch photographs) from an altitude of 296 km (160 n.mi.). The photographs reveal distributions in water turbidity associated with outflow from the Shatt-al-Arab and water circulation along the entire coast of Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, coastal wetlands and shallow-water habitats, and sticks appearing in the sunglint pattern, which appear to be oil.

77 FR 46287 - Safety Zone; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Mile Marker 35.2 to Mile Marker 35.5, West of Harvey...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-03

...-AAOO Safety Zone; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Mile Marker 35.2 to Mile Marker 35.5, West of Harvey.... SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is re-establishing a temporary safety zone in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.... This Safety Zone is needed to protect the general public, vessels and tows from destruction, loss or...

76 FR 23904 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-29

... restaurants will be hurt by this closure. People will start limiting their trips to the Gulf coast because of... shops, hotels, and restaurants. The Council considered several closure options, including spring and... owned and operated, is not dominant in its field of operation (including its affiliates), and has...

33 CFR 165.840 - Regulated Navigation Area, Gulf of Mexico: Mississippi Canyon Block 20, South of New Orleans, LA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Regulated Navigation Area, Gulf of Mexico: Mississippi Canyon Block 20, South of New Orleans, LA. 165.840 Section 165.840 Navigation... Limited Access Areas Eighth Coast Guard District § 165.840 Regulated Navigation Area, Gulf of Mexico...

33 CFR 165.840 - Regulated Navigation Area, Gulf of Mexico: Mississippi Canyon Block 20, South of New Orleans, LA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Regulated Navigation Area, Gulf of Mexico: Mississippi Canyon Block 20, South of New Orleans, LA. 165.840 Section 165.840 Navigation... Limited Access Areas Eighth Coast Guard District § 165.840 Regulated Navigation Area, Gulf of Mexico...

Application of spatial models to the stopover ecology of trans-Gulf migrants

Treesearch

Theodore R. Simons; Scott M. Pearson; Frank R. Moore

2000-01-01

Studies at migratory stopover sites along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico are providing an understanding of how weather, habitat, and energetic factors combine to shape the stopover ecology of trans-Gulf migrants. We are coupling this understanding with analyses of landscape-level patterns of habitat availability by using spatially explicit models to simulate...

30 CFR 256.52 - Bond requirements for an oil and gas or sulphur lease.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... included in the Gulf of Mexico. Areawide bonds issued in the Gulf of Mexico will cover oil and gas or sulphur operations offshore the Atlantic Coast. The three areas are: (1) The Gulf of Mexico and the area... Treasury securities under this paragraph (f), you must monitor their value. If their market value falls...

Offshore oil and gas activity impact. Hearings before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, US Senate, One Hundred Sixth Congress, First Session, January 27, 1999

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1999-07-01

The purpose of this hearing is hear of the impacts of offshore exploration and production activities on coastal states and communities as it relates to Senate Bill 25. This bill would remedy current inequities by redistributing 50 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) revenues to three programs: coastal impact assistance, local park and recreation, and wildlife programs. Statements were heard from representatives from three of the Gulf Coast States, as well as Alaska.

KSC-07pd0874

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A male greater scaup duck is mirrored in the water on Kennedy Space Center. Normally found in Alaska and northern Canada, this species winters along the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife Nature Refuge. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the Refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

Associations between blood BTEXS concentrations and hematologic parameters among adult residents of the U.S. Gulf States.

PubMed

Doherty, Brett T; Kwok, Richard K; Curry, Matthew D; Ekenga, Christine; Chambers, David; Sandler, Dale P; Engel, Lawrence S

2017-07-01

Studies of workers exposed to benzene at average air concentrations below one part per million suggest that benzene, a known hematotoxin, causes hematopoietic damage even at low exposure levels. However, evidence of such effects outside of occupational settings and for other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is limited. To investigate associations between ambient exposures to five VOCs, including benzene, and hematologic parameters among adult residents of the U.S. Gulf Coast. Blood concentrations of selected VOCs were measured in a sample of adult participants in the Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study (GuLF STUDY) during 2012 and 2013. Complete blood counts with differentials were also performed on a subset of participants (n=406). We used these data together with detailed questionnaire data to estimate adjusted associations between blood BTEXS (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m/p-xylene, and styrene) concentrations and hematologic parameters using generalized linear models. We observed inverse associations between blood benzene concentrations and hemoglobin concentration and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and a positive association with red cell distribution width among tobacco smoke-unexposed participants (n=146). Among tobacco smoke-exposed participants (n=247), we observed positive associations between blood VOC concentrations and several hematologic parameters, including increased white blood cell and platelet counts, suggestive of hematopoietic stimulation typically associated with tobacco smoke exposure. Most associations were stronger for benzene than for the other VOCs. Our results suggest that ambient exposure to BTEXS, particularly benzene, may be associated with hematologic effects, including decreased hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and increased red cell distribution width. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The National Assessment of Shoreline Change: a GIS compilation of vector shorelines and associated shoreline change data for the U.S. southeast Atlantic coast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Tara L.; Morton, Robert A.; Sallenger, Asbury H.

2006-01-01

The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey has generated a comprehensive database of digital vector shorelines and shoreline change rates for the U.S. Southeast Atlantic Coast (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina). These data, which are presented herein, were compiled as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Assessment of Shoreline Change Project. Beach erosion is a chronic problem along most open-ocean shores of the United States. As coastal populations continue to grow and community infrastructures are threatened by erosion, there is increased demand for accurate information including rates and trends of shoreline migration. There is also a critical need for shoreline change data that is consistent from one coastal region to another. One purpose of this work is to develop standard repeatable methods for mapping and analyzing shoreline movement so that periodic updates of shorelines and shoreline change rates can be made nationally that are systematic and internally consistent. This data compilation for open-ocean, sandy shorelines of the U.S. Southeast Atlantic Coast is the second in a series that already includes the Gulf of Mexico, and will eventually include the Pacific Coast, and parts of Hawaii and Alaska. Short- and long-term shoreline change evaluations are based on merging three historical shorelines with a modern shoreline derived from lidar (light detection and ranging) topographic surveys. Historical shorelines generally represent the following time periods: 1800s, 1920s-1930s, and 1970s. The most recent shoreline is derived from data collected over the period of 1997-2002. Long-term rates of change are calculated by linear regression using all four shorelines. Short-term rates of change are simple end-point rate calculations using the two most recent shorelines. Please refer to our full report on shoreline change for the U.S. Southeast Atlantic Coast at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1401/ to get additional information regarding methods and results.

STS-45 Earth observation of the Persian Gulf and the island of Abu Ali

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

STS-45 Earth observation taken aboard Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, is of the northern reaches of the Persian Gulf with the sunglint pattern centered on the Saudi Arabian island of Abu Ali. Bright features along the coast are thought to be deposits of oil, released from a terminal offshore of Kuwait during the recent Persian Gulf War. Further up the coast, in Kuwait, the black, oil-soaked desert surrounding the site of the oil well fires is clearly visible. View was taken from an altitude of 160 nautical miles with OV-104 located at 28 degrees north and 52.8 degrees east. During the STS-45 mission, an international survey team focused on oil contamination of the shallow-water habitants in the area north of Abu Ali Island. Crewmembers contacted the NOAA survey vessel, the R/V Mt. Mitchell, several times and photographed water color and sunglint within the study area and throughout the entire Persian Gulf. These photographic data are expected to aid the Persian Gulf researchers in

An analysis of the relationship between drought events and mangrove changes along the northern coasts of the Pe rsian Gulf and Oman Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mafi-Gholami, Davood; Mahmoudi, Beytollah; Zenner, Eric K.

2017-12-01

Relating the changes of mangrove forests to spatially explicit reductions in rainfall amounts and increases in drought occurrences is a prerequisite for improving the effectiveness and success of mangrove forest conservation programs. To this end, we investigated the relationship between drought events (quantified using the Standardized Precipitation Index [SPI]) and changes in area and canopy cover of mangrove forests on the northern coast of the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea using satellite imagery and long-term annual rainfall data over a period of 30 years (1986-2016). Statistical analyses revealed 1998 as the year marking the most significant change-point in the mean annual rainfall values in the catchments and mangroves, after which average SPI values consistently remained at lower levels. In the period of 1998-2016, decreases in the mean annual rainfall and increases in the severity of droughts differed spatially and were greater in the catchments and mangroves on the coasts of the Oman Sea than the coasts of the Persian Gulf. These spatially explicit results were closely mirrored by the mangrove response, with differential in reductions in mangrove areas and canopy cover that corresponded closely with the spatial distribution of drought intensities in the different parts of the coasts, with correlation coefficients ≥0.89 for the different coastal regions.

Comparison of mitochondrial DNA control region sequence and microsatellite DNA analyses in estimating population structure and gene flow rates in Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wirgin, I.; Waldman, J.; Stabile, J.; Lubinski, B.; King, T.

2002-01-01

Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus is large, long-lived, and anadromous with subspecies distributed along the Atlantic (A. oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) and Gulf of Mexico (A. o. desotoi) coasts of North America. Although it is not certain if extirpation of some population units has occurred, because of anthropogenic influences abundances of all populations are low compared with historical levels. Informed management of A. oxyrinchus demands a detailed knowledge of its population structure, levels of genetic diversity, and likelihood to home to natal rivers. We compared the use of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequence and microsatellite nuclear DNA (nDNA) analyses in identifying the stock structure and homing fidelity of Atlantic and Gulf coast populations of A. oxyrinchus. The approaches were concordant in that they revealed moderate to high levels of genetic diversity and suggested that populations of Atlantic sturgeon are highly structured. At least six genetically distinct management units were detected using the two approaches among the rivers surveyed. Mitochondrial DNA sequences revealed a significant cline in haplotype diversity along the Atlantic coast with monomorphism observed in Canadian populations. High levels of nDNA diversity were also observed among populations along the Atlantic coast, including the two Canadian populations, probably resulting from the more rapid rate of mutational and evolutionary change at microsatellite loci. Estimates of gene flow among populations were similar between both approaches with the exception that because of mtDNA monomorphism in Canadian populations, gene flow estimates between them were unobtainable. Analyses of both genomes provided high resolution and confidence in characterizing the population structure of Atlantic sturgeon. Microsatellite analysis was particularly informative in delineating population structure in rivers that were recently glaciated and may prove diagnostic in rivers that are geographically proximal along the south Atlantic coast of the US.

Trace element concentrations in surface estuarine and marine sediments along the Mississippi Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina.

PubMed

Warren, Crystal; Duzgoren-Aydin, Nurdan S; Weston, James; Willett, Kristine L

2012-01-01

Hurricanes are relatively frequent ecological disturbances that may cause potentially long-term impacts to the coastal environment. Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast in August 2005, and caused a storm surge with the potential to change the trace element content of coastal surface sediments. In this study, surface estuarine and marine sediments were collected monthly following the storm from ten sites along the Mississippi Gulf Coast (Mobile Bay, Grand Bay Bayous Heron and Cumbest, Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, Biloxi Gulf, Back Biloxi Bay, Gulfport Gulf, Gulfport Courthouse Rd, and Gulfport Marina). Concentrations of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to evaluate their temporal and spatial variations in the year following Hurricane Katrina. Sediments were characterized by pH, particle size distribution and total carbon and nitrogen content. Trace element contents of the sediments were determined in both <2 mm and <63 μm grain size fractions. Results revealed no significant temporal and spatial variability in trace element concentrations, in either size fraction. Potential ecological risk of the sediments was assessed by using NOAA SQuiRTs' guideline values; most concentrations remained below probable adverse effects guidelines to marine organisms suggesting that trace elements redistributed by Hurricane Katrina would not cause an adverse impact on resident organisms. Instead, the concentrations of trace elements were site-dependent, with specific contaminants relating to the use of the area prior to Hurricane Katrina.

Organic-rich source beds and hydrocarbon production in Gulf Coast region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, D.F.; Lerche, I.

1988-09-01

Two models (I and II) are presented that relate the production of hydrocarbons in the Gulf Coast region to organic-rich source beds of ancient intraslope basins. Model I is empirical, based on present-day depositional environments like the anoxic Orca basin of the northern Gulf of Mexico and the Bannock basin of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Model I proposed that low oxygen levels in intraslope basins of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) have been a common mechanism for the accumulation of sediments with significantly increased amounts of marine organic carbon. In Model I progradation of the shelf-slope and regional saltmore » tectonics control the occurrence and stratigraphic distribution of source beds throughout the Tertiary of the GOM. In turn, the maturation history of these organic-rich sediments is influenced by the high thermal conductivity of the underlying salt structures. Model II is statistical; it uses random number theory to suggest that the occurrence of organic-rich black muds in intraslope basins of the northwestern GOM had sufficient capacity to account for a dynamic range estimate of 30 to 500 billion bbl oil total and 30 to 300 bcf/million years per ephemeral basin of gas. These estimates, while approximate, clearly indicate the enormous hydrocarbon potential for generating oil and gas reserves in the Gulf Coast geosyncline. Such estimates underscore the need for a better understanding of intraslope basins of the northwestern GOM.« less

Applications of Seasat to the offshore oil, gas and mining industries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mourad, A. G.; Robinson, A. C.

1977-01-01

The NASA satellite Seasat-A (to be launched in 1978) has applications to the offshore oil, gas, and mining industries including: (1) improvements in weather and wave forecasting, (2) studies of past wind and wave statistics for planning design requirements, and (3) monitoring ice formation, breakup, and movement in arctic regions. The primary geographic areas which will be monitored by Seasat-A include: the Beaufort Sea, the Labrador Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. east coast, West Africa, Equatorial East Pacific, the Gulf of Alaska, and the North Sea. Seasat-A instrumentation used in ocean monitoring consists of a radar altimeter, a radar scatterometer, a synthetic aperture radar, a microwave radiometer, and a visible and infrared radiometer. The future outlook of the Seasat program is planned in three phases: measurement feasibility demonstration (1978-1980), data accessibility/utility demonstration (1980-1983), and operational system demonstration (1983-1985).

Observing the fifth anniversary of the date on which Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, saluting the dedication of volunteers who offered assistance in support of those affected by the storm, recognizing the progress of efforts to rebuild the affected Gulf Coast region, commending the persistence of the people of the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, and reaffirming Congress' commitment to restore and renew.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Cao, Anh "Joseph" [R-LA-2

2010-07-29

House - 07/30/2010 Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A review of the biology and literature of the Gulf Coast Toad (Incilius nebulifer), native to Mexico and the United States.

PubMed

Mendelson, Joseph R Iii; Kinsey, Chase T; Murphy, James B

2015-06-24

The Gulf Coast Toad (Incilius nebulifer) is an abundant and widespread species within its range in the United States and Mexico, so it appears on many faunal checklists and is considered in diverse kinds of research. We review the basic biology, distribution, and published history of this species, identifying only those records and publications referable to I. nebulifer, to help researchers identify published works pertaining to I. nebulfer rather than I. valliceps, with which it formerly was considered to be conspecific.

Airborne Hyperspectral and Satellite Multispectral Imagery of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Region

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

interest to NRLSSC include the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi, Eastern Pacific, Arabian Sea , Persian Gulf, Mediterranean Sea , Adriatic Sea and many...suspended constituents in the sea (Roesler and Boss, 2002). Visible light wavelengths are very short as stated above. Suspended sediments range in...detection of underwater objects like mines. Suspended sediments are an environmental condition of interest. Remote sensors provide an opportunity

Trapped in Place? Segmented Resilience to Hurricanes in the Gulf Coast, 1970-2005.

PubMed

Logan, John R; Issar, Sukriti; Xu, Zengwang

2016-10-01

Hurricanes pose a continuing hazard to populations in coastal regions. This study estimates the impact of hurricanes on population change in the years 1970-2005 in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. Geophysical models are used to construct a unique data set that simulates the spatial extent and intensity of wind damage and storm surge from the 32 hurricanes that struck the region in this period. Multivariate spatial time-series models are used to estimate the impacts of hurricanes on population change. Population growth is found to be reduced significantly for up to three successive years after counties experience wind damage, particularly at higher levels of damage. Storm surge is associated with reduced population growth in the year after the hurricane. Model extensions show that change in the white and young adult population is more immediately and strongly affected than is change for blacks and elderly residents. Negative effects on population are stronger in counties with lower poverty rates. The differentiated impact of hurricanes on different population groups is interpreted as segmented withdrawal-a form of segmented resilience in which advantaged population groups are more likely to move out of or avoid moving into harm's way while socially vulnerable groups have fewer choices.

Trapped in Place? Segmented Resilience to Hurricanes in the Gulf Coast, 1970–2005

PubMed Central

Logan, John R.; Issar, Sukriti; Xu, Zengwang

2016-01-01

Hurricanes pose a continuing hazard to populations in coastal regions. This study estimates the impact of hurricanes on population change in the years 1970–2005 in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. Geophysical models are used to construct a unique data set that simulates the spatial extent and intensity of wind damage and storm surge from the 32 hurricanes that struck the region in this period. Multivariate spatial time-series models are used to estimate the impacts of hurricanes on population change. Population growth is found to be reduced significantly for up to three successive years after counties experience wind damage, particularly at higher levels of damage. Storm surge is associated with reduced population growth in the year after the hurricane. Model extensions show that change in the white and young adult population is more immediately and strongly affected than is change for blacks and elderly residents. Negative effects on population are stronger in counties with lower poverty rates. The differentiated impact of hurricanes on different population groups is interpreted as segmented withdrawal—a form of segmented resilience in which advantaged population groups are more likely to move out of or avoid moving into harm’s way while socially vulnerable groups have fewer choices. PMID:27531504

Water level observations in mangrove swamps during two hurricanes in Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krauss, K.W.; Doyle, T.W.; Doyle, T.J.; Swarzenski, C.M.; From, A.S.; Day, Richard H.; Conner, W.H.

2009-01-01

Little is known about the effectiveness of mangroves in suppressing water level heights during landfall of tropical storms and hurricanes. Recent hurricane strikes along the Gulf Coast of the United States have impacted wetland integrity in some areas and hastened the need to understand how and to what degree coastal forested wetlands confer protection by reducing the height of peak water level. In recent years, U.S. Geological Survey Gulf Coast research projects in Florida have instrumented mangrove sites with continuous water level recorders. Our ad hoc network of water level recorders documented the rise, peak, and fall of water levels (?? 0.5 hr) from two hurricane events in 2004 and 2005. Reduction of peak water level heights from relatively in-line gages associated with one storm surge event indicated that mangrove wetlands can reduce water level height by as much as 9.4 cm/km inland over intact, relatively unchannelized expanses. During the other event, reductions were slightly less for mangroves along a river corridor. Estimates of water level attenuation were within the range reported in the literature but erred on the conservative side. These synoptic data from single storm events indicate that intact mangroves may support a protective role in reducing maximum water level height associated with surge.

The Interconnectedness of Water and Health: Translating Science Into Public Health-driven Policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lichtveld, M.

2017-12-01

Louisiana and other U.S. Gulf Coast communities' unique vulnerability stems from three interconnected stressors they face: historic health disparities, persistent environmental stressors, and a geography prone to both natural and technological disasters. The health of the ecosystem is inextricably linked to that of humans. Specifically, water presents both a central asset and an intransigent environmental health threat. Waterborne illnesses associated with infectious organisms, chemical contaminants, coastal erosion, natural and technological disasters such as hurricanes and oil spills, as well as climate change-associated sea level rise and dead zones, all can negatively impact human health. Existing water-related policies at the federal, state, and local levels have failed to effectively protect the health of communities and their environment to date. For example, despite the existence of the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, oil spills and drinking water contamination continue to pose significant threats to communities' health and wellbeing. This presentation will examine water-related threats to Gulf Coast communities and their ecosystem. Emphasis will be placed on key examples of policy failure and the impact such failures. A public health-driven framework will demonstrate how science can inform evidence- based policy and in turn prevention-driven public health practice.

30 CFR 550.1011 - Bond requirements for pipeline right-of-way holders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... purpose of this paragraph, there are three areas: (1) The Gulf of Mexico and the area offshore the Atlantic Coast; (2) The areas offshore the Pacific Coast States of California, Oregon, Washington, and...

30 CFR 550.1011 - Bond requirements for pipeline right-of-way holders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... purpose of this paragraph, there are three areas: (1) The Gulf of Mexico and the area offshore the Atlantic Coast; (2) The areas offshore the Pacific Coast States of California, Oregon, Washington, and...

30 CFR 550.1011 - Bond requirements for pipeline right-of-way holders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... purpose of this paragraph, there are three areas: (1) The Gulf of Mexico and the area offshore the Atlantic Coast; (2) The areas offshore the Pacific Coast States of California, Oregon, Washington, and...

Mesoscale variability of water masses in the Arabian Sea as revealed by ARGO floats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carton, X.; L'Hegaret, P.

2011-06-01

By analysing ARGO float data over the last four years, some aspects of the mesoscale variability of water masses in the Arabian Sea are described. The Red Sea Water outflow is strong in the Southwestern Gulf of Aden, in particular when a cyclonic gyre predominates in this region. Salinities of 36.5 and temperatures of 16 °C are found there between 600 and 1000 m depths. The Red Sea Water is more dilute in the eastern part of the Gulf, and fragments of this water mass can be advected offshore across the gulf or towards its northern coast by the regional gyres. The Red Sea Water outflow is also detected along the northeastern coast of Socotra, and fragments of RSW are found between one and three degrees of latitude north of this island. In the whole Gulf of Aden, the correlation between the deep motions of the floats and the SSH measured by altimetry is strong, at regional scale. The finer scale details of the float trajectories are more often related to the anomalous water masses that they encounter. The Persian Gulf Water (PGW) is found in the float profiles near Ras ash Sharbatat (near 57° E, 18° N), again with 36.5 in salinity and about 18-19 °C in temperature. These observations were achieved in winter when the southwestward monsoon currents can advect PGW along the South Arabian coast. Fragments of PGW are found in the Arabian Sea between 18 and 20° N and 63 and 65° E, showing that this water mass can escape the Gulf of Oman southeastward, in particular during summer.

Dilemma for high-tech refiners

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The price difference between lighter and heavier crude oils, and between light and heavy refined products, amounts to the incentive for refiners to upgrade processing facilities. When that differential widens, the incentive to utilize lower price, lower quality crude is enhanced; when it narrows, the desirability of relying on light oil prices and supplies is intensified. The incentive to upgrade has been eroded ever since 1981 ushered in world-wide overproduction of crude oil. Lower demand due to recession met with increased pressure on producers to compete for market shares to maintain vital revenue levels - for private and national oilmore » companies alike. Light crude prices suffered, while heavy crude prices improved. As of mid-1984, the shrinkage of the price differential went into dormancy (see Energy Detente 8/8/84, A Hey-Day for Heavy Crudes) after both Mexico and Venezuela raised heavy oil prices by US $0.50 per barrel (bbl). Energy Detente refining netback data for the first half of October are presented for the US Gulf Coast and the US West Coast. The fuel price/tax series and the industrial fuel prices for October 1984 are included for countries of the Eastern Hemisphere.« less

Migration strategies and wintering areas of North American ospreys as revealed by satellite telemetry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martell, Mark S.; Henny, Charles J.; Nye, P.; Solensky, Matthew J.

2000-01-01

Since 1995 we have trapped and tagged 110 Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) from 12 study sites in 8 states (Fig. 1). This total includes 71 females, 32 males and 7 juveniles. Our study areas encompass the major Osprey population concentrations found in the United States including the Western States, the Great Lakes region and the Eastern Seaboard.Tagging of nesting pairs along with three complete family groups revealed that departure times from nesting areas varied by gender; with females leaving before the juveniles and themales departing last. Neither nesting pairs, nor families, migrated or wintered together (Fig. 2). Departure dates from the breeding areas ranged from 12 July to 1 October. Migration routes differed between populations but not gender (Fig. 3). Western Ospreys migrated through California and to a lesser degree other western states and then into Mexico. MinnesotaOspreys migrated along three routes; 1) through the central U.S. and then along the east coast of Mexico, 2) along the Mississippi River then across the Gulf of Mexico, or 3) through the Southeastern U.S., then across the Caribbean. East Coast birds migrated along the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. through Florida and across the Caribbean.

Organchlorine content and shell thickness in brown booby (Sula leucogaster) eggs in the Gulf of California and the southern Pacific coast of Mexico.

PubMed

Mellink, Eric; Riojas-López, Mónica E; Luévano-Esparza, Jaime

2009-07-01

We determined egg concentrations of organochlorines and thickness of eggshells from brown boobies at eight colonies ranging from the northern Gulf of California to southern Mexico. The only common residue was that of DDE, which was found in almost all eggs. DDE content apparently reflected pre-1990 DDT use in nearby agricultural areas and, at one site, intensive mosquito control for high-end tourism development. There were no inter-colony differences in eggshell thickness, and variation in this variable likely reflected individual bird characteristics and/or individual feeding source. This variable was not a good proxy to DDE exposure of brown boobies, under current DDE levels in the brown booby trophic chain. In the northern Gulf of California, eggshell thickness has recovered to pre-DDT conditions. Our data indicate that the Gulf of California and southwestern coast of Mexico have a healthy near-shore marine environment, as far as organochlorines are concerned.

View of Gulf coast area of Louisiana from Skylab space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

A vertical view of the Gulf coast area of Louisiana (29.0N, 92.0W) as seen from the Skylab space station in Earth orbit. A Skylab 4 crewman used a hand-held 70mm Hasselblad camera to take this picture. This view extends from White Lake and Pecan Island (bottom border) eastward to the Mississippi River delta (top left). Atchafalaya Bay (red) is in the center. The Bayou Teche area is included in this view. A prominent feature of this photograph is two large white smoke plumes extending from Louisiana south into the Gulf of Mexico. The larger smoke plume originates on the southern shore of Vermillion Bay. The other plume extends from the southern shore of Marsh Island. The prononced narrow width and length of the plumes indicate that a strong offshore wind is present. Approximately 100 miles of the plumes are visible in this photograph; but they probably extend well into the Gulf of Mexico.

Evidence of regional subsidence and associated interior wetland loss induced by hydrocarbon production, Gulf Coast region, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morton, R.A.; Bernier, J.C.; Barras, J.A.

2006-01-01

Analysis of remote images, elevation surveys, stratigraphic cross-sections, and hydrocarbon production data demonstrates that extensive areas of wetland loss in the northern Gulf Coast region of the United States were associated with large-volume fluid production from mature petroleum fields. Interior wetland losses at many sites in coastal Louisiana and Texas are attributed largely to accelerated land subsidence and fault reactivation induced by decreased reservoir pressures as a result of rapid or prolonged extraction of gas, oil, and associated brines. Evidence that moderately-deep hydrocarbon production has induced land-surface subsidence and reactivated faults that intersect the surface include: (1) close temporal and spatial correlation of fluid production with surficial changes including rapid subsidence of wetland sediments near producing fields, (2) measurable offsets of shallow strata across the zones of wetland loss, (3) large reductions in subsurface pressures where subsidence rates are high, (4) coincidence of orientation and direction of displacement between surface fault traces and faults that bound the reservoirs, and (5) accelerated subsidence rates near producing fields compared to subsidence rates in surrounding areas or compared to geological rates of subsidence. Based on historical trends, subsidence rates in the Gulf Coast region near producing fields most likely will decrease in the future because most petroleum fields are nearly depleted. Alternatively, continued extraction of conventional energy resources as well as potential production of alternative energy resources (geopressured-geothermal fluids) in the Gulf Coast region could increase subsidence and land losses and also contribute to inundation of areas of higher elevation. ?? Springer-Verlag 2006.

Giant Upper Cretaceous oysters from the Gulf coast and Caribbean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sohl, Norman F.; Kauffman, Erle G.

1964-01-01

Two unusually massive ostreid species, representing the largest and youngest Mesozoic members of their respective lineages, occur in Upper Cretaceous sediment of the gulf coast and Caribbean areas. Their characteristics and significance, as well as the morphologic terminology of ostreids in general, are discussed. Crassostrea cusseta Sohl and Kauffman n. sp. is the largest known ostreid from Mesozoic rocks of North America; it occurs sporadically in the Cusseta Sand and rarely in the Blufftown Formation of the Chattahoochee River region in Georgia and Alabama. It is especially notable in that it lacks a detectable posterior adductor muscle scar on large adult shells. C. cusseta is the terminal Cretaceous member of the C. soleniscus lineage in gulf coast sediments; the lineage continues, however, with little basic modification, throughout the Cenozoic, being represented in the Eocene by C. gigantissima (Finch) and probably, in modern times, by C. virginica (Gmelin). The C. soleniscus lineage is the first typically modern crassostreid group recognized in the Mesozoic. Arctostrea aguilerae (Böse) occurs in Late Campanian and Early Maestrichtian sediments of Alabama, Mississippi, Texas(?), Mexico, and Cuba. The mature shell of this species is larger and more massive than that of any other known arctostreid. Arctostrea is well represented throughout the Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous of Europe, but in North America, despite the great numbers and diversity of Cretaceous oysters, only A. aguilerae and the Albian form A. carinata are known. The presence of A. aquilerae in both the Caribbean and gulf coast faunas is exceptional, as the Late Cretaceous faunas of these provinces are generally distinct and originated in different faunal realms.

Spring migration of Northern Pintails from Texas and New Mexico, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haukos, D.A.; Miller, M.R.; Orthmeyer, D.L.; Takekawa, John Y.; Fleskes, J.P.; Casazza, Michael L.; Perry, W.M.; Moon, J.A.

2006-01-01

We used satellite transmitters (platform transmitting terminals or PTTs) during 2002 and 2003 to document spring migration timing, routes, stopover sites, and nesting sites of adult female Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) from major wintering areas of the Gulf Coast (N = 20) and Playa Lakes Regions (PLR, N = 20) in Texas, and the Middle Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico (MRGV, N = 15). Some Pintails tagged in the MRGV continued movements into Mexico. Poor winter survival or PTT failure reduced sample size to 15 for PLR Pintails, 5 for Gulf Coast Pintails, and 11 for MRGV Pintails. Apparent winter survival was 66% lower for Texas Gulf Coast PTT-tagged Pintails than for those from the PLR and MRGV. Pintails from each area used different routes to their respective breeding grounds. PTT-tagged Pintails from the MRGV followed the Rio Grande Valley north to southern Colorado, before traveling on to the Dakotas and Canada or traveled northeast and joined the migration of PLR Pintails in Texas or Kansas. The latter made initial stops in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, or the Dakotas. Gulf Coast Pintails traveled through north-central Oklahoma or central Kansas. Pintails that had stopped first in Kansas or Nebraska tended to settle to nest in the United States. Wetland availability in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Northern Great Plains influenced nesting destinations of PTT-tagged Pintails, but individuals settled across a wide swath of northern North America. We did not detect any consistently-used spring staging areas. Therefore, negative impacts to any of the marked populations, or their wetland habitats, may have continental implications.

Modeling the Gulf Stream System: How Far from Reality?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choa, Yi; Gangopadhyay, Avijit; Bryan, Frank O.; Holland, William R.

1996-01-01

Analyses of a primitive equation ocean model simulation of the Atlantic Ocean circulation at 1/6 deg horizontal resolution are presented with a focus on the Gulf Stream region. Among many successful features of this simulation, this letter describes the Gulf Stream separation from the coast of North America near Cape Hatteras, meandering of the Gulf Stream between Cape Hatteras and the Grand Banks, and the vertical structure of temperature and velocity associated with the Gulf Stream. These results demonstrate significant improvement in modeling the Gulf Stream system using basin- to global scale ocean general circulation models. Possible reasons responsible for the realistic Gulf Stream simulation are discussed, contrasting the major differences between the present model configuration and those of previous eddy resolving studies.

33 CFR 110.194b - Mississippi Sound and Gulf of Mexico, near Petit Bois Island, Miss.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Mexico, near Petit Bois Island, Miss. 110.194b Section 110.194b Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Mississippi Sound and Gulf of Mexico, near Petit Bois Island, Miss. (a) The anchorage grounds—(1) Explosives... center located at latitude 30°11′12″, longitude 88°30′07″, in the waters of Gulf of Mexico south of the...

Integrated Geophysical Models Extending From The Craton Across The Gulf Coast Region Of The USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, G. R.; Mickus, K. L.; Thomas, W. A.

2017-12-01

In spite of decades of industry geophysical studies in the US Gulf Coast region, its crustal and uppermost mantle structure remain poorly understood. To understand the structure of this region and its variations from the southern Appalachians to northernmost Mexico, we have complied and integrated multiple data sets to produce a set of lithospheric scale transects crossing this region. These transects are presented as gravity models, but they are constrained by the available seismic reflection/refraction, passive seismic, magnetic, drilling, and geological data. The key transect is based on the PASSCAL wide-angle reflection/refraction experiment that extended from the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas across the Sabine uplift in Louisiana and into the northernmost Gulf of Mexico. This experiment imaged the Iapetan rifted margin and showed that it was not strongly deformed. This model and one across Alabama delineated crustal blocks south of the rifted margin of Laurentia whose origin is unknown. In central Texas, the models show a crust that thins gradually from the Ouachita orogenic belt southward across the coastline to the edge of the continental margin in the Gulf of Mexico. In western Texas and adjacent northern Mexico, another crustal block has been proposed. Thus, our integrated models and geologic constraints show that the Appalachian and Ouachita orogenic belts were formed during assembly of Pangea (by 270 Ma), and were driven onto the Iapetan rifted margin by collisions with arcs, exotic terranes, and other continents. They also show that the sinuous curves of the Appalachian-Ouachita orogen mimic the shape of the Iapetan rifted margin and subsequent passive-margin shelf edge. Our results indicate that the Ouachita orogeny appears to be the result of soft collisions that have left the pre-orogenic rifted margins largely intact and reflect the complex interactions of compressional and strike-slip deformation.

Geology and total petroleum systems of the Gulf of Guinea province of West Africa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brownfield, Michael E.; Charpentier, Ronald R.

2006-01-01

The Gulf of Guinea Province as defined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) consists of the coastal and offshore areas of Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Benin, and the western part of the coast of Nigeria, from the Liberian border east to the west edge of the Niger Delta. The province includes the Ivory Coast, Tano, Central, Saltpond, Keta, and Benin Basins and the Dahomey Embayment. The area has had relatively little hydrocarbon exploration since 1968, with only 33 small to moderate-sized oil and gas fields having been discovered prior to the USGS assessment. Most discoveries to 1995 have been located in water depths less than 500 m. Since 1995, only eight new offshore discoveries have been made, with four of the discoveries in the deep-water area of the province. Although as many as five total petroleum systems exist in the Gulf of Guinea Province, only one, the Cretaceous Composite Total Petroleum System, and its assessment unit, the Coastal Plain and Offshore Assessment Unit, had sufficient data to allow assessment. The province shows two important differences compared to the passive-margin basins south of the Niger Delta: (1) the influence of transform tectonics, and (2) the absence of evaporites and salt deformation. The province also lacks long-lived, large deltaic systems that typically result in rapid source rock burial and abundant high-quality hydrocarbon reservoirs. The USGS assessed the potential for undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the Gulf of Guinea Province as part of its World Petroleum Assessment 2000, estimating a mean of 1,004 million barrels of conventional undiscovered oil, 10,071 billion cubic feet of gas, and 282 million barrels of natural gas liquids. Most of the hydrocarbon potential is postulated to be in the offshore, deeper waters of the province. Gas resources may be large, as well as accessible, in areas where the zone of hydrocarbon generation is relatively shallow.

Distribution of metal concentrations in sediments of the coastal zone of the Gulf of Riga and open part of the Baltic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seisuma, Z.; Kulikova, I.

2012-11-01

The comparison of spatial and temporal distribution of Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, Mn and Fe concentrations in sediments from the Gulf of Riga and open Baltic Sea along the coastal zone is presented for the first time. There were considerable differences in Pb, Zn, Mn and Fe levels in sediment at various stations of the Gulf of Riga. A significant difference of Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn levels was found in sediments of various stations in the open Baltic coast. The amount of Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn and Fe levels also differed significantly in the sediments of the Gulf of Riga in different years. A considerable yearly difference in amount of Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni and Mn levels was found in sediments in the open Baltic coast. The essential highest values of Pb and Zn in coastal sediments of the open Baltic Sea are stated in comparison with the Gulf of Riga. The concentrations of other metals have only a tendency to be higher in coastal sediments of the open Baltic Sea in comparison with the Gulf of Riga. Natural and anthropogenic factors were proved to play an important role in determining resultant metals concentrations in the regions.

US refining margin trend: austerity continues

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

Should crude oil prices hold near current levels in 1988, US refining margins might improve little, if at all. If crude oil prices rise, margins could blush pink or worse. If they drop, US refiners would still probably not see much margin improvement. In fact, if crude prices fall, they could set off another free fall in products markets and threaten refiner survival. Volatility in refined products markets and low product demand growth are the underlying reasons for caution or pessimism as the new year approaches. Recent directional patterns in refining margins are scrutinized in this issue. This issue alsomore » contains the following: (1) the ED refining netback data for the US Gulf and West Coasts, Rotterdam, and Singapore for late November, 1987; and (2) the ED fuel price/tax series for countries of the Eastern Hemisphere, November, 1987 edition. 4 figures, 6 tables.« less

Coastal groundwater discharge for the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts calculated with three-dimensional groundwater flow models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Befus, K. M.; Kroeger, K. D.; Smith, C. G.; Swarzenski, P. W.

2017-12-01

Fresh groundwater discharge to coastal environments contribute to the physical and chemical conditions of coastal waters. At regional scales, groundwater fluxes remain poorly constrained, representing uncertainty in both water and chemical budgets that have implications for downstream ecosystem health and for how human activities alter coastal hydrologic processes. Coastal groundwater discharges remain widely unconstrained due to the interconnectedness of highly heterogeneous hydrogeologic frameworks and hydrologic conditions. We use regional-scale, three-dimensional groundwater flow models with the best available hydrostratigraphic framework data to calculate the magnitude of groundwater discharging from coastal aquifers to coastal waterbodies along the eastern U.S. In addition, we constrain the inland areas that contribute to coastal groundwater discharges using particle tracking. We find that 27 km3/yr of groundwater enters coastal waters of the eastern U.S. and Gulf of Mexico and was over 175,000 km2. The contributing areas to coastal groundwater discharge extended kilometers inland and often were supplied by recharge occurring tens of kilometers inland. These results suggest that coastal groundwater discharges rely on larger contributing areas and potentially transport more dissolved constituents than previously calculated, which are important factors for constraining the role of groundwater in coastal chemical budgets and its impacts on coastal ecosystems.

New Insight into the Lithosphere Structure of the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulliam, J.; Gurrola, H.; Mickus, K. L.; Keller, G. R.

2016-12-01

The Gulf Coast of Texas is a passive margin remaining after the breakup of Pangaea. The opening of the western Gulf of Mexico (GOM) was the result of the Yucatan block rifting away from North America and rotating to its present location but the exact nature of this rifting is not well understood. Some models describe it as passive rifting while other models consider it to be the result of active volcanic rifting. Until recently the sparse distribution of seismic stations limits our ability to image the deep crust and upper mantle that are important to the understanding of important tectonic process of the area. Here we present new observations from passive seismic imaging using data from a broadband 26-station profile across the Gulf Coastal Plain (GCP) and the EarthScope Transportable Array. Ps receiver function (RF) imaging of the GCP profile reveals possible remnants of a subducted slab beneath the GCP of the central Texas coast outboard of the Balcones fault zone. The presence of a remnant late Paleozoic slab associated with the assembly of Pangaea may imply that rifting associated with the opening of the GOM did not completely overprint older features, which suggests that passive rifting was responsible for the opening of western GOM. A remnant slab would provide a plausible explanation for a low velocity layer imaged beneath the coastal region by Sp RF imaging. A strong negative S110p phase observed in an Sp receiver functions image across the GCP of central Texas may be interpreted as the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere boundary (LAB) but observations of other positive and negative phases in the 110 and 200 km depth interval lead us to believe the interval is a semi-ductile region with layered flow. We refer to this interval as a "Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Transition Zone" (LATZ). The LATZ model is supported by observed high P but low S-wave velocities in this depth interval of tomographic models and by SKS analysis that inferred a large amount of anisotropy in the mantle beneath the GCP. Low velocity anomalies observed in Pn and body wave tomography models beneath the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen (SOA) suggests flow of warm mantle material beneath the SOA from the Rockies and Rio Grande Rift toward the GCP; a direction consistent with the seismic anisotropy polarization inferred beneath the region from SKS splitting measurements.

The Use of Naval Forces in the Post-War Era: U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps Crisis Response Activity, 1946-1990

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-01

their Caribbean coasts to guard against possible infiltration. The patrol force included one CVA ( Shangri - La ), one CVS (Wasp), and eight surface ships. 61...38 Shangri - La CVA-39 Lake Champlain CVA-40 Tarawa CV-41 Midway CVB-42 FD Roosevelt CV-43 Coral Sea CV-59 Forrestal CV-60 Saratoga CV-61 Ranger CV-62...N N 189 La Belle Disco, Libya 4/10/86 6 A6 Y 2 Y Y Y Y N 190 Pakistan Hijacking Sep-86 1 A6 Y 1 N N N N 191 Persian Gulf Ops Jan-87 579 A7 Y 2 Y Y N Y

DNA barcoding and morphological studies confirm the occurrence of three Atarbolana (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae) species along the coastal zone of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

PubMed

Khalaji-Pirbalouty, Valiallah; Raupach, Michael J

2016-11-27

Two species of Atarbolana (Cirolanidae: Isopoda) from the intertidal zone of the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf were studied and redescribed. The known distribution of this small genus is limited to the northern areas of the Indian Ocean, from the Pakistan coasts to the Persian Gulf. The analyses of DNA barcodes as well as detailed morphological studies clearly support the existence of three distinct Atarbolana species along the coastal zone of the Persian Gulf and northern Arabian Sea. Furthermore, A. dasycolus Yasmeen, 2004 is synonymized with A. setosa Javed and Yasmeen, 1989.

Nitrogen Oxides and Ozone from B-747 Measurements (NOXAR) During POLINAT-2 and SONEX: Overview and Case Studies on Continental and Marine Convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeker, Dominique P.; Pfister, Lenny; Brunner, Dominik; Boccippio, Dennis J.; Pickering, Kenneth E.; Thompson, Anne M.; Wernli, Heini; Selkirk, Rennie B.; Kondo, Yutaka; Koike, Matoke

1997-01-01

In the framework of the project POLINAT 2 (Pollution in the North Atlantic Flight Corridor) we measured NO(x) (NO and NO2) and ozone on 85 flights through the North Atlantic Flight Corridor (NAFC) with a fully automated system permanently installed aboard an in-service Swissair B-747 airliner in the period of August to November 1997. The averaged NO(x) concentrations both in the NAFC and at the U.S. east coast were similar to that measured in autumn 1995 with the same system. The patchy occurrence of NO(x) enhancements up to 3000 pptv over several hundred kilometers (plumes), predominately found over the U.S. east coast lead to a log-normal NO(x) probability density function. In three case studies we examine the origins of such plumes by combining back-trajectories with brightness temperature enhanced (IR) satellite imagery, lightning observations from the U.S. National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) and the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) satellite. We demonstrate that the location of NO(x) plumes can be well explained with maps of convective influence. We show that the number of lightning flashes in cluster of marine thunderstorms is proportional to the NO(x) concentrations observed several hundred kilometers downwind of the anvil outflows. From the fact that in autumn the NO(x) maximum was found several hundred kilometers off the U.S. east coast, it can be inferred that thunderstorms triggered over the warm Gulf Stream current are major sources for the regional upper tropospheric NO(x) budget in autumn.

The US Geological Survey's national coal resource assessment: The results

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruppert, Leslie F.; Kirschbaum, Mark A.; Warwick, Peter D.; Flores, Romeo M.; Affolter, Ronald H.; Hatch, Joseph R.

2002-01-01

The US Geological Survey and the State geological surveys of many coal-bearing States recently completed a new assessment of the top producing coal beds and coal zones in five major producing coal regions—the Appalachian Basin, Gulf Coast, Illinois Basin, Colorado Plateau, and Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. The assessments, which focused on both coal quality and quantity, utilized geographic information system technology and large databases. Over 1,600,000 million short tons of coal remain in over 60 coal beds and coal zones that were assessed. Given current economic, environmental, and technological restrictions, the majority of US coal production will occur in that portion of the assessed coal resource that is lowest in sulfur content. These resources are concentrated in parts of the central Appalachian Basin, Colorado Plateau, and the Northern Rocky Mountains.

Heavy Rain, Flash Flooding Possible Across Parts of Lower Mississippi Valley, Southeast

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

The system that brought heavy rainfall and flash flooding to parts of the southern Plains and western Gulf Coast over the past several days continues to push eastward, with the greatest potential for heavy rain and flash flooding on Monday across parts of the lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast. This image was taken by GOES East at 1515Z on October 26, 2015. Credit: NOAA/NASA GOES Project Credit: NASA/NOAA via NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

USACE National Coastal Mapping Program Update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sylvester, C.

2017-12-01

The Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX) formed in 1998 to support the coastal mapping and charting requirements of the USACE, NAVO, NOAA and USGS. This partnership fielded three generations of airborne lidar bathymeters, executed operational data collection programs within the U.S. and overseas, and advanced research and development in airborne lidar bathymetry and complementary technologies. JALBTCX executes a USACE Headquarters-funded National Coastal Mapping Program (NCMP). Initiated in 2004, the NCMP provides high-resolution, high-accuracy elevation and imagery data along the sandy shorelines of the U.S. on a recurring basis. NCMP mapping activities are coordinated with Federal mapping partners through the Interagency Working Group on Ocean and Coastal Mapping and the 3D Elevation Program. The NCMP, currently in it's third cycle, is performing operations along the East Coast in 2017, after having completed surveys along the Gulf Coast in 2016 and conducting emergency response operations in support of Hurricane Matthew. This presentation will provide an overview of JALBTCX, its history in furthering airborne lidar bathymetry technology to meet emerging mapping requirements, current NCMP operations and data products, and Federal mapping coordination activities.

Nitrogen Oxides and Ozones from B-747 Measurements (NOXAR) during POLINAT 2 and SONEX: Overview and Case-Studies on Continental and Marine Convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeker, Dominique; Pfister, Lenny; Brunner, Dominik; Boccippio, Dennis J.; Pickering, Kenneth E.; Thompson, Anne M.; Wernli, Heini; Selkirk, Rennie B.; Kondo, Yutaka; Koike, Matoke;

Study of application of remote sensing data to land use planning on the Mississippi gulf coast

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ingels, F. M. (Principal Investigator); Boyd, R. W.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. This project is currently involved in making visits to state and county agencies to obtain their reactions and opinions to the Mississippi Gulf Coast ERTS-1 data. The data products being used in these interviews are produced by NASA/MTF-ERL and consist of computer plotted maps with eight classifications and a statistical summary in booklet form. Reaction by potential users has been very favorable, but cost will be the largely determining factor in their ability to utilize ERTS-1 data in a recurring manner.

Run-up of Tsunamis in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the Chicxulub Impact Event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weisz, R.; Wünnenmann, K.; Bahlburg, H.

2003-04-01

The Chicxulub impact event can be investigated on (1) local, (2) regional and in (3) global scales. Our investigations focus on the regional scale, especially on the run-up of tsunami waves on the coast around the Gulf of Mexico caused by the impact. An impact produces two types of tsunami waves: (1) the rim wave, (2) the collapse wave. Both waves propagate over long distances and reach coastal areas. Depending on the tsunami wave characteristics, they have a potentionally large influence on the coastal areas. Run-up distance and run-up height can be used as parameters for assessing this influence. To calculate these parameters, we are using a multi-material hydrocode (SALE) to simulate the generation of the tsunami wave, a non-linear shallow water approach for the propagation, and we implemented a special open boundary for considering the run-up of tsunami waves. With the help of the one-dimensional shallow water approach, we will give run-up heights and distances for the coastal area around the Gulf of Mexico. The calculations are done along several sections from the impact site towards the coast. These are a first approximation to run-up calculations for the entire coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The bathymetric data along the sections, used in the wave propagation and run-up, correspond to a linearized bathymetry of the recent Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, we will present preliminary results from our first two-dimensional experiments of propagation and run-up. These results will be compared with the one-dimensional approach.

Modelling environmentally friendly fairways using Lagrangian trajectories: a case study for the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soomere, Tarmo; Berezovski, Mihhail; Quak, Ewald; Viikmäe, Bert

2011-10-01

We address possibilities of minimising environmental risks using statistical features of current-driven propagation of adverse impacts to the coast. The recently introduced method for finding the optimum locations of potentially dangerous activities (Soomere et al. in Proc Estonian Acad Sci 59:156-165, 2010) is expanded towards accounting for the spatial distributions of probabilities and times for reaching the coast for passively advecting particles released in different sea areas. These distributions are calculated using large sets of Lagrangian trajectories found from Eulerian velocity fields provided by the Rossby Centre Ocean Model with a horizontal resolution of 2 nautical miles for 1987-1991. The test area is the Gulf of Finland in the northeastern Baltic Sea. The potential gain using the optimum fairways from the Baltic Proper to the eastern part of the gulf is an up to 44% decrease in the probability of coastal pollution and a similar increase in the average time for reaching the coast. The optimum fairways are mostly located to the north of the gulf axis (by 2-8 km on average) and meander substantially in some sections. The robustness of this approach is quantified as the typical root mean square deviation (6-16 km) between the optimum fairways specified from different criteria. Drastic variations in the width of the `corridors' for almost optimal fairways (2-30 km for the average width of 15 km) signifies that the sensitivity of the results with respect to small changes in the environmental criteria largely varies in different parts of the gulf.

78 FR 39253 - Notice of Extension of Comment Period for Draft Initial Comprehensive Plan and Draft...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-01

...Pursuant to the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf States Act (RESTORE Act), the Secretary of Commerce, as Chair of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council), announces the extension of the public comment period for the Draft Initial Comprehensive Plan (Draft Plan) to restore and protect the Gulf Coast region and the Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (Draft PEA) for the Draft Plan. Council Members also have compiled preliminary lists of ecosystem restoration projects that are ``authorized but not yet commenced'' and the full Council is in the process of evaluating these lists; the Council announces the availability of these preliminary lists. If you previously submitted comments, please do not resubmit them because the Council has already incorporated them into the public record and will fully consider them.

KSC-07pd0873

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A female greater scaup duck (right) follows her mate through the water on Kennedy Space Center. Normally found in Alaska and northern Canada, this species winters along the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife Nature Refuge. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the Refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

Two-Dimensional Flow Modeling: Proceedings of the National U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Sponsored Seminar on the Two-Dimensional Flow Modeling (1st), 7-9 July 1981,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-03-01

Niederauer (Enerly, Inc.), Lee Butler (WES), Danny Fread (NOAA). Theodor Strelkoff (Hydraulic Enuineering), Robert MacArthur (HEC), Warren Mellema (4RD), Jaime ...Mississippi, Sabine , and Neches Rivers as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Work is on-going to gradually extend this service to other Gulf Coast rivers in Texas...MEXICO FIG. 2-HURRICANE STORM SURGE FORECASTING OF SABINE AND NECHES RIVERS 16 DAM -Z - PLAN VIEW- SEC. VIEW f-f FIG. 3- DAM-BREAK FLOOD ONTO A VERY WIDE

Medical Imaging of Neglected Tropical Diseases of the Americas.

PubMed

Jones, Patrick; Mazal, Jonathan

2016-01-01

Neglected tropical diseases are a group of protozoan, parasitic, bacterial, and viral diseases endemic in 149 countries causing substantial illness globally. Extreme poverty and warm tropical climates are the 2 most potent forces promoting the spread of neglected tropical diseases. These forces are prevalent in Central and South America, as well as the U.S. Gulf Coast. Advanced cases often require specialized medical imaging for diagnosis, disease staging, and follow-up. This article offers a review of epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis (with special attention to medical imaging), and treatment of neglected tropical diseases specific to the Americas.

Slick science: will new BP funds keep Gulf genomics afloat?

PubMed

Alvania, Rebecca

2011-08-05

Funding injections by British Petroleum this summer are fueling studies in the Gulf Coast, raising hopes that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill might provide answers to long-standing questions on the nature of cellular toxicity. Rebecca Alvania investigates. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

OBSERVATIONS OF PHYTOPLANKTON SIZE STRUCTURE, NUTRIENTS, VARIABLE FLOURESCENCE, AND ALGAL PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY IN A GULF COAST ESTUARY

EPA Science Inventory

During 2001, phytoplankton dynamics, physiology, and related environmental conditions were studied in Santa Rosa Sound, Florida, USA, at near-weekly intervals. Santa Rosa Sound is a component of the Pensacola Bay system located in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Environmental parame...

ECOLOGICAL CONDITION OF THE ESTUARIES OF THE ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

EPA Science Inventory

Monitoring the estuaries of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines from Cape Cod, MA to Brownsville, TX was performed annually from 1990-1997 to assess ecological conditions on a regional basis for four biogeographic provinces. These province estimates - Virginian, Carolinia...

77 FR 51470 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, St. Petersburg/Tampa, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-24

... Operation Regulations; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, St. Petersburg/Tampa, FL AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... from the operating schedules that govern seven bridges in St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida. The... Sector St Petersburg, FL has requested temporary modifications to the operating schedules of seven...

Long-term Bat Monitoring on Islands, Offshore Structures, and Coastal Sites in the Gulf of Maine, mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes—Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peterson, Trevor; Pelletier, Steve; Giovanni, Matt

This report summarizes results of a long-term regional acoustic survey of bat activity at remote islands, offshore structures, and coastal sites in the Gulf of Maine, Great Lakes, and mid-Atlantic coast.

75 FR 78601 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, New Orleans Harbor, Inner Harbor...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-16

... Operation Regulation; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, New Orleans Harbor, Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, LA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of temporary deviation from... Harvey Lock), at New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. This deviation is necessary to adjust the...

RESEARCH AT THE GULF ECOLOGY DIVISION ON THE EFFECTS OF LOW DISSOLVED OXYGEN ON ESTUARINE ANIMALS

EPA Science Inventory

Concerns about hypoxia and its effects on saltwater organisms are increasing as environmental conditions in the inshore and nearshore marine environments are better understood. Along the Gulf of Mexico coast, periods of very low dissolved oxygen (D.O.) concentrations have been re...

On the predictability of high water level along the US East Coast: can the Florida Current measurement be an indicator for flooding caused by remote forcing?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezer, Tal; Atkinson, Larry P.

2017-06-01

Recent studies show that in addition to wind and air pressure effects, a significant portion of the variability of coastal sea level (CSL) along the US East Coast can be attributed to non-local factors such as variations in the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic circulation; these variations can cause unpredictable coastal flooding. The Florida Current transport (FCT) measurement across the Florida Straits monitors those variations, and thus, the study evaluated the potential of using the FCT as an indicator for anomalously high water level along the coast. Hourly water level data from 12 tide gauge stations over 12 years are used to construct records of maximum daily water levels (MDWL) that are compared with the daily FCT data. An empirical mode decomposition (EMD) approach is used to divide the data into high-frequency modes (periods T < ˜30 days), middle-frequency modes (˜30 days < T < ˜90 days), and low-frequency modes (˜90 days < T < ˜1 year). Two predictive measures are tested: FCT and FCT change (FCC). FCT is anti-correlated with MDWL in high-frequency modes but positively correlated with MDWL in low-frequency modes. FCC on the other hand is always anti-correlated with MDWL for all frequency bands, and the high water signal lags behind FCC for almost all stations, thus providing a potential predictive skill (i.e., whenever a weakening trend is detected in the FCT, anomalously high water is expected along the coast over the next few days). The MDWL-FCT correlation in the high-frequency modes is maximum in the lower Mid-Atlantic Bight, suggesting influence from the meandering Gulf Stream after it separates from the coast. However, the correlation in low-frequency modes is maximum in the South Atlantic Bight, suggesting impact from variations in the wind pattern over subtropical regions. The middle-frequency and low-frequency modes of the FCT seem to provide the best predictor for medium to large flooding events; it is estimated that ˜10-25% of the sea level variability in those modes can be attributed to variations in the FCT. An example from Hurricane Joaquin (September-October, 2015) demonstrates how an offshore storm that never made landfall can cause a weakening of the FCT and unexpected high water level and flooding along the US East Coast. A regression-prediction model based on the MDWL-FCT correlation shows some skill in estimating high water levels during past storms; the water level prediction is more accurate for slow-moving and offshore storms than it is for fast-moving storms. The study can help to improve water level prediction since current storm surge models rely on local wind but may ignore remote forcing.

Gulf Coast Subsidence: Integration of Geodesy, Geophysical Modeling, and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blom, R. G.; Chapman, B. D.; Deese, R.; Dokka, R. K.; Fielding, E. J.; Hawkins, B.; Hensley, S.; Ivins, E. R.; Jones, C. E.; Kent, J. D.; Liu, Z.; Lohman, R.; Zheng, Y.

2012-12-01

The vulnerability of the US Gulf Coast has received increased attention in the years since hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Agencies responsible for the long-term protection of lives and infrastructure require precise estimates of future subsidence and sea level rise. A quantitative, geophysically based methodology can provide such estimates by incorporating geological data, geodetic measurements, geophysical models of non-elastic mechanical behavior at depth, and geographically comprehensive deformation monitoring made possible with measurements from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). To be effective, results must be available to user agencies in a format suitable for integration within existing decision-support processes. Work to date has included analysis of historical and continuing ground-based geodetic measurements. These reveal a surprising degree of complexity, including regions that are subsiding at rates faster than those considered for hurricane protection planning of New Orleans and other coastal communities (http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pdf/hps_verticalsettlement.pdf) as well as Louisiana's coastal restoration strategies (http://www.coast2050.gov/2050reports.htm) (Dokka, 2011, J. Geophys. Res., 116, B06403, doi:10.1029/2010JB008008). Traditional geodetic measurements provide precise information at single points, while InSAR observations provide geographically comprehensive measurements of surface deformation at lower vertical precision. Available InSAR data sources include X-, C- and L-band satellite, and NASA/JPL airborne UAVSAR L-band data. The Gulf Coast environment is very challenging for InSAR techniques, especially with systems not designed for interferometry. For example, the shorter wavelength C-band data decorrelates over short time periods requiring more elaborate time-series analysis techniques, with which we've had some success. Meanwhile, preliminary analysis of limited L-Band ALOS/PALSAR satellite data show promise; unfortunately this Japanese satellite system failed in April 2011. We now have multiple airborne UAVSAR repeat pass interferometry data sets under analysis (http://uavsar.jpl.nasa.gov/) . UAVSAR interferogram processing has proven problematic in this environment, and new acquisitions are planned at shorter temporal intervals to yield improved results. Combining the geodetic and InSAR data can constrain geophysical models of crustal behavior, leading to quantitative predictions of future subsidence. Model results to date show good agreement between geodetic measurements and geophysically reasonable parameters including sediment load and ~130 m post-glacial sea level rise. We review work to date and present newly acquired UAVSAR data.

Investigation of the lithosphere of the Texas Gulf Coast using phase-specific Ps receiver functions produced by wavefield iterative deconvolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurrola, H.; Berdine, A.; Pulliam, J.

2017-12-01

Interference between Ps phases and reverberations (PPs, PSs phases and reverberations thereof) make it difficult to use Ps receiver functions (RF) in regions with thick sediments. Crustal reverberations typically interfere with Ps phases from the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB). We have developed a method to separate Ps phases from reverberations by deconvolution of all the data recorded at a seismic station by removing phases from a single wavefront at each iteration of the deconvolution (wavefield iterative deconvolution or WID). We applied WID to data collected in the Gulf Coast and Llano Front regions of Texas by the EarthScope Transportable array and by a temporary deployment of 23 broadband seismometers (deployed by Texas Tech and Baylor Universities). The 23 station temporary deployment was 300 km long; crossing from Matagorda Island onto the Llano uplift. 3-D imaging using these data shows that the deepest part of the sedimentary basin may be inboard of the coastline. The Moho beneath the Gulf Coast plain does not appear in many of the images. This could be due to interference from reverberations from shallower layers or it may indicate the lack of a strong velocity contrast at the Moho perhaps due to serpentinization of the uppermost mantle. The Moho appears to be flat, at 40 km) beneath most of the Llano uplift but may thicken to the south and thin beneath the Coastal plain. After application of WID, we were able to identify a negatively polarized Ps phase consistent with LAB depths identified in Sp RF images. The LAB appears to be 80-100 km deep beneath most of the coast but is 100 to 120 km deep beneath the Llano uplift. There are other negatively polarized phases between 160 and 200 km depths beneath the Gulf Coast and the Llano Uplift. These deeper phases may indicate that, in this region, the LAB is transitional in nature and rather than a discrete boundary.

EMC MODEL FORECAST VERIFICATION STATS

Science.gov Websites

48-H FCST 54-H FCST 60-H FCST 72-H FCST 84-H FCST Loop 500 mb Height BIAS and RMSE CONUS VALID 00Z sub-regions) Surface Wind Vector BIAS and RMSE REGION VALID 00Z VALID 12Z VALID 00Z (loop) VALID 12Z (loop) GMC (Gulf of Mexico Coast) * * * * SEC (Southeast Coast) * * * * NEC (Northeast Coast

Influence of the Bermuda High on interannual variability of summertime ozone in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuxuan; Jia, Beixi; Wang, Sing-Chun; Estes, Mark; Shen, Lu; Xie, Yuanyu

2016-12-01

The Bermuda High (BH) quasi-permanent pressure system is the key large-scale circulation pattern influencing summertime weather over the eastern and southern US. Here we developed a multiple linear regression (MLR) model to characterize the effect of the BH on year-to-year changes in monthly-mean maximum daily 8 h average (MDA8) ozone in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria (HGB) metropolitan region during June, July, and August (JJA). The BH indicators include the longitude of the BH western edge (BH-Lon) and the BH intensity index (BHI) defined as the pressure gradient along its western edge. Both BH-Lon and BHI are selected by MLR as significant predictors (p < 0.05) of the interannual (1990-2015) variability of the HGB-mean ozone throughout JJA, while local-scale meridional wind speed is selected as an additional predictor for August only. Local-scale temperature and zonal wind speed are not identified as important factors for any summer month. The best-fit MLR model can explain 61-72 % of the interannual variability of the HGB-mean summertime ozone over 1990-2015 and shows good performance in cross-validation (R2 higher than 0.48). The BH-Lon is the most important factor, which alone explains 38-48 % of such variability. The location and strength of the Bermuda High appears to control whether or not low-ozone maritime air from the Gulf of Mexico can enter southeastern Texas and affect air quality. This mechanism also applies to other coastal urban regions along the Gulf Coast (e.g., New Orleans, LA, Mobile, AL, and Pensacola, FL), suggesting that the BH circulation pattern can affect surface ozone variability through a large portion of the Gulf Coast.

Application of a hydrodynamic and sediment transport model for guidance of response efforts related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Northern Gulf of Mexico along the coast of Alabama and Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plant, Nathaniel G.; Long, Joseph W.; Dalyander, P. Soupy; Thompson, David M.; Raabe, Ellen A.

2013-01-01

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists have provided a model-based assessment of transport and deposition of residual Deepwater Horizon oil along the shoreline within the northern Gulf of Mexico in the form of mixtures of sand and weathered oil, known as surface residual balls (SRBs). The results of this USGS research, in combination with results from other components of the overall study, will inform operational decisionmaking. The results will provide guidance for response activities and data collection needs during future oil spills. In May 2012 the U.S. Coast Guard, acting as the Deepwater Horizon Federal on-scene coordinator, chartered an operational science advisory team to provide a science-based review of data collected and to conduct additional directed studies and sampling. The goal was to characterize typical shoreline profiles and morphology in the northern Gulf of Mexico to identify likely sources of residual oil and to evaluate mechanisms whereby reoiling phenomena may be occurring (for example, burial and exhumation and alongshore transport). A steering committee cochaired by British Petroleum Corporation (BP) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is overseeing the project and includes State on-scene coordinators from four States (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi), trustees of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), and representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard. This report presents the results of hydrodynamic and sediment transport models and developed techniques for analyzing potential SRB movement and burial and exhumation along the coastline of Alabama and Florida. Results from these modeling efforts are being used to explain the complexity of reoiling in the nearshore environment and to broaden consideration of the different scenarios and difficulties that are being faced in identifying and removing residual oil. For instance, modeling results suggest that larger SRBs are not, under the most commonly observed low-energy wave conditions, likely to move very far alongshore. This finding suggests that SRBs from one source location may not (outside of storm conditions) be redistributed to other up or down coast locations. This information can guide operational response decisions. In addition, because SRBs are less mobile compared with sand, they are likely to become buried and unburied under normal sand transport processes thereby lengthening the time SRBs may take to move onshore. The rate of onshore movement was not specifically addressed by this study, yet the results resolve the cross-shore domain and cross-shore variations in alongshore transport that are relevant to achieving the primary objectives. Furthermore, during infrequent events (for example, winter storms and severe meteorological events such as Hurricane Isaac of August 2012), energy is shown to be sufficient to move a greater range of SRB sizes and potentially expose and break up submerged oil mats. When SRBs do move alongshore, the models indicate that there are regions that are more conducive to accumulation of SRB material than others. Accumulation can occur where there are reversals and decelerations in alongshore currents and where forces created by shear stress drops below critical thresholds to maintain or initiate SRB movement. In addition, flow and SRB mobility patterns around inlets indicate patterns in hydrodynamic forces that influence redistribution of SRBs and the surface oil that mixed with sediment to form oil mats in the first place.

Use of a Florida Gulf Coast Barrier Island by Spring Trans-Gulf Migrants and the Projected Effects of Sea Level Rise on Habitat Availability.

PubMed

Lester, Lori A; Gutierrez Ramirez, Mariamar; Kneidel, Alan H; Heckscher, Christopher M

2016-01-01

Barrier islands on the north coast of the Gulf of Mexico are an internationally important coastal resource. Each spring hundreds of thousands of Nearctic-Neotropical songbirds crossing the Gulf of Mexico during spring migration use these islands because they provide the first landfall for individuals following a trans-Gulf migratory route. The effects of climate change, particularly sea level rise, may negatively impact habitat availability for migrants on barrier islands. Our objectives were (1) to confirm the use of St. George Island, Florida by trans-Gulf migrants and (2) to determine whether forested stopover habitat will be available for migrants on St. George Island following sea level rise. We used avian transect data, geographic information systems, remote sensing, and simulation modelling to investigate the potential effects of three different sea level rise scenarios (0.28 m, 0.82 m, and 2 m) on habitat availability for trans-Gulf migrants. We found considerable use of the island by spring trans-Gulf migrants. Migrants were most abundant in areas with low elevation, high canopy height, and high coverage of forests and scrub/shrub. A substantial percentage of forest (44%) will be lost by 2100 assuming moderate sea level rise (0.82 m). Thus, as sea level rise progresses, less forests will be available for migrants during stopover. Many migratory bird species' populations are declining, and degradation of barrier island stopover habitat may further increase the cost of migration for many individuals. To preserve this coastal resource, conservation and wise management of migratory stopover areas, especially near ecological barriers like the Gulf of Mexico, will be essential as sea levels rise.

Use of a Florida Gulf Coast Barrier Island by Spring Trans-Gulf Migrants and the Projected Effects of Sea Level Rise on Habitat Availability

PubMed Central

Lester, Lori A.; Gutierrez Ramirez, Mariamar; Kneidel, Alan H.; Heckscher, Christopher M.

2016-01-01

Barrier islands on the north coast of the Gulf of Mexico are an internationally important coastal resource. Each spring hundreds of thousands of Nearctic-Neotropical songbirds crossing the Gulf of Mexico during spring migration use these islands because they provide the first landfall for individuals following a trans-Gulf migratory route. The effects of climate change, particularly sea level rise, may negatively impact habitat availability for migrants on barrier islands. Our objectives were (1) to confirm the use of St. George Island, Florida by trans-Gulf migrants and (2) to determine whether forested stopover habitat will be available for migrants on St. George Island following sea level rise. We used avian transect data, geographic information systems, remote sensing, and simulation modelling to investigate the potential effects of three different sea level rise scenarios (0.28 m, 0.82 m, and 2 m) on habitat availability for trans-Gulf migrants. We found considerable use of the island by spring trans-Gulf migrants. Migrants were most abundant in areas with low elevation, high canopy height, and high coverage of forests and scrub/shrub. A substantial percentage of forest (44%) will be lost by 2100 assuming moderate sea level rise (0.82 m). Thus, as sea level rise progresses, less forests will be available for migrants during stopover. Many migratory bird species’ populations are declining, and degradation of barrier island stopover habitat may further increase the cost of migration for many individuals. To preserve this coastal resource, conservation and wise management of migratory stopover areas, especially near ecological barriers like the Gulf of Mexico, will be essential as sea levels rise. PMID:26934343

Portable Medical System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Portable Medical Status and Treatment System (PMSTS) is designed for use in remote areas where considerable time may elapse before a patient can be transported to a hospital. First units were delivered to the Department of Transportation last year and tested in two types of medical emergency environments: one in a rural Pennsylvania community and another aboard a U.S. Coast Guard rescue helicopter operating along Florida's Gulf Coast. The system has the capability to transmit vital signs to a distantly located physician, who can perform diagnosis and relay treatment instructions to the attendant at the scene. The battery powered PMSTS includes a vital signs monitor and a defibrillator. Narco has also developed a companion system, called Porta-Fib III designed for use in a hospital environment with modifications accordingly. Both systems are offshoots of an earlier NASA project known as the Physician's Black Bag developed by Telecare, Inc., a company now acquired by NARCO.

Modification of the quality of water injected into Louisiana gulf coast sands: Effects of cation exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanor, Jeffrey S.

1982-06-01

Interest in artificially recharging selected shallow sands in South Louisiana with fresh water has been stimulated by the desire to retard contamination of municipal groundwater supplies by brackish water, to retard ground subsidence and decrease pumping lifts, and to develop emergency subsurface supplies of potable water for communities dependent on surface waters susceptible to contamination. Results of field experiments, laboratory work, and model calculations demonstrate that ion exchange reactions involving clays dispersed in aquifer sands can be expected to modify significantly the composition of waters injected into Gulf Coast sediments. As little as 0.1 weight percent smectite (montmorillonite) can remove, by exchange with absorbed Na, a significant fraction of the dissolved Ca and Mg present in the injected water. The hardness of the water is thus reduced, which may be a desirable modification in water quality. Exchange occurs as fast as the fluids can be pumped into or out of the aquifer, and the water-softening capacity of the aquifer can be restored by allowing sodium-rich native pore waters to sweep back over the dispersed clays. Each acre of an aquifer 50 feet thick and containing 0.1 wt % smectite could soften half a million gallons of injected Mississippi River water. Many individual Gulf Coast aquifers underlie tens of thousands of acres, and their potential softening capacity is thus enormous. Additional exchange processes involving adjacent aquitard shales presumably will operate over long-term periods. It is possible that Gulf Coast aquifers will be used at some point in the future as processing plants to treat injected water to improve its quality for a variety of municipal and industrial purposes.

Area and shape metrics of rainfall fields associated with tropical cyclones landfalling over the western Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Y.

2017-12-01

The rainfall associated with TCs making landfall over western Gulf Coast and Caribbean Sea Coast caused numerous fatalities and divesting damage, however, few studies have been done over these regions. This study examines spatial pattern of rain fields associated with TCs making landfall over western Gulf Coast and Caribbean Sea Coast during 1998-2015 through a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based analysis of satellite-estimated rain rates. Regions of light rainfall (rain rate > 2.5 mm/h) and moderate rainfall (rain rate > 5.0 mm/h) during entire life cycle of each TC are converted into polygons and measurements are made of their area, dispersion and displacement during entire life cycle. The metric of dispersion is calculated for the entire rain field as defined by outlining light and moderate rain rates. The displacement to east and north is calculated by area weighted methods. There are three main objectives of this study. The first goal is to measure the area and spatial distribution of rain fields of TCs making landfall over the western Gulf and Caribbean Sea coastlines. We examine in which regions, the light and moderate rainfall area, dispersion and displacement of rainfall have higher values, and how they change during the entire TC life cycle. The second goal is to determine to determine which environmental conditions are associated with the spatial configuration of light and moderate rain rates. The conditions include storm intensity, motion direction and speed, total precipitable water and wind shear. Last, we determine the time that rainfall reaches land relative to the time that the storm's center makes landfall and durations of rainfall from TCs over land.

Survey of ophthalmic anterior segment findings and intraocular pressure in 95 North American box turtles (Terrapene spp.).

PubMed

Espinheira Gomes, Filipe; Brandão, João; Sumner, Julia; Kearney, Michael; Freitas, Inês; Johnson, James; Cutler, Daniel; Nevarez, Javier

2016-03-01

To describe the ophthalmic biomicroscopy findings and intraocular pressures (IOP) in a captive population of box turtles and to determine whether a relationship exists between body morphometrics or health status and IOP. Hundred and three box turtles (69 Gulf coast, 24 three-toed, one ornate, one eastern, and eight unidentified) were triaged into three different color-coded groups: green (healthy), yellow (abnormal physical examination with no need for immediate care), and red (immediate care required). Both eyes were evaluated by rebound tonometry and slit-lamp biomicroscopy. Body weight and morphometric data were recorded. Intraocular pressures measurements were available for 190 eyes, slit-lamp biomicroscopy was available for 170 eyes, and morphometric data were available for 81 turtles. IOP in Gulf coast turtles (138 eyes) was 6.7 ± 1.4 mmHg OU. IOP in three-toed turtles (48 eyes) was 8.3 ± 1.5 mmHg OU, which was significantly higher than in Gulf coast turtles (P < 0.0001). No significant IOP differences were noted between genders in both subspecies (P = 0.768). There was a correlation between IOP and health status in three-toed turtles only. There was a mild negative correlation between morphometrics and IOP in Gulf coast and three-toed turtles. Fifteen of 87 turtles had unilateral corneal or lenticular opacities; 3/87 had bilateral corneal or lenticular disease; and 3/87 had adnexal abnormalities. Different subspecies of box turtles have different normal intraocular pressures as measured by rebound tonometry, which was influenced by the animals' health status in one subspecies. Some morphometric parameters were found to be associated with IOP. Box turtles are often affected with ophthalmic abnormalities of unknown clinical significance. © 2015 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Quantifying changes and influences on mottled duck density in Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ross, Beth; Haukos, David A.; Walther, Patrick

2018-01-01

Understanding the relative influence of environmental and intrinsic effects on populations is important for managing and conserving harvested species, especially those species inhabiting changing environments. Additionally, climate change can increase the uncertainty associated with management of species in these changing environments, making understanding factors affecting their populations even more important. Coastal ecosystems are particularly threatened by climate change; the combined effects of increasing severe weather events, sea level rise, and drought will likely have non-linear effects on coastal marsh wildlife species and their associated habitats. A species of conservation concern that persists in these coastal areas is the mottled duck (Anas fulvigula). Mottled ducks in the western Gulf Coast are approximately 50% below target abundance numbers established by the Gulf Coast Joint Venture for Texas and Louisiana, USA. Although evidence for declines in mottled duck abundance is apparent, specific causes of the decrease remain unknown. Our goals were to determine where the largest declines in mottled duck population were occurring along the system of Texas Gulf Coast National Wildlife Refuges and quantify the relative contribution of environmental and intrinsic effects on changes to relative population density. We modeled aerial survey data of mottled duck density along the Texas Gulf Coast from 1986–2015 to quantify effects of extreme weather events on an index to mottled duck density using the United States Climate Extremes Index and Palmer Drought Severity Index. Our results indicate that decreases in abundance are best described by an increase in days with extreme 1-day precipitation from June to November (hurricane season) and an increase in drought severity. Better understanding those portions of the life cycle affected by environmental conditions, and how to manage mottled duck habitat in conjunction with these events will likely be key to persistence of the species under future environmental conditions.

Bibliography of the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain coal geology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hook, Robert W.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander W.; Tewalt, Susan J.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Tewalt, Susan J.

2011-01-01

Unlike scientific literature pertaining to most other coal-bearing regions in the conterminous United States, this bibliography on the coal geology of the Gulf Coastal Plain is dominated by work from the late 20th century. Although coals of this region were mined commercially in the late 1800s and early 1900s, they were eclipsed by the production and use of oil and gas in the middle 1920s and were not mined again as a significant fuel source until the 1970s. As a result, the literature consists mainly of a relatively small number of pre-1920 contributions in state and federal reports, followed by a plethora of technical papers, symposia proceedings, field guides, theses, dissertations, and abstracts over the past 40 years.The purpose of this chapter is to record the present work used by U.S. Geological Survey personnel preparing the Gulf Coast Coal Resource Assessment and to furnish an introduction to the larger body of sedimentary, stratigraphic, paleontologic, geochemical, hydrologic, and mining literature that exists in the region. This bibliography is an update of an earlier compilation (Tewalt et al., 1990). Despite its length, it is not exhaustive. Nor is it restricted to papers that focus solely upon coals because an understanding of these coals is rooted in the general geologic literature of the Gulf Coastal Plain.

STS-55 Earth observation of a thunderstorm over the coast of Nigeria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

STS-55 Earth observation taken aboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, shows a 30-mile-wide thunderstorm (tops estimated near 45,000 feet). It was photographed by the STS-55 crew from an altitude of 162 nautical miles over the coast of Nigeria, 05-02-93, at 11 hours, 13 minutes, 34 seconds GMT (near noon, local time). A Meteosat view taken at almost exactly the same time allows us to pinpoint the location of the storm but does not show any of the detail evident in the Shuttle photograph. This huge thunderstorm was in the early stages of formation, as can been seen by the intense turbulence in the cauliflower shape of the top. Two major updrafts can be seen as the rose-shaped regions in the cloud tops. An easterly wave in the low levels of the atmosphere created a line of instability, which, together with an ample supply of moisture from the warm waters of the Gulf of Guinea and solar heating over the coast throughout the morning, caused this megastorm to occur. North is to the left

The combined effects of acidification and hypoxia on pH and aragonite saturation in the coastal waters of the California current ecosystem and the northern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feely, Richard A.; Okazaki, Remy R.; Cai, Wei-Jun; Bednaršek, Nina; Alin, Simone R.; Byrne, Robert H.; Fassbender, Andrea

2018-01-01

Inorganic carbon chemistry data from the surface and subsurface waters of the West Coast of North America have been compared with similar data from the northern Gulf of Mexico to demonstrate how future changes in CO2 emissions will affect chemical changes in coastal waters affected by respiration-induced hypoxia ([O2] ≤ 60 μmol kg-1). In surface waters, the percentage change in the carbon parameters due to increasing CO2 emissions are very similar for both regions even though the absolute decrease in aragonite saturation is much higher in the warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico. However, in subsurface waters the changes are enhanced due to differences in the initial oxygen concentration and the changes in the buffer capacity (i.e., increasing Revelle Factor) with increasing respiration from the oxidation of organic matter, with the largest impacts on pH and CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) occurring in the colder West Coast waters. As anthropogenic CO2 concentrations begin to build up in subsurface waters, increased atmospheric CO2 will expose organisms to hypercapnic conditions (pCO2 >1000 μatm) within subsurface depths. Since the maintenance of the extracellular pH appears as the first line of defense against external stresses, many biological response studies have been focused on pCO2-induced hypercapnia. The extent of subsurface exposure will occur sooner and be more widespread in colder waters due to their capacity to hold more dissolved oxygen and the accompanying weaker acid-base buffer capacity. Under present conditions, organisms in the West Coast are exposed to hypercapnic conditions when oxygen concentrations are near 100 μmol kg-1 but will experience hypercapnia at oxygen concentrations of 260 μmol kg-1 by year 2100 under the highest elevated-CO2 conditions. Hypercapnia does not occur at present in the Gulf of Mexico but will occur at oxygen concentrations of 170 μmol kg-1 by the end of the century under similar conditions. The aragonite saturation horizon is currently above the hypoxic zone in the West Coast. With increasing atmospheric CO2, it is expected to shoal up close to surface waters under the IPCC Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 in West Coast waters, while aragonite saturation state will exhibit steeper gradients in the Gulf of Mexico. This study demonstrates how different biological thresholds (e.g., hypoxia, CaCO3 undersaturation, hypercapnia) will vary asymmetrically because of local initial conditions that are affected differently with increasing atmospheric CO2. The direction of change in amplitude of hypercapnia will be similar in both ecosystems, exposing both biological communities from the West Coast and Gulf of Mexico to intensification of stressful conditions. However, the region of lower Revelle factors (i.e., the Gulf of Mexico), currently provides an adequate refuge habitat that might no longer be the case under the most severe RCP scenarios.

75 FR 62313 - Establishing the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-08

... impact from storms and climate change, sustain safe seafood and clean water, provide recreational and... disasters, support robust economies, and assist in mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change... percent of the Nation's offshore oil and gas is produced in the Gulf, and it is where nearly one-third of...

EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES FOR NEAR-COASTAL AREAS OF THE GULF OF MEXICO

EPA Science Inventory

Lewis, Michael A. In press. Evaluation of Environmental Hazard Assessment Procedures for Near-Coastal Areas of the Gulf of Mexico (Abstract). To be presented at the Annual Meeting of the the Australasian Society of Ecotoxicology, July 2004, Gold Coast, Australia. 1 p. (ERL,GB R98...

Biogeochemistry of aragonite mud and oolites.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitterer, R. M.

1972-01-01

Amino acids were determined on an analyzer similar to that described by Hare (1969) in carbonate mud samples from locations in the Bahamas, Bermuda, Persian Gulf, and Florida Bay, and in oolites from the Gulf of Suez, the Abu Dhabi coast, the Bahamas, and Baffin Bay, Texas. A histogram, tables, and chromatograms of the results are given.

THE ECOLOGICAL CONDITION OF ESTUARIES: A FOCUS ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND GULF OF MEXICO COASTS OF THE UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

Monitoring the estuaries of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico coastlines was performed annually from 1990 to 1997 to assess ecological conditions on a regional basis for four biogeographic provinces. These province estimates - Virginian, Carolinian, West Indian, and Louisiani...

Apollo 14 prime crew during water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1970-01-01

Members of the Apollo 14 crew train in the Gulf of Mexico for the water egress phase of their upcoming mission. They are in the raft waiting ascension to the Coast Guard hellicopter via the 'Billy Pugh' net. Manned Spacecraft Center swimmers assist in the water egress simulation.

77 FR 59890 - Foreign-Trade Zone 92-Gulfport, MS; Authorization of Production Activity; Gulf Ship, LLC...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Foreign-Trade Zones Board [B-36-2012] Foreign-Trade Zone 92--Gulfport, MS; Authorization of Production Activity; Gulf Ship, LLC (Shipbuilding); Gulfport, MS On May 10, 2012, the Mississippi Coast Foreign-Trade Zone, Inc., grantee of FTZ 92, submitted a notification of proposed production...

78 FR 62660 - Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Oil and Gas Lease Sales Eastern Planning...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-22

.../Environmental-Assessment/NEPA/nepaprocess.aspx . Several libraries along the Gulf Coast have been sent copies of...-Stewardship/Environmental-Assessment/NEPA/nepaprocess.aspx . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information on the Final EIS, you may contact Mr. Gary D. Goeke, Chief, Environmental Assessment Section...

Digenean species diversity in teleost fishes from the Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia (Western Mediterranean)

PubMed Central

Derbel, H.; Châari, M.; Neifar, L.

2012-01-01

This study is the first attempt to survey the diversity of fish digeneans in the Gulf of Gabes (southern coast of Tunisia). A total of 779 fishes belonging to 32 species were sampled. 53 species of Digenea belonging to 15 families were recorded. Among these species, 24 are reported for the first time from the coast of Tunisia. We report one new host record, Lecithochirium sp. from Sardinella aurita. The Hemiuridae is the dominant family. A host-parasite list is presented with the information on the prevalence, abundance and mean intensity of each species collected. The diversity of Digenea is compared with other localities in the Mediterranean Sea and the northern east of Tunisia. The Gulf of Gabes shows the lowest diversity linked to the anthropogenic activities and impact of exotic species. The use of Digenea as indicators of the state of the ecosystem is discussed. PMID:22550623

The U.S. Gas Flooding Experience: CO2 Injection Strategies and Impact on Ultimate Recovery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nunez-Lopez, Vanessa; Hosseini, Seyyed; Gil-Egui, Ramon

The Permian Basin in West Texas and southwestern New Mexico has seen 45 years of oil reserve growth through CO2 enhanced oil recovery (CO2 EOR). More than 60 CO2 EOR projects are currently active in the region’s limestone, sandstone and dolomite reservoirs. Water alternating gas (WAG) has been the development strategy of choice in the Permian for several technical and economic reasons. More recently, the technology started to get implemented in the much more porous and permeable clastic depositional systems of the onshore U.S. Gulf Coast. Continued CO2 injection (CGI), as opposed to WAG, was selected as the injection strategymore » to develop Gulf Coast oil fields, where CO2 injection volumes are significantly larger (up to 6 times larger) than those of the Permian. We conducted a compositional simulation based study with the objective of comparing the CO2 utilization ratios (volume of CO2 injected to produce a barrel of oil) of 4 conventional and novel CO2 injection strategies: (1) continuous gas injection (CGI), (2) water alternating gas (WAG), (3) water curtain injection (WCI), and (4) WAG and WCI combination. These injection scenarios were simulated using the GEM module from the Computer Modeling Group (CMG). GEM is an advanced general equation-of-state compositional simulator, which includes equation of state, CO2 miscible flood, CO2/brine interactions, and complex phase behavior. The simulator is set up to model three fluid phases including water, oil, and gas. Our study demonstrates how the selected field development strategy has a significant impact on the ultimate recovery of CO2-EOR projects, with GCI injection providing maximum oil recovery in absolute volume terms, but with WAG offering a more balanced technical-economical approach.« less

Understanding the effects of past flood events and perceived and estimated flood risks on individuals' voluntary flood insurance purchase behavior.

PubMed

Shao, Wanyun; Xian, Siyuan; Lin, Ning; Kunreuther, Howard; Jackson, Nida; Goidel, Kirby

2017-01-01

Over the past several decades, the economic damage from flooding in the coastal areas has greatly increased due to rapid coastal development coupled with possible climate change impacts. One effective way to mitigate excessive economic losses from flooding is to purchase flood insurance. Only a minority of coastal residents however have taken this preventive measure. Using original survey data for all coastal counties of the United States Gulf Coast merged with contextual data, this study examines the effects of external influences and perceptions of flood-related risks on individuals' voluntary behaviors to purchase flood insurance. It is found that the estimated flood hazard conveyed through the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) flood maps, the intensities and consequences of past storms and flooding events, and perceived flood-related risks significantly affect individual's voluntary purchase of flood insurance. This behavior is also influenced by home ownership, trust in local government, education, and income. These findings have several important policy implications. First, FEMA's flood maps have been effective in conveying local flood risks to coastal residents, and correspondingly influencing their decisions to voluntarily seek flood insurance in the U.S. Gulf Coast. Flood maps therefore should be updated frequently to reflect timely and accurate information about flood hazards. Second, policy makers should design strategies to increase homeowners' trust in the local government, to better communicate flood risks with residents, to address the affordability issue for the low-income, and better inform less educated homeowners through various educational programs. Future studies should examine the voluntary flood insurance behavior across countries that are vulnerable to flooding. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hurricane Katrina deaths, Louisiana, 2005.

PubMed

Brunkard, Joan; Namulanda, Gonza; Ratard, Raoult

2008-12-01

Hurricane Katrina struck the US Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, causing unprecedented damage to numerous communities in Louisiana and Mississippi. Our objectives were to verify, document, and characterize Katrina-related mortality in Louisiana and help identify strategies to reduce mortality in future disasters. We assessed Hurricane Katrina mortality data sources received in 2007, including Louisiana and out-of-state death certificates for deaths occurring from August 27 to October 31, 2005, and the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team's confirmed victims' database. We calculated age-, race-, and sex-specific mortality rates for Orleans, St Bernard, and Jefferson Parishes, where 95% of Katrina victims resided and conducted stratified analyses by parish of residence to compare differences between observed proportions of victim demographic characteristics and expected values based on 2000 US Census data, using Pearson chi square and Fisher exact tests. We identified 971 Katrina-related deaths in Louisiana and 15 deaths among Katrina evacuees in other states. Drowning (40%), injury and trauma (25%), and heart conditions (11%) were the major causes of death among Louisiana victims. Forty-nine percent of victims were people 75 years old and older. Fifty-three percent of victims were men; 51% were black; and 42% were white. In Orleans Parish, the mortality rate among blacks was 1.7 to 4 times higher than that among whites for all people 18 years old and older. People 75 years old and older were significantly more likely to be storm victims (P < .0001). Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest hurricane to strike the US Gulf Coast since 1928. Drowning was the major cause of death and people 75 years old and older were the most affected population cohort. Future disaster preparedness efforts must focus on evacuating and caring for vulnerable populations, including those in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and personal residences. Improving mortality reporting timeliness will enable response teams to provide appropriate interventions to these populations and to prepare and implement preventive measures before the next disaster.

A Synoptic- and Planetary-Scale Analysis of Widespread North American Ice Storms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCray, C.; Gyakum, J. R.; Atallah, E.

2017-12-01

Freezing rain can have devastating impacts, particularly when it persists for many hours. Predicting the precise temperature stratification necessary for long duration freezing rain events remains an important forecast challenge. To better elucidate the conditions responsible for the most severe events, we concentrate on surface observations of long-duration (6 or more hours) freezing rain events over North America from 1979-2016. Furthermore, we analyze cases in which multiple stations observe long-duration events simultaneously. Following these cases over successive days allows us to generate maps of freezing rain "tracks." We then categorize recurring geographic patterns to examine the meteorological conditions leading to these events. While freezing rain is most frequently observed in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, long-duration events have affected areas as far south as the Gulf Coast. Notably, a disproportionately large number of very long duration (18 or more hours) events have occurred in the Southern Plains states relative to the climatological annual frequency of freezing rain there. Classification of individual cases shows that most of these very long duration events are associated with a recurring pattern which produces freezing rain along a southwest-northeast swath from Texas/Oklahoma into the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada. Storms classified within this pattern include the January 1998 and December 2013 ice storms. While this pattern is the most widespread, additional spatially extensive patterns occur. One of these areas extends from the Southern Plains eastward along the Gulf Coast to Georgia and the Carolinas. A third category of events extends from the Upper Midwest into the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada. The expansive areal extent and long duration of these events make them especially problematic. An analysis of the planetary- to synoptic-scale settings responsible for these cases and the differences among individual storms is performed to provide forecasters with additional tools/insight towards the prediction of these damaging weather events.

Hurricane Resilient Wind Plant Concept Study Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dibra, Besart; Finucane, Zachary; Foley, Benjamin

Hurricanes occur over much of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, from Long Island to the U.S.-Mexico border, encompassing much of the nation's primary offshore wind resource. Category 5 hurricanes have made landfall as far north as North Carolina, with Category 3 hurricanes reaching New York with some frequency. Along the US West coast, typhoons strike with similar frequency and severity. At present, offshore wind turbine design practices do not fully consider the severe operating conditions imposed by hurricanes. Although universally applied to most turbine designs, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards do not sufficiently address the duration, directionality, magnitude, ormore » character of hurricanes. To assess advanced design features that could mitigate hurricane loading in various ways, this Hurricane-Resilient Wind Plant Concept Study considered a concept design study of a 500-megawatt (MW) wind power plant consisting of 10-MW wind turbines deployed in 25-meter (m) water depths in the Western Gulf of Mexico. This location was selected because hurricane frequency and severity provided a unique set of design challenges that would enable assessment of hurricane risk and projection of cost of energy (COE) changes, all in response to specific U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) objectives. Notably, the concept study pursued a holistic approach that incorporated multiple advanced system elements at the wind turbine and wind power plant levels to meet objectives for system performance and reduced COE. Principal turbine system elements included a 10-MW rotor with structurally efficient, low-solidity blades; a lightweight, permanent-magnet, direct-drive generator, and an innovative fixed substructure. At the wind power plant level, turbines were arrayed in a large-scale wind power plant in a manner aimed at balancing energy production against capital, installation, and operation and maintenance (O&M) costs to achieve significant overall reductions in COE.« less

Development of Physics-Based Hurricane Wave Response Functions: Application to Selected Sites on the U.S. Gulf Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLaughlin, P. W.; Kaihatu, J. M.; Irish, J. L.; Taylor, N. R.; Slinn, D.

2013-12-01

Recent hurricane activity in the Gulf of Mexico has led to a need for accurate, computationally efficient prediction of hurricane damage so that communities can better assess risk of local socio-economic disruption. This study focuses on developing robust, physics based non-dimensional equations that accurately predict maximum significant wave height at different locations near a given hurricane track. These equations (denoted as Wave Response Functions, or WRFs) were developed from presumed physical dependencies between wave heights and hurricane characteristics and fit with data from numerical models of waves and surge under hurricane conditions. After curve fitting, constraints which correct for fully developed sea state were used to limit the wind wave growth. When applied to the region near Gulfport, MS, back prediction of maximum significant wave height yielded root mean square errors between 0.22-0.42 (m) at open coast stations and 0.07-0.30 (m) at bay stations when compared to the numerical model data. The WRF method was also applied to Corpus Christi, TX and Panama City, FL with similar results. Back prediction errors will be included in uncertainty evaluations connected to risk calculations using joint probability methods. These methods require thousands of simulations to quantify extreme value statistics, thus requiring the use of reduced methods such as the WRF to represent the relevant physical processes.

Upper Texas Gulf Coast, USA

NASA Image and Video Library

1989-05-08

STS030-152-066 (4-8 May 1989) --- The upper Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast area was clearly represented in this large format frame photographed by the astronaut crew of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Atlantis. The area covered stretches almost 300 miles from Aransas Pass, Texas to Cameron, Louisiana. The sharp detail of both the natural and cultural features noted throughout the scene is especially evident in the Houston area, where highways, major streets, airport runways and even some neighborhood lanes are easily seen. Other major areas seen are Austin, San Antonio and the Golden Triangle. An Aero Linhof camera was used to expose the frame.

Summary of hydrogeology and simulation of ground-water flow and land-surface subsidence in the northern part of the Gulf Coast aquifer system, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kasmarek, Mark C.; Robinson, James L.

2004-01-01

The northern part of the Gulf Coast aquifer system in Texas, which includes the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, supplies most of the water used for industrial, municipal, agricultural, and commercial purposes for an approximately 25,000- square-mile (mi2) area that includes the Beaumont and Houston metropolitan areas. The area has an abundant amount of potable ground water, but withdrawals of large quantities of ground water have resulted in potentiometric-surface declines in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and land-surface subsidence from depressurization and compaction of clay layers interbedded in the aquifer sediments. This fact sheet summarizes a study done in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District (HGCSD) as a part of the TWDB Ground-Water Availability Modeling (or Model) (GAM) program. The study was designed to develop and test a ground-water-flow model of the northern part of the Gulf Coast aquifer system in the GAM area (fig. 1) that waterresource managers can use as a tool to address future groundwater- availability issues.

The development of a geopressured energy management information system in support of research planning, phase 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachman, A. L.; Wrighton, F. M.

1981-10-01

The development of an information system on the problems and potential of geopressured gas containing aquifers as well as what is known about unconventional gas production in the Gulf Coast, and the use of this information to formulate a research program to prove economic and technical feasibility is discussed. This work led to the conclusion that of six major conventional gas resource options in the Gulf Coast, the one involving gas recovery from reservoirs watered out due to prior production offers the greatest potential in the short term. In these water drive reservoirs, gas is trapped in the pore space as water invades the reservoir (due to gas production). This gas can be recovered by reducing the pressure in the reservoir and thereby causing the trapped gas to expand and become mobile. The reduction in reservoir pressure is achieved by high rate water production. The conclusions drawn from analyses of the potential for gas recovery from unconventional sources in the Gulf Coast as well as research and testing already completed are the basis for the proposed research program. The process by which the research program was formulated, intermediate results and the program itself are summarized.

Application of thematic mapper imagery to oil exploration in Austin Chalk, Central Gulf Coast basin, Texas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reid, W.M.

1988-01-01

One of the newest major oil plays in the Gulf Coast basin, the Austin Chalk reportedly produces in three belts: an updip belt, where production is from fractured chalk in structurally high positions along faults above 7,000 ft; a shallow downdip belt, where the chalk is uniformly saturated with oil from 7,000 to 9,000 ft; and a deeper downdip belt saturated with gas and condensate below 9,000 ft. The updip fields usually occur on the southeastern, upthrown side of the Luling, Mexia, and Charlotte fault zones. Production is from fractures that connect the relatively sparse matrix pores with more permeablemore » fracture systems. The fractures resulted from regional extensional stress during the opening of the Gulf Coast basin on the divergent margin of the North American plate during the Laramide orogeny. The fractures are more common in the more brittle chalk than in the overlying Navarro and underlying Eagle Ford shales, which are less brittle. The oil in the updip traps in the chalk may have been generated in place downdip, and migrated updip along the extension fractures into the updip traps during or after the Laramide orogeny.« less

Comparative mortality among US military personnel in the Persian Gulf region and worldwide during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

PubMed

Writer, J V; DeFraites, R F; Brundage, J F

1996-01-10

To determine cause-specific mortality rates among US troops stationed in the Persian Gulf region and compare them with those of US troops serving elsewhere during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Retrospective cohort. US men and women on active duty from August 1, 1990, through July 31, 1991. Deaths occurring among all active-duty US military persons during the 1-year study period. Age-adjusted mortality rates among US troops stationed in the Persian Gulf region were compared with rates projected from mortality rates among troops on active duty elsewhere. A total of 1769 active-duty persons died during the study period, 372 in the Persian Gulf region and 1397 elsewhere. Of the 372 deaths in the Persian Gulf region, 147 (39.5%) occurred as a direct result of combat during the war, 194 (52.2%) resulted from injuries not incurred in battle, and 30 (8%) resulted from illness. Twenty-three of the deaths due to illness were considered unexpected or cardiovascular deaths. Based on age-adjusted mortality rates observed among US troops on active duty outside the Persian Gulf region, 165 deaths from unintentional injury and 32 deaths from illness (20 of which were unexpected or cardiovascular) would have been anticipated among Persian Gulf troops. Except for deaths from unintentional injury, US troops in the Persian Gulf region did not experience significantly higher mortality rates than US troops serving elsewhere. There were no clusters of unexplained deaths. The number and circumstances of nonbattle deaths among Persian Gulf troops were typical for the US military population.