Ocean and Coastal Highlights

From forts and seashores to ports of call, our national parks connect you to our nation’s maritime history. Learn about pirate history and more—your parks are national treasures offering a bounty of adventure.

As we continue to learn more about restoring wetlands, we continue to innovate ways to build back better wetlands. Heavy equipment operators are vital to restoring wetlands as these new designs rely on experienced maintenance action teams. Restoring Dusky Marsh at Basket Slough National Wildlife Refuge showcases this history and the skills that continue to evolve.

Interior puts vision into action for harnessing offshore wind. Groundbreaking for Vineyard Wind 1 is the first of many projects that are fulfilling the U.S. commitment to produce 30 GW from offshore wind.

The Fall 2021 issue shares articles demonstrating many ways DOI is addressing coastal resilience. One example is the Coastal Resilience Workshop where 400 Federal employees came together to share their expertise. Hosted by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST), DOI joined other key Federal agencies to coordinate in addressing a range of coastal resilience needs.

After appraisal and environmental review, GSA approved the conveyance of an 80-acre parcel to the Hawaiian Lands Trust. The land has the potential to provide homesteads for 200-400 Native Hawaiian families.

Nicole Yamase is the first Pacific Islander to descend 36,000 feet underwater to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. She took several items with her on this historical expedition including an autographed flag of the Federated States of Micronesia and badges from the mission. She donated these items to the Interior Museum to commemorate the deep sea dive and the historical achievement.

Researchers at USGS, the University of California and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show that coral reef restoration across Florida and Puerto Rico could prevent the loss of more than $270 million annually from flooding. Watch the video.

Geologists found that icebergs perhaps as tall as the Eiffel Tower drifted south along the Atlantic coast of North America during the last glacial period 30,000 years ago. The findings have implications for changing global circulation patterns related to climate change.

Tribal communities and Alaskan Native villages are facing an array of threats from melting sea ice, permafrost, exacerbated coastal and riverine erosion, extreme precipitation events leading to flooding, and other impacts. $13.98 million in grant funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ (BIA) Tribal Climate Resilience Program (TCRP) will help Tribal and Alaskan Native communities conduct adaptation planning, ocean and coastal management planning, capacity building, relocation, managed retreat, and protect-in-place to better cope with current and imminent climate challenges.

Underwater archaeology is the subdiscipline of archaeology that studies past human behavior through the investigating and analyzing of underwater artifacts and other physical remains in submerged environments. DOI’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) leads the way in understanding and protecting archaeological sites on America’s submerged lands. Learn more about submerged indigenous lands, shipwrecks, early explorers, and other archeological findings in U.S. waters.