Browning, T. N., Sawyer, D. E., Brooks, G. R., Larson, R. A., Ramos-Scharron, C. E., Canals-Silander, M. 2019. Widespread Deposition in a Coastal Bay Following Three Major 2017 Hurricanes (Irma, Jose, and Maria). Nature, Scientific Reports. 9, Number 7101.

Coastal, Sediment, Benthic, Natural disasters, Hurricanes, Wildlife

This study aimed to understand how hurricanes can affect sedimentation. Bathymetry surveys and sediment samples were collected in the U.S. Virgin Islands before and after hurricanes Irma, Jose, and Maria hit the Northeastern Caribbean within a span of two weeks. The results indicate that this multi-hurricane period of time produced between 1 to 3 centuries worth of sediment deposition, which could bury and kill corals and seagrasses on the seafloor.