John Haines
Biography
Responsibilities
As Program Coordinator, John oversees the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program.
Career History and Highlights
John joined the USGS in 1988 as an Oceanographer in the Geologic Division, Office of Energy & Marine Geology Branch. John has been serving as the Program Coordinator for the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program (formerly the Coastal and Marine Geology Program) since 2001. In that role, he is responsible for supporting research spanning issues including coastal change due to erosion, storms and sea-level rise, tsunami and earthquake hazards, coral reef health and ocean acidification, sediment and contaminant transport, gas hydrates, and marine mineral resources. The Coastal/Marine Hazards and Resources Program also engages the breadth of USGS science in efforts to understand, forecast, and respond to priority national issues including coastal water quality, hazards, resource use, and ecosystem restoration.
John participated in the development of the National Ocean Policy implementation plan and represents the USGS on the Joint Subcommittee for Ocean Science and Technology. John is also a co-chair of the interagency task force on Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Hazards and a member of the Department of the Interior’s Senior Ocean Policy Team.
Education
John received his Ph. D. in physical oceanography from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Science and Products
Alaska North Slope LiDAR
High-resolution light detection and ranging (lidar) elevation data were acquired along the north coast of Alaska between 2009 and 2012. The lidar acquisition, from Icy Cape, Alaska to the United States/Canadian border, comprised approximately 11,000 km2. The airborne lidar data were acquired in support of the U.S. Geological Survey...
3D Topobathymetric Digital Elevation Model for Lake Powell Storage Capacity Assessment
To support the modeling of the Colorado River water storage area capacity tables by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Utah Water Science Center, the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center created a 3D high-resolution topobathymetric digital elevation model (TBDEM) for Lake Powell. Located in south-central Utah and north-...
The CMHRP Decadal Strategic Plan 2020-2030
This geonarrative constitutes the Decadal Strategic Plan of the USGS's Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program for 2020 to 2030.
Southern California / Channel Islands - Topobathymetric Elevation Model of the Channel Islands
Located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, the Channel Islands are a chain of eight islands where years of isolation has created unique fauna, flora, and archeological resources. Five of the islands are part of Channel Islands National Park (Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara), and the waters surrounding these islands make up the Channel Islands...
Topobathymetric Elevation Model of San Francisco Bay Area, California
Accurate, high-resolution elevation information is vital to understanding the natural hazards that can impact the highly populated San Francisco Bay area, such as sea-level rise, winter storms, cliff erosion, and other coastal hazards. The San Francisco Bay estuary three-dimensional (3D) topobathymetric digital elevation model (TBDEM) was developed in collaboration between ...
Topobathymetric Elevation Model of Outer Banks and Pamlico Sound, North Carolina
Pamlico Sound is ecologically important as it is the second largest estuary in the United States, and is the largest lagoon on the U.S. east coast. The sound is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a series of low, sandy barrier islands that are vulnerable to hurricane storm surge and sea-level rise. The seamless high-resolution topobathymetric digital elevation model (TBDEM)...
Topobathymetric Elevation Model of Northern Gulf of Mexico
Accurate, high-resolution elevation information is vital to understanding the highly dynamic northern Gulf of Mexico coast, the location of North America’s largest delta system and the focus of one of the largest coastal restoration and flood risk reduction efforts in the United States. The northern Gulf of Mexico topobathymetric digital elevation model (TBDEM) was developed in collaboration...
Topobathymetric Elevation Model of Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands
With an estimated elevation of only 3-meters above sea level, the Majuro Atoll, capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), is extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise, tsunamis, storm surge, and coastal flooding that could impact the sustainability of the infrastructure, groundwater, and ecosystems. Located in the northern tropical Pacific Ocean, the waters surrounding the Majuro...
Topobathymetric Elevation Model of Mobile Bay, Alabama
Mobile Bay is ecologically important as it is the fourth largest estuary in the United States. The Mobile Bay topobathymetric digital elevation model (TBDEM) was developed in collaboration between U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program (CMGP) and USGS National...
Hurricane Sandy Region - Topobathymetric Elevation Model of New Jersey / Delaware
Hurricane Sandy severely impacted the New Jersey/Delaware coast, altering the topography and ecosystems of this heavily populated region. In response to the storm, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program in collaboration with USGS National Geospatial Program , and ...
Hurricane Sandy Region - Topobathymetric Elevation Model of New England
Hurricane Sandy significantly impacted coastal New England from Connecticut to as far north as Maine altering the topography and ecosystems of this heavily populated region that includes both New York and Boston. In response to the storm, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program in collaboration with ...
Shoreline Definition of Inland Water Bodies Not Hydrologically Connected to the Ocean
Most airborne topographic light detection and ranging (lidar) systems operate within the near-infrared spectrum. Laser pulses from these systems frequently are absorbed by water and do not generate reflected returns on water bodies in the resulting lidar point cloud. Thus, the absence of lidar returns over water is useful for identifying inland water bodies that are not connected by any path...
Coastal Change Happens! USGS Has Data and Tools to Help Coastal Communities Prepare
USGS Introduces a National Approach to Coastal Change Hazards (CCH) Science
Scientific Partnership Aims to Help Shape Safer Coastal Communities
Coastal zone research projects will help managers protect developed areas' beach dunes, which are vital to resilient communities, ecosystems and economies.