The ocean covers about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, and life on this planet depends heavily on the ocean. We celebrate its vast being and presence each year on June 8. With CSS so heavily dedicated to Earth and environmental science, it makes sense that many CSS employee owners are deeply embedded in ocean science, from tidal ecosystems to deeper sea benthic communities. Below are a few projects our staff are involved in to assess ocean health and help make the ocean a healthier place for life on this planet.
- Restoring marsh ecosystems
- Assessing the ocean economy
- Conserving shallow coral communities affected by stony coral tissue loss disease
- Mapping, assessing, and restoring mesophotic and deep benthic communities
- Developing suitability models to inform BOEM’s selection of offshore wind energy areas
- Managing ocean data and tools to inform ocean planning and offshore renewable energy
- Forecasting, monitoring, and detecting harmful algal blooms
- Mapping and assessing seagrass and kelp and other coastal habitats
- Assessing ocean toxins and pollutants through shellfish sampling
Through several contracts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CSS employee owners are dedicated to protecting our ocean, its ecosystems, and life that depends on it.
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Developing a Database for Ecosystem Service Models
CSS scientists have been major developers and contributors to the online U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s EcoService Models Library (ESML) database since its inception in 2012. The ESML database contains detailed but concise descriptions of ecosystem service models to facilitate the selection of models by ecosystem scientists for a variety of management and research applications. The…
An Approach to Assessing Laboratory Space
CSS employee owners were part of a team of scientists at the National Institutes of Health who developed an approach to evaluating new laboratory space to determine if the space will fit operational needs. This concept, titled The BaseLINE Approach, combines traditional safety processes with additional safety and environmental factors to assess before operations begin.…
Assisting with Design and Validation of Mobile Chemical Analysis Laboratory
Portable High-throughput Integrated Laboratory Identification System (PHILIS) is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) suite of mobile laboratories designed to provide on-site analysis of chemical agents. CSS employee owners support the PHILIS team with on-site responses and chemical analysis. CSS PHILIS teams recently supported the technical design and integration of state-of-the-art emergency response mobile laboratory units engineered for the rapid detection and quantification of hazardous materials. CSS PHILIS teams in…