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.
See More CSS Insights
Supporting Response Efforts Following California Fires
Following the fires that devastated Los Angeles, California and surrounding areas in January 2025, CSS employee owners were deployed to the area as a subcontractor to Weston Solutions, Inc. to assist with the response. This effort supports U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 Superfund Technical Assessment & Response Team (START) program. Initially, a CSS…
Continued Analysis of Contaminants from East Palestine Train Derailment
In February 2023, a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio spilling chemicals that contaminated surrounding soil, water, and the air. Several Portable High-throughput Integrated Laboratory Identification Systems (PHILIS) – the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) suite of mobile laboratories designed to provide on-site analysis of chemical agents – and staff were mobilized to the site following the accident to conduct analysis of various contaminated media. The CSS…
Expanding Our Offshore Wind Team
We’ve recently added several staff to bolster the offshore wind team at NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. With this full team of 13, our employee owners are able to provide more focused support in their areas of expertise, including mapping and spatial modeling, data collection, communications, project management, and partner engagement. Through this…
