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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Assessing Contamination in Abandoned Mines
CSS supports the Environmental Protection Agency with assessing contamination within abandoned mines. There are thousands of abandoned mines throughout the western United States. Many of these mines are leaching heavy metals into nearby streams or have contaminated soils causing vegetation die off. CSS employee owners conduct field work to assess the extent of this contamination.…
Developing a Decontamination Line Guide for EPA Responders
CSS employee owners supporting the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Scientific and Technical Assistance for Consequence Management (STACM) contract have been working with the National Chemical Preparedness Workgroup and Sub Workgroups to create a decontamination (decon) line guide and detailed drawing for EPA on-scene coordinators and EPA’s special teams to use for emergency responses and incidents. The…
Contributing to Wind Energy Area Designations
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently announced two Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of Mexico. The WEAs are located off the coasts of Galveston, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana and have the potential to power nearly three million homes. BOEM collaborated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to identify…