Unique aerial of the Offshore-Windpark (OWP) five kilometers off the coast of Copenhagen, Denmark. Converted from RAW.

Congratulations to CSS employee owners supporting NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science for their nomination for the NOAA Gold Medal Award! CSS employee owners have been critical members of the team charged with the rapid development of spatial models that aid in offshore wind planning in the Gulf of Mexico. The team has collected authoritative data, developed maps and spatial models, engaged with partners, and managed the project to inform siting of ocean use, environmental review, and permitting. This effort provides guidance to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the agency responsible for identifying and leasing wind energy areas. This is a tremendous accomplishment that advances the President’s offshore wind energy priority and notably reduces conflict. 

A big congratulations to the entire team of NOAA and CSS employee owners on this well-deserved nomination!

Map of Gulf of Mexico waters showing principal ports and two options for wind energy areas.
Map of Gulf of Mexico showing shipping lanes in blue lines and wind energy areas identified in yellow blocks.

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Bee in a large, bright yellow bloom

Over 40 Years of Support

Since 1982, members of our staff have supported EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs. As part of this contract, our staff assess environmental and human health impacts on anthropogenic chemicals. The agricultural industry is critical to food and textile production, it is a large contributor to the U.S. economy. Not only does the industry provide food…

Examining Cetaceans for Contamination and Pathogens

CSS has employee owners who are experts in monitoring cetacean health. Several CSS scientists supporting NOAA’s Centers for Coastal Ocean Science have recently conducted research and tests on marine mammals to explore uncommon behaviors and causes for strandings. View some examples of this research below. Microplastics are becoming increasingly abundant in coastal and marine environments.…

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…