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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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…
Organizing Teams to Monitor Coastal Contaminants
For nearly 40 years NOAA’s National Mussel Watch Program has been monitoring contaminants in coastal waters in over 400 sites around the U.S. by testing sediment and bivalves, such as oysters and mussels. A CSS employee owner organizes and coordinates the regional missions to collect and test samples. This includes developing a schedule and coordinating…
Training the Next Generation of Researchers
CSS staff support the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Division of Occupational Safety and Health by providing Safe Techniques Advance Research Science (STARS) training to summer interns. Following a pause during the pandemic, staff resumed training May 15, 2024. During the in-person STARS training, CSS staff cover key concepts from the pre-requisite NIH Lab Safety…