- Success Stories
- Environmental Resource Assessment & Management
Studying Mesophotic Coral Health
Mesophotic coral can live at depths of 500 feet below the ocean surface. Even at this depth, some of the mesophotic corals in the Gulf of Mexico were affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Our coral scientists supporting NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science are studying the extent of this impact.
Three of our employee owners participated in a mission to extract the corals from the Gulf of Mexico that were then transported to laboratories in Galveston, Texas, Gainesville, Florida, and Charleston, South Carolina. Once the Charleston specimens were housed in custom-made tanks, our scientists began studying and caring for the corals. They feed the colony multiple times daily, and study their growth and reproduction. In an effort to restore the damaged coral colonies in the Gulf of Mexico, the team is studying how to maximize growth and outplanting at a larger scale.
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Rapid Reporting of a Close Call Incident
CSS Safety Protocols During a routine collection of waste, a container of white powder disintegrated without warning, causing the powder to spill and be expelled into the air. Thanks to CSS’s safety protocols and quick response, our Center for Disease Control waste disposal staff was able to assess the situation and respond to the chemical…
Major Overhaul and Update to an Existing Tool
Congratulations to our staff on the highly anticipated new release of Coastal County Snapshots! Our staff are part of a larger team that includes the prime contractor, Lynker, Inc, and federal staff from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office for Coastal Management who worked for over a year to complete this major task. Coastal…
Happy 50th Birthday, Coastal Zone Management Act!
The Coastal Zone Management Act turns 50 this year! Many of our National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) contract teams support this important piece of legislation. We have staff on the ground in many geographies working with state and U.S. territorial coastal programs. These staff work closely with these programs to provide guidance and support…