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For the latest forecasts and critical weather information, visit weather.gov.

Projects Explorer

The NCCOS Project Explorer provides a snapshot of our official, discrete lines of research.
Filter by research category, region, and/or contact.

Land Use and Ecosystem Health: Decision-making Tools for Coastal Planning in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Assessing Human Use, Biological Effects of Contaminants and Nutrients, Chesapeake Bay, Delaware, john.jacobs@noaa.gov, Maryland, Social Science, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories, Virginia, Waterbodies
We are studying how land-use decisions affect the health of an area’s ecosystem. We are building models that show the consequences of land-use choices on ...
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Land-based Pollution Impacts on Ecosystem Services and Environmental Health within National Estuarine Research Reserves of the Southeastern U.S. and Selected Chesapeake Bay Watersheds

Biological Effects of Contaminants and Nutrients, coastal pollution, estuaries, Florida, Georgia, jeff.guyon@noaa.gov, Marine Spatial Ecology, North Carolina, population growth, runoff, South Carolina, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories
Environmental conditions in the coastal zone are in decline due to increased coastal development and pollution. Using land-use modeling and environmental observations, we are determining ...
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LEOFS-Hypoxia: Operational Lake Erie Hypoxia Forecasting for Public Water Systems Decision Support

CHRP, felix.martinez@noaa.gov, Great Lakes, Hypoxia, hypoxia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
Deep waters of Lake Erie’s central basin have areas of low dissolved oxygen. Weather conditions can determine if this low oxygen (hypoxic) water will be ...
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Leveraging Partnerships to Define Ecological Indicators, Status and Trends for Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

bryan.costa@noaa.gov, Climate Impacts on Ecosystems, Coastal Change, jenny.waddell@noaa.gov, Marine Spatial Ecology, Pacific Ocean, Regional Ecosystem Science, U.S. States and Territories, Washington, Waterbodies
In 2019, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) began evaluating the condition of marine resources inside its boundaries. This collaborative project is supporting this process ...
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Life and Death of Karenia brevis Blooms in the Eastern Gulf of America

ECOHAB, Florida, Forecasting, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), Gulf of Mexico, harmful algal bloom, Harmful Algal Bloom Detection and Forecasting, Karenia brevis, marc.suddleson@noaa.gov, Other Topics, Sponsored Research, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
An extensive bloom of the brevetoxin-producing Karenia brevis occurred from 2017 to 2019 in Florida. The economic, environmental, and human health impacts were quite severe ...
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Life and Death of a Karenia Bloom in the Western Gulf of Mexico

Forecasting, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), harmful algal bloom, Harmful Algal Bloom Detection and Forecasting, IFCB, Karenia brevis, marc.suddleson@noaa.gov, Other Topics, Sponsored Research, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, Texas, TOAST, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing in frequency and pose a threat to human and environmental health. Blooms of Karenia brevis occur nearly annually along ...
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Linking Biogeochemistry to Harmful Algal Bloom Nutritional Physiology with Gene Expression Analysis: Brown Tide

Aureococcus, Biological Effects of Contaminants and Nutrients, brown tide, ECOHAB, harmful algal bloom, Harmful Algal Bloom Detection and Forecasting, New York, Other Topics, quay.dortch@noaa.gov, Sponsored Research, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories
The Long Island Brown Tide (LIBT) threatens shellfish and sea grasses in mid-Atlantic estuaries. LIBT-specific gene expression assays are being developed and tested for enzymes ...
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Linking Coral Reefs, Coastal Watersheds, and Human Communities in the Pacific Islands: Using a Science to Management Approach

Assessing Human Use, Assessing Vulnerability and Resilience, Coral, coral reef, felix.martinez@noaa.gov, Guam, Marine Spatial Ecology, Pacific Ocean, Social Science, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies, watersheds
Our research project combines ecological studies, physical oceanographic research, and social science to reduce human impacts (e.g., runoff, sediment, and non-point source pollution) that threaten ...
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Linking Models and Field Experiments to Forecast Algal Bloom Toxicity in Lake Erie

felix.martinez@noaa.gov, Great Lakes, Harmful Algal Bloom Detection and Forecasting, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We are investigating the links between environmental variables and harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxins in Lake Erie to better understand the process of toxin development ...
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Lionfish Control in the National Marine Sanctuaries: A Study of Lionfish Aggregating Devices and Ciguatera Levels

Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, ciguatoxin, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), Invasive species, james.morris@noaa.gov, lionfish, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, Waterbodies
The invasive lionfish is one of the most dominant top predators of reef communities in the temperate and tropical Atlantic Ocean. Lionfish are reducing native ...
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Living with Sea Level Rise in the Texas Coastal Bend

Coastal Change, Coastal Change, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), Gulf of Mexico, Natural and Nature-based Features, NNBF, Other Topics, Sea Level Rise, sea level rise, Sponsored Research, Texas, trevor.meckley@noaa.gov, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We are using modeling to identify the best locations along the Texas Coastal Bend where natural and nature-based features (NNBF) can be used to address ...
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Lobster Trap Debris in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: Distribution, Abundance, Density, and Patterns of Accumulation

Atlantic Ocean, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Florida, lobster trap, marine debris, Marine Spatial Ecology, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We assessed the abundance and distribution of derelict spiny lobster trap debris in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary using towed-diver surveys. We found that ...
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Location and Status of Reef Fish Spawning Aggregations in the Florida Keys

aggregations, Atlantic Ocean, chris.taylor@noaa.gov, cubera snapper, Florida, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, mutton snapper, spawning, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We are identifying and surveying historical and recently reported reef fish spawning aggregations in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Spawning aggregations are critical to ...
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Managing the Impacts of Multiple Stressors in Lake Huron

Biological Effects of Contaminants and Nutrients, felix.martinez@noaa.gov, Great Lakes, Invasive Species, Michigan, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
Along with several partner agencies and institutions, we are funding NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory to improve the health of Saginaw Bay and to ...
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Mangrove Function as Nursery Habitat for Fish in Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve

bethany.williams@noaa.gov, Climate Impacts on Ecosystems, Coastal Change, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Marine Spatial Ecology, matt.kendall@noaa.gov, Regional Ecosystem Science, U.S. States and Territories, U.S. Virgin Islands
We studied the use of mangrove habitat by juvenile fish in a marine protected area in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our goal was to compare ...
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Mapping and Analysis of West Coast Groundfish

California, charles.menza@noaa.gov, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Oregon, Pacific Ocean, U.S. States and Territories, Washington, Waterbodies
We are developing groundfish distribution maps to support fisheries management and conservation. The maps are based on a compilation and analysis of fish observations and ...
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Mapping and Biological Assessments in Potential Wind Energy Area of Offshore North Carolina

Atlantic Ocean, chris.taylor@noaa.gov, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, North Carolina, Offshore Wind, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We are conducting seafloor mapping and biological assessments in a potential site for wind energy development offshore southeast North Carolina. The maps and data will ...
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Mapping and Modeling Mid-Atlantic Seabirds to Support Spatial Planning of Offshore Renewable Energy

Atlantic Ocean, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, john.christensen@noaa.gov, marine birds, Marine Spatial Ecology, Offshore Wind, Waterbodies
Seabirds and other birds that spend time at sea are wide-ranging and highly mobile, and mapping their at-sea distributions presents a significant challenge. We are ...
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Mapping Coastal Elevations and Water Depths Using Unmanned Vehicles (Drones)

ASVs, Atlantic Ocean, autonomous surface vessels, Bathymetry, bryan.costa@noaa.gov, Buck Island Reef National Monument, California, California, Caribbean Sea, Channel Islands, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Climate Impacts on Ecosystems, Coastal Change, Coastal Mapping, Depths, East End Marine Park, Elevations, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Natural and Nature-based Features, Pacific Ocean, Regional Ecosystem Science, Restoration, Santa Cruz Island, St. Croix, tim.battista@noaa.gov, Topography, U.S. Caribbean, U.S. States and Territories, UAVs, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned systems, Unmanned vehicles, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment, Waterbodies
Many organizations need imagery, and elevation and depth data to effectively manage our nation’s coastlines. However, coastal areas are expensive and challenging to map using ...
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Mapping Deep Corals in the U.S. South Atlantic to Conserve Vulnerable Fish Habitat and Ecosystems

coral reef, dan.dorfman@noaa.gov, deep coral, Florida, Georgia, Habitat Mapping, john.christensen@noaa.gov, marine protected area, Marine Spatial Ecology, North Carolina, South Carolina, tim.battista@noaa.gov, U.S. States and Territories
Deep-sea corals provide important habitats for many marine species, including commercial fish. We collected available bathymetric information in the U.S. South Atlantic as part of ...
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Mapping Fish Habitat to Determine Coral Reef Ecosystem Health in the Caribbean

Caribbean Sea, chris.taylor@noaa.gov, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Puerto Rico, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We are integrating sonar information on fish with seafloor mapping sonars to produce maps of the coral reef and reef fish habitat use in U.S ...
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