Projects Explorer
The NCCOS Project Explorer provides a snapshot of our official, discrete lines of research.
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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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Mapping Habitat Change in Saipan Lagoon, CNMI
benthic habitat, bryan.costa@noaa.gov, CNMI, Coral, coral reef ecosystems, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, matt.kendall@noaa.gov, Pacific Ocean, Saipan, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
In 2004, shallow-water benthic habitats were mapped in Saipan Lagoon, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Since then, habitats in the lagoon have likely changed ...
Mapping Intertidal and Subtidal Habitats of Kachemak Bay and Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
Alaska, dominic.hondolero@noaa.gov, Habitat Mapping, Kachemak Bay, Marine Spatial Ecology, ross.whippo@noaa.gov, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
Nearshore habitats are important sources of food, shelter, and services that support diverse ecosystems. Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay host a variety of these marine ...
Mapping the Benthic Habitat Resources of Kachemak Bay (Alaska) with Multibeam Sonar Data
Alaska, amit.malhotra@noaa.gov, chris.taylor@noaa.gov, don.field@noaa.gov, Habitat Mapping, Kachemak Bay, kris.holderied@noaa.gov, Marine Spatial Ecology, Research, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
There are no subtidal benthic habitat maps of Kachemak Bay, Alaska, to support essential fish habitat and place-based management needs. In response, we are developing ...
Mapping the Long Island Sound Seafloor
Atlantic Ocean, Connecticut, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Habitat Mapping, john.christensen@noaa.gov, Marine Spatial Ecology, New York, tim.battista@noaa.gov, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
Long Island Sound is a region vital to our Nation’s economy, security, culture, and ecology. A new collaborative effort by state, federal and academic partners ...
Marine Biogeographic Assessment of the Main Hawaiian Islands
benthic habitat, bryan.costa@noaa.gov, coral, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Hawaii, Marine Spatial Ecology, marine spatial planning, matt.kendall@noaa.gov, Pacific Ocean, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We compiled existing spatial data and created maps of the marine environment, benthic habitats, fishes, sea turtles, marine mammals and seabirds off the Main Hawaiian ...
Marine Biogeographic Assessment of Three National Marine Sanctuaries off North Central California
Coral, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Marine Spatial Ecology, mark.monaco@noaa.gov, Regional Ecosystem Science
We assessed the distribution and abundance of selected marine species and habitats off the north central California coast on behalf of NOAA’s Office of National ...
Marine Biogeographic Assessment of U.S. Territories
American Samoa, Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, CNMI, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Guam, laughlin.siceloff@noaa.gov, Marine Spatial Ecology, Offshore Wind, Pacific Ocean, Puerto Rico, U.S. States and Territories, U.S. Virgin Islands, Waterbodies
We are conducting a study of spatial data across five U.S. territories (Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), American Samoa, Puerto Rico, ...
Marine Bird Spatial Distributions on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf: Data Synthesis and Modeling
California, Habitat Mapping, jeffery.leirness@noaa.gov, john.christensen@noaa.gov, marine bird, Marine Spatial Ecology, Offshore Wind, Oregon, out continental shelf, Pacific Ocean, seabird, spatial modeling, U.S. States and Territories, Washington, Waterbodies
Currently, there is a gap in useable information regarding marine bird distributions on the U.S. Pacific Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). We are synthesizing available high-quality, ...
Marine Cage Culture and the Environment
aquaculture, Atlantic Ocean, Bering Sea, Caribbean Sea, Chesapeake Bay, Coastal Aquaculture Siting and Sustainability, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), james.morris@noaa.gov, Marine Spatial Ecology, Pacific Ocean, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, water quality, Waterbodies
We conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of global research on the environmental effects of marine cage culture. This analysis comprises the latest knowledge of ...
Marine Debris in Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary
Atlantic Ocean, Coral, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Georgia, gray's reef, john.christensen@noaa.gov, laurie.bauer@noaa.gov, marine debris, Marine Spatial Ecology, spatial predictive map, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We collaborated with Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary managers and NOAA’s Marine Debris Program personnel to determine where marine debris accumulates in the sanctuary and ...
Marine Spatial Planning Data Development: U.S. Caribbean
Coastal Aquaculture Siting and Sustainability, james.morris@noaa.gov, Marine Spatial Ecology, Offshore Wind, Puerto Rico, U.S. States and Territories, U.S. Virgin Islands
NCCOS and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service hosted workshops with stakeholders in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to identify spatial data for informed ...
Marine Spatial Planning Data Development: Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina
james.morris@noaa.gov, Marine Spatial Ecology, North Carolina, Offshore Wind, South Carolina, U.S. States and Territories, Virginia
NCCOS is hosting a Marine Spatial Planning Workshop in North Carolina to bring together stakeholders from Virginia and the Carolinas and determine the spatial data ...
Marshes on the Margins: Developing Tidal Wetlands Adaptation Strategies in Southern California
California, Climate Impacts on Ecosystems, Coastal Change, david.kidwell@noaa.gov, estuaries, Habitat, inlets, marshes, Natural and Nature-based Features, sea level rise, Sea Level Rise, U.S. States and Territories, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
We will investigate how the dynamic and heavily altered (e.g., through jetty construction or dredging) estuaries of Southern California will be affected by sea level ...