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The U.S. government is closed. This site will not be updated; however, NOAA websites and social media channels necessary to protect lives and property will be maintained. To learn more, visit commerce.gov. 

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.

National Estuarine Eutrophication Assessment: Update

Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, eutrophication, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), Hypoxia, Pacific Ocean, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, suzanne.bricker@noaa.gov, Waterbodies
Eutrophication is the overabundance of nutrients in a body of water that results in harmful algal blooms, fish kills, and in some cases ecosystem collapse ...
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National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) Coastal Assessment

Alabama, Atlantic Ocean, California, Chesapeake Bay, Connecticut, david.moe.nelson@noaa.gov, Delaware, District of Columbia, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Florida, Georgia, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), Louisiana, Maine, Marine Spatial Ecology, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pacific Ocean, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, U.S. States and Territories, Virginia, Washington, Waterbodies
In support of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, we completed the estuarine and coastal components of the National Fish Habitat Assessment. We compiled and ...
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National Inventory of Deep-sea Corals and Sponges: Development of a Database of Observations and a Web Portal

Atlantic Ocean, Coral, coral reef, deep sea corals, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Pacific Ocean, peter.etnoyer@noaa.gov, robert.mcguinn@noaa.gov, sponge reef, Waterbodies
We are working in support of NOAA’s Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program to locate, map, and characterize deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems throughout ...
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National Phytoplankton Monitoring Network

Alaska, Atlantic Ocean, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), Harmful Algal Bloom Detection and Forecasting, harmful algal blooms, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pacific Ocean, pmn, Rhode Island, South Carolina, steve.morton@noaa.gov, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, Texas, U.S. States and Territories, Virginia, Washington, Waterbodies
Harmful algal blooms impact the coastal economy on average $82 million a year. Because every coastal state suffers HABs the problem is too much for ...
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NCCOS Advancing Climate-informed Decisions in NOAA’S Changing Ecosystems and Fisheries Initiative

bethany.williams@noaa.gov, Climate Impacts on Ecosystems, Coastal Change, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, kris.holderied@noaa.gov, Marine Spatial Ecology, Regional Ecosystem Science, U.S. States and Territories, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
NCCOS is developing decision support tools to inform living marine resource management in accordance with the impacts of climate change. Why We Care Climate change ...
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New Pacific Ciguatoxins Identification and Analysis

ciguatoxins, Harmful Algal Bloom Detection and Forecasting, john.ramsdell@noaa.gov, Pacific Ocean, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, Waterbodies, zhihong.wang@noaa.gov
Ciguatoxins originate from marine algae, such as Gambierdiscus spp., enter the food web through fish, and pass to humans. To improve detection methods and better ...
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New Tools to Aid in Managing Ciguatera Poisoning Risks in the Caribbean

Assessing Vulnerability and Resilience, Atlantic Ocean, Biological Effects of Contaminants and Nutrients, Caribbean Sea, ciguatoxin, ECOHAB, Florida, gambierdiscus, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), harmful algal bloom, marc.suddleson@noaa.gov, Social Science, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, Texas, U.S. States and Territories, U.S. Virgin Islands, Waterbodies
Ciguatera fish poisoning is the most frequently reported non-bacterial illness associated with eating fish in the United States and the U. S. territorial islands. Ciguatera ...
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Nutrient Dynamics and Changes to Benthic Communities in Vatia, American Samoa

American Samoa, benthic habitat, Biological Effects of Contaminants and Nutrients, dave.whitall@noaa.gov, eutrophication, Pacific Ocean, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
Eutrophication is the over-abundance of nutrients in a body of water that results in harmful algal blooms, fish kills, and in some cases ecosystem collapse ...
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Nutrient Stress and Source Identification in the Coral Reefs of Ofu and Olosega, American Samoa

American Samoa, Biological Effects of Contaminants and Nutrients, contaminant analysis, contaminants, Coral Reefs, dave.whitall@noaa.gov, nutrients, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories
Observed blooms of algae including caulerpa and valonia in the coral reef ecosystems of Ofu and Olosega are of concern to coastal managers. It has ...
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Ocean Acidification and Sea Scallops: Predicting Impacts of Climate Change

Atlantic Ocean, Climate Impacts on Ecosystems, Coastal Change, elizabeth.turner@noaa.gov, ocean acidification, sea scallop, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment, Waterbodies
We are supporting the development of an integrated model to forecast the impacts of ocean acidification on the Atlantic sea scallop fishery. The model will ...
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Ocean Acidification in the California Current: Predicting Impacts on Food Webs and Economies within a Context of Climate Change

California, Climate Impacts on Ecosystems, Coastal Change, elizabeth.turner@noaa.gov, Ocean Acidification, ocean acidification, Oregon, Pacific Ocean, U.S. States and Territories, Washington, Waterbodies
We are supporting the development of a management model to predict impacts of ocean acidification on food webs and the fishing economy in the California ...
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Ocean Acidification: Understanding Changing Chemistry in Alaska Coastal Waters

Alaska, Coastal Change, kris.holderied@noaa.gov, Ocean Acidification, ocean acidification, U.S. States and Territories
Ocean acidification is a problem created by the increasing levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, and it is harmful to certain plankton, shellfish, coral, ...
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Oceanographic and Cellular Controls on Domoic Acid Production in the Central and Southern California Current System

California, domoic acid, ECOHAB, Forecasting, harmful algal bloom, Harmful Algal Bloom Detection and Forecasting, maggie.broadwater@noaa.gov, Other Topics, pseudo-nitzschia, Sponsored Research, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories
Domoic acid is a neurotoxin produced by some diatoms in the genus Pseudo-nitzschia. Domoic acid can accumulate in shellfish and fish, and cause illness or ...
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Operational Gulf of America Hypoxia Monitoring

david.scheurer@noaa.gov, dead zone, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), Gulf of Mexico, Hypoxia, hypoxia, Louisiana, monitoring, Other Topics, Sponsored Research, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, Texas, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
The Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico) hypoxia monitoring cruise is an annual shelf-wide survey of the Gulf's hypoxic area (i.e., “dead zone”) and ...
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Oregon Kelp Forest Survey

Climate Impacts on Ecosystems, Coastal Change, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, marykate.rogener@noaa.gov, Oregon, Pacific Ocean, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
This study will perform a coast-wide survey of the extent and status of kelp forests in Oregon.  Why We Care Kelp are seaweed, known as ...
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Outdoor Recreation and Public Perceptions of Prescribed Fires in Coastal Alabama and Mississippi

Alabama, Coastal Change, Ecosystem Services Valuation, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), Mississippi, Natural and Nature-based Features, sarah.gonyo@noaa.gov, Social Science, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
Land managers in the United States use prescribed burning to lessen the risk of frequent and dangerous wildfires and to restore ecosystems. This project seeks ...
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Outdoor Recreation in Coastal Virginia

Assessing Human Use, Chesapeake Bay, sarah.gonyo@noaa.gov, Social Science, U.S. States and Territories, Virginia, Waterbodies
Understanding who visits coastal and marine areas and why is crucial for natural resource managers. However, this information is expensive to collect and, therefore, often ...
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Oyster Aquaculture Related Ecosystem Services in the Choptank River Habitat Focus Area (HFA)

aquaculture, Chesapeake Bay, Coastal Aquaculture Siting and Sustainability, eutrophication, Hypoxia, Marine Spatial Ecology, shellfish, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, suzanne.bricker@noaa.gov, Waterbodies
Eutrophication—the overabundance of nutrients in a body of water—threatens the normal function and benefits provided by coastal ecosystems. Attempts to reverse eutrophication have focused on ...
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Oyster Marking Methodology Study

Chesapeake Bay, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, jason.spires@noaa.gov, Marine Spatial Ecology, Waterbodies
We are developing methods to imprint oysters with a non-toxic fluorochrome dye to give scientists, aquaculturists, health officials, and enforcement agencies the ability to positively ...
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Patterns of Visitation at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Assessing Human Use, chris.jeffrey@noaa.gov, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Marine Spatial Ecology, matt.kendall@noaa.gov, Social Science, tim.battista@noaa.gov
Basic statistics on visitor use are lacking at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS). High-resolution satellite data, buoy camera pictures, and weather patterns will be ...
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Pavement Resilience to Sea Level Rise and Potential Mitigation Options Using Natural and Nature-Based Features

Alabama, Atlantic Ocean, Coastal Change, Coastal Change, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), highways, Natural and Nature-based Features, New Hampshire, NNBF, Other Topics, resilience, Sea Level Rise, sea level rise, Sponsored Research, transportation, trevor.meckley@noaa.gov, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We are investigating the coastal processes and hazards that damage roadway pavement. This work combines hydrodynamic, groundwater, and pavement models, along with an adaptation impact ...
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