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Projects Explorer

The NCCOS Project Explorer provides a snapshot of our official, discrete lines of research.
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Modeling Favorable Habitat for Alexandrium catenella in Puget Sound

Climate Impacts on Ecosystems, Coastal Change, Harmful Algal Bloom Detection and Forecasting, quay.dortch@noaa.gov, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories, Washington
In Puget Sound, the toxic alga Alexandrium catenella threatens people who eat shellfish contaminated with the algal toxin. Previous studies identify “seedbeds” of Alexandrium resting ...
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Modeling Hypoxia and Ecological Responses to Climate and Nutrients

Chesapeake Bay, CHRP, Climate Impacts on Ecosystems, Coastal Change, Delaware, Hypoxia, Maryland, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We are developing modeling tools that can be used to predict ecological responses to climate and nutrient input management in coastal systems. This project is ...
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Modeling Impacts of Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Biological Effects of Contaminants and Nutrients, david.kidwell@noaa.gov, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), Hypoxia, Louisiana, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, Texas, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We are determining the effects of hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen) on reproduction of fish (Atlantic croaker) throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico to accurately model ...
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Modeling Mesophotic Coral Distributions in the Au’au Channel, Hawaii

Habitat Mapping, Hawaii, Marine Spatial Ecology, Pacific Ocean, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We developed predictive maps of the distribution of selected hard corals living in the mesophotic zone (30–150 meters deep) in and around the Au’au Channel, ...
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Modeling Ocean Acidification in the Coastal Zone

Coastal Change, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), Hypoxia, Ocean Acidification, ocean acidification, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, Waterbodies
Adding carbon dioxide (CO2) to seawater raises the acidity of seawater, which can adversely affect marine life and fisheries. Coastal waters receive both atmospheric CO2 ...
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Modeling to Support Blue Crab Resilience in Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay, Coastal Change, doug.pirhalla@noaa.gov, Maryland, Technology Transfer, Virginia
Critical species that support life and economic activity in the Chesapeake Bay, including the indigenous blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), are facing multiple environmental threats. Understanding ...
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Modeling, Visualizing, and Communicating Nor’easter and Hurricane Threats With Sea Level Rise to Support Coastal Management in New England

Atlantic Ocean, Coastal Change, Coastal Change, Maine, Massachusetts, New England, Other Topics, Rhode Island, Sea Level Rise, sea level rise, Sponsored Research, trevor.meckley@noaa.gov, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We are working to inform and improve coastal resource management and resilience to extreme weather events (e.g., Nor’easters and hurricanes) whose impacts are magnified with ...
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Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms in the Lower Great Lakes

blue-green algae blooms, Great Lakes, Harmful Algal Bloom Detection and Forecasting, marc.suddleson@noaa.gov, MERHAB, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, Waterbodies
Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms in the Lower Great Lakes (MERHAB-LGL) was the first regional, multi-institution project to examine toxic cyanobacteria in ...
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Monitoring and Management of Lipophilic Shellfish Toxins in Washington

azaspiracid poisoning, diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, dinophysis, Harmful Algal Bloom Detection and Forecasting, lipophilic toxins, marc.suddleson@noaa.gov, MERHAB, shellfish, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories, Washington
Lipid and fat soluble (lipophilic) algal toxins linked to diarrhetic shellfish poisoning and azaspiracid shellfish poisoning are emerging threats to recreational, subsistence, and commercial shellfisheries ...
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Monitoring Chemical Contaminants in Caribbean Sargassum to Protect Coastal Economies and Support Local Actions and Responses

Assessing Vulnerability and Resilience, Biological Effects of Contaminants and Nutrients, Caribbean Sea, Coastal Change, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, emily.pisarski@noaa.gov, Florida, Harmful Algal Bloom Event Response, Marine Spatial Ecology, National Mussel Watch, Puerto Rico, Regional Ecosystem Science, Restoration, Social Science, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment, Water Quality, Waterbodies
Sargassum inundation events are increasing in frequency and intensity in the Caribbean, posing challenges for coastal communities, the blue economy, and ecosystem health. Aquatic plants ...
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Multi-objective Assessment of Flood Adaptation Options in Los Angeles County

California, Coastal Change, Natural and Nature-based Features, sarah.pease@noaa.gov, Sea Level Rise, U.S. States and Territories, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
We are evaluating, at a high resolution, the social, economic, and environmental benefits, costs, and tradeoffs of different approaches to manage flood risk in Los ...
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Multidisciplinary Approach to a Cross-Regional Problem: Dinophysis and DSP Toxicity

Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, dinophysis, DSP, Forecasting, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), harmful algal bloom, Harmful Algal Bloom Detection and Forecasting, Long Island Sound, maggie.broadwater@noaa.gov, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Other Topics, Puget Sound, Rhode Island, Sponsored Research, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, Texas, U.S. States and Territories, Virginia, Washington, Waterbodies
Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) has emerged as a significant and expanding seafood safety threat in coastal regions across the United States. The harmful algal species ...
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Nanomaterials in the Marine Environment: The Use of Salt-Marsh Mesocosms to Study Transport and Partitioning

Biological Effects of Contaminants and Nutrients, microplastic, paul.pennington@noaa.gov, South Carolina, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, U.S. States and Territories
In our study of the movement and accumulation of gold and silver nanomaterials in simulated salt-marsh enclosures, we found that the particles moved from the ...
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National Analytical Response to Harmful Algal Bloom–Related Marine Animal Mortality Events

Atlantic Ocean, California, Florida, Harmful Algal Bloom Detection and Forecasting, maggie.broadwater@noaa.gov, Pacific Ocean, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, Texas, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
We use extreme events to research new or changing impacts of harmful algal blooms in coastal waters. The NOAA Analytical Response Team leverages cutting-edge analytical ...
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National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI)

Caribbean Sea, Coral, coral reef, david.hilmer@noaa.gov, Florida, Marine Spatial Ecology, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
Researchers at the National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI) are exploring scientifically sound approaches to understand, assess, monitor, restore and mitigate injured coral reefs. NCRI is ...
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National Coral Reef Monitoring Program Implementation: Biological and Socioeconomic Monitoring

American Samoa, Assessing Human Use, Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, CNMI, coral, Coral, coral reef, CRCP, CRMP, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Florida, Guam, Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), Hawaii, lexie.sturm@noaa.gov, Marine Spatial Ecology, monitoring, Puerto Rico, sarah.siegel@noaa.gov, shay.viehman@noaa.gov, Social Science, U.S. States and Territories, U.S. Virgin Islands, Waterbodies
The National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) is a framework for conducting sustained observations of biological, climate, and socioeconomic indicators at 10 priority coral reefs ...
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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, 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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