CSS employee owner and Marine Mammal Microplastic Specialist supporting NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science assists the South Carolina Marine Mammal Stranding Network in responding to dead marine mammals when they strand on beaches or estuaries throughout South Carolina. This is work is critical for human and environmental health because it provides invaluable samples which allow scientists to
- better understand ecosystem conditions since marine mammals are important indicators of the health of their environment,
- gain insight to the health of the marine mammal community,
- assume potential impacts for humans living in the coastal zone.
In addition, removing marine mammal carcasses from public spaces helps avoid potential disease transfer to humans.
The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network (LMMN) is the current NOAA Fisheries permit holder—a permit required by the Marine Mammals Protection and Endangered Species Act for research including collecting samples for biopsies. The organization currently has only one staff member dedicated to these responses. Since responding to stranded, deceased marine mammals is not safe or possible to do alone, CSS staff supporting NCCOS frequently assist with field responses, conducting necropsies (i.e. animal autopsies), and sample collection.
Following sample collection, the CSS Marine Mammal Microplastic Specialist is specifically responsible for the gastrointestinal assessment. Responsibilities for this task include dissecting and analyzing the stomach and entire intestinal tracts of stranded marine mammals. This assessment helps provide information regarding the animal’s recent diet and is one of the final determinants of whether an animal was affected by human interaction, specifically by ingesting microplastics. This data is used by LMMN, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, and NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.
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Developing a Database for Ecosystem Service Models
CSS scientists have been major developers and contributors to the online U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s EcoService Models Library (ESML) database since its inception in 2012. The ESML database contains detailed but concise descriptions of ecosystem service models to facilitate the selection of models by ecosystem scientists for a variety of management and research applications. The…
Installing Environmental Monitoring Stations
Our field crews installed/updated two environmental monitoring stations in remote locations in the Pacific Northwest. Multiple types of sensors were installed including air and soil temperature, precipitation, soil moisture and soil redox potential. These stations provide data for designing and evaluating soil remediation projects for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development. Installing…
Examining Cetaceans for Contamination and Pathogens
CSS has employee owners who are experts in monitoring cetacean health. Several CSS scientists supporting NOAA’s Centers for Coastal Ocean Science have recently conducted research and tests on marine mammals to explore uncommon behaviors and causes for strandings. View some examples of this research below. Microplastics are becoming increasingly abundant in coastal and marine environments.…