For over five years CSS employee owners have supported NOAA’s Digital Coast data development and management, training development and delivery, and tool development and management through our subcontract with Lynker Technologies supporting NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management. As part of this effort, CSS employee owners process lidar data from many sources to make it available for custom and bulk downloads from the NOAA Data Access Viewer. This involves ensuring data quality and consistency and preparing the data for dissemination. The end goal is to provide elevation data users with the data they need to make the best decisions for coastal mapping and management efforts.

Graphic shows a flat surface next to a steep incline. A suspension bridge  reaches over the flat surface
High resolution lidar data provides enough detail to show specific and identifiable features and landmarks, like the Golden Gate Bridge.

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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.…

Organizing Teams to Monitor Coastal Contaminants

For nearly 40 years NOAA’s National Mussel Watch Program has been monitoring contaminants in coastal waters in over 400 sites around the U.S. by testing sediment and bivalves, such as oysters and mussels. A CSS employee owner organizes and coordinates the regional missions to collect and test samples. This includes developing a schedule and coordinating…

Artist rendering of NOAA satellite in orbit

Engaging in New and Emergent Satellite Technologies 

CSS employee owners (formerly Riverside employees) support the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service’s (NESDIS) Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR). STAR is the science arm of NESDIS, which acquires and manages the nation’s environmental satellites for NOAA. Satellite observations are critical to informing situational awareness and…