The ocean covers about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, and life on this planet depends heavily on the ocean. We celebrate its vast being and presence each year on June 8. With CSS so heavily dedicated to Earth and environmental science, it makes sense that many CSS employee owners are deeply embedded in ocean science, from tidal ecosystems to deeper sea benthic communities. Below are a few projects our staff are involved in to assess ocean health and help make the ocean a healthier place for life on this planet. 

  • Restoring marsh ecosystems 
  • Assessing the ocean economy 
  • Conserving shallow coral communities affected by stony coral tissue loss disease 
  • Mapping, assessing, and restoring mesophotic and deep benthic communities  
  • Developing suitability models to inform BOEM’s selection of offshore wind energy areas 
  • Managing ocean data and tools to inform ocean planning and offshore renewable energy 
  • Forecasting, monitoring, and detecting harmful algal blooms 
  • Mapping and assessing seagrass and kelp and other coastal habitats 
  • Assessing ocean toxins and pollutants through shellfish sampling 

Through several contracts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CSS employee owners are dedicated to protecting our ocean, its ecosystems, and life that depends on it.

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Employee Owners Nominated for NOAA Gold Medal Award 

Congratulations to CSS employee owners supporting NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science for their nomination for the NOAA Gold Medal Award! CSS employee owners have been critical members of the team charged with the rapid development of spatial models that aid in offshore wind planning in the Gulf of Mexico. The team has collected…

split pane with 1-meter land cover data on left showing details of roads, buildings, creeks, and wetlands. 30-meter land cover data on right showing blocky colors that don't provide details.

New Heavily Desired High Resolution Land Cover Data for the U.S. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently announced the launch of the long desired high-resolution coastal land cover data. This highly anticipated data are available for most coastal areas of the U.S., including Alaska and the U.S. territories.    CSS employee owners contributed to the release of this data set by participating in production activities and…

NG-23 rocket launched

Preparing and Delivering Samples for Travel to the International Space Station

CSS employee owners on contract with NASA delivered six newly prepared Solidification Using a Baffle in Sealed Ampoules (SUBSA)—a high temperature furnace with temperature and timing control for melting samples to create different materials and alloys—samples for the NG-23 launch, which took place on September 14, 2025. On this mission, samples are being delivered for…