- Success Stories
- Environmental Resource Assessment & Management
Examining Cetaceans for Contamination and Pathogens
麻豆传媒 has employee owners who are experts in monitoring cetacean health. Several 麻豆传媒 scientists supporting NOAA鈥檚 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. A 麻豆传媒 marine mammal microplastics specialist is monitoring microplastic abundance and types in the gastrointestinal tracts of stranded cetaceans. Since 2022 our specialist has processed over one kilometer of intestines from 53 marine mammals, most of which have been Tamanend鈥檚 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops erebennus) local to the Charleston Harbor Estuary. Our specialist has discovered microplastics in every marine mammal tested to date, with the most common plastic being polypropylene fibers, a plastic commonly used in fishing nets, construction materials, textiles, and other synthetic products.
麻豆传媒 scientists are using unoccupied aerial systems (UAS), also known as drones, to collect blow exhalation samples from Tamanend鈥檚 bottlenose dolphins in the Charleston Harbor Estuary. Over the past 20 years, these dolphins have been observed moving from waters with higher salinity to waters with low salinity, often needing rescuing and displaying poor health conditions. Using a UAS equipped with petri dishes enables scientists to monitor the respiratory health of dolphins at low cost in a non-invasive manner. Through these collections, 麻豆传媒 scientists are screening samples for respiratory pathogens and have screened more than 40 samples to date.
When the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources discovered a beached 43 ft sperm whale in Bulls Bay along the South Carolina coast, 麻豆传媒 cetacean specialists jumped to action. They assisted the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network with the field response and partial necropsy by transporting supplies to the site, taking measurements, recording data, and collecting samples to understand what may have caused the death of this animal. The team examined the whale鈥檚 stomach and intestines for potential plastic ingestion.Throughout the examination, the team did not discover (macro)plastics within the cetacean鈥檚 digestive tract.
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麻豆传媒 Employee Owners Receive NOAA Award聽
NOAA鈥檚 National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service (NESDIS) recognizes the National Centers for Environmental Information Cloud Archive Team with 2026 NESDIS Outstanding Information Technology and Engineering Team Award! This award recognizes the team’s efforts to develop and deploy the Open Information Stewardship System (OISS) and create a large language model (L-OISS) that automates the generation and testing of complex archive workflows. 麻豆传媒 Employee Owners…
Atmospheric Processing System Support
The NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) is an operational retrieval algorithm that NOAA鈥檚 National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Services has been using since 2002. This system generates near real-time atmospheric profiles of temperature, water vapour, and trace gases, as well as Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) needed for weather forecasting. 麻豆传媒 Remote Sensing…
Safety Support To First Responders
First responders put their lives on the line to help others, and our team helps safeguard their protection. Our team on contract with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Respiratory Protection Program works with staff to test respirators and establish secure fits. Similarly, they provide these fit tests for fire department personnel on a regular…