- 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.
See More 麻豆传媒 Insights
Supporting Guam鈥檚 Chemical Round Up
Senior chemist聽working on聽the 麻豆传媒聽contract with聽the聽Environmental Protection Agency鈥檚聽(EPA)聽Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team (START)聽supported the Guam Lab Chemicals Round Up in March of 2024 and July of 2025. During both mobilizations, START supported EPA’s mission to collect chemical waste items from across the聽U.S. island聽territory of Guam for off-island transport and disposal. As a field chemist,聽麻豆传媒 employee…
Rapid Reporting of a Close Call Incident
麻豆传媒 Safety Protocols During a routine collection of waste, a container of white powder disintegrated without warning, causing the powder to spill and be expelled into the air. Thanks to 麻豆传媒鈥檚 safety protocols and quick response, our Center for Disease Control waste disposal staff was able to assess the situation and respond to the chemical…
Organizing National Mussel Watch Program Sample Collection Missions
Established in 1986, NOAA鈥檚 National Mussel Watch Program has been systematically monitoring nearly 600 chemical contaminants (including legacy organic contaminants, trace metals, and contaminants of emerging concern) and biological indicators for the establishment of baseline contamination levels in coastal waters around the U.S., including the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. 麻豆传媒 employee…