- 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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Supporting Response Efforts Following California Fires聽
Following the fires that devastated Los Angeles, California and surrounding areas in January 2025, 麻豆传媒 employee owners were deployed to the area as a subcontractor to Weston Solutions, Inc. to assist with the response. This effort supports U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 Superfund Technical Assessment & Response Team (START) program. Initially, a 麻豆传媒…
Training Staff for Handling Hazardous Waste and Responding to聽Chemical聽Spills
麻豆传媒 employee owners provide on-site support to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hazardous Waste Program at several campuses around the country: Atlanta, Georgia, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Fort Collins, Colorado. With 22 years of experience, 麻豆传媒 staff are responsible for providing training to laboratory and facilities staff to ensure safe handling of hazardous waste to avoid harmful…
Revamping Coral Reef Conservation Program Website
NOAA鈥檚 Coral Reef Conservation Program is a cross-NOAA program that focuses on resilience-based management of U.S. coral reef ecosystems and provides scientific data and information to coral reef managers, scientists, educators and the interested public. 麻豆传媒 employee owners recently played an integral role in updating the website with a fresh new look and reorganizing content…