2021

NOS

Science

Report

National Ocean Service

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
2

2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT

About the NOS Science Report........................................................................................................................................... 3

About the NOS Coastal Science Board............................................................................................................................ 3

About the Agency ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4

NOS Priority: Preparedness & Risk Reduction (Coastal Resilience)...................................................................... 6

Advanced Observation Technologies and Ecological Forecasts................................................................ 7

Detecting, Monitoring, and Mitigating Impacts of Chemical and Biological Stressors 

 on Coastal Ecosystems........................................................................................................................................ 10

Ecosystem Science for Conservation and Sustainable Use ....................................................................... 13

Resilience and Adaptation to Inundation and Climate Impacts ................................................................. 18

NOS Priority: Safe and Efficient Transportation and Commerce ......................................................................... 22

Advanced Observation Technologies............................................................................................................................... 23

Ecosystem Science for Conservation and Sustainable Use ..................................................................................... 30

NOS Priority: Stewardship, Recreation, and Tourism............................................................................................... 31

Advanced Observation Technologies................................................................................................................ 32

Ecosystem Science for Conservation and Sustainable Use ...................................................................... 33

Detecting, Monitoring, and Mitigating Impacts of Chemical and Biological Stressors 

 on Coastal Ecosystems....................................................................................................................................... 37

NOS Funding Opportunities: Research Grants and Fellowship Support......................................................... 39

NOS Publications Statistics: Peer-reviewed Articles, Technical Memoranda, and Datasets .................. 42

References ................................................................................................................................................................................. 44

Table of Contents
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT

About the NOS Science Report:

This report includes summaries of selected 

scientific projects undertaken by the program 

offices of NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS) 

during Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21). All of these 

projects were submitted by each program 

office for consideration in the annual NOAA 

Science Report (2021), within which many are 

also featured. Each project summary includes a 

short description of the research conducted by 

NOS staff, major accomplishment(s), and points 

of contact, with links to published materials and 

online project information. 

Project summaries are organized according to the 

three NOS and six National Centers for Coastal 

Ocean Science (NCCOS) primary priorities1

, and are 

cross-referenced with the six major NOAA Science 

and Technology Focus Areas and Science Strategies

and additional NOAA cross Line Office efforts.

Assembled by the National Ocean Service 

Coastal Science Board

Mary Culver (Chair), Office for Coastal Management

Anthony R. Marshak (Coordinator), National Centers 

for Coastal Ocean Science

Felipe Arzayus, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Troy Baker2, Office of Response and Restoration

Gregory Dusek, Center for Operational Oceanographic 

Products and Services

Stephen Gittings, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Jacob Heck3, National Geodetic Survey

Hassan Moustahfid, U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing 

System

Christopher Paternostro, Center for Operational 

Oceanographic Products and Services

Neil Weston, Office of Coast Survey

1 NCCOS (NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science). 2021. 

Science Serving Coastal Communities: FY22-26. US Department 

of Commerce. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

National Ocean Service. 20p.

2 With contributions from Amy V. Uhrin, former OR&R representative 

to the NOS Coastal Science Board.

3 Currently assuming these duties. With contributions from Steve Hilla 

(retired), former NGS representative to the NOS Coastal Science Board.

About the NOS Coastal Science 

Board: 

The NOS Coastal Science Board serves as the 

forward-thinking science advisory group to the 

National Ocean Service. The Board provides 

a forum to strengthen internal connections 

between program offices, NOS Headquarters 

(HQ) & Leadership, and NOAA HQ, resulting in 

better service to NOS constituents and greater 

support of NOAA’s mission. Additionally, the Board 

provides assistance to all NOS Program Offices 

in establishing and addressing priorities for 

coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes science, as well 

as in identifying current and future science and 

research requirements in support of NOS Program 

Offices, associated stakeholders, and statutory 

mandates. The Board reports to the director of 

the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science 

(NCCOS), who serves as the NOS representative 

to the NOAA Science Council. The Board also 

provides annual updates of its progress to NOS 

program office leadership. For more information, 

please consult the NOS Science Board’s Terms of 

Reference.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT

About the Agency: 

The National Ocean Service (NOS) is the nation’s 

premier science agency for oceans and coasts. 

NOS delivers the applied science, modeling, 

tools, and services needed to understand, predict, 

and respond to the challenges we face along 

America’s 95,000 miles of shoreline and 3.5 

million square nautical miles of coastal, Great 

Lakes, and deep-ocean waters. Additionally, NOS 

oversees the definition, maintenance, and access 

to the National Spatial Reference System for all 

federal geospatial activities. This enables NOS to 

better manage the sea/shore boundary for coastal 

resilience and planning. 

More information about the eight NOS program 

offices is available below:

Center for Operational Oceanographic 

Products and Services (CO-OPS) 

NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic 

Products and Services (CO-OPS) is the 

authoritative source for accurate, reliable, and 

timely tides, water levels, currents and other 

oceanographic information. CO-OPS data, 

products and services support safe and efficient 

navigation, sound ecosystem stewardship, coastal 

hazards preparedness and response, and the 

understanding of climate change. 

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science 

(NCCOS) 

The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science 

(NCCOS) is the focal point for NOAA’s coastal 

ocean science efforts. NCCOS helps NOAA to 

meet its coastal stewardship and management 

responsibilities, and provides coastal managers 

with the scientific information necessary to decide 

how best to protect environmental resources 

and public health, preserve valued habitats, and 

improve the way that communities interact with 

coastal ecosystems. NCCOS major focus areas 

include coastal change: vulnerability, mitigation, 

and restoration; marine spatial ecology; social 

science, and stressor impacts and mitigation. 

NCCOS additionally funds external research 

through its Competitive Research Program. 

National Geodetic Survey (NGS) 

NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS) provides 

the framework for all positioning activities in the 

Nation. The foundational elements of latitude, 

longitude, elevation, and shoreline information 

impact a wide range of important activities. NGS’ 

mission is to define, maintain and provide access to 

the National Spatial Reference System to meet our 

nation’s economic, social, and environmental needs.

Office of Coast Survey (OCS) 

NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey (OCS) maintains 

the nation’s nautical charts and publications for 

U.S. coasts and the Great Lakes. OCS creates and 

maintains over a thousand charts covering 95,000 

miles of shoreline and 3.4 million square nautical 

miles of water. OCS supports the 1.3 billion metric 

tons of cargo valued at $1.8 trillion that comes 

in and out of U.S. ports every year. In addition, 

OCS conducts hydrographic surveys to collect 

depth measurements for nautical charts, and to 

aid in navigation, provides regional navigation 

support, develops models for storm surge and 

hurricane prediction, and develops and tests new 

technologies to improve mapping efficiencies. 

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries 

(ONMS)

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries 

serves as the trustee for a network of underwater 

parks encompassing more than 600,000 square 

miles of marine and Great Lakes waters. The 

network includes a system of 14 national marine 

sanctuaries and Papahānaumokuākea and Rose 

Atoll marine national monuments. The system 

works with diverse partners and stakeholders 

to promote responsible, sustainable ocean uses 

that ensure the health of our most valued ocean 

places. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries 

also leads the National Marine Protected Areas 

Center, the nation’s hub for building innovative 

partnerships and tools to protect our special 

ocean places. In addition, ONMS staff conduct and 

support research and monitoring programs tailored 

to the information needs of each sanctuary.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT

Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) 

NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration 

(OR&R) is a center of expertise in preparing for, 

evaluating, and responding to threats to coastal 

environments, including oil and chemical spills, 

releases from hazardous waste sites, and marine 

debris. OR&R’s mission is to develop scientific 

solutions to keep the coasts clean from threats 

of oil, chemicals, and marine debris. To fulfill 

its mission of protecting and restoring NOAA 

trust resources, OR&R provides scientific and 

technical support to prepare for and respond to 

oil and chemical releases; determines damage to 

natural resources from these releases; protects 

and restores marine and coastal ecosystems, 

including coral reefs; and works with communities 

to address critical local and regional coastal 

challenges. OR&R comprises four technical 

divisions: Emergency Response, Assessment 

and Restoration, Marine Debris, and the Disaster 

Preparedness Program. Collectively, OR&R 

provides comprehensive solutions to marine 

pollution.

Office for Coastal Management (OCM) 

NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management (OCM) 

is the federal agency tasked with implementing 

the Coastal Zone Management Act, which is the 

guiding legislation for the decisions and actions 

taken to keep the natural environment, quality 

of life, and economic prosperity of coastal areas 

in balance. As a scientific organization, NOAA 

provides access to the science and environmental 

intelligence communities need for these tasks. 

Four major programs make up the Office for 

Coastal Management, and each counts on active 

partnerships with all sectors to be successful. 

They include the National Coastal Zone 

Management Program, the National Estuarine 

Research Reserves, the NOAA Coral Reef 

Conservation Program, and NOAA’s Digital Coast.

The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing 

System (IOOS) 

The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System 

(IOOS) is a national-regional partnership working 

to provide new tools and forecasts to improve 

safety, enhance the economy, and protect our 

environment. Integrated ocean information 

is available in near real time, as well as 

retrospectively. Easier and better access to this 

information is improving our ability to understand 

and predict coastal events - such as storms, wave 

heights, and sea level change. Such knowledge is 

needed for everything from retail to development 

planning. IOOS’ mission is to produce, integrate, 

and communicate high quality ocean, coastal 

and Great Lakes information that meets the 

safety, economic, and stewardship needs of the 

Nation. IOOS’ Operations Division coordinates the 

contributions of Federally-owned observing and 

modeling systems and develops and integrates 

non-federal observing and modeling capacity into 

the system in partnership with IOOS regions.
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Preparedness 

& Risk 

Reduction 

(Coastal 

Resilience)

NOS Priority: 

2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT

C OASTAL COMMUNITIES represent a major economic engine for the United States. 

Immediate and potentially life-threatening events 

such as hurricanes, as well as long-term issues like 

high tide flooding, are real challenges to coastal 

communities. NOS brings a unique range of 

information and capabilities to help communities 

prepare for, respond to, and recover from these 

events. For example, NOS maintains the nation’s 

network of coastal tide and water level sensors 

to provide real-time data that supports accurate 

weather forecasts, coastal storm and flood 

predictions, and tsunami warnings. NOS provides 

data and tools that enable businesses and coastal 

communities to better plan for and mitigate risk 

from changing conditions. The agency provides 

information and data to protect human health 

and coastal economies with early warnings of 

harmful algal blooms and other threats. Every 

year, NOS responds to natural disasters and 

more than 150 oil and chemical spills in U.S. and 

state waters, which damage environments and 

disrupt economies. As the authoritative resource 

for science related to marine debris, oil, and 

chemical spills, NOS provides responders with the 

information they need to understand the severity 

of a spill and where it will travel.

Following are coastal resilience themed projects 

organized according to five primary scientific 

priorities of the National Centers for Coastal 

Ocean Science (NCCOS) strategic plan.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

Advanced Observation 

Technologies and Ecological 

Forecasts

Included below are five highlighted scientific 

projects by CO-OPS, NCCOS, NGS, and IOOS 

researchers and their partners, which are focused 

on advanced observation technologies and 

ecological forecasting. Those listed here from 

CO-OPS and IOOS are in alignment with the 

implementation efforts of NOAA’s Earth Prediction 

Innovation Center (EPIC).

The Operational Transition of the NOAA 

Rip Current Model

NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic 

Products and Services (CO-OPS), together with 

partners from the National Weather Service (NWS), 

launched the first ever national rip current forecast 

model developed by NOS and implemented

into operations by NWS’ Meteorological 

Development Laboratory (MDL), National Centers 

for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), and Analyze, 

Forecast, and Support Office (AFS). The model 

runs operationally at NCEP as a component of the 

Nearshore Wave Prediction System (NWPS) and 

predicts the likelihood of hazardous rip currents 

every kilometer along the coast, every hour up to 

six days out. The research creating the model was 

initially published by NOS scientists in 2013, and 

was successfully transitioned in FY21 following a 

multi-year assessment of model performance at 

numerous locations across the coastal U.S. Rip 

currents cause about 100 deaths in the U.S. each 

year, and the improved accuracy, resolution and 

lead-time this model provides has the potential to 

reduce the number of drownings and save lives.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT:

The first ever national probabilistic rip current 

model was transitioned into NWS operations.

Project URL: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/apr21/rip-currentforecast.html

The left panel image shows a rip current using a harmless green dye. Rip currents are powerful, 

narrow channels of fast-moving water (at speeds up to 8 feet per second) that are prevalent 

along the east, Gulf, and west coasts of the U.S., as well as along the shores of the Great Lakes. 

The Nearshore Wave Prediction System coverage for the continental U.S. (right panel), with an 

inset box showing hazardous rip current likelihood for the North Carolina coast. Alongshore color 

denotes rip current likelihood from low (gray) to high (red). Image credit: NOAA/NOS.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

Improved Forecasts of Respiratory Illness 

Hazard from Gulf of Mexico Red Tide

Blooms of Karenia brevis (commonly known as 

“red tide”) produce a neurotoxin that often gets 

into particles in the air. When inhaled, the toxin 

causes respiratory irritation in healthy people, and 

may have severe impacts on people with asthma 

and other respiratory conditions. Many people 

tend to avoid all beaches during these red tides, 

which can result in negative economic impacts on 

local businesses. As these blooms are patchy, and 

winds that carry toxins onshore are variable, 

communities need high resolution information on 

where and when respiratory irritation may occur. 

The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science 

(NCCOS) has substantially improved the spatial 

and temporal resolution of its predictions, from a 

daily forecast at the county level, to forecasts at 

every three hours for parks and other beaches. 

A screen grab of the Red Tide Respiratory 

Forecast on December 15, 2020. Image credit: GCOOS.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT:

With its partner, the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean 

Observing System (GCOOS), NCCOS is producing 

and posting forecasts of respiratory irritation, 

updated every 3 hours, currently at 6-12 beaches 

in each county along the Gulf of Mexico and east 

coast of Florida. 

Project URL: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/research/stressorimpacts-mitigation/hab-forecasts/gulf-of-mexico/

AWARDS & RECOGNITION: 

A component of this project, the NOAA 

HABscope, a portable microscope system for 

citizen science-based volunteer monitoring of red 

tides, received a 2020 NOAA Technology Transfer 

Award

An Early Warning System for Pseudonitzschia HABs on Pacific Northwest 

Outer-Coast Beaches

A project funded by the NCCOS Monitoring 

and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms 

(MERHAB) Research Program supports the 

development and demonstration of a monitoring 

and modeling-based seasonal (Spring and 

Autumn) HAB forecast system to generate Pacific 

Northwest (PNW) HAB Bulletins for state and tribal 

managers. The Bulletin provides advance warning 

of toxic Pseudo-nitzschia HAB events supporting 

targeted shellfish management decisions. Each 

Bulletin combines expert analysis of data on 

real-time ocean conditions, algae and algal toxin 

abundance in offshore hotspots and near the 

region’s clamming beaches, and forecast model 

output to predict toxic Pseudo-nitzschia events. 

The PNW HAB Bulletin pilot project has been 

supported largely by NOAA NCCOS grants to 

University of Washington and Oregon Department 

of Fish and Wildlife and in partnership with the 

Olympic Region Harmful Algal Bloom Partnership 

(ORHAB), the Washington Department of Health, 

the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 

the Makah Tribe and NOAA Fisheries. The US 

Integrated Ocean Observing System has provided 

additional support to the University of Washington, 

the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean 

Observing Systems and NOAA Fisheries. NCCOS 

grant support runs through 2022 and efforts are 
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

underway to transition the Bulletin to operations at 

NANOOS to ensure continued delivery of trusted 

PNW HAB Bulletin forecasts to managers.

Oregon Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula). 

Image credit: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Timely PNW Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Bulletins, 

the result of a NOAA-funded pilot and good 

results from state shellfish toxin testing, helped 

the Quinault Indian Nation and Washington State 

Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) decide to 

allow limited Spring razor clam digs in the spring 

of 2021. This decision resulted in the first instance 

of public access to this prized shellfish resource 

since the fall of 2020, when all clamming beaches 

in Washington and Oregon were closed due to a 

HAB event. WDFW estimated 27,850 participants 

enjoyed recreational razor clam digging at one 

beach in just six days.

Project URL: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/hab-bulletinsupports-quinault-tribal-access-to-razor-clams-after-algal-toxin-closure/

Hurricane Glider project maximizes 2020 

hurricane season subsurface ocean 

observing activities

A cooperative effort to gather ocean data in 

support of hurricane forecasting experienced 

its most successful year yet in 2020, gathering 

163,000 glider profiles over 3,600 “glider days” (1 

glider at sea for 1 day). Data from gliders improves 

the representation of specific ocean features, such 

as cold pools, which are known to affect hurricane 

intensity. When these features are correctly 

represented in coupled hurricane models, forecasts 

of tropical cyclone intensity are greatly improved. 

Since 2017, NOAA’s U.S. Integrated Ocean 

Observing System (IOOS) Office has collaborated 

with OAR’s Atlantic Oceanographic and 

Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) to lead a project 

among 15+ partner institutions — including NOAA, 

the U.S. Navy, and IOOS Regional Associations — 

that uses autonomous underwater gliders to gather 

temperature and salinity profiles that elucidate 

the ocean’s role in hurricane intensity. Glider data 

are delivered each time the glider surfaces, and 

transmitted in near-real time via the IOOS Glider 

Data Assembly Center to the GTS from where it is 

integrated into hurricane forecast models.

Deployed glider collecting profiles of water 

temperature and salinity during the 2020 

hurricane season. Image credit: Dan Mele

FY 2021 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

IOOS Regional Associations, with OAR and 

Navy partners, collected the largest number 

of autonomous in-situ observations to date in 

support of hurricane forecasting improvements: 

163,000 glider profiles and 3,600 glider days.

Project URL: https://gliders.ioos.us/
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

Applying new research and automating 

Satellite Derived Bathymetry

Beginning in 2016, NOAA’s National Geodetic 

Survey (NGS) began collaboration efforts between 

the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science 

(NCCOS) and the Office of Coast Survey (OCS) to 

create a user friendly Satellite Derived Bathymetry 

(SDB) tool that would provide consistent and quick 

results utilizing new research from NOS scientists 

and their partners. Since 2016, progress has 

been made to incorporate “a robust atmospheric 

correction, a multi-scene compositing method 

to reduce the impact of turbidity and a switching 

model to improve mapping in shallow water” to 

improve upon a past SDB algorithm (Stumpf et al. 

2003). In tandem with this effort, NGS has been 

working with NCCOS to develop a framework and 

began developing the NOAA SatBathy tool.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT:

NGS began creating the framework and creation 

of the SatBathy tool.

Peer reviewed journal article URL: Caballero & Stumpf 2020 Remote 

Sensing https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/3/451

Detecting, Monitoring, and 

Mitigating Impacts of Chemical 

and Biological Stressors on 

Coastal Ecosystems

Below are four highlighted scientific projects by 

NCCOS and OR&R researchers and their partners, 

which are focused on detecting, monitoring, and 

mitigating the impacts of chemical and biological 

stressors in coastal systems. 

Field-based mesocosms: in situ 

deployments for assessing impacts of 

chemical spills in coastal areas

The NCCOS Ecotoxicology Branch designed, 

engineered, and validated a system of fielddeployed mesocosms for use by NOAA’s Office 

of Response and Restoration (OR&R) in assessing 

oil or other chemical spill impacts. The system will 

serve as a rapid-response tool for determining 

chemical effects on fish and invertebrates, 

and addresses a critical need to collect data 

immediately after a spill. Researchers tested 

different enclosure designs to select a preferred 

model based on performance, durability, ease 

of use, and portability. The preferred design was 

tested using two common estuarine organisms 

(grass shrimp and mummichogs) in the laboratory 

(in Charleston) and in the field (Southeastern and 

Gulf Coasts). This technology was transferred 

to OR&R via a Standard Operating Procedure, 

a StoryMap describing purpose, design, 

construction, and usage of the systems, and three 

sets of field enclosures. 

Oregon SDB created Inlet (Oct 2020) using 

NGS’ new pre-alpha SatBathy tool v1.0 based 

on research from NCCOS. Image credit: NOAA/NOS/NGS.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

Field deployed mesocosms (outdoor 

experimental systems) at Rincon Bayou in 

the Nueces Delta near Corpus Christi, Texas. 

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Harris, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Field-based Mesocosms: Construction and 

Deployment story map, which is intended as an 

instructional manual to guide you through the methods 

of construction and deployment of a field mesocosm. 

Project Story Map: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/

c1401f79e2364d3ab6dabfceefcc6a02

Project URL: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/field-basedmesocosms-in-situ-deployments-for-assessing-impacts-of-chemical-spillsin-coastal-areas/

AWARDS: 

A nomination was submitted for B. West for an 

NOS Team Member of the Year Award.

Research Paper on Influence of Copepod 

Grazers on HAB Toxicity Deemed One of 

Special Significance by Expert Faculty 

Opinion Group

A research paper, supported by NCCOS, measuring 

the metabolic cost to the red tide dinoflagellate 

Alexandrium to defend itself against predation 

(consumption) has been recommended by the 

prestigious Faculty Opinions as one of special 

significance in its field. The recommendation notifies 

others in the field of study, and beyond, that the 

paper is considered exciting and highly important 

emerging research. The research presents a novel 

framework to incorporate the cost of defense in 

toxin-producing prey/predator relationship models. 

Documenting such costs scientifically has proven 

very difficult, especially for chemical defenses such 

as toxins used by phytoplankton vulnerable to 

grazing by zooplankton. 

Chain of Alexandrium catenella cells. 

Image credit: Brian Bill, NOAA Fisheries

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal 

Society B, measured a potential direct fitness cost of 

copepod grazer-induced toxin production in a harmful 

algal bloom (HAB) dinoflagellate prey (Alexandrium 

catenella) using relative gene expression of a cell 

division gene that correlates to cell growth; previous 

experimental work has failed to clearly detect 

such induced defense cost in toxic phytoplankton.

Peer-Reviewed Publication: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/

abs/10.1098/rspb.2020.2480

Project URL: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/research-paperdeemed-one-of-special-significance-by-influential-faculty-opinions-group/

AWARDS: 

The research paper was highlighted in prestigious 

Faculty Opinions as one of special significance in 

its field.

Acute Polychlorinated Biphenyl Benthic 

Invertebrate Toxicity Testing to Support 

the 2017 Chronic Dose–Response 

Sediment Injury Model

OR&R and NCCOS researchers completed acute 

aquatic toxicity testing with polychlorinated 

biphenyls (PCBs) using three estuarine 

invertebrates and multiple lethal endpoints. The 
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

new acute injury tests confirmed that an important 

injury assessment model in 2017 derived with 

chronic toxicity data was valid and a 1.0 μg/g 

chronic PCB sediment criterion is a reasonable 

estimation of potential benthic invertebrate injury. 

The new data and improved sediment injury model 

is expected to be applied at hazardous waste site 

damage assessments across the country.

PCB contamination is high in water bodies 

such as the Housatonic River and New Bedford 

Harbor in Massachusetts. 

Image credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

A key sediment injury model was improved and 

is more defensible for use in Natural Resource 

Damage Assessments (NRDAs) across the country.

Peer Reviewed Publication: https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/

doi/10.1002/etc.4977

Project URL: https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/noaa-studyfeatured-journal-environmental-toxicology-and-chemistry

New Interface in the GNOME Oil Spill 

Model for Modeling Suspected Oil Spills 

Detected in Satellite Imagery

The General NOAA Operational Modeling 

Environment (GNOME) model is used by OR&R

researchers for predicting the movement of 

pollutants, like oil, spilled in coastal waterways. 

This information is used to support emergency 

response actions undertaken to mitigate the 

impacts of spills on marine resources. Through 

a partnership with the Bureau of Safety and 

Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), development 

work in FY21 integrated the use of operational 

Marine Pollution Surveillance Reports produced 

by NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite Data 

and Information Service (NESDIS) in the GNOME 

model. These satellite-based analyses are 

derived from monitoring of U.S. coastal waters 

for anomalous features in satellite imagery that 

are believed to have resulted from an accidental 

or intentional crude oil discharge.These reports 

can now be loaded directly via the WebGNOME 

interface to initialize a spill and model its transport.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Integrated the use of operational Marine Pollution 

Surveillance Reports produced by NOAA NESDIS 

into the GNOME model for oil spills.

Project URL: https://gnome.orr.noaa.gov/

Top panel: A map view from WebGNOME, 

showing currents moving the oil in a 

simulated spill. Bottom panel: Oil fate 

(weathering) view from WebGNOME, 

showing an oil budget for a simulated spill. 

Image credit: NOAA/NOS/ORR.
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Ecosystem Science for 

Conservation and Sustainable 

Use

Below are six highlighted scientific projects by 

NCCOS, ONMS, and OCS researchers and their 

partners, which are focused on ecosystem science 

for conservation and sustainable use of coastal 

systems. 

RESTORE Council Monitoring and 

Assessment Program (CMAP): A 

Comprehensive Monitoring Network

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council4 

Monitoring and Assessment Program (CMAP), 

administered by NOAA (with support from 

NCCOS) and the US Geological Survey (USGS), 

developed foundational components for a Gulf of 

Mexico-wide monitoring network to support the 

Council in making science-based decisions and 

evaluating restoration effectiveness. Programmatic 

4 This council, also referred to as the RESTORE Council, was 

established by the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist 

Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act 

(RESTORE Act).

metadata for 544 Gulf of Mexico water quality 

and habitat monitoring and mapping programs 

were assembled into a database that was the 

foundation for a web-accessible data discovery 

and visualization tool. The information provides 

the best available science for RESTORE Council 

restoration activities and supports broader Gulf 

of Mexico restoration, monitoring and research 

communities by providing a single access point for 

monitoring metadata.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Updates to and maintenance of the monitoring 

metadata database.

Project URL: https://restorethegulf.gov/cmap

AWARDS: 

Contract staff have won the NCCOS Peer Recognition 

Special Achievement Award. The project Team 

has been nominated for a NOAA Bronze Medal.

Improved geospatial tools for vibrio and 

harmful algal bloom risk assessment for 

the Alaska shellfish mariculture industry 

and coastal communities

Alaska communities face ongoing and increasing 

climate change-driven threats for public health 

and shellfish mariculture operations from vibrio 

and paralytic shellfish poisoning caused by 

Vibrio bacteria and harmful algal blooms (HABs) 

of Alexandrium phytoplankton species. To help 

communities and managers assess risks for 

shellfish consumption and more efficiently target 

Vibrio monitoring and HAB toxin efforts, NCCOS

developed pilot Alaska vibrio and HAB risk 

assessment products from high resolution, satellite 

sea surface temperature imagery. The web-based, 

geospatial tools build on previous NCCOS Alaska 

research and monitoring efforts to identify Vibrio

species and quantify relationships between water 

temperature and Alexandrium blooms. The pilot 

risk assessment products are being tested by 

state, federal, Alaska Native tribal and academic 

stakeholders, including through the multi-agency 

Alaska HAB Network, and NCCOS will refine the 

product in response to user feedback. 

RESTORE Council Monitoring and 

Assessment Program Area of Interest (within 

aqua line). Image credit: NOAA.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

NCCOS researchers testing for Vibrio

parahaemolyticus in the laboratory to 

examine its effects on Pacific northwest and 

Alaskan shellfish. Image credit: NOAA.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Pilot satellite-based Vibrio and HAB risk 

assessment products provided for Alaska shellfish 

mariculture operators, resource managers and 

community harvesters. 

Marine Sanctuaries Respond to and 

Prepare for Stony Coral Tissue Loss 

Disease 

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), a new 

outbreak which causes rapid death in roughly 

half of all Caribbean coral species, including 

endangered and rare species, has spread 

throughout the Florida Reef tract and to 20 

Caribbean countries and territories. Since 2014, 

this disease has expanded throughout the western 

Atlantic, including the Florida Keys National Marine 

Sanctuary (FKNMS), U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto 

Rico, and recently emerged in the Dry Tortugas 

as of May 2021. It has yet to be detected in the 

the remote reefs of the Flower Garden Banks 

National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) or in the 

Indo-Pacific region. However, the number of 

susceptible coral species present and high coral 

cover at the Flower Gardens (over 50%) suggest 

this location may be hit hard, should the disease 

ever reach the Sanctuary. Given the proliferation 

of this disease, NOAA’s Office of National 

Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), NOAA’s Coral Reef 

Conservation Program (CRCP), and partners are 

working to find solutions and minimize damage to 

coral reefs. NOS staff have partnered with regional 

organizations to develop a cooperative network 

among 20 Caribbean countries and territories 

that works to build disease response capacity and 

to share information on the status of the disease 

and lessons learned on efforts to address it. In 

Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, 

partners from federal, state, and local agencies, 

nongovernmental organizations, universities, and 

members of the community are collaborating 

in response. Scientific activities have included 

compiling a case definition, over 100 environmental 

and epidemiological studies, development of gear 

disinfection protocols to prevent further spread, 

the development and application of specially 

designed treatments to save diseased corals, 

rescue efforts to preserve genetic diversity, and 

Rapid mortality progression in a brain coral colony (Pseudodiploria strigosa) on the Florida reef tract. 

Image credit: Brian Reckenbiel/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

coral propagation and outplanting trials to guide 

future restoration efforts. Building on knowledge 

gained within the FKNMS, FGBNMS established a 

comprehensive SCTLD prevention and response 

plan. The plan includes prevention, education, 

preparedness, early warning, response, and 

intervention strategies, which could help prevent 

disease spread within the sanctuary and allow for a 

rapid and effective response should the need arise. 

NOAA has released a strategy for the response 

to SCTLD. The high-level strategy provides a 

framework and focus for ongoing efforts to slow 

the spread of the disease across the Atlantic and 

Caribbean regions and to prevent and prepare 

for the possible spread of the disease into the 

FGBNMS and the Indo-Pacific region in support 

of resilient coastal ecosystems, communities, and 

economies nationwide. The strategy will inform 

a national implementation plan to understand, 

respond to, and mitigate the disease.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and its 

partners have implemented a comprehensive, 

science-based response to Stony Coral Tissue 

Loss Disease in the Florida Keys, and FGBNMS is 

using that experience to prevent, but prepare for 

the possibility of infection. 

Project URL (Florida Keys): https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/coral-disease/

disease.html

Project URL (Flower Gardens NMS): https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/

science/conservation/east-west-flower-garden-banks-long-termmonitoring-2019.html

Development of an Arc online mapping 

tool to track coral health and conservation 

for Caribbean NPS parks.

Monitoring conducted by the National Park 

Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring Program, 

South Florida Caribbean Network and NCCOS 

staff observations at individual park units, have 

identified coral disease as the primary cause 

of coral loss at NPS coral reef park units over 

the last 10 years, and the spread of disease is 

on the rise. In the last several years, there has 

been an unprecedented outbreak of several 

diseases distributed across multiple coral species 

over a wide geographic area. Response to this 

disease outbreak has included monitoring, coral 

rescue, research, and intervention. This project 

developed an Arc online mapping tool, the Coral 

Conservation and Management Dashboard, for 

Southeast coral reef parks to be used by park 

staff to track these efforts in a manner that allows 

visualization or searching for particular activities 

within or across parks. The tool includes coral 

species and associated health and disease 

measures needed to understand what actions are 

occurring where and to track the status of multiple 

coral diseases.

Selected view (coral disease) of the NPS Coral 

Conservation and Management Dashboard.

 Image credit NOAA/NOS/NCCOS.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

The online mapping tool was demonstrated 

virtually to over 100 participants from the National 

Park Service and others, including international 

participants in March 2021.

Presentation on the Coral Conservation and Management Dashboard:

https://noaacsc.adobeconnect.com/p641siag2sa5/

Project URL: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/nccos-spatialanalysis-products-get-shoutouts-at-federal-gis-conference/

Assessment and decision support for 

North Carolina artificial reefs

The North Carolina Artificial Reef Program 

manages 43 ocean artificial reefs, intended 

to supplement existing natural reefs, enhance 

fisheries, and improve the recreational fishing 

experience. These artificial reefs include 

intentionally sunk structures, such as ships, 

concrete pipes, and reef balls, and are defined 

as Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) because they 

likely function as nursery, foraging, and spawning 

grounds, as well as refuge and nearshore 

connectivity corridors. Collectively, these reefs 

provide habitat for a diversity of commercially 

and recreationally important fish species that 

fishers of NC depend upon and that divers come 

to see. A three-year NCCOS study addresses 

six research needs related to artificial reefs, 

nearby natural reefs, and their associated fish 

communities: 1) Evaluate temporal changes in fish 

assemblages on artificial reefs and natural reefs; 

2) Determine connectivity between artificial reefs 

and nearby natural reefs; 3) Create a reference 

tool to guide new enhancement decision-making 

toward positive biological impacts ; 4) Develop 

indicators for assessing fish utilization of strategic 

coastal habitats, including artificial and natural 

reefs; 5) Develop fisheries-independent indices of 

abundance for the snapper-grouper complex, and 

6) Evaluate movement of snapper-grouper at state 

and regional level with tagging studies.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Collected and analyzed data on seafloor habitat 

structure, fish communities, and the reefs that they 

occupy using visual and acoustic methods.

Project URL: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/living-shipwrecks3d-virtually-explore-north-carolinas-shipwrecks-and-marine-life/

Multibeam Survey of Small Topographic 

Features to Determine Efficacy of Current 

“No Activity Zones”

ONMS staff from the Flower Garden Banks 

National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) successfully 

coordinated with NOAA’s Office of Coast 

Survey (OCS) and Office of Marine and Aviation 

Operations to collect high resolution multibeam 

bathymetry of 14 reefs and banks in the 

Northwestern Gulf of Mexico (313.3 mi2). This data 

collection effort completed a five-year endeavor 

by Flower Garden Banks NMS to map 19 reefs and 

banks (341.6 mi2). The work was carried out under 

an Interagency Agreement (IA) between FGBNMS 

Left panel: An image of the Bluefields shipwreck (offshore, North Carolina seafloor) from the 

NCCOS Living Shipwrecks 3D Viewer. Right panel: A diver examines marine life along a North 

Carolina shipwreck. Image credits: NOAA/NOS/NCCOS; Tane Casserly, NOAA.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

(BOEM) to collect multibeam data in the region, 

and supported BOEM’s objective to reassess the 

efficacy of “No Activity Zones” (NAZs) currently in 

place to protect biological resources from harmful 

impacts from oil and gas industry activities. The 

current NAZ boundaries were mapped using 

now out-of-date bathymetric data available in the 

1970s. Modern bathymetric mapping methods 

result in far superior levels of resolution, and have 

revealed areas of high biological potential outside 

of the current NAZs, portions of which are now 

within the newly expanded FGBNMS. 

Multibeam survey images of Gulf of Mexico small topographic features (Adeline and Alaminos 

Banks) taken by the hydrographic survey vessel, NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. Image credit: NOAA.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Successful collection of valuable high resolution 

multibeam data for 19 reefs and banks in the 

Northwestern Gulf of Mexico, through a coordinated 

effort between multiple NOAA offices and BOEM.

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Mapping Projects 

2017-2020 Report: https://nmsflowergarden.blob.core.windows.net/

flowergarden-prod/media/archive/doc/reports/mappingprojectreport.pdf
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

Resilience and Adaptation to 

Inundation and Climate Impacts

Below are five highlighted scientific projects by 

NCCOS and OCM researchers and their partners, 

which are focused on resilience and adaptation to 

inundation and climate impacts in coastal systems. 

Coastal managers use model results and a 

story map from a NOAA funded project to 

evaluate the vulnerability of San Francisco 

Bay tidal marshes to inform restoration.

This NCCOS-supported project, funded by the 

NOAA Effects of Sea Level Rise (ESLR) research 

program and led by scientists at Oregon State 

University and USGS, enhanced an ecosystem 

model that projects how sea-level rise may affect 

tidal marshes in the San Francisco Bay-Delta 

including their long-term elevation and capacity for 

carbon sequestration. This project produced results 

at a regional scale that are assisting local partners 

in making natural resource management decisions. 

For example, the San Francisco Bay National 

Research Reserve is using these results to better 

understand impacts of SLR and other changing 

environmental conditions (e.g., salinity, sediment, 

and vegetation) on their managed wetlands. The 

Delta Stewardship Council has integrated these 

results into their Delta climate change planning 

work. Finally, the Sonoma Land Trust is using this 

information for their long-term planning of the 

Petaluma River watershed, including informing land 

acquisition and restoration plans. 

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

In FY21, an NCCOS-led Story Map was published 

that will allow coastal managers to understand the 

science and visually evaluate wetland vulnerability 

to SLR, continuing to influence how marshes are 

managed in the region, as described above.

Story Map: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/

stories/768622e923024ef19a211b5073af0e2b

Project URL: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/story-map-highlightsmarsh-vulnerability-in-san-francisco-bay-delta-estuary/

Screen grab from the Story Map, “Marsh Vulnerability in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary” that 

includes SLR predictions throughout specific tidal marsh systems. Image credit: NOAA/NOS/NCCOS.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

Testing Intervention Strategies to Enhance 

Coral Resilience to Climate Change

As a result of a National Academies of Sciences, 

Engineering, and Medicine recommendation to 

review and evaluate potential novel ecological 

and genetic coral interventions, the Coral Reef 

Conservation Program (CRCP), overseen by 

NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management (OCM), is 

supporting work identified in NOAA’s Action Plan 

to increase coral resilience to climate change. 

The plan encompasses four actions for the 

agency: (1) research and test priority interventions, 

(2) develop local or regional structured decision 

support, (3) review policy implications of coral 

interventions, and (4) invest in infrastructure, 

research, and coordination. This action plan 

delineates the steps NOAA aspires to undertake 

in the near term toward continued persistence 

and conservation of coral reef systems. Examples 

include research on thermotolerant symbiotic 

algae, novel imaging from Structure-from-Motion 

photogrammetry to model coral population 

growth, and innovative rescue efforts in response 

to stony coral tissue loss disease.

CoralNet is a software package that uses 

artificial intelligence to analyze benthic 

photos to classify corals. Image credit: NOAA Fisheries.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Several study results guide progress to enhance 

coral resilience to climate change.

Program Office: NOS/OCM/CRCP and CRCP matrix partners (NMFS/

PIFSC, NMFS/SEFSC, NMFS/SERO)

NOAA Technical Memo: https://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/

TMSPO208.pdf

Developing Tidal Wetland Adaptation 

strategies in Southern California, including 

the Tijuana National Estuarine Research 

Reserve

A team of scientists supported by NCCOS and 

USGS, including the California State Coastal 

Conservancy, University of California Davis, 

Environmental Science Associates, Blue Point 

Conservation Science, Southern California 

Coastal Water Research Project, San Francisco 

Estuary Institute, Tijuana River National Estuarine 

Research Reserve, and University of Southern 

California Sea Grant, advanced coastal marsh 

modeling in Southern California, in partnership 

with local natural resources managers. The 

team then held workshops with members of 

the Southern California Wetlands Recovery 

Project (WRP) to develop definitions, maps, and 

restoration guidance on wetland transition zones 

to ensure restoration planning activities are 

resilient to sea level rise. WRP includes 18 state 

and federal agencies focused on restoration 

and protection of wetland habitats between 

Santa Barbara County and Mexico. The team 

delivered restoration guidance products to 

WRP’s Marsh Adaptation Planning Tool (MAPT) 

and hosted meetings to present model results to 

WRP members and receive feedback to improve 

the utility of the outputs; leading to Los Cerritos 

wetlands including transition zone restoration 

guidance in their restoration plans, Goleta Slough 

wetlands identifying the need for a restoration 

project, Los Penasquitos Lagoon including 

modeling results into the north parking lot climate 

adaptation project, and the Tijuana Estuary Tidal 

Restoration Program including modeling results 

into their restoration project. 
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

The Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project (SCWRP) Marsh Adaptation Planning Tool provides 

a platform for high-quality geospatial datasets, maps, and information to facilitate acquisition and 

restoration of rivers, streams, and wetlands in coastal Southern California. Image credit: SCWRP.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Updated an existing marsh restoration guidance 

tool and train natural resource managers on the 

updated information and improved definitions 

for wetland transition zones, leading to an online 

application

Project URL: www.ourcoastourfuture.org; https://coastalscience.noaa.

gov/project/tidal-wetlands-adaptation-strategies-southern-california/

A Tool for Finding the Right Living 

Shoreline for You

When coastal landowners along the Gulf of Mexico 

see signs of shoreline erosion, they can now turn 

to a new online tool for recommendations on how 

to protect their property and coastal resources at 

the same time with a living shoreline. A project 

team from Troy University, Geological Survey of 

Alabama, Galveston Bay Foundation, and Virginia 

Institute of Marine Science, funded by NOAA’s 

RESTORE Science Program (overseen through 

NCCOS), has customized a computer model for 

simulating the suitability of using a living shoreline 

to specific locations along the Gulf Coast. The 

The Living Shoreline Decision Support Tool is a query-based tool designed to recommend shoreline 

best management practices. Image credit: Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Preparedness & Risk Reduction

interactive, online decision support tool is linked 

to the customized models so that accessing 

the models’ results is easy. This model and tool 

combination will help promote the wise use of 

living shoreline protection options by federal and 

state agencies, homeowners, marine contractors, 

natural resource managers, and city planners. A 

living shoreline uses native vegetation alone, or in 

combination with stone, sand, or other structural 

and organic materials, to stabilize a shoreline 

while also letting natural functions take place. 

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Following extensive engagement with end 

users, the project team completed a computer 

model for assessing the suitability of a site for 

construction of a living shoreline customized 

to sites in Alabama (Perdido Bay/Wolf Bay/Ono 

Island Complex), Louisiana (Lake Pontchartrain), 

and, Texas (Galveston Bay) and packaged it in an 

interactive decision support tool that allows for a 

rapid assessment by government agencies, home 

owners, marine contractors, and others.

Project URL: https://cmap2.vims.edu/LivingShoreline/

DecisionSupportTool/index.html

Web Story URLs: https://restoreactscienceprogram.noaa.gov/

miscellaneous/a-tool-for-finding-the-right-living-shoreline-for-you, https://

restoreactscienceprogram.noaa.gov/projects/living-shoreline-tool

Uncovering Corals Resilient to Climate 

Change

Climate data collection via the National Coral Reef 

Monitoring Program and ONMS has shown that 

two key coral species in the Flower Garden Banks 

(FGB) National Marine Sanctuary, Pseudodiploria 

strigosa and Orbicella faveolata, have increased 

calcification, an outlier to a trend of live coral 

cover loss throughout western Atlantic reefs. The 

FGB in the Gulf of Mexico are high-latitude, remote 

coral reefs that have maintained ≥ 50% coral cover 

since at least 1989. Observations from coral cores 

for these two species of interest have shown 

increased linear extensions and calcification 

rates (with no change in skeletal density) over a 

57 year period. These findings for both species 

were negatively correlated with discharge from 

the Atchafalaya River, but positively correlated 

with maximum sea surface temperatures (SSTs). 

This study provides evidence that runoff from the 

Atchafalaya River impacts corals at the FGB and 

is a major control on their growth at the sanctuary, 

while their increased growth can be attributed to 

the significant warming trend in maximum monthly 

SSTs. This study provides further evidence 

that some high-latitude, cooler reef sites have 

experienced a stimulation in coral growth with 

ocean warming.

However, given the warming trend and recent 

increase in coral bleaching severity at FGB, the 

prognosis is that bleaching events will become 

more deleterious with time, which will lead to a 

breakdown in the positive relationship between 

coral growth and maximum SST. 

Photographs of (a) parrotfish and 

Pseudodiploria strigosa coral colonies 

at east Flower Garden Bank and (b) 

computerized tomography (CT) images of 

cores for P. strigosa. CT images illustrate 

clear annual banding.

Images from: Manzello et al. 2021, Coral Reefs, Springer.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Several study results guide progress to enhance 

coral resilience to climate change.

Program Office: NOS/OCM/CRCP and CRCP matrix partner OAR/AOML

Peer-reviewed journal article URL: https://link.springer.com/

article/10.1007/s00338-021-02108-8 
Safe and 

efficient 

transportation 

and commerce

NOS Priority: 

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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT

S

HIPS MOVE $1.5 TRILLION worth of products 

in and out of U.S. ports every year. Every 

ship moving in and out of U.S. ports relies on 

navigation charts and water level information 

that NOS alone provides. All mapping, charting, 

and transportation activities and infrastructure 

are founded on a reliable, accurate national 

coordinate system. NOS is solely responsible for 

maintaining that system, which provides more than 

$2.4 billion in potential annual benefits to the U.S. 

economy. Businesses in the maritime community 

rely on NOS for a range of decisions, from how 

much cargo to load to choosing the safest and 

most efficient route between two points. They use 

NOS data, tools, and services to plan seasonally 

for ship schedules to service global trade more 

safely and efficiently as significantly larger vessels 

transit through U.S. ports.

Following are transportation and commerce 

themed projects organized according to two 

primary scientific priorities of the National 

Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) 

strategic plan.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Safe and Efficient Transportation and Commerce

Advanced Observation 

Technologies

Included below are nine highlighted scientific 

projects by NGS, OCS, and IOOS researchers and 

their partners, which are focused on advanced 

observation technologies.

Determining the Rotation of the Mariana 

tectonic plate

In a few years, NGS will modernize the National 

Spatial Reference System (NSRS). This system will 

include the definition of a plate-fixed reference 

frame for Guam and the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) called the 

Mariana Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2022 

or MATRF2022. To define such a frame, the 

absolute rotation of the underlying tectonic plate 

(Mariana) must be known relative to a global 

plate-independent frame, such as the International 

Terrestrial Reference Frame. Very few studies of 

the Mariana plate have ever been performed, 

and most are only relative to other plates. To 

address this situation, NGS in 2017 performed a 

complicated GPS survey of geodetic control points 

on numerous islands on the plate. This survey 

collected data on points that had been previously 

surveyed by GPS between 2003 and 2014. By 

differencing these various surveys, linear velocities 

were implied and subsequently used to define the 

rotation of the plate. This estimate of the plate’s 

rotation was the most accurate and data-rich 

estimate ever performed for this small tectonic 

plate and will serve as the underlying model for 

MATRF2022. The results were published in the 

NOAA Technical Report series in August 2020.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Peer reviewed publication in the NOAA Technical 

Report series quantifying the absolute rotation of 

the Mariana plate.

NOAA Technical Memorandum: https://geodesy.noaa.gov/library/pdfs/

NOAA_TR_NOS_NGS_0074.pdf

GPS-implied 

velocities on the 

Mariana plate 

(left), and some 

of the ground 

truth surveys 

which generated 

them in Maug 

(top right) and 

Alamagan 

(bottom right), 

CNMI. 

Image credit: NOAA/NOS/NGS.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Safe and Efficient Transportation and Commerce

Machine Learning Applications for the 

Effective Operation of Autonomous 

Surface Vessels in Ocean Mapping 

Missions

In FY 2021, the NOAA/University of New 

Hampshire Joint Hydrographic Center and Center 

for Coastal and Ocean Mapping Autonomous 

Surface Vessel (ASV) Team, together with OCS, 

achieved significant improvements in the use of 

Machine Learning for ASV operations. The team 

has developed a software framework based 

on the Robotics Operating System, integrating 

cameras, swath mapping echo-sounders, marine 

radar, lidar, marine automatic identification service 

(AIS), National Marine Electronics Association 

(NMEA) based sensors for engine monitoring and 

vehicle health. The software framework builds on 

the open source nature of ROS with algorithms 

for object detection and classification and system 

control and includes a custom operator’s interface 

and map-based mission planning software. Its 

modular architecture allows for rapid integration 

of new algorithms and technologies into robotic 

vessels and for collaboration and sharing of those 

algorithms with others. 

The Joint Hydrographic Center uncrewed 

surface vessel underway off Portsmouth, 

New Hampshire. Image credit: NOAA/NOS/OCS.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

The program achieved significant improvements 

in autonomous surface vessel operation for 

hydrographic survey and ocean mapping.

Project URL: https://www.unh.edu/unhtoday/2021/01/seas-day

AWARDS:

The project team won first place in the Virtual 

Ocean Robotics Challenge (https://www.

oceanroboticschallenge.com) sponsored by Open 

Robotics, the Naval Post Graduate School and the 

Office of Naval Research.

Downward continuation of airborne gravity 

data for vertical datum determination

NGS is conducting a large-scale campaign, called 

Gravity for the Redefinition of the American 

Vertical Datum (GRAV-D), to collect airborne 

gravity data over wide areas at a nominal flight 

height of 6 km. This project started in 2007 

and has currently flown 86% of the U.S. and its 

territories. The flights also extend 100 km over the 

border into Mexico and Canada as well as into the 

open ocean areas. These newly acquired gravity 

data will serve as the backbone for computing 

the forthcoming vertical datum in North America 

(the North American-Pacific Geopotential Datum 

of 2022). How to downward continue the gravity 

data from flight trajectories to a reference ellipsoid 

surface, and how to render the 3D scattered data 

into a 2D grid with regular grid intervals, have 

been difficult problems in the field of physical 

geodesy for many decades. It is important to find 

the optimal solution to derive the best information 

from these aerial gravity data for the vertical 

datum computation. An NGS research geodesist 

has led an international working group within the 

International Association of Geodesy to tackle 

this problem. The group includes professors 

and scientists from numerous universities and 

agencies in the United States, Europe, Taiwan, 

and Canada. The working group has used both 

simulated data, and real GRAV-D data in the 

Colorado area, as a test bed to analyze various 

downward continuation methods. The resulting 

geoid models agreed at the mm-level, once data 

editing problems were addressed. The analysis 

also showed that there are spectrum leakage 

problems for some of the methods. The group 

developed high-performance-computation (HPC) 

software packages for comparing the six different 

methods, and these will be shared with the global 

geodetic community.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Safe and Efficient Transportation and Commerce

Schematic of airborne data collection 

and software outputs for vertical datum 

determination. Image credit: NOAA/NOS/NGS.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Established solid theoretical background to 

downward continue aerial gravity data for geoid 

modelling; developed HPC software to share; 

obtained 1mm model agreements from the 

different formulizations; found and fixed the 

spectral leakage problem in the current NGS 

operational tools.

Published Abstract: Li, X., Huang, J., Willberg, M., Pail, R., Slobbe, 

C., Klees, R., Forsberg, R., Hwang, C., and Hilla, S.: On Downward 

Continuing Airborne Gravity Data for Local Geoid Modeling, EGU 

General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-2706, https://

meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU21/session/39915

Multi-Constellation GNSS Calibration of 

User/Receiving Antennas at the National 

Geodetic Survey

Sub-centimeter positions with the Global Navigation 

Satellite System (GNSS) require modeling and 

correction for the electrical properties of the 

receiving antenna. Creating a correction table for 

the antenna’s electrical properties is called antenna 

calibration. Although NGS has calibrated GPS 

user antennas since 1994, recent acquisition and 

programming of a 6-axis industrial robotic arm (a 

device capable of achieving positions with submm accuracy) and tunable multi-GNSS receivers 

has allowed NGS to increase the capabilities 

of the antenna calibration program. The NGS 

calibration system has successfully demonstrated 

that it will be able to calibrate user antennas for 

all GNSS frequencies, with results that agree well 

with community standards. 

Top: KUKA 6-axis robotic arm, as installed 

at NGS’s Testing and Training Facility, with a 

chokering GNSS antenna mounted on the 

robot’s tool end. Bottom: The robotic arm 

is housed inside a retractable dome, and is 

pictured here with several antennas used to 

validate the system’s results. Image credit: NOAA/NOS/NGS.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Safe and Efficient Transportation and Commerce

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Achieved multi-GNSS, full-spectrum calibrations 

with new high-accuracy 6-axis robotic arm.

Project URL: https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/ANTCAL/ 

AWARDS:

A previous, less accurate system using a 2-axis 

robot won a 2014 Bronze Medal “for the design 

and implementation of a NOAA absolute GPS/

GNSS antenna calibration program to improve 

GPS positioning accuracy for all users.”

Modeling Geoid Change in Alaska at 

Higher Resolution

NGS’ upcoming geopotential datum requires a 

dynamic component to ensure it matches the 

changing shape of the geoid—the level surface 

formed by Earth’s gravity that best describes 

mean sea level—with centimeter accuracy. 

NASA’s GRACE and GRACE-FO satellites have 

provided a record of changes to Earth’s gravity 

field due to ice mass loss, hydrology, and solidEarth processes. While they adequately capture 

these changes over most of North America, ice 

mass loss in Alaska changes the gravity field at 

much smaller scales than these satellites can 

resolve, resulting in errors of omission of more 

than 1 centimeter per decade. NGS scientists 

augmented the spatial resolution of the satellite 

models with predictions of geoid change derived 

from glacier elevation change measured with 

airborne altimetry and photogrammetry. These 

models were used to generate predictions of 

geoid change in southern Alaska since the 

mid-20th century that will be compared with 

historical gravity, elevation, and astronomical 

measurements.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Created models of geoid change in Alaska with 

enhanced spatial resolution and developed and 

carried out a survey campaign to validate the 

models against historical measurements.

Presentation URL: https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/web/science_edu/

presentations_library/files/agu2019_hardy.pdf

New position time series, velocities and 

quality measures for the CORS Network

The NOAA Continuously Operating Reference 

Station (CORS) network is a volunteer-based 

network of Global Positioning System (GPS) 

reference stations located mainly in the US and its 

territories. NGS scientists have reprocessed all GPS 

data collected via this network since 1996. Daily data 

Left panel: A map of predicted geoid change in southern Alaska from ice mass loss with sites of 

historical gravity, elevation, and astronomical measurements. Right panel: NGS scientist collecting 

gravity measurements using a relative gravimeter during an Alaska survey. Image credit: NOAA/NOS/NGS.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Safe and Efficient Transportation and Commerce

for GPS weeks 834 through 1933 were reprocessed 

leading to reference coordinates and velocities for 

3049 stations aligned to the global reference frame 

IGS14. The derived velocity field was compared 

to several other solutions and to three regional 

geophysical and geodetic velocity models. These 

comparisons uncovered unstable stations which 

move differently than the regional kinematics around 

them. Once these were identified and excluded, 

we estimated the horizontal and vertical stability 

of this updated realization to be better than ~0.3 

and ~0.6 mm/year, respectively. We used the 

position residuals and estimated uncertainties 

from this reprocessing to derive long-term stability 

measures for all active stations. These measures 

exposed ~60 CORS with the poorest long-term 

stability, which have been consequently excluded 

from serving as mapping control. 

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

(1) The updated realization of the US National 

Spatial Reference System derived in this work is 

now officially in use; (2) This work was published 

in the Journal of Applied Geodesy in January 

2021; (3) The work is based on intensive use of 

estimation theory and statistical analysis and 

successfully incorporated concepts and in-house 

developed Artificial Intelligence tools: edge 

detection, cluster analysis and information theory.

Peer reviewed journal article: https://www.degruyter.com/document/

doi/10.1515/jag-2020-0041/html

NGS participation in the 3rd IGS 

reprocessing of GNSS data (REPRO3)

In early 2022, the International Earth Rotation and 

References Systems Service (IERS) will release 

the 2020 iteration of the International Terrestrial 

Reference Frame (ITRF2020). The forthcoming 

realization of ITRF2020 will combine observations 

from all of the major space geodetic techniques, 

including data from global navigation satellite 

systems (GNSS). The international body responsible 

for coordinating the GNSS contribution to 

ITRF2020 is the International GNSS Service (IGS). 

This effort by the IGS, completed in April 2021, 

was called the 3rd IGS reprocessing campaign. 

NGS is one of several IGS Analysis Centers (ACs) 

that participated in this campaign. To do so, we 

reprocessed all available GNSS data from 533 

global continuously operating reference stations 

for the period between January 1, 1994, through 

December 31, 2020. These data were reprocessed 

using the most up-to-date techniques and 

models to produce three primary products: daily 

ground station positions, daily Earth-orientation 

parameters, and daily precise orbit solutions. These 

products, representing 27 years of daily solutions, 

were then sent to the IGS and were combined 

with independently computed solutions from the 

other IGS ACs. The combined IGS daily solutions 

were then sent to the IERS to be incorporated into 

ITRF2020. ITRF2020, much like previous iterations 

Left panel: Major part of the NOAA CORS Network. Right panel: Velocity noise east of the Rockies 

(RMS ~0.2 mm/yr). Image credit: NOAA/NOS/NGS.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Safe and Efficient Transportation and Commerce

of the ITRF, will form the backbone for all scientific 

positioning applications around the globe. It will 

also be the basis for the modernized U.S. National 

Spatial Reference System (NSRS), the official U.S. 

reference frame for all federal civilian applications. 

By participating in this campaign, NGS has ensured 

that there is superb representation of GNSS data 

from ground stations within the U.S. and our areas 

of interest (e.g. Caribbean, Pacific islands, etc.). This 

will allow NGS to very strongly tie the upcoming 

modernized NSRS to ITRF2020.

IGS ACs, including NGS, submitted 27 years 

of daily GNSS solutions to the IGS. The 

combined daily IGS solutions were then sent 

to the IERS for combination with solutions 

from the International Laser Ranging Service 

(ILRS), the International DORIS Service (IDS), 

and the International VLBI Service (IVS).

Image credit: NOAA/NOS/NGS.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

NGS reprocessed 27 years of daily GNSS 

solutions dating back to January 1, 1994. These 

solutions will contribute directly to the forthcoming 

ITRF2020 reference frame.

Precision Marine Navigation Data Gateway 

Viewer

NOAA and OCS have developed a web-mapping 

application that enables users to explore NOAA’s 

navigation datasets that are formatted based on 

international standards. The Data Gateway Viewer 

provides an easy-to-use, interactive resource for 

discovering NOAA’s navigation data products. 

Users can navigate to a region of interest, find the 

data that are available for that area, and access 

downloadable versions of the data in the cloud 

through the NOAA Big Data Program. It also 

uses new visualization techniques to make the 

data easy to comprehend. The beta version of 

the Data Gateway is one piece of NOAA’s larger 

effort to integrate marine navigation data services. 

The Data Gateway provides a visualization of 

the data NOAA is also serving via the cloud in a 

machine-to-machine readable format for software 

companies to utilize in various navigation software 

applications from portable pilot units to electronic 

charting systems and even mobile applications. 

The Data Gateway Viewer is an important tool 

Screen grab from the Precision Marine Navigation Data Gateway Viewer. Image credit: NOAA/NOS/OCS.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Safe and Efficient Transportation and Commerce

for making the maritime community aware of 

NOAA’s navigation data, and it represents the 

continued commitment to ensure precision marine 

navigation in U.S. waters.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

A beta version of the Precision Marine Navigation 

Data Gateway Viewer was launched in January 

2021 that provides surface current forecast 

guidance (S-111 data).

Data Gateway Viewer Application URL: https://beta.marinenavigation.

noaa.gov/gateway/

Data Gateway Viewer Press Release URL: https://nauticalcharts.noaa.

gov/updates/noaa-releases-new-visualization-resources-precisionnavigation-data-gateway-and-data-dashboard/

Short Term Predictive System (STPS) 

Enhancing Search-and-Rescue Nationwide 

with IOOS Oceanographic High Frequency 

Radar

In FY 2021 the Short Term Predictive System 

model (STPS) footprint expanded to cover the 

entire continental United States, Hawaii, and 

Puerto Rico. The model now assimilates data from 

newly added IOOS High-Frequency (HF) radar 

sites around the country into surface current 

forecasts for the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) 

Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System 

(SAROPS) and also provides the framework 

to deliver data from future IOOS HF radar 

installations to the system. In 2000, the USCG 

Research & Development Center began a multiyear investigation into the utility of NOAA IOOS 

real-time HF radar surface current measurements 

for search and rescue. This assessment showed 

HF radar derived currents performed better 

when compared against available NOAA tidal 

current predictions. A team at the University of 

Connecticut, with IOOS funding, developed the 

STPS empirical statistical model to deliver these 

HF radar current forecasts; in May 2009 the 

STPS forecasts went live in the SAROPS for the 

mid-Atlantic, and later expanded to the U.S. West 

Coast in 2012.

FY 2021 ACCOMPLISHMENT:

The STPS ocean surface current forecast model 

expands to provide IOOS HF radar data nationwide 

for improving U.S. Coast Guard search-and-rescue.

Technical Paper: https://rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/media/downloads/

papers/National%20IOOS%20High%20Frequency%20Radar%20

SAR%20Project.pdf

Schematic of the 

data pathways 

and components 

of the IOOS 

enhancements 

to the HF radar 

component of 

USCG SAROPS. 

The blue dotted 

lines enclose 

components that 

existed prior to 

the project. The 

enhancements 

are shown within 

the white dotted 

lines.

Image credit: NOAA/NOS/IOOS.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Safe and Efficient Transportation and Commerce

Ecosystem Science for 

Conservation and Sustainable 

Use

Below is a highlighted scientific project by OCS 

researchers and their partners, which is focused 

on ecosystem science for conservation and 

sustainable use of coastal systems. 

Building the National Bathymetry

The National Bathymetry is a foundational dataset 

that supports the next-generation of navigation 

services as well as commerce, science, industry, 

and public curiosity. OCS compiles disparate 

hydrographic and LIDAR source surveys based 

on standard metrics like resolution, accuracy, 

survey date, and data license. In fiscal year 2020, 

the team built the New England dataset and 

that region is now being updated monthly as 

new sources are available. This year, the team 

is building out the National Bathymetry for the 

Gulf of Mexico region and work is underway to 

distribute products of this critical bathymetric 

compilation in various datum, formats, and 

resolutions. The establishment of a data-driven 

workflow through automation and expertise allows 

for increased quality, accessibility, and timeliness 

of bathymetric source data.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

The National Bathymetry is being built out for the 

Gulf of Mexico region while the already built New 

England region is regularly updated with newly 

available source surveys. 

Project URL: https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/updates/building-thenational-bathymetry/

 A preliminary build of the bathymetry for New England. Image Credit: NOAA/NOS/OCS.
Stewardship, 

recreation, 

and tourism

NOS Priority: 

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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT

T

HE UNITED STATES boasts some of the most 

important natural, cultural, and historical 

resources in the world—not just on land but under 

the water as well. The value of the U.S. coastal 

tourism and recreation industry in 2009 was 

$62 billion. NOS plays a critical role in protecting 

and promoting access to these special coastal 

and marine places. NOS is entrusted with the 

responsibility to manage a network of underwater 

parks encompassing more than 600,000 square 

miles of coastal, marine, and Great Lakes waters. 

Across all national marine sanctuaries, about $8 

billion annually is generated in local economies 

from activities like commercial fishing, tourism, 

and recreation. NOS also partners with states to 

manage national estuarine research reserves, a 

network of 29 coastal sites designated to protect 

and study estuarine systems. The reserves 

reflect the rich diversity of environments along 

our coasts and Great Lakes, and provide places 

for education, recreation, and boosting local 

economies.

Following are stewardship, recreation, and 

tourism themed projects organized according to 

three primary scientific priorities of the National 

Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) 

strategic plan.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Stewardship, Recreation, and Tourism

Advanced Observation 

Technologies

Included below are two highlighted scientific 

projects by OR&R and OCM researchers and 

their partners, which are focused on advanced 

observation technologies.

Advancing the Use of Unmanned 

Platforms to Respond to and Assess Spills 

in Ice Environments 

Scientists from OR&R, funded by the United 

States Coast Guard Research Development 

Center, and in collaboration with scientists from 

US EPA, Applied Research Associates, and Water 

Mapping LLC, are developing and testing new 

remote sensing tools and technologies (UAS and 

ROV) to more efficiently and effectively detect 

and characterize surface oil in icy waters. The 

researchers are looking at the oil both from above 

the slick looking down, and from beneath the slick 

looking up. Scientists remotely characterize oil 

slicks flying a quadcopter carrying multispectral 

sensors over various configurations of surface 

oil and ice, at the same time as underwater ROV 

mounted acoustic sensors characterize the 

oil from beneath. These tools are advancing 

our ability to ‘see’ oil in more complex icewater environments. Additionally the team, in 

partnership with the USEPA’s Office of Research 

and Development to monitor smoke plumes 

from in situ burns using UAS mounted sensor 

packages. These projects demonstrate the 

rapidly advancing utility of using UxS for spill 

responses and assessments. 

Dr. Oscar Garcia (Water Mapping, LLC) 

prepares to launch the hexacopter platform 

with multispectral sensors for floating oil 

detection. Image credit: NOAA/NOS/ORR.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT(S): 

Successful completion of experiments at the Cold 

Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory 

(CRREL), an oil-ice testing facility in Hanover, 

New Hampshire. Eight oil thickness categories 

were measured in combination of various ice 

cover regimes. Nine successful in situ burns 

were conducted and monitored using fresh and 

weathered Alaska North Slope Crude oil.

Project URL: https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/fire-and-ice-noaaand-us-coast-guard-partner-study-oil-ice-environments

Advancing Coastal Mapping/Management 

through Artificial Intelligence 

OCM, through its Coastal Change Analysis 

Program (C-CAP), has been working to develop 

the next generation of land cover data for the 

coastal U.S. This work has focused on the 

research and implementation of methodologies 

that increase the program’s efficiency and impact. 

By applying artificial intelligence/machine learning 

algorithms in a cloud-based environment, these 

efforts have resulted in several high spatial detail 

land cover and habitat datasets which serve 

not only as proof of concept demonstrations 

but are also informing coastal management 

decisions at regional and local levels. The 
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Stewardship, Recreation, and Tourism

state of New Hampshire, for instance, has 

been utilizing saltmarsh habitat data produced 

through these efforts to better inform marsh 

resilience assessments and to inform the state’s 

comprehensive marsh management planning.

Saltmarsh habitat data (2013) for New 

Hampshire. Image credit: NOAA/NOS/OCM.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Statewide saltmarsh habitat mapping informs New 

Hampshire’s comprehensive marsh management 

planning.

C-CAP database URL: https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/data/

ccaphighres.html

Ecosystem Science for 

Conservation and Sustainable 

Use

Below are five highlighted scientific projects by 

NCCOS and ONMS researchers and their partners, 

which are focused on ecosystem science for 

conservation and sustainable use of coastal systems. 

New Research Informs Management of 

Rare Gulf of Mexico Whale

With a very small population size, the Gulf 

of Mexico Rice’s whale (Balaenoptera ricei), 

designated as an endangered species in April 

2019, is one of the rarest whales on the planet. 

Previously thought to be a subpopulation of 

the Bryde’s whale species, recent genetic 

and morphological data now identify the filterfeeding Rice’s whales as a separate species. 

It is more important than ever to learn about 

the whale’s critical habitat as a first step in 

planning for its recovery. Since 2017, a NOAAled project supported by the NOAA RESTORE 

Science Program through NCCOS has focused Rice’s Whale. Image credit: Wayne Hoggard, NOAA Fisheries
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Stewardship, Recreation, and Tourism

on understanding Rice’s whale movement habits 

and feeding patterns for recovery planning efforts. 

Investigators have conducted three research 

cruises dedicated to learning about the whale. 

Recent research has revealed that the whales 

spend most of their daylight hours in a constant 

diving and feeding pattern; and then rest just 

below the surface most of the night. The Rice’s 

whale feeds on dense aggregations of fish that 

form just above the bottom during daylight hours, 

and may be selectively feeding on one or two fish 

species. The presence of upwelled water near 

the bottom, along with seasonal inputs of high 

productivity shelf water into the habitat, are likely 

important factors in maintaining enough prey to 

support the energetic requirements of the whales. 

By working closely with the people responsible 

for marine mammal management in the Gulf of 

Mexico, NOS-supported researchers are ensuring 

that their discoveries about the whale’s feeding 

and movement are integrated into recovery plans.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

The project team has greatly increased our 

knowledge about the whale’s habitat and feeding 

processes and provided this information to 

resource managers who are designating critical 

habitat ahead of developing and implementing a 

recovery plan across the Gulf of Mexico.

Project URLs: https://restoreactscienceprogram.noaa.gov/livingcoastal-and-marine-resources/new-research-informs-management-ofrare-gulf-of-mexico-whale

https://restoreactscienceprogram.noaa.gov/projects/brydes-whales

Unlocking the food web-dynamics 

sustaining Atlantic bluefin tuna larvae

Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) are highly 

migratory and spawn in the Gulf of Mexico, but 

are distributed as adults throughout the Atlantic 

Ocean. This migratory behavior, as well as year 

to year changes in environmental conditions at 

sites where Atlantic bluefin tuna spawn, makes 

management of the species complex. Being able 

to track how changes in nutrient availability impact 

tuna food webs and larval survival is essential 

to managing open ocean ecosystems. A project 

supported by the NOAA RESTORE Program 

through NCCOS investigated the impact of 

variability in a key nutrient, nitrogen, on lower food 

webs and the resulting availability of zooplanktonic 

food resources for Atlantic bluefin tuna larvae in 

the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. This information 

will inform Atlantic bluefin tuna stock assessments 

by making it possible to more accurately estimate 

feeding, growth, and survival of Atlantic bluefin 

tuna larvae based on ocean conditions. 

Area of the Gulf of Mexico where 

researchers collect Bluefin Tuna larvae (red 

square). Image credit: NOAA RESTORE Program.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

The project team revealed the link between 

nutrients, food availability, and the survival of 

Atlantic bluefin tuna larvae which can be used to 

improve stock assessments for this commercially 

and recreationally important species.

Project URL: https://restoreactscienceprogram.noaa.gov/projects/

bluefin-tuna-larvae

Data and Applications from Sanctuary 

Soundscape Monitoring Project Now 

Available to the Public.

Since 2018, ONMS and the US Navy have co-led 

the Sanctuary Soundscape Monitoring Project 

(SanctSound) to monitor underwater sound at 30 

locations in seven national marine sanctuaries 

and one Marine National Monument. Over 20 

institutions participate in this nationwide effort to 

understand sound conditions and ocean noise 

impacts across the National Marine Sanctuary 
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Stewardship, Recreation, and Tourism

System. SanctSound results and management 

applications were disseminated in FY 2021 

through a multi-faceted outreach campaign 

to reach audiences ranging from students to 

decision-makers, including: a web story series 

highlighting place-based results, an interactive 

StoryMap, a Congressional briefing, two published 

and four accepted peer-reviewed publications 

and over 20 virtual presentations and webinars. 

SanctSound data are archived and publically 

accessible through NOAA’s National Centers for 

Environmental Information and the public can 

explore results via a web portal under construction 

in partnership with NOAA’s IOOS program. It 

will go live at the project’s completion in spring 

2022. The objectives of SanctSound are to 1) 

build collaborative research capacity to monitor 

and assess sanctuary resources, and 2) support 

natural resource management by providing 

baseline standardized time-series data that can be 

used to detect changes in sanctuary ecosystems 

and support noise impact management. 

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT:

 In FY 2021, SanctSound released an interactive 

StoryMap, published 10 web stories, was featured 

in two magazines, presented at nine conferences/

international workshops, provided reports to eight 

Sanctuary Advisory Councils, hosted four educational 

webinars, and headlined a Congressional briefing.

Project URL: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/monitoring/sound/

sanctsound-storymap.html

Revisiting an Octopus Nursery and a 

Whale Fall

In 2018 and 2019, E/V Nautilus expeditions 

discovered extensive octopus nurseries in at 

least two areas in the southeastern flanks of 

Davidson Seamount at 3,200 m depth. These 

nurseries each featured thousands of mother 

octopus brooding their eggs within seeps of 

elevated water temperature (up to 10.4°C). 

Octopus brooding their eggs within a warm 

water seep near Davidson Seamount in 

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. 

This genus has an unusual upside-down 

brooding posture. Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust/NOAA.

Spectrograms from 

two SanctSound 

listening stations 

(OC02, top; 

OC04, bottom) 

in Olympic Coast 

National Marine 

Sanctuary between 

August 20 and 

September 4, 2019.

Image Credit: NOAA/NOS/ONMS 

SanctSound.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Stewardship, Recreation, and Tourism

Also in 2019, an extremely rare find was made: a 

relatively fresh whale fall, and samples revealed a 

new species of bone-eating worm, Osedax, living 

on the whale’s bones. In October 2020, ONMS, 

Monterey Bay, and Greater Farallones national 

marine sanctuaries teamed up on E/V Nautilus 

to explore Pioneer Canyon, then revisited the 

two previously discovered octopus nurseries 

and whale fall. Collecting 10 hours of video 

footage, they surveyed 15 acres of seafloor and 

counted 3,647 octopus, of which 2,938 (81%) 

were brooding mothers. The whale fall was more 

decomposed than we expected, but flourishing 

populations of Osedax and ampheretid worms 

were still present. Samples were collected along 

with whale bones, baleen, worms, sediment and 

water for eDNA analyses (results are pending).

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Confirmation of second distinct massive octopus 

brooding colony, documentation of the changes in 

a whale fall after 12 months, and characterization 

of deep-sea corals in Pioneer Canyon and at 

Davidson Seamount.

Special Issue of Oceanography (see pp. 34-35): https://tos.org/

oceanography/assets/docs/34-1_ocean_exploration.pdf

Video - Discover Wonder: The Octopus Garden: https://

sanctuarysimon.org/2021/04/discover-wonder-the-octopus-gardenwins-best-short-film-at-the-international-ocean-film-festival/

AWARDS: 

The video, Discover Wonder: the Octopus Garden, 

summarizing previous work at the “octopus 

garden” in 2018 and 2019 won the “short film” 

category at the International Ocean Film Festival 

in April 2021. 

Findings from West Coast Deep-Sea Coral 

Initiative Will Inform Management for Years 

to Come 

In 2018, a NOAA-led steering committee was 

formed with members from National Marine 

Fisheries Service, ONMS, the NOAA Office of 

Exploration and Research, NCCOS, and the NOAA 

Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program 

to guide the West Coast Deep-Sea Coral Initiative, a 

four year research program dedicated to increasing 

scientific understanding of deep-sea coral and 

sponge ecosystems. The Initiative’s highest priority 

science and management needs were determined 

at a kick-off workshop in 2018, which was attended 

by over 40 key partners representing state and 

federal management agencies, academics, NGOs, 

the fishery management council, and first nation 

communities, with the following objectives: (1) 

collecting baseline information on deep-sea 

coral and sponge communities in areas prior to 

essential fish habitat and rockfish conservation 

protection changes; (2) identifying areas with the 

highest deep-sea coral and sponge bycatch; and 

(3) exploring and assessing deep-sea coral and 

sponge habitats within national marine sanctuaries. 

A sponge garden on Daisy Bank off the 

coast of Oregon.

Image Credit NOAA Deep Sea Coral Research & Technology Program.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Stewardship, Recreation, and Tourism

Since 2018, the Initiative has supported 

extensive field surveys, mapping, modeling, 

and data analysis projects by relying on strong, 

multi-agency partnerships, and has resulted in 

substantial areas of new protection for seafloor 

habitats in the five west coast marine sanctuaries. 

In its final year (2021), Initiative collaborators 

across the U.S. are concluding the remaining 

data analysis to generate new, publicly available 

information that will contribute to outreach 

products, describe newly discovered species and 

habitats, advance new modeling techniques and 

technologies, and inform fishery management 

decisions, sanctuary condition reports, and 

management plan updates.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

The West Coast Deep-Sea Coral Initiative fully 

funded four field expeditions and provided partial 

support to 14 others for field surveys, mapping, 

and sample collections, producing over 450 

hours of video, tens of thousands of still images, 

samples, and over 28,000 km2.of newly acquired 

seafloor data. 

West Coast Deep Sea Coral Initiative Science Plan (2018-2021): https://

deepseacoraldata.noaa.gov/library/WCDSCI%20Science%20Plan_Final.pdf

Detecting, Monitoring, and 

Mitigating Impacts of Chemical 

and Biological Stressors on 

Coastal Ecosystems

Below are two highlighted scientific projects 

by NCCOS, OR&R, and ONMS researchers and 

their partners, which are focused on detecting, 

monitoring, and mitigating the impacts of chemical 

and biological stressors in coastal systems. 

Great Lakes microplastic pollution pilot 

field study

Plastic pollution has been identified as one of 

the most critical environmental problems of our 

time. A pilot field study was executed by OR&R

researchers in Milwaukee Estuary on Lake Michigan.

NOAA researchers process mussels 

from Lake Michigan at the University of 

Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater 

Sciences. Mussel samples were analyzed 

for body burdens of chemical contaminants, 

metabolomics, and biomarkers.

Image credit: NOAA/NOS/ORR.
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2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT Stewardship, Recreation, and Tourism

Invasive mussels (Dreissena sp.) were used to 

monitor microplastics. This project increases 

the capability of NOAAs Mussel Watch Program 

to characterize the magnitude and extent of 

microplastic pollution and its potential to adversely 

impact fish and wildlife and possible humans. 

Funding for this project was provided by NOAAs 

Marine Debris Program to support the field pilot 

study and laboratory analysis of samples.

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Results revealed the potential utility of dreissenid 

mussels as biomonitors of microplastic pollution, 

the impact of microplastic on mussels, and the 

relationship between emerging and legacy 

chemical pollutants, and inform models of 

chemical contaminants in the Great Lakes and 

other freshwater ecosystems around the world.

NOAA Ocean Podcast Coverage: NOAA Ocean Podcast: episode 39

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast/sep20/nop40-microplasticmussels-part-two.html

Using Citizen Science Data to Assess 

Shoreline Marine Debris Within Two US 

National Marine Sanctuaries 

Researchers from NOAA’s Marine Debris Program 

(OR&R), together with staff from the NOAA 

Southeast Fisheries Science Center, ONMS, 

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary 

(OCNMS), and Greater Farallones National Marine 

Sanctuary (GFNMS), analyzed multi-year shoreline 

monitoring data collected by citizen scientists from 

OCNMS and GFNMS to estimate marine debris 

abundance and temporal trends, and identify 

drivers of debris loads. Data were gathered by 57 

individuals as well as by students from five area 

schools using the established protocols of MDP’s 

Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project, 

a citizen science initiative that facilitates a national 

network of shoreline monitoring to guide marine 

debris research, prevention, and policy-making. 

Changes in debris counts and composition within 

each Sanctuary reflect seasonal patterns of 

coastal upwelling and downwelling, but longer 

temporal trends in overall debris loads depend 

on the sampling window. A linear increase in 

total expected debris counts was observed when 

up to five participants are conducting a survey, 

suggesting a need to standardize the number of 

participants and their search pattern. Results from 

this study have contributed to the refinement of 

MDMAP on-site monitoring protocols. 

FY21 ACCOMPLISHMENT: 

Results from this NOS-NMFS collaboration 

were published in the journal, Frontiers in 

Environmental Science.

Project URL: https://blog.marinedebris.noaa.gov/using-citizen-scienceunderstand-marine-debris

Peer-reviewed journal article URL: https://doi.org/10.3389/

fenvs.2020.604927

Citizen scientists 

collect water 

samples for 

microplastic 

debris analyses. 

Image credit: Florida Sea Grant.
39

2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT NOS Funding Opportunities

NOS SUPPORTS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHthat addresses its aforementioned 

priorities through multiple internal and extramural 

funding opportunities. Several program offices 

oversee annual competitive research programs 

to foster enhanced knowledge and scientifically 

informed management of coastal ecosystems, 

including efforts to advance coastal resilience, 

sustainable transportation and commerce, and 

marine stewardship. These also include multi-year 

fellowship awards to graduate students and support 

to NOAA Cooperative Science Center institutions

working to increase the number of graduates, 

particularly from underrepresented communities, 

with degrees aligned with the NOAA mission.

Below is information about NOS funding programs 

that provide applied research support to grantees:

In addition to supporting efforts by its Regional 

Associations, IOOS also funds the US Marine Life 

Observations: Coordinated Marine Biodiversity 

Observation Network (MBON) and Animal 

Telemetry Network (ATN) Activities to Ensure 

Resilient, Productive Ecosystems and Human 

Communities in the Face of Change funding 

opportunity. This effort, together with National 

Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) 

partner agencies, funds research that builds upon 

the foundation established by MBON, ATN, and 

the US IOOS Regional Associations to work across 

sectors and disciplines towards an integrated, 

sustained marine life observing capability for the 

U.S. ocean, coasts and Great Lakes, from estuaries 

to the deep ocean; advance technologies for 

efficient and/or automated collection of species 

and associated habitat observations; enable open 

access to biodiversity data and information; and 

utilize these observations, technologies, and 

data to address place-based (e.g., sanctuaries, 

reserves, protected areas, leasing blocks, etc) 

management, conservation and restoration needs.

NCCOS supports the Competitive Research Program (CRP) and the RESTORE 

Science Program that provide the critical 

information and predictive capabilities required 

to manage the nation’s coastal resources in an 

ecosystem context. NCCOS addresses these 

issues via a stressor-based or regional ecosystem 

approach in support of investigations related to 

sea level rise, harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, coral 

reefs, and related to the long-term sustainability of 

the Gulf of Mexico. These issues typically require 

multidisciplinary research teams and a significant 

long-term commitment of resources because 

of their complexity and the effort required to 

reach a new level of understanding sufficient 

to support NOS priorities and drive future 

coastal management decisions. Applications for 

funding are submitted through Federal Funding 

Opportunity (FFO) notices posted on the Grants.

gov website. Notices of specific Announcements 

of Opportunity posted on the NCCOS Funding 

Opportunities page are provided as a courtesy to 

the research community.

NGS has funded extramural grants in support of Height Modernization and Geospatial 

Modeling. The National Height Modernization 

Program was created to enable access to 

accurate, reliable, and consistent heights. 

Elevation information contributes to informed 

decision making and impacts a wide range 

of important activities including mapping and 

charting, flood risk determination, transportation, 

land use and ecosystem management. Height 

Modernization is currently being implemented 

through a combination of NGS activities and state 

and local efforts. The program began because 

of critical needs identified in California and 

North Carolina, and it grew to include nearly two 

dozen states across the nation. Many states have 

received funding through either Congressional 

Research Grants and Fellowship Support

NOS Funding Opportunities:
2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT NOS Funding Opportunities

40

earmarks or competitive grants. In other states, 

local agencies and organizations have provided 

resources. NGS has also funded research in 

support of geospatial modeling on topics related 

to workforce development in the geospatial 

industry, national and regional outreach plans, 

subsidence monitoring in the Gulf of Mexico, 

improving the alignment of national and regional 

reference frames, remote sensing technology, 

and gravity and astronomical observations. The 

funding objectives of the Geospatial Modeling 

Grant are to modernize and improve the National 

Spatial Reference System (NSRS) in the Gulf 

Coast region and to improve the awareness, 

coordination, and use of geospatial data.

OCM provides multiple extramural funding opportunities and fellowships in 

support of coastal resilience and management. 

Opportunities include the National Coastal 

Resilience Fund, which supports projects 

that restore, increase, and strengthen natural 

infrastructure to ultimately protect coastal 

communities from storm and flooding impacts 

and enhance fish and wildlife habitat. Additional 

programs fund projects of special merit, 

including those related to the Coastal and 

Estuarine Land Conservation Program, National 

Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs) and their 

Collaborative Science Program, as well as on 

topics of coastal resilience, bay watershed 

education and training, and Great Lakes Areas 

of Concern land acquisition. The Coral Reef 

Conservation Program, a partnership between 

NOAA Line Offices, also oversees multiple funding 

opportunities in support of coral reef research and 

management. OCM provides support to graduate 

and post-graduate students through several 

fellowship opportunities, including the Coastal 

Management Fellowship to provide on-the-job 

education and training opportunities in coastal 

resource management and policy and project 

assistance to state coastal zone management 

programs. Additional fellowship opportunities 

include the Coral Reef Management Fellowship

in support of state and territorial agencies, the 

Margaret A. Davidson Fellowship that provides 

the opportunity for graduate students to conduct 
2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT NOS Funding Opportunities

41

collaborative research at NERRs, and the 

Digital Coast Fellowship, which provides onthe-job education and training opportunities in 

coastal resource management and policy for 

postgraduate students and to provide technical 

assistance to help advance the goals of the Digital 

Coast and its partner organizations.

OCS has begun a new pilot funding program for a Hydrographic Surveying Matching 

Fund opportunity. The purpose of this program is 

to encourage non-federal entities to partner with 

NOAA on jointly-funded hydrographic surveying, 

mapping, and related activities of mutual interest. 

The pilot program relates directly to the OCS 

Ocean Mapping Plan and a goal to expand U.S. 

EEZ mapping by also expanding use of OCS’ 

hydrographic services contract vehicle. NOAA and 

partner(s) match funds to expand collaborative 

partnerships and mapping efforts while also 

serving to increase funds available for NOAA 

hydrographic contracts.

ONMS oversees and supports the NOAA Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program, 

which provides tuition, stipends, training, and 

collaborative experiences for master’s and 

doctoral degrees in oceanography, marine 

biology, maritime archaeology—including, but 

not limited to, ocean and/or coastal: engineering, 

social science, marine education, marine 

stewardship, cultural anthropology, and resource 

management disciplines. Research proposals in 

support of ONMS science priorities are funded 

through this opportunity, with an emphasis on 

ensuring greater diversity of marine scientists.

OR&R MARINE DEBRIS PROGRAM supports multiple funding opportunities related 

to marine debris removal, prevention, research, 

and through the joint NOAA-National Fish and 

Wildlife Foundation Fishing for Energy partnership. 

Marine Debris Removal Grants offer funding that 

supports locally driven, community-based marine 

debris removal projects. Prevention Grants offer 

funding that supports marine debris prevention 

projects that actively engage and educate a target 

audience in hands-on programs. These projects 

raise awareness, reduce barriers to marine debris 

prevention, and encourage and support changes 

in behaviors to ensure long-term prevention of 

marine debris. OR&R also provides North America 

Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Grants for 

projects that address marine debris issues in the 

U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada border areas. Marine 

Debris Research Grants offer funding for original, 

hypothesis-driven research projects focused on 

the ecological risk assessment, exposure studies, 

and fate and transport of marine debris. 
42

2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT NOS Publications Statistics

Peer-reviewed Articles, Technical 

Memoranda, and Datasets

NOS Publications Statistics:

S

cientists and staff affiliated with NOS program offices, and those supported through extramural funding 

opportunities, regularly publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals, technical reports, and other 

outlets. NOS personnel also maintain comprehensive databases, archive datasets, and develop portals 

for disseminating key information. Below are trends in the numbers of reported peer-reviewed articles, 

technical reports, and archived datasets per program office from years 2015-2020 (Figures 1-3). Data 

are derived from annual reports produced by the NOS Data Management Working Group (DMWG). 

Publication values for 2021 are still forthcoming, and will be included in a joint 2021-2022 DMWG report.

Figure 1. Number of reported peer-reviewed articles published per program office from years 2015-2020. 

Articles published by NCCOS are shown on the primary axis, while those from the seven other 

program offices are depicted on the secondary axis. Values depicted per year are cumulative totals for 

each program office. Note: NCCOS totals include publications from both intramural and extramurally 

funded research.
43

2021 NOS SCIENCE REPORT NOS Publications Statistics

Figure 2. Number of technical reports published per program office from years 2015-2020. 

Technical reports published by NGS and NCCOS are shown on the primary axis, while those from the 

six other program offices are depicted on the secondary axis. Values depicted per year are cumulative 

totals for each program office. Note: NCCOS totals include technical reports from both intramural and 

extramurally funded research.

Figure 3. Number of archived datasets per program office from years 2015-2020. 

Datasets produced by NGS, OR&R, and NCCOS are shown on the primary axis, while those from the five 

other program offices are depicted on the secondary axis. Values depicted per year are cumulative totals 

for each program office. Note: NCCOS totals include datasets from both intramural and extramurally 

funded research.
44

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