CSS has been a significant contributor to the development and implementation of the Oregon Stream Function Assessment Method (SFAM) for more than 10 years. SFAM is a key component of the Oregon Stream Mitigation Program administered by the Oregon Department of State Lands. 

The mitigation program is designed to address damage to aquatic resources caused by permitted activities, such as road construction, and commercial building. CSS employee owners have provided support for method development including field trials, data analysis, and expertise in developing the Excel-based stream assessment scoring tool. In addition, CSS employee owners helped write the SFAM Manual and Scientific Rational support document. Visit Oregon Department of State Lands website to learn more about this program.

Stream running through a wooded area

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Studying Mesophotic Coral Health

Mesophotic coral can live at depths of 500 feet below the ocean surface. Even at this depth, some of the mesophotic corals in the Gulf of Mexico were affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Our coral scientists supporting NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science are studying the extent of this impact.…

Collecting and Studying Deep-Sea Coral

Three of our staff supporting NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science joined a team of nine other scientists on a 12 day expedition to collect deep-sea coral samples in the Gulf of Mexico.

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

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

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