Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research

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NCCOS recognizes the following five primary types of ecosystem stress. These stressors often occur together, and their cumulative effects are poorly understood. NCCOS is committed to developing new paradigms for studying, understanding, and predicting the environmental effects of these stressors alone and in combination.

Climate and Long Term Change

Global climate change is affected by a variety of natural (e.g. El Nino, La Nina) and anthropogenic (e.g. global warming from fossil fuel combustion) factors, which may induce ecological changes in coastal ecosystems. These changes may be manifest and are studied at the cellular to ecosystem level. Learn more.

Extreme Natural Events

Excessive organic loading and contamination from run-off due to major storm events pose a serious risk to aquatic resources. Research helps to determine storm-induced bioeffects and improve the knowledge base for management actions before and after these events. In 1999, Hurricane Floyd caused massive flooding and fouling of waters with human and animal waste in North Carolina waters. Learn more.

Invasive Species

Invasive species, e.g., plants and animals brought to the U.S. from other countries or those relocated within U.S. borders, can threaten economically and environmentally important native plants and animals. They compete for finite ecosystem resources and change the general community structure. Learn more.

Land and Resource Use

Land and resource use associated with population concentrations and development pressures pose disproportionate risks to the nation's coastal ecosystems, in part because those areas are among the most heavily populated. Urbanization, dredging, and commercial and residential construction can lead to increased sediment runoff and depleted fish populations, and can damage habitats that are critical to ecosystem vitality. Learn more.

Pollution

Pollution impacts in coastal ecosystems arise from a variety of sources. Chemical contaminants enter from industrial point-source discharges, oil spills, and nonpoint-source agricultural and urban runoff, posing health risks to fish, marine mammals and humans. Microbial contaminants may arrive from leaking septic tanks, sewage treatment plant overflows and wildlife and pet wastes. Further, eutrophication from over-enrichment of nutrients and organic matter can cause other adverse effects. Learn more.