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Coastal Oceans Research at Hollings Marine Laboratory
Overview
Recent comprehensive reports on the condition of the nation’s coasts have noted measurably diminished natural resources, with the degree and contributors of injury varying from region to region. Major sources of impairment across all regions and habitats included chemical and microbial contamination, increased “flashiness” in freshwater inflows, nutrient over-enrichment and hypoxia, increased frequency of harmful algal blooms, habitat modification and degradation, wetland loss, increased abundance of non-native species, over-harvesting of fisheries, and impaired biological communities with altered food webs. These impaired conditions affect property values, coastal economies, and public health.