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SAN DIEGO - A multidisciplinary research team from the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) successfully completed the Monitoring Analysis and Research in Nautical Environmental Risks (MARINER) study aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) as the ship completed a period of carrier qualifications underway in fall 2025.
The study is a first-of-its-kind feasibility analysis of occupational and environmental exposures. It marks the first operationally embedded effort to evaluate potentially toxic exposures such as fuels and solvents in a shipboard environment.
“One of the main target goals of MARINER type projects in the future will be to evaluate aircrews and ground crews during flight operations,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Diego Vicente, Principal Investigator of the MARINER study at NHRC. “Conducting this study during a carrier qualification period allows for the establishing blood collection of shipboard personnel, both for toxin evaluation and downstream potential controls.”
In partnership with the ship’s leadership and medical department, the team enrolled 50 Sailors across ship’s company and air wing work centers, collecting more than 195 blood samples and survey datasets under rigorous Department of War-approved research protocols.
“I am grateful to the crew of Abraham Lincoln and Naval Health Research Center for supporting this vital study,” Vicente said. “Through this process, we will safeguard the health and operational readiness of U.S. military personnel.”
The study represents a model of cooperation between the fleet and the research community, supported by the Murtha Cancer Center Research Program (MCCRP) at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), Windber Research Institute, and the Project for Military Exposures and Toxin History Evaluation in U.S. Service Members (PROMETHEUS). After collection aboard Abraham Lincoln, blood samples and survey data were transferred securely for storage at the biobank at Windber Research Institute as well as secondary use protocols with research collaborators.
As the de-identified database and biobank build a repository of low exposure and high exposure risk groups, analysis of the data and samples will potentially enable development of occupational toxic exposures limits as well as inform service members of their long-term health impacts.
"The MARINER project is a cornerstone of the PROMETHEUS initiative, as it bridges the critical gap in understanding how occupational and environmental exposures impact the health of our service members,” said Dr. Craig Shriver, director of the Murtha Cancer Center. “By integrating advanced biomarker discovery with operational data, this study empowers us to develop actionable strategies to protect and enhance the well-being of those who serve."
The study’s success was made possible through the close collaboration between U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jeffery Rice, Abraham Lincoln’s Senior Medical Officer, and Vicente, whose coordination ensured seamless execution of complex sampling and data collection during underway operations.
Building on the success of this mission, the team plans a longitudinal follow-up phase later on in 2026 to assess biomarkers and exposure trends over time.
| Date Taken: | 10.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.21.2026 02:11 |
| Story ID: | 556442 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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