A Scientific Support Coordinator at work in early 2010 after vessels collided with the tanker Eagle Otome.

A Scientific Support Coordinator at work in early 2010 after vessels collided with the tanker Eagle Otome, spilling approximately 424,000 gallons of crude oil into the waters surrounding Port Arthur, Texas. (NOAA)

Publications

NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration has prepared a number of job aids, reports, and publications to help people deal with spills of oil and petroleum products. Use the links below to learn more about these free resources.

Characteristic Coastal Habitats: Choosing Spill Response Alternatives

This is a job aid designed for anyone who needs to decide if, where, when, and how to remove oil from coastal habitats.

Characteristics of Response Strategies: A Guide for Spill Response Planning in Marine Environments

This job aid is designed to help spill responders select appropriate response options to minimize environmental impacts when oil spills in coastal habitats.

Dispersant Application Observer Job Aid

This field guide is for people who have completed training in dispersant application observation.

FOSC's Guide to NOAA Scientific Support

This publication, for oil and chemical spill responders, describes the products and services that the NOAA Scientific Support Team can provide to Federal On-Scene Coordinators (FOSCs).

In Situ Burning

In situ burning, or ISB, involves the controlled burning of spilled oil directly at the location of the spill.

Introduction to Coastal Habitats and Biological Resources for Spill Response

This is a 1992 training manual covering physical, geological, and biological considerations relevant to oil spill response and cleanup.

Observers' Guide to Sea Ice

Download or order this job aid, designed for volunteers who report observations of ice conditions at sea to authorities such as the U.S. Coast Guard.

Oil and Hazardous Materials Response Reports

Here are reports describing oil and chemical spill responses in which OR&R participated from October 1992 through September 1999.

Oil and Sea Turtles: Biology, Planning, and Response

This guidance document presents a basic overview of sea turtle biology and summarizes what is known about the effects of oil on sea turtles.

Oil Spill Response and Killer Whales

Exposure to an oil spill can cause external and internal problems in killer whales when oil is ingested or inhaled. Learn about the methods that are sometimes used to deter whales from the area of a spill.

Oil Spills in Coral Reefs: Planning and Response Considerations

This 2001 report summarizes relevant research on coral reefs; it was written for anyone working in or planning for spill response in coral reef regions.

Oil Spills in Mangroves: Planning and Response Considerations

This 2002 report summarizes current research on mangrove ecosystems for spill response decision-makers.

Oil Types

Learn about the many different kinds of oil, which differ from each other in viscosity, volatility, and toxicity. When spilled, the various types of oil can affect the environment differently. They also differ in how hard they are to clean up.

Open Water Oil Identification Job Aid for Aerial Observation

This job aid contains aerial color photos of oil on water to assist in identification of thickness, structure, and estimated volumes of oil on the water.

Seafood Safety After an Oil Spill

Download several publications that describe how to monitor seafood for exposure and contamination after an oil spill.

Shoreline Assessment Job Aid

This supplement to the Shoreline Assessment Manual contains visual examples of many of the terms responders would use during shoreline assessments after an oil spill.

Shoreline Countermeasures Manuals

These manuals are customizable tools for people who plan and implement shoreline countermeasures to reduce the ultimate environmental impact and cost of an oil spill.

SMART

Special Monitoring of Applied Response Technologies (SMART) is a monitoring program for dispersant and in situ burning operations.

Tarballs

Tarballs, the little, dark-colored pieces of oil that stick to our feet when we go to the beach, are actually remnants of oil spills.

Trajectory Analysis Handbook

This 2002 guide describes the basic concepts involved in analyzing the trajectory of spilled oil.
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