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In 2025, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) continued its critical mission of protecting the nation's coasts from pollution. From January to December 2025, OR&R supported 167 incidents, providing scientific support for oil spills, chemical releases, and unique environmental marine emergencies. Of the new incidents OR&R supported in 2025, 132 were oil spills and 13 involved chemical releases.
Supporting Clean, Healthy Coasts and Economies
Prepare • Respond • Restore • Recover
OR&R Services
Disaster and Pollution
OR&R delivers critical services to address increasing impacts from disasters and from pollution due to oil, chemicals, and marine debris. Our pollution and disaster mandates provide the backbone for our mission to the changing nature of coastal threats and hazards, which impact our coastal communities and the economies on which they rely.
Oil and Chemical Spill Response
OR&R provides scientific support to over 150 oil and chemical spills in U.S. waters annually. Spills impact lives, property, and public natural resources, as well as disrupt marine transportation with widespread economic impacts.
Oil and Chemical Natural Resource Restoration
OR&R and partners assess the impacts of oil spill and industrial pollution incidents and reach legal settlements with those responsible to fund restoration. Over the past 30+ years, NOAA and co-trustees have helped recover $10.8 billion for restoration of injured resources across the country.
Marine Debris Prevention and Removal
OR&R investigates and prevents the adverse impacts of marine debris. Since 2006, we have supported over 260 marine debris removal projects and removed more than 38,000 metric tons of marine debris from our coasts and ocean.
Emergency and Disaster Preparedness
Through planning, training, exercises, disaster coordination, and continuous improvement, OR&R ensures the National Ocean Service and its partners have the tools and information necessary to plan for and respond to disasters so commerce, communities, and natural resources can recover as quickly as possible.
Featured News
In 2025, NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) supported coastal recovery across the country from the West Coast and Hawaiʻi to the Southeast and Northeast. Their 2025 highlights showcase the power of settlements in action through funding innovative coral restoration, habitat restoration projects, and the protection of vital fisheries across the nation. See how these investments are strengthening the ocean economy, recreational opportunities, and restoring your local waterways.
With support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the Gulf of America Alliance is working in coordination with state and local partners on a large-scale, multi-state initiative to remove derelict vessels and restore coastal health and safety. Vessels are being removed across the Gulf Coast, including more than 582,000 pounds of debris already removed in Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama.
