Oil spills—some large, more often small—happen along the coasts, Great Lakes, and major rivers of the United States nearly every day. NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration is involved in more than 100 responses to spills or vessel groundings each year. We tailor our scientific expertise in biology, chemistry, oceanography, and more to the practical operations the U.S. Coast Guard faces in reducing the spread of oil and its impacts to land, water, and life. We have gathered some basic information related to oil spills, cleanup, impacts, and restoration. Get the latest updates on NOAA's current oil spill responses at IncidentNews.