DECEMBER 9, 2013 -– NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration, a leader in providing scientific information in response to marine pollution, has scheduled a Science of Oil Spills (SOS) class for the week of March 3-7, 2014, at NOAA's Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Ala.

We will accept applications for this class through Friday, January 17, 2014, and we will notify applicants regarding their participation status by Friday, January 31, 2013.

SOS classes help spill responders increase their understanding of oil spill science when analyzing spills and making risk-based decisions. They are designed for new and mid-level spill responders.

These three-and-a-half-day trainings cover:

• Fate and behavior of oil spilled in the environment.
• An introduction to oil chemistry and toxicity.
• A review of basic spill response options for open water and shorelines.
• Spill case studies.
• Principles of ecological risk assessment.
• A field trip.
• An introduction to damage assessment techniques.
• Determining cleanup endpoints.

To view the topics for the next SOS class, download a sample agenda [PDF, 117 KB].

Please be advised that classes are not filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The Office of Response and Restoration tries to diversify the participant composition to ensure a variety of perspectives and experiences to enrich the workshop for the benefit of all participants. The class will be limited to 40 participants.

One additional SOS class is planned during fiscal year 2014 (ending September 30, 2014) in Seattle during the summer. At this time, we are only accepting applications for the Mobile, Ala., class; however, when the application dates for the Seattle class are finalized, we will announce them on this website.

For more information, and to learn how to apply for the class, visit the SOS Classes page.