Ship grounding refers to a vessel unintentionally making contact with the seabed, a waterway side, or underwater structures. Despite advances in navigation, ships of all sizes can still run aground in U.S. waters. Groundings can result from storms, mechanical failures, or even human error. NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) provides scientific support to the U.S. Coast Guard which handles the immediate incident and vessel aspects. OR&R may be called in to address the environmental consequences of the grounding, from initial scientific assessment during the response to long-term restoration of affected habitats.