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January 12, 2026
Apply Now: OR&R 2026 Oil and Chemical Spill Training
Applications are now open for OR&R’s 2026 training season! Courses include Science of Oil Spills (SOS) courses hosted in Louisiana, South Carolina, and Washington, and Science of Chemical Releases (SOCR) courses hosted in Alabama (with a second location to be announced). These tuition-free classes provide a science-based framework for analyzing spills and making critical, risk-based decisions during environmental emergencies. Space is limited and selection is competitive—Spill responders and planners are encouraged to apply!
Upcoming Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee Meeting
The Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC) will hold a virtual public meeting on January 29, 2026, from 1- 2 p.m. EST. The session will feature a NOAA presentation on the Abandoned and Derelict Vessel National Database. Attendance is limited to the first 500 participants and will not include a public comment period. Instructions on how to participate, along with the meeting agenda are available on the IMDCC webpage or via the Federal Register Notice. Please note the meeting will not be recorded; any meeting materials will be made available on the IMDCC webpage.
Web Highlight
A Shared Mission for a Cleaner Gulf Coast
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.
Caption: A derelict shrimping vessel that was removed from the Mississippi Gulf Coast by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources with support from the Gulf of America Alliance. Image credit: Gulf of America Alliance.