In 2025, with support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, in partnership with California State Parks, and the Greater Farrallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, removed the Verna A II from Salmon Creek State Beach on California’s Sonoma Coast in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. This effort is part of a larger project reducing the impact of large marine debris in the National Marine Sanctuary System. Battered by high surf and dramatic tides, the 54-foot derelict vessel had broken into large, hazardous pieces, plaguing the intertidal zone. Parker Diving Service, the vessel retrieval and cleanup company, had a brief window of opportunity when the tides were low and winds were favorable to complete the operation. Three excavators faced 16-foot surf to drag the unwieldy boat remains from the public shoreline to recycle and discard–no easy feat. This successful removal is great news for beach users and wildlife alike.

The NOAA Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Alabama, welcomed NOAA Deputy Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere Laura Grimm and National Weather Service Director Ken Graham on December 4th, 2025. After a comprehensive tour of the facility, including staff office areas, the Incident Command Center, and the communication room, Grimm and Graham held a discussion with Disaster Response Center staff to get acquainted and answer questions. Located on the Gulf Coast, the Disaster Response Center establishes an unprecedented regional presence. Its experts, working under OR&R's Disaster Preparedness Program, leverage science and specialized tools to advise decision-makers and expand the federal hazard preparedness and response capacity across the five Gulf states. Designed as a resilient command center for major disasters, the facility also hosts year-round training, exercises, and preparedness workshops.

NOAA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jointly released their annual updates for CAMEO Data Manager and Tier2 Submit™ for report year 2025 on December 16. These two programs, both part of the CAMEO® software suite, aid users in meeting regulatory filing and emergency response planning efforts for hazardous chemicals under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). Developed jointly by NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration and the EPA Office of Land and Emergency Management for nearly 40 years, the entire suite is available at no cost to support public safety and environmental protection. Based on direct user feedback and suggestions for improvement, several new time-saving features have been integrated into the 2025 versions of these programs.