This glossary, assembled by NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), contains approximately 300 terms and definitions related to oil and chemical spills and response in coastal waters. Access the terms in the glossary by using the blue navigation bar.

The purpose of the glossary is to help students or laypersons, as well as professional spill responders, to understand the language and terminology of oil and chemical spill response. Terms were selected for inclusion from spill event summaries, reports, maps, photos, etc. that are available on the IncidentNews website, as well as from other response publications.

We encourage you to contribute terms to the glossary, particularly if you encounter a term that is not part of the glossary. (Suggestions will be reviewed by OR&R staff.) If you would like to suggest a term for inclusion in the glossary, please provide the term, its definition, and your reference source in an email to OR&R.