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OR&R Weekly Report

The Office of Response and Restoration publishes this weekly round-up of news and information of interest to our partners, stakeholders, and team members. Click to subscribe

View of current conditions at General Recycling property from shoreline of the Lower Duwamish River, Washington.

MARCH 18, 2024 — In March of 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced two proposed settlements to compensate for natural resource injuries resulting from hazardous substances released in the Lower Duwamish River in Washington state.

A view of a presenter and students studying case studies on screen during the March 2024 Science of Chemical Releases Class in Mobile, AL.

MARCH 18, 2024 — OR&R’s Science of Chemical Releases (SOCR) classes are back at the NOAA Disaster Response Center (DRC) in Mobile, Alabama. After being held virtually for several years after the COVID-19 pandemic, SOCR classes returned to in-person in 2023 with a class at USCG Sector Jacksonville in Jacksonville, Florida.

A view of flooded streets in Florida.

MARCH 18, 2024 — On March 13, several offices from NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS) participated in the Florida Floodplain Managers Association’s (FFMA) virtual “Hot Topics” class focused on hurricane preparation. Participants from various organizations in Florida, including local governments and private industries, joined NOS representatives to learn more about our organization’s capabilities for hurricane preparation, response, and recovery.

March 2024

Participants gathered in a large classroom at the Small Boat Summit.

MARCH 11, 2024 — On March 5-6, the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Alabama hosted the 2024 NOAA Small Boat Program Summit.  Organization for the summit was a collaborative effort by the Small Boat Safety Board, Small Boat Program Office, and others within the NOAA vessel community. The Disaster Response Center, managed by OR&R, served as the host. 

A trash capture device installed on Bear Creek in Pasco County.

MARCH 11, 2024 — On March 4, officials from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the University of Florida, Florida Sea Grant, and Pasco County, Florida gathered with partner organizations and members of the media to celebrate the installation of a trash capture device on Bear Creek in Pasco County. 

A view of the Panama Canal.

MARCH 11, 2024 — OR&R staff conducted a five-day Hazardous Materials Contingency Planning Workshop at the Panama Canal in support of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP). 

Newtown Creek in New York as it enters the East River.

MARCH 11, 2024 — The Newtown Creek Trustees are announcing to the public the Draft Natural Resource Damage Assessment Plan outlining potential injuries to natural resources related to releases of contamination at this Superfund site. Public participation, review, and input are an important part of the process of assessing and restoring natural resources.

A view of the Gowanus Canal in New York as it flows under the Gowanus Expressway.

MARCH 11, 2024 — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, on behalf of the Gowanus Canal Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Trustees, invites public comment on a Draft Damage Assessment Plan, which details the Trustees’ proposed approach to conducting a natural resource damage assessment for the Gowanus Canal. We encourage the public to review the draft plan and share comments through April 15, 2024.

OR&R’s Director, Scott Lundgren, and USCG Director of Emergency Management, Dana Tulis, shake hands following the signing of the ERMA Interagency Agreement.

MARCH 11, 2024 — On February 15, the Office of Response and Restoration met with the U.S. Coast Guard to commemorate the signing of the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®) Interagency Agreement. This milestone agreement sets forth standardized protocols for employing ERMA in U.S.

Sediment sampling near an oil slick in 1993 in front of the Metal Bank site.

MARCH 11, 2024 — On February 27, the Trustee Council for the Metal Bank Superfund Site in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania released a Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment. The Restoration Plan recommends one habitat restoration project to compensate the public for natural resource injuries that were the result of contaminant releases at the site.

Marine Debris Leadership Academy participants visit a trash hotspot in Tijuana, Mexico to discuss its implications throughout the watershed.

MARCH 11, 2024 — On March 5, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Preparedness and Response Specialist Jessica Conway and California Regional Coordinator, Christy Kehoe, presented at the Binational Emergency Response Guide (BERG): Coordinating to Address Land-Based Marine Debris Workshop. This one-day workshop, hosted by the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), brought together agencies and organizations involved in preparedness and response from the United States and Mexico. This hybrid virtual and in-person event was located in San Diego, California. 

MARCH 4, 2024 — The NOAA Marine Debris Program, on behalf of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC), is soliciting public comments regarding draft recommendations to address marine debris.

 Response vessels demonstrating how to clean up spilled oil in water in Vancouver, B.C.

MARCH 4, 2024 — On February 28, 2024, the Office of Response and Restoration turned 25! NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS) commemorated this anniversary by reflecting back to pivotal moments in OR&R’s history that established the office’s foundation.

The cover of the Southern New England Marine Debris Action Plan including a pile of rope and other debris.

MARCH 4, 2024 — On February 20, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) released the new Southern New England Marine Debris Action Plan. This document is the result of a collaborative effort between the MDP and partners across Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts, including federal, state, and nongovernmental organizations, industry, and academia.

Tsunami Danger sign in California Beach.

MARCH 4, 2024 — On February 22, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division’s Scientific Support Coordinator Jordan Stout and Marine Debris Program’s California Regional Coordinator Christy Kehoe participated in a United States Coast Guard (USCG) Pacific Area’s tsunami preparation workshop in California. 

MARCH 4, 2024 — On February 16, the NOAA Marine Debris Program hosted a virtual briefing for congressional staff with speakers from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) and Port of Neah Bay to discuss upcoming debris removal work. The briefing was attended by nine staff from six congressional offices and committees.

February 2024

Conceptual model of Pacific herring egg/larvae oil exposure and injury in shallow shoreline spawning habitat.

FEB. 26, 2024 — Published in early February, a new publication, “Potential population-level impacts of future oil spills on Pacific herring stocks in Puget Sound,” reports on research carried out by OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division and the Northwest Fisheries Science Center to model the responses of Puget Sound Pacific herring stocks to simulated oil spills.

A group photo of OR&R staff at GOMCON 2024.

FEB. 26, 2024 — The Gulf of Mexico Conference (GOMCON), led by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, brings together coastal scientists and stakeholders in state and federal government, academia, non-profit, and private sectors to discuss current Gulf research and collaborate on new opportunities. This year, GOMCON took place in Tampa, Florida from February 19-22. Emphasizing the intersection of science, policy, and management, GOMCON included sessions on themes that are important to ecosystem and community resilience as well as restoration and natural resource management.

Students gathered around One Cool Earth Educator to learn about pollution in the local San Luis Obispo watershed and Morro Bay.

FEB. 26, 2024 — On February 13, the NOAA Marine Debris Program participated in One Cool Earth Watershed Week at Santa Rosa Academic Academy. Students, educators, and a staff member from the office of United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) joined to celebrate. This week-long event was a cross-school campaign to promote watershed messaging and display the connection between Central California watersheds and the Pacific Ocean.

Front of the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center, located in Mobile, AL.

FEB. 26, 2024 — The NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC) received a much-needed facelift in February. The DRC has updated its outdated heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) system with a new cooling tower.

OR&R staff gathered at booth at the St. Petersburg Science Festival School Day.

FEB. 20, 2024 — On February 9-10, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration participated in the two-day St. Petersburg Science Festival in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Photo of a staff member holding a net in water for OR&R’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan cover photo.

FEB. 20, 2024 — On February 16, the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) released its Strategic Plan for 2024-2028.

A snapshot of ERMA.

FEB. 20, 2024 — NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration released a new version of the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA). ERMA is a web-based mapping application used by environmental responders and natural resource decision-makers. It serves as the Common Operational Picture (COP) for NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as other state and federal agencies, during environmental disaster response and cleanup.

OR&R staff in front of NOAA's Marine Debris Program's booth.

FEB. 20, 2024 — The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary held its twelfth annual International Film Festival, showcasing ocean and Great Lakes films from around the world. On January 26-27, NOAA’s Marine Debris Program’s Great Lakes Regional Coordinator, Haley Dalian, exhibited at the festival to engage with the public and filmmakers about marine debris in the region. 

Satellite Image of Hurricane Hilary.

FEB. 12, 2024 — OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) is expanding west. Kyla Breland, the former Southeastern and Caribbean Regional Preparedness Coordinator, is now our first West Coast and Pacific Island Regional Preparedness Coordinator (RPC).

Amy V. Uhrin, Chief Scientist and Carlie Herring, Research Coordinator stand in front of a poster at Duke University's Workshop on the Social Cost of Plastic Pollution held in Washington DC.

FEB. 5, 2024 — The NOAA Marine Debris Program's (MDP) Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, and Research Coordinator, Carlie Herring, attended Duke University’s Workshop on the Social Cost of Plastic Pollution held January 26 in Washington D.C. The workshop brought together a small group of experts, with expertise in climate economics, the social cost of carbon, environmental justice, and plastic pollution to discuss the feasibility of measuring the social cost of plastic, and to propose a research agenda moving forward. 

Four OR&R staff presenting at the Caribbean Regional Response Team (CRRT) meeting.

FEB. 5, 2024 — On January 23-25, the Caribbean Regional Response Team (CRRT) meeting took place in Puerto Rico. The CRRT serves as the regional body for planning and preparedness activities before a response to an oil or hazardous substance incident is taken, and for coordination and advice during response actions. Participants include the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and agencies from Puerto Rico and the U.S.

FEB. 5, 2024 — Building from the first workshop held in September 2023, the International Joint Commission’s Microplastics Monitoring and Risk Assessment Working Group reconvened with interdisciplinary experts in Windsor, Ontario, Canada from January 17-18, 2024. OR&R's Research Coordinator Carlie Herring and Great Lakes Regional Coordinator Haley Dalian, within NOAA's Marine Debris Program, once again participated in this effort.

A small commercial off-the-shelf drone flying above water next to a vessel.

FEB. 5, 2024 — On January 9-10, more than 30 OR&R researchers and users of remote sensing products met at NOAA’s Western Regional Center in Seattle to outline operational applications in support of OR&R’s mission spectrum and to chart a near-term research path on the topic of remote sensing and uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).

FEB. 5, 2024 — On January 17-19, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, coordinated an annual meeting to discuss the progress of the actions related to the 2023-2028 Puerto Rico Strategic Plan to Reduce Aquatic Debris (Strategic Plan), and to establish the 2024 actions.

January 2024

Drawing of a vessel with text overlaid, "The Argo Merchant Reprise Exercise: Oil Spill Nantucket Shoals"

JAN. 29, 2024 — The Office of Response and Restoration conducted an internal preparedness exercise on January 18th, 2024. The exercise was loosely based on the historic Argo Merchant spill that happened off the coast of Massachusetts in December of 1976.

A view of the Tug Powhatan oil slick in Starrigavan Bay, Alaska on April 23, 2017 (USCG).

JAN. 29, 2024 — On January 25, 2024, NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS) highlighted the Office of Response and Restoration’s coastal recovery and restoration successes in 2023. OR&R and partners recovered over $92.8 million in pollution settlements to restore seven waterways in six states following oil spill and industrial pollution incidents throughout fiscal year 2023.

Cover photo of a diver removing marine debris from a reef for the Marine Debris Program 2023 Accomplishments Report.

JAN. 29, 2024 — The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to present the 2023 Accomplishments Report, outlining our continued efforts to address marine debris through our program pillars – prevention, removal, research, monitoring and detection, response, and coordination.

A boat navigates the Lower Duwamish River with industrial development on the river banks with text overlaid, "The Lower Duwamish River - Restoring habitat for injured resources in an urban river."

JAN. 29, 2024 — A new storymap created by NOAA and the Elliott Bay Trustee Council provides a visual journey of the Lower Duwamish River in Washington and the restoration work that is underway in this important urban river.

Four Pacific Region Juvenile Chinook salmon.

JAN. 22, 2024 — OR&R staff co-authored a new publication, "Dietary Exposure to Environmentally Relevant Levels of Chemical Contaminants Reduces Growth and Survival in Juvenile Chinook Salmon." This work supports injury determination for Pacific Northwest Superfund sites that have similar contaminants of concern; specifically, mixtures of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

A ship surrounded by oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, attempting to collect oil in the Gulf of Mexico.

JAN. 22, 2024 — The NOAA Institutional Repository, a digital space curated by the NOAA Libraries to collect and disseminate materials published by NOAA authories, has a new collection: the Deepwater Horizon Collection.

A graphical abstract summarizing the results from article "Examining influences on detection during shoreline surveys of marine debris." (Image Credit: Burgess et al. 2024)

JAN. 8, 2024 — In early January, a new NOAA publication, How we count counts: Examining influences on detection during shoreline surveys of marine debris, was published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.

Drone overflight view of areas protected by boom during pipeline spill into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, April 28, 2023. Image credit: Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office.

JAN. 8, 2024 — In December of 2023, OR&R released its 2023 Accomplishments Report. The report highlights key accomplishments by OR&R during the fiscal year 2023, with a focus on the Office’s four mission focus areas: oil and chemical emergency response, natural resource restoration, marine debris, and disaster preparedness.

Maui Wildfire Lahaina Harbor Mission Assignment response staff from USCG, NOAA, and Global Diving and Salvage at the NOAA Hawaiian Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary facility in Kihei, Maui. USCG Mission Incident Commander, Capt. Melanie Burnham, front right; NOAA ERD Scientific Support Coordinator for the Pacific Islands, Ruth Yender, front row, third from right (Image credit: USCG).

JAN. 8, 2024 — When declared disasters and other emergencies occur, Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) provide the structure for coordinating federal interagency support for a federal response to an incident. Following the devastating August 8, 2023 wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued the United States Coast Guard (USCG) a Mission Assignment under an ESF 10 to assess and remove incident-generated pollution, hazardous materials, damaged and sunken vessels, and associated debris in and around Lahaina Harbor.

Staff viewing the CAMEO software suite on a computer, which helps users understand and prepare for possible hazardous chemical incidents. Image credit: U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

JAN. 8, 2024  — Recently, NOAA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jointly released their annual updates for CAMEO Data Manager and Tier2 Submit™, two programs that aid users in meeting regulatory filing and emergency response planning efforts under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).

December 2023

NOAA GOES-16 GeoColor Satellite Imagery of Hurricane Idalia on August 29, 2023 Image Credit: CIRA/NOAA

DEC. 18, 2023 —  The 2023 hurricane season had an above average amount of storms, with 20 storms in the Atlantic and 16 in the Pacific compared to the average of 14. Now, OR&R is taking a look back at its accomplishments from this past hurricane season.

Marine debris caused by demolition of a home destroyed by Hurricane Sandy being removed from entering further into Barnegat Bay (Photo: Federal Emergency Management Agency).

DEC. 18, 2023 — The NOAA Marine Debris Program, within OR&R, is pleased to release the United States Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide (Guide). The Guide is a product of a collaborative process with federal agencies. The Guide aims to improve preparedness for responding to marine debris after hurricanes and other disasters in coastal areas of the United States and the Great Lakes.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program table at the Summit, showcasing materials and outreach activities related to the prevention, research, and removal of marine debris. The table also included funding opportunity information from both the Marine Debris Program and National Sea Grant Office related to marine debris opportunities (Credit: NOAA).

DEC. 18, 2023 — On December 6th and 7th, Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator Katie Morgan participated in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean’s (MARCO) Marine Debris Summit, held in Ocean City, Maryland. This two-day summit is typically held every two years.

A shoreline view of the Raritan River.

DEC. 11, 2023 — On December 7, 2023, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) released a proposed legal settlement to compensate for natural resource injuries resulting from hazardous substance releases from the American Cyanamid Superfund Site in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

A group of workshop attendees participate in a waterfowl cleaning demonstration.

DEC. 11, 2023 — On December 1, OR&R’s Texas-based scientific support coordinator, Paige Doelling, Ph.D., participated in an Oiled Wildlife Response Training Workshop held in Corpus Christi, Texas, along with a diverse group of oil spill and wildlife response professionals.

Present day photo at the entrance of the Golden Gate looking westward with Fort Point at the far left where the SS City of Rio de Janeiro struck the rocks and foundered on February 22, 1901. (Photo: Robert V. Schwemmer NOAA)

DEC. 4, 2023 — From November 13-17, global leaders met to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in San Francisco, California. The NOAA Marine Debris Program California Regional Coordinator, Christy Kehoe, attended sustainability and business roundtables facilitated by the Department of Commerce (DOC) U.S. Commercial Service Northern California District of Export Council. The meetings were hosted by the Commonwealth of Australia and the Republic of the Philippines.

An aerial view of spotted crude oil during an overflight near Main Pass, Louisiana on November 16, 2023.

DEC. 4, 2023 — On November 16, 2023, OR&R and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) response teams activated as reports came in regarding a leak in a pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. The source of the leak was reported to be at least 19 miles offshore of the Mississippi River Delta, near the pipeline system of Main Pass Oil Gathering, LLC (MPOG). 

Figure detailing the study on the growth of Pacific staghorn sculpin at contaminated sites in the Lower Duwamish River, Washington.

DEC. 4, 2023 — OR&R staff co-authored a new publication in Science of the Total Environment which documents impacts to resident fish due to industrial contamination released into the Lower Duwamish River, Washington.

Cover of the 2024 Marine Debris Art Calendar.

DEC. 4, 2023 — On November 30, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced that our 2024 Marine Debris Calendar is now available for download!

Figure from the publication showing heart morphology in control and oil exposed Pacific herring hatching-stage larvae.

DEC. 4, 2023 — OR&R has a long-term partnership with the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) to develop science for natural resource damage assessment and restoration. One area of collaborative research has focused on understanding the impacts of oil exposure on forage fish, such as Pacific herring, which are keystone species in coastal ecosystems.

OR&R ARD staff at the SETAC North America annual meeting in Louisville, KY.

DEC. 4, 2023 — The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America annual conference was held in Louisville, Kentucky in November 2023. Staff from OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) participated in the conference and contributed to a successful and engaging meeting.

DEC. 4, 2023 — From November 13-19, 2023, over 1,900 participants—representing 161 governments as well as stakeholders from nongovernment organizations, academia, the private sector, the UN, and other international organizations—met in Nairobi, Kenya, for the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC3) to continue negotiations towards a new international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.

November 2023

OR&R science team members at the 2023 Clean Gulf conference, held November 7-9, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas. Image credit: NOAA.

NOV. 20, 2023 — Last week, over a dozen members of  OR&R’s science team attended the annual Clean Gulf conference in San Antonio, Texas. Altogether, OR&R staff participated as presenters and panelists in eight different sessions, covering an A-to-Z range of response topics: dispersants, estimation of oil slick thickness, hurricane pollution targets, in situ burns, natural resource damage assessment, chemistry of unconventional oils, data sharing, and wildlife response.

As NOAA SSC, Catherine Berg’s primary area of responsibility was Alaska, but like all SSCs, she served wherever needed around the country. In this photo, she is performing field work in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. Image credit: NOAA.

NOV. 20, 2023 — Catherine Berg, retired NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) for Alaska, was recently selected as one of four recipients of the 2023 Legacy Awards bestowed by the British Columbia/Pacific States Oil Spill Task Force. Berg was presented with the award at the Annual Meeting of the Oil Spill Task Force on November 16, 2023 in Sacramento, California.

Derelict fishing gear found on the coast of Santa Rosa Island in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (Credit: NOAA).

NOV. 20, 2023 — On November 7th,  the NOAA Marine Debris Program California Regional Coordinator, Christy Kehoe, presented at the 10th California Islands Symposium. This multi-day event included the latest research in all disciplines of natural, environmental, and cultural science on the California Islands. This unique area includes all of the islets, rocks, and islands off the Pacific coast of California and Baja California, Mexico.

Representatives from CRRC and OR&R honoring Nancy Kinner at the University of New Hampshire’s Evening of Distinction celebration. Image credit: Coastal Response Research Center

NOV. 20, 2023 — Nancy Kinner, Ph.D. the University of New Hampshire co-director of the joint OR&R-University of New Hampshire (UNH) Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC), received the prestigious Profile of Service Award from the University at an Evening of Distinction celebration on October 12, 2023.

The Lake Erie shoreline where workshop participants took part in a Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project survey (Credit: NOAA).

NOV. 20, 2023 — On November 7th, the Great Lakes Regional Coordinator for NOAA’s Marine Debris Program, Haley Dalian, presented at the Plastic Reduction Strategies Workshop for Lake Erie Businesses and Communities. Hosted at Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) and State Nature Preserve in Huron, Ohio, the workshop gathered participants from diverse perspectives to connect and learn about the ever-present type of marine debris: plastic.

Bryand Duke, Ph.D. at the 2023 annual SREB Meeting.

NOV. 15, 2023 — OR&R’s Bryand Duke, Ph.D. served as a chair during the Southern Regional Education Board’s (SREB) annual meeting which was held in Tampa, Florida on October 27, 2023.  SREB is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that works with 16 member states to improve public education at every level, from pre-K to Ph.D.

2023 NAMEPA Marine Environment Protection Award (Government Agency), awarded to NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration. Image credit: NOAA.

NOV. 15, 2023 — On November 2, 2023, NOAA’s OR&R Director Scott Lundgren joined maritime and environmental protection colleagues at State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College at Fort Schuyler for the North American Marine Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA) conference and Marine Environmental Protection awards dinner.

NOAA Marine Debris Program Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator, Katie Morgan, welcomes the Mid-Atlantic marine debris community to the workshop (Credit: NOAA).

NOV. 15, 2023 — On October 24, the NOAA Marine Debris Program coordinated a mid-Plan review workshop to discuss progress made on the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan (Action Plan).

NOAA's DARRP holds polluters accountable after natural resource injuries. (Credit: NOAA)

NOV. 15, 2023 — NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) is excited to announce the launch of the Coastal Recovery email newsletter! Subscribers will have access to semi-monthly news of interest delivered straight to their inboxes. This is a new way to stay in tune with work that NOAA and our co-trustees are doing that matters to you.

Team NOAA OR&R weighing in over 650 pounds of marine debris collected from a park in St Petersburg, FL (Credit: NOAA).

NOV. 15, 2023 — On November 4, OR&R team participated in the inaugural Tampa Bay Debris Derby hosted by Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, and Ocean Aid 360. The Debris Derby brought together Tampa Bay’s coastal residents, boaters, anglers, watershed groups, and industry partners to improve the local marine habitat and promote community awareness of marine debris.

An OR&R training team guides a student field exercise, in which they practice their newly acquired Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) field skills. Image credit: NOAA

NOV. 6, 2023 — OR&R recently completed its final response training event of fiscal year 2023, providing training to over 2,300 emergency responders and planners over the course of the year.

Juvenile Chinook salmon. Salmon habitat will be restored as part of the proposed settlement. Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

NOV. 6, 2023 — On November 2, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a proposed settlement valued at approximately $33.2 million to compensate for natural resource injuries that resulted from hazardous substance releases and oil discharges into the Willamette River and Portland Harbor in Oregon.

October 2023

Artwork by: Hazel P. (Grade 3, Florida). Image shows a person cleaning up a beach with the text "Keep our oceans clean."

OCT. 30, 2023 — On October 18, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Education Specialist, Alexandria Gillen, led a panel presentation at the North American Association for Environmental Education’s 2023 Virtual Conference titled “Reduce, Reuse, Reinvent: Perspectives on Zero Waste Schools Preventing Marine Debris.”

OCT. 30, 2023 — On October 19th, 70 individuals from across NOAA joined millions of others worldwide from beneath their desks and tables, in celebration of International ShakeOut Day. Known as Shakeout Day, this annual event is held on the third Thursday of October and is the largest earthquake drill in the world.

U.S. Coast Guard drone pilots operating a commercial drone controller from the Coast Guard Cutter Blackfin.

OCT. 30, 2023 — On October 20, 2023, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) released a short video highlighting a recently completed field training aboard the USCG Cutter Blackfin, in collaboration with the Great Lakes National Center of Excellence and OR&R, to advance oil spill response using uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). 

Dr. Amy V. Uhrin presents at the final meeting of the EUROqCHARM project in Brussels, Belgium (Credit: SALT Norway).

OCT. 23, 2023 — During the week of October 9, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, attended and presented at the final meeting of EUROqCHARM.

Initial isolation and protective action distances from a fictional spill shown on a map in the new CAMEO Chemicals 3.0.0. Image credit: NOAA.

OCT. 23, 2023 — The latest 3.0.0 version of the CAMEO Chemicals hazardous materials database is now available, and includes a new mapping tool to display initial isolation and protective action distances from the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG).

Artwork by Magdalene F. (Grade 8, Florida), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.

OCT. 23, 2023 — Get your art supplies ready, because this year’s NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest officially opened on October 16! Students in grades K-8 from the United States and U.S. territories can submit their artwork now through December 15.

OCT. 16, 2023 — On October 5-6, NOAA Marine Debris Program staff Andrew Mason and Hillary Burgess participated in a Microplastic and Marine Debris Workshop hosted by the Seattle Aquarium. The workshop brought together microplastics and marine debris community members from government, academic, nonprofit, and industry organizations based in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California.

Cover of the 2023-2028 Puerto Rico Strategic Plan to Reduce Aquatic Debris (Credit: NOAA).

OCT. 16, 2023 — On October 11, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) released the 2023-2028 Puerto Rico Strategic Plan to Reduce Aquatic Debris (Strategic Plan). This document, available in Spanish and English, is the result of a collaborative effort between the NOAA MDP, the U.S. EPA Region 2 and U.S.

A Coast Guard member watches the F/V Aleutian Isle being lifted onto a barge off San Juan Island on Sept. 21, 2022. Image credit: U.S. Coast Guard.

OCT. 16, 2023 — The Board of Directors of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) recently announced that NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration will be recognized with a NAMEPA 2023 Marine Environment Protection Award. 

A group photo including (from left to right): Meredith Moise, NOAA Fisheries; Frank Csulak, NOAA Office of Response and Restoration; Kate Sampson, NOAA Fisheries; Karen Frutchey, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, and Brian Stacy, NOAA Fisheries. Image credit: NOAA.

OCT. 10, 2023 — On September 21, 2023, the Marine Education Rehabilitation and Restoration Institute Inc. (MERR) hosted an Oil Spill Preparedness Workshop as part of their week-long 2023 Greater Atlantic Region Stranding Conference (GARSCON). 

The MV Ever Forward a large container ship at sea. After being stranded in the mud of the Chesapeake Bay on March 13, 2022, the vessel was finally pulled free on April 17. Image credit: NOAA.

OCT. 10, 2023 — On September 28, 2023, OR&R Regional Operations Supervisor Doug Helton conducted an evening seminar for the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), titled “Science Update: The Science of Oil Spill Response and Cleanup.” 

American eel ascending a scaled-down eel ladder designed specifically for demonstration purposes. Image credit: Carl Alderson

OCT. 10, 2023 — On September 30, staff from OR&R's Assessment and Restoration Division and NOAA’s Restoration Center returned to SUBMERGE, New York City 's premier waterfront marine science festival. This year's event was held on a pier in Hudson River Park near the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. 

Several agencies and private industry participants around a table as part of the offshore wind spill exercise held October 2, 2023. Image credit: NOAA.

OCT. 10, 2023 — On October 2, 2023, the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) for the Northeast accompanied representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Southeastern New England to a tabletop exercise hosted by Vineyard Wind in New Bedford, Massachusetts. A representative from the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement oversaw the drill that was facilitated by representatives from the National Response Corporation. 

Participants from the Gloucester, Massachusetts SOS class, held the week of September 11, 2023, gather at a field exercise at Cape Ann. Image credit: NOAA.

OCT. 10, 2023 — Oil spill responders from New England to Hawaii attended a five-day Science of Oil Spills (SOS) training class in Gloucester, Massachusetts from September 11-15, 2023. 

SCAT class participants observe the trainer measuring oil found in a trench. Image credit: NOAA/Frank Csulak.

OCT. 10, 2023 — Three experienced groups—the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Atlantic Strike Team (AST), Clean Harbors Co-Op, and OR&R’s Emergency Response Division—co-hosted a SCAT (Shoreline Clean-up Assessment Technique) Team Member Training course from September 26-28, 2023.

Hawaii Oil Spill Response Workshop participants —from Sri Lanka, the Maldives, USINDOPACOM, and NOAA—visit the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Image credit: USINDOPACOM.

OCT. 2, 2023 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division assisted with a Hawaii Oil Spill Response Workshop, sponsored by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), held in Honolulu on September 18-22.

NOAA Marine Debris Program Research Coordinator, Carlie Herring, presenting to the IJC Microplastics Monitoring and Risk Assessment Working Group (Credit: NOAA).

OCT. 2, 2023 — On September 12-13, 2023, the NOAA Marine Debris Program attended and presented at an International Joint Commission (IJC) workshop on developing a monitoring framework for microplastics in the Laurentian Great Lakes. The NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Great Lakes Regional Coordinator, Haley Dalian, and Research Coordinator, Carlie Herring, participated in the workshop, which was held in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

September 2023

NOAA staff stand at the bow of an airboat while the dredge pipe feeds the Long Point Bayou marsh restoration project with sediments from the Calcasieu Ship Channel. Credit: NOAA

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 — OR&R’s Dan Hahn joined NOAA Restoration Center staff, along with Louisiana State Trustees on a September 14th site visit to the Long Point Bayou marsh creation project. The site visit was to assess the progress made on restoration that targets 392 acres of marsh creation as part of the actions to compensate the public for the lost natural resources resulting from the 2006 CITGO Slop oil spill into the Calcasieu River.

Participants from the "Nurdle Spills in Coastal and Marine Environments Workshop" (Credit: University of New Hampshire)

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 — On September 6 and 7, staff from NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration participated in a workshop sponsored by the Office and facilitated by the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center that explored what is known and uncertain about plastic pellets and what occurs when they are spilled into marine and coastal environments.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 — On June 1, 2023, the District Court for the District of Delaware approved of a Settlement and Release entered into by the Maxus Liquidating Trust (“Trust”) and YPF S.A., YPF International S.A. (f/k/a YPF International Ltd.), YPF Holdings, Inc., and YCLH Holdings, Inc.

NOAA GOES-16 GeoColor Satellite Imagery of Hurricane Idalia on August 29, 2023 Image Credit: CIRA/NOAA

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 — On August 28th, the National Ocean Service (NOS) Incident Management Team (IMT) activated ahead of Hurricane Idalia. The NOS IMT, led by OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) with representatives from across NOS program and staff offices, coordinated response efforts and collected situational awareness. Team members reported information pertaining to any impacts to mission and personnel as well as infrastructure damage.

Ghost gear in Baja Sur (Credit: Edgar Lima and Ocean Conservancy).

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 — On August 30, 2023, NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) Director, Nancy Wallace, participated in a Trilateral Government Roundtable on Ghost Gear, “Advancing Cooperation to Address Ghost Gear in North America.” Forty-three representatives from the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States attended this virtual roundtable. The Global Ghost Gear Initiative, an MDP partner and grantee through the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement funding, hosted the event.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 — On September 26, 2023, the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC) will hold a virtual public meeting, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. The public meeting will include a presentation on the Report on Microfiber Pollution required by Section 132 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, as well as a presentation on the process to create new IMDCC recommendations on addressing marine debris.

 Balloons located on remote Channel Islands off the coast of California. (Image Credit: NOAA)

SEPTEMBER 5, 2023 — On August 30th, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) wrapped up a month of partner-led virtual workgroup meetings to discuss the California Ocean Litter Strategy (OLS). The meetings brought together over 75 partners from across the state and included a diverse set of sectors, including state agencies, nonprofits, private organizations, and academia.

August 2023

Vessels removed from the Dog River in Alabama (Photo: NOAA).

AUGUST 28, 2023 — On August 1, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced two Fiscal Year 2024 NOAA Marine Debris notices of funding opportunity for both Marine Debris Removal and Interception Technologies under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Gloucester Harbor in 2012. (Doug Kerr/Wikimedia Commons)

AUGUST 28, 2023 — On August 24, 2023, a $5.38 million settlement was finalized to restore natural resources impacted by contaminants discharged along the Gloucester, Massachusetts waterfront. The pollution came from a manufactured gas plant that operated along the Gloucester waterfront between 1854 and 1952. Manufactured gas plants often yielded by-products of the gas production process such as tars, sludges, and oils.

A convergence line of pelagic Sargassum and oil in the water during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (Image credit: Georgia Department of Natural Resources).

AUGUST 21, 2023 — OR&R recently published a new report, Oil Spills and Pelagic Sargassum, to assist those who work in oil spill response and planning where pelagic (open ocean) Sargassum is at risk from, or may interact with, oil spills.

A pipefish collected during the 12th Annual Great Hudson River Estuary Fish Count (Image Credit: NOAA).

AUGUST 21, 2023 — Each year, for the past 12 years, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation hosts the Great Hudson River Estuary Fish Count. This year the event took place at nine sites, including Lemon Creek Park on Staten Island.

NOAA Marine Debris Program Education Specialist, Alexandria Gillen, working with NMEA educators around various tables to categorize debris and explore data during the presentation (Credit: NOAA).

August 14, 2023 – On July 24, 2023, NOAA Marine Debris Program Education Specialist Alexandria Gillen and Monitoring Coordinator Hillary Burgess led an impactful workshop for marine educators focused on the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) at the National Marine Educators Association national conference.

A warning sign on the side of the road due to high street flooding (Credit: New Hampshire Sea Grant).

August 14, 2023 – OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) is partnering with NOAA Sea Grant for the second time to help coastal communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, such as hurricanes, flooding, tsunami, earthquake, and climate hazards. On August 8, 2023, DPP announced the four new projects, which total to $634,936 in FY23 federal funds, will take place in New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, and South Carolina. 

A small team removing ghost nets from the shoreline of Kamole (Laysan island) (Credit: Andrew Sullivan-Haskins, Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project).

August 14, 2023 – On August 2, 2023, the team from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project, a Hawaiʻi-based nonprofit organization, returned to Honolulu, with 86,100 pounds of marine debris removed from shallow coral reefs and shorelines of the islands and atolls within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Of the debris removed, 69,330 pounds were derelict fishing nets and 16,770 pounds were plastics and other debris.

Team of drone pilots and representatives and leads from NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard on the USCG Cutter Blackfin (Credit: NOAA).

August 14, 2023 – In late July, OR&R partnered with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the Coastal Response Research Center to provide on-land and on-water training to USCG’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) pilots to strengthen oil spill response. 

A view of the presentation screen of the Hawai'i Marine Debris Action Plan purpose statement, stating "Reduce ecological, health and safety, and economic impacts of marine debris in Hawai'i by 2031." The Action Plan encompasses work that will be undertaken in the next ten years (2021-2031) and establishes a comprehensive framework for strategic action to help reduce the impacts of marine debris on Hawai‘i and its coasts, people, and wildlife (Credit: NOAA).

August 14, 2023 – On August 2, the NOAA Marine Debris Program coordinated a workshop to discuss updates to the Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan (Action Plan). 

AUGUST 7, 2023 — On July 25, 2023, the NOAA Marine Debris Program attended and presented at a Making Sense of Microfibers & Microplastics Policy session at the American Apparel & Footwear Association’s (AAFA) Environmental Committee Meeting, held in Boston, MA.

July 2023

GeoColor Imagery of Tropical Storm Calvin on July 18 as it approaches Hawaii. Image credit: CIRA/NOAA

JULY 31, 2023 — The National Ocean Service (NOS) Incident Management Team (IMT) conducted its first activation in the 2023 hurricane season for Tropical Storm Calvin, which impacted the Pacific. 

A group photo of participants and instructors in the Science of Oil Spills (SOS) class held the week of July 10, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. Image credit: NOAA.

JULY 24, 2023 — During the week of July 10, spill specialists from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division conducted a Science of Oil Spills (SOS) class for the Pacific Northwest region in Portland, Oregon. The class was jointly hosted by OR&R and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

JULY 24, 2023 — On July 18, Nancy Wallace, Director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, participated in a virtual workshop organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network as part of its Ocean Media Initiative.

A family fishes on the Anacostia River near Washington, D.C. (NOAA)

JULY 24, 2023 — The Anacostia River, which runs through Maryland and the District of Columbia, has suffered from many decades of pollution, from multiple sources including hazardous waste sites, runoff, and combined sewers. Communities along the Anacostia have been disproportionately impacted by this pollution.

A speaker provides remarks to a classroom for the launch of the Marine Debris Leadership Academy in San Diego (Credit: NOAA).

JULY 24, 2023 — On July 13th, the Marine Debris Leadership Academy (MDLA) was launched at the Tijuana National Estuarine Research Reserve in San Diego, California. The MDLA was founded as an opportunity to empower leaders to continue to cultivate change in communities, systems, and themselves.

A group of responders on a beach in Guyana in 2022 undergoing SCAT training. Image credit: Guyana Civil Defense Commission

JULY 24, 2023 — On July 11-13, 2023, staff from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division provided a three-day, virtual training in Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) for the country of Guyana.

NOAA Science Camp poster (Credit: NOAA).

JULY 24, 2023 — From July 10-14, students from Rainier Prep and Showalter Middle Schools spent the week as NOAA Science Campers at the Western Regional Center in Seattle, Washington. NOAA Science Camp is a program of Washington Sea Grant and offers hands-on science learning opportunities, as well as exposure to NOAA’s mission areas and science careers.

A poster of the NOAA OR&R 101 Series.

JULY 17, 2023 — On Thursday of this week, July 20th, the You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know lecture series begins its second annual OR&R 101 series! 

Gloucester Harbor in 2012. (Doug Kerr/Wikimedia Commons)

JULY 17, 2023 — On July 12, 2023, a $5.38 million settlement was proposed in Federal District Court to restore natural resources impacted by contaminants discharged along the Gloucester, Massachusetts waterfront.

Collage of Mearns Rock photos, each showing different stages of biological cover. Image credit: NOAA.

JULY 17, 2023 — NOAA scientists, aided in recent years by citizen scientists, have been photographing a boulder in Prince William Sound for 33 years. Why? The rock was coated in oil in 1989 when the Exxon Valdez supertanker ran aground on Bligh Reef, dumping more than ten million gallons of crude oil into the Sound. Today, the boulder is known as Mearns Rock, nicknamed after Dr. Alan Mearns, a scientist emeritus in NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration.

An educational display of the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) for partners during the Tools Cafe (Credit: NOAA).

JULY 10, 2023 — From June 26-30,  the Gulf of Mexico Alliance’s Marine Debris Cross-Team Initiative, co-led by the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator Caitlin Wessel and US Fish and Wildlife’s Adriana Levia, held its annual half day meeting during the larger Gulf of Mexico Alliance All Hands.

JULY 10, 2023 — The NOAA Marine Debris Program is developing a national shoreline marine debris monitoring plan in partnership with Western EcoSystems Technology Inc. Several national-international scale initiatives call for tools to document and report on the status and trends of marine debris. These include Regional Marine Debris Action Plans, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and momentum toward a global agreement on marine litter.

June 2023

A discarded balloon on a beach in the Channel Islands.

JUNE 26, 2023 —  On June 13, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) coordinated and presented at the bi-annual California Ocean Litter Prevention Strategy webinar. The webinar brought together over 60 partners across the state and included a diverse set of sectors including state agencies, nonprofits, policy-makers, and academia.

A sculpture of an Atlantic White Shark made out of marine debris collected from Seashore beaches.

JUNE 26, 2023 —  On June 8, the NOAA Marine Debris Program unveiled a new sculpture made entirely of plastic marine debris items during a World Ocean Day event at the Cape Cod National Seashore

Participants of the Response Roadshow gathered around tables at the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team in Ft. Dix, New Jersey.

JUNE 20, 2023 — The NOAA Office of Response and Restoration participated in a three-day Response Roadshow hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team in Fort Dix, New Jersey on June 6-8, 2023. The purpose of the meeting was to build relationships as a response community to better understand how federal, state, and local governments, as well as private industry work together to prevent, mitigate, and respond to human-made and natural disasters.

The cover page of the "Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide."

JUNE 20, 2023 — NOAA’s Marine Debris Program is pleased to release the “Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide” (Guide). This Guide is the first published for the Pacific Region and aims to improve preparedness for responding to marine debris after typhoons and other disasters in the Commonwealth.

A trained oil-detecting canine searches for subsurface oil on a beach. Photo: NOAA

JUNE 20, 2023 — On May 19, 2023, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay hosted a demonstration of using trained canines to detect subsurface shoreline oiling at Slaughter Beach in Milford, Delaware.

A NOAA Marine Debris Program Education Specialist shared tips for preventing marine debris, including turning it into art, with museum visitors of all ages (Credit: NOAA).

JUNE 20, 2023 — On June 8, the NOAA Marine Debris Program joined artists and scientists from around the Washington, DC, area at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History World Ocean Day celebration. 

Map of the Mississippi Canyon Block 209 incident (Image Credit: BSEE).

JUNE 12, 2023 — On June 6, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana entered the consent decree finalizing settlement between NOAA and LLOG Exploration Offshore, LLC. The settlement, valued at $3.1 million, resolves LLOG Exploration Offshore, LLC of their liability for natural resource injuries resulting from a pipeline spill that discharged oil into the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 70 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana. 

A U.S. Coast Guard team removing the floating fishing nets from the fishing vessel Aleutian Isle on August 24, 2022. Image credit: U.S. Coast Guard

JUNE 12, 2023 — Six members of OR&R were recognized on May 2, 2023 as part of an Outstanding Group Award presented by the Seattle Federal Executive Board (SFEB). Recognized OR&R staff included: CDR Faith Knighton, LTJG Kyle Vincent, Chris Barker, and Andrew Mason. Two OR&R contractors, Dylan Righi with Genwest and Megan Ewald with CSS, also contributed to this accomplishment.

A photo of the NOAA delegation to INC-2 (L-R: Sammi Dowdell and Elizabeth McLanahan, NOAA/OIA; Nancy Wallace, NOS/ORR/MDP) (Credit: NOAA).

JUNE 12, 2023 — From May 29 - June 2, representatives from around the world met in Paris, France, for the Second Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

Map of current geographic response strategies for Pomponesset Bay, where Mashpee-Wampanoag aquaculture sites are located.

JUNE 12, 2023 — On May 16-17, William Whitmore, OR&R’s Northeast Scientific Support and Regional Preparedness Coordinator, participated in a two-day oil spill planning workshop with MIT Sea Grant and the Mashpee-Wampanoag Tribe. The workshop, which was funded through OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program and the National Sea Grant Office, was the first step in a collaborative effort to help the Mashpee-Wampanoag tribe create an oil spill response plan for its aquaculture sites along the south coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. 

A group photo of 36 students from the SOCR Jacksonville class in front of a training facility. Photo credit: NOAA

June 5, 2023 — After teaching Science of Chemical Releases (SOCR) classes virtually since 2020, the OR&R training team, comprised of Kim Albins, Bob Bradley, Adam Davis, Charlie Henry, Dalina Thrift-Viveros, Savannah Turner, and Al Valeriotti, offered the class in person again. This class was held at the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Jacksonville, Florida facility from May 22- 25, 2023. There were 36 students representing the USCG, U.S.

June 5, 2023 — On May 22, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, gave a presentation during a virtual public webinar hosted by the National Nanotechnology Initiative. Seven speakers across as many federal agencies each provided a broad overview of their key research activities addressing micro- and nanoplastic pollution. Each of the speakers are members of the informal U.S. government nanoplastics interagency interest group that coordinates activities on this subject across federal agencies.

May 2023

MAY 30, 2023 — Findings and recommendations from a project funded by the NOAA Uncrewed Systems Research Transition Office, and conducted collaboratively by NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Oregon State University, and ORBTL AI, were recently published as a NOAA Technical Memorandum.

A view of the Raritan River from the American Cyanamid site (Credit: US Environmental Protection Agency)

MAY 30, 2023 — NOAA and co-trustees are seeking public comment on a Draft Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (RP/EA) for the American Cyanamid Superfund site in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

A photo of a participant carrying trash during a community marine debris cleanup in Humpy Cove, Unalaska, AK.

MAY 30, 2023 — In early May, Harmony Wayner, Alaska Sea Grant Fellow with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, traveled to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, to support its city-hosted annual cleanup. The yearly cleanup happens the first two weeks of May, with people picking up marine debris and litter around town. Nichel Kernin, the Recreation Program Coordinator for the city of Unalaska, organized the cleanup. Ocean Conservancy was a generous partner, donating gloves and snacks. The Qawalangin tribe of Unalaska also hosts beach cleanup events alongside this city effort.

MAY 30, 2023 — On May 15 - 16, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, attended the 2023 URI Global Plastics Forum, in Kingston, Rhode Island. The forum brought together representatives from local, state, national, and international organizations and agencies to exchange knowledge and share plans for upcoming efforts.

Artwork by Clara G. (Grade 8, California), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.

MAY 22, 2023 — We are pleased to announce the winners of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest! We received many colorful, creative, and informative entries from around the country, and although we wish we could showcase them all, we are excited to share the winners of this year’s contest with you.

Oil sheen, containment boom, and deflection boom in Starrigavan Bay on April 23, 2017 (Photo provided by the US Coast Guard).

MAY 22, 2023 — NOAA recently accepted a settlement for damage assessment and restoration for the Tug Powhatan oil spill. The $1.3 million dollar settlement will fund two restoration projects in Sitka, Alaska that will benefit Pacific herring spawning habitat, as well as local Tribes and communities. It will also reimburse costs incurred during the assessment.

Panel speaker presents on "OR&R's Emergency Response Division and the NOAA Scientific Support Team" to a room of training attendees.

MAY 22, 2023 — Last week a team of experts from across the National Ocean Service (NOS) delivered a training session at the 37th Annual Governor’s Hurricane Conference. The training team, led by the OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program, was made up of representatives from five program offices.

MAY 22, 2023 — On May 11, 2023, the OR&R Scientific Support Coordinator for the Pacific Islands, Ruth Yender, hosted U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Rear Admiral (RDML) Jo-Ann Burdian at the Inouye Regional Center (IRC) on Oahu's Ford Island. RDML Burdian toured space at the IRC that will soon be occupied by a new USCG Indo-Pacific Regional Activities Center (IndoPAC RAC). The mission of the six-person IndoPAC RAC is to build response capacity in the region and to help partner nations implement International Maritime Organization Conventions on marine pollution.

MAY 15, 2023 — On May 11, NOAA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the International Group of Protection and Indemnity Clubs to promote the expeditious and cost-effective resolution of natural resource damages resulting from ship-source oil spills and from response actions under the Oil Pollution Act. 

Two NOAA staff and one U.S. Coast Guard staff give a panel presentation to a classroom.

MAY 15, 2023 — During the first week of May, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), in collaboration with the U.S. EPA’s Trash Free Waters Program and The Nature Conservancy, supported two initiatives to improve preparedness and response to marine debris incidents in Puerto Rico. 

A team of NOAA staff outside a construction zone.

MAY 15, 2023 — The EPA, Elliott Bay Trustees, and stakeholders attended an open house for the recently constructed Vigor restoration project on Harbor Island on the Lower Duwamish River in Seattle. Trustees finalized a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) settlement in May 2021 with Vigor Industrial and Exxon Mobil.

A team of ARD staff on a shoreline.

MAY 15, 2023 — From May 2-4, OR&R’s Assessment & Restoration Division (ARD), in partnership with NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science’s (NCCOS) Ecotoxicology Branch, held its Field Assessment and Support Techniques (FAST) training at and around the Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina.

Two OR&R staff at a NOAA informational booth at the Hurricane Awareness Tour.

MAY 15, 2023 — On Tuesday, May 2, the Hurricane Awareness Tour for 2023 made a stop in New Orleans, Louisiana.  NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) participated and shared information on hurricane preparedness and recovery supported by National Ocean Service (NOS) products and services.  A demonstration of the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®) was on display to show how the public and responders can utilize the available

The cover of the New York Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide.

MAY 15, 2023 — On May 10, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) released the “New York Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide” (Guide). The Guide is a product of a collaborative process with state and federal agencies. This work aims to improve preparedness for responding to marine debris after disasters in New York’s coastal areas, including the Great Lakes region.

A scientist in front of a poster board at a conference.

MAY 15, 2023 — The NOAA Marine Debris Program's (MDP) Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, and Research Coordinator, Carlie Herring, presented posters at the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) 33rd Annual European Meeting held April 30 - May 4 in Dublin, Ireland. 

MAY 15, 2023 — From May 9-11, scientists from multiple agencies, industry, and academia met in Seattle, Washington, to help prioritize the next generation of research related to shoreline effects from spilled oil. 

A scientist and two students in front of a poster at the Duke Conservation Tech's 2023 Blueprint Conference on Disasters + Resilience.

MAY 8, 2023 — Gary Shigenaka, Scientist Emeritus with the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), gave the keynote address at the 2023 Blueprint Conference on Disasters + Resilience, hosted by Duke University Conservation Technology. He also served as a mentor and judge for the sustainable tech ideation competition as part of the conference. 

Rocky intertidal shoreline habitat covered in oil in Massachusetts.

MAY 8, 2023 — Twenty years ago, disaster struck along the picturesque coastline of Buzzards Bay, Rhode Island, where the barge Bouchard 120 ran aground on a ledge of bedrock on April 27, 2003. A gash in its hull released 98,000 gallons of fuel oil, polluting nearly 100 miles of Massachusetts and Rhode Island shorelines. The spill damaged many salt marshes and other coastal habitats, killed and injured fish, shellfish, terns, loons, and other bird species, and closed shellfishing and other public uses of coastal resources.

MAY 8, 2023 — NOAA’s Southeast and Caribbean Regional Collaboration Team (SECART) recently partnered with the Office of Response and Restoration’s (OR&R) Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) to hold a two-day all-hazards workshop in the Charleston, South Carolina area.

April 2023

MAY 1, 2023 — Recently, NOAA gave a presentation on the CAMEO® software suite—as well as a sneak peek at an upcoming software program redesign—to emergency planners from across the country at the annual National Association of SARA Title III Program Officials (NASTTPO) conference.

A woman at a podium.

MAY 1, 2023 — On April 21, Vice President Harris announced that the Department of Commerce recommended $562 million in funding to make communities and the economy more resilient to climate change through 149 projects in 30 states and territories, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda.

A person at a podium.

MAY 1, 2023 — On April 21, the Office of Response and Restoration participated in the "From Single-use to Reuse: Earth Day Event to Highlight the Growing Reuse Movement" at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. Hosted by Upstream and the World Wildlife Fund, the event brought together stakeholders for a discussion about the importance of reuse to curb plastic pollution and to showcase reuse systems that reduce single-use plastic waste.

A map.

MAY 1, 2023 — On April 19, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a proposed settlement with LLOG Exploration Offshore, LLC, valued at $3.1 million, to resolve their liability for natural resource injuries resulting from a pipeline spill that discharged oil into the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

MAY 1, 2023 — This month, the Assessment and Restoration Division's Bryand Duke and his co-authors published their work on PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) uptake by talitrids via habitat (sand) and food (kelp) exposure.

MAY 1, 2023 — On April 20, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s education specialist, Alexandria Gillen, presented at the National Science Teaching Association Science Update webinar series.

A group of people in neon vests looking at hoses on the ground.

APRIL 24, 2023 — The week of March 20, 2023, NOAA Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) staff attended and presented at the American Salvage Association Marine Salvage Response Course in Alameda, California. OR&R was represented by the California regional coordinator for the Marine Debris Program, Christy Kehoe, and scientific support coordinator (SSC) with the Emergency Response Division, Cmdr. Faith Knighton.

A pile of marine debris.

APRIL 24, 2023 — On April 21, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced the 14 recommended recipients of our NOAA Marine Debris Removal awards for Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023, totaling over $69 million in federal funding for marine debris removal. Funding for this opportunity was provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and leveraged funds from the Inflation Reduction Act.

A waterway.

APRIL 24, 2023 — A proposed bankruptcy settlement for Maxus Energy Corp. was filed on April 7, 2023. The proposed settlement includes approximately $80 million to NOAA and the U.S. Department of the Interior related to natural resource damages claims in connection with the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site (Lower Passaic River, New Jersey).

A sculpture.

APRIL 24, 2023 — On April 14,  the NOAA Marine Debris Program California regional coordinator, Christy Kehoe, joined the “Help the Kelp” marine debris art exhibit unveiling, led by California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) and the Santa Barbara Zoo. The exhibit unveiling was a part of the "Conservation Partnership Celebration" event, which highlighted growing initiatives in support of the local environment.

APRIL 17, 2023 — Extreme heat is one of the leading causes of weather-related illness and death in the United States, causing more fatalities in a typical year than hurricanes, tornadoes, severe storms, and floods. As climate change continues to increase the likelihood of weather extremes, the impacts of heat on communities—especially on their most vulnerable citizens—is likely to worsen.

Lobster pots.

APRIL 17, 2023 — From April 3 - April 7, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Northeast regional coordinator, Demi Fox, joined a marine debris removal effort led by the Center for Coastal Studies on Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts, funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through a collaboration with Restore America’s Estuaries.

A waterway.

The U.S. District Court finalized a settlement between the members of the Elliott Bay Trustee Council and Lynden, Inc. and related companies (collectively, Lynden), which will fund habitat restoration along the Lower Duwamish River in Seattle, Washington.

APRIL 17, 2023 — On March 30, the NOAA Ocean Podcast featured the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s chief scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, who spoke about the importance of seagrasses in coastal environments.

APRIL 17, 2023 — On March 22, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Northeast regional coordinator, Demi Fox, joined NOAA Fisheries staff to speak with a dozen students from Gloucester High School’s Gender Equity and STEM club. The group was especially interested in hearing from women about the career path that led them to the work they do at NOAA.

APRIL 3, 2023 — On Thursday, March 23, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a hearing on H.R. 886 (the “Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act”) and three other bills.

A cover of a response guide with a photo of a derelict vessel.

APRIL 3, 2023 — On March 29, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, released the “Puerto Rico Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide.” The guide is a product of a collaborative process with territorial and federal agencies. This work aims to improve preparedness for responding to marine debris after disasters in Puerto Rico.

People standing in a shore area.

APRIL 3, 2023 — On March 21, 2022, the Tug Western Mariner ran aground in Neva Strait, north of Sitka, Alaska, resulting in a diesel oil spill. OR&R has been providing support for the response and damage assessment for the spill since the incident occurred.

March 2023

An icebreaker going through ice.

MARCH 27, 2023 — This week, OR&R scientists worked with the U.S. Coast Guard during ice-breaking in Lake Superior Harbor in Duluth, Minnesota, aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Spar. The project, funded by the Great Lakes Center of Expertise, demonstrates our ability to conduct uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) missions from an operating Coast Guard cutter.

Ballons on a beach.

MARCH 27, 2023 — On March 15, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, wrapped up a month of partner-led virtual workgroup meetings to discuss the California Ocean Litter Strategy. The meetings brought together over 50 partners from across the state and included a diverse set of sectors, including state agencies, nonprofits, private organizations, and academia.

Marine debris on a beach.

MARCH 27, 2023 — From March 6-10, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Pacific Island Regional team, Mark Manuel and Shanelle Naone, traveled to the island of Tutuila in American Samoa to meet with partners and students.

MARCH 27, 2023 — Extreme heat is one of the leading causes of weather-related illness and death in the United States, causing more fatalities in a typical year than hurricanes, tornadoes, severe storms, and floods. As climate change continues to increase the likelihood of weather extremes, the impacts of heat on communities—especially on their most vulnerable citizens—is likely to worsen.

A group of people in a conference room.

MARCH 13, 2023 — On March 1, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the government of Mexico’s Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales hosted a two-day workshop “Mitigation of Marine Litter and Ghost Nets in Mexico: Building Awareness of Efforts” in Mexico City, Mexico. 

A group photo.

MARCH 13, 2023 — On March 2, 2023, members of the response community had the opportunity to brief the San Juan Island Council Members on the challenges and successes from the F/V Aleutian Isle response at the Council Chambers on San Juan Island, Washington. 

An image of three response guides.

MARCH 13, 2023 — Last month, staff from NOAA's Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, presented to a tour group from the Pacific branch of the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM). CFE-DM is a U.S. Department of Defense organization that builds crisis response capacity and enhances coordination and collaboration with civilian and foreign partners.

MARCH 6, 2023 — Last month, staff from NOAA's Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, spoke about the issue of abandoned and derelict vessels at a public event in Cape May, New Jersey.

Two kids writing on sticky notes.

MARCH 6, 2023 — Last month, staff from NOAA's Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, participated in the two-day St. Petersburg Science Festival.

A screenshot of a map.

MARCH 6, 2023 — In early December 2022, the Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Alabama installed its new Davis weather station and launched Davis WeatherLink Live. 

Derelict fishing gear.

MARCH 6, 2023 — Last month, the NOAA Marine Debris Program led the first virtual workshop to create the Southern New England Marine Debris Action Plan.

MARCH 6, 2023 — Extreme heat is one of the leading causes of weather-related illness and death in the United States, causing more fatalities in a typical year than hurricanes, tornadoes, severe storms, and floods. As climate change continues to increase the likelihood of weather extremes, the impacts of heat on communities—especially on their most vulnerable citizens—is likely to worsen.

February 2023

A group of people sitting on the ground.

FEB. 27, 2023 — Between Feb. 7-11, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, trained coastal community members from the Caribbean to participate in the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP). The project engages NOAA partners and volunteers around the world to survey and record the amount and types of marine debris on shorelines.

A couple students at a booth.

FEB. 27, 2023 — On Feb. 7, NOAA staff joined a group of other local organizations in a night of learning and exploration with students and families at Kapolei Elementary’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) night.

FEB. 27, 2023 — Earlier this month, staff from NOAA’s Office of Response & Restoration attended the 2023 Coastal GeoTools conference in Charleston, South Carolina.

FEB. 27, 2023 — The United States Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee will hold a virtual public meeting on March 15, 2023, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. The public meeting will include presentations from the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Agency for International Development on their relevant marine debris-related activities.

A group of people in a conference room.

FEB. 27 — From Feb. 6-10, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, attended and facilitated marine debris presentation and listening sessions at the Alaska Forum on the Environment.

FEB. 13, 2023 — Last month, NOAA's Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, presented at the workshop “Data and Harmonization to Improve the Circularity of Plastics” hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

A whiteboard with post-it notes on it.

FEB. 13, 2023 — Last month, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, participated in an “Expert Is In” program at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

A report cover for "Recycling Opportunities for Abandoned, Derelict, and End-of-Life Recreational Vessels."

FEB. 13, 2023 — Last week, NOAA's Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, released the report, "Recycling Opportunities for Abandoned, Derelict, and End-of-Life Recreational Vessels."

A map.

FEB. 6, 2023 — The Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Program recently released new digital data for both Lake Erie and the Atlantic shoreline of East Florida.

An aerial image of a body of water.

FEB. 6, 2023 — NOAA and other federal, state, and tribal natural resource trustees have released a Draft Damage Assessment Plan for the St. Louis River / U.S. Steel site in Duluth, Minnesota, and are soliciting public comments.

A river bank.

FEB. 6, 2023 — The Department of Justice lodged a consent decree on Jan. 30, 2023, that proposes a settlement with Lynden Inc. and others to resolve claims related to releases of hazardous waste pollution on the Lower Duwamish River in Seattle.

FEB. 6, 2023 — Last month, staff from NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, presented to a group of educators participating in a Gulf of Mexico Bay Watershed Education and Training project.

FEB. 6, 2023 — Last month the NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, hosted a workshop on national implementation of NOAA’s Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project.

A group of people posing for a photo.

FEB. 6, 2023 — The U.S. Coast Guard has recognized two OR&R Scientific Support Coordinators — CDR Faith Knighton and LTJG Kyle Vincent — with a Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation for their involvement in the incident management team for the recovery of the F/V Aleutian Isle.

January 2023

Trash on a beach.

JAN. 30, 2023 — On Jan. 25, 2023, the NOAA Marine Debris Program California regional coordinator presented at the Center for Watershed Protection 2023 Watershed and Stormwater Webcast Series.

Fish.

JAN. 30, 2023 — After a public comment period, on Jan. 25, 2023 a settlement was finalized to resolve claims related to hazardous waste pollution from the du Pont de Nemours and Company (Dupont Hay Road) site on the Delaware River in Wilmington, Delaware.

A cover on a report.

JAN. 30, 2023 —On Jan. 26, 2023, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, released its 2022 Accomplishments Report.

Cleanup workers on a beach.

JAN. 30, 2023 — Two virtual public meetings were held on Jan. 25, 2023, to inform the public about the status of the natural resource damage assessment being conducted for the Pipeline P00547 oil spill off of the coast of Huntington Beach, California. Restoration project ideas were also solicited.

JAN. 30, 2023 — The Office of Response and Restoration is gearing up for a busy year of training! We are excited to be back in-person, with our classic and most popular Science of Oil Spills (SOS) classes being offered in three locations across the country this year: 

A map with a section highlighted.

JAN. 23, 2023 — NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration and the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center hosted a virtual workshop on harmful algal blooms on Jan. 17-18. The primary focus of the workshop was communication, preparedness, and response — across the federal government, state agencies, and other key partners — for harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes region.

A person speaking at a podium before a group.

JAN. 23, 2023 — Christy Kehoe, regional coordinator for California in NOAA's Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, presented at the National Fisheries Institute Seafood Science and Regulatory Forum to kick off the Global Seafood Market Conference on Jan. 15.

JAN. 23, 2023 — The Gulf of Mexico Alliance’s Marine Debris Cross-Team Initiative held its annual two-day meeting on Jan. 10-11 to bring together entities from across the gulf that currently address marine debris issues.

A group of people in uniform.

JAN. 13, 2023 — On Dec. 13, after a busy fall season of incident response, members of the Incident Management Division of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound visited the NOAA Western Regional Center in Seattle.

Fish.

JAN. 13, 2023 — On Dec. 20, 2022 a settlement was proposed to resolve claims related to the hazardous waste pollution from the du Pont de Nemours and Company (Dupont Hay Road) site on the Delaware River in Wilmington, Delaware. Of the total settlement of $1,071,755.84, $808,500 is proposed for restoration activities and $263,255.84 will be allocated to the natural resource trustees for reimbursement of their natural resource damages assessment costs. 

A group of people on a beach.

JAN. 13, 2023 — The public is invited to two virtual meetings to learn about efforts to assess the impacts of an October 2021 oil spill and solicit input for potential restoration actions. The meetings, scheduled for Jan. 25, 2023, will be hosted by state and federal trustee agencies for natural resources impacted by the Pipeline P00547 oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach in Southern California.

In 2022, NOAA helped to recover over $114 million from polluters to restore six waterways following oil spill and industrial pollution incidents in Hawaii, Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas. 

December 2022

A photo of a beach with trash on a beach with "Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan" on it.

DEC. 19, 2022 — On Dec. 7, the 2022 Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan Research Webinar Series concluded after taking place throughout November and December.

DEC. 19, 2022 — On Dec. 13, following a competitive review process, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the five recipients of the 2022 Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund.

A screenshot of a map.

DEC. 19, 2022 — After plowing a path of destruction through the Caribbean, Hurricane Ian struck Florida on Sept. 28 and moved up the East Coast, with damaging winds, severe flooding, and life-threatening storm surge.

DEC. 19, 2022 — On Dec. 5-9, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Trash Free Waters Program, hosted a virtual workshop to identify actions and strategies for the implementation of the Puerto Rico Strategic Plan to Reduce Aquatic Debris.

DEC. 19, 2022 — Extreme heat is one of the leading causes of weather-related illness and death in the United States, causing more fatalities in a typical year than hurricanes, tornadoes, severe storms, and floods. As climate change continues to increase the likelihood of weather extremes, the impacts of heat on communities—especially on their most vulnerable citizens—is likely to worsen.

The interior of a building.

DEC. 12, 2022 — On Nov. 29, the 2022 Young Pacific Leaders cohort visited the Inouye Regional Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, for a facility tour and presentations from NOAA team members. The Young Pacific Leaders Program is organized by the U.S. government and aims to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region and strengthen ties between the United States and the Pacific.

Two people with fishing poles on a shoreline.

DEC. 12, 2022 — On Nov. 22 2022, the Journal of Benefit Cost Analysis published “Discounting in Natural Resource Damage Assessment '' by OR&R’s economists Cameron Duff, Chris Giguere,  and Jason Murray, and co-authors from Industrial Economics and the University of Wisconsin.

A conference/classroom environment with groups of people at tables.

DEC. 12, 2022 — In early October, NOAA OR&R scientists participated in a functional tabletop exercise in Anacortes, Washington. The purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate the capability of the oil industry and other agencies working together to develop an oil spill response plan that is used to minimize and mitigate the impacts of an oil spill.

A satellite image of a hurricane.

DEC. 12, 2022 — The Office of Response and Restoration Disaster Preparedness Program serves a vital role for the National Ocean Service’s preparedness and continuity of operations planning. This November, the program celebrated a major milestone — five years of preparing partners and communities to respond to and recover from disasters. Their work is growing in importance and demand as coastal disasters become more frequent and severe. 

A group photo.

DEC. 12, 2022 — Last week, NOAA OR&R and NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service’s Pacific Regional Office, in collaboration with U.S. Coast Guard District 14, hosted an Environmental Consultation Seminar in Honolulu, Hawaii.

A group of people on a beach.

DEC. 5, 2022 — On Nov. 3, scientists from the Southeast region in OR&R’s Assessment & Restoration Division prepared to assess oil spill impacts on beaches by testing a beach porewater sampling protocol.

A dolphin.

DEC. 5, 2022 — On Feb.15-16, 2022, the Coastal Response Research Center and NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration co-sponsored a virtual workshop entitled “Greater Houston Area Bottlenose Dolphin Data Gaps.”

A balloon on a beach.

DEC. 5, 2022 — On Nov. 17, the NOAA Marine Debris Program coordinated and presented at the bi-annual California Ocean Litter Prevention Strategy webinar. The webinar brought together over 80 partners across the state and included a diverse set of sectors including state agencies, nonprofits, policy-makers, and academia.

A cover of a report with the title "Oil in the Sea IV."

DEC. 5, 2022 — In late September 2022, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) released a pre-publication version of Oil in the Sea IV: Inputs, Fate and Effects.

DEC. 5, 2022 – The Office of Response and Restoration attended the 2022 Clean Gulf Conference in New Orleans from Nov. 8-10, with representation from the director, senior scientist, scientific support coordinators and scientists, and Assessment and Restoration staff.

A person standing at a booth.

DEC. 5, 2022 — OR&R scientists hosted a booth at the “Scientist at Sea Research Symposium” put on by local Eckerd College to showcase student research.

November 2022

An aerial image of a land mass surrounded by water.

NOV. 21, 2022 – The Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster took place more than a dozen years ago, beginning on April 20, 2010, but the recovery process continues to this day.

A person staring at a computer screen.

NOV. 21, 2022  — Recently, NOAA and the Environmental Protection Agency jointly released their annual updates for CAMEO Data Manager and Tier2 Submit™, two programs that aid emergency organizations in preparing for and responding to chemical emergencies.

Pictures of a survey guide.

NOV. 21, 2022 — On Nov. 3, the NOAA Marine Debris Program released an updated toolbox of materials to help assess marine debris on shorelines through NOAA’s Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP).

NOV. 21, 2022 — On Nov. 8, the NOAA Marine Debris Program Deputy Division Chief MaryLee Haughwout presented at a River Management Society Education Roundtable webinar titled “Talking Trash: Approaches to prevent, intercept, and remove ocean bound plastic and debris.” MaryLee shared the stage with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service colleague Glenn Constant.

A group of people on a boat.

NOV. 7, 2022 — On Oct. 27, NOAA Marine Debris Program staff attended Materevolve’s Textiles x Ocean Connector Sail Event in San Francisco Bay, California. The goal of the event was to bring sustainability leaders together to discuss important topics at the intersection of textiles and ocean.

A fishing vessel on its side.

NOV. 7, 2022 — The Office of Response and Restoration recently participated in the final of four multi-agency hotwashes to debrief the F/V Aleutian Isle sinking incident that occurred in the San Juan Islands in the state of Washington.

A group of people on a beach.

NOV. 7, 2022 — Two significant oil spills that occurred in the late 1980s—the barge Nestucca, which spilled more than 230,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel oil into the Pacific Ocean near Grays Harbor, Washington, and the Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska—led to the formation of an oil spill task force in 1989 between Washington State and British Columbia.

A person at a podium presenting to a group of people.

NOV. 7, 2022 — For the first time in three years, U.S. Coast Guard District 9 held an Incident Management Team round-up training event in Camp Grayling, Michigan.

NOV. 7, 2022 — On Oct. 26, representatives from NOAA’s National Ocean Service and the Marine Debris Program, within NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration, presented to more than 200 middle and high school students at a unique field trip opportunity in Washington D.C.

October 2022

A graphic reading "drop," "cover," and "hold on."

OCT. 31, 2022 — Nearly half of all Americans are exposed to potentially damaging earthquakes where they work and live. Still, others will be at risk when traveling. It’s a good idea for everyone, everywhere to know how to protect themselves during an earthquake.

OCT. 24, 2022 — On Oct. 6, Andrew Mason, the Pacific Northwest regional coordinator for NOAA's Marine Debris Program shared his NOAA career story, including that of starting as an intern before becoming a contractor and eventually a federal employee, with seniors from Highline High School in the Seattle area.

A group of four people posing for a photo.

OCT. 24, 2022 — In early October, OR&R Director Scott Lundgren, along with several OR&R scientists, traveled to Halifax, Nova Scotia to participate in the International Oil Spill Science conference. This conference was an in-depth scientific conference capping the first phase of the Canada Multi-Partner Research Initiative funded under Canada's Oceans Protection Plan. 

A map of the U.S. with red dots indicating settlements.

OCT. 24, 2022 — A new map synthesizes more than 30 years of NOAA oil spill and hazardous waste pollution settlements. In total, NOAA has helped recover $10.6 billion for restoration from settlements across the United States.

A person holding walking on a beach with a trash bag.

OCT. 24, 2022 — On Oct. 13, Christy Kehoe, the California regional coordinator for the NOAA’s Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, presented at the virtual California State University Channel Islands Women in Conservation Session Speaker Series.

A group of people posing for a group photo.

OCT. 21, 2022 — On Oct. 19-20, OR&R was represented by Scott Lundgren, Aaron Parker, and LT Steven Wall at two information exchange forums with the oil spill response community.  

Oil spill cleanup. Image credit: California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

OCT. 17, 2022 — Approximately one year ago on Oct. 1, 2021, the Pipeline P00547 (Huntington Beach) oil spill occurred in Southern California. An underwater pipeline running from Platform Elly to Long Beach spilled an estimated 25,000 gallons of crude oil into San Pedro Bay. 

OCT. 17, 2022 — On Sept. 27, the NOAA Marine Debris Program Alaska Regional Coordinator Peter Murphy presented as part of a NOAA Live! webinar titled “Keeping Alaska's Coastline Clean: What You Can Do about Marine Debris in Your Community.”

A group of people on a beach.

OCT. 17, 2022 — With a team of instructors led by Scientific Support Coordinator Frank Csulak, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration hosted a Science of Oil Spills class in the mid-Atlantic region the week of Sept. 12, 2022. 

A drawling of an hourglass with animals and plastic in it.

OCT. 17, 2022 — On Oct. 6, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, proudly announced that the 2023 Marine Debris Calendar is now available for download!

A cover on an "Oil and Sea Turtles" guide.

OCT. 17, 2022 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division recently completed an update to the guide book, Oil and Sea Turtles: Biology, Planning, and Response.

A person standing in front of a vessel.

OCT. 17, 2022 — Following the 7th International Marine Debris Conference, held Sept. 19-23 in Busan, South Korea, NOAA Marine Debris Program Chief Scientist Amy V. Uhrin was invited to tour the facilities at the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology's South Sea Research Institute on Geoje Island, South Korea.

A screenshot of a presentation.

OCT. 17, 2022 — OR&R biologist and Environmental Sensitivity Index Program Manager Nicolle Rutherford presented at a series of conferences and workshops in September to share the benefits and uses of Environmental Sensitivity Index maps and data.

A group of people posing for a photo.

OCT. 17, 2022 — Sept. 21-22, 2022 marked the inaugural workshop welcoming the establishment of the U.S. Coast Guard National Center of Expertise for the Great Lakes. The workshop convened NCOE stakeholders who shared information about current research projects, identified research gaps, and prioritized opportunities to advance oil spill response capabilities in the Great Lakes.

A tabletop display with posters.

OCT. 17, 2022 — From Sept. 27-28, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), within the Office of Response and Restoration, participated in the Virginia Marine Debris Summit hosted in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This gathering brought together local, state, and federal marine debris and plastic pollution experts in focused discussion around tackling the challenges of consumer debris throughout the commonwealth.

Pollution boom in water.

OCT. 3, 2022 — On Sept. 21, NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator Demi Fox participated in an on-water Rapid Assessment Team during an oil spill exercise on the Piscataqua River.

OCT. 3, 2022 — On Sept. 28, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, announced the 14 recipients of our 2022 Removal and Prevention Grant awards totaling nearly $3.7 million in federal funds, including funding provided through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act.

September 2022

SEPT. 26, 2022 — On Sept. 18-23, 2022, staff from NOAA's Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, supported and participated in the 7th International Marine Debris Conference in Busan, Republic of Korea.

A humpback whale.

SEPT. 26, 2022 — On Sept. 15 and 16, the 13th Natural Resources Symposium "Natural Resources at a Crossroads" reconvened at George Washington University. 

A screenshot of a virtual meeting.

SEPT. 26, 2022 — When things don’t go as planned, and oil hits the water, people have many questions that need answers. Where will the oil go? What can be done to clean it up? How badly did it damage the environment? What is the best way to clean up the oil without making things worse? Luckily, NOAA scientists from the Office of Response and Restoration have the background and expertise to help answer each of these questions.

A map.

SEPT. 19, 2022 — OR&R has released a brief survey to evaluate the amount of human-use data for inclusion in Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps.

A screen shot of a mapping application.

SEPT. 19, 2022 — On Sept. 1, 2022, the Office of Response and Restoration’s Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) team released a new version of the application. The overhauled look and layout focuses on providing a streamlined interface to visualize and explore spatial data.

A cover for "A Report on Microfiber Pollution."

SEPT. 19, 2022 — On Sept. 15, NOAA's Marine Debris Program and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Trash Free Waters Program, on behalf of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee, shared a draft Report on Microfiber Pollution for public comment. 

SEPT. 19, 2022 — On Sept. 29, 2022, the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC) will hold a virtual public meeting, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET. The public meeting will focus on federal efforts to address abandoned and derelict vessels.

SEPT. 19, 2022 — Staff from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in a worst-case oil spill response exercise conducted by ExxonMobil in Guam from Sept. 12-14. 

A photo of an award.

SEPT. 12, 2022 — Recently, NOAA Marine Debris Program grants specialist and lead coordinator of the National Ocean Service Zero Waste Team, Amanda Dwyer, received a Business Waste Reduction and Recycling Champion award from Montgomery County, Maryland. She was one of 22 individuals, businesses, and organizations honored from across Montgomery County for outstanding achievement in recycling, waste reduction, and reuse.

A person presenting to a room of people.

SEPT. 12, 2022 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in an event sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)—Disaster Response for Oil Spill and Mass Rescue Exchange—held in Port Louis, Mauritius on Aug. 22-26.

A satellite image of a lake.

SEPT. 12, 2022 — NOAA has awarded a contract to refresh the Environmental Sensitivity Index maps and data for Lake Ontario. The work has already begun, and will be completed by the end of September 2023.

A person posing for a photo.

SEPT. 12, 2022 — On Aug. 31, the NOAA Marine Debris Program wrapped up a month of partner-led virtual workgroup meetings to discuss the California Ocean Litter Strategy (OLS). The meetings brought together over 75 partners across the state and included a diverse set of sectors including state agencies, nonprofits, private organizations, and academia.

August 2022

AUG. 29, 2022 — On Aug. 17-18, 2022, NOAA Marine Debris Program staff served on the United States delegation to the 19th meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Oceans and Fisheries Working Group.

A group of people cutting a blue ribbon in front of a building.

AUG. 29, 2022 — Last week, OR&R Director Scott Lundgren and Senior Scientist Lisa DiPinto joined the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) Director Deborah Lee and others for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening of the Great Lakes National Center of Expertise (NCOE).

Two people holding a device over a table.

AUG. 29, 2022 — On Aug. 18, scientists from the Coastal Response Research Center at University of New Hampshire hosted Nicole LeBoeuf, National Ocean Service assistant administrator, and Chrissy Hayes after their visit to the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping / Joint Hydrographic Center.

A group of people outside a building.

AUG. 22, 2022 — OR&R staff met with congressional committee staffers from the U.S. House Space, Science, and Technology Committee, as well as a staff member from the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee – Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee at the NOAA Western Regional Center on Aug. 8, 2022.  

A large piece of equipment being deployed from a dock.

AUG. 22, 2022 — On July 26, 2022, OR&R's Disaster Preparedness Program and the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) partnered to exercise the Real-Time Currents and Meteorological Buoys (affectionately known as CURBY).

An oil spill visible from a helicopter.

AUG. 22, 2022 — One of the primary ways OR&R supports the U.S. Coast Guard during oil spills is by providing trajectories (oil spill transport forecasts) which help in determining where the oil will go so that the appropriate response (cleanup or protection) strategies can be planned for and implemented. 

A group of people shoveling dirt.

AUG. 22, 2022 — On Aug. 12, Sam Rauch, NOAA Fisheries Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, spoke on behalf of NOAA at the BASF Corporation’s Groundbreaking for the East Newark Riverfront Park project in East Newark, New Jersey.

Damaged tanks.

AUG. 22, 2022 — Later this year and in 2023, a cross-divisional team within OR&R will address the science of per- and poly-fluorinated substances (PFAS) in aqueous fire-fighting foams (AFFF).

Sargassum on a beach.

AUG. 22, 2022 — On July 27, 2022, the Federal Emergency Management Agency requested NOAA scientific support for a declared emergency on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands due to impacts on the island’s water supply from high concentrations of sargassum.

An image of a displaced vessel with text reading "Gulf of Mexico Resource Advisor Training."

AUG. 15, 2022 — On Aug. 3-4, 2022, the NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration held the Gulf of Mexico Resource Advisor (RA) Training. The goal of this two-day virtual training was to ensure coastal resource managers understand the role of an RA and have the tools needed to fulfill the role in the field successfully.

A person repairing a crab pot.

AUG. 15, 2022 — On Aug. 3, 2022, NOAA Marine Debris Program Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator Katie Morgan attended an outreach event in Fenwick Island, Delaware, organized by Delaware Sea Grant. 

An American flag and a Canadian flag.

AUG. 8, 2022 — On July 28, 2022, NOAA Marine Debris Program Northeast Regional Coordinator Demi Fox attended a Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment meeting in Portland, Maine, to join a presentation on marine debris prevention and removal efforts underway in Canada and the United States.

A group of people on a beach.

AUG. 8, 2022 — Two OR&R scientists were recently recognized with a prestigious Department of State Honor Award for their work as part of the National Response Team (NRT) supporting environmental crises in other nations.

A group of people in a conference classroom.

AUG. 8, 2022 — On July 20-21, 2022, the Northwest Area Committee (NWAC) hosted an Oiled Shoreline Response Workshop at the Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island, Washington. Attendees represented the response community with over forty federal, state, tribal, and industry participants. 

July 2022

A group of people on a beach.

AUG. 1, 2022 — The week of July 18, 2022, NOAA Marine Debris Program staff participated in a tour of partner projects being conducted in the greater San Diego area.

A photo of a group of people on a vessel.

AUG. 1, 2022 — Scientists from OR&R have partnered with the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards, the Coastal Response Research Center (a partnership between OR&R and the University of New Hampshire), and remote sensing consultants at Water Mapping, LLC to advance our ability to respond to and assess impacts from spills in the Arctic.

A group photo.

AUG. 1, 2022 — During the week of July 11, 2022, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division held the first in-person Science of Oil Spill class since 2019, training 41 students from five federal agencies, four state agencies, five international agencies, and four industrial companies at NOAA’s Western Regional Center in Seattle.

A group of people on a shoreline.

AUG. 1, 2022 — In 2019, a planning committee was formed to schedule class dates, define the class location, and narrow down field sites for NOAA’s Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) class.

An aerial image of a bright green waterway.

AUG. 1, 2022 — The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Sault Sainte Marie and U.S. Oil (a division of U.S. Venture) held a successful field exercise in Rogers City, Michigan on July 19, 2022.

A lecture series poster.

AUG. 1, 2022 — Beginning in April 2020, in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, a small team in OR&R’s Emergency Response Division began sharing knowledge in the form of live, virtual lectures on emergency spill response, environmental protection, and related topics.

A bar graph.

AUG. 1, 2022 — This is the first of a new quarterly series on the public use of the CAMEO Suite. Our goal is to tell a more complete story here rather than just the “numbers,” getting into more of what they mean.

A graph.

AUG. 1, 2022 – For the past few years, the U.S. Department of the Interior has offered the webinar series “Inland Oil Spill for DOI Response” to share pertinent lectures and topics of interest to the DOI spill response community.

AUG. 1 — On July 22, 2022, NOAA Marine Debris Program Education Specialist Alexandria Brake and California Sea Grant Marine Debris Extension Fellow Tanya Torres led an impactful workshop for science educators focused on the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) at the National Science Teaching Association’s national conference.

A child's drawing of marine debris.

JULY 25, 2022 — On July 11, 2022, NOAA Marine Debris Program Education Specialist Alexandria Brake led two workshops for students and educators. Alexandria presented on “Pesky Plastics” at the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School’s Virtual Engineering Exploration Experience, the first day of a five-week program bringing together experts in various fields to inspire students to consider solutions to complex global problems.

A derelict vessel.

JULY 25, 2022 — On July 13, 2022, NOAA Marine Debris Program California Regional CoordinatorChristy Kehoe and Southeast Regional Coordinator Sarah Latshaw presented at the United States Coast Guard Sector San Francisco and Sector Delta Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Quarterly Meeting. The meeting brought together more than 30 ADV experts from across the San Francisco and Sacramento Delta area in Northern California. 

JULY 25, 2022 — On July 13, 2022, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator Caitlin Wessel presented at the Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District’s teacher workshop.

JULY 18, 2022 — On July 6, 2022, the NOAA Marine Debris Program director, Nancy Wallace, joined colleagues from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and virtually met with representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea.

JULY 18, 2022 — On June 30, 2022, Katie Morgan on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program was invited to participate in the Rutgers Marine Extension Program Seminar Series (MEPSS).

Pollution boom around a vessel.

JULY 18, 2022 — On June 22, 2022, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard District 13, and Regional Response Team 10 held a Spill of National Significance Seminar in Astoria, Oregon.

A person walking on a beach with a trashbag.

JULY 18, 2022 — On July 6, 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program California Regional Coordinator Christy Kehoe presented at the July  Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Resource Protection and Permitting Cross-cut Meeting. The cross-cut meeting brought together over 15 Sanctuaries staff from across the country to focus on marine debris conversations impacting our sanctuaries.

JULY 18, 2022 — On July 9, 2022, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program staff joined Congressman Brian Higgins, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, Council of the Great Lakes Region, and New York State Parks at Buffalo Harbor State Park to announce the deployment of Seabin technology in their marina.

JULY 11, 2022 — On June 29, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced the Fiscal Year 2022 NOAA Marine Debris Removal notice of funding opportunity. Funding for this opportunity is provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

A group of people.

JULY 11, 2022 — OR&R Director Scott Lundgren participated in an Environmental Justice vessel tour of the Harlem River hosted by Congressman Adriano Espaillat in conjunction with the Bronx and Harlem River Watersheds Urban Waters Federal Partnership, Harlem River Working Group, Bronx Council for Environmental Quality, Hudson River Foundation, and WE ACT. 

A group photo.

JULY 11, 2022 — OR&R Director Scott Lundgren visited the joint OR&R and University of New Hampshire Coastal Response Research Center on June 23, 2022. This visit provided the opportunity to hear from the center’s staff, student researchers, and visiting University of Puerto Rico students working on OR&R-related CRRC projects and other related environmental projects at the university for two months during the summer. 

A group of people on a beach.

JULY 11, 2022 — On June 21, 2022, the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator for the Pacific Northwest CDR Faith Knighton and Regional Response Officer LTJG Kyle Vincent provided Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) Field Training to 10 members from the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River.

Three people pose for a photo next to a sign reading "Interspill."

JULY 11, 2022 — Scientists from NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration recently particpated in an Interspill conference held June 21-23, 2022 in Amsterdam. This event is part of the triumvirate series including the International Oil Spill Conference (U.S., 2024) and Spillcon (Australia, 2023).

A ship.

JULY 11, 2022 — The nation’s ports are vital links for the movement of people and goods, and their protection is of critical importance. Recently, the manager of OR&R’s Environmental Sensitivity Index program and the chief of OR&R’s Emergency Response Division gave a presentation to the American Association of Port Authorities about the benefits of using ESI data to support port activities across the country.

A person at a podium.

JULY 11, 2022 — Recently, LCDR Rachel Pryor presented at the Environmental Emergency Management Conference hosted by Michigan’s Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy state department.

JULY 11, 2022 — OR&R's Disaster Preparedness Program is currently seeking a college intern who is passionate about disaster preparedness and excited to explore questions on human behavior and disasters.

A graphic showing the planet Earth.

JULY 11, 2022 — On June 14-16, 2022, the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) partnered with the Homeland Security Program Office to hold NOAA’s National Level Exercise.

Two people on a beach.

JULY 11, 2022 — On June 17, the Marine Debris Program's Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator Andrew Mason and Monitoring Coordinator Hillary Burgess met with partners from the Grassroots Garbage Gang and Willapa Bay National Wildlife Refuge on the Long Beach peninsula of Washington.

JULY 11, 2022 — In May, the Marine Debris Program welcomed Elena Aguilar as part of the NOAA Experiential Research and Training Opportunity internship program.

JULY 11, 2022 — On June 28, NOAA Marine Debris Program Director, Nancy Wallace, participated in an official side event as part of the UN Ocean Conference. The virtual panel discussed the issue of plastic pollution with a specific emphasis on  answering what key science and innovation is needed to tackle this global environmental challenge.

June 2022

Two birds.

JUNE 27, 2022 —  On June 9, 2022, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay was selected by the Migratory Bird Council to receive the Presidential Migratory Bird Stewardship Award. The award recognized the collective efforts of several Area Committee organizations, including the OR&R's Emergency Response Division, U.S Environmental Protection Agency, U.S Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, Inc., and the States of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Lost fishing gear on a rocky beach.

JUNE 27, 2022 — On June 21 and 22, NOAA's Marine Debris Program coordinated and presented at the virtual 2022 California Ocean Litter Prevention Strategy Implementation Workshop. The workshop brought together over 90 people from across the state and from a diverse set of sectors, including state agencies, nonprofits, private sector, and academia.

Students in a classroom.

JUNE 27, 2022 — On June 3, NOAA Marine Debris Program team member Shanelle Naone presented to high school students from Leilehua High School (Wahiawā, O‘ahu) participating in the GEAR UP program.

A beach.

JUNE 27, 2022 — OR&R has created a new landing page to highlight the work that our office does to contribute to Coastal Resilience. 

People on a beach.

JUNE 27, 2022 — Among the many hats that personnel from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division wear, one of their most critical roles are instructing federal and state agencies in the art of Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) and Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI). Preparing the U.S. Coast Guard and state spill response agencies allows for an effective incident response and protection of our nation's sensitive habitats. 

A group of people with seining nets on a shoreline.

JUNE 27, 2022 — On Saturday, June 11, NOAA's Assessment and Restoration Division and Restoration Center joined the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program during its World Fish Migration Day event at Lemon Creek Park in Staten Island, New York.

An image of a beach.

JUNE 13, 2022 — On May 24-25, 2022 OR&R’s Emergency Response Division presented at the Northwest Area Committees Environmental Unit Training.

A group of people posing for a photo.

JUNE 13, 2022 — Ruth Yender, scientific support coordinator for OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, participated in a U.S. Indo-Pacific Command-sponsored Oil Spill Response Workshop held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from June 6-10. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is one of six geographic combatant commands defined by the Department of Defense's Unified Command Plan.

An illustration of a waterfront park.

JUNE 13, 2022 — On June 7, the U.S. Department of Justice and the federal natural resource trustees — the Fish and Wildlife Service/U.S. Department of the Interior and NOAA — announced an opportunity for public comment on a draft Interim settlement and crediting agreement with the BASF Corporation.

Two people in an intertidal shoreline area.

JUNE 13, 2022 — On March 21, 2022 the Tug Western Mariner ran aground in Neva Strait, north of Sitka, Alaska, resulting in a diesel oil spill. OR&R has been providing support for the response, cleanup, and damage assessment for the spill since the incident occurred.

A person carrying derelict fishing gear across a beach.

JUNE 13, 2022 — During the week of May 23, NOAA Marine Debris Program California Regional Coordinator Christy Kehoe and Marine Debris California Sea Grant Extension Fellow Tanya Torres supported California State University Channel Islands Santa Rosa Island Research Station, a long-term grant partner, on a week-long site visit to remove and assess the amounts, types, and sources of marine debris on the Channel Islands.

JUNE 13, 2022 — On May 23,  the Wildlife and Habitat Impacts Working Group of the Southeast Marine Debris Action Plan led a webinar to share the new app Tangled in Trash: A Reporting Tool For Wildlife. The webinar shared why collecting wildlife entanglement and ingestion data is important and demonstrated how users can report observations using the mobile or online version.

JUNE 13, 2022 — On June 2 and 3, 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program, in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Trash Free Waters Program, hosted a virtual workshop, conducted in Spanish, for the development of an action plan that will contain strategic and coordinated actions to address the challenges of aquatic debris in Puerto Rico.

A group of people standing together.

JUNE 6, 2022 — Last week, a collaborative research team led by NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration conducted experiments at the Ohmsett test tank facility in Leonardo, New Jersey.  These experiments were the first conducted at the tank since the completion of the multi-month facility refurbishment.

A person in a mask standing under a tent.

JUNE 6, 2022 ⁠— On May 9, NOAA Marine Debris Program staff participated in Cedar Point Amusement Park's Physics, Math, and Science Days.

A shoreline.

JUNE 6, 2022 ⁠— Protecting America’s waterways and coastal regions from the effects of oil and chemical spills is a collaborative mission, and OR&R’s Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) program strives to build a community of partners. On May 19, Nicolle Rutherford, ESI Program manager, gave a presentation on the available data and many uses of ESIs for Save the River, an organization in northern New York that serves as the Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper.

Two people on a beach.

JUNE 6, 2022 ⁠— The National Ocean Service’s Office for Coast Survey demonstrated their new remotely operated uncrewed surface vessel system, the EchoBoat 240, in Annapolis, Maryland to a crowd of congressional staff and stakeholders.

An area of seagrass on the sea floor.

JUNE 6, 2022 ⁠— A new article titled “Ecosystem-Service Scaling Techniques to Evaluate the Benefits of Marine Debris Removal'' was recently published in the Journal of Environmental Management. It establishes a new framework to calculate the benefits of removing marine debris from the environment.

JUNE 6, 2022 ⁠— On May 24, NOAA Marine Debris Program team member Shanelle Naone presented to students participating in a marine debris prevention program with Zero Waste Washington.

May 2022

MAY 23, 2022  — Recently, NOAA gave a virtual presentation on the CAMEO® software suite to emergency planners from across the country at the annual National Association of SARA Title III Program Officials (NASTTPO) conference.

Damaged vessels and other marine debris.

MAY 23, 2022 — On May 17, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, announced a request for proposals under the Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund.

MAY 23, 2022 — Even our youngest learners are eager to explore ocean issues and stewardship. On Monday, May 16, the Marine Debris Program virtually engaged with four first grade classes at Wai‘alae Elementary in Honolulu.

MAY 16, 2022 – From April 27-28, 2022, the NOAA OR&R Director Scott Lundgren and Senior Scientist Lisa DiPinto participated in the Annual Meeting of the Spill Control Association of America (SCAA) held in Savannah, Georgia.

MAY 16, 2022 – On April 27, OR&R Director Scott Lundgren joined officials from Department of Commerce and others from the federal interagency to take part in a component of the National Level Exercise (NLE) 2022, an exercise that also incorporates a declared Spill of National Significance exercise. 

MAY 16, 2022 — The Annual Meeting of the NOAA Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Team was held May 3-5 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

MAY 16, 2022 —  Earlier this month, the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) program’s fiscal year (FY) 2022 proposal to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) was approved for funding, allowing OR&R to refresh critical sensitivity data in the Great Lakes and drive the next generation of sensitive resource mapping nationwide. 

A graphic of oil impacts in an ecosystem.

MAY 9, 2022 — OR&R toxicologist and Alaska regional resource coordinator, Sarah Allan, co-authored a book chapter, Oil Spills in the Arctic, in a recently published book, Arctic One Health, Challenges for Northern Animals and People (Morten Tryland eds.).

A group of people pose for a photo in front of an aircraft.

MAY 9, 2022 – On Tuesday, May 3, OR&R and National Geodetic Survey staff attended the kick off of NOAA’s Hurricane Awareness Tour at Ronald Reagan National Airport, engaging with congressional staffers, media, and NOAA leadership. OR&R and NGS each play a pivotal role in hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery, from emergency response after a hurricane, to shoreline mapping imagery that helps emergency managers recover quickly from storms.

MAY 9 — As part of the United States Patent and Trademark Office's 2022 Virtual Green Fair, NOAA gave two keynote presentations for USPTO staff.

April 2022

MAY 2, 2022 – On April 21, Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) team members gathered for the first ever Intern Symposium, presented by three undergraduate interns from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

MAY 2, 2022 – Last week experts from OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) participated in a workshop held by the National Marine Mammal Foundation and NOAA’s Restore Science Program.

MAY 2, 2022 – This week two experts from OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division, Bryand Duke and Ken Finkelstein, participated in the 25th annual National Ocean Science Bowl.

MAY 2, 2022 – On April 19, NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) staff presented to the Salish Sea Stewards on marine debris and the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP).

A beach coastline.

APRIL 15, 2022 — The Environmental Sensitivity Index program gave a briefing on Friday, April 15, 2022 for federal and state-level stakeholders in the Great Lakes region. Organized by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the briefing was an opportunity to create awareness among our partners regarding the ESI product, recent updates to ESI data, and changes to the ESI program, as some of them have not worked with the ESI products before.

Two people standing on a boat collecting dead trees.

APRIL 25, 2022 – OR&R’s Emergency Response Division works very closely with our state and federal natural resource trustees in southern Louisiana, often coordinating very closely during oil spills that threaten trustee resources and determining the cleanup strategies that offer the best protection for the environment. Occasionally, ERD receives the very special opportunity to go beyond our oil spill response role and we are invited to assist our partners with restoration of their important parks and refuges.

APRIL 24, 2022 — On April 5, staff from the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) gave a virtual presentation at the hybrid International Plastic Pollution Summit hosted by Long Island University (LIU) and co-sponsored by the Global Council for Science and Environment and the Office for Science and Technology of the Embassy of France. The MDP's Chief Scientist, Amy V.

APRIL 24, 2022 — The NOAA Marine Debris Program and Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition's CoastWatch trained coastal community members to participate in the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project. MDMAP engages NOAA partners and volunteers around the world to survey and record the amount and types of marine debris on shorelines.

APRIL 24, 2022 – OR&R Director Scott Lundgren was joined by OR&R science and emergency representatives Lisa DiPinto, Aaron Parker, and LT Steven Wall for the biennial Spills Advisory Group hosted by the American Petroleum Institute. This meeting brings together representatives of state and federal government, nongovernment organizations, academia, petroleum industry, and cleanup organizations for information sharing on spill preparedness and response. 

Firefighter in foreground; flames in background.

APRIL 25, 2022 – The latest version of the CAMEO Chemicals hazardous materials database is now available, and it includes key emergency response data updates. The desktop and mobile app platforms have also been updated for the latest operating systems.

APRIL 18, 2022 — On April 6, Christy Kehoe, the California Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) and California Sea Grant Extension Fellow, Tanya Torres, presented at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific’s April 2022 Naturalist Program Meeting.

Man standing with computer equipment in the background.

APRIL 18, 2022 — NOAA is bidding farewell to longtime chemist, Robert Jones, who recently retired from the Emergency Response Division (ERD) of the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R).

APRIL 18, 2022 — Hurricanes and typhoons are powerful storms that cause loss of life and billions of dollars of destruction each year.

APRIL 18, 2022 — From March 28-30, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Pacific Island Regional Coordinator, Mark Manuel, participated in the Territorial Climate and Infrastructure Workshop hosted by the Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs (D.O.I.).

APRIL 11, 2022 — On April 6, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the inaugural board of directors for the new Marine Debris Foundation.

APRIL 11, 2022 — On Dec. 1, 2021, the day after the official end of the Atlantic hurricane season, the Disaster Preparedness Program kicked off continuous improvement efforts to prepare for the 2022 season.

APRIL 11, 2022 — On March 31, the 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC) launched a call for abstracts and posters, which is open until Friday, April 29, 2022. The 7IMDC is scheduled to take place from Sept. 18-23, 2022 in Busan, Republic of Korea.

APRIL 4, 2022 – On March 24, the Marine Debris Program's Monitoring Coordinator Hillary Burgess presented virtually at a "Workshop on Capacity Building on Marine Debris Monitoring by Using Innovative Technologies in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Region" hosted by the APEC Oceans and Fisheries Working Group and the Ocean Affairs Council of Chinese Taipei.

APRIL 4, 2022 — U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Mobile recently completed the assessment operations for the WWII Liberty ship, Thomas Heyward, located in about 79 feet (24 meters) of water, four miles south of the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier just north of the Pensacola-Panama City shipping lane. The vessel was intentionally sunk on April 14, 1977 off of Destin, Florida as an artificial reef structure. 

APRIL 4, 2022 – Staff from the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) attended and gave presentations at the virtual 2022 Ocean Sciences Meeting, co-sponsored by the American Geophysical Union, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, and The Oceanography Society, held Feb 28 - March 4. 

March 2022

An oil sheen on a body of water.

MARCH 28, 2022 — On March 18, 2022 a settlement was finalized in Federal District Court to resolve claims related to the Taylor Energy Platform oil spill at Mississippi Canyon 20 (“MC-20”). $16.5 million of this settlement is to partially restore natural resources injured by the spill.

A group of people standing in front of a sign.

MARCH 28, 2022 — On Thursday, March 24, the Office of Response and Restoration hosted NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad, at two project sites in northern New Jersey.

A graphic depicting an incident response timeline.

March 28, 2022 ─ On March 21-24, OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) held the second virtual offering of the “NOAA-specific ICS 300: Intermediate Incident Command System for Expanding Incidents” course, also known as ICS 300.

Salmon.

MARCH 28, 2022 — The Assessment and Restoration Division’s Megan Ewald and the Marine Debris Program’s Peter Murphy attended a multi-day virtual workshop, hosted by the Office for Coastal Management, titled Tribal Workshop: A New Lens for Engagement.

MARCH 21, 2022 –  Over the course of two afternoons on March 15 & 16, OR&R hosted a summit with NOAA developers of Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps and data. 

A cameraperson on a vessel in oiled waters.

MARCH 21, 2022 — OR&R is happy to share a new challenge from our partners at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). 

March 21, 2022 – On March 12, Christy Kehoe, California Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), presented at the Ocean Institute's 2022 Virtual Marine and Environmental Sciences College and Career Fair. The event was attended by a national audience of college-bound students, along with their parents and counselors.

A marine debris booth at a convention.

March 21, 2022 – On Saturday, March 12, students and families on the island of Kaua‘i kicked off Spring Break with Marine Debris 101 Educational Grab-and-Go Kits. Designed for both student and family learning by the Marine Debris Program, these educational kits provide a hands-on introduction to the marine debris issue. 

A group of people staring at a screen.

March 21, 2022 – On March 4, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Pacific Island Regional Coordinator, Mark Manuel, participated in a Boys and Girls Club Wai‘anae Clubhouse ‘Ohana Night event. The outreach event took place on the island of O‘ahu, while Mark participated virtually from Hawai‘i Island. 

MARCH 7, 2022 —This week the Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) invited NOAA’s Senior Scientist Lisa DiPinto to the Baltimore Aquarium for an opportunity to brief representatives from Senator Shaheen’s staff about exciting dolphin research NOAA is leading with the Baltimore National Aquarium, the CRRC, and Johns Hopkins University.  

MARCH 7, 2022 — Each year, NOAA’s Disaster Preparedness Program selects projects submitted by National Ocean Service (NOS) programs, as part of its Lagniappe Awards. (Lagniappe, a term often used in Louisiana, means “a little something extra.”)

MARCH 7, 2022 – On February 28th, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) wrapped up a month of partner-led virtual workgroup meetings to discuss the California Ocean Litter Strategy (OLS).

MARCH 7, 2022 – On February 15, 2022, the College of Charleston Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) and Environmental Science Masters Program (EVSS Program) coordinated a networking event for undergraduate and graduate students to meet with and learn from professionals working in environmental fields.

February 2022

A screenshot of a picture of marine debris with a title "Marine Debris Action Plan."

FEB. 28, 2022 — On Feb. 22 and 23, the NOAA Marine Debris Program hosted a virtual workshop to update the Gulf of Maine Marine Debris Action Plan.

FEB. 22, 2022 –  On February 7th, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Pacific Island Regional Coordinator, Mark Manuel, provided a virtual presentation to the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (UH-Hilo) Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science (TCBES) graduate seminar series. 

FEB. 22, 2022 – On the afternoons of February 8-10, 2022, the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) partnered with the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Team to hold a virtual tabletop exercise named “For Great Lakes’ Sake.” LT Rachel Pryor of the Emergency Response Division (ERD) co-hosted the first internal NOAA tabletop exercise in the Great Lakes along with DPP’s Emergency Management Specialist, Katie Krushinski.

FEB. 22, 2022 – Over recent weeks, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in outreach to the Alaska fishing industry and marine debris community stakeholders through two events. These engagements focused on the unique nature of debris issues in Alaska, emerging work, and future efforts and opportunities, including collaborative action planning.

FEB. 22, 2022 – On February 14-15, Marine Debris Program (MDP) staff served on the United States delegation to the eighteenth meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Oceans and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG). APEC is an important multilateral forum facilitating collaboration among economies in the Asia Pacific region, and marine debris is a high priority topic of discussion for the OWFG, and other relevant APEC working groups. 

FEB. 22, 2022 – On February 14th, 2022, a Consent Decree was entered finalizing $2.5 million to restore natural resources injured by releases of hazardous substances at Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii. 

FEB. 14, 2022 — On Feb. 14, 2022, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, is scheduled to visit a NOAA Marine Debris Program funded project site in Tijuana, Mexico. The project is being implemented by the nongovernmental organization, WILDCOAST, to reduce the amount of marine debris entering the Tijuana River from the Los Laureles Canyon tributary in Mexico.

A rocky shoreline area.

FEB. 14, 2022 — In this month’s lecture in the OR&R lecture series, You Don't Know What You Don't Know, we have the pleasure of diving into the world of climatology, as we listen to Dr. Nick Bond discuss the impacts that climate change has in the Pacific Northwest and the associated hazards that threaten coastal marine ecosystems and coastal communities.

FEB. 14, 2022 — In early February, the Marine Debris Program welcomed Benjamin Frey as a 2022 Knauss Fellow. The Knauss fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in the ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.

FEB. 7, 2022 – On January 25-26, 2022 the Gulf of Mexico Alliance’s Marine Debris Cross Team Initiative held its annual two-day meeting to bring together entities across the Gulf that currently address marine debris issues. 

FEB. 7, 2022 — NOAA’s scientific support coordinator in the Great Lakes, LT Rachel Pryor, hosted two webinars in recent weeks.

FEB. 7, 2022 — As we closed out the fully virtual 2022 Alaska Marine Science Symposium, the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) hosted a unique webinar, convening U.S. and Russian experts to share information on fish populations in our shared (and neighboring) seas. 

FEB. 7, 2022 — OR&R's Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) held their National Ocean Service (NOS) Incident Management Team (IMT) 101 Training on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. The training included six modules specifically designed to provide NOS IMT members with an overview of their roles and responsibilities, as well as information on response management systems, tools, and best practices useful in managing all-hazards disasters.

FEB. 7, 2022 — Staff across several NOAA offices, including OR&R, recently supported scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) who remotely piloted a Long-Range Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (LRAUV) to a leaking shipwreck for further study.

January 2022

JAN. 31, 2022 — On Jan. 13, NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator Katie Morgan provided a virtual presentation and Q&A session to more than 120 fifth grade students across six classrooms at Spring Hill Elementary School in Virginia.

JAN 31, 2022 — It's a sight that nobody wants to encounter: an oil spill at your favorite local stretch of coastline. You may immediately think of the sea turtles trying to nest on the beach, but there is much more to protect than meets the eye.

Windmills in a body of water.

JAN. 31, 2022 — On Jan. 19, 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay Area Committee hosted a wind farm workshop for federal, state, and local government agencies, along with industry and nongovernmental environmental organization partners.

Jan. 24, 2022 – On Jan. 18, 2022, a $15.3 million settlement was finalized in Federal District Court to restore natural resources damaged from the 2014 Texas City Y oil spill in Galveston Bay, Texas.

Jan. 24, 2022 – On Nov. 4, 2021 a settlement was finalized to resolve the liability of a dozen public utility companies for injuries to natural resources stemming from hazardous waste pollution at the Metal Bank Superfund site on the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jan. 24, 2022 – The Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) has selected nine projects submitted by the National Ocean Service (NOS) programs for funding as part of the “Lagniappe Awards.”

A person with a mountain landscape in the background.

JAN. 18, 2022 — The You Don't Know What You Don't Know Lecture Series from the Office of Response and Restoration kicks off its third year this week with a presentation from Nicolle Rutherford on the Environmental Sensitivity Index program.

JAN. 18, 2022  — Recently, NOAA and the Environmental Protection Agency jointly released their annual updates for CAMEO Data Manager and Tier2 Submit™, two programs that aid state and local emergency planners in preparing for and responding to chemical emergencies.

JAN. 18, 2022 — On Jan. 10, the Marine Debris Program hosted an information-sharing webinar for grant applicants. The goal of this webinar was to communicate the expectations for invited full proposal submissions to the MDP’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Prevention funding opportunity, provide clarity on what applicants could expect during the application submission process, and share the anticipated timeline and an overview of the competition and award process. 

Abandoned vessels on a beach.

JAN. 18, 2022 – The NOAA Marine Debris Program is excited to announce that recordings for all the Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels monthly webinar topics are now available on our webpage.

Graphics depicting an underwater oil platform.

JAN. 10, 2022 — On Dec. 20, 2021, a settlement was proposed in Federal District Court to resolve claims related to the Taylor Energy Platform oil spill at Mississippi Canyon 20 (“MC-20”). $16.5 million of this settlement is to restore natural resources injured by the spill.

JAN. 10, 2022 — Researchers from the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) and Oregon State University recently completed field operations in support of the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations Office of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program-funded project "Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Machine Learning, and Polarimetric Imaging to Develop a System for Enhanced Marine Debris Detection and Removal."

December 2021

A pile of plastic bands.

DEC. 20, 2021 — On Dec. 9, members of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment and its working group gathered virtually to share updates, review new work plans, and identify areas for collaboration.

Cleanup workers hauling pollution boom.

DEC. 20, 2021 — On Dec. 3, 2021, a $15.3 million settlement was proposed in Federal District Court to restore natural resources damaged from the 2014 Texas City Y oil spill in Galveston Bay, Texas.

DEC. 20, 2021 —Former OR&R scientific support coordinators (SSCs) Steve Lehmann and Ann Hayward Walker recently participated in several of ExxonMobil’s 2021 "Oil Spill Response Knowledge Transfer Webinars," a series brought back after its success last year.

A map.

DEC. 20, 2021 — The Office of Response and Restoration released a report on Nov. 20 detailing the proceedings and recommendations of last year’s workshop on the Next Generation of the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) program and products

A sunset landscape.

DEC. 20, 2021 — On Dec. 8-9, staff from the Office of Response and Restoration Disaster Preparedness Program and the Great Bay (New Hampshire) and Wells (Maine) National Estuarine Research Reserves walked through a tabletop exercise designed to test the Research Reserves’ Disaster Response Plans.

Two people on a beach hauling piles of fish netting.

DEC. 20, 2021 — On Dec. 6, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) hosted an information-sharing webinar for grant applicants.

A slideshow image highlighting Alaska Marine Debris.

DEC. 20, 2021 — Last month, Peter Murphy, Alaska Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, participated in a session focused on the issue of marine debris as part of the Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management (ATCEM).

Auditorium with empty chairs.

DECEMBER 13, 2021 — OR&R staff are participating in a training to improve their training and instruction skills. While the training team spends a great deal of time educating others, very rarely do they have the opportunity to be the students themselves.

DECEMBER 13, 2021 ─ On December 1, 2021, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) released a report on the United States’ contributions to global ocean plastic waste. 

DECEMBER 13, 2021 ─ December 3, 2021 -- As part of efforts under the Southeast Marine Debris Action Plan, the Wildlife and Habitat Impacts Working Group developed a new tool, Tangled in Trash: A Reporting Tool For Wildlife, with funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program and National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. 

DECEMBER 13, 2021 ─ On December 8, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) released the 2021 Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan. This document is the result of a collaborative effort between the MDP and partners across Hawai‘i, including federal, state, and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, industry, and academia.

Conference banner with logo.

NOVEMBER 13, 2021 ─ The 2022 virtual Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference is the latest in a long history of regional gatherings about the inland seas of Washington and southern British Columbia, collectively known as the Salish Sea.

Several people working on a beach.

DECEMBER 13, 2021 — On November 17, NOAA’s Marine Debris Program (MDP) hosted a virtual Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Marine Debris Emergency Response workshop. The CNMI experiences a high number of storms and is located in an area referred to as “Typhoon Alley,” making it especially important for the region to be prepared.

DECEMBER 6, 2021 ─ On Nov. 15 and 16 the Marine Debris Program (MDP) hosted a two-part seminar titled, "Working with Restaurants to Reduce Plastic: A NOAA Seminar on Challenges & Successes." The seminar featured presentations and a panel discussion with current and past Marine Debris Program grantees who shared their challenges and lessons learned around how to approach restaurants, how to work with them on plastic reduction, and how to maintain long-term relationships and momentum with the restaurant industry.

Gary Shigenaka (center) with two unidentified guards standing on a small vessel on the water.

DECEMBER 6, 2021 — Several OR&R staff members participated in the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Pacific States-British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force, held virtually on November 17. Composed of representatives from the key spill response agencies in Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, as well as the Canadian province of British Columbia, the Oil Spill Task Force collects and shares data on oil spills, coordinates oil spill prevention projects, and promotes regulatory safeguards.

Sault Ste. Marie locks on the St. Marys River.

DECEMBER 6, 2021 — OR&R’s Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) program released a new set of ESI data and maps for two critical links in the Great Lakes region. Work was completed in July 2021 to refresh outdated ESI mapping data for the St. Marys and St.

November 2021

Litter on a beach with long pier in the background.

NOVEMBER 22, 2021 -─ On November 10, NOAA’s Marine Debris Program (MDP) coordinated and presented at the virtual bi-annual California Ocean Litter Strategy (CA OLS) webinar. The webinar brought together over 45 partners across the state and included a diverse set of sectors including state agencies, nonprofits, private sector, and academia.

Lecture poster.

NOVEMBER 22, 2021 ─ So, what is marine snow? Can we even see it? Possibly, but in reality, marine snow are extremely small particles that float slowly from the surface of a body of water to the floor, found both in bodies of fresh and salt water. On November 18, Dr. Uta Passow, an expert on this subject, presented on this as part of the OR&R You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know Lecture Series.

Oiled beach and marsh.

NOVEMBER 22, 2021 — OR&R biologist Nicolle Rutherford was among the authors of a paper recently accepted for publication: “Meta-analysis of salt marsh vegetation impacts and recovery: a synthesis following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.”

Masked group meeting in a conference room.

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 ─ On November 3, a team of NOAA scientists from the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), and NOAA Fisheries participated in an industry-led oil spill exercise.  The scenario for the exercise, a deep-water well loss of control with a discharge significantly larger than that of Deepwater Horizon, provided an opportunity for the OR&R team to consider the processes associated with and potential environmental effects of using subsea dispersant injection (SSDI) as a response method. 

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 ─ On November 8 and 9, the OR&R Director Scott Lundgren, Marine Debris Program Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator Andrew Mason, Marine Debris Monitoring Coordinator Hillary Burgess, and California Sea Grant Extension Fellow Tanya Torres presented at the virtual 2021 Oregon Marine Debris Action Plan (ORMDAP) update workshop. A prerecorded address to the marine debris community was also provided by Oregon's 1st District Representative Suzanne Bonomici.

 

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 ─ The Seventh International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC) will be held September 18-23, 2022, in Busan, South Korea. The Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will be official co-hosts for this event, with NOAA’s Marine Debris Program providing in-kind support in planning and executing the conference. 

Whale swimming.

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 ─ On November 10, OR&R representatives presented on the potential threats of oil pollution and marine debris during the Rice's Whale Recovery Plan Workshop. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) is developing a recovery plan for Rice's whale (Balaenoptera ricei) listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2019.

Orca whale breaching.

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 — In September of this year, the Washington State Department of Ecology hosted a workshop, Marine Mammal Management in Oil Spill Response, and we wrote about the presentations given by two recently retired scientists from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, Gary Shigenaka and Dr. Alan Mearns. 

Group standing around a table, listening.

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 ─ Recently, the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator for Alaska had the opportunity to accompany U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) members to an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) equipment demonstration. Attendees included personnel from USCG Sector Anchorage, Marine Safety Unit Valdez, University of Alaska-Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center, and Alaska Department of Transportation.

Heavy equipment being operated at the site of an old dam.

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 ─ On November 9, led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Interior, 15 federal agencies and non-governmental partners commemorated a decade of accomplishments under the Urban Waters Federal Partnership while pledging their recommitment to this partnership. Twenty partnership locations across the country are advancing economic, public health, environmental, and social benefits by enhancing community connections to water.

NOVEMBER 8, 2021 ─ On Nov. 2, the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology hosted a panel discussion on Environmental Justice (EJ). The discussion provided an excellent introduction to the topic of environmental justice and OR&R staff who joined improved their understanding of the importance of the role our own work can play in perpetuating environmental injustices.

NOVEMBER 8, 2021 ─ On November 2, Marine Debris Program (MDP) team member Shanelle Naone provided information on marine debris messaging and communications to students participating in an MDP-funded grant program.

Workers in white hazmat suits remove oil from a beach. Image credit: NOAA.

NOVEMBER 8, 2021 ─ Our new interactive Story Map puts real data from the Refugio Beach oil spill at your fingertips.

Man climbing down a rocky sloe, holding a dog.

NOVEMBER 8, 2021 ─ On November 1, 2021, the 84-foot fishing vessel Laura ran aground and capsized at Sitkalidak Island, near Kodiak, Alaska. The four-person crew abandoned ship and made it safely ashore and were rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter.  But one member of the crew, Grace, the vessel’s puppy, was washed overboard and presumed lost.

October 2021

Woman on a boat in the water.

NOVEMBER 1, 2021 ─ On October 27, Katie Morgan joined the NOAA Marine Debris Program MDP) as the new Regional Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic. As Regional Coordinator, Katie will represent the MDP in the region, and work with agencies, NGO, industry, and academia on a variety of projects and initiatives to identify, research, prevent, assess, and remove marine debris.

Screen shot from intro slide of presentation.

NOVEMBER 1, 2021 ─ As the temperatures start to cool and snow starts to fall, the Great Lakes region begins to warm up to the idea of winter recreational activities. Ice fishing, racing snow mobiles, enjoying the city view from half a mile offshore on a thick slab of ice are all examples of outdoor enjoyments local residents look forward to after the new year.

Lecture poster.

NOVEMBER 1, 2021 ─ What is marine snow? It is definitely not something strap on your boots and board to go ski, it is a little deeper than that, actually way deeper. In fact, look to the oceans, marine snow is mostly an organic matter that is falling from higher layers of the water column to lower layers and eventually settling on the sea floors.

Screen capture of 12 participants.

NOVEMBER 1, 2021 ─ Every year on the third Thursday in October, participants around the world practice earthquake safety during The Great Shakeout. On October 21st, OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) held two offerings of a virtual earthquake drill to take part in this event along with more than 15.9 million global participants.

Woman working at a table.

NOVEMBER 1, 2021 ─ NOAA scientists from OR&R’s Office of Response and the Fisheries Restoration Center are in Southern California working with our state and federal co-trustees to initiate a Natural Resource Damage Assessment for the Huntington Beach oil spill (Pipeline P00547) that occurred in early October 2021.

Damaged tank farm.

OCTOBER 25, 2021 ─ On October 8, 2021 NOAA and our co-trustee partners released a Natural Resource Damage Assessment Plan  to guide assessment activities related to releases of oil and other contaminants at the ITC Tank Fire site in Deer Park, Texas. 

Poster for lecture.

OCTOBER 25, 2021 ─ Wind Farms. Why do we not see more of them on our coastlines? There is an obvious push to go green, use sustainable technologies for power, and for good reason but at what cost?

OCTOBER 25, 2021 ─ On October 21, the Marine Debris Program released the Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan 2010-2020 Accomplishments Report. The Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan was the first community-based marine debris action plan in the nation.

OCTOBER 25, 2021 ─ On October 18, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced the opening of its annual art contest. Students in grades K-8 from the United States and U.S. territories can submit their artwork now through December 10.

An ROV being lowered into the water by crew on a vessel.

OCTOBER 25, 2021 ─ This past June thru September, the OR&R Emergency Response Division supported the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations fleet by approving the augmentation request for LCDR Faith Knighton to sail 76-days as a Senior Watch Officer and Acting Commanding Officer aboard the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.

A submersible collecting marine debris, artwork by Simone L., winner of the 2021 NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.

OCTOBER 25, 2021 ─ On October 13, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Education Specialist, Alexandria Brake, led a workshop at the North American Association of Environmental Education’s 2021 Virtual Conference titled “Litter Lessons: Project-Based Marine Debris Education Using Citizen Science.” 

Heavy equipment used to remove vessel from the water.

OCTOBER 18, 2021 ─ The Marine Debris Program (MDP) is pleased to announce that Pacific Coastal Research & Planning (PCRP), a Saipan-based environmental non-profit organization, successfully completed a project funded by the MDP and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to remove the derelict fishing vessel Lady Carolina from the central Saipan Lagoon.  

OCTOBER 18, 2021 ─ On October 14, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program released the New Jersey Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: Comprehensive Guidance Document (Guide). The Guide is a product of a collaborative process with state and federal agencies.

Workers cleaning up a beach.

OCTOBER 18, 2021 — OR&R staff followed up September’s trio of Congressional briefings on the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) program with another set of three briefings between October 12 and 15. These all-interested briefings were an opportunity for Congressional staff to learn about ESI maps and data along with their current status in different regions of the country.

Aerial view of black smoke coming from near a body of water.

OCTOBER 18, 2021 ─ OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) and the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center hosted a three-day workshop to improve preparedness for West coast oil spills involving novel oils transported into the region. The workshop delved into a range of emerging oils including bakken, dilbit, biofuels, low sulfur fuel oils, and others.

Four people standing around a large piece of equipment.

OCTOBER 11, 2021 ─ We had a shared idea to create an oceanographic/meteorological buoy system that could be deployed by a relatively small vessel to support scientific research and emergency response.  We thought, “There could be so many uses in support of NOAA and NOS missions if we only had such a buoy.”  If a critical fixed monitoring station was damaged during a major hurricane and there was a need for real-time data, the buoy could be deployed as a temporary monitoring device.

Aerial view of oil on water.

OCTOBER 11, 2021 ─ On October 2, 2021, U.S. Coast Guard contacted NOAA regarding an unknown sheen in the water. Roughly 45 minutes later, NOAA captured satellite imagery, which became the basis for a NOAA Satellites Marine Pollution Surveillance Report, issued the same day, showing oil slicks extending for more than 30 miles along the coast. U.S. Coast Guard field teams investigating the information observed black oil roughly 3.25 nautical miles offshore and requested NOAA support in mapping the trajectory of the oil.

OCTOBER 11, 2021 ─ On October 6, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) released the 2021 Washington Marine Debris Action Plan. This document is the result of a collaborative effort between the MDP and partners across Washington State, including federal and state governments, tribes, nongovernmental organizations, industry, and academia.

 

Headshot of a spill responder on an overflight.

OCTOBER 11, 2021 ─ The Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force recently announced winners of its Legacy Awards and we are excited to announce that OR&R scientist emeritus Gary Shigenaka was selected for a 2021 Legacy Award in the individual category.

OCTOBER 11, 2021 ─ OR&R’s Simeon Hahn presented with EPA (Chris Orvin), the New Department of Environmental Protection Frank McLaughline), the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (Kathy Kline and Erica Rosetti), and a community organizer, Collaborate Northeast of Wilmington, Delaware (Bobbi Britton), on the Urban Water Federal Partnership (UWFP) at the 9th Annual Del-AWARE River Watershed Forum organized by the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed.

Dead seal tangled in nets.

OCTOBER 11, 2021 ─ ‘A‘ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia: No task is too big when done together by all. On September 22, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) celebrated the completion of a 30-day mission to remove marine debris from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The mission removed nearly 124,000 pounds of debris and entanglement hazards from the monument’s waters and shorelines. 

Cover of job aid.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 ─ A collaboration between NOAA OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, the Office of Atmospheric Research, and the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations has resulted in two new job aids for oil spill and hurricane response—the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Oil Spill Response Job and the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Hurricane Response Job Aid.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 ─ The month of September has been a busy one for the ERMA application.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 ─ The Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) at University of New Hampshire (UNH) successfully responded to a Broad Agency Announcement to continue its work with the science of all-hazard incidents and oil spills.

Woman in safety vest gesturing to a paper in her hand.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 ─ NOAA and other Lower Duwamish Trustees conducted site visits at two restoration projects in the construction phase along the Lower Duwamish River. Trustees finalized a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) settlement in May 2021 with Vigor Industrial and Exxon Mobil.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 ─ On September 23, 2021, Great Lakes Scientific Support Coordinator Lieutenant Rachel Pryor participated in a multi-agency effort to train Salamanca fire department and first responders for pollution response and spill equipment deployment in the Allegheny River.

Aerial coastal scene.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 ─ New England Scientific Support Coordinator William Whitmore traveled to Belfast, Maine on September 21-22 to assist U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Northern New England with an oil spill drill that was part of the USCG National Preparedness for Response Program (PREP) and a mission-critical NOAA assignment.

September 2021

Get Ready to Shake Out event poster.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 ─ On October 21, OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) will lead two opportunities to practice earthquake safety during The Great Shakeout! Registration is now open for participants to join at either 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m. PT OR 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT.

Satellite view of Lake Erie.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 — NOAA has awarded a contract to Research Planning, Inc. (RPI) to refresh the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps and data for Lake Erie. The work is expected to commence during the first quarter of FY22 and be completed by the end of the fiscal year.

Dolphins swimming through oil on the surface of the water.

A new publication entitled "A review of the toxicology of oil in vertebrates: what we have learned following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill" is now available in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B.  The open access article can be found for FREE online.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 ─ On September 15, 2021, Andrew Mason, Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator of the Marine Debris Program (MDP) presented on marine debris and plastics as part of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s virtual educational series in partnership with the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee.

A person posing for a photo in front of a building.

SEPT. 13, 2021 — NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) is excited to announce that Aaron Parker was recently selected as chief of OR&R’s Emergency Response Division — the group within OR&R that provides scientific support for preparedness and response to spills and other coastal emergencies. Aaron took the helm of the division on Aug. 30, 2021.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 ─ On September 7, the Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Monitoring Coordinator Hillary Burgess presented on the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project to the volunteer coordinators of National Marine Sanctuaries. 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 ─ On September 13, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced the FY 2022 notice of funding opportunity for Marine Debris Prevention projects. NOAA will fund prevention projects that actively engage and educate a target audience (such as students, teachers, industries, etc.) in hands-on programs designed to raise awareness, reduce barriers to marine debris prevention, and encourage and support changes in behaviors to ensure long-term prevention of marine debris.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 ─ On September 9, Marine Debris Program staff provided a presentation on marine debris impacts to coastal and marine economies during a training for government representatives of Southeast Asian nations. 

Two cleanup crew members gathering spilled oil on Refugio State Beach, California in 2015.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 — OR&R staff held three briefings for all interested Congressional staff to introduce them to Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps and data, and explain their current status in different regions of the country. The presentations were led by Scott Lundgren, Director of NOAA OR&R, and Nicolle Rutherford, ESI Program Manager. 

Baleen plates being lowered into the water.

SEPTEMBER 20. 2021 ─ On September 8, 2021, two recently retired scientists from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division gave invited virtual presentations at a workshop, Marine Mammal Management in Oil Spill Response, hosted by the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Dolphins swimming.

SEPTEMBER 20 ─ This week NOAA’s RESTORE Science Program awarded $2.3 M in funding to 20 project teams to plan for actionable science in the Gulf of Mexico. As one of the project's co-investigators, ARD’s Dr. Michel Gielazyn is helping to lead and examine the cumulative impacts of pollution on dolphins near Houston, Texas. 

Body of water with vegetation on both banks.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 ─ This week OR&R’s Dr. Michel Gielazyn of the Assessment and Restoration Division was part of a multidisciplinary team selected to receive the EPA’s “Superfund Advancing Innovations and Sustainability in Cleanup Practice” Award for her work at the Kerr-McGee Navassa site in North Carolina.

A presentation slide on ERMA.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 ─ After much planning, preparation, and even a postponement due to Hurricane Ida, the Office of Response and Restoration held a pilot virtual Southeast Resource Advisor Training. So what is a Resource Advisor anyhow?

Five proeple posing for a picture outdoors.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 ─ A U.S. Coast Guard-led planning team which included Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator, and University of Alaska Arctic Research Institute, that traveled to Kodiak to evaluate oil spill response Geographic Response Strategies or GRS.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 ─ On September 9, Marine Debris Program staff provided a presentation on marine debris impacts to coastal and marine economies during a training for government representatives of Southeast Asian nations. 

SEPT. 13, 2021 — On Sept. 29, the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC) will hold a virtual public meeting. This meeting will include presentations on the Fiscal Year 2021 achievements and Fiscal Year 2022 planned activities of the participating agencies.

An oiled beach.

SEPT. 13, 2021 — This week the Assessment and Restoration Division’s Dr. Bryand Duke was published as part of a team of scientists in the Journal of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Their research examined the impacts of Monterey crude oil during the 2015 Refugio Beach spill (Santa Barbara County, California).

An aerial view of an oil spill.

SEPT. 13, 2021 — On Sept. 1, 2021 the Department of Justice announced that a consent decree valued at $2.1 million was finalized to restore natural resources damaged during the Bayport Channel oil spill.

SEPT. 13, 2021 — OR&R's NOAA scientific support coordinator for Alaska participated in the 43rd Joint Planning Group Meeting and Exercise held under the Joint Contingency Plan of the Russian Federation and the United States of America in Combating Pollution on the Bering Sea and Chukchi Seas (Joint Contingency Plan or ‘JCP’).

A logo for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

SEPT. 13, 2021 — On Sept. 7, the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) welcomed six new undergraduate interns from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES): Tnaisha Addison, Abisola Ajayi, Sophia Anokam, Sumayyah Cravens, Semaj Fielding, and Jasmine Thompson.

SEPT. 13, 2021 — On Sept. 9, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced the 25 recipients of our 2021 Removal, Research, and North America Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Grant awards totaling approximately $7.3 million in federal funds.

Marine debris on a beach.

SEPT. 13, 2021 — On Sept. 1, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) wrapped-up a month of partner-led virtual workgroup meetings to discuss the California Ocean Litter Strategy. The meetings brought together over 75 partners across the state and included a diverse set of sectors including state agencies, nonprofits, private sector, and academia.

August 2021

Timeline showing progression of disaster support operations.

AUGUST 30, 2021 ─ On August 10 and 11, representatives from several NOAA Line Offices met to discuss agency roles, responsibilities, and opportunities for enhancing coordination and support delivery in disaster recovery. The workshop was developed by the Disaster Preparedness Program and facilitated by the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Resources Research Center. 

AUGUST 30, 2021 ─ On August 18, Marine Debris Division staff provided a presentation on the Division’s work and the United States Government’s approach to addressing marine debris to a group of officials from twelve countries. 

 

Group in a small boat hauling tangled nets and debris from the water.

On August 24, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with support from the non-profit Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP), launched a 30-day mission to remove marine debris from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

Map area affected by the storm.

AUGUST 30, 2021 ─ Prior to Tropical Storm/Hurricane Henri making landfall on August 22, 2021, FEMA gave a mission assignment to William Whitmore, the Disaster Preparedness Program’s Regional Preparedness Coordinator based out of Gloucester, Massachsetts.

Map showing Atlantic Ocean where drift cards were found.

AUGUST 30, 2021 ─ Forty-five years ago, on December 15, 1976, the tanker Argo Merchant ran aground near Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. The ship later broke up, spilling 7.6 million gallons of #6 Fuel Oil.  

Two men standing in a wooded area.

AUGUST 30, 2021 — On August 17 - 18, a number of OR&R staff participated in the CLEAN PACIFIC 2021 conference, held both virtually and in-person in Renton, Washington.

Slide from presentation highlighting data integration feature.

AUGUST 23, 2021 ─ The eleventh annual Environmental Data Management Workshop organized by NOAA took place the week of the August 16. The virtual meeting covered topics that included all facets of data management from collection through archiving.

AUGUST 23, 2021 ─ On August 16-17, Marine Debris Division (MDD) staff served on the U.S. delegation to the Seventeenth Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Oceans and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG) meeting. 

AUGUST 23, 2021 ─ On August 19, NOAA Marine Debris Division (MDD) partner, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), announced eight grants totaling $412,000 through the Fishing for Energy partnership to support activities in California, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Oregon to reduce the amount of derelict fishing gear in the marine environment. 

AUGUST 23, 2021 ─ The solicitation of nominations for the Marine Debris Foundation Board of Directors has been reopened.  The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act of 2020 established the Marine Debris Foundation (Foundation) as a charitable and nonprofit organization to support the efforts of NOAA and other entities to address marine debris and directed the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to appoint the Foundation’s

Two people gathering debris from a beach.

AUGUST 23, 2021 ─ On August 11 and 18, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), in partnership with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, supported two half-day training sessions on applying for grants for the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan community and regional stakeholders. 

Two people conversing on a dock.

AUGUST 23, 2021 ─ On August 18, United States Coast Guard Sector Detroit executed a field operation to validate existing booming plans in the St. Clair River. This evolution is to meet objectives outlined in the Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) scenario in which a fictitious tanker vessel collides with hard bottom and releases 5,000 barrels of fuel oil into the St. Clair River.

AUGUST 16, 2021 ─ The week of August 9, OR&R held our third week long virtual Science of Chemical Releases (SOCR) Class during the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Classes were held live on-line with 40 students from multiple federal and state agencies and a few non-profit response consortiums attending from across the U.S. from Hawaii to Virginia and international participants from Canada, Panama, and England. 

AUGUST 16, 2021 ─ On August 5, 2021, Sarah Latshaw, Southeast Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, was a guest presenter during the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council) meeting.  

AUGUST 16, 2021 ─ OR&R's Emergency Response Division is supporting the USCG response for the 138’ F/V St. Patrick, a scallop boat that sank in Kodiak in 1989 but recently began leaking oil. The response and investigation is ongoing and at this point, it’s unknown how much fuel has leaked or is left on board.  

Two hands decorated with healthy sea creatures amid a sea filled with debris, over the text “Together we can make a difference.”

AUGUST 16, 2021 ─ On Saturday, August 7, the Marine Debris Program’s Education Specialist, Alexandria Brake, led a workshop at the Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center (CELC) Network Virtual Youth Summit. The CELC Network is a consortium of 25 aquariums and marine science education centers located in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which is coordinated by NOAA’s Office of Education.

Woman with rubber gloves working with samples in a bucket.

AUGUST 16, 2021 ─ Contaminant loads in the fish will be evaluated through chemical analysis and their otoliths will be examined to quantify recent growth rates.  Beach seines using a NOAA research vessel and pulled to shore by hand to sort through each catch. 

Marine Debris Education webpage.

AUGUST 9, 2021 ─ On July 26, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) launched a new webpage to share marine debris educational resources, organized for easy access by four key audiences: Educators, Students, Kids and Families, and Adults and Professionals.

View of a river.

AUGUST 9, 2021 ─ On July 29, 2021, federal co-trustees, NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released the Final Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment  that calls for building a 5-acre park along the Lower Passaic River in East Newark, New Jersey.

AUGUST 9, 2021 ─ On August 2, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced the FY 2022 notice of funding opportunity for Marine Debris Removal projects. NOAA will fund removal projects that create long-term, quantifiable ecological habitat improvements to NOAA trust resources.

Area of restoration on the banks of a river.

AUGUST 9, 2021 ─ On August 5, 2021, OR&R Director Scott Lundgren represented NOAA alongside other senior agency representatives from the 15 Departments and Agencies participating in the Urban Waters Federal Partnership (external pdf factsheet).  Senior leaders from the Department of the Interior and EPA convened this meeting to build relationships and connections, provide leadership-level support for the partnership, and discuss future actions for the program as

Working group logo (hands and NOAA logo)

AUGUST 9, 2021 ─ The Diversity and Professional Advancement Working Group (DPAWG), on which the Reyhan Mehran of OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division serves as a member of the executive committee, has been selected as the recipient of NOAA’s competitive Diversity Impact Award.

Lecture poster.

AUGUST 2, 2021 ─ OR&R is pleased to have Mr. Felix Lopez an ecologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Caribbean Field Office. Felix is here to talk about the Section 7 Consultations of the Endangered Species Act. This section is to ensure Federal Agencies do not harm or jeopardize any endangered species when they perform or fund cleanup/response efforts in the wake of spills or natural disasters.

Graphic showing example responders.

AUGUST 2, 2021 ─ After much hard work, determination and dedication, OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program along with support from Genwest, completed its first ever Virtual NOAA Intermediate Incident Command System for expanding incidents (ICS 300) course on July19-22. We had 12 excellent students participating from across NOAA including three NOAA line offices (NOS, OAR, OMAO) and the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (OCAO).

AUGUST 2, 2021 ─ Subpart J of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) directs EPA to prepare a schedule of dispersants, other chemicals, and oil spill mitigating devices and substances that may be used to remove or control oil discharges.   

Abandoned lobster traps.

AUGUST 2, 2021 ─ On July 17, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) Director Nancy Wallace, Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator Christy Kehoe, and Marine Debris Monitoring Coordinator Hillary Burgess presented at a virtual 2021 Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Summit.  The three-day Summit brought together over 475 attendees from Mid-Atlantic regional entities working on marine debris, including state and federal agencies, tribes, non-profit organizations, academia, and other groups.

Person in front of a damaged oil tank.

AUGUST 2, 2021 ─ On July 22, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) received notification of crude oil seeping into sensitive marsh habitat from a large storage tank struck by a bullet in Bayou Hermitage, Louisiana. USCG ventured onsite to discover not just the leaking oil storage tank, but several additional tanks, barges and abandoned containers left to the mercy of Mother Nature. 

July 2021

People working in a lab.

JULY 26, 2021 ─ During June and July 2021, the joint OR&R and University of New Hampshire Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) and UNH School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering hosted undergraduate interns from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez and a student from Mauritius studying at Gustavo Adolphus College to work on a variety of research projects, several conducted by the center for OR&R. The research topics include oil thickness, marine oil snow, oil and ice modeling, and microplastics research. 

Debris at the bottom of a wooded ravine.

JULY 26, 2021 ─ On July 17, the Marine Debris Program Education Specialist Alexandria Brake and Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator Christy Kehoe presented at a virtual Virginia Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) Mini-Conference Series: Summer on the Shore

Two boats skimming oil over a large body of water.

JULY 26, 2021 ─ On May 11, 2016, on Green Canyon Block 248, 97 miles off the coast of Louisiana, a crude oil spill from a well-head flow line resulted in the discharge of 80,892 gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. 

Aerial view of skimmer boats and skimming equipment.

JULY 26, 2021 ─ On July 19, the Department of Justice announced filing for public comment of a consent decree proposing a $2.1 million settlement value to restore for natural resource damages for the Bayport Channel oil spill in Texas.

Poster for the lecture.

JULY 19, 2021 ─ Imagine you are sitting on the beautiful white sand beach in Waikiki on the Island of Oahu. The sun is out, the water is warm, you have a drink in your hand, you see the tide start to move out and swells start to settle, and then…

Very small salmon.

JULY 19, 2021 ─ The week of July 12, a team of NOAA scientists and partners published a new study about  juvenile Chinook salmon in the Lower Willamette River as part of our work on the Portland Harbor Superfund Site. This research shines light on the impacts of pollution on young salmon outmigrating through the Lower Willamette River enroute to the ocean from the tributaries where they were spawned.

Riverbank with building and vegetation in the background.

JULY 19, 2021 ─ On July 13, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator Christy Kehoe presented at a virtual Elizabeth River Project Habitat Quality meeting. The Elizabeth River Project is a non-profit based in Virginia with a mission to restore the Elizabeth River to the highest practical level of environmental quality through government, business, and community partnerships.

 

Two people working at the water's edge.

JULY 19, 2021 ─ Last week NOAA and partners concluded a comprehensive fish sampling effort to evaluate the relationship between contaminant concentrations and the growth of fish at the Portland Harbor Superfund site.

Colored-pencil drawing of a squid in a debris-filled ocean, with text reading "Keep the sea free of debris.

JULY 19, 2021 ─ On July 14, the Marine Debris Program Education Specialist, Alexandria Brake, and Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, led a workshop at the National Marine Educators Association 2021 Virtual Conference.

Banner advertising the webinar.

JULY 19, 2021 ─ The week of July 12, OR&R led a Congressional briefing highlighting 30 years of NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program’s (DARRP) work restoring the environment after marine pollution. Attendees learned about how NOAA has recovered $10.5 B from polluters through settlements and heard from restoration partners how those funds are being leveraged to benefit ecosystems, communities, and economies across the country.

Group of people assembled around a large conference table.

JULY 12, 2021 ─ On June 24, OR&R Director Scott Lundgren represented Department of Commerce/NOAA in an exercise of the Spill of National Significance (SONS) Strategic Coordination Call (SSCC) held at the Operations Deputy-level. He was joined by other program staff and NOAA and Department of Commerce operations centers. 

Small group of people on a beach.

NOAA, and the state and federal Trustees working on restoring habitat and resources impacted by the Refugio Beach oil spill near Santa Barbara, have released a Final Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (PDF, 183 pages). 

JULY 12, 2021 ─ On July 6, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Pacific Island Regional Coordinator, Mark Manuel, began mentoring Abigail Lewine, a 2021 Hollings Prep Program intern. The Hollings Prep Program is a pilot program that seeks to build a pool of diverse candidates (particularly those from underrepresented groups) for NOAA scholarship and fellowship programs.

JULY 12, 2021 ─ The Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) recently finalized its FY22-26 Strategic Plan. This is the second strategic plan for the DPP, which marks the three-year point for the program. The DPP has been growing in a slow, steady, and deliberative way. Additions to our portfolio over the last three years include recovery and regional support.  

Diver removing urchins at the sea floor.

JULY 12, 2021 ─ 2021 marks 30 years of NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration (DARRP) program, a matrix program across National Marine Fishery Service’s Office of Habitat Conservation, NOAA General Counsel for Natural Resources, and OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD).

Satellite data showing comparison of HAB between 2016 and 2020.

JULY 12, 2021 ─ The week of July 6, LT Rachel Pryor began planning for the Great Lakes Harmful Algal Bloom (HABs) workshop to be held in January 2023. LT Pryor is capitalizing on the momentum built from a successful HABs workshop based in the Gulf of Mexico that occurred this past April.

Large rock on a beach covered in barnacles and vegetation.

JULY 12, 2021 ─ Thirty-two years after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Alan Mearns (retired, scientist emeritus) reports that volunteers are resuming visits this summer to NOAA long term rocky intertidal monitoring sites in western Prince William Sound.

Title slide for Coastal Chaos

JULY 6, 2021 ─ On the afternoons of June 29 and 30, the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) partnered with the Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaboration Team to hold a virtual tabletop exercise. Named “Coastal Chaos,” this exercise was designed to bring regional NOAA Gulf of Mexico entities together to improve coordination, communication, and collaboration.

JULY 6, 2021 ─ On June 29, the journal Frontiers in Marine Science published an article co-authored by the Marine Debris Program. Entitled “Microplastics in Invasive Freshwater Mussels (Dreissena sp.): Spatiotemporal Variation and Occurrence With Chemical Contaminants,” the study measured microplastics and chemical contaminants in mussel tissue from Milwaukee Harbor harvested from reference locations and sites influenced by wastewater effluent and urban river discharge. 

Fish swimming in kelp.

JULY 6, 2021 ─ A new ArcGIS Story Map explores NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration (DARRP) Program’s work in each state and territory. This easy-to-use new tool breaks down the $10.5 billion DARRP has recovered from pollution settlements, what resources are benefiting from restoration projects, and where we’re actively working today.

June 2021

PacificStates | British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force logo

JUNE 28, 2021 ─ The Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force—an organization comprised of representatives from state and provincial environmental agencies in the Pacific coastal area—collects and shares data on oil spills, coordinates oil spill prevention projects, and promote regulatory safeguards to improve prevention, preparation, and response to oil spills on a state and provincial level.

JUNE 28, 2021 ─ On June 24, the Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Monitoring Coordinator Hillary Burgess was featured on the National Children’s Museum podcast STEAM Daydream. 

Palm trees blowing in strong wind on a beach.

June 28, 2021 ─ On June 21 and 23, the OR&R Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) hosted its annual Hurricane Preparedness Summit. The two-day conference, which was facilitated by the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) covered a range of hurricane preparedness and response topics.

Graphic explaining the relationships between the roles of technical advisors, response coordinators, oil spill responders, and the community.

JUNE 21, 2021 ─ For three days last week, June 15-17, 2021, OR&R staff, along with 80 other experts, participated in the National Academy of Science’s virtual “Offshore Situation Room.”

Maritime Fire & Safety Association logo.

JUNE 21, 2021 ─ On June 16-17, Lieutenant Commander Faith Knighton, Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) for the Pacific Northwest, participated in the Non-Floating Oil Spill Response Workshop.

Three images: three people working in a darkened room; oil spreading into surface slick in test chamber; screen shot from daily Zoom meeting.

JUNE 21, 2021 ─ This week, Lisa DiPinto, OR&R’s senior scientist is working with the Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC), the EPA Office of Research and Development, and Johns Hopkins University to advance our ability to characterize surface oil slicks.

JUNE 14, 2021 ─ On June 3, Ashley Hill, the Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Florida & Caribbean Regional Coordinator, and Hillary Burgess, the MDP’s Monitoring Coordinator, presented during the Keep Florida Beautiful (KFB) Annual Conference. 

JUNE 14, 2021 ─ Emergencies can strike without warning, and unfortunately, we have too many real-life examples that remind us of the importance of being prepared. With this in mind, the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) developed a readiness self-assessment tool explicitly designed to help the National Ocean Service (NOS) and NOS offices better prepare for emergencies and continuity events.

JUNE 14, 2021 ─ Scientists from OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division and NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources programs, in collaboration with our partners from the Coastal Response Research Center, led a virtual workshop to discuss ways to approach Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) for marine mammals in the Gulf of Mexico.

Overhead view of two people on a boat on the water.

JUNE 14, 2021 ─ The Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE) Summer Conference was held virtually between June 2 and 4 and attracted more than 600 registrants around the world. This year, OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) sponsored a session on the use of new data sources, which attracted more than 80 participants. Cameron Duff presented ARD’s novel method for estimating lost recreation due to disasters like oil and chemical spills.

Aerial view of land, facility, and surrounding water.

JUNE 14, 2021 ─ On June 9, 2021, the U.S Department of Justice entered two consent decrees valued at $9.3 million for settlement with companies, a local municipality, and a port district responsible for hazardous waste pollution in Western Port Angeles Harbor in Washington.

Great Lakes Marine Debris Action plan cover.

JUNE 7, 2021 — On May 20, Sarah Lowe, the Marine Debris Program's Great Lakes regional coordinator co-chaired a virtual marine debris session at the International Association of Great Lakes Research Conference.

Beach with sign warning of bird nesting area.

JUNE 7, 2021 — From May 25-27, the Emergency Response Division of OR&R conducted Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) team member training for the U.S. Coast Guard National Strike Force and Sector Mobile’s Incident Management Division through both virtual classroom instruction and in-person field training on Gulf Islands National Seashore Pensacola Beach, Florida.

May 2021

Workshop poster.

JUNE 1, 2021 — During the week of May 23, 2021, OR&R scientists participated in 3 half-day meetings with the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI), NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), and the broader academic community in the U.S. and Brazil, on shared oil spill response and restoration goals.

JUNE 1, 2021 — Each year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) leads a nation-wide exercise designed to evaluate progress toward achieving an overall emergency preparedness culture.

Lecture poster.

JUNE 1, 2021 — When disaster hits response teams are activated and begin working on a ground level. The teams use photos to prepare for the next day's activities. Having an aerial perspective helps identify areas hardest hit, locations of possible danger, and even to identify civilians stranded that need help.

MAY 24, 2021 — On May 11, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), along with the California Ocean Protection Council, co-hosted a California Ocean Litter Prevention Strategy update webinar.

Screen shot from presentation.

MAY 24, 2021 — This month’s "You Don't Know What You Don't Know" lecture featured Mr. Jamie Rhome, team lead at NOAA’s National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, where he serves as a subject matter expert on storm surge and coastal inundation for the National Weather Service’s hurricane program.

MAY 24, 2021 — On May 20, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) released the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan. This document is the result of a productive and collaborative effort between the MDP and partners from local, state, and federal governments, nonprofits, industry, and academic institutions. 

MAY 24, 2021 —NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to announce a solicitation of nominations for the Marine Debris Foundation Board of Directors. The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act of 2020 established the Marine Debris Foundation (Foundation) as a charitable and nonprofit organization to support the efforts of NOAA and other entities to address marine debris and directed the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to appoint the Foundation’s governing Board of Directors (Board).

Aerial view of an oil spill in a river.

MAY 24, 2021 — On May 20, 2021 NOAA and our partners released a Draft Restoration and Environmental Assessment plan for the Gretna/DM 932 Mississippi RIver oil spill. The plan proposes projects to restore habitats impacted by the oil spill on the Mississippi River near downtown New Orleans.

Oil slick on water.

MAY 17, 2021 — On May 11, Doug Helton from ERD joined the USCG's monthly MER/IMD conference call/webinar and briefed the 100+ participants on the progress and current status of NOAA's Remediation of Underwater Legacy Environmental Threats (RULET) project.

Tugboat on a river.

MAY 17, 2021 — The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington finalized a settlement worth approximately $3.9 million with the City of Seattle to fund natural resource restoration in the Lower Duwamish River.

MAY 17, 2021 — Following Earth Month, the MDP's Great Lakes Regional Coordinator Sarah Lowe has been participating in some virtual outreach!

MAY 17, 2021 — On Thursday, May 6, NOAA Scientific Support and Regional Preparedness Coordinator William Whitmore discussed on-the-water oil identification to the Friends of Casco Bay, a volunteer organization that works to preserve and protect the environmental health of Casco Bay, Maine. 

Screen shot of virtual participants.

MAY 17, 2021 — The International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC), held this year on May 10 – 14, is a highly acclaimed event inviting a diverse coalition of emergency responders and scientists spanning international governments, industry, and academic experts across many countries to tackle many response challenges and share technological advances.

Presentation intro slide.

MAY 7, 2021 — On April 29, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) Planning and Preparedness Specialist Jessica Conway and Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator Christy Kehoe presented at a virtual Delaware Debris Summit. 

 

2021 Earth Day Virtual Symposium poster.

MAY 7, 2021 — On April 23, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) and Marine Debris Program (MDP) staff participated in the 2021 Earth Day Virtual Symposium of a specialized science, mathematics, engineering and technology (STEM) secondary school, Escuela Especializada en Ciencias, Matemática y Tecnología (CIMATEC), in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Discolored water near the beach.

MAY 7, 2021 — On April 27-29, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) and the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) co-hosted a virtual workshop and table top exercise on harmful algal bloom (HAB) preparedness and response capabilities and responsibilities across the federal government and state agencies. 

MAY 7, 2021 — On April 22, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) presented at a session of the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council’s (ITRC) annual spring meeting focused on microplastics. 

Screen shot from presentation.

MAY 7, 2021 — On April 26 - 30, 2021 we held our Second Virtual Science of Chemical Releases (SOCR) Class.  Classes were held live on-line with forty students attending from across the US and Canada, spanning geographically from Maine to St. Croix.

Satellite image of Pearl Harbor.

MAY 7, 2021 — On April 23, 202, a Consent Decree was lodged that includes $2.5 million to restore natural resources injured by releases of hazardous substances at the Oahu Sugar site at Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii. 

May 3, 2021 ─ On April 21, Nancy Wallace, director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, participated in a webinar, “Addressing and Managing Plastic Pollution,” hosted by the EPA Watershed Academy.

May 3, 2021 ─ On April 22, the Marine Debris Program’s California Regional Coordinator Sherry Lippiatt and Monitoring Coordinator Hillary Burgess presented on NOAA’s Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) as part of a California Trash Monitoring Webinar Series.

Mao with details of projects funded by NOAA MDP in Alaska provided to Sen. Sullivan.

May 3, 2021 ─ On April 14, Nancy Wallace, Director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), and Peter Murphy, Alaska Regional Coordinator, participated in a virtual roundtable event hosted by Senator Dan Sullivan (AK). 

Slide from the presentation given at the workshop.

May 3, 2021 ─ On April 26-27, the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration’s Disaster Preparedness Program partnered with the University of Florida Center for Coastal Solutions, the National Science Foundation, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute to host the Shared Operational Research Logistics in the Nearshore Environment (SHORELINE 21) workshop.

Lecture poster.

May 3, 2021 ─ OR&R is pleased to introduce Jamie Rhome, the storm surge team lead at the National Hurricane Center.

Slide, with infographic of five critical questions facing responders at a spill.

May 3, 2021 ─ OR&R Director Scott Lundgren addressed the Spill Control Association of America (SCAA) Annual Meeting on April 28, 2021 as part of a virtual government panel. 

April 2021

A logo for the Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network.

April 26, 2021—On April 20, the Marine Debris Program Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator Christy Kehoe presented at a virtual Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network meeting during Earth Week. The mission of the Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network is to promote and facilitate coordination, collaboration, and communication among groups working to reduce plastic pollution throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

April 26, 2021—In three separate one-on-one briefings, OR&R Director Scott Lundgren met with staff from the offices of Senators Susan Collins (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Chuck Schumer (NY) on April 15-16.

A camera being picked up by a ship.

April 26, 2021—In March and April, the Emergency Response Division supported the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations Fleet by approving the augmentation request and sending LTJG Hayley Betker and LT Rachel Pryor to the NOAA Ship “Pisces” in the Gulf of Mexico. LTJG Betker reported for the first leg of the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program survey out of Pascagoula, Mississippi and LT Pryor followed on the second leg.

April 26, 2021—On April 20, 2021, Lieutenant Commander Faith Knighton, scientific support coordinator for the Pacific Northwest, presented an Office of Response and Restoration and Emergency Response Division overview at the virtual 29th Annual Joint Safety and Environmental Professional Development Symposium hosted by the Naval Safety and Environmental Training Center.

People standing on ice with a square cut into the ice.

April 26, 2021—This week, OR&R’s Senior Scientist Lisa DiPinto led a project funded by the U.S Coast Guard’s Research and Development Center entitled “Advancing Detection Capabilities for Monitoring Oil Spills in Ice Environments.”

A screenshot of a video meeting.

April 26, 2021—In March and early April, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division provided Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) training in a hybrid (virtual and field) learning environment to spill responders in the San Francisco Bay area.

20th Washington State HazMat Workshop logo.

April 19, 2021 — On April 15 Lieutenant Commander Faith Knighton, Scientific Support Coordinator for the Pacific Northwest, presented an Office of Response and Restoration and Emergency Response Division overview at the virtual 2021 LEPC-Tribal Conference and Hazardous Materials Workshop hosted by the Washington State Emergency Response Commission.

View of river and surrounding land.

April 19, 2021 — On April 12, NOAA and our natural resource co-Trustees released a Draft Supplemental Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Kalamazoo River. The plan is open for public comment through May 14, 2021. 

April 19, 2021 — As part of the Disaster Preparedness Program’s (DPP) commitment to continuously enhancing the value of program services to NOAA and partners across the country, DPP has embarked on an innovative research collaboration exploring strategies to quantify relationships between disaster preparedness activities and outcome metrics.

Arctic Guardian 2021 logo.

April 19, 2021 — On April 12-14 the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) Working Group of the Arctic Council and the Arctic Coast Guard Forum (ACGF) held Arctic Guardian 2021, an international online emergency response exercise. 

Poster welcoming participants to the workshop.

April 12, 2021 — Aquaculture, or the farming of aquatic animals like oysters, is becoming more and more popular in coastal areas. As the demand for seafood rises around the world, aquaculture provides a sustainable way to meet that demand.

April 12, 2021 — NOAA continues to deepen engagement with the federal Recovery Support Function Leadership Group (RSFLG), advancing the stewardship component of the agency’s mission by aiding communities in disaster recovery.

April 12, 2021 — On March 30, Ashley Hill, the Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Florida and Caribbean Regional Coordinator, presented about marine debris initiatives and citizen science opportunities during a three-part Marine Pollution Symposium. 

Lecture poster.

April 12, 2021 — This week, Dr. Forrest Masters, Ph. D., P. E. will present as part of the “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know” lecture series. Dr. Masters is a professor of civil and coastal engineering in the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment at the University of Florida.

Whale above the water.

April 12, 2021 — Scientists from OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division and NOAA Fisheries, in collaboration with our partners from the Coastal Response Research Center, are leading a virtual workshop with NOAA marine mammal scientists from the Alaska Region, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Northwest Fisheries Science Center and other NOAA participants to discuss ways to approach Natural Resource Damage Assessment for marine mammals in sub-arctic Alaskan waters.

 

Two fish larvae.

April 5, 2021 — Scientists from OR&R have been working with collaborators from the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and other research groups to improve our understanding of how exposure to oil during early development causes injury in fish.

April 5, 2021 — On Friday, March 26, Director of OR&R, Scott Lundgren, had a one-on-one briefing with Senator Maria Cantwell’s (WA) office staff. 

Marine debris at the edge of a body of water.

April 5, 2021 — On March 25-26, the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR) hosted a virtual workshop, Binational Management of Solid Waste and Flooding, with more than 130 participants representing the U.S. and Mexico. 

Park next to a river; bridge in background.

April 5, 2021 — Environmental justice is the idea that all people, regardless of race, religion, national origin, or economic station, deserve fair treatment with regards to environmental laws and policy. The Urban Waters Federal Partnership works to restore and revitalize relationships between urban communities, particularly those that have been disproportionately impacted by pollution or economic distress, and local waterways.

March 2021

EPA and NOAA logo.

March 29, 2021 — On March 22, Lieutenant Rachel Pryor facilitated a meeting between OR&R’s Spatial Data Branch and the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 5 Superfund Program to discuss establishing an inter-agency digital highway to share data between the two agencys' mapping programs.

Lecture poster.

March 29, 2021 — Last week, during the You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know Lecture we took a deep dive into the history of Mallows Bay and the ghost ship fleet with Maryland’s State Underwater Archeologist, Dr. Susan Langley. 

Hands digging in mud next to a tray.

March 29, 2021 — From 1962 to 1985, Metal Bank of America Inc. owned and operated a salvage yard adjacent to the Delaware River. The facility recycled scrap metal and electrical transformers from various utility companies. The Environmental Protection Agency designated Metal Bank a Superfund site in 1983.

March 22, 2021 — On March 11, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Pacific Island Regional Coordinator Mark Manuel, participated as a panelist in the 2011 Japan Earthquake and its Tsunami: A 10-Year Remembrance Special Event for Internal NOAA staff in the Pacific Islands Region.

Fish.

March 22, 2021 — As federal trustees for natural resources, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are initiating studies to assess natural resource injuries related to the release of hazardous substances from or near the Diamond Alkali Superfund site. The site, centered in Newark, New Jersey, includes the Lower Passaic River, Newark Bay, and other areas.

Birds flying around a breaching whale.

March 22, 2021 — Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Assessment and Restoration Division scientist Ken Finkelstein took part virtually in the National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB) Northeastern Competition. The annual NOSB competition holds regional events for high school students and invites the winners to the national tournament during the spring. 

A pie chart and picture of the globe reading "MDMAP data analysis and observations.

March 22, 2021 — On March 8, Peter Murphy, the Alaska for the Marine Debris Program, presented as part of an expert panel on marine litter monitoring at the International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic. 

March 15, 2021 — Starting on March 1, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated virtually in six National Advisory Meetings on the current state of knowledge on dispersants in Canadian waters. Dispersant use in Canada is currently very restricted. The review sessions focused on the potential ecological impacts and trade-offs associated with chemical dispersants. 

The 2010-2020 Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan cover with a photo of people on a boat hauling up a tangle of nets.

March 15, 2021 — On March 2, Scott Lundgren, Director of the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), provided congratulatory remarks during the plenary kick-off of the 2021 Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan workshop.

March 15, 2021 — California-based sustainable textiles consultancy, Materevolve, and the Marine Debris Program partnered to host an engaging workshop entitled “California Microfiber Workshop: Science, Innovation & Connection,” on Nov. 17, 2020. 

March 15, 2021 — Each year, the Disaster Preparedness Program leads the National Ocean Service Incident Management Team through a review of the previous hurricane season with respect to our personnel, missions, and infrastructure. The process helps NOS learn from the previous year and plan for the next. These lessons learned are collected into an After Action Report and include a plan for improvement.  

A machine in water.

March 15, 2021 — Scientists from OR&R worked with partners to develop and field test the drifting exposure and effects assessment ring (DEEAR), an in situ bioassay system designed to assess the toxicity of oil spills to aquatic organisms. The DEEAR unit is a drifter drogue with a GPS float that has a bioassay system suspended inside it, where organisms contained in chambers are exposed to ambient water. The unit also contains an array of water quality sensors, a fluorometer, and polyethylene passive sampling devices to characterize the oil exposure. 

Conference announcement.

March 8, 2021 — The NOAA Office of Response and Restoration’s Disaster Preparedness Program has partnered with the University of Florida Center for Coastal Solutions, the National Science Foundation, and other partners to host the Shared Operational Research Logistics in the Nearshore Environment, SHORELINE 21 workshop on April 26-27 from 9am-5pm ET. 

March 8, 2021 — At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NOAA Homeland Security Program Office (HSPO) stood up an After Action Reporting/Lessons Learned Unit led by Katie Krushinski and Charles Grisafi from the Office of Response and Restoration’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP).

Man in a boat.

March 8, 2021 — Effective March 1, William (Willie) Whitmore is the new Northeast Region Scientific Support Coordinator/Regional Preparedness Coordinator (SSC/RPC). Willie covers planning and response to spills from the Canadian border to New York, and supports USCG District One and USCG Sectors Northern New England,  Boston, Southeast New England, Long Island, and New York.

March 8, 2021 — On February 23, the Marine Debris Program Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator Christy Kehoe participated in a workshop to update Virginia's Marine Debris Reduction Plan.

 

Forklift truck loading nets into a disposal bin.

March 8, 2021 — On February 25, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), a partner of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, announced the 2021 Request for Proposals for the Fishing for Energy Partnership.


 

February 2021

Pool of muddy water surrounded by boom.

March 1, 2021 — On Feb. 22, at approximately 1:45 p.m., a tanker truck carrying approximately 6,500-gallons of used cooking oil crashed in the median of Route 17 in Essex County, Virginia.

March 1, 2021 — On Monday, February 22, Scott Lundgren, Director of OR&R, had a one-on-one briefing with Washington D.C. and district staff from the office of Senator Jeanne Shaheen.  

March 1, 2021 — On February 18 and 19, Marine Debris Program representative Andrew Mason (Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator) attended a virtual workshop comprised of partners from across Oregon.

March 1, 2021 — On February 24-25, Marine Debris Program (MDP) staff served on the U.S. delegation to the Sixteenth Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Oceans and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG) meeting, held virtually by the Government of New Zealand. 

Derelict traps, water in background.

March 1, 2021 — On February 17, the Marine Debris Program Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinators Demi Fox and Christy Kehoe participated in the first virtual workshop to create the Long Island Sound Marine Debris Action Plan (MDAP). 

March 1, 2021 — From February 9-23, a virtual international spill response exercise was held to practice how Arctic Council nations would request and receive emergency international support. Support could include aircraft, vessels, response equipment, and personnel. 

"Fishing Practice and Gear Inventory Project Actions" poster

February 22, 2021 — The Marine Debris Program (MDP) attended and presented at the bi-annual Arctic Council working group meetings on assembling an international action plan for marine litter in the Arctic. Peter Murphy, the MDP Alaska Coordinator, gave a presentation on proposed projects for initial action under the plan.

People in white coats working with a dolphin.

February 22, 2021 — On the Feb. 18 episode of You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know, we dove into the life of a veterinarian for oiled wildlife. Dr. Michael Ziccardi of UC Davis discussed how far we have come in giving the oiled wildlife in a response a chance to survive.

Table.

February 22, 2021 — OR&R staff co-authored a recent paper in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, Responder Needs Addressed by Arctic Maritime Oil Spill Modeling. This paper is part of a larger project, “Oil Spill Modeling for Improved Response to Arctic Maritime Spills” funded by the Department of Homeland Security’s Arctic Domain Awareness Center and facilitated by the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center.

February 22, 2021 — On February 18, Nancy Wallace and Hillary Burgess of the Marine Debris Program (MDP) presented to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) ad hoc committee on the United States Contributions to Global Ocean Plastic Waste.

February 22, 2021 — With support from NOAA’S Southeast and Caribbean Regional Collaboration Team (SECART), The NOAA Office of Response and Restoration’s Disaster Preparedness Program and Marine Debris Program are co-hosting a North Carolina Aquaculture Gear Management and Storm Preparedness workshop.

Listing, smoking vessel next to a dock.

February 22, 2021 — Early on February 18, 2021, the USCG notified the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) for the region of a major vessel fire in the Hylebos Waterway in Tacoma, Washington.  A fire had broken out shortly before midnight aboard the 233-foot Aleutian Falcon at Pier 25 in the Port of Tacoma.  

Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute logo.

February 15, 2021 — On February 12, 2021, the Advisory Board for the Oil Spill Recovery Institute (OSRI) in Cordova, Alaska, held its winter meeting virtually. OR&R’s Doug Helton is the Federal Chair of OSRI which was established by Congress in response to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. 

February 15, 2021 — In January, the Marine Debris Program welcomed two new members to the Communications Team.

February 15, 2021 — On February 10, the National Ocean Service (NOS) Incident Management Team (IMT) held its monthly meeting.

February 15, 2021 — On February 1, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and the U.S. State Department secured project funding from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) for a project that will be led by the Ocean Conservancy's Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI).

Person next to a patch of oil on a beach.

February 8, 2021 — After the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, field teams collected tens of thousands of samples to analyze for oil constituents as part of a natural resource damage assessment. Care was exercised to avoid cross-contamination by cleaning equipment between samples. 

Woman in uniform posing for photo with a flag.

February 8, 2021 —Please welcome LCDR Faith Knighton to OR&R!

A vessel and a large pile of marine debris in the water next to a dock.

February 8, 2021 — On February 3 members of OR&R's Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) and the Marine Debris Program's (MDP) Response Goal Team met to discuss marine debris issues in post-disaster long term recovery.

Three people standing on a barge with two abandoned vessels.

February 8, 2021 — The Marine Debris Program is excited to announce our new monthly webinar series, Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels. Every fourth Wednesday of the month at 3:00 pm ET, the webinar will feature experts on a topic related to abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs), to share perspectives and solutions from across the country on common ADV issues.  


 

January 2021

February 1, 2021 — On January 28, Charles Grisafi, Southeast Regional Preparedness Coordinator, represented OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) as a guest speaker at a NOAA Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Team meeting. 

Pilings in the water, with structures behind.

February 1, 2021 — On January 28, 2021 The U.S. Department of Justice proposed a $48.4 million settlement to partially fund natural resource restoration in Superfund sites along Seattle’s Lower Duwamish River at the Harbor Island, Lower Duwamish, and Lockheed West hazardous waste sites. 

February 1, 2021 — On January 20, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Pacific Island Regional Coordinator, Mark Manuel, provided a virtual presentation to the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (UH-Hilo) Marine Debris in the Pacific senior-undergraduate course.

Event poster.

February 1, 2021 — On January 15th, the Scripps-Rady Ocean Plastic Pollution Challenge kicked off its 6-month accelerator program focused on identifying effective, evidence-based approaches to curb the flow of plastic into the California Coast.

Large vessel in icy conditions.

February 1, 2021 — An upcoming virtual international response exercise will help improve U.S. and international preparedness for major spills in the Arctic.

JANUARY 25, 2021 — Over the past 2 weeks, the Arctic Council's Emergency Prevention Preparedness and Response (EPPR) Working Group held its winter meeting online. EPPR includes expert working groups on oil pollution, search and rescue, radiation emergencies, and wildfires. Normally the members meet in person, but due to the health emergency restrictions and circumpolar time zones, the meetings were held remotely for a few hours each day.

Lecture series poster.

JANUARY 25, 2021 — It was a blustery, overcast morning on August 28, 2017 when Adam Davis, then a young Scientific Support Coordinator, showed up on scene in Port Arthur, Texas. Wide-eyed and excited Adam could not wait to get started assisting the Marine Safety Unit, that was until he saw the flooding. Freeways and city streets completely submerged underwater. 

JANUARY 25, 2021 — On January 16, the Marine Pollution Bulletin published a Viewpoint article written by the Marine Debris Program.

An aerial view of a roller coaster, wrecked, in the ocean.

JANUARY 25, 2021 — On January 6 and 13, NOAA’s Marine Debris Program hosted a virtual two-part New Jersey Marine Debris Emergency Response Planning workshop as part of an ongoing project to help improve the preparedness of coastal states in their response to and recovery from acute marine debris incidents.

Grassy wetland next to a body of water.

JANUARY 19, 2021 — Per a Federal Register Notice on January 14, 2021, the Department of Justice announced that a consent decree was lodged in the hazardous waste case of DuPont Beaumont in Jefferson County, Texas.

Trash in a stream.

JANUARY 19, 2021 — On January 8, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator, Christy Kehoe, provided a virtual presentation and Q+A session more than 150 fifth grade students and staff from Spring Hill Elementary School in Virginia.

View of a hazy skyline from a vessel.

JANUARY 19, 2021 — On January 13, OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) hosted the first National Ocean Service (NOS) Incident Management Team (IMT) meeting of 2021.

Sinking boat near a dock.

JANUARY 19, 2021 — As with most coastal states, abandoned and derelict vessels (ADV) has become a major problem in our waterways. In most cases, these ADVs, are commonly abandoned, often in disrepair and without ownership.

Slide describing OR&R activities

JANUARY 11, 2021 — On January 6, the OR&R director, Scott Lundgren, along with staff from OR&R headquarters, Marine Debris Program, Emergency Response Division, and the Coastal Response Research Center provided a briefing for the new director of the National Weather Service Ocean Prediction Center as well as senior and interested staff from the Center.

Wooded area with river in background.

JANUARY 11, 2021 — A recent Feature Story on the NOAA Fisheries website focused on the use of the DIVER application to support clean-up and habitat restoration in the St. Louis River in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  

Construction work being done around a river.

JANUARY 11, 2021 — A study led by OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division's Ken Finkelstein and NOAA’s National Center for Coastal Ocean Sciences Ed Wirth, titled “Acute PCB Benthic Invertebrate Toxicity Testing to Support the 2017 Chronic Dose-Response Sediment Injury Model” has been published online in the Journal of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 

People and a bird on a beach with plastic debris.

JANUARY 4, 2021 — On December 16, the Marine Debris Program’s Monitoring Coordinator, Hillary Burgess, presented on the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project to participants of the United Nations Environment Programme Workshop: Understanding the Contributions of Citizen Science to Plastic Pollution Monitoring through the SDG Framework.

December 2020

overhead view of a neighborhood after a flood.

DECEMBER 21, 2020 — On November 30, The University of New Hampshire (UNH) Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) working with OR&R's Disaster Preparedness Program and Assessment and Restoration Division economists released a request for proposals for technical support to enhance our knowledge of economic valuing of preparedness, specifically in coastal disasters.

DECEMBER 21, 2020 — The OR&R Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) is excited to announce the recipients of the second annual Preparedness Lagniappe Awards. Funds were made available to National Ocean Service (NOS) program offices to fill preparedness gaps or innovate their current preparedness efforts.

A screenshot of the updated program.

DECEMBER 21, 2020 — In mid-December, the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) CAMEO® team released CAMEO Data Manager, a desktop program for managing data about chemicals stored or transported in communities, especially data required under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). 

DECEMBER 21, 2020 — On December 15, the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC) held a virtual public meeting focusing on marine debris monitoring and detection.

DECEMBER 21, 2020 — On December 15, the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC) held a virtual public meeting focusing on marine debris monitoring and detection.

Woman standing in a marsh with thick hoses.

DECEMBER 21, 2020 — In August of 2019, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) received notification of a crude oil spill in the southern Louisiana marsh (29° 28' 33" N, 089° 38' 07" W). The oil company reported a release of 20 barrels of crude oil and an unknown quantity of produced water.

DECEMBER 14, 2020 — On Wednesday, December 9, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) SciTech Forum hosted a complimentary webinar weeks before the 2021 main event that addressed current impacts to the commercial aviation industry.

DECEMBER 14, 2020 — Prior to 2020, the majority of the OR&R training was conducted in-person at venues throughout the country.

DECEMBER 14, 2020 — On December 7 and 8, Andrew Mason, Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator of the Marine Debris Program (MDP), along with support from multiple members from both the Atlantic and Pacific MDP Teams, hosted an all-virtual workshop to allow stakeholders and community members to update the existing Washington Marine Debris Action Plan created in 2018.

DECEMBER 14, 2020 — On December 7, Nancy Wallace, Director of the Marine Debris Program (MDP), presented at NASA’s Goddard Engineering Colloquium Series on the topic of remote sensing technologies for detection of marine debris.

DECEMBER 14, 2020 — OR&R completed the last of four workshop days focused on defining what the next generation of Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps should/could look like in a resource constrained environment. 

Screen shot of slide show and presenter.

DECEMBER 14, 2020 — On December 9, OR&R Director Scott Lundgren presented on a government panel at the American Salvage Association Annual Meeting alongside colleagues from the Coast Guard, Navy SupSalv, and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

Grassy area with river in background.

DECEMBER 7, 2020 — The U.S. Department of Justice lodged a consent decree for public comment proposing a settlement to fund natural resource restoration in Superfund sites along Seattle, Washington’s Lower Duwamish River.

DECEMBER 7, 2020 — On November 19, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), in its role as Chair of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC), hosted a webinar for IMDCC agency representatives as well as MDP staff.

Flooded street with tree falling across it.

DECEMBER 7, 2020 — On November 17, the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) convened the National Ocean Service (NOS) Incident Management Team (IMT) for a virtual hotwash about the record setting 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season that included 29 named storms.

Stacked crab traps and containers.

DECEMBER 7, 2020 — On December 1-2, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, led by Christy Kehoe, Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator, hosted a series of four virtual workshops to refine and confirm objectives and actions within the draft Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan.

Conference banner.

DECEMBER 7, 2020 — On November 23 – 27, chief scientist Amy Uhrin and research analyst Carlie Herring, from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, participated in the biennial MICRO2020 conference

Aerial image of spilled oil and vessels on the water.

DECEMBER 7, 2020 — Following the Deepwater Horizon spill, in order to significantly reduce the time required to contain a deep sea well, industry built out ready to deploy subsea containment equipment and interim subsea dispersal equipment.

Lecture poster

DECEMBER 7, 2020 — Please join us Thursday, December 17 at 3:00pm EST for the next episode of You Don't Know What You Don't Know. We are pleased to welcome a very special guest, Amy Kukulya from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

View of river with Kayaker in background.

DECEMBER 7, 2020 — A  Consent Decree was entered that includes $25 million as a partial settlement to restore natural resources injured by releases of hazardous substances to the Kalamazoo River and Portage Creek in Kalamazoo and Allegan Counties, Michigan.

November 2020

Activity involving two boats in a lake.

NOVEMBER 23, 2020 — In fiscal year 2020: OR&R provided scientific support for 200 pollution-related incidents.

NOVEMBER 23, 2020 — On November 17, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation sponsored a half-day virtual workshop California Microfiber Workshop: Science, Innovation & Connection

NOVEMBER 23, 2020 — During the week of November 16, the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) hosted a virtual synthesis workshop titled “GoMRI Contributions to Dispersant Science.” 

Logo of the IACM Conference

NOVEMBER 23, 2020 — Last week, members of the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) participated in the 68th annual International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Annual Conference, which was held for the first time as a virtual event. 

SETAC and the conference logos

NOVEMBER 23, 2020 — Assessing the hazards and risks posed by oil and petroleum products is challenging due to the complex nature and variable physiochemical properties of constituents comprising these substances.

Man standing next to a sign.

NOVEMBER 23, 2020 — Ever wonder how oil spill responders come up with the ideas and suggestions for oil spill cleanups? Well, this last episode of the You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know lecture series explains it all. Dr. Tom Coolbaugh, program/facility manager of Ohmsett for the Applied Research Associates, Inc. dives into all the extraordinary studies and experiments they are conducting at Omhsett’s wave and test tank.

NOVEMBER 23, 2020 — On November 19, the Marine Debris Program released its Strategic Plan for fiscal years (FY) 2021-2025. 

Man speaking to several people in a large meeting room.

NOVEMBER 16, 2020 — On November 6, 2020, Admiral Charles Ray, Vice-Commandant of the United States Coast Guard (USCG), visited the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC) in Mobile, Alabama, to see first-hand where USCG Sector Mobile Hurricane Sally operations were managed, and to thank key staff that supported them.

NOVEMBER 16, 2020 — On November 10, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced the fiscal year 2021 notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for North America Marine Debris Prevention and Removal projects.

NOVEMBER 16, 2020 — OR&R completed the second of four workshop days focused on helping to define what the next generation of Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps should/could look like in a resource constrained environment. 

Two images, each of one man holding up a piece of paper.

NOVEMBER 16, 2020 — OR&R and Coast Guard National Pollution Funds Center (NPFC) representatives met virtually on October 30th to discuss their ongoing relationship. The NPFC provides funding to support OR&R's response to oil and hazardous substance releases and initiation of natural resource damage assessment.

Marine Debris Collaborative Webpage

NOVEMBER 16, 2020 — On October 22, the Southeast and Great Lakes Regional Coordinators for the NOAA Marine Debris Program teamed up to host a virtual training on using the Southeast Marine Debris Collaborative Portal.  This online portal allows visitors to view marine debris-related resources and information such as projects, cleanups, funding opportunities, and events for Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. 

Underwater image of mussels.

NOVEMBER 16, 2020 — The Hudson River Natural Resource Trustees released two data reports presenting findings on freshwater mussels in the Upper Hudson River in support of the Hudson River Natural Resource Damage Assessment.

Screenshot of a virtual presentation.

NOVEMBER 9, 2020 — On October 20, Peter Murphy, Alaska Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), presented on Unoccupied Aerial System (UAS) efforts, observations, and opportunities at the recent Drones in the Coastal Zone Workshop.  

NOVEMBER 9, 2020 — On November 4, the Marine Debris Program released its 2020 Accomplishments Report.

 

Satellite image of hurricane.

NOVEMBER 9, 2020 — NOAA’s National Ocean Service brings a wealth of coastal science, management, and operational expertise to help communities respond to and recover from hurricanes.

NOVEMBER 9, 2020 — On November 5, Charles Grisafi, Southeast Regional Preparedness Coordinator, was a guest speaker representing the NOAA Disaster Preparedness Program at a South Carolina Hurricane Task Force virtual meeting hosted by the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD).

NOVEMBER 9, 2020 — A review of selected 2019 literature on the Effects of Pollution on Marine Organisms has been published in the October 2020 Annual Literature Review Issue of Water Environment Research.

NOVEMBER 9, 2020 — On October 29, Sarah Lowe, Great Lakes Regional Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program, participated in the virtual Lake Erie Science and Outdoor Writers Workshop, organized by Ohio Sea Grant.

Woman working in a lab.

NOVEMBER 2, 2020 — OR&R Senior Scientist Lisa DiPinto joined scientists from the EPA and U.S. Coast Guard to conduct experiments at the Ohmsett test tank facility in Leonardo, New Jersey to prepare for larger scale experiments being planned for later this year.

NOVEMBER 2, 2020 — On October 21, The Plastic Shift published an interview with Dr. Amy V. Uhrin, Chief Scientist of the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP).

NOVEMBER 2, 2020 — With the start of school, OR&R scientists began another year of exchanging letters with "pre-scientists" around the country. This month OR&R scientists participating in the Letters to a Pre-Scientist program received their first pen pal letters.

NOVEMBER 2, 2020 — An OR&R biologist was part of a discussion panel for the Eighth Annual Friday Harbor (Washington) Film Festival on October 25. The panel discussed the featured PBS documentary film, Changing Seas:  A Decade After Deepwater, which showcased the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) research program and its scientists over the last ten years.   

Screenshot of woman presenting next to her slide.

NOVEMBER 2, 2020 — OR&R Director Scott Lundgren and Senior Scientist Lisa DiPinto joined the Canadian Multi-Partner Research Initiative (CAMPRI) Advisory Committee held virtually on Wednesday October 28. CAMPRI is part of the Canadian National Oceans Protection Plan and is mid-way through five years of research that draws upon the expertise and experience of oil spill experts in Canada and internationally.

Screenshot.

NOVEMBER 2, 2020 — Over the past several weeks, members of the CAMEO® team participated in the virtual Fall 2020 National Association of SARA Title III Program Officials (NASTTPO) Conference, a meeting for members of the hazmat planning community to share best practices, hear updates on hazmat regulation and policy, and learn about tools and aids to help in hazmat management and response.

October 2020

OCTOBER 26, 2020 — Did you know that harmful algal blooms (HABS) cost the U.S. economy millions of dollars each year and impact every coast in the U.S., including the Great Lakes? Last Thursday on the You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know lecture series, we were honored to have renowned scientist and HAB expert, Dr. Quay Dortch, join us.

OCTOBER 26, 2020 — On October 15, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, provided a virtual presentation to the Pacific Islands Region Observer Program as part of their 6-month re-training meeting.

OCTOBER 26, 2020 — On October 19, Marine Debris Program (MDP) staff served on the U.S. delegation to the Fifteenth Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Oceans and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG) meeting.

OCTOBER 26, 2020 — The Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) is pleased to announce the second annual Lagniappe Awards request for proposals. The DPP has budgeted FY21 funds to continue to support preparedness across the National Ocean Service (NOS). 

Oil covering a large portion of a beach.

OCTOBER 26, 2020 — On October 14, 2020 a $22.3 million settlement was finalized to restore natural resources injured by the 2015 Refugio Beach oil spill near Santa Barbara, California.

Baby bird with marine debris on a beach.

OCTOBER 26, 2020 — On October 20-21, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance’s Marine Debris Cross Team Initiative held its annual two-day meeting to bring together entities across the Gulf that currently address marine debris issues. 

Map showing coastal resources.

OCTOBER 19, 2020 — OR&R will host a Next Generation ESI Workshop—with stakeholders across multiple USCG Districts—to brainstorm ways to improve the process of updating Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps.

OCTOBER 19, 2020 — The Team Member of the Year award recognizes outstanding contributions to the National Ocean Service (NOS) programs and the demonstrated exceptional and sustained effort toward accomplishment of NOS missions.

Marine debris on a beach.

OCTOBER 19, 2020 — On October 9, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Pacific Island Regional Coordinator, Mark Manuel, provided a virtual presentation to the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (UH-Hilo) Marine Science 100 course. 

An oiled beach with ruler in foreground to show scale.

OCTOBER 13, 2020 — Hurricane Sally made landfall at Gulf Shores, Alabama, on September 16, 2020 as a Category 2 storm with sustained winds of 105 mph and devastating storm surge. Battering the Alabama and Florida coastlines for over six hours, the storm’s impacts extended across a broad area of the northern Gulf of Mexico. 

View of a beach.

OCTOBER 13, 2020 — On October 6, the Southeast Assessment and Restoration Division Regional Manager, Kevin Kirsch, participated in the Houston Virtual Green Job Program.  The event was organized by Citizens' Environmental Coalition, an organization out of Houston, TX that fosters dialogue, education, and collaboration on environmental issues in the Houston and Gulf Coast region.

Oil floating on water.

OCTOBER 13, 2020 — On the evening of September 29, ARD's Southeast Regional Manager Kevin Kirsch provided the Savannah State University's Coastal Zone Management Class an introduction to the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process.

OCTOBER 13, 2020 — On October 6, the Marine Debris Program participated in a virtual STEM teacher workshop engaging with teachers from Hawaii and American Samoa.

OCTOBER 13, 2020 — NOAA’s National Ocean Service brings a wealth of coastal science, management, and operational expertise to help communities respond to and recover from hurricanes. OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) supported National Ocean Service preparedness and response operations for Hurricane Delta for the duration of the event.

Person working in a stream in a frozen environment.

OCTOBER 5, 2020 — OR&R, with co-hosts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service, led a Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) training for oil spill responders in Alaska.

OCTOBER 5, 2020 — Over the past fiscal year, October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020, OR&R's Emergency Response Division (ERD) was notified of 200 incidents and activated for 174 incidents. 82% were oil spills, 4% were chemical spills, and 14% were other incidents.

OCTOBER 5, 2020 — On September 30, the National Ocean Service published a two-part NOAA Ocean Podcast featuring Marine Debris Program (MDP) Chief Scientist, Dr. Amy V. Uhrin.

OCTOBER 5, 2020 — On September 23, Ashley Hill, the Marine Debris Program’s Florida and Caribbean Regional Coordinator, presented during the NOAA in the Caribbean Community Webinar about the Marine Debris Program’s current initiatives in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

OCTOBER 5, 2020 — Washington State University (WSU) Snohomish County Extension hosted the Oil Spill Awareness and Response Support course September 19 and 26.

People at tables in a classroom facing a large screen.

OCTOBER 5, 2020 — Hurricane Sally made landfall at Gulf Shores, Alabama, on September 16, 2020 as a Category 2 storm with 105 mph winds and devastating storm surge.  The storm’s impacts extended across a broad area of the Northern Gulf of Mexico. 

Overhead view of houses on the water, docks and boats.

OCTOBER 5, 2020 — On September 16, Hurricane Sally made landfall in the early morning hours at Gulf Shores, Alabama, as a strong Category 2 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of 105 mph. The storm battered the Alabama and Florida coastlines for 6+ hours. 

September 2020

Juvenile stage Arctic cod.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 — The first of three virtual symposia was held on Monday, September 21 to discuss key scientific results from ongoing research ranging from Arctic cod and forage fish impairment after oil spills to marine debris impacts nationally and internationally.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 — On September 15, Ashley Hill, the Marine Debris Program’s Florida and Caribbean Regional Coordinator, presented on marine debris activities in Florida during a Coastal Conservation Panel as part of the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) hosted by Loggerhead Marinelife Center

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 — On September 17, Andrew Mason, Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator of the Marine Debris Program (MDP), joined the host of the local Washington State podcast Coastal Café to discuss the effects of marine debris on boaters in the region. 

Three people working on a boat in the water.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 — The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Steel Corporation are making final preparations to initiate a joint sediment cleanup in the Saint Louis River in Duluth, Minnesota. They will dredge and excavate over 780,000 cubic yards of material in and around the former U.S. Steel Duluth Works site.

On the left, people sitting around a table; on the right, conference banner.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 — On September 9, OR&R Director Scott Lundgren joined the 2020 Spill of National Significance Executive (SONS) Seminar as the key advisor to the NOAA Principals — NOAA Administrator Dr. Neil Jacobs and National Ocean Service Acting Assistant Administrator Nicole LeBoeuf. 

An iceberg.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 — On September 17, the Twelfth Natural Resources Symposium, Natural Resources at a Crossroads, was presented virtually for the first time. This year’s focus was on private and public sector collaboration and management of natural resources and in the midst of the recent health emergency, climate change, the EU Green Deal, judicial decisions, and other influences. 

Workshop banner.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 — The weekend of September 12, the NOAA Marine Debris Program participated in a virtual workshop for Hawaii science fair teachers.  The workshop was developed through coordination between NOAA, Hawaii Academy of Science, and Students Corner, an online student and teacher project development platform.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 — On September 24, from 12:00 pm-1:00 pm EST, Beth Polidoro, an FY17 Marine Debris Program Research Grant awardee, will present her research during a OneNOAA Science Seminar.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 — On September 15, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced the FY 2021 notice of funding opportunity for Marine Debris Research projects.

Woman in sunglasses.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 — This past week Michel Gielazyn, a Regional Resource Coordinator with OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division in Florida, was part of a team awarded the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 2020 Bronze Award for Superior Service. 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 — Recently, NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS) virtually deployed staff to FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) to support ongoing response efforts for Hurricane Laura and Tropical Storm Marco.

Heron in the water with crab in its beak.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 — Oil spills, hazardous waste pollution, and ship groundings are events that can leave a lasting impact on coastal communities and ecosystems. NOAA’s Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) works with partners across the United States to hold polluters accountable for pollution and help the environment recover. The DARRP website is an important tool for sharing information about this work with the public. 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 — Did you know that NOAA is chock-full of exceptional leaders? On September 10, as part of the “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know” lecture series, we were honored to have the Deputy NOAA Administrator and retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, Dr. Timothy Gallaudet as our speaker.

Screen grab of OR&R chemist presenting to the group.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 — Did you know that depending on the wind, a heavy gas could follow the terrain rather than be carried by the wind?  This is one bit of critical knowledge that was shared with responders during our week of online Science of Chemical Releases (SOCR) training. 

Lecture series poster.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 — Just when you've finished surrounding your prey with bubbles in the classic humpback "bubble net" technique, another whale swoops in and steals the catch. 

Map showing locations of new marine debris on the Alaska coast.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 — Starting in the last days of July, a notably increased amount of debris was reported in the Bering Straits region, with volumes and types of debris well outside the baseline “normal” debris typically observed, much of which with foreign language labeling.  

Map displaying the pollution targets from Hurricane Laura.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 — Hurricane Laura came crashing into the shores of Southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas on Thursday morning, August 27, as a Category 4 storm. Prior to the storm making landfall near Cameron, Louisiana, OR&R's Emergency Response Division (ERD), and its Scientific Support team were busy coordinating support for the U.S. Coast Guard response.

August 2020

River with vegetation along the banks.

AUGUST 31, 2020 — OR&R recently established a new agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard to update the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps for the St. Marys River, connecting Lake Superior to Lake Huron, and for the St. Lawrence River, from its start in Lake Ontario to the U.S./Canadian Border.

AUGUST 31, 2020 — On August 26, Hillary Burgess joined the Marine Debris Program (MDP) as the new Monitoring Coordinator for the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP).

AUGUST 31, 2020 — On September 2, Christy Kehoe, Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator, and Sherry Lippiatt, California Regional Coordinator, alongside Kathryn Youngblood, Citizen Science Director of the Marine Debris Tracker with the University of Georgia, will participate in a “Live” TRASH TALK from Baltimore, Maryland, moderated by Symone Barkely, host of Ocean Today. 

Lecture poster

AUGUST 31, 2020 — It is not a shark, it is not the Loch Ness Monster, it is not even a jellyfish, it is the Indo-Pacific Lionfish! An incredibly invasive species wreaking havoc on the Atlantic reef fisher community.

Screen grab of DIVER public front page.

AUGUST 24, 2020 — OR&R’s Ben Shorr presented at this year’s NOAA Environmental Data Management Workshop. The theme of the overall workshop was “Data to Decisions: Putting NOAA Data to Work”.

AUGUST 24, 2020 — At this past week’s OR&R Tuesday Technical Talks with the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC), Steve Lehmann, Senior SSC with OR&R’s Emergency Response Division for the Northeast region, training was offered two topics: Photo-Documentation for Oil Spills, and Considerations during Urban Oil Spill Response.

Poster announcing Subsea Solution speaker presentation.

AUGUST 24, 2020 — The MC20 site in the Gulf of Mexico has been associated with persistent plumes of oil and gas and surface oil slicks.  An oil platform owned by Taylor Energy Co., LLC collapsed after an underwater landslide during Hurricane Ivan (2004).

AUGUST 24, 2020 — Sometimes when you spend your career researching oil spill science, breaking it down into simplest terms can be a little tricky. A new oil spill education page on the National Ocean Service website aims to help scientists communicate their work, and help students learn about oil spills and marine pollution.

AUGUST 24, 2020 — In today’s environment, the need for comprehensive continuity plans is vital.  Organizations and agencies must continue to perform essential functions and provide critical services, even when normal operations are disrupted.

AUGUST 24, 2020 — On August 19, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), a partner of the Marine Debris Program (MDP), announced four grants totaling $643,000 to support activities in Alaska, Florida, Maine, and Washington to reduce the amount of derelict fishing gear in the marine environment through the Fishing for Energy partnership.

Large shipping vessel.

AUGUST 24, 2020 — About two and a half days after the vast majority of remaining petroleum onboard the grounded M/V WAKASHIO had been removed, the ship split apart on Saturday, Aug. 15, and spilled a small amount of additional oil.

Large shipping vessel at sea.

AUGUST 17, 2020 — Effective immediately, NOAA will remotely support the global response to an environmental emergency in the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius, after the bulk carrier Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef on July 25.

Body of water with trees, buildings along banks.

 AUGUST 17, 2020 — NOAA, and the state, federal, and Tribal Trustees working on restoring habitat and resources impacted by the Portland Harbor hazardous waste site in Oregon have released a Draft Supplemental Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for public comment.  

AUGUST 17, 2020 — On August 10, the National Ocean Service (NOS) launched a Zero Waste Challenge. The NOS Zero Waste Initiative, supported by the Marine Debris Program, was created to reduce the amount of waste, especially single-use items, that we generate in our daily office operations and at NOS events.

Person standing in a large container of oyster shells.

AUGUST 17, 2020 — If you ever wondered how oyster reefs are built, it involves a team of dedicated experts and a water cannon.  Over the last month, barges have blasted 100,000 bushels of small fossilized oyster shells, called oyster hash, into the Eastern Branch of Virginia’s Elizabeth River.

Woman on a boat holding a fish.

AUGUST 17, 2020 — NOAA’s awarding $870,592 to support a project working with recreational anglers aimed at restoring reef fish species impacted by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Weather graph.

AUGUST 10, 2020 — You are on the 16th fairway and having a great round, but the horizon is getting a bit dark.  Fortunately, you have a weather app on your fancy smart phone.  The red and yellow bands are still a ways in the distance and the thunder is only a low rumble.  Someone else’s problem. 

AUGUST 10, 2020 — On August 4, the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), in collaboration with the United States Coast Guard (USCG), hosted a virtual briefing on the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990. The briefing was open to all-interested staff, including relevant Senate and House committees. 

AUGUST 10, 2020 — Ken Finkelstein, Regional Resource Coordinator with OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division, recently attended a NOAA congressional round table for the state of Rhode Island.

AUGUST 10, 2020 — On August 3, NOAA’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) and the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) hosted their third virtual Hurricane Preparedness Summit for the National Ocean Service (NOS)

AUGUST 10, 2020 — On August 6, Charles Grisafi, Southeast Regional Preparedness Coordinator, represented the NOAA Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) at a South Carolina Hurricane Task Force virtual meeting hosted by the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD). 

Poster for Marine Sanctuary event.

AUGUST 10, 2020 — On July 31, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Pacific Island Regional Coordinator, Mark Manuel, participated in the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) “Get into Your Sanctuary” celebration to raise awareness about the value of our national marine sanctuaries as iconic destinations for responsible recreation and stewardship. 

July 2020

People in protective gear working with wildlife.

AUGUST 3, 2020 — One of the saddest and most rewarding jobs at a major environmental emergency response is that of wildlife rescue, recovery, and rehabilitation. Animals in dire condition are captured, evaluated, treated, rehabilitated and, with luck, released back into the wild.

People gathered at river's edge, looking at work being done in the water with a large net.

AUGUST 3, 2020 — Tuesday, August 28, was a historic day in Wilmington Delaware on the Brandywine River.  American Shad were documented using a portion of the Delaware River for juvenile production that hasn't been available for centuries. 

AUGUST 3, 2020 — On July 21, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in a National Ocean Service (NOS) career panel for the staff, AmeriCorps Fellows, and other volunteers at the Ocean Discovery Institute (ODI). 

AUGUST 3, 2020 — NOAA hosted 44 educators during the 2020 ACCESS STEM program, run by the Washington Alliance for Better Schools (WABS), WABS works with 12 school districts around Puget Sound and recruits teachers to learn about local industries/organizations. These teachers then create science/technology units based on the information they learned during their placements. 

AUGUST 3, 2020 — On July 27, the secretariat of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum approved a project submitted jointly by the Marine Debris Program (MDP) and Department of State Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs to help enable governments, researchers, and others to more effectively monitor marine debris.

AUGUST 3, 2020 — On July 22, 2020, Nancy Wallace, Director of the Marine Debris Program (MDP), joined the Department of Energy (DOE) Plastics Upcycling coordination call to present on the activities of the MDP.

JULY 27, 2020 — On July 20, 2020, the Marine Debris Program participated in a virtual career night panel held by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Science Consortium for their Discovery Hall Programs 2020 High School Marine Science Class. 

JULY 27, 2020 — On Friday, July 17, the OR&R Disaster Preparedness Program hosted the FEMA Administrator, Pete Gaynor; FEMA Region IV Administrator, Gracia Szczec; Alabama Emergency Management Agency Director, Brian Hastings; and other important partners, at the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC) in Mobile, Alabama.  

JULY 27, 2020 — On TUESDAY TECHNICAL TALKS with the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator this week, Kate Sampson, the Stranding and Entanglement Coordinator for National Marine Fisheries Service Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office perhaps surprised some in the Northeast with the fact that sea turtles ply these northern waters.

Fixed wing unmanned aerial surveillance aircraft

JULY 27, 2020 — Disasters often exceed the local, county, and even state capacity to effectively assess impacts and respond to life threatening situations. Aerial surveillance is a critical element to managing an effective response by identifying critical threats and other immediate issues.

Trash on a beach.

JULY 27, 2020 — Those of a particular age remember the 1971 iconic television commercial of a tear rolling down the weathered cheek of a Native American as he looks at litter on the land.

JULY 20, 2020 — On July 15, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced the FY 2021 notice of funding opportunity for Marine Debris Removal projects.

JULY 20, 2020 — On July 16, the Department of State announced that the United States formally joined the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) as a member government of this multi-stakeholder partnership, joining 15 other governments and 85 non-government partners.

JULY 20, 2020 — On July 13, a Marine Debris Program (MDP) partner, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), announced 14 grants totaling $121,700 to prevent the accumulation of derelict fishing gear, or fishing gear that is lost, abandoned, or discarded in the marine environment, in port communities in U.S. coastal waters.

JULY 20, 2020 — On July 14 at the TUESDAY TECHNICAL TALKS with the NOAA SSC, responders, planners scientists joined Steve Lehmann, Senior Scientific Support Coordinator in the northeast for another in this weekly series designed to improve response skills and response science awareness.

Lecture poster

JULY 20, 2020 — Four out of four experts agreed that climate change is the number one threat to corals around the world.

JULY 20, 2020 — The week of July 13, NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) Paige Doelling, along with OR&R’s Katie Krushinski and Robb Wright participated in a hurricane preparedness exercise coordinated and planned by the Natural Disaster Operational Workgroup (NDOW).

JULY 20, 2020 — The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) is the United States' largest offshore oil and gas production area. 

JULY 13, 2020 — In June, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and the National Park Service (NPS) finalized a five-year agreement to support the development and installation of outreach and educational displays or exhibits in coastal National Parks. 

JULY 13, 2020 — On June 24- 25, the Marine Debris Program along with the California Ocean Protection Council, hosted the bi-annual California Ocean Litter Strategy (OLS) Workshop.

Receptacle bin.

JULY 13, 2020 — In June, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) added multilingual educational videos on marine debris in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to the MDP's multimedia resources online. 

Screen grab of the form.

JULY 13, 2020 — In preparation for peak hurricane season, the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) has launched a new Situational Report (“SitRep”) tool to support the National Ocean Service’s (NOS) incident management activities.

JULY 13, 2020 — On June 29, the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) and the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) hosted their second virtual Hurricane Preparedness Summit for the National Ocean Service, (NOS) in preparation for the 2020 hurricane season.

Upcoming lecture announcement graphic.

JULY 13, 2020 — One of the most efficient methods for removing an oil slick from the surface of the water (and one of the most exciting) is by burning it in place or “in-situ burning”.  It is a technique that is difficult to master and still holds many challenges for researchers.

Screen grab of virtual training.

JULY 13, 2020 — After months of preparation, NOAA's Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) held their first-ever National Ocean Service (NOS) Incident Management Team (IMT) 101 Training on Wednesday, July 8.

Students working together at a table.

JULY 13, 2020 — This summer, the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) MarineQuest, with the support of a NOAA Marine Debris Prevention Grant, is providing fun, virtual lessons about the impacts of marine debris on turtles for the young or young at heart through their program, Turtle Trash Collectors.  

People standing on the side of a boat looking at water, that is colored green.

JULY 13, 2020 — On July 1, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in a State of Hawaii sponsored dispersant monitoring exercise held in Oahu.

June 2020

JUNE 29, 2020 — On June 19, Kate Wheelock, Chief of the Disaster Preparedness Program, and Charles Grisafi, Southeast Regional Preparedness Coordinator, spoke with Washington D.C. and district staff from the office of Senator Rick Scott (FL).

Two photos showing automated buoy systems.

JUNE 29, 2020 — Responding to and preparing for major oil spills requires the connection and coordination of many systems. The Texas General Land Office's Director of Research and Development explained how these systems have been connected and used in their coastal waters on the June 25 episode of OR&R’s YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW.

Slide showing text and photo of marine debris on a beach.

JUNE 29, 2020 — On June 18 and 19, Nancy Wallace, chief of the Marine Debris Division, participated in a virtual workshop hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Environmental Solutions Initiative.

Muddy hillside next to a river with construction shipment.

JUNE 22, 2020 — OR&R provided scientific support through the U.S. National Response Team (NRT) in response to the Ecuador pipeline spill that occurred in early April.

Cut-away illustration of an LNG tanker.

JUNE 22, 2020 — On June 18, Dr. Bill Lehr, Scientist Emeritus for the National Ocean Service and OR&R retired senior scientist presented to 300 participants as part of the OR&R Lecture series, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW, for a ride through the world of liquified natural gas (LNG) or liquified methane releases into the sea.

Cut-away illustration of abandoned vessel underwater.

JUNE 22, 2020 — On June 12, 2020, Doug Helton participated in a “virtual” conference panel for 2020 Clean Pacific Conference on the challenges posed by abandoned and derelict vessels. 

Front cover of a report.

JUNE 22, 2020 — On June 17, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program released the “Delaware Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: Comprehensive Guidance Document” (Guide).

Map of the US highlighting the Mississippi River watershed.

JUNE 22, 2020 — On June 6, Jennifer Simms, NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Communications and Education Specialist, presented virtually to 90 Cadets and four instructors.

JUNE 22, 2020 — On June 1-5, 2020, The Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) held a virtual all-staff operational planning meeting to start planning for FY2021.

Abandoned vessels on a beach.

JUNE 15, 2020 — In 2018, the Town of Beaufort in North Carolina began to clean up marine debris in the waters around the Town and the Rachel Carson Reserve with the support of a NOAA Marine Debris Program Marine Debris Removal Grant.

Woman showing something on a shovel to three other people.

JUNE 15, 2020 — What do you get when you mix heavy oil, sand and a light surf? Sunken oil mats (SOMs), that’s what. They are difficult to find, difficult to recover and pose a continued threat to beaches following a major oil spill.

Lecture series poster.

JUNE 8, 2020 — Oil slicks form, break apart in waves and turbulence and reform again.  Oil droplets move through the water column at the surface or rise from the ocean floor as a result of well blowouts. 

JUNE 8, 2020 — On May 28, the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) hosted a virtual briefing for the Gulf of Mexico congressional delegations. The briefing was open to all interested staff from the Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas delegations, and relevant Senate and House Committees.

May 2020

Map of whale search

JUNE 1, 2020 — "Towards thee I roll… to the last I grapple with thee” - Captain Ahab’s last words in “Moby Dick.”  On Thursday May 28, OR&R’s weekly lecture series YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW featured Dr. Chris Barker of the Emergency Response Division discussing the art and science of tracking whale carcasses. 

JUNE 1, 2020 — On May 20, the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) hosted a virtual briefing for the Southeast congressional delegations.

JUNE 1, 2020 — On May 26, the NOS Incident Management Team (IMT), in coordination with the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP), held their first completely virtual tabletop exercise.

Conceptual drawing of response method.

JUNE 1, 2020 — On the list of what you didn’t know that you didn’t know, remotely controlled, fire-breathing jet skis for oil spill response would be right up there near the top.  Well, they are under development and Dr. Tim Nedwed, lead for ExxonMobil’s Upstream Research Company discussed them on May 21 as part of OR&R’s weekly lecture series, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW.

MAY 25, 2020 — A significant rainfall event that started on Sunday, May 17, has caused major flooding in the mid-Michigan area in the Saginaw River and ultimately resulted in the failures of the Edenville Dam and the Sanford Dam in Midland County. 

Branch and tire on white sand beach.

MAY 25, 2020 — On May 15, the OR&R’s Marine Debris Program California Regional Coordinator, Sherry Lippiatt, and California Sea Grant Extension Fellow, Tanya Torres, participated in a virtual California Water Quality Monitoring Council / Trash Monitoring Workgroup meeting.

Poster showing 3D water column mapping of oil.

MAY 18, 2020 — The week of May 11, OR&R scientists participated in the Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC) Program Year Sixth Annual Meeting. The ADAC works with international, federal, state, local, tribal, industry, and academic partners to advance domain awareness of the Arctic region.

Screenshot from virtual meeting.

MAY 18, 2020 — On April 23, the National Ocean Service (NOS) held a virtual Hurricane Preparedness Summit in preparation for the 2020 hurricane season. The summit focused on hurricane readiness in the midst of a pandemic.

Title slide to the virtual presentation.

MAY 18, 2020 — Marine Debris Program Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator, Andrew Mason, recently participated in two educational outreach opportunities with local students and volunteers.

Report cover showing a beached vessel.

MAY 18, 2020 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program is pleased to release the “U.S. Virgin Islands Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: Comprehensive Guidance Document” (Guide).

MAY 18, 2020 — The Refugio NRDA case team held a virtual public meeting on May 13, 2019 to provide the public with a summary/overview, answer questions, and receive comments on the recently-released draft Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan (DARP).

A dog studying a multi-armed training device.

MAY 18, 2020 — Dogs comfort us, keep us safe, and occasionally bring us our slippers. Now they are a new and promising tool in oil spill assessment and clean up. In the weekly OR&R lecture series, “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know” (Thursdays at 3:00 PM ET) Dr. Ed Owens, a world recognized oil spill response expert, discussed the amazing accuracy of trained dogs in finding buried oil

Oil spill response word cloud

MAY 18, 2020 — On May 4, OR&R Director Scott Lundgren and Senior Scientist Lisa DiPinto participated in a virtual stakeholder panel for an oil spill “Modeling for Synthesis” workshop. 

MAY 11, 2020 — On April 29, Nancy Wallace, Director of the Marine Debris Program, and Peter Murphy, Alaska Regional Coordinator, spoke with district and D.C. staff from the office of Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK).

Man with marine debris exhibit.

MAY 11, 2020 — On April 15, Peter Murphy, Alaska Regional Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program, presented a NOAA Live! Webinar titled “Talking Trash – Marine Debris in Alaska & Beyond.” 

Series poster.

MAY 11, 2020 — The Office of Response and Restoration has rolled out a weekly lecture series called, “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know.”  Every Thursday at 3:00 PM ET, an expert presents on a topic related to emergency response or environmental protection.

View of a marina.

MAY 11, 2020 — On May 8, the Marine Debris Program published a paper in Scientific Reports in which observer data from the Hawai'i-based pelagic longline fishery was used to estimate relative abundance of marine debris accidentally caught by the longlines. 

People collecting things on a beach.

MAY 4, 2020 — On April 22-24, Sherry Lippiatt (California Regional Coordinator) and Carlie Herring (Research Coordinator) with the Marine Debris Program participated in the NOAA Citizen Science Workshop.

MAY 4, 2020 — After thoughtful and extensive deliberation, NOAA and Washington Sea Grant made the difficult decision to cancel this year's NOAA Science Camp program.

Woman in a mask and white coat working at a tank.

MAY 4, 2020 — Scientists from the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) Ecotoxicology Program and OR&R traveled from Seattle to Newport, Oregon, to join local scientists at the NWFSC Hatfield Marine Center to process more than 1400 juvenile Chinook salmon in a one day sampling intensive. 

Picture of a man in a helocopter next to picture of a panel of three people.

MAY 4, 2020 — To provide a glimpse into what NOAA scientists do in the Office of Response and Restoration, two OR&R scientists—marine biologist Gary Shigenaka and chemist Charlie Henry—recently led a NOAA Live! Webinar for students, The Job of a NOAA Oil Spill Response Scientist.

April 2020

Trash on a beach.

APRIL 27, 2020 — On April 16, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), in collaboration with Sea Grant, awarded $350,000 to eight Sea Grant programs for projects that will research, prevent and remove marine debris in U.S. waters.

APRIL 27, 2020 — On April 16, the director of the Marine Debris Program (MDP), Nancy Wallace, and other MDP team members participated in a phone call with Congressional staff from the offices of Senator Kaine (VA) and Senator Murkowski (AK) to discuss derelict fishing gear removal activities.

A woman outdoors in a yellow sweater.

APRIL 27, 2020 — On April 21, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) welcomed Tanya Torres as a California Sea Grant Marine Debris Extension Fellow.

Oiled beach.

APRIL 27, 2020 — The draft Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan for the Refugio Beach Oil Spill NRDA was released for public comment on Wednesday April 22, 2020.  

Oiled crabs.

APRIL 27, 2020 — The Chemical Aquatic Fate and Effects (CAFE) team is excited to announce that the CAFE database was recently released as a web-based program.

ERMA map.

APRIL 27, 2020 — Periodically over the years, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) active duty members interested in learning more about spill science will shadow a Scientific Support Coordinator or other member of OR&R’s Emergency Response Division under the USCG Marine Environmental Response Industry Training Program. 

ERMA map.

APRIL 20, 2020 — OR&R presented The Ups and Downs of UxS Technology in Emergency Response and Damage Assessment in the Marine Environment:  NOAA OR&R Case Studies and Standards Development, to the EPA Emergency Management Information Technology spring meeting on UxS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) deployment. 

Woman in front of a body of water.

APRIL 20, 2020 — LTJG Hayley Betker recently came on board at OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) as the new Regional Response Officer (RRO) for the West Coast.

Title slide of presentation.

APRIL 20, 2020 — On April 9, the Marine Debris Program’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator, Caitlin Wessel, gave a virtual guest lecture for the University of South Alabama. 

Woman posing on a research vessel.

APRIL 20, 2020 — On April 10, Dr. Amy V. Uhrin, Chief Scientist for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, celebrated her 20th anniversary of working for NOAA.

Crowd of people posing for photo outdoors.

APRIL 20, 2020 — April 15, 2020 - OR&R is pleased to announce the release of the Final Workshop Report from the “Leveraging Science and Academic Engagement during Incidents” workshop held in Tiburon, California, in June 2019. 

Beach view at water's edge.

APRIL 13, 2020 — Collin Buckner is a Disaster Planning Associate with the DPP. Located in Mobile, Alabama at the Disaster Response Center (DRC), Collin is responsible for coordination efforts throughout the Northeast as well as the Gulf of Mexico.

Plates, cups, flatware.

APRIL 6, 2020 — On March 13, the National Ocean Service (NOS) was awarded a Department of Commerce (DOC) Green Grant.

APRIL 6, 2020 — As NOAA's internal response to COVID-19 continues, the agency is adapting quickly implementing new protocols and policies.

APRIL 6, 2020 — Autumn Lotze, Natural Resource and Community Recovery Specialist, and Genwest contractor, recently participated in the Pacific Risk Management ‘Ohana Conference (PRiMO) on behalf of the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP).

APRIL 6, 2020 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division has completed a guidance document to help oil spill responders and planners better manage sunken (or submerged) oil mats, known as SOMs. SOMs can form near the shoreline under a range of circumstances and present unique and difficult challenges in oil spill response.

Two women and a trash can graphic.

APRIL 6, 2020 — On Wednesday, March 25, the NOAA Marine Debris Program shared a blog outlining educational content about marine debris available online. 

March 2020

Report cover

MARCH 30, 2020 — On March 17, NOAA’s Marine Debris Program participated in the virtual 2020 Virginia Marine Debris Leadership Team Meeting to update Virginia's Marine Debris Reduction Plan hosted by Virginia’s Coastal Zone Management Program and Longwood University.

Beach with dune grass and water in background.

MARCH 30, 2020 — NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration and the Restoration Center are pleased to announce a new publication in the journal Shore & Beach that highlights our work and leadership on long-term data management in the Gulf of Mexico.

MARCH 30, 2020 — As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, NOAA's Emergency Response Division (ERD) staff are working remotely, though our staff continues to take calls and to provide our core service of scientific support during spills and other emergencies.

MARCH 30, 2020 — The NOS Disaster Preparedness Program continues to provide Incident Coordination for the NOS Incident Management Team (IMT).

MARCH 20, 2020 — Following a competitive review process, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation are pleased to announce the six recipients of the 2019 Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund.

Large group seated at tables.

On February 20, 2020, Charles Grisafi, Southeast Regional Preparedness Coordinator, and Genwest contractor, represented the NOAA Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) at the 2020 South Carolina Disaster Intelligence Workshop hosted by the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD), in Columbia, South Carolina. 

MARCH 20, 2020 — On March 12, Demi Fox, Northeast Regional Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program, met with Congressional staff from the district offices of Senator Collins (ME) and Senator Shaheen (NH).

Man standing next to a computer screen.

MARCH 20, 2020 — I hope you are well during this trying time. The Office of Response and Restoration is following public health and agency guidance in the performance of our work and in our response to COVID-19. We remain open for business, delivering our mission of protecting and restoring ocean and coastal resources from the impacts of oil, chemicals, marine debris, and other hazards.

Oiled beach with two workers.

MARCH 16, 2020 – [Updated March 30] On March 13, the Department of Justice announced filing for public comment of a consent decree proposing a $22.3 million settlement to restore natural resources injured by the Refugio Beach oil spill near Santa Barbara, California in 2015. 

MARCH 16, 2020 — In early 2020, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) was pleased to welcome several new people to the team.

MARCH 16, 2020 — OR&R, with funding support from the NOAA North Atlantic Regional Team, partnered with the Chesapeake Bay Science and Technical Advisory Committee and several regional experts and partners to organize a technical workshop on freshwater mussel ecosystem services and restoration activities.

Students in a classroom with instructor speaking.

MARCH 9, 2020 — On February 26-27, the NOAA Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) co-hosted a 2-day Emergency Support Function (ESF) Resource Advisor Training course for the state of Florida, at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Group posing for photo on stairs.

MARCH 9, 2020 — The NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council (NEDAC) met for its annual retreat on February 24-25 in Silver Spring to develop an action plan for FY 20-22, in order to increase diversity and inclusion within NOS. 

MARCH 9, 2020 — On Thursday, February 27th, the NOAA Marine Debris Program participated in the 4th Annual Ohio Clean Marina Conference in Port Clinton, Ohio.

MARCH 9, 2020 — On February 24, Caitlin Wessel, Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program, met with Congressional staff from the district offices of Senator Hyde-Smith and Senator Wicker.

MARCH 9, 2020 — On March 1, the Director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Nancy Wallace, spoke to the Gulf States Counties and Parishes Caucus at their annual meeting during the National Association of Counties Conference.

Instructor leading a class.

MARCH 9, 2020 — This week NOAA experts from Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) and the General Council for Natural Resources gathered at NOAA's office in St. Petersburg, Florida, for a workshop to improve their negotiating skills to help ensure that the best outcomes can be achieved on behalf of the public. 

February 2020

Marine vessel at a dock.

MARCH 2, 2020 — Finding and characterizing submerged oil is expensive and a major technical challenge during spill responses and injury assessments, especially when the oil footprint is large and in the open ocean. 

Group posing for photo in front of large screen.

MARCH 2, 2020 — The Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) hosted a workshop at the Disaster Response Center on February 19-20 to identify preparedness needs and scope workshop and training ideas at the national and regional levels. 

MARCH 2, 2020 — The NOAA/OR&R Scientific Support Coordinator in the Northeast, Steve Lehmann, organized and taught a one-day short course to approximately 100 responders and planners on Feb. 25 in New Hampshire.

Large group working together at a table scattered with paper.

MARCH 2, 2020 — [Updated March 26] On February 5-6, at NOAA’s Western Regional Center in Seattle the Disaster Preparedness Program facilitated a devolution site coordination meeting.

Group standing on a beach, listening to an instructor.

FEBRUARY 24, 2020 — During the week of February 10, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) held the first Science of Oil Spill (SOS) class of 2020, training 38 students from five federal agencies, one state agency and two industrial companies at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) Eco-Discovery Center in Key West, Florida.

FEBRUARY 24, 2020 — On January 30-31, Marine Debris Program representatives Andrew Mason (Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator) and Shanelle Naone (Pacific Islands Regional Communications and Outreach Coordinator) attended a workshop comprised of partners from across Oregon.

FEBRUARY 24, 2020 — On February 4-6, 2020, members of NOAA’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) and Emergency Response Division (ERD) attended the Regional Response Team IV Winter Meeting in Franklin, Tennessee. 

People at tables indoors.

FEBRUARY 24, 2020 — On February 10, NOAA’s Marine Debris Program participated in the 2020 Stormwater and Litter Workshop hosted at Randolph–Macon College in Ashland, Virginia.

Meeting being held in a conference room.

FEBRUARY 24, 2020 — Did you know that on average, garments are worn only 7 times before being disposed? Or that only 1% of textiles are recycled (garment to garment)?

People working at an outdoor display.

FEBRUARY 17, 2020 — On Saturday, February 8, the NOAA Marine Debris Program participated in Whale Day 2020 at Kalama Park in Kihei, Maui.

IOSC conference logo

FEBRUARY 17, 2020 — In a few months, over 1,500 professionals from the international spill response community will gather at the International Oil Spill Conference and Exhibition (IOSC 2020) in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

People standing on a dock, listening to someone speak.

FEBRUARY 17, 2020 — NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), a leader in providing scientific information in response to marine pollution, has scheduled a Science of Oil Spills (SOS) class for the week of June 22, in Seattle, Washington.

Group of people standing outdoors.

FEBRUARY 17, 2020 — There’s no better place to learn about environmental resilience than the South Wilmington Wetlands project in urban Wilmington, Delaware.

Person sitting at a display table with large vertical banners in background.

FEBRUARY 17, 2020 — The Alaska Forum on the Environment (AFE) was held this week in Anchorage, Alaska, offering six keynote events, over 100 presentations, panel discussions, special events and workshops.

Person addressing a class.

FEBRUARY 10, 2020 — On Jan. 28-29 in Jacksonville, Florida, Genwest contractors Charles Grisafi, Southeast Regional Preparedness Coordinator, and Autumn Lotze, Natural Resource and Community Recovery Specialist, represented OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) in the Southeast and Caribbean Disaster Recovery Partnership (SCDRP) 2020 Winter Meeting.

FEBRUARY 10, 2020 — On Jan. 23, the OR&R Diversity and Inclusion Committee hosted an event discussing the First Amendment, free speech, and hate speech.

FEBRUARY 10, 2020 — On February 5, Ian Zelo, joined Dann Karlson from NOAA’s Office of International Affairs and Jessica Levine from the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction to discuss preparedness and response with a group of international partners participating in the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

Woman lecturing to a class.

FEBRUARY 10, 2020 — On Jan. 30, Communication and Education Specialist, Jennifer Simms, presented to the entire fifth grade of Spring Hill Elementary.

Group posing indoors for photo.

FEBRUARY 10, 2019 — The Office of Response and Restoration once again had strong participation in this year’s Gulf of Mexico Oil Spills and Ecosystem Science Conference (GOMOSES).

Person posing in a snowy environment.

FEBRUARY 3, 2020 — While in Anchorage, Alaska to attend the Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Oceanographer Dylan Righi took the opportunity to visit the National Weather Service Alaska Sea Ice Program.

FEBRUARY 3, 2020 — On Jan. 29, the Marine Debris Program’s Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, and Research Analyst, Carlie Herring, participated in the United States Government Informal Nanoplastics Interest Group workshop held in Washington, D.C.

Woman presenting to people, standing next to a screen.

FEBRUARY 3, 2020 — On Jan. 23, the Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator, Christy Kehoe, and Education and Communication Specialist, Jennifer Simms, presented at the “Wave of Plastic” Workshop located in Solomons Island, Maryland.

Person presenting from a lectern, next to a large screen.

FEBRUARY 3, 2020 — Great Lakes Scientific Support Coordinator LCDR Michael Doig, was in Traverse City, Michigan, from Jan. 27-31 for the Northern Michigan Area Committee meeting and the annual No-Spills Conference

Six people seated on one side of a table.

FEBRUARY 3, 2020 — On January 27-28, the Marine Debris Program’s Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, participated in the National Academies of Science workshop, Emerging Technologies to Advance Research and Decisions on the Environmental Health Effects of Microplastics held in Washington, D.C.

FEBRUARY 3, 2020 — Three scientists from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division joined their colleagues from the NOS and other state and federal agencies attending the Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage the week of Jan. 27.

January 2020

JANUARY 27, 2020 — On January 24, OR&R Director Scott Lundgren participated in an information sharing meeting in Herndon, Virginia, with leadership of two associations that represent the private sector spill response capability that clean up oil spills in the U.S.

Group of people in matching green vests outdoors.

JANUARY 27, 2020 — On January 18, the Marine Debris Program California Regional Coordinator, Sherry Lippiatt, joined the San Francisco chapter of the Surfrider Foundation for a cigarette butt canister installation event in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco.

JANUARY 27, 2020 — On January 13, Nancy Wallace, Director of the Marine Debris Program (MDP), met with staff from the offices of Senator Dan Sullivan (AK), Rep. Don Young (AK-AL), and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01).

Two people looking at a mussel cage in the dark.

JANUARY 27, 2020 — On the evening of January 22, 2020, retired OR&R biologist Alan Mearns joined members of the Snohomish County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) in recovering mussel cages at three intertidal sites in Edmonds.

Woman standing in water.

JANUARY 27, 2020 — Last week a small team of scientists travelled to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to evaluate the effectiveness of repair and stabilization actions conducted in seagrass beds damaged by Hurricane Maria response activities. 

Group of people posing for a photo.

JANUARY 27, 2020 — The week of January 13, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) hosted the Response Oil Assay Workshop: a two-day meeting held in Seattle to help identify the ideal set of physical and chemical properties of oil to include in a new public database under active development by ERD to support the oil spill response community.

JANUARY 17, 2020 — On January 9, 2020 the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) announced the recipients of the first annual Preparedness Lagniappe Awards.

Aerial view of a boat heading towards a marsh.

JANUARY 17, 2020 — Last week NOAA OR&R scientists were invited by scientists from Watermapping LLC, to participate in field experiments to help determine the potential for using remote sensing to characterize marsh vegetation health following an oil spill event.

Class participants.

JANUARY 17, 2020 — This week in Silver Spring, Maryland OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) held a 3-day NOAA-specific Incident Command System 300 (ICS 300) Level Training.

Marshy area.

JANUARY 13, 2020 — OR&R led a team of NOAA and Department of Interior scientists in publishing an improved method for determining how much, and what type of environmental restoration will compensate for ecological injuries that result from releases of hazardous substances or oil spills. 

Man speaking to children seated at a table.

JANUARY 13, 2020 — On January 8, a group of about 30 students from Billings Middle School in Seattle, Washington, visited the NOAA Sand Point campus to learn about impacts of climate change on the oceans, including the impact of oil spills due to increased transportation and oil exploration.

Woman speaking towards a screen.

JANUARY 13, 2020 — On December 12-13, the Marine Debris Division's Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, participated in the French-American Workshop, Responding to Plastic Pollution through Science: From Research to Action held in Le Mans, France.

December 2019

Three people posing with boxes of gift bags.

DECEMBER 23, 2019 — Many of us are fortunate to have friends and family to spend the holiday season with; however, we know that many in our community face a different reality. 

DECEMBER 23, 2019 — On December 11, the CAMEO® software team released updates of two products: Tier2 Submit™ and CAMEOfm

A group of people in the water, huddling together.

DECEMBER 23, 2019 — Demonstrating NOAA’s commitment toward enhanced Arctic safety preparedness, select Office of Response & Restoration (OR&R) members participated in four days of intense Arctic Survival Training at the Seattle NOAA Western Regional Center Dec 10-13, 2019.

Map depicting monofilament bin locations with dots.

DECEMBER 23, 2019 — On November 13, Sarah Latshaw, Southeast Regional Coordinator for NOAA’s Marine Debris Program, visited a College of Charleston Introduction to Geographical Information Systems (GIS) class to talk about the issue and share marine debris data. 

Two people posing with an plaque.

DECEMBER 16, 2019 — The week of December 2, experts from the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) were recognized at the National Ocean Service 2019 All Hands and Employee Recognition Ceremony at NOAA headquarters in Silver Spring.

Group of four people pose with a sign.

DECEMBER 16, 2019 — On December 4, the Weeks Bay Foundation, in partnership with the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and NOAA’s Marine Debris Program wrapped up a two year derelict vessel removal project by hanging 25 “Derelict is Dangerous” signs at each of the state- or county-owned boat launches in Baldwin County, Alabama.

Three people sitting at a table.

DECEMBER 16, 2019 — On December 3-4, 2019, the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) joined forces with the Office for National Marine Sanctuaries and other NOAA offices to hold a functional exercise called “Shaken Sanctuaries.”

People in a classroom with a screen in the front.

DECEMBER 16, 2019 — On December 3, NOAA’s Marine Debris Program hosted a Delaware Regional Response Planning workshop at the St. Jones National Estuarine Research Reserve in Dover, Delaware.

Group posing outdoors for photo.

DECEMBER 16, 2019 — On December 3-5, the Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, attended the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Third Marine Debris Workshop.

Row of beakers filled with gravel.

DECEMBER 16, 2019 — Convened by the Multi-Party Research Initiative, a 5 year, $45.5 million effort under Fisheries and Oceans Canada, a two-day workshop was held on December 11 and 12 which brought together research and policy individuals from Canada and the U.S. 

River with canoe in background.

DECEMBER 16, 2019 — On December 11, a Consent Decree was announced that includes $25 million as a partial settlement to restore natural resources injured by releases of hazardous substances to the Kalamazoo River and Portage Creek in Michigan.

People seated around a conference table.

DECEMBER 16, 2019 — NOAA's North Atlantic Regional Collaboration Team convened a roundtable discussion on December 9 in New York City with nine partners alongside of six NOAA staff with district staff from Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer's offices on NOAA's work to restore natural resources and its connections to resilience.

Holiday gifts in jars

DECEMBER 9, 2019 — On November 21, the National Ocean Service Zero Waste (ZW) Team released a Guide to Hosting a ZW Holiday Party. Following the simple steps in the guide, we can celebrate the season while also protecting our planet.

DECEMBER 9, 2019 — On November 20, OR&R scientists, Steve Lehmann and Dr. Ken Finkelstein participated in a panel discussion titled “The Role of Academia in Emergency Response” at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. 

Letters that spell "Canada" outdoors.

DECEMBER 9, 2019 — On November 18 and 19, the Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, participated in Clean Foundation’s Clean Ocean Summit 2019 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

DECEMBER 9, 2019 — On November 21, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program (MDP), announced a request for proposals under the Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund.

Report cover.

DECEMBER 9, 2019 — On November 26, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) released the Gulf of Maine Marine Debris Action Plan.

Group posing outdoors for photo.

DECEMBER 9, 2019 — On November 18-20, Nancy Wallace, Marine Debris Division Chief, attended the Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance annual meeting in San Diego, California. 

People posing with a banner for photo.

DECEMBER 9, 2019 — On November 21, the Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, served on a panel at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Water Summit.

Three people posing for picture.

DECEMBER 9, 2019 — Members of the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) participated in the 67th International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Annual Conference held in November at the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia.

Man in white coat holding an oiled turtle.

DECEMBER 9, 2019 — OR&R staff met with NOAA Veterinary Medical Officer Dr. Brian Stacy of the Office of Protected Resources in St. Petersburg, Florida, on November 21 to discuss research needs for strengthening injury assessments of sea turtles after oil spills.  

November 2019

Two people in in life vests pulling a net through water.

NOV. 25, 2019 — The National Ocean Service (NOS) awarded Mary Baker and Marla Steinhoff, Office of Response and Restoration, the biannual 2019 NOS Safety Pro Award for authoring comprehensive safety plans for essential field work on the Duwamish and Willamette rivers.

NOV. 25, 2019 — Each year, the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) supports the training of over 2,000 responders. The OR&R external training team and instructors are gearing up for a busy 2020.

NOV. 25, 2019 — On Nov. 19, Sherry Lippiatt, California regional coordinator for the Office of Response and Restoration Marine Debris Program, presented as part of the Amazon Lab126 seminar series.

A table with a "Marine Debris Program" poster and a plinko board.

NOV. 25, 2019 — On Nov. 16, Mark Manuel, Pacific Island regional coordinator for the Office of Response and Restoration Marine Debris Program, participated in the Friends of Waikiki Aquarium Fall Fest Event.

A group of people sitting at tables listening to a speaker.

NOV. 25, 2019 — From Nov. 13-14, Peter Murphy with the Office of Response and Restoration Marine Debris Program (MDP) attended the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) workshop on establishing marine litter monitoring guidelines for the Arctic, held in Copenhagen.

A man presenting to a room of people sitting at tables.

NOV. 25, 2019 — On Nov. 1, 2019, a delegation of 12 senior leaders from the Port of Seattle visited the NOAA Western Regional Center in Seattle to learn more about NOAA and areas of common interest in the Puget Sound.

A man speaking behind a podium.

NOV. 25, 2019 — On Nov. 13, 2019, John Tarpley, regional operations branch chief in the Emergency Response Division, received the prestigious Legacy Award at the Pacific States-British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force annual meeting in Bellingham, Washington.

Large monitor in front of a table.

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 — On November 6-7, 2019, members of the OR&R Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) and the OR&R Emergency Response Division attended the Regional Response Team 6 fall meeting in Addison, Texas.

Woman speaking a a lectern next to a screen.

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 — On November 5, Caitlin Wessel, Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, co-chaired a session at Coastal Estuarine Research Foundation’s (CERF) biennial conference.

Two people standing in front of a brick building.

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 — On Wednesday, November 6, the Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC0 in Mobile, Alabama hosted not one, but two distinguished guests - RDML Timothy Gallaudet, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and CAPT van Westendorp, of the Office of Coast Survey, Navigation Services Division. 

Map indicating oil thickness using color dots.

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 — OR&R Scientists George Graettinger and Lisa DiPinto recently published a paper titled “Classification of oil spill by thicknesses using multiple remote sensors” in the journal Remote Sensing of the Environment.

Oil on marsh grass with water in foreground.

NOVEMBER 12, 2019 — For NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), Fiscal Year 2019 was a year filled with new challenges and new achievements.

Group posing for photo.

NOVEMBER 12, 2019 — NOAA’s Recovery Support Team -- Donna Johnson, Acting Recovery Support Function Lead (Northeast Fisheries Science Center/ National Marine Fisheries Service, on rotational assignment to NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management) and Autumn Lotze, Natural Resource and Community Recovery Specialist (OR&R Disaster Preparedness Program) -- recently met with stakeholders and key decision makers in Puerto Rico and the U.S.

Large banner, advertising the symposium.

NOVEMBER 12, 2019 — On October 29, Caitlin Wessel, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator, delivered a keynote address to almost 200 people at the Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium.

Group posing for photo.

NOVEMBER 12, 2019 —The annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) emphasized “the need for environmental scientists and managers from all sectors (e.g., academia, business, government, non-profit, non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations) to work together at a global scale to address shared environmental challenges.”

Large group sitting at tables arranged in a square.

On October 30-31, NOAA Marine Debris Program staff attended the Policy and Action on Plastic in the Arctic Ocean Workshop, co-hosted by The Harvard Kennedy School, The Wilson Center Polar Institute & the Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. 

Two people standing in front of a lectern.

NOVEMBER 12, 2019 — In advance of the Clean Gulf Scientific Conference, the NOAA Satellite and Information Service (NESDIS) and OR&R collaborated to provide training on their products and services regarding marine oil pollution.

Group of people talking on a vessel.

NOVEMBER 12, 2019 — On November 4, Christy Kehoe, Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program (MDP), spoke at an event with Senator Carper (D-DE) to celebrate the University of Delaware’s receipt of a MDP research grant.

Group posing for photo.

NOVEMBER 12, 2019 — During the week of October 28-31, ten scientists from NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration attended the Clean Gulf conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.

A lectern with a large screen next to it.

NOVEMBER 12, 2019 — On November 5, Nancy Wallace, Director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, spoke on a discussion panel at La Maison Française, the French Embassy in Washington, D.C.

NOVEMBER 4, 2019 — On October 24, the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) met with staff from the office of Senator Shaheen (NH) along with and through an invitation from the University of New Hampshire Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC).

Man posing for photo next to a flag

NOVEMBER 4, 2019 — Staff members from OR&R and the Office of Coast Survey recently enjoyed a visit from Russell Callender, former Assistant Administrator of NOAA’s National Ocean Service. In 2018, Dr. Callender was named as the new Director of Washington Sea Grant at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Mosaic of a baby seal.

NOVEMBER 4, 2019 — NOAA Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Pacific Island Region team members participated in the University of Hawai’i’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology’s (SOEST) 2019 Open House Program on October 25-26.

Text projected on a screen, "NOAA is the institution we have co-published the most papers with — 69.

NOVEMBER 4, 2019 — On October 12, the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) celebrated its 50th Anniversary.

SOLVE logo

NOVEMBER 4, 2019 — SOLVE Oregon, in partnership with Oregon State Parks, launched a state-wise adopt-a-beach program.

Parked firetruck

NOVEMBER 4, 2019 — In early October, members of the CAMEO® software team attended two conferences in Houston, Texas, to get feedback from emergency planners and responders on our CAMEO software and to stay up to date on issues surrounding hazardous material response. 

Woman presenting next to a screen.

NOVEMBER 4, 2019 — On October 17-18, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated and presented at the Lighthouse Lofoten conference in Svolvaer, Norway.

Group posing for a photo.

NOVEMBER 4, 2019 — On October 16-27, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) was represented at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the North Pacific Marine Science Organization which took place in Victoria, BC Canada.

October 2019

People looking out at a body of water from a grassy area.

OCTOBER 28, 2019 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division assisted California’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) to provide oil spill science training to up-and-coming California spill responders this past week. 

OCTOBER 28, 2019 — The 2018 literature review on the Effects of Pollution on Marine Organisms, authored by three OR&R scientists and partners, has been published in the October 2019 issue of Water Environment Research.

Group of people pose on staircase.

OCTOBER 28, 2019 — On October 8 and 9, members of NOAA Marine Debris Program collaborated with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) and the Environmental Protection Agency to engage more than 60 partners at the GOMA Team Initiative meeting in Texas that aimed to tackle marine debris.

OCTOBER 28, 2019 — The deep-pelagic is both the largest and least-understood habitat in the Gulf of Mexico. Dan Hahn, of OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division is on a diverse team of federal and academic scientists working to better understand the abundance and diversity of life in these dark waters.

People in a dark classroom look at a presentation on a large screen

OCTOBER 28, 2019 — On October 10, NOAA Marine Debris Program California Regional Coordinator, Sherry Lippiatt, spoke at Moss Landing Marine Labs in Moss Landing, California, as part of their Seminar Series.

Woman presenting from a lectern.

OCTOBER 28, 2019 — During the week of October 14, NOAA Marine Debris Program Research Coordinator, Carlie Herring, and NOAA Marine Debris Program Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, participated in a research road trip through New England.

Woman demonstrating to two young people.

OCTOBER 28, 2019 —OR&R joined the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and public school teachers and students in Brooklyn, New York, on October 22 for the annual Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor event.

Before and after images of coral restoration.

OCTOBER 28, 2019 — What can $28 million do to restore polluted waters across America? In the 2019 fiscal year, NOAA worked with our co-trustees to reach settlements to restore natural resources injured by pollution.

OCTOBER 21, 2019 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division Chief, Scott Lundgren, participated in the biennial Spills Advisory Group on October 9, hosted by the American Petroleum Institute and bringing together representatives of state and federal government, non-government organizations, academia, petroleum industry, and cleanup organizations for information sharing on spill preparedness and response. 

Group gathered on a beach.

OCTOBER 21, 2019 — On October 10, NOAA Marine Debris Program Chief Scientist, Amy Uhrin, and NOAA Marine Debris Program Research Coordinator, Carlie Herring, led an intra-Program training on marine debris shoreline monitoring methods at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis, Maryland.

Outdoor sign, announcing the event.

OCTOBER 21, 2019 — In early October, NOAA Marine Debris Program Division Chief, Nancy Wallace, attended the XPRIZE Visoneering event in Los Angeles. Attendees help XPRIZE refine and iterate how they tackle global challenges, learn from one another about breakthrough efforts being conducted across the world, and hear and experience new exponential technologies that are reshaping society.

Aerial view of an ocean beach.

OCTOBER 21, 2019 — Virginia’s barrier islands are remote, ecologically valuable, and highly sensitive to oil spills.  Given its critical importance, the United Nations designated the Virginia barrier islands as a Biosphere Reserve.

OCTOBER 21, 2019 — A diverse array of stakeholders gathered to share information regarding scientific, economic and legal issues to advance the Natural Resource Damage Assessment practice. 

Man speaking at a lectern outdoors.

OCTOBER 21, 2019 — The groundbreaking of a new urban wetland in Wilmington, Delaware was held on October 18, at a gathering that included Delaware Governor John Carney, Senator Chris Coons, Mayor Mike Purzycki and other community leaders.

Group of people meeting around a table.

OCTOBER 14, 2019 — On October 7, Yaritza Rivera, NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Hurricane Response Coordinator, joined the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and National Fish & Wildlife Service Foundation (NFWF) at the South Atlantic Coastal Study (SACs) & Coastal Resilience Assessments workshop in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Group of five pose in front of a timeline.

OCTOBER 14, 2019 — On October 1, 2019, OR&R Emergency Response Chief Scott Lundgren and OR&R Senior Scientist Lisa DiPinto met with representatives of ITOPF (formerly the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation) at its headquarters in London.

Two people posing next to large underwater glider.

OCTOBER 14, 2019 — From October 2-4, 2019, OR&R Emergency Response Chief Scott Lundgren and OR&R Senior Scientist Lisa DiPinto participated in the International Technical Advisory Committee meeting held at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, United Kingdom. 

Two responders in protective gear spraying marsh.

OCTOBER 10, 2019 — A vessel that capsized early last month remains on its side in St. Simons Sound and continues to pose a pollution threat as responders work to remove the oil onboard. 

Five people posing for photo.

OCTOBER 7, 2019 — Gary Shigenaka, an OR&R biologist, was invited to present to the College of the Coast and Environment (CC&E) at Louisiana State University on the history of oil and oil spills.

Group posing for photo by the Seattle Aquarium

OCTOBER 7, 2019 — On October 1-2, the NOAA Marine Debris Program Pacific Regional Coordinator, Nir Barnea, participated in the Microplastic Monitoring Workshop, conducted at the Seattle Aquarium.

OCTOBER 7, 2019 — On September 25-26, OR&R’s LT Michael Doig participated in a multi-day CANUSLAK cross-border oil spill training exercise in Port Huron, Michigan and Corunna, Ontario.

Group of people posing for a photo on a dock.

OCTOBER 7, 2019 — On September 25, Caitlin Wessel, NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator, joined the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in an event to announce the 2019 Fishing for Energy awardees and celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Fishing for Energy program.

A pile of plastic marine debris.

OCTOBER 7, 2019 — On September 30, NOAA Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Northeast regional coordinator, Demi Fox, along with Kara Lavender Law, research professor of oceanography at Sea Education Association, and Stewart Harris, director of marine and environmental stewardship for the Plastics Division at American Chemistry Council, joined a panel at the University of Rhode Island’s first ever Plastics: Land to Sea Summit.

September 2019

People seated in a classroom with a screen in the front of the room.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2019 — On September 19, the Marine Debris Program released its first biennial update to the 2017-2023 Oregon Marine Debris Action Plan.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2019 — On September 26, the NOAA Marine Debris Program released a study by Abt Associates, Inc., evaluating the effects of marine debris on beach recreation and regional economies in four coastal communities.

Person speaking at a lectern outdoors.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2019 — On September 21, the Marine Debris Program and other NOAA partners participated in the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup events throughout the United States, including the Pacific Islands and Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other areas.

Tents on a parking lot.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2019 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division attended an equipment deployment exercise by Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) this past week as they practiced the transport, set up, and inventory of mobile wildlife care facilities for moderate/large oil spills. 

Two men looking a computer screen.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 — OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division’s Spatial Data Branch and Emergency Response Division provided Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) training to Hawaii responders on September 11.

Woman posing for picture.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 — Based in Honolulu, Hawai’i, and born and raised on the island of O‘ahu, Shanelle grew up surrounded by the ocean and rich history the islands offer.

Group of people posing outdoors for a photo.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 — On August 28 and 29, the Great Lakes Marine Debris Community met in Toledo, Ohio to discuss progress to date on addressing marine debris in the Great Lakes region.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 — On September 18, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced its FY 2020 “Marine Debris Prevention” federal funding opportunity.

Large group of people pose for photo on a lawn.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 — On September 3 - 6, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) staff held an all-hands meeting in Cle Elum, Washington in the Cascade Mountains, east of OR&R’s Seattle office.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 — Each year the SPIE Journal of Applied Remote Sensing honors teams with Best Paper Awards for contributions to science.

Two men sitting at a table.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 — On October 10, the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) will air a documentary, “The Serengeti Rules.”

Satellite image of a hurricane.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 — Hurricane Dorian formed on August 24, was the fourth named storm and the first major hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season. At its peak, the National Weather Service reported that Hurricane Dorian reached Category 5 intensity with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph, making this a major hurricane.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 — OR&R participated in NOAA’s Environmental Data Management workshop held in Seattle, Washington on September 4-5.

Group of people standing around dead fish laid out with ice.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 — On September 10, OR&R's Emergency response Division (ERD) staff joined staff from National Marine Fisheries Service, National Marine Sanctuaries and National Weather Service on a tour of the Honolulu Fish Auction on Pier 38 in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

A man handing something to a woman.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 — On September 11, the OR&R Emergency Response Division Chief and Senior Scientist participated in the 4th quarter FY2019 Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research (ICCOPR) hosted by the University of Maryland’s Department of Fire Protection Engineering in College Park, Maryland.

Four people posing on a waterfront

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 — On September 10, OR&R’s Tom Brosnan, Robb Wright, Simeon Hahn, and Megan Ewald participated in the Christina River Sediment Remediation Technical Workshop in Wilmington, Delaware. 

A group of people in response gear on a shoreline talking.

SEPT. 3, 2019 — Lieutenant Commander Jim Rosenberg, with OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, provided instruction at the annual North West Oil Spill Control Course in Port Angeles, Washington, on Aug. 26-30. Jim is the scientific support coordinator for the Northwestern Continental U.S.

A man presenting to a group of people.

SEPT. 3, 2019 — On Aug. 29, OR&R biologist Gary Shigenaka gave an invited presentation to the Salish Sea Association of Marine Naturalists at the Friday Harbor Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, Washington.

A group of people sitting at tables in a conference setting.

SEPT. 3, 2019 — On Aug. 20-21, the Marine Debris Program’s international activities and partnership coordinator, Steve Morrison, served on the U.S. delegation at the 13th Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ocean and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG) in Puerto Varas, Chile

A group of people on a boat looking at a screen.

SEPT. 3, 2019 — Last week, scientists from NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration, in collaboration with an interdisciplinary and interagency team of researchers and oil spill responders, tested new tools and methods for characterizing oil slicks and oil in the water column following an oil spill.

August 2019

Person at lectern.

AUGUST 26, 2019 — On August 13, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's California Regional Coordinator, Sherry Lippiatt, presented on marine debris prevention strategies at the California Resource Recovery Association Conference.

Two people on a boat smiling.

AUGUST 26, 2019 —The NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Pacific Island Region includes not only the Hawaiian archipelago, but also the Pacific island territories.

Person speaking next to a screen to people seated in a room.

AUGUST 26, 2019 — On August 6 and 7, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region III and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency led a debris management training for emergency responders in Dover, Delaware.

Oil slick as seen from a boat.

AUGUST 26, 2019 — The Deepwater Horizon oil spill lasted for 87 days, discharged millions of barrels into the Gulf of Mexico, and posed unprecedented challenges for oil spill experts. 

Uniformed Coast Guard members look at a demonstration given by those not in uniform.

AUGUST 19, 2019 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, with assistance from partners with the NOAA Pacific Services Center and NOAA Pacific Fisheries Science Center, hosted visitors from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Honolulu Incident Management Team at the Inouye Regional Center in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 14. 

People working on a beach, digging in the sand.

AUGUST 19, 2019 — On August 6, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, joined partners at the Center for Coastal Studies and the Provincetown Harbormaster’s Office for a marine debris cleanup in the Provincetown intertidal area known as the “west end flats.”

People sitting around tables looking at a screen in the front of the room.

AUGUST 19, 2019 — On July 31, the National Ocean Service (NOS) Zero Waste Team, comprised of 13 representatives from NOS program offices and NOS headquarters, came together at the first Zero Waste Workshop in Silver Spring, Maryland.

People talking in a semi-circle.

AUGUST 19, 2019 — On August 8, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Director, Nancy Wallace, spoke to a group of seven foreign journalists from Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Indonesia during a State Department-sponsored reporting tour covering American policy topics: "The U.S. Vision for the Indo-Pacific Region.”

Woman speaking to people listening at tables.

AUGUST 19, 2019 — OR&R’s Simeon Hahn of the Assessment and Restoration Division organized and led the Delaware River Urban Water Federal Partnership meeting at the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) office in Dover, Delaware, on Aug 7. 

AUGUST 19, 2019 — On August 9 the Office of Response and Restoration’s Emergency Response Division participated in a Hawaiian Electric Company worst-case oil spill exercise held in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

Person giving a presentation.

AUGUST 12, 2019 — On July 25-26, over 50 researchers participated in the 2019 Hawai'i Marine Debris Action Plan Research Workshop, hosted by the NOAA Marine Debris Program and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Beach scene with debris on the sand.

AUGUST 12, 2019 — On July 22-26, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, traveled to Honolulu, Hawai'I, to meet with Program partners in the region and participate in the Hawai'i Marine Debris Action Plan Research Workshop.

Building complex along a lakefront.

AUGUST 12, 2019 — On August 5, the Western Regional Center in Seattle was visited by a delegation of congressional travelers from Washington, D.C.  

Vegetation at the edge of a body of water.

AUGUST 5, 2019 — On July 26, the Marine Debris Program’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator, Caitlin Wessel, participated in a NOAA-funded marine debris removal and restoration project at the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in Weeks Bay, Alabama.

Three people posing for a photo.

AUGUST 5, 2019 — As part of the US National Response Team (NRT) – Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Subcommittee, NOAA helped plan, execute, and evaluate the annual EcoCanal ’19 exercise.

Group of people posing for a photo in a courtyard.

AUGUST 5, 2019 — On July 30 -August 1, the OR&R Diversity and Inclusion committee (D&I) met in Silver Spring, Maryland, to develop an action plan for the next two years.

July 2019

Person presenting in front of a screen.

JULY 29, 2019 — On July 23, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, and Communications and Education Specialist, Jennifer Simms, led a workshop titled: How to Talk Trash: Lessons from NOAA’s Marine Debris Program at the annual National Marine Educators Association conference at the University of New Hampshire. 

People walking along a beach.

JULY 29, 2019 — On July 23-25, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division conducted Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Techniques (SCAT) Team Member Training in the Arctic hosted by Alaska Clean Seas at their training facility in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.

Group of people looking out over a body of water.

JULY 29, 2019 — The week of July 22, NOAA OR&R staff held their annual Science of Oil Spills (SOS) training in Independence, at the Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio.

Four people seated at a long table.

JULY 29, 2019 — On July 18, OR&R’s division chiefs met with staff from members of Congress in California and Florida to discuss our activities in their states.

Group of people seated in a conference room.

JULY 29, 2019 — On July 23, Steve Morrison of the Marine Debris Program joined other staff from across NOAA in a meeting with representatives of Taiwan’s Ocean Conservation Administration, Ocean Affairs Council.

Two people sitting on a stage in front of a screen.

JULY 22, 2019 — On July 16 the OR&R Disaster Preparedness Program chief, Kate Wheelock, attended the Professional Services Council (PSC) membership meeting where she presented lessons learned from the 2018 hurricanes that devastated the mid-Atlantic coast.

Suitcase with flip-flops, sunglasses, hat, etc.

 JULY 22, 2019 — Last week, over 50 OR&R participants gathered to discuss some of the ethical questions about travel and tourism.

JULY 22, 2019 — OR&R sponsored a NRDA (Natural Resource Damage Assessment) workshop through Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) in Hawaii from July 16-18.

Large group posing for photo on a lawn.

JULY 22, 2019 — On July 10 and 11, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, attended a Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia to update the Council on U.S.-Canada collaborations to prevent and remove marine debris throughout the bi-national region.

People posing with crab pots and debris.

JULY 22, 2019 — On July 13, Charles Grisafi, Florida and Caribbean Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, participated in a special “bonus” Ghost Trap Rodeo event in Tampa Bay.

Crabber Outreach Workshop program cover.

JULY 15, 2019 — On June 26, the NOAA Marine Debris Program Pacific Northwest Coordinator joined 40 current and future Puget Sound Dungeness crabbers in a well-attended workshop to learn how to catch more crabs and lose less crab pots.

Four photos of a large rock, taken in 1991, 19193, 2008, and 2019.

JULY 15, 2019 — Early morning on Thursday July 4, during a minus tide, Skipper David Janka (Auklet Charters, Cordova, Alaska) stepped ashore at a cove on Knight Island in Prince William Sound and took the 30th annual photograph of a scene known as “Mearns Rock”.

Man lecturing students who are seated on a couch.

JULY 15, 2019 — On July 8 - 9, OR&R’s LT Michael Doig and LT Joshua Valdivia, of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) provided spill response training for USCG Sector Sault Ste. Marie. This was the last of 5 classes conducted around USCG District 9. 

Woman lecturing to a group.

JULY 15, 2019 — On June 26 in Oakland, California, the Marine Debris Program convened a group of 20 California non-profit and agency partners for a training workshop delivered by Root Solutions.

A group of people posing for photo on a lawn.

JULY 15, 2019 —The OR&R Emergency Response Division sponsored a June 25-26 workshop titled “Leveraging Science and Academic Engagement” in Tiburon, California.

June 2019

Group of people in an outdoor training session.

JULY 1, 2019 — OR&R Emergency Response Division employees LCDR James Rosenberg and LTJG Matt Bissell visited three tribal nations (Quinault, Quileute, and Makah) the week of June 24 to provide oil spill response training to tribal members.

Southeast Marine Debris Action Plan Report cover.

JULY 1, 2019 — On June 27, the Marine Debris Program released the Southeast Marine Debris Action Plan.

Woman presenting from a lectern next to a large screen.

JULY 1, 2019 — On June 17 - 19, partners representing diverse stakeholders from Virginia, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC gathered at the 2019 Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Summit in Arlington, Virginia.

Three people pose in front of the Interagency Modeling and Atmospheric Assessment Center.

JULY 1, 2019 — OR&R Emergency Response Chief Scott Lundgren, oceanographer Chris Barker, and chemist Dalina Thrift-Viveros participated in a meeting on June 11, 2019 to discuss hazard modeling roles, responsibilities, recent incident coordination, and future exercises and engagements.

A woman standing in front of a projector screen.

JULY 1, 2019 — During June 18-20, 2019,  the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center (CRCC) partnered with the Office of Response and Restoration’s Disaster Preparedness Program to hold NOAA’s 5th Regional Preparedness Workshop and Training (NRPT). 

JULY 1, 2019 — The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) was established in 2010 with the stated goal to improve society’s ability to understand, respond to, and mitigate the impacts of petroleum pollution and related stressors of the marine and coastal ecosystems. As the conclusion of 10 years of GoMRI’s investment in research approaches, the research board has shifted focus toward achieving comprehensive scientific synthesis.

A group of people posing for a photo.

JUNE 24, 2019 — During the week of June 10-14, 2019, in Brockport, New York, scientists from around the Great Lakes region gathered to discuss important lake-based issues, including marine debris.

Group of six people pose for photo.

JUNE 24, 2019 — NOAA scientists don’t only work on boats, they work with communities, in cities, and close to home.

Two men looking into camera, USCG sign in background.

JUNE 24, 2019 — On June 10-11 and 13-14, 2019, OR&R’s LT Michael Doig and LT Joshua Valdivia, of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) provided spill response training for USCG MSU (Marine Safety Unit) Duluth and Sector Lake Michigan.

Five people working at a table.

JUNE 24, 2019 —ORR’s Emergency Response Division and their Assessment and Restoration Division, the National Marine Fisheries Service Restoration Center, NOAA Sanctuaries, and the National Weather Service participated in the BP Shipping/Alaska Tanker Company (ATC) Drill in San Mateo, California on June 18-20.  

Woman leading a class, standing next to a screen.

JUNE 24, 2019 — During the week of June 17, OR&R staff from the Emergency Response Division and the Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center held a four-day Science of Chemical Releases course in Seattle, Washington, at NOAA’s Western Regional Center and at the Institute of Ocean Science in Sidney, British Columbia.

Riverbank, river, and mountains.

JUNE 24, 2019 — Troy Baker, of OR&R’s Assessment & Restoration Division recently participated in a two-week exercise focused on modeling radiation doses in the terrestrial and aquatic environments. 

Sunken vessel being lifted from the water onto a boat.

JUNE 24, 2019 — Dealing with medium and large debris in coastal waters can be chronic, complicated, and costly for many states.

View from vessel on the water.

JUNE 24, 2019 — On June 11, the NOAA Marine Debris Program Pacific Northwest Coordinator Nir Barnea joined the field team for the project “Derelict Crab Pot Removal and Outreach in Washington’s Salish Sea”.

Microplastics.

JUNE 24, 2019 — The Gulf of Mexico Alliance 2019 All Hands Meeting was held from June 10 - 14 at the new Gulf State Lodge in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Three people working at a table covered in trash.

JUNE 17, 2019 — It was a busy weekend celebrating World Ocean Day in New England. The Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, attended two of the countless events hosted across the region.

Two people watch a presentation on a screen.

JUNE 17, 2019 — On June 5 and 6, the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) hosted their annual Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) workshop at the Weeks Bay NERR in Baldwin County, Alabama.

JUNE 17, 2019 — On June 4, the Marine Debris Program Director, Nancy Wallace, moderated an Ocean Plastics panel at the Blue Tech Expo in Washington, D.C.

JUNE 17, 2019 — On June 5-6, 2019, the NOAA Western Regional Collaboration Team (NOAA West) partnered with the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) to hold a tabletop exercise which simulated an earthquake and resulting tsunami impacting the Seattle region.

Helicopter hovering over a boat in a harbor.

JUNE 17, 2019 — On June 3-6, 2019, Doug Helton from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division joined the U.S. Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and Alaskan delegates in Bodø, Norway, for meetings with the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Working Group (EPPR).

Children in shallow water by water's edge.

JUNE 10, 2019 — The week of June 3, OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division partnered with the Hudson River Estuary Program/Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve at the Great Fish Count at Lemon Creek Park in Staten Island.

Three people posing for photo.

JUNE 10, 2019 — On May 28, Nir Barnea, the NOAA MDP Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator, met in Long Beach, WA with Shelly Pollock and Russ Lewis, representatives of the GrassRoots Garbage Gangs volunteer organization.

People looking over the side of a boat with equipment.

JUNE 10, 2019 — The week of June 3, OR&R scientists George Graettinger and Lisa DiPinto leveraged collaborative relationships with the Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC) , the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), the U.S.

Two people posing for photo in front of a statue.

JUNE 10, 2019 —The 42nd AMOP (Arctic and Marine Oil Spill Program) Technical Seminar on Environmental Contamination and Response was held June 4-6 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 

Group working at a table.

JUNE 10, 2019 — During the week of June 3, NOAA OR&R staff held their annual Science of Oil Spills (SOS) training in Seattle, Washington at NOAA’s Western Regional Center.

Beach with dune grass.

JUNE 10, 2019 — Last fall, OR&R had joined PS 146 3rd graders to clean up and remove over 700 pounds of trash from a 200 meter stretch of Plumb Beach at the mouth of Jamaica Bay in New York Harbor.

May 2019

Tall smoke stack and building with mountains in background.

JUNE 3, 2019 — Last week marks a major accomplishment for restoration at the Hanford Nuclear Site in eastern Washington State.

Group of people pose for photo.

JUNE 3, 2019 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division Chief, Scott Lundgren, met with the leadership of the American Salvage Association (ASA) on May 23.

Group of people posing for photo.

JUNE 3, 2019 — The U.S. Department of the Interior’s International Technical Assistance Program (ITAP) together with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) played host to the government of Argentina in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 22-24 as part of its continued engagement on sustainable oil and gas sector development, as supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources (DOS/ENR).

JUNE 3, 2019 — On May 24, Kate Wheelock, Chief of the Disaster Preparedness Program, presented on the full breadth NOS operational response capabilities at the FEMA Region 3 (Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia) bi-annual Regional Interagency Steering Committee (RISC) Meeting.

Children listen to a speaker while sitting at tables.

JUNE 3, 2019 — The next generation of environmental scientists learned about current aquatic issues in the news with the help of Troy Baker, an environmental scientist in OR&R's Assessment and Restoration Division.

People listening to speaker at front of room.

JUNE 3, 2019 — On May 28, Marine Debris Program (MDP) staff participated in the Virginia Stormwater and Litter workshop held in Woodbridge, Virginia.

People sitting at tables with flip charts in the room.

JUNE 3, 2019 — The Southeast and Caribbean NOAA Disaster Resilience Workshop was held May 14-16 at the Office for Coastal Management-Charleston.

Man sitting at a table.

JUNE 3, 2019 — On Thursday May 23, OR&R staff gave brief presentations on their work to Benjamin Friedman, NOAA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Operations, who serves as the agency’s chief operating officer and is responsible for the day-to-day management of NOAA’s national and international operations for oceanic and atmospheric services, research and coastal and marine stewardship.     

Large group posing for photo.

JUNE 3, 2019 — On May 21 and 22, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) hosted more than 65 partners for the Florida Marine Debris Reduction Workshop at the Nova Southeastern University Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center in Hollywood, Florida.

Gloved hands holding an oiled turtle.

MAY 28, 2019 — To best prepare experts for oil spills where sea turtles could be impacted, NOAA has released “Guidelines for Oil Spill Response and Natural Resource Damage Assessment: Sea Turtles.”

Vessel in the water with a skimmer attached.

MAY 28, 2019 — NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator LCDR Jim Rosenberg participated in an oil spill response exercise in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology, and the British Columbia Ministry of Environment in the Strait of Juan de Fuca on May 22.

MAY 28, 2019 — On May 16, the Marine Debris Program's Pacific Northwest and California Regional Coordinators, Nir Barnea and Sherry Lippiatt, contributed to a webinar "Current Actions of the U.S. West Coast Marine Debris Plans," hosted by OCTO and the West Coast Marine Debris Alliance.

Banner: National Association of SARA Title III Program Officials.

MAY 28, 2019 — In early May, members of the CAMEO® software team attended the National Association of SARA Title III Program Officials (NASTTPO) conference to discuss CAMEO’s chemical emergency software and gain insights on the current needs and situations of planners across the nation.

Seven people pose for photo.

MAY 28, 2019 — Oceanographers Christopher Barker and Dylan Righi visited the responders at the Sección de Respuesta a Emergencias (Emergency Response Section), ACP (Panama Canal Authority) May 21-23 to provide training and support for an updated version of NOAA's General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment (GNOME) model for the Panama Canal.

Banner promoting Arctic IoNS.

MAY 28, 2019 — The 2019 Arctic Incident of National Significance (IoNS) Workshop/Exercise was held May 21-22 in Anchorage, Alaska.

ERMA map of Pacific Northwest region.

MAY 28, 2019 — OR&R presented on several of our mapping, data management and modeling tools at the Washington State and U.S. Coast Guards Best Achievable Protection Workshop in downtown Seattle May 14-15, 2019.

Group of people assembled around a table.

MAY 28, 2019 —OR&R staff from the Emergency Response Division (ERD) and the Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) participated in Chevron’s 2019 Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) exercise this week held in Covington, Louisiana.

Group posing in front of a screen.

MAY 28, 2019 — On May 13-15, Marine Debris Program Director, Nancy Wallace, served as the Head of Delegation for the United States at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum workshop in Nha Trang, Vietnam.

Conference banner.

MAY 20, 2019 —On May 13 and 14 OR&R participated in a coastal protection workshop conducted in coastal city of Tuy Hoa, Vietnam, as part of Pacific Partnership 2019.

Two men standing in front of a screen.

MAY 20, 2019 — On May 14-16, LT Michael E. Doig attended the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Team (GLRCT) Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin.

Man presenting next to a screen.

MAY 20, 2019 — NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) Adam Davis presented on the role of the NOAA SSC during the recent National Academies of Science and Gulf of Mexico Research Institute (GOMRI) co-sponsored workshop,  “Preparing for Oil Spills in the Eastern Gulf: health, economic resilience, and community well-being”

Large group poses for photo.

MAY 20, 2019 — The Marine Debris Program is excited to announce the winners of the third annual Ohio Marine Debris Challenge!

Man with small child on his shoulders.

MAY 20, 2019 — Steve Morrison is the lead for international activities and partnership coordination for the Marine Debris Program (MDP) and works in the Silver Spring office.

Meeting participants listen to presentation.

MAY 20, 2019 — Each year the leadership from the U.S. national and regional oil and hazardous substance preparedness and response interagency partners gather to share information and plan future work. 

IPIECA meeting banner.

MAY 20, 2019 — On April 8, Scott Lundgren, the OR&R Emergency Response Division Chief participated in a widely attended reception held by IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for advancing environmental and social performance, during the organization’s annual meeting. 

MAY 20, 2019 — At the most recent meeting of the RRT3 (consisting of representatives from the 15 federal agency and the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia) the decision was made to perform courtesy visits to state capitols in an effort to educate state senior executives on the current dispersant pre-authorization memorandum of agreement (MOA).

Group of Men seated at a table.

MAY 20, 2019 — On May 13, the Marine Debris Program staff, Steve Morrison, participated in a meeting between the United States government (USG) and government officials from the Republic of Korea (ROK), led by their Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to discuss US/ROK collaborative work under the Korea/US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS).

Man at a podium next to a screen.

  MAY 20, 2019 — On April 11, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division Chief Scott Lundgren and Senior Scientist Lisa DiPinto attended the Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC) Annual Meeting at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters. 

MAY 13, 2019 — The Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) has started planning for FY2020! DPP staff gathered at the Disaster Response Center (DRC) May 7-9 for an FY2020 operational planning meeting.

Two women working at a table.

MAY 13, 2019 — On May 1, the Marine Debris Program’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator, Caitlin Wessel, worked with the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the beachfront towns of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama to educate their summer employees about marine debris issues through a one-day class.

Group of people in a boat on a river.

MAY 13, 2019 — Over three dozen environmental scientists and natural resource economists from OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division gathered in Washington, D.C. this week to discuss recent updates and advances in Natural Resource Damage Assessments (NRDA).

MAY 13, 2019 — Since the 116th Congress began on January 3, 2019, several bills have been introduced that are relevant to the work of OR&R.

People seated in a classroom, facing a screen.

MAY 13, 2019 — On April 30 and May 1, partners representing organizations in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia gathered at the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office in Gloucester, Massachusetts to finalize the Gulf of Maine Marine Debris Action Plan, which aims to coordinate efforts to prevent, study, and remove marine debris.

MAY 13, 2019 — On May 8, Rear Admiral Shepard Smith, Director of NOAA Office of Coast Survey, testified at a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

Grassy area at water's edge.

MAY 13, 2019 — The Department of Justice announced that a consent decree was lodged in the hazardous waste case of Exxon Mobil Former Fertilizer Plants. in Charleston, South Carolina.

Group of people working on the deck of a boat.

MAY 13, 2019 — On May 9, the U.S. Coast Guard hosted a joint press conference to discuss the ongoing operations at the wreck site of a sunken WWII Tanker near Long Island, New York.

MAY 6, 2019 — Lieutenant Commander Jamie Rosenberg re-joined OR&R in April. She is the new scientific support coordinator for the Northwest Continental U.S.

MAY 6, 2019 — On April 9, OR&R’s biological oceanographer Dr. Carl Childs from the Emergency Response Division attended a colloquium on “Microbial Genomics of the Global Ocean System” on April 9-10, 2019. The event was a part of the ongoing Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative’s Legacy and Synthesis effort to consolidate scientific research that followed the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

A group of people in different colored vests sitting at a table.

MAY 6, 2019 — During April 23-25, trainers from the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) and Genwest Systems Inc. provided the NOAA-specific Incident Command System 300 course in Charleston, South Carolina.

MAY 3, 2019 — On April 24, the OR&R Diversity and Inclusion Committee sponsored an event on how privilege (or the lack thereof) impacts our lives. Sociologists define privilege as unearned benefits that accrue to particular groups based on their location within a social hierarchy. Having privilege varies, depending on factors such as race, gender, sexual orientation, wealth or social status, and religion. While the subject has been the focus of much attention recently, it is not new.

A woman looking at a map on a computer sitting across from a group of people at another table.

MAY 6, 2019 — On May 1, NOAA participated in the 2019 National Level Exercise, also known as Eagle Horizon. This year's exercise focused on devolution, or the agency's ability to transfer statutory authority and responsibility for essential functions from leadership and headquartered facilities to predetermined delegates in a remote facility, and to sustain that operational capability until leadership can safely and effectively resume authority and responsibility.

Two people in hard hats and work gear in a marsh, one standing in the water below and the other standing on a boardwalk.

MAY 6, 2019 — On April 16-17, Sarah Latshaw, Southeast regional coordinator for the Marine Debris Program, and Raishan Peterson, grants management specialist with the NOAA Grants Management Division, visited the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA DNR) office in Brunswick, Georgia.

Two women standing in front of a collapsed structure.

MAY 6, 2019 — On April 23-24, Marine Debris Program Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator Caitlin Wessel visited Hurricane Harvey supplemental debris removal sites from Corpus Christi to Copano Bay, Texas. Caitlin met with groups impacted by Harvey, including the Mission Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Texas General Lands Office (GLO), Goose Island State Park, and the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

A group of people turned toward a woman standing at a podium with a projection screen behind her.

MAY 6, 2019 — On April 24-25, Carlie Herring, research analyst and Jason Rolfe, Mid-Atlantic regional coordinator for the Marine Debris Program, participated in a workshop on “Microplastics in the Chesapeake Bay and its Watershed: State of the Knowledge, Data Gaps, and Relationship to Management Goals.”

Two people at a podium next to a projection screen with a man sitting to the left of the image frame.

MAY 6, 2019 — During the summer of 2017, the Caribbean was pounded and devastated by two major hurricanes (Irma and Maria). Two years later, recovery continues. With the 2019 official hurricane season nearing, a NOAA Regional Preparedness Training Workshop was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico April 23-25, 2019.

April 2019

APRIL 26, 2019 — On April 22, the Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, spoke at the New Hampshire Coastal Marine Natural Resources and Environment Commission’s monthly meeting.

Two men at front of room addressing a group.

APRIL 26, 2019 — The 6th Annual Arctic Encounter (AES) Symposium was held in Seattle on April 25 and 26.

A panel of six men in front of a screen.

APRIL 26, 2019 — On April 24, Brad Benggio, of OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, and Dan Hahn of the Assessment and Restoration Division, presented at the Sea Grant Oil Spill Science Workshop: How does science guide oil spill response? Collaborating before, during and after a spill in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Three men pose for photo.

APRIL 26, 2019 — On April 16-18, Adam Davis, LT Michael Doig, and Ed Levine attended the Clean Waterways conference in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Man demonstrating something to a child at an easel.

APRIL 26, 2019 — Last week, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) celebrated Earth Day around the country.

People standing in the mouth of a giant shark sculpture.

APRIL 19, 2019 — On April 16-18, 2019, staff from NOAA’s Assessment and Restoration Division, NOAA’s Restoration Center, and NOAA’s Office of General Counsel for Natural Resources participated in the biannual Texas Trustee Summit held in Port Aransas, Texas.

Man and woman pose for photo.

APRIL 18, 2019 — On April 10, Marine Debris Program California Regional Coordinator, Sherry Lippiatt, was the invited speaker for the Sonoma Valley Rotary Club luncheon.

APRIL 19, 2019 — On April 10, Amy Holman, NOAA Regional Coordinator for Alaska led a remote NOAA communications exercise in support of Alaska Shield, a tri-annual state-wide emergency response exercise.

Hands holding sampling equipment.

APRIL 19, 2019 — Ken Finkelstein attended the 2019 North Atlantic Chapter short course on April 8 at University of Massachusetts/Boston. 

Seven people pose for photo.

APRIL 19, 2019 — On April 11, the OR&R Emergency Response Division Chief joined RDML Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., USN Ret., the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy NOAA Administrator, for a visit to the U.S. National Response Center (NRC) based at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters.

Participants listen to instructor at front of room.

APRIL 19, 2019 — On April 18, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Mobile held their annual Continuity of Operations (COOP) exercise at the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC).

Group of people meeting around a table.

APRIL 12, 2019 — On April 9 and 10, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) hosted a workshop in Silver Spring, Maryland, for divisions across the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) to better understand roles and responsibilities both during and outside of emergency response.

Headshot of a woman.

APRIL 12, 2019 — Leah Moore, a Hollings Scholar, will be working at OR&R in Seattle this summer with the West Coast Branch of OR&R's Assessment and Restoration Division.

Man leading a class next to a screen

APRIL 12, 2019 — On April 3-5, OR&R’s LT Michael Doig and LT Joshua Valdivia, of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) provided spill response training for USCG Sector Buffalo.

Man teaching class, looking at flip chart

APRIL 12, 2019 — On March 29, Sea Grant hosted an Oil Spill Workshop in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

A man and a woman standing on a dock.

APRIL 5, 2019 — OR&R Restoration staff participated in U.S. Coast Guard, Sector Juneau’s National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) full scale exercise in Juneau, Alaska.

Woman presenting next to a screen.

APRIL 5, 2019 — On March 27, the Marine Debris Program’s California Regional Coordinator, Sherry Lippiatt, attended the 11th National Monitoring Conference (NMC) in Denver, Colorado.

Group posing for photo in uniforms.

APRIL 5, 2019 — Last week, the Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, spoke with a group of undergraduate MIT students at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Boston.

Three women pose in front of a table.

APRIL 5, 2019 — Every scientist, policy analyst, educator and administrator who works at NOAA started in the same place, as a kid in a classroom.

Two men listen as woman speaks next to a helicopter.

APRIL 5, 2019 — At the request of U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Puget Sound's Incident Management Division, OR&R personnel facilitated a group exercise at the USCG Air Station in Port Angeles, Washington on April 3.

Group of people seated at a table.

APRIL 5, 2019 — During the week of March 25, NOAA OR&R staff held their annual Science of Oil Spill (SOS) training in Mobile, Alabama at NOAA’s Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center.

March 2019

A group of people posing for a photo.

MARCH 29, 2019 — This week, leveraging our longstanding relationship with the Coastal Response Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, OR&R’s senior scientist collaborated with researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the Environmental Protection Agency, Water Mapping LLC, and Sea Scan MK2 ECA Group on a project to calibrate various sensors under development for detecting and characterizing oil in the water column.

A man pulling a crab trap out of water.

MARCH 29, 2019 — On March 23, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Florida and Caribbean regional coordinator, Charles Grisafi, participated in the fifth “Ghost Trap Rodeo” event in Tampa, Florida.

A group of people looking at an area of dry grass.

MARCH 29, 2019 — On March 26-28, NOAA's Emergency Response Division provided a three day oil spill response training to a variety of response and resource management agencies from around the San Francisco Bay area.

Man and dog sitting on a rock outdoors.

MARCH 29, 2019 — As an economist in the Assessment and Restoration Division, Chris Giguere assists natural resource trustees in the quantification of ecological and recreational-use damages from oil and chemical spills. 

Mussels in the bottom of a basket.

MARCH 29, 2019 — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service held a Northeast (Region 5) freshwater mussel workshop at the Virginia Commonwealth University, Rice Rivers Center, in Charles City, Virginia from March 18 to March 20.

MARCH 22, 2019 — Working under the 2001 Memorandum of Agreement between the National Response Team and the Panama Canal Authority (in Spanish – Authoridad del Canal de Panama - ACP), OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) is collaborating to update the hydrography of the Canal Zone for trajectory model analysis.

MARCH 22, 2019 — NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration and the Restoration Center presented at the “Gear Up” workshop, March 15 – 17, hosted by The Whale Museum in the San Juan Islands.

Four men pose for photo.

MARCH 22, 2019 — On March 7 and 8, Dr. Chris Barker, an oceanographer with OR&R who develops and operates our oil and chemical spill models, joined Emergency Response Division Chief Scott Lundgren in visits with several NOAA and interagency partners to ensure familiarity with our products and services including model development plans and to discuss partner initiatives and interests.

Laptop screen and publication.

MARCH 22, 2019 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division Chief Scott Lundgren joined other members of the International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC) Executive Committee to plan the 2020 International Oil Spill Conference.

Speaker presenting to a small group next to a screen.

MARCH 22, 2019 — OR&R Emergency Response Division Chief Scott Lundgren and Senior Scientist Lisa DiPinto participated in events on March 18 and 19 relating to a new American Academies of Arts and Science’s publication on Science During Crisis: Best Practices, Research Needs, and Policy Priorities, receiving an advance briefing with other NOAA line office representatives and attending an event rollout with other department and agency representatives and interested parties.

Grassy area on river's edge.

MARCH 15, 2019 — On March 8, the Department of Justice announced that a consent decree was lodged in the hazardous waste case Atlantic Wood Industries in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Large group posing under a mounted whale skeleton.

MARCH 15, 2019 — On March 12-13, representatives of the Oregon marine debris community convened for the 2019 Oregon Marine Debris Action Plan Workshop.

Old plastic cup.

MARCH 15, 2019 — On March 9, 2019, the Marine Debris Program’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator, Caitlin Wessel, attended the Mobile Baykeeper’s post-Mardi Gras cleanup on One Mile Creek in downtown Mobile, Alabama.

Six people pose for a photo indoors.

MARCH 15, 2019 — The OR&R Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP), established just over a year ago, is fully staffed and moving full steam ahead.

A group of people listening to an instructor on a beach.

MARCH 15, 2019 — The week of March 11, NOAA OR&R staff conducted oil spill science and response training in Hagatna, Guam for over 40 spill responders and planners.

Woman and a man pose for a photo.

MARCH 8, 2019 — On March 1, the Marine Debris Program’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator, Caitlin Wessel, attended the Alabama University System’s annual Sustainability Summit in Mobile, Alabama.

Group of five people pose for photo in front of a projection screen.

MARCH 8, 2019 — As he has in past years, OR&R environmental scientist Ken Finkelstein officiated at the 2019 National Ocean Science Bowl regional competition at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on March 3.

View of shoreline, beach and rocks.

MARCH 8, 2019 — For the first time in over a decade, OR&R staff will host training for oil spill planners and responders in Hagatna, Guam on March 11.

Person instructing three others at a computer screen.

MARCH 8, 2019 — OR&R staff and scientists are busy preparing for a number of upcoming trainings for the U.S. Coast Guard and other response partners.

MARCH 1, 2019 — The week of February 25, the OR&R Emergency Response Division, NOAA Marine Fisheries/Greater Atlantic Regional Field Office, and the Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC - a joint NOAA/University of New Hampshire research center) brought response, management and seafood inspection authorities from state and federal levels together to discuss fisheries management following a major pollution event in the Gulf of Maine. 

MARCH 1, 2019 — On February 27, the OR&R Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee sponsored an event on mindfulness. Mindfulness is bringing one's awareness to the present moment, and has been proven to improve focus, reduce stress, enhance creativity, and improve physical health. The event provided an overview and history of mindfulness, the benefits, and tips for starting a mindfulness practice. Participants were guided through "body scan" and "raisin" exercises to experience the practice first-hand.

Man addresses a group while standing next to a projection screen.

MARCH 1, 2019 — Last weekend, OR&R team member and Genwest employee Kristen Faiferlick attended World Information Architecture (IA) Day to learn best practices in organizing, sharing, and publicizing information.

MARCH 1, 2019 — Alyson Finn, a Genwest contractor, works as an Emergency Planning Specialist for OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP), based out of Silver Spring, Maryland. 

MARCH 1, 2019 — On February 26, the Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, attended SWANApalooza, the Solid Waste Association of North America’s annual conference and trade show in Boston, Massachusetts.

February 2019

Green pointed objects, a sample of remedial tools showcased.

FEBRUARY 22, 2019 — OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division's Northeast Branch participated in the Tenth International Conference on Remediation and Management of Contaminated Sediments held in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 11-14.

Group of people posing for photo.

FEBRUARY 22, 2019 — On February 14 – 16, the Marine Debris Program’s Chief Scientist, Amy V. Urhin, participated in the Floating Marine Macro Litter Workshop held in Rome, Italy.

An illustration highlighting post-Exxon Valdez developments.

FEBRUARY 22, 2019 — Each year, the Alaska Forum on the Environment brings together a diverse audience to discuss ongoing and emerging environmental issues such as contaminants, hazardous waste cleanup, hazardous materials management, and pollution prevention within Alaska’s many different communities and regions.

Two people looking at a flip chart.

FEBRUARY 15, 2019 — Coastal GeoTools is a biennial event dedicated to technology and coastal environmental science.

Map of the Washington coast.

FEBRUARY 15, 2019 — On December 31, 2018, the Washington Coast Derelict Fishing Gear Removal Project came to a successful completion, meeting or exceeding its stated goals.

Man in a red coat smiling at camera.

FEBRUARY 15, 2019 — On February 13, 2019, Great Lakes Scientific Support Coordinator LT Michael Doig attended an oil in ice training course hosted by U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with support from Canadian Pacific Railroad.

Woman sitting on a chair.

FEBRUARY 15, 2019 — On February 13, OR&R Deputy Director LaTonya Burgess announced the selection of Kate Wheelock to the position of the Disaster Preparedness Program Chief.

FEBRUARY 8, 2019 — The Office of Response and Restoration had strong participation in this year’s Gulf of Mexico Oil Spills and Ecosystem Science Conference (GOMOSES).

FEBRUARY 8, 2019 — The Marine Debris Program released an internal report analyzing their fiscal year 2018 digital presence.

A woman posing for photo while sitting on stairs.

FEBRUARY 8, 2019 — Lindsey Palardy is the Communications and Policy Specialist for NOAA’s Marine Debris Program.

View of a river with fish passage.

FEBRUARY 8, 2019 — The 2017 natural resource damage settlement agreement for in-river injuries reached between NOAA, our co-trustees, and parties potentially responsible for hazardous waste releases into the Raritan River from the American Cyanamid Superfund Site in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

FEBRUARY 8, 2019 — The NOS Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) is offering a NOAA-specific ICS-300 (Incident Command System) class on April 23-25 in Charleston, South Carolina, that meets the requirements of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) used by federal agencies during expanding incidents as required by Executive Order.

FEBRUARY 8, 2019 —Vicki Loe, OR&R outreach lead; Alyssa Dillon, OR&R web editor; and Seumas Gagne, OR&R webmaster, are pleased to announce that we have completed the development and launch of a new Drupal theme for response.restoration.noaa.gov.

Texas report cover.

The Guide outlines existing response structures at the local, state, and federal levels to facilitate a coordinated, well-managed, and immediate response to acute waterway debris incidents impacting coastal areas in the state of Texas.

Students watching a screen in a classroom.

FEBRUARY 8, 2019 — On December 12 and 13, the NOAA Marine Debris Program collaborated with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) and the Environmental Protection Agency to host more than 40 partners at the GOMA Marine Debris Mid-year Meeting and Workshop.

Hawaii report cover

FEBRUARY 8, 2019 — On January 31, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) released the fifth and final revision of the Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan.

December 2018

Participants seated at tables facing large screen in front of room.

DECEMBER 21, 2018 — On December 12 and 13, the NOAA Marine Debris Program collaborated with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) and the Environmental Protection Agency to host more than 40 partners at the GOMA Marine Debris Mid-year Meeting and Workshop.

Book cover showing marine debris in front of a shack on a beach.

DECEMBER 21, 2018 — On December 18, the Marine Debris Program announced the release of its “Texas Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide.”

DECEMBER 14, 2018 — From December 3-7, the Marine Debris Program’s Director, Nancy Wallace, represented OR&R at the United Nation’s second meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Expert Group on Marine Litter and Microplastics in Geneva, Switzerland.

DECEMBER 14, 2018 — The prestigious Team Member of the Year award recognizes contractors for outstanding contributions to NOS programs and the demonstration of exceptional and sustained effort toward the accomplishment of NOS missions. The following contractors that work in OR&R were recognized for their achievements at a ceremony on December 3 in Silver Spring, Maryland.

     

    Students working together at tables.

    DECEMBER 14, 2018 — This week in Silver Spring, Maryland, OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) held a three day NOAA-Specific Incident Command System 300 Level Training (ICS 300).

    DECEMBER 14, 2018 — This week, NOAA and the EPA jointly released updates to CAMEOfm and Tier2 Submit™, two programs that aid state and local emergency planners in preparing for and responding to chemical emergencies. 

    Fish swimming underwater.

    DECEMBER 14, 2018 — In 2019, NOAA, along with representatives from three Tribal Nations, will begin to lead a project focused on aquatic restoration planning at the Hanford Nuclear site

    Student looking into a microscope.

    DECEMBER 14, 2018 — From December 3-7, the Marine Debris Program’s science team met with FY17 Marine Debris Research Grant recipient, Dr. Beth Polidoro, at Arizona State University to learn about an exciting microplastics project.

    Debris and large collection bin.

    DECEMBER 7, 2018 — During the week of November 26, the Marine Debris Program celebrated ten exciting years working with Fishing for Energy partners to divert derelict fishing year.

    Two people address a group next to a large screen.

    DECEMBER 7, 2018 — The NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) sponsored the second in a series of workshops on Long Term Data Management in the Gulf of Mexico on December 4 – 6 at NOAA's Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Alabama.

    Panelists speak to people in a room.

    DECEMBER 7, 2018 — On November 29 and 30, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, in collaboration with the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), Marine Quest, and the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, hosted more than 50 partners at the Southeast Marine Debris Workshop.

    Map with a highlighted shape.

    DECEMBER 7, 2018 — On November 30, the Disaster Preparedness Program activated accountability procedures for NOS staff within the projected area of impact (below from ERMA*) for the 7.0 Alaska earthquake, including the coastal tsunami warning area.

    November 2018

    Graphic shows how crude oil causes heart failure in several species.

    NOVEMBER 30, 2018 — West Coast federal and state trustees and oil industry representatives convened in Portland, Oregon, for the West Coast Joint Assessment Team (JAT) meeting on November 27.

    Two men standing in a field.

    NOVEMBER 30, 2018 — OR&R’s Ken Finkelstein, Jim Turek of the National Marine Fisheries Service Restoration Center, and Grant Blumberg of NOAA’s General Counsel participated in a public meeting on November 19 in Stratford, Connecticut. 

    Four panelists at a table in front of large screen.

    NOVEMBER 30, 2018 — OR&R staff participated in the biennial conference of the New York and New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program (HEP). 

    NOVEMBER 30, 2018 — On November 16, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced $17.2 million in grants to coastal states and territories impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.

    Body of water with marsh in background.

    NOVEMBER 30, 2018 — On November 19, the Department of Justice announced that a consent decree was lodged on November 9, 2018 in the hazardous waste case of Koppers Co., Inc. in Charleston, South Carolina.

    Group of students sitting at a table, working together.

    NOVEMBER 30, 2018 — OR&R staff sat down with Brooklyn public high school students to share stories about careers in marine science.

    Screen shot of After Action Report.

    NOVEMBER 30, 2018 — Finally, November 30 marks the end of Hurricane Season 2018. Hurricane Season 2018 was extremely busy, with storms like Hurricane Florence in North Carolina, and Hurricane Michael in the Florida panhandle that left a path of destruction in their wake.

    Five people posing for photo.

    NOVEMBER 30, 2018 — On November 17, Frank Csulak, NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator, served as the guest speaker at the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Fifth Northern Coast Guard District Division 12’s Change of Watch Ceremony.

    Five men pose for photo; two hold framed certificates.

    NOVEMBER 16, 2018 — On November 9, Tri-State Rescue and Rehabilitation, Inc. presented an award to NOAA at their annual "Fly Me to the Loon: Night to Benefit the Birds" fundraising event.

    Graphic showing presence or absence of sea grass.

    NOVEMBER 16, 2018 — A recent OR&R publication in the journal Landscape Ecology examined how hydrodynamic drivers and physical setting influence seagrass landscape composition and configuration.

    A range of marine debris samples on a dock.

    NOVEMBER 16, 2018 — Between September 18 and October 30, five NOAA offices and numerous partners collaborated on a marine debris removal mission in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands that yielded over 80 tons of marine debris.

    Man and woman discussing next to a desk.

    NOVEMBER 16, 2018 — On November 3-10, Doug Helton and Catherine Berg from the OR&R's Emergency Response Division traveled with colleagues from the U.S. Coast Guard and the State of Alaska, to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia to participate in a "Seminar on Understanding Maritime Pollution Threats and Response Systems in the Russian Federation-United States Trans-Boundary Area".

    Group of people standing and talking together.

    NOVEMBER 9, 2018 — On October 31, the Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, spoke at the EPA’s annual Tribal Environmental Conference hosted by the Passamaquoddy Tribe in Jackman, Maine.

    Woman speaking at a podium in front of a large screen.

    NOVEMBER 9, 2018 — On November 6, the Marine Debris Program’s California Regional Coordinator, Sherry Lippiatt, gave the morning keynote for the Marine Debris Solutions Conference in San Diego, California.

    Story Map cover.

    NOVEMBER 9, 2018 — If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Story Maps are worth even more. Story Maps are custom maps used to communicate messages in a visual and interactive way.

    Large group pf people gathered around a table.

    NOVEMBER 9, 2018 — In October 2018, OR&R’s director, chiefs of OR&R’s Emergency Response and Marine Debris Divisions, and staff participated in a series of industry partnership information-sharing meetings.

    Woman and man in front of computer screen display.

    NOVEMBER 9, 2018 — OR&R’s senior scientist, Dr. Lisa DiPinto; the chief of OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, Scott Lundgren; and OR&R biologist Gary Shigenaka participated in the 2018 Industry Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC) Annual Meeting to share information on current and emerging scientific and technical issues influencing spill response.

    A sign describing the historical site.

    NOVEMBER 2, 2018 — Cold Spring, New York, is situated in the Hudson Valley on the east bank of the Hudson River across from West Point and Crow’s Nest, about 60 miles north of New York City.

    Reese's peanut butter cups in their packaging.

    NOVEMBER 2, 2018 — On October 31, OR&R’s Diversity and Inclusion team held an event focused on substance sensitivities in the workplace.

    Students sitting in a classroom, facing a screen.

    NOVEMBER 2, 2018 — The NOAA Unmanned Marine Systems (UMS) Symposium was held at the Stennis Space Center in Stennis, Mississippi, the week of October 29.

    People watching demonstration outdoors.

    NOVEMBER 2, 2018 — For years, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality have joined forces to teach a Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) course in Louisiana for local responders. 

    Group of people on a boat.

    NOVEMBER 2, 2018 — On October 27, Charles Grisafi, Florida and Caribbean Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, participated in the first-ever Ghost Trap Rodeo event at Fort De Soto Park in Tierra Verde, Florida.

    Group of people milling about in an exhibit hall.

    NOVEMBER 2, 2018 — The 2018 Oregon State of the Coast conference was held on October 27, in Coos Bay, Oregon. 

    Woman in a boat with oil well in background.

    NOVEMBER 2, 2018 — On Halloween - Wednesday, October 31, scientists from OR&R participated in a seep oil technology demonstration off of Coal Oil Point near Santa Barbara, California. 

    Bridge over water leading to a house and grounded boat.

    NOVEMBER 2, 2018 — For NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), Fiscal Year 2018 was a year filled with new challenges and new achievements — including providing scientific support for over 200 pollution-related incidents, a prolonged response to the 2017 hurricane season, and ongoing research into the detection of oil thickness via remote sensing.

    October 2018

    Group of people posing for a photo.

    OCTOBER 26, 2018 — Members of the Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) participated in the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Annual Conference this week in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

    Body of water with a yellow substance floating on it.

    OCTOBER 26, 2018 — Over the past 13 years, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division has teamed up with California’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) to provide oil spill science training known as Environmental Response to Oil Spills (EROS).

    Group of adults and children gathered on a beach.

    OCTOBER 26, 2018 — OR&R staff joined public elementary school students from PS 146 in Brooklyn, NY, for their annual Plum Beach fall cleanup.

    Workbooks and flyers.

    OCTOBER 26, 2018 — On October 13, the Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, led a workshop at the Long Island Sound Educators Conference at Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut.

    An audience listening in a room.

    OCTOBER 26, 2018 — The Northeast Brandywine Riverfront Brownfields Area Wide Plan (AWP) in Wilmington, Delaware held a public open house and provided presentations on draft reuse alternatives developed under the EPA AWP grant.

    People sitting at tables looking at a screen.

    OCTOBER 26, 2018 — Simeon Hahn and Diane Evers attended the 2018 Urban Waters Federal Partnership National Training Workshop held at EPA Headquarters October 17-19.

    View from ship entering locks.

    OCTOBER 26, 2018 — On October 16, Great Lakes Scientific Support Coordinator, LT Michael Doig, joined the crew of the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown on the final leg of their around the world voyage.

    Report cover.

    OCTOBER 26, 2018 — On October 16, the Marine Debris Program released its 2018 Accomplishments Report.

    Boat stern with mountains in background.

    OCTOBER 19, 2018 — On October 10 and 11, OR&R staff participated in the Crowley Alaska Tankers "Shippers" Exercise in Valdez, Alaska.

    Two groups of people talking on a beach.

    OCTOBER 19, 2018 — Thomas Peltzer, Ruth Yender, Catherine Berg, and Matt Bissell, all Scientific Support Coordinators (SSCs) with OR&R, taught a Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Techniques (SCAT) training course on October 16 - 18 at the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Columbia River Air Station in Astoria, Oregon.

    People seated around a large table.

    OCTOBER 19, 2018 — From October 16-18, state and federal Natural Resource Trustees came to together for the biannual Texas Trustee Summit in Galveston, Texas, hosted by the NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP).

    A riverbank.

    OCTOBER 19, 2018 —Dr. Amy Merten and Rob Neely, of OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division, traveled to Port Angeles, Washington, on October 9-10 to conduct site visits and meet with Elwha tribal staff.

    Group of people pose outdoors at a table.

    OCTOBER 19, 2018 — On October 13, the Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Director, Nancy Wallace, OR&R Director Dave Westerholm, NOS Acting Assistant Administrator Nicole LeBoeuf, and Acting NOAA Administrator RDML Tim Gallaudet, participated in the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup flagship event.

    OCTOBER 19, 2018 — On October 11, RDML Tim Gallaudet joined President Trump, Secretary Ross, Senator Whitehouse, and Senator Sullivan and Julie Fate Sullivan, at a signing ceremony for the “Save our Seas Act of 2018.”

    OCTOBER 19, 2018 — On October 11, the Marine Debris Program’s Director, Nancy Wallace, joined a panel conversation on how to strengthen efforts to stop marine debris.

    Two people standing on a dock, next to a vessel.

    OCTOBER 12, 2018 — On September 21, Nir Barnea, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator, met with project managers for the Makah Tribe to review the Tribe’s new derelict crab pot removal project.

    Man posing for photo on a beach.

    OCTOBER 12, 2018 — Dr. Christopher Barker returned from a one month-collaboration with the Maritime, Marine, Environmental and Safety Management group at NHL Stenden University  in Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

    Men sitting at a table addressing a group.

    OCTOBER 5, 2018 — On September 25, OR&R staff were asked to participate with industry and other stakeholders to share experiences and discuss opportunities for improving cooperation in conducting natural resource damage assessments.

    OCTOBER 5, 2018 — On September 24, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and NOAA’s Ocean Today studio released a new Trash Talk episode, Trash Counts.

    Group of people pose for photo outdoors around steps.

    OCTOBER 5, 2018 — On September 19-20, OR&R’s Outreach and Communications team, including representatives from all four programs, met in Seattle to review work done in FY18 and to create an action plan for FY19.

    OCTOBER 5, 2018 — Rosa González, Environmental Compliance Coordinator for the Office of Response and Restoration, is in Puerto Rico to serve as the Coastal Resources Coordinator for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Natural and Cultural Resources Sector Recovery Support Function team supporting Puerto Rico recovery efforts following Hurricane María in 2017.

    Woman in a boat with nets; man in the water in a wet suit.

    OCTOBER 5, 2018 — On September 26-28, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Pacific Islands Regional Coordinator, Mark Manuel, traveled to Panama to participate in the Ghost Gear Dive Recovery Workshop held at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

    Long-Range Autonomous Underwater Vehicle surfacing in a plume of bright green dye near a vessel in the water.

    OCTOBER 5, 2018 — Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and University of Alaska’s Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC) are developing a small Long-Range Autonomous Underwater Vehicle system (Tethys LRAUV) to detect oil spills in some of the most challenging oceanic environments on the planet, under arctic sea ice. 

    September 2018

    SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 — Freshwater mussels are globally imperiled.  Three hundred species are known from North America.  In the U.S., 74% of freshwater mussels are imperiled, 73% are endangered, threatened or species of special concern and about 12% are assumed extinct. 

    Man posing in front of a window.

    SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 — The October 2018 online/open access issue of the Water Environment Research Journal includes a multi-authored review of 2017 literature on Effects of Pollution on Marine Organisms. Four NOAA scientists were among the eight co-authors.

    People standing on a beach.

    SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 — From September 17-20, the OR&R and Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Commission conducted Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) team member training at the EPA Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory in Pensacola Beach, Florida.

    Two people measuring debris on a beach.

    SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 — On September 16, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Pacific Northwest Coordinator, Nir Barnea, joined the University of Washington’s Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) and other volunteers in a field exercise to support a study funded by the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

    People posing by a river.

    SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 — Basketball and coastal stewardship have a lot in common, according to Simeon Hahn, Regional Resource Coordinator (RRC) for the Mid-Atlantic Region.

    A large doorway into an older building.

    SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 — On September 18, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, Demi Fox, traveled to Hartford to participate in a state working group on synthetic microfibers.

    Woman posing with a penguin.

    SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 — Alexis joined the Marine Debris Program (MDP) as a Communications and Education Specialist in July of 2018.

    Hand holding a tiny fish.

    SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 — Juvenile American shad were captured for the first time upstream of the recently removed Weston Mill Dam on the Millstone River in New Jersey by sampling crews conducting biannual monitoring of this natural resource damage (NRD) restoration project.

    Group of people standing around a truck.

    SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 — On September 12, the NOAA Marine Debris Program supported the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Aquaculture (FDACS) in hosting a shellfish aquaculture gear management workshop in Cedar Key, Florida.

    Group of people studying a map on the wall.

    SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 — Hurricane Florence has passed, but it left a coastal disaster in her wake that continues to severely impact communities, ecosystems, economies.

    Students in a classroom.

    SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 — On September 13, Sherry Lippiatt, California Regional Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program, participated in a virtual classroom event for Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants.

    Map of Alaska and surrounding area.

    SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 — Effective Friday, September 14, 2018, the single Alaska Regional Contingency Plan and four Area Contingency Plans have replaced the old Unified Plan and 10 subarea contingency plans. 

    People collecting debris on a beach.

    SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 — It pays to arrive early to an International Coastal Cleanup event on September 15 - you get to pick up the best debris around.

    SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 — On September 18, the Marine Debris Program announced its FY19 “Marine Debris Research” federal funding opportunity.

    SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 — This week OR&R staff and team members came together to explore the role of faith and spirituality in our lives at the September OR&R Diversity and Inclusion event.

    Various marine debris items.

    SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 — On September 8, Peter Murphy, Alaska Regional Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program, presented at the inaugural Alaska Net Hack Challenge in Anchorage, with remote participation from Kodiak.

    Children speaking with NOAA presenters at a table.

    SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 — For the fifth year in a row, the Hudson River Park will host the SUBMERGE Marine Science Festival, where NOAA scientists and other experts share knowledge of our oceans, coasts, and conservation. 

    Cover of a report showing individuals carrying bags of marine debris.

    SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 — On September 4, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and Washington State partners released the Washington Marine Debris Action Plan.

    Woman standing in the middle of seated individuals, speaks directly to one.

    SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 — Exercise: On September 6, during an offshore lightering operation involving two large oil tankers, 1,000,000 gallons of Palanca crude oil is spilled into the Atlantic Ocean 30 miles east of Cape Henlopen, Delaware.

    Students seated in a classroom, looking at a screen.

    This week OR&R team member Kristen Faiferlick joined regional EPA representatives and attendees from a range of industries at a training on hazmat regulation and planning tools.

    Screen shot of an ERMA map.

    SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 — OR&R is happy to announce the signing of a multi-year Interagency Agreement between the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and OR&R to “standardize the use of NOAA’s Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®) as the Common Operating Picture (COP) for USCG-led training, exercises, oil spill responses and releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants”. 

    SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 — As Hurricane Florence continues to impact North Carolina and South Carolina throughout Friday, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration is beginning to deploy personnel on scene to provide NOAA scientific support to the U.S. Coast Guard.

    Man explaining something to a woman at a computer.

    SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division Chief Scott Lundgren and Physical Oceanographer Dylan Righi attended the NOAA 2018 General Modeling Meeting and Fair in College Park, Maryland, at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction on September 10 - 12.

    A group of people standing along a shoreline habitat.

    SEPT. 7, 2018 — Historically, the upper portion of the Hudson River estuary between approximately Athens and Troy, New York, consisted of braided river channels. Intertidal and shallow water habitats within these channels supported emergent and submerged vegetation and functioned as important fish habitat.

    SEPT. 7, 2018 — On Sept. 6, OR&R's Emergency Response Division supported the U.S. Coast Guard’s District 13 Federal On-Scene Coordinator workshop. Other presenters included contracting officers from Coast Guard headquarters, Washington State’s Historic Preservation Officer, and a team of salvage masters from Global Diving and Salvage.

    SEPT. 7, 2018 — On Aug. 30, Peter Murphy, Alaska regional coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, presented and helped facilitate a marine debris workshop at the Southeast (Alaska) Environmental Conference.

    SEPT. 7, 2018 — On Aug. 28, Sarah Lowe with the OR&R's Marine Debris Program participated in the Ohio Science Writer's Workshop at the Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island at Put-in-Bay.

    A group of people putting a sign on a large bin.

    SEPT. 7, 2018 — On Aug. 15, members from the NOAA Marine Debris Program conducted a site visit to the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge and installed signage on a newly-purchased marine debris collection bin. This bin represents a collaborative effort to deal with O‘ahu’s long-standing issue of marine debris disposals at local convenience centers.

    A group of people standing on a shoreline looking at a dam.

    SEPT. 7, 2018 — The Bloede Dam, located within Patapsco Valley State Park in Maryland, has stood as a public safety hazard and barrier to wildlife for more than a century. Its removal is one of the largest and most complicated dam removals undertaken by NOAA.

    August 2018

    A woman holding a metal strain.

    AUG. 31, 2018 — Between Aug. 13 and 16, Carlie Herring, research analyst for the Marine Debris Program, participated in fieldwork as part of a collaborative microplastics pilot project between the Marine Debris Program, NCCOS Great Lakes Mussel Watch, and Loyola University.

    A group of people posing for a photo.

    AUG. 31, 2018 — On Aug. 27, Eckerd College welcomed the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Charles Grisafi and special guest Congressman Charlie Crist (FL-13) to its St. Petersburg, Florida campus to celebrate Eckerd’s newly awarded Marine Debris Prevention Grant with Eckerd college students and staff.

    A group of people in a conference area watching a presentation.

    AUG. 31, 2018 — On Aug. 16, the NOAA Marine Debris Program hosted a Maryland Regional Response Planning workshop at the Annapolis Mariner’s Museum. Thirty-three individuals representing federal, state, and local government attended and crafted a vision for Maryland’s new emergency response guide.

    Woman installing a "bin" on a pier.

    AUG. 24, 2018 — This summer Demi Fox, the Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, co-advised NOAA intern Theany Su on the launch of a Massachusetts monofilament recycling pilot program.

    Aerial view of vessel on water in oil slick.

    AUG. 24, 2018 — The week of August 13, OR&R scientists, in collaboration with WaterMapping, EPA, Florida State University, and Bigelow Marine Lab partnered with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to learn more about how floating oil moves and weathers in the Gulf of Mexico.

    AUG. 24, 2018 — On August 22, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in 2018 Alaska North Slope Mutual Aid Deployment (MAD) Oil Spill Exercise.

    Seated man speaking with two others standing in a crowded room.

    AUG. 24, 2018 — On August 21-23, 2018, NOAA joined the U.S. Coast Guard, State of Alaska, and representatives from the Russian Federation, in a seminar on "Understanding Maritime Pollution Threats and Response Systems in the Russian Federation - United States Trans-Boundary Area". 

    AUG. 24, 2018 — On August 20, the Marine Debris Program announced its FY19 “Marine Debris Removal” federal funding opportunity.

    Group of people on a boat deck on a river.

    AUG. 24, 2018 — Elliott Bay Trustees, including NOAA, Department of Justice, Department of Interior and tribal representatives, toured the Lower Duwamish River in Seattle, Washington.

    Large group of people posing for a photo outdoors.

    AUG. 24, 2018 — On August 13-14, representatives from all sectors (federal, state, county, academia, private sector, and non-governmental organizations) convened in Honolulu for the fourth update workshop of the Hawai'i Marine Debris Action Plan.

    People seated, looking at a presenter standing next to a screen.

    AUG. 24, 2018 — On August 21, members from NOAA’s OR&R and the Office of Coastal Management participated in an emergency response and preparedness workshop hosted by the PBNERR.

    Two men and a woman talking together near a table.

    AUG. 24, 2018 — On Monday, August 20, Scott Lundgren and LT Michael Doig attended the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing entitled “Pipeline Safety in the Great Lakes: Incident Prevention and Response Efforts at the Straits of Mackinac.

    Beach with trash and seaweed.

    AUGUST 17, 2018 — On August 16, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced the 23 recipients of its 2018 prevention and removal grant awards totaling approximately $2.5 million in federal funds. 

    Large ship in a canal.

    AUGUST 17, 2018 — The Panama Canal is one of the world’s busiest strategic waterways and is of major importance to global transportation, trade, and security. In FY 2017, over 13,000 vessels transited the Panama Canal.

    Man in a tan shirt posing for photo.

    AUGUST 17, 2018 — When our responders need information on tides and trajectories, who do they call? Meet Dylan Righi, one of three Seattle-based oceanographers for OR&R’s Emergency Response Division.

    Group of five people pose next to small vehicle with debris in the back.

    AUGUST 17, 2018 — On August 3-6, Sherry Lippiatt and Tom Barry with the Marine Debris Program (MDP) joined California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) at the Channel Islands National Park to remove marine debris from ecologically sensitive shorelines on Santa Rosa Island, off the coast of southern California.

    Large rock with organisms growing on it next to a body of water.

    AUGUST 17, 2018 — During an early morning low tide on Thursday, August 8, Mr. David Janka, Auklet Charter Services, visited Mearns Rock again this year to record images of the famous rock.

    Instructor talking to several individuals in blue uniforms on a beach.

    AUGUST 17, 2018 — The U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) District 11 Response Advisory Team (D-11 DRAT) works extensively with OR&R’s Emergency Response Division providing direct operational decision support to USCG responders during oil spills.

    Beach with large body of water in background.

    AUGUST 10, 2018 — OR&R senior economist, Norman Meade, is a co-author on a recent article that details how the impact of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill on lost recreational use was valued.  

    Group standing on a beach, listening to a speaker.

    AUGUST 10, 2018 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), conducted a three-day Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) training course in Mackinaw City, Michigan on August 7-9, 2018.

    Two women, an Emmy Award symbol, and a trash can graphic.

    AUGUST 10, 2018 — On July 31, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Chesapeake and Coastal Service’s inaugural “Trash Talks” event.

    A group of people sitting at a conference room table.

    AUG. 3, 2018 — On July 24, staff from the Marine Debris Program (MDP) met with the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL) in Washington, D.C. 

    A group of people posing for a photo.

    AUG. 3, 2018 — Throughout July, Sarah Lowe, Great Lakes regional coordinator for the Marine Debris Program worked with various partners to carry out a series of Marine Debris Literacy and Water & Wildlife Educator Workshops in coastal Ohio.

    July 2018

    People watching a presentation in a conference room

    AUG. 3, 2018 — On June 27-28, OR&R representatives attended the National Response Team-Regional Response Team co-chairs meeting in Philadelphia. 

    Two people working under a tent on a beach.

    JULY 27, 2018 — On July 19, NOAA's OR&R and NOAA"s Restoration Center along with our state co-trustee, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, conducted a site visit of the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund Site

    Three people posing in the water with a dolphin.

    JULY 27, 2018 — On January 19-20, NOS Deputy Assistant Administrator Nicole LeBoeuf joined OR&R Chief Scientist Lisa DiPinto and a team of over 60 national and international researchers in Grand Isle, Louisiana, to observe ongoing bottlenose dolphin health assessment studies in Barataria Bay that focused on cardiac assessments. 

    Two women posing outdoors.

    JULY 27, 2018 — On Sunday, July 15, the Marine Debris Program joined a multi-beach cleanup across Northern Massachusetts organized by Salem Sound Coastwatch.

    A group of people standing around a lab in discussion.

    JULY 27, 2018 — OR&R scientists joined forces with NCCOS researchers earlier in July to discuss ongoing collaborative research.

    Image of a large screen on which a map is displayed.

    JULY 27, 2018 — The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) organized its second Disasters Workshop on July 24-25, 2018 at the NOAA Auditorium in Silver Spring, Maryland.

    Aerial view of Gulf of Mexico with oil on the water's surface.

    JULY 27, 2018 — The Department of Justice (DOJ) lodged a proposed Consent Decree in federal district court on July 5, 2018, to settle claims of the Trustees (NOAA, U.S. Department of the Interior, and the State of Louisiana) for injuries to natural resources from a 2016 spill.

    JULY 27, 2018 — On July 19, 2018, the OR&R Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee sponsored an event focused on hidden/invisible disabilities. 

    Two people working on a boat deck.

    JULY 27, 2018 — Between July 9 and 12, Amy V. Uhrin, Chief Scientist for the Marine Debris Program, participated in fieldwork as part of a collaborative microplastics pilot project between the Marine Debris Program, NCCOS Great Lakes Mussel Watch, and Loyola University.

    Large group poses for picture in front of a table.

    JULY 20, 2018 — On July 5, Christy Kehoe and Emma Tonge of the Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in a Joint Commission Meeting between the United States and Thailand at the Department of State in Washington, D.C.

    JULY 20, 2018 — On July 11, Sarah Lowe, of the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in a summer institute on Teaching STEM and the Power of Place.

    Woman posing on a beach.

    JULY 20, 2018 — I’ve worked for NOAA in Seattle since the late 1970s, starting as a student processing oceanographic data for a deep-ocean mining project, then progressing to help with the development of the NOAA Status and Trends Program. 

    A display of four posters.

    JULY 20, 2018 — Every year, tens of thousands of people visit the 29 National Estuary Research Reserves (NERRs) to enjoy their unique environments, where fresh water meets the sea. A partnership between NOAA and the states, the NERRs are also formidable resources for research and education.

    Man demonstrating an experiment to young students gathered around a table.

    JULY 20, 2018 — “This is LT Helton with the USCG, Sector Puget Sound.  There has been a ship collision off of Shilshole Bay resulting in an oil spill.”

    Group poses for photo.

    JULY 20, 2018 — On July 17, Lisa Rosman, of OR&R's Assessment and Restoration Division, participated in an informal roundtable focusing on natural resource damage assessments.

    Man throwing what looks like a small airplane into the air.

    JULY 20, 2018 — OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) and Emergency Response Division (ERD) staff recently participated in the biannual West Coast Joint Assessment Team (JAT) meeting.

    Woman standing against a wall.

    JULY 13, 2018 —As a policy analyst for the NOAA Office or Response and Restoration, Robin Garcia acts as a liaison between OR&R and NOAA’s Office of Legislative Affairs and OR&R’s external partners.

    Front of kayak with net on the water.

    JULY 13, 2018 — The elaborate and masterful Fourth of July fireworks display on Lake Union in Seattle attracts tens of thousands of people every year.

    Group poses outdoors for photo.

    JULY 13, 2018 — Annie Gibbs, of OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division, participated in the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) abstract review committee for the annual North America meeting.

    JULY 13, 2018 — On June 11-15, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in the Gulf of Mexico Alliance’s (Alliance) 2018 All Hands Meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida.

    River with a fence in foreground.

    JULY 13, 2018 — OR&R's Assessment and Restoration Division was one of several Hudson River stakeholders invited to serve on the Hudson Regional Working Group at a July 9 workshop to provide feedback on a draft monitoring framework for shoreline treatments in New York State.

    Two people in a kayak on the water.

    JULY 13, 2018 — On June 22, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) California Regional Coordinator, Sherry Lippiatt, participated in a kayak-based marine debris cleanup of the Pajaro River in Watsonville, California.

    River stream with vegetation.

    JULY 13, 2018 — Annie Gibbs (OR&R ARD) co-authored a journal article that was judged to be the best paper published in 2017 in the scientific journal Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management.

    Two firefighters spraying water onto a fire.

    JULY 13, 2018 — CAMEO Chemicals, a database of hazardous materials, has a fresh new update that is available in all four program platforms--mobile app, desktop program, website, and mobile website.

    June 2018

    Two vessels on the water.

    JUNE 29, 2018 — NOAA and Department of the Interior (DOI) staff met with shipping industry representatives to exchange information and discuss ways to facilitate communication and cooperation before, during and after vessel oil spills.

    Blocks of material in storage against a wall.

    JUNE 29, 2018 — OR&R’s Gary Shigenaka was invited to visit the Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) base in Southampton, UK on June 22. 

    Mast of a vessel extending out of water with boom surrounding.

    JUNE 29, 2018 — On June 19, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) presented at the annual meeting of the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force. This meeting was dedicated to the big and complex problem of abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs).

    Two men on a boat looking at the water.

    JUNE 29, 2018 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Upper Mississippi River, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife, recently conducted a three-day Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) training course in St. Louis, Missouri on May 15-17.

    Small group watching a demonstration.

    JUNE 29, 2018 — During the week of June 25, nearly 40 participants from federal, state and local government, the U.S. Coast Guard, and private industry attended the Science of Chemical Releases class held at the Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Alabama.  

    Two men taking to one another.

    JUNE 29, 2018 — On June 19-21, 2018, OR&R staff participated in the 2018 Clean Pacific conference in Portland, Oregon. Clean Pacific is an annual conference of government, tribes, NGOs, and industry experts involved with pollution response.

    Group of five posing for photo.

    JUNE 29, 2018 — On June 26, OR&R’s mid-Atlantic Regional Resource Coordinator Simeon Hahn conducted site visits for OR&R Director David Westerholm in advance of his attendance at National Response Team meeting in Philadelphia. 

    Group posing for photo.

    JUNE 29, 2018 — On June 11-15, the Marine Debris Program’s Chief Scientist Amy V. Uhrin participated in Working Group 40 of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) held in Bangkok, Thailand. 

    JUNE 22, 2018 — From June 18-20, OR&R scientist Ed Levine attended the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science Boot Camp at the State University of New York in Stony Brook, New York.

    Crowd all watching something outdoors.

    JUNE 22, 2018 — On June 8 and 10, regional coordinators for NOAA’s Marine Debris Program (MDP) joined communities around the world to celebrate and honor our ocean, and raise public awareness around marine debris.

    JUNE 22, 2018 — On June 21, OR&R’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee hosted Dr. Claire Horner-Devine, founder of Counterspace Consulting, for a discussion on how institutions and individuals can promote an equitable workplace. 

    An illustration of a fish.

    JUNE 22, 2018 — At P.S. 146 in Brooklyn, all kindergarteners spend two days a month, regardless of the weather, at the shore!

    Man shows a woman something on a table.

    JUNE 22, 2018 — During the week of June 18, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division team of oil spill scientists conducted a “Science of Oil Spills” (SOS) class at the Seattle NOAA campus.

    Man speaking from a podium.

    JUNE 22, 2018 — On June 6, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Pacific Islands Regional Coordinator, Mark Manuel, gave a presentation within the session, “Marine Debris – From management to microplastics” at the 15th annual Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) conference in Honolulu, Hawaii.

    JUNE 22, 2018 — On June 18, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) published the California Ocean Litter Prevention Strategy on its website. California has a long and successful history of leading efforts to prevent marine debris.

    Group of people standing outdoors; two in foreground conversing.

    JUNE 22, 2018 — National Ocean Service Assistant Administrator Russell Callender and OR&R Director Dave Westerholm met on June 20 with key partners of the Rinearson Creek Restoration project in Gladstone, Oregon.

    Man looking at a screen with seated looking at him.

    JUNE 22, 2018 — On June 21, OR&R biologist Gary Shigenaka gave the opening keynote address at the 4th biennial Pollution Response in Emergencies: Marine Impact Assessment and Monitoring (PREMIAM) conference at the Natural History Museum in London. 

    Woman standing next to a screen, presenting to an audience.

    JUNE 22, 2018 — On June 11, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) hosted a demonstration and training opportunity on the newly developed online marine debris regional collaboration portals during the Gulf of Mexico Alliance 2018 All Hands Meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida.

    Group of people pose for photo.

    JUNE 15, 2018 — OR&R’s Diane Evers was provided with a Blue Peter Award for exceptional management and leadership skills in the field of environmental remediation at a gala held in Princeton, New Jersey on June 11.  

    People work on a test from the side of a pool.

    JUNE 15, 2018 — This week, OR&R scientists are working in collaboration with Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, WaterMapping LLC, University of South Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and EPA to advance our capabilities for detecting and characterizing floating oil using a combination of remote sensing and in situ measurements at the Ohmsett Oil Spill Research wave tank facility in Leonardo, New Jersey.

    Woman demonstrating to two children across a table.

    JUNE 15, 2018 — On June 8, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration participated in the NOAA Open House at the Western Regional Center in Seattle, Washington.

    Woman speaking in front of two large screens.

    JUNE 15, 2018 — Numerous Superfund sites are situated within the Raritan River watershed and pose a threat to NOAA trustee resources. 

    Group of people working together.

    JUNE 15, 2018 — On June 6 and 7, the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve hosted its annual Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) workshop at the Weeks Bay NERR in Baldwin County, Alabama.

    Group of people posing for picture with mountains in background.

    JUNE 15, 2018 — On June 5 and 6, the NOAA Marine Debris Program joined with representatives from around the world at the Arctic Marine Litter Workshop in Akureyri, Iceland. 

    Man presenting from a podium.

    JUNE 15, 2018 — On June 5 and 6, the Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator Demi Fox presented to members of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment and its Working Group gathered in Gloucester, Massachusetts during their annual meeting.

    Large group of people pose outdoors for a photo.

    JUNE 15, 2018 — During the week of June 3, staff from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division met at the NOAA Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Alabama, to conduct safety and response science training.  

    Body of water with workers and boom on a beach.

    JUNE 15, 2018 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) participated in the annual HAZWOPER and Oil Spill Response Training on Washington’s outer coast.

    River with mountains in background.

    JUNE 15, 2018 — NOAA participated in two Hudson River estuary meetings on June 7 at the headquarters of the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve's Norrie Point Environmental Center.

    JUNE 15, 2018 — On June 8, Dave Wesley participated in the NOAA Washington Congressional Roundtable held at the Western Regional Center in Seattle, Washington.

    A large group of people posing for a photo.

    JUNE 8, 2018 — An important part of the natural resource damage assessment process involves our immediate response to pollution that threatens marine resources and coastal habitats.

    Man posing for photo on the deck of a ship.

    JUNE 8, 2018 — On May 29-31, Great Lakes Scientific Support Coordinator LT Michael Doig and Jacqui Michel from RPI joined members of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Research and Development Center aboard the USCGC Hollyhock to field test a non-floating oil barrier system in Lake Huron.

    Large group of people posing outdoors for a photo.

    JUNE 8, 2018 — On May 30-31, representatives from federal, state, and tribal agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry, convened at the beautiful Lacey Community Center in Lacey, Washington for a workshop to complete the Washington Marine Debris Action Plan.

    Man speaking against a backdrop of a display of trash.

    JUNE 8, 2018 — On June 4, staff from the Office of Response and Restoration participated in the opening ceremony of the Ocean Plastics Lab, an international travelling exhibit, composed of four shipping containers converted into an outdoor and interactive display.

    A man and a woman at a podium.

    A wide variety of community groups, federal and local agencies, officials, and other partners gathered at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center on May 30 to share information and create a dialogue on leveraging the natural resources within the Anacostia River watershed to maximize economic value, quality of life, and social and environmental resilience.

    Steve Lehmann and Ken Finkelstein participated in the Watch Hill U.S. Coast Guard Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) in Waverly, Rhode Island on May 30, 2018. This was a full-scale, multi-agency exercise, which included both emergency response/cleanup strategies and natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) planning.

    An underwater photo of a reef.

    OR&R participated in the State of the Science and Research and Development Needs for Assessing the Environmental Risk of Conventional Underwater Military Munitions Workshop held at the Washington Navy Yard on May 23 and 24.

    A group of people posing for a photo.

    The Marine Debris Program is excited to announce the winners of the third annual Ohio Marine Debris Challenge! The contest is open every year to students in grades 9-12 who are enrolled in recognized public, private, and home schools in Ohio’s Lake Erie coastal communities.  Students complete lessons and create a public service announcement to help raise awareness of marine debris.

    May 2018

    A man lifting up a mat from the ground.

    MAY 25, 2018 — Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, five-year reviews are conducted at Superfund Sites to evaluate remedy performance and protectiveness of human health and the environment whenever hazardous substances remain above concentrations that prohibit unrestricted use.

    A view of a bridge over water.

    MAY 23, 2018 — NOAA and other trustees have been conducting a natural resources damage assessment since 2010 for the Portland Harbor Superfund site in Portland, Oregon, to evaluate natural resource injuries incurred over time in areas contaminated with hazardous substances (pesticides such as DDT, PCBs, and others), and oil.

    MAY 25, 2018 — During the week of May 28, 2018, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division will be hosting a contingency planning specialist from the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá [ACP (Panama Canal Authority)] in Seattle.

    MAY 25, 2018 — OR&R’s Ken Finkelstein attended the 24th annual meeting of the North Atlantic Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (NAC-SETAC) on May 22-23 at the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham, New Hampshire.  

    A large ball of marine fishing nets being pulled up to a dock.

    MAY 25, 2018 — On May 8, divers, lobstermen, and partners from the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation and World Animal Protection worked together to remove a two-ton mass of fishing gear from Dyer Cove near Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The gear is thought to be the largest collection removed from the Gulf of Maine in the last 10 years.

    Two people pose for a photo with a plaque.

    MAY 25, 2018 — NOAA presented Bronze Medal and Distinguished Career Awards Tuesday, May 22. Following a keynote address by Acting NOAA Administrator RADM Tim Gallaudet, NOAA leadership recognized award recipients.

    A group of people on a boat in water.

    MAY 25, 2018 — NOAA and other Trustee Council members have been conducting a natural resources damage assessment since 2010 for the Portland Harbor Superfund site in Portland, Oregon, to evaluate natural resource injuries incurred over time in areas contaminated with hazardous substances (pesticides such as DDT, PCBs, and others), and oil.

    A rundown urban canal.

    MAY 25, 2018 — On May 22, OR&R staff joined co-trustees and representatives from the Newtown Creek Alliance, Riverkeeper, and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection to tour some of the community's preferred potential restoration options along Newtown Creek — a heavily contaminated waterway that forms part of the border between the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens in New York.

    Two people in scuba diving gear posing for a photo.

    MAY 25, 2018 — Demi Fox is the Northeast regional coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) and is based in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

    People seated looking at a person at a podium.

    MAY 25, 2018 — On May 18, Marine Debris Program team members attended the Volvo Ocean Race Ocean Summit in Newport, Rhode Island. There, crews from the seven competing sailboats paused their race around the world to gather together with partners to discuss marine conservation.

    MAY 25, 2018 — The Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC), chaired by the director of the Marine Debris Program (MDP), held its quarterly meeting on May 14, 2018.

    MAY 18, 2018 — On April 25, OR&R’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee hosted an event to explore and discuss environmental justice and Presidential Executive Order 12898.  

    Oil on a beach, at the edge of the surf.

    MAY 18, 2018 — Saturday, May 19, 2018 marks the third anniversary of the Refugio Beach Oil Spill in California. On May 19, 2015, a pipeline owned and operated by Plains All America Pipeline, Inc. ruptured near Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County, California, sending oil into the ocean.

    MAY 18, 2018 — As part of an ongoing natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) at the LCP Chemical Site in Brunswick, Georgia, NOAA and other co-trustees, gave a short presentation on May 15 for the Glynn County Commissioners working meeting.

    Two women standing behind a display table.

    MAY 18, 2018 — On May 12, the Marine Debris Program’s Pacific Northwest Coordinator, Nir Barnea, joined Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary staff in the REthink! community event in Port Angeles, WA, to highlight the Plastic Pollution Education and Outreach Project.

    Man presenting to a group in front of a large window.

    MAY 18, 2018 — On May 9, Peter Murphy, Alaska Regional Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program, hosted a table and gave a short presentation at the Pacific Science Center Science Showcase.

    A woman looking to the left.

    MAY 18, 2018 — On April 24, the Marine Debris Program participated in a Plastic Pollution Panel at an Earth Day event held at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in Washington, DC. 

    Four people gathered around computer monitor.

    MAY 18, 2018 — During the week of May 14, OR&R participated in Chevron’s 2018 Emergency Response Training and Exercise held in Covington, Louisiana.

    Group in white Hazmat suits posing for photo.

    MAY 18, 2018 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division assisted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in providing inland oil spill training in the American River watershed.

    Three people posing in front of a poster.

    MAY 18, 2018 — When the BP’s Macondo well blew out and the spill know as Deepwater Horizon began its release of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, OR&R began the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) to investigate the impacts of this deep-ocean oil release.

    MAY 11, 2018 — In March and April 2018, staff from the Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in a series of sessions discussing the plastic marine debris issue organized by the National Academies of Sciences Board.

    Group of people posing for a photo.

    MAY 11, 2018 — The Office of Response and Restoration was well-represented at the 13th International Effects of Oil on Wildlife Conference in Baltimore on May 7-11. 

    Woman pointing to a large screen as she gives a presentation.

    MAY 11, 2018 — On May 3, Sherry Lippiatt, California Regional Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program, gave a marine debris seminar to the Golden Gate Institute of Packaging Professionals at Amazon Lab 126 in Sunnyvale, California.

    MAY 11, 2018 — On May 8, OR&R staff joined the Waterfront Alliance's annual Waterfront Conference, "Cities on the Edge," which attracted a consortium of stakeholders with varied interests in the New York and New Jersey Harbor waterfront. 

    Illustration of future site.

    MAY 11, 2018 — The Federal Trustees for natural resources met with Riverkeeper and the Newtown Creek Alliance on May 7 to learn more about the 1,000 acres of restoration opportunities detailed in the community groups' 2018 Vision Plan for the future of the Newtown Creek Superfund Site.

    Island with trees in a body of water.

    MAY 11, 2018 — On May 1, the Hudson River Environmental Society held a symposium focused on contaminants in the Hudson River and watershed. 

    A pile of trash in front of a hanging, blue tarp.

    MAY 11, 2018 — On Thursday, April 26, the Marine Debris Program led a NOAA Kid’s Day activity for 10-12 year olds. Three group classes were held with around a total of 60 students participating in a lesson on waste management using an interactive, team building game.

    Two men in a crowded room look at a laptop monitor.

    MAY 4, 2018 — An industry-led oil spill drill was held the week of April 30 in El Segundo, California, involving the hypothetical collision of a passing vessel with a Chevron oil tanker while it off-loaded crude oil from the offshore marine terminal to the nearby Chevron refinery.  

    MAY 4, 2018 — The Effects of Oil on Wildlife (EOW) Conference is the only global meeting that focuses on the planning, response, rehabilitation, and research aspects of oil spills and their impacts to wildlife species.

    Group of people digging in sand on a beach.

    MAY 4, 2018 — Some of the critical tasks following an oil discharge are evaluating shoreline impacts and recommending cleanup methods.

    White bird in a nest in a tree.

    MAY 4, 2018 — During the week of April 25, OR&R’s Scientific Support Coordinator for the Pacific Islands and NOAA Fisheries Marine Mammal Response Program staff participated in the Hanini Response Preparedness Exercise Program (PREP) 2018 Full-Scale Exercise held in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu.

    Woman holding up a large white plastic ring in a boat.

    MAY 4, 2018 — The week of April 28, OR&R scientists along with representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, travelled out into the Northern Gulf of Mexico to advance our ability to characterize floating oil, which is critical for the OR&R spill response and assessment missions.

    Sandy beach.

    MAY 4, 2018 — The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin entered final consent decrees on April 17, 2018 announcing three settlements, with three separate companies, in excess of $4.5 million for natural resource damages at the Sheboygan River and Harbor Superfund site.

    Bridge over a river.

    MAY 4, 2018 — In mid-April, OR&R scientists, in collaboration with multiple internal and external partners, completed the field component of a major study to help determine the impacts to Endangered Species Act-listed juvenile Chinook salmon from exposure to contaminants as they out-migrate through the Portland Harbor Superfund Site via the Willamette River. 

    April 2018

    An office building.

    APRIL 27, 2018 — Last week, members of the CAMEO software team attended a conference in Oklahoma City to learn and solicit feedback from emergency planners across the nation.

    Headshot of a man at a desk.

    APRIL 27, 2018 — Behind every piece of software is a talented developer responsible for building the tool. NOAA’s environmental modelling software is no different.

    People in a conference room listening to a presentation.

    APRIL 27, 2018 — OR&R's Seattle home team hosted a group of new and seasoned spill response personnel from the United States Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound.

    Group working at a table.

    APRIL 27, 2018 — OR&R responders participated in a Navy initiated spill response exercise at the Manchester Fuel Department in Puget Sound, Washington.

    Man presenting to a group of people.

    APRIL 27, 2018 — NOAA’s Environmental Data Management Workshop (EDMW) was held on April 23-24 in Silver Spring, Maryland. 

    Group of people posing outdoors with posters.

    APRIL 27, 2018 — In celebration of World Fish Migration Day and Earth Day, NOAA, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Rutgers, organized an outreach event that drew scores of people to the on-going efforts to improve the environmental health of the Raritan River for migratory fish. 

    Hands holding three painted plates.

    APRIL 27, 2018 — On April 20 and 21, Marine Debris Program staff attended cleanup and outreach events in honor of Earth Day across the country.

    APRIL 27, 2018 — NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) is currently accepting applications for a Science of Chemical Releases (SOCR) class in Mobile, Alabama, from June 25-28, 2018. 

    Students looking at a screen in a large classroom.

    APRIL 27, 2018 — NOAA's Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC) is currently accepting applications for the "NOAA's Science of Coastal Natural Hazards" Course on June 19-21, 2018 in Mobile, Alabama.

     APRIL 27, 2018 — While drilling for oil does not currently occur in the Mid-Atlantic, the region is not immune to oil spills.

    APRIL 20, 2018 — From April 17 - 19, state and federal Natural Resource Trustees came to together for the biannual Texas Trustee Summit in New Braunfels, Texas, hosted by The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

    Group of nine men and women pose outdoors for a photo.

    APRIL 20, 2018 — On Wednesday, April 18, the Office of Response and Restoration and representatives of several other NOAA programs gathered at U.S. Coast Guard headquarters for a full-day meeting on NOAA roles, responsibilities, and capabilities applicable to oil spill responses.

    People standing around a table with cases and equipment.

    APRIL 13, 2018 — OR&R's Emergency Response Division (ERD) is currently accepting applications for a Science of Chemical Releases (SOCR) class in Mobile, Alabama from June 25-28, 2018. 

    APRIL 13, 2018 — On April 6, 2018, Doug Helton joined a panel of communication experts at the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference to discuss effective science communication.

    Pacific Science Center logo

    APRIL 13, 2018 — On March 29, Peter Murphy, the Alaska Regional Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program (MDP) presented at the Pacific Science Center’s Science Communication Fellow program workshop.

    A man and a woman at a table with papers.

    APRIL 13, 2018 — During the week of April 9, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division team of oil spill scientists conducted a “Science of Oil Spills” (SOS) class at the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s (DNREC) Shoreline and Waterway Services Facility, Lewes, Delaware.

    Group of people in blue uniforms listen to a speaker outdoors.

    APRIL 6, 2018 — On March 27-29, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division provided a three-day oil spill response training to a variety of response and resource management agencies from across coastal California.  

    APRIL 6, 2018 — On March 29, Rachel Fox and Vicki Loe of OR&R’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee presented “Harassment in the Workplace.”  

    Group of people in front of stark landscape with trash.

    APRIL 6, 2018 — On March 21-22, Sherry Lippiatt, the California Regional Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program (MDP), participated in a binational workshop to discuss solid waste management and impacts on the ocean.

    APRIL 6, 2018 —Dr. Louis Uccellini, the Assistant Administrator for the National Weather Service (NWS) made a site visit and participated in series of briefings at Weather Forecast Office Mobile (Alabama) on March 28.  

    Overhead view of four people, a tent, and equipment on a dock.

    APRIL 6, 2018 — During the week of March 26, researchers from OR&R and EPA's Office of Research and Development collaborated with WaterMapping, LLC, and University of South Florida researchers to support a Department of Interior Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement -funded research project focused on system and algorithm development for floating oil and emulsion characterization, using radiometry and a multi-spectral array.

    Six people wearing colored vests work at a table.

    APRIL 6, 2018 —During the week of April 2, 2018, OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) team conducted a training on the National Incident Management System / Incident Command System (ICS) 300 at the Kelly C. Sandy III Conference Center in Seattle, Washington.

    March 2018

    Map of North America in ERMA showing dots.

    MARCH 30, 2018 -- Over the last several months, OR&R’s ERMA® (Environmental Response Management Application) and ResponseLink developers have been working to integrate the flow of data between the two systems when a new spill incident occurs.

    Woman in front of waterfall with someone's hand resting on her shoulder.

    MARCH 30, 2018 — Rachel Fox is a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) specialist for OR&R’s Spatial Data Branch (SDB), and is based in Silver Spring, Maryland.

    Group of people on a dock looking out towards the water.

    MARCH 30, 1018--The week of March 26, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division team of oil spill scientists conducted a “Science of Oil Spills” (SOS) class at the NOAA Disaster Response Center (DRC) in Mobile, Alabama.

    MARCH 30, 2018 — The 2018 Alaska Oil Spill Technology Symposium was held in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 28 - 30. 

    A man speaking to two young girls in front of a poster.

    MARCH 23, 2018 — On March 12-16, 2018 the Marine Debris Program (MDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme co-hosted the Sixth International Marine Debris Conference (6IMDC) in San Diego, California.

    Four people gathering on a beach.

    MARCH 23, 2018 —During the week of March 19, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division gave a Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) training class in Honolulu, Hawaii.

    Three men and a woman pose for photo.

    MARCH 23, 2018 — On March 14, members of OR&R’s Spatial Data Branch held a training on NOAA's Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®) in New Bern, North Carolina for U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina. Members of the U.S. Marine Corps, and North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources were also in attendance.

    Office building with grass in foreground.

    MARCH 23, 2018 — On March 16, Scott Lundgren and Lisa DiPinto from the Office of Response and Restoration participated in the 5th Annual Federal Interagency Disaster Research Response Meeting at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, joining a wide array of federal partners that have connections to research conduct and data collection during emergency responses.

    Group of people in hazmat gear.

    MARCH 23, 2018 — When you first walk through the Bryan Mound Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SRP) Site in Brazoria County, Texas, what draws the eye is not the security fences and wellhead equipment, but the high quality marshes and bird rookery on the site.

    Group of people in a room at tables and standing.

    MARCH 23, 2018 — On March 14, LCDR Jeffrey Platt, U.S. Coast Guard Office of Marine Environmental Response, and Brandi Todd, OR&R’s Scientific Support Coordinator arrived in Bogotá, Colombia to evaluate the Colombian government’s tabletop oil spill exercise, utilizing a newly drafted National Contingency Plan.

    Man in front of a poster.

    MARCH 23, 2018 — London, England recently hosted the Interspill event on March 13-15, 2018.  This conference is part of the triumvirate series including the International Oil Spill Conference (U.S., 2020) and Spillcon (Australia, 2019).

    People gathered around a large sphere.

    MARCH 16, 2018 — OR&R hosted the second quarter meeting of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research (ICCOPR) at its Silver Spring, Maryland, Metro Center Campus on March 14.  

    Group of people posing for a picture.

    MARCH 16, 2018 — On March 8, members of OR&R met with NESDIS oil spill and marine debris analysts in the Satellite Analysis Branch at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction in College Park, Maryland, to discuss current and future operational practices.

    Large body of water the is frozen near the shore.

    MARCH 16, 2018 — Annie Gibbs of OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division gave two presentations at the St. Louis River Summit in Duluth, Minnesota, on March 13-14.

    Two men in uniforms standing together.

    MARCH 16, 2018 — A common statement in the oil spill response community is, “The best thing you can bring to a response is someone you already know.”

    A logo for the SONS exercise.

    MARCH 9, 2018 — On March 22, the acting NOAA administrator and representatives from the National Ocean Service will participate in a national level Spill of National Significance (SONS) exercise on the DOC’s behalf at the invitation of the Commandant of the Coast Guard.

    Group of people posing for a photo.

    MARCH 9, 2018 — Sharing ideas, information, and experience with marine debris is an important component in fighting this global issue.

    Rail car floating in a river.

    MARCH 9, 2018 — A CSX train derailed on a bridge over the Susquehanna River, adjacent to Havre de Grace, Maryland, on Friday evening, March 2, causing four empty rail cars to fall into the river.

    Four people posing on rocks on an ocean beach.

    MARCH 2, 2018 — Twenty-seven miles off the coast of San Francisco lies a remote cluster of seven small rocky outcrops known as the Farallon Islands within NOAA’s Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.

    Infographic detailing a linear process.

    MARCH 2, 2018 — Staff from OR&R and NOAA’s General Counsel for Natural Resources participated in a Natural Resources Damages seminar in Washington, DC on March 1-2.  

    View of industrial area next to a river with bridge in background.

    MARCH 2, 2018 — The federal case team for the Diamond Alkali NRDA met on February 21-22 in New York City.

    View of a river from its banks.

    MARCH 2, 2018 — OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division provided input to the EPA Contaminated Sediment Technical Advisory Group (CSTAG) as they consider a proposed interim action for the entire upper 9.1 miles of the lower Passaic River.

    Group of people pose for photo.

    MARCH 2, 2018 — On February 23, delegates from Indonesia gathered at the NOAA Silver Spring campus to hear about NOAA activities.

    February 2018

    A group of people at a conference table.

    FEB. 23, 2018 — On Feb. 21-22, two scientists with the NOAA Assessment and Restoration Division and three from the NOAA Restoration Center led a group of more than 40 Hanford Natural Resource Trustees in a multi-day restoration planning exercise. The outcome was increased scientific convergence about how quickly and how long it takes for habitats to recover after restoration actions in the area. Scientists from the Yakama Nation, U.S. Geological Survey, private companies, and other entities contributed their time as subject matter experts.

    Beached vessel on its side.

    FEB. 23, 2018 — Operations for the Hurricane Maria Emergency Support Function #10 (ESF-10) U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) response were completed yesterday, Feb. 21, 2018.

    Barge with crane operating on water.

    FEB. 23, 2018 — Several groups in North Carolina are working to reduce marine debris throughout the state’s coastal zone by developing a strategic plan and removing legacy debris.

    FEB. 23, 2018 — I am a contractor with Genwest Systems, Inc. under the OR&R Business Services Group (BSG). 

    Open yellow case with device inside.

    FEB. 23, 2018 — Measuring contaminants in polluted water bodies can be a big challenge. It’s a task that OR&R staff perform often in responding to oil spills and waste sites and assessing their impacts. A common water sampling method involves collecting “Grab samples” of water into 1 liter jars and shipping them on ice to a laboratory for extraction and analysis.

    City scape with river in foreground.

    The Pollution Prevention and Response subcommittee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) held their fifth meeting in London from February 5-9, 2018.

    Students sitting at tables, looking at the front of the room.

    FEBRUARY 16, 2018 — The NOAA Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) is offering a NOAA-specific ICS-300 class on April 3-5, 2018 in Seattle, Washington that meets the requirements of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). 

    Speaker at a podium with panelists to his left.

    FEBRUARY 16, 2018 — Hurricanes! In the wake of last fall's damaging hurricane season, NOAA panelists from across the agency explained NOAA's role is hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery at the February 10 NOAA Open House.

    poster for the 2018 Western Regions SERC Conference.

    FEBRUARY 9, 2018 — Emergency planners from across the western United States gathered last week to discuss best practices, learn about new resources, and to get updates on regulatory changes. As part of the meeting, members of the CAMEO® team provided an overview of the CAMEO software suite and a sneak peek at upcoming development.

    Class of students watch presentation.

    FEBRUARY 9, 2018 — On February 5-7, OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division hosted a Brazilian delegation of scientists to discuss how NOAA organizes and implements natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) and restoration.  

    Man with column of fire in the background.

    FEBRUARY 9, 2018 -- OR&R Director Dave Westerholm, along with the Emergency Response Division Chief Scott Lundgren and OR&R Senior Scientist Lisa DiPinto, visited the lab at University of Maryland's Clark School of Engineering where Elaine Oran, professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering presented her lab's research on the use of fire whirls, also commonly known as fire devils, to remediate oil on water.

    View of a pier from the shore.

    FEBRUARY 9, 2018 — On January 30, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division employees Gary Shigenaka and Matt Bissell conducted a field investigation of the Astoria Pier discharge in Astoria, Oregon.

    Woman in a kayak.

    FEBRUARY 2, 2018 — On January 15, Mobile Baykeeper hosted a cleanup at One Mile Creek in Mobile, Alabama targeting debris originating from Mardi Gras celebrations and nearby communities.

    Body of water bordered by marsh and vegetation.

    FEBRUARY 2, 2018 — NOAA, together with co-trustees U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State of Washington Department of Natural Resources, and the Suquamish Tribe, and the Tulalip Tribes announced natural resource damage settlements totaling more than $4 million from three separate companies - Jeld-Wen, Inc., Kimberly Clark Corp., and Weyerhaeuser NR Company - on January 25, 2018.

    People in a small boat in the water with marsh in background.

    FEBRUARY 2, 2018 — NOAA’s DARRP program hosted NOAA acting administrator RADM Gallaudet on a field visit to the Qwuloolt Estuary restoration site in Marysville, Washington. 

    FEBRUARY 2, 2018 — The OR&R Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) supported National Ocean Service (NOS) leadership at this January 30 NOAA Pre-Eagle Horizon 2018 Leadership Tabletop Exercise.

    January 2018

    FEBRUARY 2, 2018 — On January 18, Acting Disaster Preparedness Program Chief Kate Wheelock and Office of Response and Restoration Policy Analyst Robin Garcia attended the NOAA Congressional Staff Briefing on the 2017 Hurricane Season. 

    Students seated in a classroom.

    JANUARY 26, 2018 — On Friday, January 19, OR&R participated in "Career Day" at a public high school in New York City. 

    JANUARY 26, 2018 — OR&R Emergency Response Division staff are serving in Puerto Rico and in the U.S. Virgin Islands as Scientific Support Coordinators, Environmental Unit Leaders, and Biological Monitors for vessel removals in sensitive ecological marine environments. 

    A small, overturned boat on a beach, covered with barnacles.

    Jan. 19, 2018 — The NOAA Marine Debris Program's Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) contributed critical data to an analysis of the timing of Japan Tsunami Marine Debris (JTMD) shoreline deposition. 

    Jan. 19, 2018 — On Thursday, January 18, nearly 50 OR&R staff and team members joined the OR&R Diversity and Inclusion Committee to discuss cultural appropriation and its impact. 

    Spill of National Significance logo.

    Jan. 19, 2018 — On January 18, OR&R’s Director David Westerholm and Emergency Response Division Chief Scott Lundgren joined other federal departments and agencies in an Executive Steering Committee meeting to plan the 2018 Spill of National Significance Exercise (SONS) to be held in March.

    Removal of part of a sunken vessel and derelict nets from water.

    Jan. 12, 2018 — On January 9, the Makah Tribe completed the removal of three fishing vessels that sank years earlier in the Makah Marina.

    Logo for the conference - cartoon of a spill.

    Jan. 12, 2018 — LT Michael E. Doig represented NOAA at the 28th Annual No-Spills Conference which was held January 3 - 5, at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, Michigan.

    A man, child, and a woman pose for photo outdoors.

    Jan. 12, 2018 — Sarah Lowe is the Great Lakes Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), and is based in Oak Harbor, Ohio.

    Large sailing vessel on the water.

    Jan. 12, 2018 —The NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator for the Pacific Islands joined representatives from the Hawaii State Energy Office and executives from Par Hawaii on January 5 for a tour of the Single Point Mooring off Barbers Point in Oahu, Hawaii.

    Marsh with vegetation and trash.

    Jan. 5, 2018 — On November 29, 2017, the Federal District Court of Maryland approved a Consent Decree that resolves EPA’s clean-up requirements at the 68th Street Dump Superfund Site.

    Two men looking at a piece of paper.

    Jan. 5, 2018 — During fiscal year 2017, OR&R set a new record, responding to 205 oil/chemical spills and other emergency incidents, exceeding its previous record of 201 responses in fiscal year 2009.

    A woman poses for photo.

    Naomi Wilkins is a software developer specializing in web technologies with OR&R. Her role involves a wide range of activities, which is partly why she enjoys it so much!

    A woman and a man pose for photo.

    Jan. 5, 2018 — Liza Hernandez joined OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) on December 26, as the new federal Southeast Regional Resource Coordinator (RRC).

    Woman outdoors with sculpture and marine debris.

    Jan. 5, 2018 — On December 18, the North Inlet-Winyah Bay (NIWB) National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) and City of Georgetown hosted a shrimp stuffing event at East Bay Park in Georgetown, South Carolina.

    December 2017

    Group of people  posing for a photo.

    DECEMBER 15, 2017 — On December 5 and 6, over fifty representative from federal and state agencies, tribes, NGO, academia and industry met at a workshop in Ocean Shores, WA, to begin creating the Washington Marine Debris Action Plan.

    Group of people posing for a group photo.

    DECEMBER 15, 2017 — From November 28 - Dec 7, Marine Debris Program Regional Coordinator Sherry Lippiatt traveled with a State Department-led delegation to Beijing, Xiamen, and Weihai, China is part of a US/China Sister Cities partnership on marine litter.

    Scene of river with foliage.

    DECEMBER 15, 2017 — The U.S. Department of Justice issued a press release on December 12 announcing three settlements, with three separate companies, in excess of $4.5 million for natural resource damages at the Sheboygan River and Harbor Superfund site.

    DECEMBER 8, 2017 —The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in an event hosted by the Norway House, through the Minnesota Peace Initiative focusing on water pollution.

    The 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference will be held at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle April 4-8.

    Man addresses a group of seated people.

    DECEMBER 8, 2017 — The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in the Alice Ferguson Foundation 11th Annual Trash Summit on November 16, 2017, held at the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball Stadium in Washington, DC.


     

    A man in a military uniform in front of a U.S. flag.

    DECEMBER 8, 2017 – On November 30, Linwood Robinson, Electronics Technician with the NOAA National Weather Service in Seattle spoke on transitioning from his position as Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force to his current position in the National Weather Service. 

    People meeting around a table.

    DECEMBER 8, 2017 — On November 29-30, OR&R participated in a NRDA (Natural Resource Damage Assessment) workshop and oil spill drill hosted by Phillips 66 in Bellingham, Washington.

    DECEMBER 8, 2017 — On November 28, Doug Helton presented at the American Salvage Association annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.

    DECEMBER 8, 2017 — In November 2017, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration and several West Coast Joint Assessment Team (JAT) participants completed an update of an informational guide, Recommendations for Conducting Cooperative Natural Resource Damage Assessment.

    DEC. 1, 2017 — Every year, NOAA and the EPA jointly release updated versions of CAMEOfm and Tier2 Submit™, two programs to aid state and local emergency planners in preparing for and responding to chemical emergencies.

    DEC. 1, 2017 — On November 18, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, hosted a NOAA day where people from all ages came out to find out more about what NOAA does as a federal agency.

    Group posing outdoors for photo.

    DEC. 1, 2017 — On November 15-16, over 40 marine debris experts from across California convened at the beautiful Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla for the second of two stakeholder workshops to develop an updated marine debris strategy for the state.

    Looking ahead from a vessel on a waterway.

    DEC. 1, 2017 — On November 16, the U.S. District Court – District of Minnesota approved the proposed $8.2 million settlement to restore injuries to natural resources at the St. Louis River Interlake/Duluth Tar (SLRIDT) Superfund Site in Duluth, Minnesota.

    November 2017

    Man and woman posing in front of a building.

    NOVEMBER 17, 2017 — Across the globe there are concerns about oil pollution in coastal waters, same as in the U.S.

    Students look at a projection on a screen.

    NOVEMBER 17, 2017 — On November 16, OR&R's Kevin Kirsch and Michel Gielazyn participated in the Great American Teach-In at Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary School in St. Petersburg, Florida.

    Drone in the air with clouds in background.

    NOVEMBER 17, 2017 — OR&R participated in an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) exercise with a host of federal, state and private partners in Goleta, California, from October 30 to November 3.  

    Man and woman pose for photo.

    NOVEMBER 17, 2017 — OR&R Scientists Jay Field and Lisa Rosman received the NOAA Administrator's Award during a ceremony on November 14 in Silver Spring. 

    Four people posing for photo with an award in front of a flag.

    NOVEMBER 17, 2017 -- OR&R’s Dr. Alan Mearns proudly received a Marine Environment Protection Award issued by the North American Marine Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA) for his exceptional lifetime achievements.

    Diagram comparing two developing fish.

    NOVEMBER 17, 2017—West Coast federal and state trustees and oil industry representatives convened in Portland, Oregon, for the West Coast Joint Assessment Team (JAT) meeting on November 8.

    People sitting and standing, discussing.

    NOVEMBER 17, 2017 — This week, California’s Office of Spill Prevention & Response (OSPR) hosted a multi-agency informational meeting for their Technical Advisory Committee on Non-Floating Oil (NFO) spill planning and response. 

    Man in front of a projected image.

    NOVEMBER 17, 2017 — On November 1-2, NOAA hosted its second annual Diversity and Inclusion Summit in Silver Spring, Maryland. 

    Man standing behind a table at an exhibit booth.

    NOVEMBER 17, 2017 — The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) recently debuted a new outreach tool—a wooden, tabletop plinko game.

    Group posing on a beach.

    NOVEMBER 17, 2017— On November 9, Dr. Michel Gielazyn (OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division) and Christina Storz (NOAA General Counsel) participated in the Fifth Annual ELI-Stetson Wetlands Workshop in Gulfport, Florida.

    Two men working in a marsh.

    NOV. 3, 2017 — OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division presented at a Sea Grant seminar, Responding to Oil Spills: Coastal Wetlands, on October 26 at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, Mississippi.

    Screen capture of a table with a graph superimposed.

    NOV. 3, 2017 — NOAA is pleased to announce the release of a new dashboard providing direct access to the toxicity testing details and results from the program developed by trustees to evaluate the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. 

    Three people in and around a canoe with debris.

    NOV. 3, 2017 — The Mobile Baykeeper, with support from a NOAA Marine Debris Program Community-Based Removal Grant, is leading efforts to increase the health of One Mile Creek, which leads to Mobile Bay in Alabama and eventually into the Gulf of Mexico.

    NOV. 3, 2017 — The Super Storm Sandy: Five Years Later conference was organized by the Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute (MERI).

    Man speaking at a podium next to a monitor.

    NOV. 3, 2017 — Senator Nelson (D-FL) sponsored an all-interested staff briefing on the National Ocean Service (NOS) coordinated response to the unprecedented 2017 hurricane season on October 30.

    October 2017

    Damaged boat in the water, leaning partially against a dock.

    OCT. 27, 2017 — In the wake of Hurricane Irma, over 1,500 vessels were left displaced throughout the state of Florida.

    A firetruck.

    OCT. 27, 2017 — In late October, members of the CAMEO Software team (both NOAA and EPA) attended two conferences to share updates on CAMEO products and learn from local emergency planners and responders. 

    A man and a dog on the beach.

    OCT. 27, 2017 — Charles Grisafi is the Florida and Caribbean Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), and based out of sunny St. Petersburg, Florida.

    A map with dots showing locations of environmental sampling.

    OCT. 27, 2017 — IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues and the American Petroleum Industry (API) have initiated a joint project to determine how situational awareness and the Common Operating Picture can be better utilized to inform key response decisions and the development of response strategies.

    Illustration of dolphin anatomy.

    OCT. 20, 2017 — Staff from NOAA's Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) gave a briefing to the National Marine Fisheries Service Protected Resources Board in an effort to enhance communication and coordination between DARRP and Protected Resources related to incident response and NRDA issues for oil spills, hazardous waste sites, and ship groundings. 

    Sign advertising the open house.

    OCT. 20, 2017 — On October 20-21, the Marine Debris Program’s Pacific Islands Regional Coordinator, Mark Manuel, will be participating in a large outreach event (School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology) at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa.

    Venn diagram.

    OCT. 20, 2017 — OR&R’s Spatial Data Branch recently released a new Environmental Data Specification, available on the Public DIVER website under “Data Overview”.

    Two people looking along a beach with trees in hte background.

    OCT. 20, 2017 — California’s Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) is world renowned for its response, rescue, rehabilitation, and research capabilities. 

    Screen shot of a map.

    OCTOBER 13, 2017—Dr. Amy Merten was invited to present work on Arctic ERMA® – Environmental Response Management Application and its role in the international oil spill preparedness and response realm.

    People gathered around a display.

    OCTOBER 13, 2017—On October 11, Alan Mearns joined a 2017 Puget Sound BirdFest planning committee meeting in Edmonds, Washington, to review the successes and ideas following the September 15-17 Puget Sound Birdfest.

    Man speaking from a podium outdoors.

    OCTOBER 13, 2017—NOAA Restoration Center’s Jason Lehto speaks at the dedication of a combined flood control and off-channel habitat restoration project on the White River in Washington State.

    Meeting publications.

    OCTOBER 13, 2017—OR&R participated in the 4th quarter FY2017 Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research (ICCOPR) meeting held on October 4, 2017. 

    Report cover.

    OCTOBER 13, 2017—On October 11, NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) Director, Nancy Wallace, and Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator, Nir Barnea, along with members of the U.S. Department of State, met with Minister Luhut Panjaitan, Ambassador Budi Bowoleksono, Dr. Safri Burhanuddin and additional Indonesian staff at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C. to discuss marine debris.

    Publications on a table.

    OCTOBER 13, 2017—OR&R Director Dave Westerholm met with the leadership of the American Salvage Association(link is external) on October 11.

    Tiny pieces of plastic laying in sand.

    OCTOBER 6, 2017--On September 22, 2017, staff from the Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Research Coordinator, Carlie Herring, gave a microplastics presentation and participated in a panel discussion – A Plastic World: Are microplastic choking our environment? – held at the Baltimore Underground Science Space (BUGSS).

    Man standing next to a man seated at a table.

    OCTOBER 6, 2017—“Scientific truth is built not on a single paper or experiment but on a constantly growing body of information that sometimes supports and sometimes negates a central theme.”

    A map of the Southeast with a hurricane image on it.

    OCTOBER 6, 2017--A significant update to the MARPLOT® mapping software was released in late September, giving emergency responders and planners improved tools for assessing geospatial information for emergency incidents and creating custom maps.

    Woman speaking with several people, all looking to the left.

    OCTOBER 6, 2017--The week of September 25, OR&R staff participated in the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force 2017 Annual Meeting and Partners Meeting held in Honolulu, Hawaii.

    September 2017

    Fish-shaped metal mesh container behind buckets of debris.

    SEPTEMBER 29, 2017--On September 22, the Marine Debris Program’s Southeast Regional Coordinator, Sarah Latshaw, visited the North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in South Carolina for an event to showcase and fill the NERR’s new red drum sculpture.

    Event flier.

    SEPTEMBER 29, 2017--On September 18, the Marine Debris Program’s California Regional Coordinator, Sherry Lippiatt, participated in a lost fishing gear panel discussion hosted by the Exploratorium and the Bay Institute in San Francisco.

    Group posing for photo on lawn outside of building.

    SEPTEMBER 29, 2017-- U.S. Coast Guard Sector Maryland - North Capitol Region conducted a full scale, government-led, multi-agency exercise--known as a PREP (Preparedness for Response Exercise Program) exercise--on September 20-21.

    Large group posing for photo.

    SEPTEMBER 29, 2017--OR&R’s Emergency Response Division Chief Scott Lundgren participated in the 2017 Industry Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC) Annual Meeting to share information on spill preparedness and response current and emerging issues.

    SEPTEMBER 22, 2017--This week OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in a Par Petroleum worst-case oil spill exercise held in Honolulu, Hawaii.

    Two people working at a laptop.

    SEPTEMBER 22, 2017--On September 21, OR&R staff LT Michael E. Doig (ERD) and Annie Gibbs (ARD) participated in the Door Peninsula Preparedness for Response Exercise Program full-scale exercise conducted by USCG Sector Lake Michigan in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

    Group of people on a boat on the water.

    SEPTEMBER 22, 2017--On Monday September 18 the Marine Debris Program’s California Regional Coordinator, Sherry Lippiatt, joined the San Francisco Estuary Institute and 5 Gyres to sample for microplastics in San Francisco Bay surface waters.

    Three separate photos of ICC participants.

    SEPTEMBER 22, 2017--On Saturday, September 16, OR&R Director Dave Westerholm, Marine Debris Program (MDP) Director Nancy Wallace, and NOS Deputy Assistant Administrator Nicole LeBoeuf, joined over 500 other people at the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) event held on Kingman Island along the Anacostia River.

    Man standing next to large boulder.

    SEPTEMBER 22, 2017-- For nearly 40 years, OR&R senior scientist Dr. Alan Mearns’ tireless zeal for science, his infectious enthusiasm for studying the marine environment, and his commitment to serving groups within and outside of NOAA have garnered him numerous plaudits from the many groups he serves.

    Kids surround an eel ladder.

    SEPTEMBER 22, 2017--NOAA's interactive booth at Submerge Marine Science Festival in New York City this past Saturday was a splash.  We provided a range of fun activities to expand public knowledge about NOAA's trust resources in local coastal waters, and the effects of pollution and marine debris on those resources.

    Smoke rising from large body of water.

    SEPTEMBER 15, 2017--On August 30, Regional Response Team (RRT) Region 5 held a site specific in-situ burn (ISB) workshop in Mackinaw City, Michigan.

    Old fishing nets and bagged debris on a beach.

    SEPTEMBER 15, 2017--On August 29, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) announced 15 marine debris projects that will support marine debris removal and research efforts, totaling nearly $2.2 million in fiscal year 2017 funding.

    SEPTEMBER 15, 2017--The Marine Debris Program is holding grant competitions for both marine debris removal and prevention projects in FY18.

    Group posing for photo outdoors.

    SEPTEMBER 15, 2017-- Nine members of OR&R's Emergency Response Division had the opportunity to tour Shell’s Puget Sound Refinery at March Point near Anacortes, Washington on August 24.

    Group of people posing for photo outdoors.

    SEPTEMBER 15, 2017--On September 11-15, the Marine Debris Program's Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, participated in Working Group 40 of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) in Paris, France.

    A woman diving underwater.

    SEPTEMBER 15, 2017--This fall, Brandi Todd will join OR&R as the new Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) in New Orleans. She will officially join the team on October 1. 

    Flames inside a box.

    SEPTEMBER 15, 2017--Members of the CAMEO® software suite development team recently attended the 28th annual Continuing Challenge Workshop (September 5-8) in Sacramento to share information about our chemical spill response and planning products and to learn from the hazmat community.

    August 2017

    A woman and two men pose for photo.

    AUGUST 25, 2017--On August 5-14, NOAA Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator, Nir Barnea, visited Indonesia to participate in and present at the International Symposium on Marine Plastic Debris in the city of Makassar, South Sulawesi.

    Two people walk down a path.

    AUGUST 25, 2017--After a series of Congressional briefings with the Alaska delegation, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) staff met with long-term partner NGO's in Kodiak and Homer as part of a week-long visit to the region by the Program Director, Nancy Wallace. 

    Large group poses outdoors for photo.

    AUGUST 25, 2017--Great Lakes Scientific Support Coordinator, Michael Doig, represented NOAA at a multi-day pollution response exercise August 22-23 in New York.

    AUGUST 25, 2017--OR&R Emergency Response Division employees CDR Jesse Stark and LTJG Matt Bissell participated in the annual North West Oil Spill Control Course in Port Angeles, Washington, on August 14-19.

    Oiled shoreline with marsh grass.

    AUGUST 25, 2017--The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill resulted in significant environmental harm over a large area of the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent shorelines.

    AUGUST 18, 2017--On August 7 - 8, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine – Committee on Evaluation of the Use of Chemical Dispersants in Oil Spill Response – sponsored an open meeting in Washington, D.C. to gather information on modeling the fate and transport of oil and dispersed oil during oil spills.

    AUGUST 18, 2017--The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) Director, Nancy Wallace, and Alaska Regional Coordinator, Peter Murphy, met with staff from Senator Lisa Murkowski and Representative Don Young’s Anchorage offices on August 15.

    A panel of people seated at a table on a stage.

    AUGUST 18, 2017--On August 8, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in the 38th meeting of the United States Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) at the Harbor Beach Marriott in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

    AUGUST 18, 2017--In a special session this week with three Tribes, two states, and two federal partners, the NOAA Hanford case team will share how current knowledge of aquatic injuries at the Hanford Nuclear Site relate to restoration planning. 

    Man standing in front of National Academies of Sciences banner.

    AUGUST 11, 2017--On August 2 - 3, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine – Gulf Research Program – sponsored a public workshop in Washington, D.C. to explore research needs and other opportunities for improving public health response and protection before, during and after oil spills.

    People milling around at a poster session.

    AUGUST 11, 2017--Staff from the Marine Debris Program served as volunteer judges at the NOAA 2017 Student Science and Education Symposium held August 1-3 in Silver Spring, Maryland.

    Man standing in front of a rock on a shoreline.

    AUGUST 11, 2017--On Sunday morning, August 6, David Janka, owner and skipper of Auklet Charters, of Cordova, Alaska, visited Snug Harbor in Prince William Sound, capturing a series of photos of Mearns Rock at the NOAA Exxon Valdez inter-tidal site. 

    Four people on a river bank with bridge in background.

    AUGUST 11, 2017--On August 10, NOAA and partners launched removal of the Weston Mill Dam, located on the Millstone River in Manville, New Jersey.

    Six people at tables and a lectern discussing.

    AUGUST 11, 2017--The NOAA Marine Debris Program and Genwest staff coordinated and hosted the Virginia Marine Debris Emergency Response Planning Stakeholder Workshop on August 2-3, in Newport News, Virginia.

    Large group of people posing for photo.

    AUGUST 11, 2017--The Delaware River Urban Water Federal Partnership (UWFP) held a Brownfield Community of Practice meeting on August 8 at the Camden County Municipal Utility Authority.

    An inflatable with water in it floats in the water.

    AUGUST 3, 2017--Oil spill managers for the US Navy held an Oil & Hazardous Spill Prevention and Response Workshop at the Naval Base Ventura County (California) this week and invited OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) to discuss NOAA’s scientific support capabilities for oil spill planning, exercises, training, and response. 

    A poster with marker notes and stickers.

    AUGUST 3, 2017--Last week, OR&R representative Kristen Faiferlick attended Summer Design School 2017, a week long training in Human Centered Design (HCD) that explored new ways to understand and apply HCD in government.

    Heavy equipment operating on a riverbank.

    On July 27, Ken Finkelstein of OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division attended a Penobscot River boat trip with the Department of Interior and State of Maine natural resource trustee representatives.

    Boat being hoisted up and out of the water.

    AUGUST 3, 2017--In mid-July, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's funded partner, the BoatU.S. Foundation, along with other local groups, removed an abandoned and derelict sailboat from Lake Erie waters.

    AUGUST 3, 2017--On July 25, OR&R's Assessment and Restoration Division attended an ecosystem services workshop in NYC. 

    Two people standing in high grass.

    AUGUST 3, 2017—OR&R’s Jay Field and Lisa Rosman have been awarded the NOAA Administrator's Award for conducting new and innovative model emulation work to predict the rate of recovery for fish in the Hudson River. This modeling showed that after dredging, fish from the river will remain contaminated with PCBs and unfit for human consumption for decades longer than initially predicted.

    Group of people posing on stairs.

    AUGUST 3, 2017--This week, members of the NOS Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council (NEDAC) met to establish an action plan that will guide the council in its efforts to increase diversity and inclusion within our organization.

    July 2017

    Children seated around a table.

    JULY 28, 2017--The U.S. Coast Guard announces a ship collision in Puget Sound off the Shilshole Bay. What happens now? Trying to answer that question started the journey of participants in this year’s NOAA Science Camp. Sessions were held this year the weeks of July 10 and 17. Trying to answer that question started the journey of participants in this year’s NOAA Science Camp.

    Three people address a larger group.

    JULY 28, 2017--On July 23, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s California Regional Coordinator, Sherry Lippiatt, spoke on a career and mentoring panel as part of the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) in Chemical Oceanography.

    Group of people posing outdoors.

    JULY 28, 2017-- As part of our ongoing commitment to share our expertise in spill response with other nations, the Emergency Response Division recently hosted a delegation from China’s National Marine Hazard Mitigation Service. The Chinese agency requested the meeting to learn about our strategies and tools for responding to environmental hazards and to exchange information about China’s marine emergency response programs.

    Headshot of a woman outdoors.

    JULY 28, 2017--Kate Goggin translates complex technical text into everyday terms as a Communications Specialist for OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD).

    Conference boot with outreach materials and poster.

    JULY 28, 2017--OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division co-sponsored the 13th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant held July 16-21 in Providence, Rhode Island.

    Large skull on a beach.

    JULY 28, 2017--Catherine Berg, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division Scientific Support Coordinator for Alaska traveled to the far north community of Utqiagvik this week, along with representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and other oil spill response groups.

    Logo.

    JULY 28, 2017--On July 26, Representatives from OR&R's Emergency Response and Assessment and Restoration Divisions presented to researchers associated with the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative on the continuum of spill response roles of the office, from emergency response through injury assessment and restoration.

    Woman sitting at a table.

    July 28, 2017--On July 25, the Senate Commerce subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard held a hearing to explore the efforts on marine debris in the oceans and Great Lakes.

    Six people posing for a photo on a beach.

    JULY 21, 2017--Staff from the Office of Response and Restoration attended a Mutual Aid Deployment (MAD) exercise on Alaska's North Slope oil field.

    Fish ladder on river.

    JULY 21, 2017--Ken Finkelstein attended an EPA ribbon cutting ceremony on July 13, 2017 to celebrate the completion of the EPA mitigation work as part of the Industri-plex Superfund remedy.

    Man standing at podium

    JULY 21, 2017--NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) staff had the opportunity to present at the recent Africa Marine Waste Conference, held July 10 – 13 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

    JULY 14, 2017--Catherine Berg, OR&R Scientific Support Coordinator in the region, will assist the U.S. Coast Guard and partner agencies at a three-day oil spill response seminar for North Slope residents in Utqiaġivk, Alaska, July 25-27.

    Bits of plastic and debris on sand.

    JULY 14, 2017--On June 28-29, the Marine Debris Program Chief Scientist, Amy Uhrin, and Research Coordinator, Carlie Herring, participated in a microplastics workshop held by the EPA in Crystal City, Virginia.

    Woman speaking from a lectern.

    JULY 14, 2017--NOAA held the annual Student Scholarship Orientation for Hollings and EPP Scholars on July 10-11 in Silver Spring, Maryland.

    Woman with water and snow-covered land in background.

    JULY 14, 2017--Congratulations to Dr. Amy Merten of OR&R for being recently selected as NOS Employee of the Month.

    JULY 14, 2017--On June 29, the OR&R Diversity and Inclusion Committee hosted an event to help attendees learn about their unique sleep patterns and needs.

    JULY 14, 2017--Active shooter incidents are unpredictable and can escalate rapidly.

    Large group poses outdoors for photo.

    JULY 7, 2017--From June 25 - 28, OR&R representatives from the Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in the National Marine Educators Association Conference in Charleston, South Carolina.

    JULY 7, 2017--OR&R Emergency Response Division staff members CDR Jesse Stark and ENS Matthew Bissell visited the Quinault, Quillayute, and Makah local tribal nations last week to provide oil spill response training to tribal members.

    Speaker stands next to a seated panel.

    JULY 7, 2017--The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in the Biscayne Bay Marine Health Summit (Summit) on June 28 at the Florida International University Biscayne Bay Campus in North Miami, Florida.

    June 2017

    Group of people posing for picture.

    JUNE 30, 2017--The Hudson River watershed is severely altered by hundreds of dams on its numerous tributaries, many of which no longer serve any useful purpose.

    Person working on a beach, in the sand.

    JUNE 30, 2017--The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) recently partnered with Clemson University and the National Park Service (NPS) to investigate the number and distribution of microplastics (pieces of plastic

    A woman and two men reviewing a document at a table.

    JUNE 30, 2017--The week of June 26, OR&R Emergency Response Division (ERD) staff participated in the Panama Canal Authority (ACP)/US National Response Team (NRT) annual emergency response exercise, EcoCanal '17, both in Panama and the US. As part of the exercise, ERD sent its ACP-NRT Sub-committee member to Panama to act as a controller/evaluator for the exercise, while the NOAA NRT representative played his role in the exercise from the office in Silver Spring.

    Woman with letter.

    JUNE 30, 2017--Marine Debris Program (MDP) Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, participated in the 2016-2017 Letters to a Pre-Scientist (LPS) campaign and received her final pen pal letter earlier this month.

    Photo of a woman's face.

    JUNE 30, 2017--Olivia Hazel is a recent MS of Analytics graduate of American University. Her background specialization is financial management.

    Group stands looking at a wall of names.

    JUNE 30, 2017—During the week of June 26, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in an Oceania Oil Spill Response Workshop sponsored by U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) in Honolulu, HI, for representatives from the countries of Fiji, Tuvalu, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, and Vanuatu.

    JUNE 23, 2017--During June 13-15, staff from OR&R's Silver Spring office attended Capitol Hill Oceans Week (CHOW) at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in downtown Washington, DC.

    Large group of people on a beach.

    JUNE 23, 2017--The week of June 19, 2017, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division team of oil spill scientists concluded the last of four “Science of Oil Spills” (SOS) classes planned for fiscal year 2017.

    Poster, announcing an event.

    JUNE 23, 2017--On June 12, OR&R partnered with the Environmental Law Institute Ocean Program to host a Coastal Networking Event in Washington, DC.

    Group posing next to a river.

    JUNE 23, 2017--On June 14, staff from NOAA's Restoration Center, and OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division toured three urban bodies of water and natural resource damage assessment cases in the New York/New Jersey Harbor area.

    Group of people doing an exercise at a bulletin board.

    JUNE 23, 2017--The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) hosted the second Gulf of Maine marine debris planning meeting on June 14-15 in Portland, ME.

    Map of Gulf coast.

    JUNE 23, 2017--OR&R and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service/Habitat Conservation partnered with NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service/National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) to sponsor a workshop.

    Two children with a wheelbarrow.

    JUNE 16. 2017--Earth Day in June! On Friday, June 9, OR&R staff participated in a Brooklyn public school's "Earth Day in June" science celebration.

    River with trees and kayakers along the sides.

    JUNE 16, 2017--The Sustainable Raritan Initiative was inaugurated in 2009. Planning and environmental programs at Rutgers University work together with stakeholders to build momentum toward restoring the Raritan River, its tributaries and estuary. NOAA's Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) has been working to protect and restore trustee resources in the Raritan River watershed well before the formation of the Initiative and made us a likely partner.

    Ten people pose for photo.

    JUNE 16, 2017--During the week of June 13, the OR&R Diversity Committee had a two-day operational meeting to evaluate their progress over the past two years and align on an action plan for the coming two years.

    Woman gives presentation beside screen with image.

    JUNE 16, 2017--On June 6, The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in the annual Symposium to Advance Research (tjSTAR) at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, VA.

    Three people sampling on a beach.

    JUNE 16, 2017--During the week of June 5 in Washington State, the OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division joined trustees and representatives from Phillips 66 to prepare for a worst case scenario NRDA drill later this year.

    Boat with machinery in middle of river.

    JUNE 16, 2017--As part of the five-year review process for the Hudson River site, EPA convened a Five Year Review Team that included state and federal agencies, Community Advisory Group members, EPA and their consultants.

    JUNE 16, 2017--The Marine Debris Program (MDP) Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, participated in the annual meeting of the European Commission's Technical Group for Marine Litter (TGML) held in Gdansk, Poland, June 8-9.

    Man speaking at a podium.

    JUNE 16, 2017-- Staff from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division and Assessment and Restoration Division participated in the annual national-regional meeting of the national agency leadership for the National Oil and Hazardous Substance Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP).

    Two men standing on one side of a table talking with a woman. Image credit: NOAA

    JUNE 16, 2017 - Do you respond to oil train accidents too? What’s the story on the garbage island? Those were some of the questions answered on June 9 by Office of Response and Restoration staff at the annual NOAA Open House in Seattle, Washington.

    JUNE 9, 2017--The science of ecosystem services has been expanding in recent years, with great attention placed on the need to identify and quantify the ways that ecosystems interconnect.

    US map with routes marked.

    JUNE 9, 2017--On June 8 and 9, OR&R Emergency Response Division staff Doug Helton and Michael Doig participated in a crude oil transportation seminar in Cleveland, OH.

    A spiny lobster.

    JUNE 9, 2017--The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) are pleased to share a film produced by Earth Media Lab, Leave No Traps Behind: Best Practices to Prevent Lobster Trap Loss.

    JUNE 9, 2017--On June 6, OR&R’s Lisa DiPinto and Ed Levine gave an out of this world presentation to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Disaster Working Group.

    People in a big hall listening to speakers.

    JUNE 9, 2017--The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in the United Nations Oceans Conference co-hosted by the Governments of Fiji and Sweden this week in New York. This high-level conference was intended to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

    Man stands in front of an exhibit.

    JUNE 2, 2017--On Wednesday, May 31, OR&R staff met with approximately 40 patrons at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, "Expert Is In" educational series.

    JUNE 2, 2017--On May 25, the OR&R Diversity Committee hosted speakers from NOAA's Weather-Ready Nation and the Hearing, Speech, and Deaf Center to discuss natural disaster safety for individuals with disabilities.

    Students sit at tables.

    JUNE 2, 2017--On May 30, twenty-four researchers and practitioners came together for Oregon’s first Marine Debris Research Prioritization Workshop at Oregon State University in Corvallis.

    Man at podium next to table where four people sit.

    JUNE 2, 2017--The House Oceans Caucus, co-chaired by Congressman Don Young of Alaska and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, hosted a congressional briefing on Wednesday, May 24 that focused on the issue of marine debris.

    May 2017

    Man speaking from corner of exhibit tent.

    MAY 26, 2017--OR&R provided strong leadership and expertise toward the huge success of the BSEE-led Technology Demonstration at the 2017 International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC).

    Boats tied up along a dock.

    MAY 26, 2017--On May 24, 2017, the Alaska Regional Response Team (ARRT) met in Sitka, AK, to discuss policies for preparedness and response to discharges of oil and releases of other hazardous substances in Alaska and surrounding waters.

    Marine Debris web banner.

    MAY 26, 2017--On May 22, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) excitedly announced the launch of their new blog.

    Ten people pose for group photo.

    MAY 26, 2017--On May 23, staff from NOAA's Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) attended the State of the Estuary Conference in New York City hosted by the New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program and the Hudson River Foundation.

    Group of high schools students pose, sitting, for a photo.

    MAY 26, 2017--Last week, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, in partnership with Ohio Sea Grant, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9), and Cedar Point Amusement Park, recognized three winning high school teams from Sandusky, Ohio for the Communicating for a Clean Future - Public Service Announcement Contest.

    Three people standing on a stage.

    MAY 26, 2017--On Tuesday, May 23, NOAA held an award ceremony for 2016 Bronze Award and Distinguished Career recipients.

    Aerial view of beach with people on it.

    MAY 26, 2017--NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration published a new guide for any organization interested in measuring recreational use at shoreline areas, fishing sites, and boat ramps affected by an oil spill.

    Woman wearing glasses.

    MAY 26, 2017--Amy V. Uhrin is the Chief Scientist for the NOAA Marine Debris Division (MDD) based in Silver Spring, MD.

    Two women at a demonstration table.

    MAY 26, 2017--Staff from the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) attended the Citizen Science Association (CSA) Conference in Saint Paul, MN on May 17 – 20.

    Group of people around tables in a large room.

    MAY 19, 2017--Each year, prior to the beginning of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Mobile and the NOAA Disaster Response Center (DRC) test their capabilities with a Continuity of Operations (COOP) exercise.

    A parked firetruck.

    MAY 19, 2017--On May 8 - 12, CAMEO software suite team members (from NOAA and EPA) attended the National Association of SARA Title III Program Officials conference in Florida to share recent program updates and seek input on upcoming CAMEO products.

    Group of people around a table.

    MAY 19, 2017--On May 10 -11, an industry-led oil spill drill was conducted involving the collision of a Chevron oil tanker and another ship 50 miles northwest of San Diego, CA.

    River flanked by trees.

    MAY 19, 2017--The week of May 15, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued permits for removal of a low head dam located near the confluence of the Millstone and Raritan Rivers.

    Group of people around a conference table.

    MAY 19, 2017--Keeley Belva of NOAA Public Affairs along with Kate Nielsen and Kurt Mann of NOS Communications and Education Division, conducted communications training at OR&R’s Seattle campus on May 9 and 10.

    Toy turtle posed with food.

    MAY 19, 2017--On May 17, staff from the NOAA Marine Debris Program presented marine debris education topics to the entire third grade of North Chevy Chase Elementary School in Chevy Chase, MD.

    Man and a woman pose for photo.

    MAY 19, 2017--Dr. Amy Merten finished her two year tenure as chair of the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) working group at the Arctic Council Ministerial, May 11 in Fairbanks, Alaska.

    MAY 12, 2017-- On May 2-3, more than 40 marine debris experts from across California convened at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in Oakland for the first workshop in a process to develop an updated marine debris strategy for the state.

    MAY 12, 2017--During the week of May 8, the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) team assisted in providing up-to-date information in ERMA for the National Weather Service 2017 River Watch program. In the springtime, an upper stretch of the Yukon River begins to thaw creating snowmelt and ice jam flooding, threatening 75 Alaska villages, boroughs and tribal councils. The River Watch program uses a number of monitoring techniques, including unmanned aircraft systems, to improve lead-time for breakup forecasts.

    Hanging tarp with trash in front of it.

    MAY 12, 2017--For NOAA Kid’s Day on Thursday April 27th, the Office of Response and Restoration led an activity for 10-12 year old students.

    MAY 12, 2017--Emergency Response Division Chief Scott Lundgren and the Assessment and Restoration Division's Robb Wright presented to the Third Annual Offshore Technology Symposium held at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington DC on May 8.

    MAY 12, 2017--The NOAA Marine Debris Program, in partnership with the NOAA Assessment and Restoration Division/Spatial Data Branch and Industrial Economics, Inc., launched the Great Lakes Marine Debris Collaborative on Friday May 5.

    Large conference hall full of people.

    MAY 12, 2017--The Waterfront Alliance, is a coalition of more than 950 organizations and a sponsor of the 2017 Waterfront Conference: Measuring Our Harbor: Strong, Healthy, and Open held on the Hudson River on May 10, 2017.

    MAY 12, 2017--We rely on U.S. States as our key partners to accomplish natural resource damage assessments (NRDA) in locations where a pollution event has occurred.

    Computer, glass of water, brochure

    MAY 12, 2017--On April 20-21, OR&R Emergency Response Division Chief Scott Lundgren participated in a Science during Crisis workshop held at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in Cambridge, MA.

    Group of people with hardhats, observing.

    MAY 12, 2017--During the week of May 8, OR&R participated in Pacific Partnership 2017 in Da Nang, Vietnam.

    Seagrass beds under the surface of the water.

    MAY 5, 2017--On April 10-13, Marine Debris Program Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, attended the 2017 meeting of the US chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (US-IALE) in Baltimore, MD.

    MAY 5, 2017--On April 28, OR&R's Ed Levine and Dr. Steve Sempier of Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium presented a OneNOAA Science Seminar on the Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant Oil Spill Science Outreach Program and cooperation between Sea Grant and OR&R.

    Slide projected on screen.

    MAY 5, 2017--Twelve NMFS Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Network coordinators went through oil spill “bootcamp” to train for the Deputy Wildlife Branch Director position.

    Large classroom of meeting participants.

    MAY 5, 2017--Seton Hall University hosted a two-day Hudson-Delaware Chapter meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (HDC-SETAC).

    Group poses in front of banner.

    MAY 5, 2017—Staff from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division were honored with Excellence in Public Service awards at the Seattle Federal Executive Board Celebration of Public Service on May 3, 2017.

    Group of people meeting around large table.

    MAY 5, 2017--Within the framework of the 2017 Italian G7 Presidency, the Government of Italy hosted a Marine Litter Workshop.

    Man stands in front of full dumpster.

    MAY 5, 2017--On April 29, Marine Debris Program staff participated in the CoastSavers annual spring cleanup in Washington State.

    April 2017

    Two photos, both which show a woman showing pictures to a class.

    APRIL 28, 2017--On April 21, Marine Debris Program staff participated in an Earth Day outreach event at Rosemary Hills Elementary School in Silver Spring, MD.

    Railroad tracks receding into the distance.

    APRIL 28, 2017--OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division’s Annie Gibbs attended the annual St. Louis River Area of Concern Federal-State Partners meeting in Duluth, MN on April 19 -20 hosted by the US EPA Great Lakes National Program Office with the states of MN and WI.

    Three people look at crab pot.

    APRIL 28, 2017--On Earth Day, April 22, Marine Debris Program (MDP) Northeast Regional Coordinator Keith Cialino attended Stockton University’s crab pot processing day at their marine field station in Port Republic, NJ.

    Two men posing for a photo outdoors.

    APRIL 21, 2017-- Simeon Hahn, representing NOAA, participated in a press event sponsored by EPA Region 3 to announce the Brownfields Area Wide Planning grant for Wilmington that will be used to cleanup, redevelop and promote productive reuse of Brownfield sites along the Brandywine River.

    Group of five posing outdoors.

    APRIL 21, 2017--A special media event was held at the NOAA Inouye Regional Center in Honolulu, HI, on April 13 highlighting the removal of an estimated 100,000 lbs. of derelict fishing gear and plastics from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

    Picture of a woman in front of a computer.

    APRIL 21, 2017--Melodie Hardwick is a Mobile Application Designer with OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD).

    group of people looking into a large tub of water.

    APRIL 21, 2017--Teams who train together play better. This spring OR&R and the Texas General Land Office again put that thought into action with our annual joint Shoreline Clean-up Assessment Technique (SCAT) team member class.

    Map.

    APRIL 21, 2017--Next week, OR&R will introduce the first glimpse of the new polar projections of Arctic ERMA at the International Conference on Arctic Science: Bringing Knowledge to Action, to be held in Reston, VA, on April 26.

    A group of people posing in front of cattails.

    APRIL 21, 2017--Over the past year OR&R's Ed Levine, an Emergency Response Division Response Operations Supervisor, has been working as an adviser and discussant to a group of University of Maryland seniors on their Gemstone Honors project.

    People in a room around multiple monitors.

    APRIL 21, 2017--On April 12-13, an exercise was held at the Seattle waterfront simulating a vessel collision at sea, resulting in the discharge of 80,000 barrels/3,360,000 gallons of Alaska North Slope crude oil approximately 10 nautical miles WNW of Cape Flattery, WA.

    Panel sitting in front of a screen address an audience.

    APRIL 14, 2017--On March 30, Marine Debris Program (MDP) Chief, Nancy Wallace and Southeast Regional Coordinator, Sarah Latshaw, attended the Plastic Pollution Summit - Breaking Down Plastic in Charleston, SC.

    Group of people walking on a pathway next to trees.

    APRIL 14, 2017--The website focuses on the history of the marsh, the impact of filling and development (via historical map overlays), a bit about wildlife, and the recent activities of local citizens (Save Our Marsh, SOM).

    Group of people pose on a dock looking up at photographer.

    APRIL 14, 2017--On April 7, the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary coordinated a beach cleanup at Chinese Harbor on Santa Cruz Island.

    Body of water with sticks, projecting up, and visible above the surface.

    APRIL 7, 2017--Annie Gibbs, of the OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division presented on OR&R’s St. Louis River Data System project at the St. Louis River Summit in Duluth, MN, on March 14-15 and EPA’s Great Lakes Areas of Concern Conference in Grand Rapids, MI, on March 29-30.

    Two men pose for photo.

    APRIL 7, 2017--Simeon Hahn is an environmental scientist and Regional Resource Coordinator (RRC) for the Mid-Atlantic Region and is located in Philadelphia, PA, at the EPA Regional office.

    Group of people sitting and standing on a beach.

    APRIL 7, 2017--On April 4-6, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division provided an oil spill response training to a variety of response and resource management agencies from across coastal CA and parts of the Pacific Northwest.

    People on a dock next to boat in water.

    APRIL 7, 2017--On March 24-25, Marine Debris Program (MDP) staff participated in a derelict blue crab trap removal event in Spanish Fort, AL.

    Woman shaking hands with man.

    APRIL 7, 2017--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 presented the Excellence in Site Re-Use Award to CSX Transportation (CSX), and their subsidiary Atlantic Land & Improvement (ALI).

    Group of people posing on a lawn.

    APRIL 7, 2017--On March 30, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and University of Hawaii at Manoa hosted their first Hawaii Marine Debris Action Plan (HI-MDAP) Research Workshop at the University of Hawaii, Manoa campus.

    Several screenshots from the CAMEO Chemicals app showing the search form, a chemical datasheet for chlorine, and a chart with potential hazard predictions for a collection of chemicals.

    APRIL 7, 2017--Emergency responders have a new resource for hazardous materials incidents: the CAMEO Chemicals app was released this week for both iOS and Android mobile devices.

    March 2017

    Map with pin showing Chennai, India.

    On Friday March 24, Doug Helton from OR&R Emergency Response Division led a discussion on spill response practices in the United States with the U.S. Consulate in Chennai, India, and the Indian Maritime Administration.

    Uniformed men standing in front of boat in a warehouse.

    MARCH 31, 2017 -- This week, U.S. Coast Guard’s Pacific Strike Team hosted roughly 30 spill-experienced Coast Guard officers and enlisted personnel from across the Pacific basin for a three-day advanced training workshop on a variety of spill response topics, involving both classroom and hands-on activities.

    Image of mapping software showing Florida.

    MARCH 31, 2017 -- To maintain preparedness and enhance coordination between the state and NOAA, the Florida state scientific support coordinator assembled state emergency responders and Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) practitioners for a two-day workshop focusing on the Florida Marine Spill Analysis System and Natural Resource Damage Assessment.

    Two men on dock with old fishing gear.

    MARCH 31, 2017 -- Marine Debris Program staff met in Salem, New Jersey with five grantees for a mid-project progress meeting. The projects all target preventing or removing derelict fishing gear, specifically crab pots, from Delaware Bay and New Jersey coastal waters.

    People sitting on a stage with a large film screen above them.

    MARCH 31, 2017 -- On Tuesday March 21, Marine Debris Program (MDP) Director Nancy Wallace participated in a discussion panel following a showing of the film ‘A Plastic Ocean’ at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

    Black and white historical photo of ship.

    MARCH 31, 2017--The U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina conducted a successful Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) exercise on March 22-23 in Morehead City, North Carolina.

    MARCH 31, 2017--The ten-member Science and Technical Committee of the Oil Spill Recovery Institute includes one scientist each from the OR&R Emergency Response Division and the Assessment and Restoration Division. On March 24 those scientists participated in a nearly day-long meeting reviewing new proposals and sketching out early elements of the Oil Spill Recovery Institute 2018 research plan.

    People sitting at conference tables with insert of building.

    The director’s remarks were part of the government updates portion of the meeting's agenda and described OR&R’s capabilities, products, and services, including updates associated with the administration transition, enhancements to the Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique data processes, remote sensing,

    Group of people pose for photo.

    MARCH 24, 2017--The week of March 20, the OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division’s (ARD) Spatial Data Branch held a three-day training to provide updates on tool development, NOAA General Counsel Natural Resources Section data requirements, and data management plans.

    MARCH 24, 2017--The NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center will be providing a Science of Oil Spills class on March 27-31 in Mobile, AL.

    MARCH 24, 2017--A chemistry teacher at Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, DC contacted the OR&R Emergency Response Division in search of experts to talk to her students about oil spills and methods of clean up.

    Woman looking into a microscope.

    MARCH 24, 2017--On March 16 and 17, the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) hosted their annual “Teachers on the Estuary” (TOTE) workshop at the Weeks Bay NERR in Baldwin County, Alabama.

    A beach in the foreground with water in the background.

    MARCH 24, 2017--The south shore of Raritan Bay supports small coastal communities exposed to coastal vulnerabilities.

    MARCH 24, 2017--The Marine Debris Program presented about Abandoned and Derelict Vessels at the Maine Harbormasters Association Annual Training on March 9. Every year, the Association hosts 3 days of classes in Castine, ME at the Maine Maritime Academy. There are classes for both novice and experienced harbormasters, and it is an opportunity for members to meet one another as well as state and federal agency partners.

    Four presenters at a table.

    MARCH 24, 2017--The Third International Conference on Environmental Pollution, Restoration and Management, held recently in Quy Nhon, Vietnam, featured OR&R's Senior Scientist, Dr. Lisa DiPinto, as a plenary speaker and participant.

    Multi-colored mask of face.

    MARCH 17, 2017--Marine debris, the big and growing global problem that harms our environment and economy, is wholly man-made, and to a large extent, preventable.

    Hand holding up a sign.

    MARCH 17, 2017--On March 16, the OR&R Diversity Committee presented a video and opportunity for discussion via WebEx on Gender Inequality to about 35 participants across the program.

    Individuals on a stage in uniforms.

    MARCH 17, 2017--On March 10, Rear Adm. Mark Butt, command, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) District 13, presided over a change of command ceremony for Sector Puget Sound at Base Seattle. Capt. Linda Sturgis relieved Capt. Joe Raymond and now has command of the Sector.

    MARCH 17, 2017--The week of March 13 OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) provided guidance to USCG Sector Honolulu for establishing a science-based safety zone where lava flowing from Kilauea Volcano is currently entering the ocean at Kamokuna on the Big Island of Hawaii.

    People in classroom focus on speaker.

    MARCH 17, 2017--Acting Deputy OR&R Marine Debris Division chief Adam Domanski, traveled to Hamburg, Germany, the week of March 6 to participate in a G20 workshop alongside representatives from the American Chemistry Council, the World Bank, the European Commission, and 15 other nations.

    Three men sitting at a table with computers.

    MARCH 17, 2017--OR&R representatives visited the National Water Center on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa on March 16.

    Group posing in front of trees.

    MARCH 17,2017--On March 7-9, 2017, a NOAA Scientific Support Team (SST) assembled in Houma, Louisiana, to provide technical support for testing plans, processes, and procedures developed to respond to a large (but fictional) oil spill 250 miles offshore.

    Students in a classroom.

    MARCH 17, 2017--Roughly 40 USCG, state, and local emergency responders attended this week’s Marine Salvage Response training in San Pedro, CA.

    Multi-colored mask of face.

    A corner stone of prevention is outreach and education, to change hearts and mind. Washed Ashore, based in Bandon, Oregon, with the help of community volunteers, has been creating large statues made of marine debris and placing them in various locations around the country to attract attention to marine debris.

    MARCH 10, 2017--RESCON 2017 (“Resilience Conference”), held March 7-9 in New Orleans, LA, started off with a keynote address by the governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards.

    People seated around a room with presentation on screen at front.

    MARCH 10, 2017--OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) participated in this week’s ECM Maritime Services oil spill Command Post drill involving a grounded tanker scenario spilling 15,000 bbls (630,000 gallons) of Alaska North Slope crude oil into San Francisco Bay.

    People seated in a room listening to speaker at front.

    MARCH 10, 2017--Last week NOAA's Marine Debris Program led an action plan workshop at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in Erie, PA.

    Five people posing in front of a screen.

    MARCH 10, 2017-- Ken Finkelstein participated in the National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB) regional competition at MIT in Cambridge, MA on March 4.

    Publications on a table.

    MARCH 10, 2017--OR&R's Director and Emergency Response Division chief participated in the quarterly meeting of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research (ICCOPR) on March 8.

    Woman addressing a class of people.

    MARCH 3, 2017--Every two years, California’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) teams up with Chevron to host an Oil Spill Response Technology Workshop to expand responders’ understanding of existing and emerging technologies and help them achieve the best available protection for CA waters.

    Group of people pose for picture on steps.

    MARCH 3, 2017--OR&R held a five-day Science of Oil Spills course at the NCCOS Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research facility at Fort Johnson in Charleston, SC, on February 13-17, 2017.

    Group of 10 individuals pose for photo.

    MARCH 3, 2017--OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) teamed up with the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) to provide inland oil spill training in Mojave Valley, AZ along the Lower Colorado River corridor, hosted by the DOI Bureau of Reclamation (BOR).

    Tank of water with sheet of Plexiglas being dipped in the water.

    MARCH 3, 2017--The week of February 20, OR&R scientists continued their ongoing Deepwater Horizon Lessons Learned effort, by conducting laboratory tests of oil slick thickness at the University of South Florida.

    Two women and student with poster.

    MARCH 3, 2017--Clouds in a bottle, mold on bread, geodesic domes, and of course, volcanoes!

    Sculpture made of marine debris.

    MARCH 3, 2017-- Pacific Whale Foundation celebrated their 37th Annual World Whale Day in Kihei, Maui on February 18.

    Seated woman and a man talking to each other.

    MARCH 3, 2017--On February 27 and 28, MDP staff Carlie Herring and Amy V. Uhrin attended the Communications Boot Camp for Scientists offered by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS).

    February 2017

    Decrepit, old commercial building.

    FEBRUARY 24, 2017—Last month, trustees for the Cornell-Dubilier Electronics Superfund Site held a kick-off meeting for planning restoration in the Raritan River watershed that could compensate for natural resource injuries related to releases from this northern New Jersey site.

    Two people with outreach materials at a table.

    FEBRUARY 24, 2017--On February 12, Bishop Museum in Honolulu, HI, hosted a day of family-friendly science and environmental activities for their "Fall in Love with Science" event— a unique call to action to create excitement for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

    Portrait of a woman posing for photo outdoors.

    FEBRUARY 24, 2017--Jessica works in OR&R/ Silver Spring supporting the Business Services Group (BSG) team as an Executive Assistant.

    FEBRUARY 24, 2017--In January, NOAA scientists presented papers and posters at the annual Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage.

    FEBRUARY 24, 2017--In honor of Black History Month, the OR&R Diversity Committee sponsored an event on February 21 that focused on works by Clemson Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology, Dr. J. Drew Lanham.

    FEBRUARY 24, 2017--On February 17, Dr. Lisa DiPinto, OR&R's newly minted Chief Scientist gave a Deepwater Horizon Science talk to students and faculty from the Johns Hopkins Center for Environmental and Applied Fluid Mechanics (CEAFAM).

    Two people pose next to a banner.

    FEBRUARY 17, 2017--On Saturday, February 11, OR&R representatives from the NOAA Marine Debris Program participated in the annual NOAA Open House in Silver Spring, MD.

    People demonstrating behind a table.

    FEBRUARY 17, 2017--NOAA was out in full force at Washington Middle School’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Career Fair on February 10 in Seattle, WA.

    FEBRUARY 17, 2017--Ben Shorr, a physical scientist with OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division, participated in a 1.5 day workshop held by the Gulf Research Program within the National Academies off Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

    Adult and child at a table.

    FEBRUARY 17, 2017--Does a parrotfish need friends? Where do fish sleep? Can goldfish jump over rocks? How fast do fish swim?

    FEBRUARY 17, 2017--On February 6, Charlie Henry, Director of OR&R’s Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center, shared his personal story about being an emergency oil spill responder and what it was like to respond to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

    Group of people in front of a NOAA logo.

    FEBRUARY 17, 2017--OR&R's Spatial Data Branch met with the National Center for Environmental Information at Stennis, MS, to negotiate workflows and milestones for completing the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) close-out of data.

    Group of people sitting around a table.

    FEBRUARY 17, 2017--OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) staff attending the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference (GoMOSES 2017) met with the staff of the Sea Grant Oil Spill Science Outreach Team from the Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant Programs on February 7.

    Table with display materials and banners behind.

    FEBRUARY 17, 2017--OR&R staff had a strong presence at the Gulf of Mexico Research Institute’s annual conference, the 2017 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference, held from February 6-9 in New Orleans, LA.

    FEBRUARY 10, 2017 -- With input from OR&R and NOS staff, Dr. Michel Martin, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, authored a tribute to the late Ed Long in a January issue of Marine Pollution Bulletin.

    Trash near shore with mountains in background.

    FEBRUARY 10, 2017 -- Each year, the Alaska Forum on the Environment brings together a diverse audience to discuss ongoing and emerging environmental issues within the many different communities and regions in the state. It provides an invaluable opportunity to hear from and interact with stakeholders from communities – sometimes large, but often small - across Alaska on what they are experiencing and seeing in their local environments.

    FEBRUARY 3, 2017--The week of January 27, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division is helping give inland oil spill response training in Portland, OR.

    People standing in large hall looking at posters.

    FEBRUARY 3, 2017--From Jan 24-28, four OR&R scientists participated in the 2017 Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage, joining over 700 scientists and students from Alaska and around the U.S.

    Two photos - woman standing and photo of bucket of contaminated items.

    Under the leadership of MDP grantee One Cool Earth, students sorted and weighed waste according to material type and whether it was bound for the landfill, recycling, or compost bin (largely dependent on the degree of "ooey gooeyness"). The audit marked the launch of recycling service at the school as well as vermicompost bins on the school grounds. The programs will be ushered in by a "green team" of upper-grade students stationed at recycle and compost bins during lunch.

    January 2017

    Woman sitting on a boat deck.

    JANUARY 27, 2017--Caitlin Wessel is the new Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, based at the Disaster Response Center (DRC) in Mobile, AL.

    A woman posing for photo.

    JANUARY 27, 2017--Carlie Herring is the Research Analyst (Coordinator) for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, based out of Silver Spring, MD.

    Group of people pose under trees

    JANUARY 27, 2017--OR&R’s Assessment and restoration Division brought a small group of data management and chemistry experts back together along with the resources leads for the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) to examine lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster.

    Two people pose in front of a lit screen outdoors, in the snow.

    JANUARY 27, 2017 -- On January 18, Catherine Berg and Doug Helton participated in the Alaska Regional Response Team (RRT) winter meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska.

    Participants sit at tables, listening to speaker.

    JANUARY 27, 2017--On January 11 and 12, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and Genwest staff coordinated and hosted the Georgia Incident Waterway Debris Response Planning Stakeholder Workshop.

    JANUARY 27, 2017--On Wednesday, January 25, OR&R staff met with NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) leadership to discuss how we are integrating satellite imagery into our work and how we could improve collaborations going forward.

    JANUARY 27, 2017--As part of National Mentoring Month, and to highlight NOS' mentoring program initiative, the OR&R Diversity Committee sponsored an event last week entitled "The Development and Impact of a Mentor Relationship".

    River flowing over a dam.

    JANUARY 20, 2017--Ken Finkelstein and Jay Field of OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division attended the Ninth International Conference on Remediation and Management of Contaminated Sediments, sponsored by Battelle, in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 9 -12.

    JANUARY 20, 2017--For years, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration has been offering our popular Science of Oil Spills classes to oil spill responders and planners.

    But oil isn't the only hazardous material for which we have expertise.

    JANUARY 20, 2017--Over the past week, OR&R Policy Analyst Robin Garcia met with staff from the National Wildlife Federation, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and Ducks Unlimited.

    View of a river and bridge.

    JANUARY 20, 2017--NOAA supported the U.S. delegation to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) Subcommittee in London on January 15 – 20.

    A hand lholding out a tiny piece of plastic.

    JANUARY 20, 2017--On January 12, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in a Reddit “Ask Us Anything” (AUA), during which MDP Scientists Amy Uhrin and Carlie Herring answered questions from the Reddit community about microplastics.

    JANUARY 13, 2017--Next week NOAA's Disaster Response Center will host the Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) as they present a workshop called "SCAT for Tomorrow".

    JANUARY 13, 2017--On January 10, OR&R outreach team members Robin Garcia, Vicki Loe, and Annie Archer attended a seminar given by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) on the recently released report "Communicating Science Effectively: A Research Agenda."

    A "Save the Date" poster

    JANUARY 13, 2017--The NOAA Marine Debris Program is excited to announce that the Sixth International Marine Debris Conference (6IMDC) will be held in San Diego, California, from March 12-16, 2018.

    Eight people posing for a photo.

    JANUARY 13, 2017--On January 9, 2017, the NOAA OR&R and Pacific Marine Environmental Labs (PMEL) hosted Senior Consul Murazawa and Mr. Doty from the Consulate General of Japan in Seattle.

    JANUARY 6, 2017--The theme for this year’s Environmental Data Management Workshop is "Making NOAA's Data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable for Societal Benefit."

    Man standing on dock next to hull of an old boat in water.

    JANUARY 6, 2017--On December 21, 2016, the vessel F/V Western was removed from Coos Bay, Oregon, where it sank near the Empire Dock in January 2015.

    December 2016

    DECEMBER 23, 2016--The newly released CAMEOfm and Tier2 Submit™ have both been enhanced to work with XML data files that adhere to the new national Tier II data standard.

    DECEMBER 23, 2016--On December 14, OR&R Emergency Response Division Chief Scott Lundgren, OR&R Senior Scientific Support Coordinator Steve Lehmann, and OR&R Policy Analyst Robin Garcia attended the quarterly meeting of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research (ICCOPR) in Washington, D.C.

    Group of people posing on a beach.

    DECEMBER 23, 2016--The week of December 12, the NOAA Marine Debris Division Chief participated in the Trash Free Seas Alliance (TFSA) meeting hosted by the Ocean Conservancy in Long Beach, California.

    People seated at tables arranged in a rectangle.

    DECEMBER 16, 2016--Dr. Amy Merten chaired the Arctic Council’s Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) Working Group meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, on December 7 – 8.

    An interpretive sign.

    DECEMBER 16, 2016--Working with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary installed an educational display near the New England Aquarium in Boston.

    DECEMBER 16, 2016--On December 6, NOAA groups gathered for a one-day tabletop exercise to discuss the potential for impacts caused by the simulated scenario of an earthquake and subsequent tsunami on the West coast of the United States.

    Panel announcement for conference

    DECEMBER 16, 2016--Scientists from NOAA's OR&R, NOAA's Restoration Center, and from the Ocean Conservancy participated in a session at the Restore America's Estuaries 8th National Summit and 25th Biennial Meeting of the Coastal Society in New Orleans on Dec. 13, 2016.

    Big ship in rough seas.

    DECEMBER 16, 2016--Doug Helton, of OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, gave a webinar on December 15 as part of the NOS/NOAA Seminar Series on the Argo Merchant oil spill.

    Beach grasses in front of the ocean.

    DECEMBER 9, 2016--The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, and OR&R’s largest natural resource damage assessment settlement .

    DECEMBER 9, 2016—OR&R organized, facilitated, and presented at a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Workshop for oil spill emergency responders in Alaska.

    DECEMBER 9, 2016--On December 7, OR&R Policy Analyst Robin Garcia attended a panel discuss at the Center for American Progress on "Ocean Governance in a New Administration."

    Marine debris along the beach.

    DECEMBER 9, 2016--On November 30 and December 1, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) attended the 2016 Mississippi-Alabama Bays and Bayous Symposium in Biloxi, Mississippi.

    Map of upper and lower Hudson River showing fresh water and saline portions.

    DECEMBER 9, 2016--At the request of members of the Leadership Council for a Cleaner Anacostia, OR&R staff presented their experiences on the Hudson River Superfund cleanup during a council meeting on December 7.

    DECEMBER 9, 2016--OR&R recently conducted an advanced aerial observation of oil on water course at the NOAA Disaster Response Center and the Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama.

    DECEMBER 9, 2016--As a member of the North Atlantic Regional Team (NART) Simeon Hahn, OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) Regional Resource Coordinator in the Mid-Atlantic helped organize and participated in the NOAA in the Mid-Atlantic Meeting held on December 1 at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia.

    Map.

    DECEMBER 2, 2016--The Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) data categorize the coastal shoreline based on oil sensitivity, persistence, and ease of clean-up.

    Woman demonstrating with sign.

    DECEMBER 2, 2016--The OR&R Diversity Committee conducted an event on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s protest to the Dakota Access Pipeline for Native American History Month (November).

    DECEMBER 2, 2016--On November 15, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) teamed up with the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Education sector at the NERRS 2016 Annual Meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia.

    Chinese State Oceanic Administration seal.

    DECEMBER 2, 2016--As part of a "Sister Cities" initiative developed by the U.S. State Department, a delegation from China with representation from the State Oceanic Administration, the Weihai Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, and the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Oceans and Fisheries visited the NOAA Marine Debris Program in Oakland, California.

    Four people posing for a picture.

    DECEMBER 2, 2016--OR&R is well known for its exceptional workforce! In 2016, several NOAA employee were recognized for their contributions to the office, NOAA, and the American public.

    During the November 29, 2016 National Ocean Service (NOS) Awards Ceremony, the following OR&R employees received awards: Dr. Lisa DiPinto for NOS Employee of the Year, Sherry Lippiatt for NOS Team Member of the Year, and Brian Julius for his dedication and contributions to workplace equal employment opportunities and diversity.

    November 2016

    Woman with group of children.

    NOVEMBER 21, 2016--Third graders transformed their lunchroom at Tangelo Park Elementary school last week into a city storm water drainage system, complete with houses, a gas station, and a marina. They watched in awe as their friends placed pollutants — such as cow manure (chocolate sprinkle), trash (oatmeal), fertilizers and pesticides (drink mix powders) — on the model landscape.

    Building on the shore of a lake.

    NOVEMBER 18, 2016--Speakers from the Stetson University School of Law, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and a wide range of county governments converged on Gulfport, FL, last week to facilitate the Fourth Annual ELI-Stetson Wetlands Workshop.

    NOVEMBER 18, 2016--OR&R’s Ken Finkelstein attended the 2016 Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) conference along with others from the Assessment and Restoration Division.

    NOVEMBER 18, 2016--On November 10, nine personnel from the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (“NETL”) in Albany, OR, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (various WA locations) joined the OR&R Emergency Response Division (ERD) in Seattle for a day-long meeting to share information on approaches to oceanographic modeling and data handling.

    Groups of people at round tables.

    NOVEMBER 18, 2016--Together with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and with support from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) co-chaired a session at this year's meeting of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI), held November 7 -11.

    Woman presenting in front of a large screen.

    NOVEMBER 18, 2016--On November 8 and 9, members of the project for “Assessing the Debris-Related Impact of Tsunamis” (ADRIFT) convened a session at the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) annual meeting.

    NOVEMBER 18, 2016--OR&R Emergency Response Division (ERD) Chief Scott Lundgren and the Assessment and Restoration Division's (ARD) Robb Wright participated in the annual meeting of the Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC) held on November 9-10 in Alexandria, VA, to share information about how NOAA can contribute to Arctic domain awareness.

    Woman speaking from lectern.

    NOVEMBER 10, 2016--OR&R participated in the Clean Gulf 2016 conference held from November 1-3 in Tampa Florida.

    Man presenting to a group next to a screen.

    NOVEMBER 10, 2016--The Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator, Keith Cialino, presented at the Roger Williams University School of Law 10th Marine Law Symposium on Friday, November 4.

    Woman pointing at wall posters with writing on them.

    NOVEMBER 10, 2016--On November 2 and 3, over 40 marine debris experts from agencies, NGO, industry, and academia convened at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon, to complete the Oregon Marine Debris Action Plan.

    Floating trash.

    NOVEMBER 3, 2016--The week of October 24, the Marine Debris Division represented the U.S. Government at a meeting of G7 countries focused on combating the issue of marine debris globally.

    Man teaching in front of a large screen.

    NOVEMBER 3, 2016—The week of October 24, LCDR Greg Schweitzer, OR&R Scientific Support Coordinator, presented on the role of NOAA’s Emergency Response Division to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training held at the Detroit Zoo.

    Floating trash.

    NOVEMBER 3, 2016--The OR&R Marine Debris Division's Chief Scientist, Amy Uhrin, participated in a workshop aimed at harmonizing monitoring methods for floating marine macro litter on October 27 and 28 in Barcelona, Spain.

    Man addressing a group in front of a large screen.

    NOVEMBER 3, 2016--OR&R’s director Dave Westerholm and Emergency Response Division (ERD) Chief Scott Lundgren participated in the Industry Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC) Annual Meeting held on October 24-26 to share information on current and emerging issues influencing spill response.

    The 2016 ITAC brought together the technical side of the spill response community to share information on new technologies, trends, and issues that will influence future spill responses.

    October 2016

    Two photos of fish for comparison.

    OCT. 28, 2016 — On Oct.26, OR&R Chief Scientist, Dr. Lisa DiPinto, answered key questions from Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, NOAA Administrator, and several members of NOAA’s Executive Council, about recent research results on the environmental devastation of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

    Two images: people outdoors at the festival and outreach materials on a table.

    OCT. 28, 2016--The NOAA Marine Debris Program partnered with NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office to conduct outreach at the Wellfleet OysterFest on Saturday, October 15, in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.

    Derelict crab pot out of the water.

    OCT. 28, 2016--As part of a research project supported by the NOAA Marine Debris Program, a team of researchers from CSS-Dynamac, Inc.; Versar, Inc.; the Virginia Institute of Marine Science; and Global Science & Technology, Inc. recently completed a comprehensive assessment of the ecological and economic impacts of derelict blue crab pots in the Chesapeake Bay.

    Brochure cover of NOAA Diversity Plan.

    OCT. 28, 2016--Did you know that only 10% of all organizational diversity and inclusion initiatives succeed? The secret to success is not in planning or milestones, but in individual accountability and a commitment to fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion.

    Illustration of emergency responder.

    OCT. 28, 2016--The Safety Officer of OR&R, Ali Bahrami-Bayeh, attended the 2016 National Response Team (NRT) Worker Safety and Health Technical Conference in Washington, DC on October 18- 19.

    Students and an instructor on a beach.

    OCTOBER 21, 2016--A diverse group of 44 students from federal and state agencies, industry, and academia attended the course, held in Portsmouth, NH, October 3-7.

    Group of people holding up a poster in front of a large metal bin.

    OCTOBER 21, 2016--On October 14, NOAA Marine Debris Program Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator, Nir Barnea, joined the Fishing for Energy partners for a derelict fishing gear collection bin launch event at the Maritime Museum Hall in Westport, WA.

    OCTOBER 21, 2016--OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division staff attended the fall meeting of the Hudson-Delaware Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (HDC SETAC) on October 18-19 at the Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook, NJ.

    Group working on a beach.

    October 19, 2016 -- From October 11-13, the Emergency Response Division of OR&R conducted Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) team member training at the EPA Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory in Pensacola Beach, FL.

    Two men holding an award.

    OCTOBER 21, 2016--A delegation from Singapore are in the United States October 17-25 to learn about emergency preparedness and crisis management, involving environmental issues such as floods, typhoons, oil spills, and volcanic ash.

    Publications stacked on a table.

    OCTOBER 21, 2016--The director of OR&R, Dave Westerholm, met with the leadership of the American Salvage Association on October 14. Joining the director were Scott Lundgren, the Emergency Response Division Chief, Kate Clark, OR&R Chief of Staff, and Carlie Herring, Research Analyst for the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

    Map with photo.

    OCTOBER 21, 2016--California’s Office of Spill Prevention & Response (OSPR) recently developed an iPad-based electronic field data collection tool for spill response.

    Man crouching to work on a beach.

    OCTOBER 21, 2016--OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, California’s Office of Spill Prevention & Response (OSPR), and the U.S. Coast Guard teamed up with Chevron to explore the utility of unmanned aerial systems (UAS, a.k.a. drones) as a reconnaissance tool for shoreline oiling.

    Man demonstrating equipment to group.

    OCTOBER 21, 2016--Since 2005, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) has teamed up with California’s Office of Spill Prevention & Response (OSPR) to provide oil spill training known as Environmental Response to Oil Spills (EROS).

    Riverbank lined with trees.

    OCTOBER 21, 2016--NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection have released for public comment a settlement agreement with a potentially responsible party (PRP) for contamination in the Raritan River related to the American Cyanamid Superfund Site located on the Raritan river in Bridgewater, NJ.

    Aerial view of mountains and water.

    OCTOBER 14, 2016--On October 11, the Advisory Board for the Oil Spill Recovery Institute (OSRI) met in Cordova, Alaska . Doug Helton is the Federal Chair of OSRI which was established by Congress in response to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.

    Photo taken from riverbank.

    OCTOBER 14, 2016--On Oct. 13, OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration staff attended the Passaic River Symposium VII , which is held once every two years at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

    People in a lecture room with tables.

    OCTOBER 14, 2016--On Oct. 11 and 12, the NOAA Marine Debris Program coordinated and hosted the Mississippi Marine Debris Response Planning Stakeholder Workshop.

    Woman speaking at a lectern in front of flags.

    OCTOBER 14, 2016--Last week, OR&R's Dr. Amy Merten participated in the Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials Meeting as her role as Chair of the EPPR Working Group.

    A large dredge operating along a river.

    OCTOBER 7, 2016--On October 5, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a major step forward in the cleanup and restoration of the Passaic River in New Jersey by securing $165 million to design a $1.38 billion remedy for an 8-mile section of the river that was announced in March of 2016.

    Man at a booth with large wheel (part of an educational game).

    OCTOBER 7, 2016--On Saturday, September 24, Keith Cialino, the Marine Debris Program Northeast Regional Coordinator, conducted outreach on marine debris at the Punkinfiddle National Estuaries Day celebration at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve in Wells, Maine.

    OCTOBER 7, 2016--On September 29, OR&R's Emergency Response Division Chief, Scott Lundgren, and Chief of Staff, Kate Clark, participated in an information sharing meeting with SCAA and APICOM leadership.

    Three people at a table address a class.

    OCTOBER 7, 2016--On Monday September 26, OR&R's Emergency Response Division Chief, Scott Lundgren, participated in a seminar at Coast Guard Headquarters that brought together current and prior staff involved in supporting National Incident Commander (NIC) staff and program office roles during the Deepwater Horizon Spill of National Significance (SONS).

    September 2016

    People seated at tables in a room with five large posters hanging on the wall.

    SEPTEMER 30, 2016--U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina personnel and members of partner agencies participated in an oil spill response exercise at the Morehead City Convention Center in Morehead City, North Carolina, on September 15.

    Two people and a laptop.

    SEPTEMBER 30, 2016--OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division worked with Scientific Support Coordinators, Ruth Yender and CDR Jesse Stark, on a worst-case scenario oil spill drill in Fidalgo Bay, Puget Sound, on September 28-29 using the Pacific Northwest Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®).

    Giant inflatable whale with person standing next to it.

    SEPTEMBER 30, 2016--On September 12-14, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Southeast Regional Coordinator, Sarah Latshaw, and Planning and Preparedness Specialist, Jessica Conway, attended the fourth annual North Carolina Marine Debris Symposium (NCMDS) at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

    Outdoor exhibit with posters hanging and people crowding around.

    SEPTEMBER 30, 2016-- Submerged Marine Science Festival takes place annually in lower Manhattan on a pier jutting into the Hudson River.

    SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 -- OR&R’s latest response tool, the Chemical Aquatic Fate and Effects (CAFE) database, is a unique program that allows spill responders to estimate the fate and effects of thousands of chemicals, dispersants, oils, and dispersed oils on freshwater and marine resources.

    SEPTEMBER 23, 2016--On September 13, OR&R Emergency Response Division Chief, Scott Lundgren, sat down with Senator Peters (MI) and two of his staff members to discuss risks and protocols for responding to fresh water oil spills in the Great Lakes and the state of fresh water oil spill research.

    SEPTEMBER 23, 2016--OR&R Seattle staff had the opportunity to discuss its critical mission with three members of NOAA leadership during their visit to the Western Regional Center in Seattle, Washington, on Wednesday, September 21. Staff sat down with Ben Friedman, Deputy Under Secretary for Operations; Mark Seiler, Chief Financial Officer; and Zach Goldstein, Chief Information Officer.

    Group of 12 people pose for photo on steps outdoors.

    SEPTEMBER 23, 2016--The OR&R Outreach team met in Seattle on September 20-21 to review goals and objectives and to analyze and document progress on the FY16 Outreach action plan.

    Woman walking along a beach; man in background.

    SEPTEMBER 23, 2016--On September 13-15, three NOAA Marine Debris Program team members (Amy Uhrin, Chief Scientist; Jason Rolfe, Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator; and Sarah Lowe, Great Lakes Regional Coordinator) and one volunteer (Amy's mom!) conducted marine debris monitoring at five locations on the shores of Lake Erie in Ohio.

    Woman with test tube at a table.

    SEPTEMBER 23, 2016--On September 20, the NOAA Marine Debris Program published a federal funding opportunity to Grants.gov soliciting project proposals to conduct marine debris research activities.

    People milling about in a large hall.

    SEPTEMBER 23, 2016--50 years old and going strong. NOAA has been, and continues to be, a partner with University researchers at Bodega Marine Laboratory (BML). Back in 1956, undeveloped land stretched across a peninsula to Bodega Head.

    Meeting participants with name cards at tables.

    SEPTEMBER 16, 2016--Members of OR&R’s Emergency Response and Assessment and Restoration Divisions participated in an international cooperative information exchange to enhance oil spill response preparedness.

    Man standing alone on a beach.

    SEPTEMBER 16, 2016--On September 12 - 13, two NOAA Marine Debris Program team members (Carlie Herring, Research Coordinator and Keith Cialino, Northeast Regional Coordinator) conducted shoreline marine debris monitoring at eight beach sites along the Maine and Massachusetts coastline.

    SEPTEMBER 16, 2016--The latest version of the CAMEO Chemicals hazardous materials database is now available, and it includes multilingual response guides and two new data sources.

    Man in front of screen speaking to a class.

    SEPTEMBER 16, 2016--Four OR&R staff members attended a two-day workshop with 24 Ninth Coast Guard District personnel on developing standardized Geographic Response Plans (GRPs) for integration into OR&R’s online mapping tool, Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®).

    Map with graphics overlaid.

    SEPTEMBER 16, 2016--The latest version of the ALOHA® hazard modeling software is now available, and it includes updated public exposure guideline levels for toxic chemical releases.

    People surround stuffed dolphin laying on floor.

    SEPTEMBER 16, 2016--Several National Ocean Service (NOS) staff participated in the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)- sponsored National Marine Animal Health and Stranding Network Conference in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, on September 6-9.

    August 2016

    Container ship on the water.

    AUGUST 26, 2016--On August 23, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (represented by Sarah Latshaw, Southeast Regional Coordinator and Jessica Conway, Planning and Preparedness Specialist) presented at and participated in the U.S. Coast Guard 2016 Maritime Transportation System (MTS) Recovery Exercise in Charleston, South Carolina.

    Two people in water with a net.

    AUGUST 26, 2016--Six members of the Northeast Branch of OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) met at Spermaceti Cove, Sandy Hook, New Jersey on August 23 and 24 to address salt marsh damage assessment techniques and data compilation.

    AUGUST 19, 2016--On August 18, 2016, a large group of government scientists, academicians, and consultants learned about new research that could help decision-makers better measure injuries to natural resources from chemical contamination.

    Ice breaking up on a frozen seascape.

    AUGUST 19, 2016--On Friday, August 12, 2016, OR&R Seattle hosted Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, NOAA Administrator and Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, for briefings on Arctic activities.

    Students at tables front of classroom.

    AUGUST 19, 2016--Last week, the Disaster Response Center (DRC), in coordination with Genwest Systems, Inc., held an Incident Command System (ICS) 300: Incident Command for Expanding Incidents course.

    AUGUST 19, 2016—The week of August 15, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in the Canada-U.S. Pacific (CANUSPAC) 2016 Oil Spill Workshop and a Joint Response Team (JRT) meeting held in Victoria, B.C.

    Two people walking along a beach along the water line.

    AUGUST 19, 2016--On August 16 and August 17, three NOAA Marine Debris Program team members (Amy Uhrin, Chief Scientist; Carlie Herring, Research Coordinator; and Jason Rolfe, Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator) conducted shoreline marine debris monitoring at seven beach sites along the Delaware and Maryland coastline.

    AUGUST 12, 2016--On August 1, the NOAA Marine Debris Program published a federal funding opportunity to Grants.gov.

    AUGUST 12, 2016--On Wednesday evening (8/11), Assessment and Restoration Division scientist, Lisa DiPinto, spent the evening (via webinar/webcam) with a group of 60 Australian scientists involved in oil spill response, oil spill related research, environmental regulation and compliance.

    AUGUST 12, 2016--On Tuesday, August 9, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Communications and Education Specialist Krista Stegemann participated in the 2016 Lake Huron Place-Based Education Summer Teacher Institute, hosted by the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative in Oscoda, Michigan.

    A woman with two men standing on either side.

    AUGUST 12, 2016--When you are heading back to port, should the green navigation marker be on your port or starboard side?

    People sit in class and look at screen.

    AUGUST 12, 2016--On July 26 and 27, the NOAA Marine Debris Program coordinated and hosted the South Carolina Incident Waterway Debris Response Planning Stakeholder Workshop.

    Posts emerging from a bay.

    AUGUST 12, 2016--In response to the historical releases of hazardous materials into Washington State’s Port Gardner Bay, DARRP and Co-Trutee have released a Draft Damage Assessment Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (Plan/EA) for public comment.

    People on a beach.

    AUGUST 12, 2016--On August 9, graduate students, academics, and industry consultants heard firsthand about challenges in assessing natural resource damages for the Deepwater Horizon event, the largest off shore oil spill in U.S. history.

    Man holding a sample in a clear container.

    AUGUST 5, 2016--A team funded by Clean Caribbean Americus (CCA) conducted a week-long trip from July 10-15 to revisit, document observations, and collect sediment core samples from the 1984 TROPICS (Tropical Oil Pollution Investigations in Coastal Systems) study sites conducted in Panama near Bocas del Toro.

    A large rock on a rocky beach.

    AUGUST 5, 2016--On August 1, R/V Auklet skipper David Janka went ashore in Snug Harbor, Alaska, to take several photos of Mearns Rock, including this one, while motoring back out into Knight Island Passage. David has voluntarily visited the site on various occasions during the past years.

    AUGUST 5, 2016--An updated version of ResponseLink is going live in early August.

    Close-up shoreline image of driftwood and peat mounds.

    AUGUST 5, 2016 — DRILL: A simulated pipeline spill releasing 500 barrels of crude oil and process water along the Kalubik Creek on the morning of August 3 prompted a sizeable response of vessels, boom and field teams by the responsible party, oil spill response organizations, locals (North Slope Borough), state and federal agencies.

    AUGUST 5, 2016--On July 29, OR&R's Director, Dave Westerholm, and OR&R Acting Chief of Staff, Kate Clark, met with Congressional staff from Senator Cantwell's Office and the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to discuss the Oil Pollution Act (OPA).

    Group of people poses in front of large posters.

    AUGUST 5, 2016--On July 29, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Communication and Policy Specialist, Rachel Keylon, participated in a White House Summer Opportunity Project: A Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Enrichment Initiative (STEM-E) event for high school and college aged students at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

    Kayaks near remains of a ship in hte water.

    AUGUST 5, 2016--On the Maryland side of the Potomac River just east of Washington D.C. and west of Chesapeake Bay, the largest shipwreck fleet in the Western Hemisphere sits half-sunk and decomposing.

    July 2016

    Large group of people outdoors in front of a building.

    JULY 29, 2016--Forty marine debris stakeholders at the federal, state, city and county, and community level attended a successful fourth Hawaii Marine Debris Action Plan Workshop July 25-27, held at the NOAA Inouye Regional Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

    JULY 29, 2016--On July 26, OR&R Policy Analyst Robin Garcia attended a briefing held by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine on the report "Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico."

    Two men on a boat turned almost on its side.

    JULY 29, 2016--Recently, OR&R’s Scientific Support Coordinator Adam Davis participated in the U. S. Coast Guard’s effort to address potential pollution threats from several abandoned and derelict vessels located throughout the coastal zone in Florida Panhandle, east of the heavily developed beach destinations of Destin and Panama City that some refer to as the Forgotten Coast.

    Group of people sitting a tables look at a screen in the front of the room.

    JULY 29, 2016--The Disaster Response Center (DRC) hosted the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the American Salvage Association for their Annual Salvage Seminar. The three-day seminar was attended by approximately 45 people with representation from the Atlantic Strike Team, Gulf Strike Team, Pacific Strike Team, and T & T Salvage, to name a few.

    A man and a woman stand on either side of a large poster.

    JULY 29, 2016--OR&R participated in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sponsored 2016 Urban Waters National Training Workshop on July 26-28.

    Two people at a pool's edge with oil floating on water as drone flies above.

    JULY 29, 2016—The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and NOAA completed Phase One of the Deepwater Horizon Lessons Learned Studies: Detection of Oil Thickness and Emulsion Mixtures using Remote Sensing Platforms project.

    Two women talking in front of a projection screen.

    JULY 29, 2016--OR&R’s online mapping tool, Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®), was used as the common operational picture for the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) marine security activities surrounding the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, July 18-21.

    JULY 29, 2016--OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in Incident Management Team Training on June 12-14 in Philadelphia.

    Man standing on a bridge, in front of a large canal.

    JULY 22, 2016--During the week of July 18-22, NOAA participated in the annual EcoCanal notification exercise between the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and the U.S. National Response Team (NRT).

    Group of people pose with a seal.

    JULY 22, 2016--OR&R Emergency Response Division’s Scientific Support Coordinator for Alaska recently accompanied members of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Anchorage office on a trip to the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska.

    JULY 22, 2016--OR&R has a new Health and Safety Coordinator! After 24 years in this position, Nir Barnea, the outgoing health and safety coordinator, is hanging up his safety boots to focus solely on his marine debris responsibilities.

    JULY 22, 2016--The United States Geological Survey (USGS) released their Pacific Walrus Coastal Haul out Database on July 18 in a coordinated effort with OR&R’s Spatial Data Branch to make the data available through Arctic ERMA®.

    Woman on a beach.

    JULY 22, 2016--Monitoring shorelines for marine debris can help answer some important questions such as: How big is the marine debris problem, and how is it changing over time? What types of debris are most common in your region?

    Group of students sitting on the floor listening to an adult.

    JULY 15, 2016--“This is LT Lyons with the USCG, Sector Puget Sound. There has been a ship collision off of Shilshole Bay resulting in an oil spill.”

    JULY 15, 2016--OR&R's Director, Dave Westerholm addressed around 140 oil spill responders, oil industry representatives, and civil servants representing several Federal agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Interior's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement at Clean Gulf Associates Annual meeting held on July 14 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

    JULY 15, 2016--Representatives from OR&R, the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS), Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), and the Office for Coastal Management (OCM) were asked to represent NOS at a Resilience Workshop hosted by NOAA Ocean and Coastal Council's (NOCC) Performance Improvement Council (PIC) on July 6. The goal of the meeting was to improve the story NOAA tells about coastal and community resilience, what it means for NOAA, how each line office contributes, and how we contribute to community and ecosystem resilience.

    JULY 15, 2016--Ken Finkelstein of OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division attended the NOAA Roundtable for Massachusetts Congressional Staffers at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

    Man talking to group of students on a beach.

    JULY 15, 2016--NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration, a leader in providing scientific information in response to marine pollution, has scheduled an autumn Science of Oil Spills (SOS) class in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, October 3-7, 2016.

    Man demonstrating knot tying to a group of people.

    JULY 15, 2016--The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) hosted a net tying workshop in Marquette, Michigan, for tribal youth, local tribe members, and the public on July 11.

    Report cover.

    JULY 8, 2016--The NOAA Marine Debris Program released a new report, Marine Debris Impacts on Coastal and Benthic Habitats, which details marine debris impacts to various marine habitats.

    JULY 8, 2016--On June 21- 23, OR&R staff participated in the Clean Pacific Conference in Seattle, Washington.

    JULY 8, 2016--On June 29, OR&R Policy Analyst Robin Garcia attended part of a Joint Information Center (JIC) training provided by the U.S. Coast Guard at the U.S. Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Maryland.

    Man and woman on TV set.

    JULY 1, 2016--On June 22, NOAA Marine Debris Program Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, was featured in Episode #235 of the PBS program, SciTech Now, which aired on New York City metro PBS stations.

    Two women in front of a poster.

    JULY 1, 2016--At the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium held in Honolulu on June 19-24, OR&R and NMFS staff jointly presented “A Case Study in Good Government: Ordnance Reef Coral Assessment and Mitigation Project” and “Collaboraion Between Resource Agencies and DoD Furthers Underwater Investigation and Cleanup at Former Defense Sites in Vieques and Culebra, Puerto Rico."

    Two women pictured on an image of the video.

    JULY 1, 2016--Last week, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and Ocean Today received a Regional Emmy® for the 15-minute video, Trash Talk.

    JULY 1, 2016--The West Coast Joint Assessment Team (JAT), made up of oil spill trustees and industry representatives from the West coast and Canada and industry met last week in Seattle.

    Backhoe, digging.

    JULY 1, 2016--On June 29, Jason Lehto from the NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) represented the Commencement Bay Trustees at a groundbreaking event located about an hour south of Seattle, Washington.

    Guidebook cover.

    JULY 1, 2016--This week the NOAA Marine Debris Program released a new incident waterway debris response document for Florida.

    June 2016

    Balloons against sky.

    This week, the NOAA Marine Debris Program participated in a workshop put on by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, to design a social marketing campaign to curb balloon releases in Virginia with the longer term intention to expand this to the larger mid-Atlantic region.

    Panel of people in front of three screens.

    JUNE 23, 2016--During the week of June 20, OR&R’s Spatial Data Branch participated in the 2016 Arctic-Related Incidents of National Significance (IoNS) Workshop in Anchorage, Alaska.

    Group pf people standing on a dock.

    JUNE 23, 2016--Restoration of diverse habitat in urban environments has the potential to provide ecological, recreational, cultural and economic benefits from areas that have been for too long cut off from other parts of cities.

    JUNE 17, 2016--The 2016 All-Hands Meeting was held in Seattle, May 10 - 12. This is an opportunity that is only taken every several years for all members of the staff, which are spread out throughout the country, to come together to meet.

    Woman working with a child at a table.

    JUNE 17, 2016--The NOAA Marine Debris Program participated in the Smithsonian National Zoo's World Ocean Day event on Saturday, June 11. More than 3,200 visitors participated in the overall event, which primarily focused on marine debris and the impact we have on the ocean environment.

    Hands with a drill and horseshoe crab shell.

    JUNE 17, 2016--Although horseshoe crabs resemble crustaceans, they are primitive marine arthropods considered living fossils. Their eggs are important dietary items for shorebirds including the red knot, which double their weight during migration feeding on these eggs.

    Annual report cover.

    JUNE 17, 2016--This week, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Pacific Northwest regional coordinator, Nir Barnea, joined Oregon Surfrider representative to update the Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) about the progress and current status of the Oregon Marine Debris Action Plan.

    Man looking at nautical chart on a beach.

    JUNE 17, 2016--Last week at NOAA’s main Seattle campus, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) oil spill scientists concluded the last of four “Science of Oil Spills” (SOS) workshops planned for fiscal year 2016.

    Woman speaking at a podium.

    JUNE 17, 2016--On June 15, 2016, NOAA Commissioned Officers Lieutenant Greg Schweitzer and Lieutenant Junior Grade Rachel Pryor from the Emergency Response Division along with Lieutenant Matthew Shaffer of Coast Guard Air Station Detroit conducted NOAA’s Aerial Observation of Oil Spills course at Coast Guard District Nine Headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio.

    People working with boom on the ground, outdoors.

    JUNE 17, 2016--This week the OR&R Emergency Response Division assisted with Hazardous Waste Operator ("HAZWOPER") refresher training for Washington state coastal tribes.

    Group of people looking up.

    JUNE 17, 2016--The NOAA-chaired Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (EPPR) Working Group of the Arctic Council supported the USCG-led international tabletop exercise on Arctic oil spill preparedness and response in Montreal, Canada. This exercise, a hypothetical collision in Norway, represents the culmination of six months of preparation, during which various elements of international emergency communication and logistics have been tested.

    JUNE 17, 2016-- Two OR&R Emergency Response Division staff members attended the Estuarine and Coastal Modeling Conference in Kingston, Rhode Island, this past week. This is the 14th Conference, a biannual event that provides a venue for commercial, academic, and government scientists and engineers from around the world to present and discuss the latest results and techniques in applied estuarine and coastal modeling. Christopher Barker presented a talk about working with data from a variety of coastal models.

    JUNE 17, 2016--OR&R Director Dave Westerholm, OR&R Policy Analyst Robin Garcia, and Marine Debris Policy and Communication Specialist Rachel Keylon attended Capitol Hill Ocean Week June 7-9 at the Newseum in Washington, DC.

    JUNE 17, 2016--The week of June 13, several members of NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) from OR&R’s Spatial Data Branch and the Restoration Center participated in the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) All-Hands meeting in Baton Rouge, LA.

    Amy Uhrin, Katie Register, and Kate Thompson in front of an OceansLIVE banner

    NOAA Marine Debris Program Chief Scientist Amy Uhrin spoke as part of an online panel on OceansLIVE! during Capitol Hill Ocean Week in Washington, DC.

    Last week, a new version of the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) was released that focused on data sharing for partners and the ability to view web cameras within the map.

    Jaqui Michel holds plants, surrounded by students with shovels in a salt marsh

    From June 7–9, 2016, the Emergency Response Division of NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration conducted Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) team member training in Anchorage, Alaska.

    Charlie Henry presents from a podium to 20 responders in a conference room.

    NOAA's Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center and the University of New Hampshire's Coastal Response Research Center hosted in Mobile, Alabama, the second of three NOAA Regional Preparedness Training workshops.

    Aerial view of derailed oil train and response boats with boom on Columbia River

    On June 3, 2016, 16 Union Pacific unit train rail cars carrying Bakken crude oil derailed in Mosier, Oregon, on the Columbia River.

    Four of the rail cars were breached and caught fire.

    During the week of June 6, 2016, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) staff attended the 39th Annual Arctic and Marine Oilspill Program (AMOP) Technical Seminar on Environmental Contamination and Response in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

    For the first time, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration conducted its aerial observation of oil spills course specifically for personnel with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).

    Angela Haseltine Pozzi instructing teachers next to a swordfish made of trash.

    On June 5, 2016, the NOAA Marine Debris Program participated in the Washed Ashore Project's teacher workshop at the Smithsonian National Zoo.

    The workshop focused on how to share lessons about marine debris through the lens of art.

    A boy enters data onto a form while at the beach.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce the launch of the new Get Started Toolbox, an online resource for the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project.

    This citizen science initiative engages volunteers across the nation in surveying marine debris on shorelines.

    People in a conference room listen to and watch a presentation on spill response

    NOAA's Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center recently sponsored a NOAA Regional Preparedness Training workshop at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in Galveston, Texas.

    This was the first of three workshops aimed at enhancing regional preparedness for emergencies.

    NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration recently released an updated version of the Chemical Aquatic Fate and Effects (CAFE) database, a chemical response tool.

    CAFE version 1.2 now has greater capabilities for aiding responders in their assessment of the environmental effects of chemical or oil spills.

    50 members of OR&R's Emergency Response Division pose outside on a dock.

    The Emergency Response Division of NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration held its 2016 "all-hands" staff meeting in Seattle, Washington, from May 10-12, 2016.

    Staff from NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration and National Marine Fisheries Service participated in the U.S. Coast Guard's St. Clair River Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) oil spill drill in Michigan on May 25, 2016.

    May 2016

    Adult and group of students standing on a stage holding certificates.

    MAY 27, 2016--On Friday, May 20, The NOAA Marine Debris Program and the program's partners including Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Ohio Sea Grant, and The Ohio State University Stone Laboratory - announced the winners of the first annual "Communicating for a Clean Future" Marine Debris Public Service Announcement Contest.

    Group of people posing for photo at a marina.

    MAY 27, 2016--Last week the NOAA Marine Debris Program coordinated and hosted the Third Florida Marine Debris Reduction Plan Meeting, in partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, bringing together the marine debris community throughout the state of Florida.

    MAY 20, 2016--The week of May 16, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's (MDP) Acting Director, John Tarpley, met with Senator Whitehouse's (RI) senior ocean policy advisor to provide awareness and details about the program's current efforts nationally and in Rhode Island.

    Tower with a sign with "National Interagency Fire Center" on it.

    MAY 20, 2016--The week of May 16, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division representatives toured the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) in Boise, Idaho as part of a Northwest Regional Response Team meeting. The mission of the NICC is the complex interagency coordination of wildland firefighting resources in the United States. The Incident Command System used during oil spill responses was initially developed for wildland firefighting. Agencies participating in the NICC include NOAA's National Weather Service, the U.S.

    MAY 20, 2016--OR&R and the NOAA Restoration Center led a tabletop drill and data management training for the Alaska Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) and Restoration trustees on May 18-19.

    Two men in a boat and two men in a marsh getting samples.

    MAY 20, 2016--During and after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, natural resource trustee agencies collected thousands of samples across broad regions of the northern Gulf of Mexico. These samples supported the spill response and the natural resource damage assessment (NRDA).

    People standing in a group on a beach.

    MAY 20, 2016--During the week of May 16-20, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division held a Science of Oil Spills (SOS) course in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) facility.

    MAY 20, 2016--On May 19, OR&R Policy Analyst Robin Garcia attended a hearing held by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to examine the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)’s Outer Continental Shelf 2017-2022 Oil and Gas Leasing Plan.

    MAY 13, 2016--As an invited guest of University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center, OR&R's Assessment and Restoration Division's Lead Scientist, Dr. Lisa DiPinto, briefed all interested congressional staff at an event hosted by Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire on May 6.

    Oil platform at sea.

    OR&R is supporting the U.S. Coast Guard response to an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico with trajectory analysis and information on resources at risk. The NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator is on-scene. The spill occurred on May 12 when oil was discharged from a Shell subsea well-head flow line near the Brutus platform. The U.S. Coast Guard reports that the spill occurred approximately 90 miles south of Timbalier Island, Louisiana. For details read the U.S. Coast Guard press release.

    A banner with info on NOAA next to historical artifacts.

    MAY 13, 2016--On May 6, the Treasures of NOAA’s Ark exhibit opened to the public at GulfQuest in Mobile, Alabama.

    Three people on a beach.

    MAY 13, 2016--On May 11, Sarah Lowe, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Great Lakes Regional coordinator attended a stewardship day in Belle Isle, Michigan.

    Old photo of train with American Cyanamid written on side of boxcar.

    MAY 13, 2016-- Following years of intensive cleanup and assessment at the American Cyanamid site, NOAA is now accepting public comment on a draft restoration plan and environmental assessment [PDF] until June 10, 2016.

    Woman giving a talk in front of a large screen.

    MAY 13, 2016--On May 5, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in the inaugural DOC Talks event put on by the Department of Commerce (DOC).

    Three people doing sampling in a sandy area.

    MAY 13, 2016--The OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division Pacific Northwest/Great Lakes Branch partnered with the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) (Mount Vernon, Washington) on a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) training on May 6.

    A man sitting next to a dam on a river.

    MAY 6, 2016--NOAA and co-trustees have released, for public comment, a Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment that focuses on removal of the Weston Mill Dam, located on the Millstone River, and analyzing and designing improved fish passage at the Island Farm Weir on the Raritan River.

    A certificate and a medal on a ribbon.

    MAY 6, 2016--On May 4, 2016, OR&R Emergency Response Division staff were honored with Excellence in Public Service awards at the Seattle Federal Executive Board Celebration of Public Service.

    Two men and a woman stand in front of a poster.

    MAY 6, 2016--Ken Finkelstein spent two days in the Housatonic River watershed, the first to attend an evening public meeting with the Connecticut Subcommittee of the Housatonic Citizen's Coordinating Council on April 27.

    Cover of 2016 Emergency Response Guidebook.

    MAY 6, 2016--Earlier this week, a new version of CAMEO Chemicals was released. With this program, you can learn about critical response information for thousands of chemicals in the database, and you can also use the reactivity tool to find out what hazards (such as explosions or corrosive byproducts) might occur when two substances mix together.

    Painted sign with marine debris awareness message next to a street storm drain.

    MAY 6, 2016--On April 27, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) staff visited Masonville Cove, a highly urbanized restoration site near Patapsco River in Baltimore as part of a FY15 Prevention through Education and Outreach Grant with the National Aquarium.

    A man and a woman pose for a photo.

    MAY 6, 2016--At the invitation of the State University of New York (SUNY) Binghamton Department of Geography, OR&R’s Ed Levine was invited as a guest lecturer for the 2015-2016 Dean’s Speaker’s Series.

    April 2016

    Two young students look at a fish on a table.

    APRIL 29, 2016--On April 22, OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division staff joined kindergarteners at PS 58 in Brooklyn for a celebration of Earth Day by learning about fish and the ongoing study of the Gowanus Canal including the plan to both clean up and restore habitat for marine life in Brooklyn.

    APRIL 29, 2016--During the week of April 25, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Great Lakes Regional Coordinator, Sarah Lowe, participated in the International Joint Commission's Microplastics in the Great Lakes Workshop.

    Three people working with derelict crab pots.

    APRIL 29, 2016--On April 23, NOAA Marine Debris Program staff participated in the WeCrab Marine Debris Project's Ghost Pot Prevention and Removal Community Day event.

    APRIL 22, 2016--On April 20, 2016, OR&R leadership, including Dave Westerholm, Tony Penn, and Scott Lundgren met with six individuals from Russia who were selected to participate in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), on an exchange entitled “Arctic Environmental Protection and Innovative Solutions to Oil Pollution, Prevention, and Response.”

    APRIL 22, 2016--On April 14, 2016, the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC) hosted the SeaGrant workshop titled “Where did the oil go?”

    Coast Guard participants in blue uniforms listen to speaker in front of room.

    APRIL 22, 2016--In an effort to supplement existing Marine Environmental Response (MER) training provided to U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) pollution responders, the District 11 staff hosted an MER Capstone Course this week the week of April 18 in the San Francisco Bay area.

    Group working on an exercise around a table.

    APRIL 22, 2016--On April 13 and 14, the NOAA Marine Debris Program coordinated the first workshop to create the Oregon Marine Debris Action Plan in Newport, Oregon. More than 50 marine debris experts representing agencies, NGOs, industry, and academia were assembled for what turned out to be a busy and productive workshop.

    Two woman and a man work together at a table.

    APRIL 22, 2016--Each year, prior to hurricane season, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Mobile, Alabama, simulates a disaster which would activate their Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP).

    APRIL 22, 2016--At the April 14 AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) Spring Meeting and 9th Global Congress on Process Safety in Houston, Texas, Dr. Dave Gorman, Reactive Chemicals Specialist of Dow Chemical, updated congress attendees on recent improvements to the Chemical Reactivity Worksheet (CRW).

    APRIL 15, 2016--On April 7-8, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's, Great Lakes Regional Coordinator, Sarah Lowe, participated in the "Marine Debris Training Workshop for Great Lakes Sea Grant Agents."

    Group listens to speaker in a classroom.

    APRIL 15, 2016--From April 6-7, the NOAA Marine Debris Program hosted a North Carolina Regional Response Planning workshop at the NOAA Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research in Beaufort, North Carolina.

    APRIL 15, 2016--Staff from OR&R attended "A Canadian Review of the U.S. Arctic Council Chairmanship" hosted by Consul General James Hill of the Canadian Consulate in Seattle on April 13, 2016.

    Woman and man on a beach gathering trash into a bag.

    APRIL 15, 2016--Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, and representatives from the offices of Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell joined the NOAA Marine Debris Program in Long Beach, Washington, on April 8 for a marine debris event.

    Group of people on a boat in lifejackets; river in background.

    APRIL 8, 2016--The Record of Decision for remediation of the lower 8.3 miles of the Passaic River was issued on March 4 after years of collaboration between federal and state agencies.

    Students talking with a woman at a table.

    APRIL 8, 2016--OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division staff shared information on career paths, education, and experiences working at NOAA with eleventh and twelfth graders at Brooklyn Prospect High School in New York City.

    Women stands behind an exhibit table.

    APRIL 8, 2016--On Wednesday, April 6, Emma Tonge, an intern with the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), ran an exhibit at the annual Oakland EarthExpo held in the Frank Ogawa Plaza of Oakland, California.

    Man posing on a deck with large group of people in background.

    APRIL 8, 2016--OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) conducted the Science of Oil Spills (SOS) course at OR&R’s Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC) in Mobile, Alabama on March 28 to April 1, 2016.

    APRIL 8, 2016--On April 1, Carlie Herring, the NOAA Marine Debris Program Research Coordinator, presented and participated in a panel discussion at the Ocean Policy Working Group Symposium held at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

    SCAA logo

    APRIL 8, 2016--OR&R Director Dave Westerholm addressed the Spill Control Association of America (SCAA) on April 6 in Washington, D.C., as part of the organization’s annual meeting and conference.

    Three people working together at a table.

    APRIL 8, 2016--OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) hosted a Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) course on March 29-31. The course was held at the Jacques Cousteau National Research Reserve Coastal Education Center, located in Tuckerton, New Jersey.

    APRIL 1, 2016--The Hudson River Superfund site has been contaminated with millions of pounds of toxic PCBs since the 1940's. At 200 miles long, it is one of NOAA's largest natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) cases.

    Woman working with group of students.

    APRIL 1, 2016--On March 29, LTJG Rachel Pryor coordinated with Open Window Middle School to host a sixth grade student field trip at NOAA's Western Regional Center in Seattle.

    Drawing of an hourglass with debris in it.

    APRIL 1, 2016--Congratulations to our 2016 NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest winners! This year, we received more than 750 entries from kindergarten to 8th-grade students with incredible visual messages on what we need to do to be the solution to ocean pollution.

    A statue and a sign outdoors.

    APRIL 1, 2016--The NOAA North Atlantic Regional (Collaboration) Team or NART, sponsored a roundtable with New Jersey's Congressional district staff that was held on Wednesday March 23, 2016 at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. The theme of the roundtable was “Community Resilience in the Urban Environment.”

    Man speaking to a group of people in front of a screen.

    APRIL 1, 2016--For years, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) has been offering the popular Science of Oil Spills classes to oil spill responders and planners. But oil isn't the only hazardous material for which we have expertise!

    March 2016

    Young people cleaning up a beach.

    MARCH 25, 2016--The week of March 21, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator, Kim Albins, teamed up with Dauphin Island Sea Lab Graduate student, Caitlin Wessel, and Parker Martin Consulting Firm to talk about marine debris to seventh and eighth graders at Grand Bay and Alba Middle Schools in coastal Alabama.

    Map of Puget Sound marking potentially affected facilities.

    MARCH 25, 2016--On March 25, OR&R Emergency Response Division staff in Seattle joined representatives from the NOAA Western Region and leadership from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Seattle and the 13th USCG District, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to brief Manson Brown, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction, on the upcoming Cascadia Rising earthquake and tsunami exercise planned for June 7-10, 2016.

    National Academy of Science signage in front of headquarters.

    MARCH 25, 2016--OR&R staff were invited to present an overview of the Deepwater Horizon NRDA Science and Settlement to the
    Gulf Research Program Advisory Board of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) on March 24 in Washington, D.C.

    Promotional cover for the International Arctic Assembly

    MARCH 18, 2016--On March 15, NOAA’s Dr. Amy Merten, Chair of the Arctic Council’s Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) Working Group, spoke at the International Arctic Assembly, part of a series of high-profile Arctic meetings sponsored by the University of Alaska in Fairbanks.

    MARCH 18, 2016--The Marine Debris Program's Northeast Regional Coordinator, Keith Cialino, participated in the Maine Fishermen's Forum, held in Rockport, Maine, on March 2 through 4.

    Three men conferring in a marsh.

    MARCH 18, 2016--OR&R's Assessment and Restoration Division held a marsh vegetation injury assessment training at the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in Mount Vernon, Washington, on March 11.

    Two women and two men, working around a table.

    MARCH 18, 2016--A government-led exercise was held on March 14 through 16, simulating a spill of 240,000 gallons of fuel into the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. The exercise, which is part of the National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program required under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, was held at the Port of Jacksonville.

    Group of people posing for group photo.

    MARCH 11, 2016--On March 7-9, 2016, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in the second Virginia Marine Debris Summit held at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William and Mary, in Gloucester Point, VA.

    Group seated around a table.

    MARCH 11, 2016--On March 3, 2016, NOAA's Marine Debris Program co-hosted a tabletop exercise with Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in coastal Alabama. The objectives of the exercise were to address gaps identified in the Alabama Incident Waterway Debris Response Plan and to kick-off the annual effort of ensuring the accuracy of contact information included in the plan.

    MARCH 11, 2016--The Chemical Reactivity Worksheet (CRW) is a free software program that anyone can use to find out about the chemical reactivity of thousands of common hazardous chemicals, the compatibility of absorbents, and the suitability of materials of construction in chemical processes.

    Papers and a logo.

    MARCH 11,2016--Members of OR&R's Emergency Response Division and Assessment and Restoration Division participated in the quarterly meeting of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research (ICCOPR) on March 9, 2016.

    Man in uniform standing in hall.

    MARCH 4, 2016-- OR&R’s Emergency Response Division along with representatives from NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) met with the United States Coast Guard Office of Marine Environmental Response Policy, Intelligence Coordination Center, and Coast Guard-hosted National Response Center on February 22, 2016.

    Damaged bridge by a beach.

    MARCH 4, 2016--The week of February 22, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Director participated in a North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) meeting in Japan.

    Woman in uniform standing at a display table.

    MARCH 4, 2016--LTJG Rachel Pryor attended a Professional Career Day at the Seattle Greenwood Library in Seattle to talk to elementary students from MMSC Day School, a Seattle Jewish school, about careers at NOAA.

    Two men and a woman pose in strange hats.

    MARCH 4, 2016--Dr. Ken Finkelstein (Boston) and Troy Baker (Seattle) of OR&R's Assessment and Restoration Division recently volunteered to help implement the annual National Ocean Science Bowl .

    Three women standing in front of a poster.

    MARCH 4, 2016--The Marine Debris Program co-chaired a scientific session at this year's Ocean Sciences Meeting titled, "The Emerging Science of Marine Debris: From Assessment to Knowledge That Informs Solutions".

    Group of people sitting around tables listening to a presenter.

    MARCH 4, 2016--Multiple members of OR&R participated in the IOOS spring meeting on March 1-2 with NOAA’s National Ocean Service IOOS program office and leadership of IOOS Regional Associations held in Silver Spring, Maryland.

    February 2016

    FEBRUARY 26, 2016--Keith Cialino, the Northeast Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, spoke at an event hosted by Salem Sound Coastwatch in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

    FEBRUARY 26, 2016--The Ocean Sciences meeting convenes every two years and provides a venue for international scientists, students, government representatives, and industry practitioners to share information on all aspects of oceanography.

    Group of people talking to each other in a room.

    FEBRUARY 26, 2016--On February 24, the Office of Response and Restoration’s Emergency Response Division participated in a U.S. Coast Guard-led oil spill response exercise in remote Cordova, Alaska.

    Man addressing a seated group in front of a large screen.

    FEBRUARY 26, 2016--OR&R’s Emergency Response Division recently attended the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) Subcommittee meeting #3 in London from February 15-19, 2016. Seventy-four nations and 40 related industry groups sent delegations.

    Students at tables in front of a large wall monitor.

    FEBRUARY 19, 2016--On February 16, the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center hosted the Mobile County Emergency Management Agency for the AWR 319: Leveraging Tools for Damage Assessment course.

    Woman addresses a group in front of a screen.

    FEBRUARY 19, 2016--On February 4, as part of biannual Sailing Leadership Forum, Marine Debris Program California Regional Coordinator, Sherry Lippiatt co-hosted a workshop on "Conservation without Consternation" in San Diego.

    Instructor speaking to students on a beach.

    FEBRUARY 19, 2016—From February 16 - 18, the OR&R Emergency Response Division provided oil spill response training to a variety of response agencies in and around the San Francisco Bay Area.

    FEBRUARY 12, 2016--ALOHA 5.4.6 and CAMEO Chemicals 2.5 were released this week. Both of these programs are part of the CAMEO software suite for emergency responders and planners, and the tools can be used for assessing incidents involving hazardous materials.

    FEBRUARY 12, 2016--OR&R’S Emergency Response Division provided representatives of the Puget Soundkeeper organization with an overview of the Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO) software suite to help emergency responders and planners prepare for and mitigate the impacts of chemical incidents.

    Scientists on a beach at night.

    FEBRUARY 12, 2016--During a blustery evening on February 5, OR&R's LTJG Rachel Pryor and Senior Scientist Alan Mearns joined citizens during a low-tide retrieval and transport of caged mussels from three sites along the coast of Snohomish County in Washington state.

    Derelict boat being hauled onto the beach from the water.

    FEBRUARY 12, 2016--From January 25 - 29, 2015, staff from the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) met with several marine debris education, outreach, and removal grant-funded partner organizations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to assess their marine debris removal efforts to date and better understand debris removal challenges that NOAA partners face in the Caribbean region.

    FEBRUARY 12, 2016--The Alaska Forum on the Environment (AFE) is Alaska's largest statewide gathering of environmental professionals from government agencies, non-profit and for-profit businesses, community leaders, Alaskan youth, conservationists, tribal environmental scientist, biologists and community elders.

    FEBRUARY 5, 2016--A workshop on the Standardization and Harmonization of Marine Litter Monitoring was hosted by G7 President, Japan, on January 25-26, 2016 in Tokyo.

    Landscape of hills, an industrial facility, and city in the background.

    FEBRUARY 5, 2016--On January 28, Nancy Wallace, Marine Debris Program Director, traveled to San Diego to join California Regional Coordinator Sherry Lippiatt on a tour of the Tijuana River Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR), the site of a Marine Debris Program funded community-based removal project.

    Two birds perched on a rail.

    FEBRUARY 5, 2016--On December 26, 1976, the Liberian tanker Olympic Games ran aground in the Delaware River, causing the sixth major oil spill in a three year period. Despite the efforts of many people, thousands of animals died because little was known about helping oiled wildlife.

    Woman in sunglasses, with water and ice in background.

    February 5, 2016--I started at OR&R at the end of July 2015. My background combines over a dozen years of engineering, facilitation, and environmental science with six years of ecological experience.

    January 2016

    Industrial site with trucks parked in the foreground.

    JANUARY 29, 2016—NOAA and EPA visited the Troy Chemical Corporation and portions of Pierson's Creek on January 21, 2016.

    Man and a woman.

    JANUARY 29, 2016--OR&R is proud to congratulate Brendan Bray and Commander Liz Kretovic on their graduation from the NOAA Leadership Competencies Development Program (LCDP).

    Several individuals posing in the conference hall.

    JANUARY 29, 2016--At least a dozen OR&R scientists and Scientific Support Coordinators joined NOAA scientists and hundreds of other attendees at the 2016 Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage, on January 25 to 29, 2016.

    Five people on a rocky beach with a boat in the water.

    JANUARY 29, 2016--This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the NOAA Marine Debris Program. To commemorate the event, the Marine Debris Program launched its 10-year campaign this week.

    People conducting an exercise with a string.

    JANUARY 29, 2016--On January 26-28, 2016, the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center hosted the “Discovering Steps to Safeguard our People and the Places They Live: A Climate Adaptation Training for Coastal Communities” workshop.

    Piece of paper with signatures.

    JANUARY 29, 2016--At the Alaska Regional Response Team (RRT) meeting on January 27, 2016, in Anchorage, Alaska, the U.S. Coast Guard announced an updated plan on the use of chemical dispersants for oil spill response in Alaska. Almost all coastal states and territories have dispersant use plans, but such a plan has not existed in Alaska since September 2008.

    An urban waterfront view.

    JANUARY 22, 2016--On January 21, 2016, OR&R staff met with the Puget Soundkeeper organization to discuss current and common priorities.

    Two women in a boat pull crab pots from water.

    JANUARY 22, 2016--As part of a two-year marine debris removal project funded through the program's Community-based Marine Debris Removal Grant, the North Carolina Coastal Federation, a group working with local fishermen and North Carolina Marine Patrol removed hundreds of derelict crab pots from Pamlico, Albemarle, Currituck, and Roanoke Sounds during the no-potting period (roughly two weeks long starting Jan 15).

    Woman speaking in front of a poster.

    JANUARY 22, 2016--More than 50 interested community members attended a January 20, 2016, workshop at the Santa Barbara library, organized by the natural resource trustees to provide an update on the Refugio Beach oil spill damage assessment.

    Part of the program with photo of train tank cars.

    JANUARY 14, 2016--The Columbia River Gorge Spill of National Significance (SONS) Executive Seminar was held on January 13, 2016.

    Head shot of a woman in front of trees.

    JANUARY 14, 2016--Dr. Amy Merten will present at the third Annual Arctic Encounter Symposium in Seattle, on January 15 – 16, 2016.

    Abandoned sailboats in the water near a marsh.

    JANUARY 14, 2016--During the week of January 11, 2016, the NOAA Marine Debris Program coordinated and hosted the second Southeast Marine Debris Reduction Planning Workshop.

    Toothpaste on a toothbrush.

    JANUARY 8, 2016--The NOAA Marine Debris Program has one less source of marine debris to combat following the signing of the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 by President Obama.

    JANUARY 8, 2016--OR&R’s Spatial Data Branch participated in the NOAA 2106 Environmental Data Management Workshop in Washington, D.C. on January 4-5, 2016. The workshop included scientists and data managers from all of NOAA’s line offices, and presented an excellent forum for discussion of data management successes and challenges. This workshop also provided OR&R with an opportunity to provide an update on how our office is addressing mandates and plans for environmental data management and sharing.

    Man speaking from podium.

    JANUARY 8, 2016--The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum (ARF) Workshop of Oil Spill Emergency Response Management and Disposal Cooperation was held December 17-18, 2015, in Kunming, China.

    Five men posing in front of a taxidermied Sturgeon

    JANUARY 8, 2016--On December 3 and 4, 2015, staff from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD), Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) and NMFS’s Greater Atlantic Regional Office (GARFO) conducted a workshop at NMFS’s Regional Office located in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

    Woman in winter landscape: trees, snow, and water.

    JANUARY 8, 2016--Hi, I’m Krista Stegemann, the new Communications and Education Specialist with the Marine Debris Program here in Silver Spring.

    December 2015

    DECEMBER 18.2015--The Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC), chaired by the Director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, held a quarterly meeting on December 3, 2015.

    Large group of people posing at a boatyard.

    DECEMBER 18, 2015--During the week of December 8, NOAA Scientific Support Coordinators Paige Doelling and Steve Lehmann, along with approximately 80 senior U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) officers, and 150 industry partners, attended the USCG Liquefied Gas Senior Executive Forum held in Houston, Texas.

    The U.S. Coast Guard issued a news release stating that response to the sunken and leaking tank barge Argo in Lake Erie has ended. A total of 33,475 gallons of liquid cargo and water mixture was removed at a cost of $5.2 million, the monies coming from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and the Hazardous Materials Superfund. For further information, contact Doug.Helton@noaa.gov. Go back to OR&R Weekly Report.

    CPR students gathered around manikins.

    DECEMBER 18, 2015--The end of 2015 wraps up the tenth year that OR&R has volunteered Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructor time to teach CPR to NOAA employees.

    Two men leaning against a table.

    A presentation about the role of NOAA's Scientific Support Coordinators.

    Cover of report: Spills of Diluted Bitumen from Pipelines...

    DECEMBER 11, 2015--On December 8, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a study, Spills of Diluted Bitumen from Pipelines: A Comparative Study of Environmental Fate, Effects and Response.

    DECEMBER 11, 2015--On December 15, University of Washington students and staff will brief interested OR&R staff on a joint project they are working on concerning emerging risks in marine transport.

    DECEMBER 11, 2015--Mark Miller and LTJG Steven Wall of the OR&R’s Emergency Response Division prepared a modeled trajectory and participated in the U.S. Coast Guard District 8 Sector New Orleans Annual Area Maritime Security Training and Exercise Program functional exercise.

    DECEMBER 11, 2015—Earlier this week, OR&R attended the NOAA Western Regional Team meeting in Seattle and discussed OR&R’s role in spill response and Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA).

    DECEMBER 11, 2015--At the request of the U.S. Department of State, OR&R will participate in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum (ARF) Workshop on Maritime Oil Spill Emergency Response Management and Disposal Cooperation.

    Three people looking at cell phones and documents.

    DECEMBER 11, 2015--OR&R’s Emergency Response Division helped plan a recent oil spill exercise for the University of Miami and U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami.

    Workshop participants sitting at tables.

    DECEMBER 11, 2015--In a continued effort to improve preparedness for response to and recovery from acute waterway debris incidents NOAA’s Marine Debris Program along with Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve co-hosted the Florida Marine Debris Regional Response Planning Workshop in Tallahassee Florida on December 1- 2, 2015.

    Group of people posing for picture.

    DECEMBER 11, 2015--OR&R’s Dr. Amy Merten chaired the Arctic Council’s Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) Work Group meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, December 2-3, 2015.

    Two people listen as man talks on beach.

    DECEMBER 11, 2015--During the week of December 7, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division conducted a Science of Oil Spills (SOS) class at the Inouye Regional Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

    DECEMBER 4, 2015--NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration hosted a Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) training session for the U.S. Navy on November 9, 2015.

    A woman smiling, seated at a table.

    DECEMBER 4, 2015--On November 17, 2015, NOAA's Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC) hosted the second of three regional risk communication workshops.

    DECEMBER 4, 2015--The third and final workshop on marine litter, hosted by G-7 President, Germany, on November 18-20, 2015 in Berlin, agreed to support concrete actions to address marine debris and investigated options for financing these actions.

    Group of people listening to a speaker in front of a room.

    DECEMBER 4, 2015--The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) spoke at a kickoff press event for Clean Bays' new Community-Based Marine Debris Removal Grant.

    marshy area with vegetation surrounding water.

    DECEMBER 4, 2015--NOAA's Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) sponsored a day-long workshop which brought together restoration practitioners working along Seattle's Duwamish River.

    November 2015

    Group of people listening to a speaker.

    NOVEMBER 20, 2015--The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) hosted a Gulf of Maine marine debris planning meeting on November 17 and 18, 2015, at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, New Hampshire.

    NOVEMBER 20, 2015—[from Texas General Land Office press release] Commissioner George P. Bush today recognized six individuals who did more than all others last year to keep the coast clean. The commissioner honored them with Oil Spill Prevention and Response Awards.

    Two women sitting at a desk with a computer.

    NOVEMBER 20, 2015--University of Washington Library Science graduate students Amy Trost and Sally Pine depart NOAA today after nearly a year of service organizing spill science literature for OR&R’s Emergency Response Division.

    NOVEMBER 20, 2015--On November 12, 2015, Michel Gielazyn participated in the Third Annual ELI-Stetson Wetlands Workshop in Gulfport, Florida.

    Image of a certificate

    NOVEMBER 20, 2015--Simeon Hahn of OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division was appointed to the Washington, D.C. Mayor's Leadership Council for a Cleaner Anacostia River and sworn in at the council’s November 17, 2015 meeting held at the John A. Wilson Building.

    A man and a woman talking to a group of students.

    NOVEMBER 20, 2015--On November 19, 2015, OR&R's Kevin Kirsch and Michel Gielazyn participated in the Great American Teach-In at Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary School in St. Petersburg, Florida.

    NOVEMBER 13, 2015--OR&R’s Emergency Response Division provided CAMEO training to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) personnel last week.

    Boats stacked up on the ground.

    NOVEMBER 13, 2015--This week the NOAA Marine Debris Program launched the ADV InfoHub, to serve as a center for information on abandoned and derelict vessels, or “ADVs.”

    NOVEMBER 13, 2015--CAMEOfm and Tier2 Submit can be used by emergency planners and responders to manage details about chemicals in their communities, and the latest versions of these programs are now available. These programs are developed jointly by NOAA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

    Image of 1937 newspaper article on sunken barge.

    NOVEMBER 5, 2015-- (from USCG news release) Crews continue to respond to and investigate a reported discharge of an unknown substance from the site of a sunken barge near Kelleys Island Shoal in Lake Erie Thursday.

    NOVEMBER 6, 2015--During the week of November 2, 2015, OR&R’s George Graettinger and Jay Coady attended the Regional Response Team 2 meeting in Edison, New Jersey, on Geographic Response Plans (GRP) to inland rail transportation of crude oil. They were there to present NOAA’s work on the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Geographic Response Plans (GRP) and the EPA Inland Rail Response Plan projects. These externally funded projects will identify, collect and deliver GRP and related data using the OR&R Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®).

    NOVEMBER 6, 2015--OR&R’S Emergency Response Division participated in a BP worst-case oil spill exercise held this week in Bellingham, Washington.

    NOVEMBER 6, 2015--On November 5, 2015, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in the Roundtable “State of Rail Oil Spill Planning on the West Coast” in Portland, Oregon, sponsored by the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force.

    Dolphin pushing dead calf through water.

    NOVEMBER 6, 2015--A recently published study led by NOAA researchers found a trend of reproductive failure and death in Gulf bottlenose dolphins over nearly five years of monitoring after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

    Two men in kayaks in water.

    NOVEMBER 6, 2015--On a recent visit to St. Petersburg, Florida for a Regional Collaboration meeting, Dave Holst, Deputy Assistant Administrator for NOS took the opportunity to meet with local NOS staff and tour the Mosaic Restoration Site with Dan Hahn and Kevin Kirsch from OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division.

    October 2015

    Two people recording notes, outdoors in the dark.

    OCTOBER 30, 2015--On the night of October 26, 2015, two OR&R Emergency Response Division scientists assisted citizen scientists in deploying mussel watch cages at two sites in Edmonds, Washington.

    Group of students listen to instructor on a beach.

    OCTOBER 30, 2015--Since 2005, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) has teamed up with California’s Office of Spill Prevention & Response (OSPR) to provide oil spill training known as Environmental Response to Oil Spills (EROS) class.

    Firetruck parked outside of a building.

    OCTOBER 30, 2015--Members of the CAMEO software suite development team (from both NOAA and EPA) recently attended two back-to-back conferences in Texas to continue gathering stakeholder feedback on potential areas of improvement to the CAMEO suite programs as a result of Presidential Executive Order (EO) 13650 to improve chemical facility safety and security.

    Two officers on the deck of a ship

    OCTOBER 30, 2015--On October 20, 2015, NOAA Corps officer LTJG Rachel Pryor and USCG officer LTJG Trevor Siperek met aboard the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown to discuss designing a NOAA Ship “Most Probable” discharge drill scenario.

    Diver underwater with huge tangle of nets.

    OCTOBER 30, 2015--2015 was a busy year for the NOAA Marine Debris Program. We continued our important work funding removal projects around the country as well as our efforts to remove debris connected to the tsunami in Japan and Hurricane Sandy.

    People in two small boats on the water.

    OCTOBER 30, 2015--The 1937 sinking of a small barge in Lake Erie went largely unnoticed at the time, but the ill-fated tank barge Argo is in the news now that the wreck’s exact location—along with a leak—has been discovered.

    Group of people at tables in a meeting room.

    OCTOBER 23, 2015--The week of October 19, 2015, the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center hosted a technical meeting with more than 60 experts from academia, government, and industry to reflect and look forward at oil observation technologies to improve preparedness for the next major oil spill.

    Woman in hat working in marshes.

    OCTOBER 23, 2015--On September 29 through October 1, 2015, OR&R conducted sampling of some of the most heavily oiled marshes associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the marshes of Louisiana.

    CARTHE Consortium meeting banner.

    OCTOBER 23, 2015--The second meeting of CARTHE (Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment) met at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, on October 19-22, 2015. Research members from around the country met for the three-day event to present progress on studies to better understand mesoscale and sub-mesoscale circulation, as well as transport dynamics and mechanisms in the Gulf of Mexico.

    OCTOBER 23, 2015--On October 21, 2015, Nancy Wallace, Director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), participated on a panel addressing marine debris in Alaska hosted by the Senate Ocean Caucus. The co-chairs Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) and Lisa Murkowski (AK) made opening remarks.

    OCTOBER 23, 2015--Last month, members from the Office of Response and Restoration participated in a workshop under the auspices of the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Working Group (EPPR) of the Arctic Council.

    OCTOBER 23, 2015--OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division participated in the 2015 Coastal Marine Resource Committee (MRC) Summit in La Push, Washington, on October 16, 2015, hosted by the Quileute Nation.

    Group of students outdoors at a workshop.

    OCTOBER 23, 2015--California’s Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) is world renowned for its response, rescue, rehabilitation, and research capabilities.

    OCTOBER 16, 2015--On Tuesday, October 13, Dr. Kathryn Sullivan and NOAA leadership thanked the DC area staff for five years of hard work on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment, settlement, and early restoration efforts.

    Man and a woman talk in front of a large computer monitor.

    OCTOBER 16, 2015--During the week of October 12, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in a worst-case spill exercise conducted by Polar Tankers, Inc. in Port Angeles, Washington.

    Report cover with fishing nets image.

    OCTOBER 16, 2015--The NOAA Marine Debris Program has launched a new strategic plan to lead it into the future to combat marine debris.

    People in boat and marsh assess oil's impacts.

    As of Oct. 5, 2015, the trustees have proposed a comprehensive, integrated, ecosystem restoration plan for the Gulf of Mexico. The draft plan would allocate up to $8.8 billion for natural resource injuries under a proposed settlement with BP, which would resolve BP's liability for natural resource injuries stemming from the 2010 oil spill.

    Two men sitting at a table in front of laptops with maps.

    OR&R participated in a worst-case spill drill led by Paramount Petroleum in Seattle, Washington, on October 8, 2015.

    The drill focused on the potential release of oil into Puget Sound at Point Wells, Washington.

    Drawing of marine life and text 'Be part of the solution, not the pollution.'

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program's annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest for K-8th grade is now open.

    Students can submit artwork from October 20 through November 30, 2015.

    Screenshot of ERMA Deepwater Gulf Response map with restoration plan data.

    OR&R's Spatial Data Branch released and updated thousands of data layers related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response and Natural Resource Damage Assessment into ERMA Deepwater Gulf Response.

    Screenshot of MARPLOT map showing Nantucket Sound nautical chart.

    A new version of our MARPLOT mapping program is now available. The update includes significant improvements to the import/export feature for this mapping program.

    Man writing on large piece of paper on the wall.

    OCTOBER 2, 2015--On September 22 and 23, 2015, the OR&R Outreach Team met in Silver Spring to review how well the team met its goals and objectives from Fiscal Year 2015 and create a new Outreach Action Plan for FY 2016. With representatives from the Marine Debris, Assessment and Restoration, and Emergency Response Divisions of OR&R, the group initiated plans for three new outreach campaigns to be conducted over the next fiscal year.

    OCTOBER 2, 2015--The Coast Guard and other federal, state and local agencies participated in a two-day, government-led, full-scale exercise on September 22-23 to evaluate the capabilities and effectiveness of the Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads area contingency plan.

    OCTOBER 1, 2015--Last week the NOAA Marine Debris Program published a federal funding opportunity to support eligible organizations to educate the public about the issue of marine debris through dedicated activities to prevent the introduction of marine debris.

    Billboard with words: A Superfund site runs through it.

    Recent analyses by scientists in NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration indicate that fish in the Lower Hudson River won't achieve EPA's protective goals until decades later than predicted in the 2002 Record of Decision.

    September 2015

    Map and legend.

    SEPTEMBER 25, 2015--Earlier this month the OR&R Spatial Data Branch supported researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Rutgers University for the second year during a U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) funded Arctic Tracer Release Experiment (ARCTREX) to simulate a small oil spill in the Chukchi Sea.

    People with large plastic bags.

    SEPEMBER 25, 2015—September 19,2015 marked the thirtieth celebration and annual International Coastal Cleanup. The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) is a proud sponsor of the effort.

    Man speaking to group of men.

    SEPTEMBER 25, 2015--U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Miami hosted a two-day conference for district staff and planning department representatives from each district sector or marine safety unit to discuss planning issues currently being addressed or on the horizon.

    SEPTEMBER 25, 2015--During the week of 9/21/2015, several OR&R Emergency Response Division staff participated in the regional part of a Columbia River Inland Spill of National Significance exercise series, held in Portland, Oregon.

    SEPTEMBER 25, 2015--The NOAA Marine Debris Program is excited to announce the first annual Marine Debris Challenge for high school students in Ohio's Ninth Congressional District.

    Image of hands feeding a bird.

    SEPTEMBER 25, 2015--During the week of 9/14/15, OR&R Emergency Response Division staff accompanied other Oceania Regional Response Team (ORRT) representatives on a tour of wildlife rehabilitation facilities on the Big Island of Hawaii.

    Man marking number on blue crab's shell in a lab.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) recently met with partners from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), who are conducting experiments to estimate incidental mortality rates of blue crabs and bycatch species when confined in derelict crab pots.

    Two men in yellow vests holding a small remote-controlled plane and screen.

    OR&R participated in a U.S. Coast Guard oil spill drill that was hosted by Chevron at their Richmond, California, refinery. As part of the drill, personnel evaluated the use of small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and an Aerostat (tethered hot air balloon) to serve imagery to the incident command post.

    Coast Guard members standing in a line in a conference room.

    During the week of September 14-18, 2015, NOAA's Disaster Response Center hosted the U.S. Coast Guard for its Leadership and Management School (LAMS).

    This course is designed to enhance and build supervisory skills through an experienced-based curriculum.

    Two men wearing life jackets stand on riverbank in front of oil spill cleanup.

    OR&R continues to support response operations for the recent barge collision and oil spill in the Mississippi River near Columbus, Kentucky. Oil spilled from the damaged barge (a slurry oil) was heavier than water and sank to the river bottom.

    River flowing over a dam.

    SEPT. 11, 2015--The Hudson River Natural Resource Trustees, which include NOAA, U.S. Department of the Interior, and the State of New York, have determined that the tested groundwater of three New York towns along the Hudson River is sufficiently contaminated that it exceeds groundwater standards.

    Child putting trash into a plastic bag held by a woman.

    SEPT. 11, 2015--The NOAA Marine Debris Program is a proud sponsor of the annual International Coastal Cleanup. This year, the cleanup is taking place on Saturday, September 19th across the globe from 9 am to noon.

    SEPT. 11, 2015--During the second week of September, the Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC) hosted the course Floodplain Management through the National Flood Insurance Program (L-273).

    Six people standing on a bridge in a marsh.

    SEPT. 11, 2015--OR&R is holding an environmental injury assessment workshop at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in Falmouth, Massachusetts, from August 31 to September 3, 2015.

    Kayakers on a river.

    SEPT. 11, 2015--The Kalamazoo River natural resource trustees are asking for comment on a draft plan outlining potential projects to restore natural resources along the Kalamazoo River in Michigan.

    Man with clipboard and bag walking on beach.

    When the 2011 Japanese tsunami washed a 66-foot-long dock onto Oregon's shores, it spurred beach monitoring programs up and down the West Coast and Pacific islands. The only way anyone would know if Japan tsunami marine debris started arriving is by counting how much debris was already showing up there on a regular basis. What have they found so far?

    August 2015

    Kids cleaning up trash on a beach.

    This week the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced more than $675,000 in grant awards to 13 projects aimed at aiding coastal communities in their fight against marine debris.

    NOAA representatives from programs in Seattle participated in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) expo for students living in Sandpoint Brettler Family Housing, next to the NOAA Western Regional Center.

    People digging holes and holding clip boards on a beach.

    OR&R recently conducted its Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) training in the Arctic for the very first time.

    This week the Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center partnered with NOAA's Office for Coastal Management to hold a training on planning and facilitating collaborative meetings.

    Teacher talking to students in front of a projector screen.

    On a visit to San Francisco, California, last week, students from Japan learned about the marine debris issue, impacts, prevention, and the U.S. response to debris generated by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

    Catch and release fishing sign nailed to a tree by a river.

    As dredging of New York's Hudson River Superfund Site wraps up, OR&R concludes that additional removal of PCB-contaminated sediments in the Upper Hudson River is necessary to achieve pollution reductions in Lower Hudson fish.

    AUGUST 24, 2015--Staff from the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in an international marine debris workshop held in Berlin, Germany, August 3-5, 2015.

    Oiled beach.

    AUGUST 24, 2015--The week of August 17, 2015, OR&R said thanks to the Oil Pollution Act for 25 years of oil spill prevention, cleanup, and environmental restoration.

    Group of people on a beach.

    AUGUST 24, 2015--The week of August 17, 2015, a team of scientists from Office of Response and Restoration’s Emergency Response Division traveled to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.

    AUGUST 24, 2015--The week of August 17, 2015, the NOAA Marine Debris Program published a federal funding opportunity to Grants.gov. This opportunity provides funding to support locally-driven, marine debris prevention, assessment, and removal projects that will benefit coastal habitat, waterways, and NOAA trust resources. Projects awarded through this grant competition implement on-the-ground marine debris removal activities, with priority for those targeting medium to large-scale debris, including derelict fishing gear.

    Man in kayak.

    Debbie Payton Receives a Grand Send-off from DOC and NOAA Leadership and Scott Lundgren Takes the Reins!

    DARRP logo and NOAA logo

    AUGUST 14, 2015--The Damage Assessment, Response and Restoration Program (DARRP) Communications Team is excited to announce the launch of the new DARRP website!

    AUGUST 14, 2015--Marine Debris Program staff piqued the interest of the participants who attended the "Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences (COSIA)" workshop at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

    Man addressing a gathering from a podium outdoors.

    AUGUST 14, 2015--On August 13, 2015, at Boxcar Park in Everett, the Northwest Strait Initiative and invited guests celebrated the completion of derelict fishing net removal from shallow waters of Puget Sound.

    Creek and mangrove forest.

    AUGUST 14, 2015--On August 4, 2015, Kevin Kirsch of OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division and Sean Meehan of NOAA’s Restoration Center provided a boat tour for staff of the House Appropriations Committee of the recently completed restoration for impacts resulting from 2004 release of acidic process water released from the Mosaic Fertilizer, LLC storage containment system during Hurricane Frances near Tampa, Florida.

    A barge in water.

    AUGUST 7, 2015--A football-field sized barge carrying nearly 3,400 super-sacks of marine debris from remote and rugged beaches from Alaska and British Columbia docked at the Waste Management facility in Seattle, Washington, on August 6, 2015.

    River and riverbanks.

    AUGUST 7, 2015--On August 5, 2015, NOAA and trustees issued a press release announcing a public meeting and the posting of a restoration scoping document for the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation site in Navassa, North Carolina.

    View of Commencement Bay.

    AUGUST 7, 2015--On August 6, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that more than 56 parties have agreed to restore key salmon habitat on the White River, which flows through King and Pierce Counties in Washington, to resolve their liability for natural resource damages caused by hazardous substances released into the Thea Foss and Wheeler-Osgood Waterways in Tacoma’s Commencement Bay.

    Man speaking to a group in front of a screen.

    AUGUST 7, 2015--The Delaware River Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP) held the Brownfields Revitalization Community of Practice Meeting at the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Camden, New Jersey on July 30, 2015.

    AUGUST 7, 2015--OR&R staff coordinated with Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), NMFS Office of Protected Resources (OPR) and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to conduct a workshop titled "Developing Guidance for Assessing Injuries to Marine Mammals from Oil Spills."

    July 2015

    Cover of report, "Operation Safe Delivery Exercise Series".

    JULY 31, 2015--The Summary of Conclusions on the March 2015 FEMA National Exercise Program Oil Train Workshop titled Operation Safe Delivery Exercise Series,” was recently released.

    Sand sculpture of a head on the beach.

    JULY 31, 2015--On July 24 – 26, 2015, the NOAA Marine Debris Program partnered with NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Office, Protected Resources Division, to exhibit at the 2015 Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Festival in Revere, Massachusetts.

    JULY 31, 2015--On July 21 through 23, 2015, three staff members from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) learned how to generate data for OR&R’s Trajectory Analysis Planner application, TAP.

    JULY 24, 2015--Over the last two weeks the Spatial Data Branch provided remote support for the USCG Research & Development Center’s Arctic Technology Demonstration off the coast of the North Slope of Alaska.

    JULY 24, 2015--On Thursday, July 23, 2015, staff from the OR&R’s Spatial Data Branch presented and demonstrated information management during incident response to the University of Washington’s Native Youth Enrichment Program. Roughly 25 middle-school students from western Washington treaty tribes learned about the importance of entering into STEM fields, information management tools and the use of Traditional Knowledge during incident response. Outreach Coordination was provided through NOAA Fisheries - West Coast Region.

    Photo of a man in uniform on a boat.

    JULY 24, 2015--LT Greg Schweitzer developed his NOAA career skills early in life by doodling weather maps, beginning in kindergarten and continuing through high school as a volunteer spot reporter for the National Weather Service.

    JULY 24, 2015--Entering into year four of a partnership with the Marine Debris Program (MDP), the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary has expanded their shoreline marine debris monitoring effort to include two new beach cleanup sites.

    process flow diagram

    JULY 24, 2015-- Seventy-six people tuned into a public webinar on Tuesday to learn about getting to restoration via Natural Resource Damage Assessment.

    Dead crab on a beach.

    JULY 17, 2015--New software from NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration could serve as a one-stop rapid response tool to aid spill responders as they assess the environmental effects of chemical or oil spills.

    JULY 17, 2015--“This is LT Murphy with the USCG. There has been a ship collision in Puget Sound off of Shilshole Bay.” So began the journey for NOAA Science camp participants exploring what OR&R’s Emergency Response Division scientists do during an oil spill emergency.

    Photo of man standing in front of trees.

    JULY 17, 2015--Ben Shorr, with OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division, gave a keynote presentation at the National Environmental Monitoring Conference in Chicago, Illinois.

    JULY 10, 2015 -- A new version of CAMEO Chemicals was released this month. You can learn about critical response information for thousands of chemicals in the database, and you can also use the reactivity tool to find out about what hazards (such as explosions or corrosive byproducts) might occur when two substances mix together.

    JULY 10, 2015--During the first week of July, the NOAA Marine Debris Program hosted the Marine Debris Prevention Projects Webinar. More than 80 participants engaged in marine debris prevention from across the country joined the call to learn more about education and outreach projects funded through program's Marine Debris Prevention through Education and Outreach grants..

    JULY 10, 2015 -- The week of July 6, 2015, the newest version of the ALOHA hazard modeling program (version 5.4.5) was released.

    June 2015

    Group of people sitting around a table.

    JUNE 26, 2015--From June 23 - 25, 2015, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) hosted a marine debris reduction planning workshop at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center near Annapolis, Maryland.

    JUNE 26, 2015--On June 24, 2015, a contingent of National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) scientists led by Dr. Mike Fulton from the NCOSS Hollings Marine Laboratory met with OR&R Emergency Response Division scientists to discuss preliminary results from a cooperative research project.

    JUNE 26, 2015--On June 26, 2015, NOAA OR&R staff joined with staff from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the NOAA Homeland Security Program Office (HSPO) to brief the senior NOAA leadership on on-going preparedness activities for the 2015 oil exploration season about to begin in the Arctic.

    Woman driving a boat.

    JUNE 26, 2015--Kimberly Page Albins joined NOAA’s Marine Debris Division as the Marine Debris Regional Coordinator for the Gulf of Mexico in April of 2013.

    JUNE 26, 2015--On June 24-25, 2015, OR&R participated in a U.S. Coast Guard Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) drill in New Orleans, Louisiana, with Shell Oil playing the responsible party.

    Instructor lectures students on a beach.

    JUNE 19, 2015--The week of June 8, 2015, the NOAA Marine Debris Program co-hosted the Great Lakes Marine Debris Educators Workshop with Ohio Sea Grant.

    Riverbank being replanted, building in background.

    JUNE 19, 2015--On June 19, 2015, NOAA presented an Excellence in Restoration Award to the Boeing Company to recognize their restoration project on the lower Duwamish River in Seattle, Washington, resulting from a cooperative Natural Resource Damages Settlement.

    Two men sitting on a table.

    JUNE 19, 2015--OR&R’s Ed Levine and Frank Csulak of the Emergency Response Division and Simeon Hahn of the Assessment and Restoration Division participated in the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay Consensus Ecological Risk Assessment (CERA) Meeting at the Delaware County Emergency Training Center in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania on June 9-10, 2015.

    Instructor talking to a class.

    JUNE 19, 2015--OR&R's Ken Finkelstein of the Assessment and Restoration Division attended the North Atlantic Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicologists and Chemists on June 10-12, 2015 in Freeport, Maine.

    JUNE 12, 2015--On June 11, 2015, OR&R released Version 3.2 of the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®) which improves performance of the application.

    JUNE 12, 2015--The Deepwater Horizon oil spill brought unprecedented media attention. Add to that modern media trends like the 24 hour news cycle and social media, spill responders and media faced new challenges communicating with each other.

    A class photo of all the students on the beach.

    JUNE 12, 2015--The week of June 1, 2015 at NOAA’s main Seattle campus, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division team of oil spill scientists concluded the last of four “Science of Oil Spills” (SOS) workshops planned for fiscal year 2015.

    Two people next to a small boat on a trailer.

    JUNE 12, 2015--On Monday, June 8, 2015, the Navigation Response Branch held their annual meeting at the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC).

    Group of students work with equipment.

    JUNE 12, 2015--During the week of June 8, 2015, OR&R presented a pilot version of its newly developed Science of Chemical Release course at the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Alabama.

    JUNE 12, 2015--Every year Capitol Hill Oceans Week (CHOW) spurs discussion of the top issues facing our oceans today. This year’s event included key leaders in the ocean community including members of congress, nongovernmental organizations, NOAA Administrator Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, and other government officials.

    Two women talk to children at a table.

    JUNE 12, 2015--Are you ready for some Trash Talk? Of course we're talking about the marine debris kind. In honor of World Ocean Day on June 8, 2015, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, along with NOAA Ocean Today, launched a series of video-shorts titled "Trash Talk."

    Men sampling in a river with buckets.

    JUNE 12, 2015--On June 8, 2015, NOAA along with our fellow Trustees announced a natural resource damage settlement with Enbridge that will result in multiple resource restoration projects along the Kalamazoo River and will require Enbridge to pay an additional sum of nearly $4 million.

    Group of men in life vests pose for photo outdoors.

    JUNE 12, 2015--From May 26 - 28, 2015, OR&R’s Scientific Support Coordinator participated on the National Response Team (NRT) review for safety, security, and environmental impacts of liquefied natural gas transits in the Panama Canal.

    Group of people posing in front of a statue of a hand.

    JUNE 12, 2015--OR&R’s Diversity Committee met in Silver Spring at the beginning of June to chart its course for the next two years.

    Aerial map of coast with area marked.

    JUNE 5, 2015--Natural resources trustees toured the final restoration project underway to address impacts from the Foss Maritime Company tank barge spill, releasing approximately 5000 gallons of bunker fuel into Puget Sound (December 2003).

    JUNE 5, 2015--Three OR&R Emergency Response Division staff members attended the Arctic and Marine Oilspill Program (AMOP) Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on June 2 – 4, 2015. AMOP is an annual conference sponsored by Environment Canada, with a strong focus on the science of oil and chemical spills.

    JUNE 5, 2015--On May 14, 2015, NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office hosted a Congressional Staff Roundtable at William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) in Gloucester Point, Virginia.

    JUNE 5, 2015--On Wednesday June 3, 2015, OR&R was invited to participate in the a meeting in Tacoma, Washington, of the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee, which advises the U.S. Departments of Commerce and the Interior on issues related to marine protected areas (MPAs).

    Three images of the same rock with mussels, showing increase.

    JUNE 5, 2015--For over 26 years OR&R scientists have been keeping tabs on the recovery and variability of marine life on rocky shores of Prince William Sound, Alaska, once impacted by the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

    Group of people standing on a helicopter pad.

    JUNE 5, 2015--On May 1, 2015, Dr. Amy Merten assumed the Chair of the Arctic Council’s Emergency, Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (EPPR) Working Group from Norway (2011- 2015).

    Large group of people pose indoors for photo.

    JUNE 5, 2015--OR&R participated in and helped organize the 2015 Monitoring and Reporting of Illicit Discharges in the ROPME Sea Area Workshop on May 25-27, 2015, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

    Grunion in a wet, sandy area of beach.

    JUNE 5, 2015--According to the Unified Command, cleanup continues at Refugio beach to Ventura beaches where tarballs are reported. Beach cleanup after an oil spill must take into account specific wildlife and habitat that could be affected.

    Group sitting on beach.

    JUNE 5, 2015--On May 28, 2015, the Marine Debris Program staff traveled to Hobuck Beach on the Olympic Peninsula with the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) to do a field comparison of the NOAA and COASST shoreline marine debris surveys.

    May 2015

    Two women, three men pose outside for photo.

    MAY 29, 2015--OR&R’s Simeon Hahn was invited to attend a community session and walking tour with Representative John Carney of Delaware regarding climate resilience efforts in the Southbridge neighborhood of Wilmington on May 27, 2015.

    Over a hundred federal, state, and local emergency planners from across the country gathered in Portland, Maine, last week to attend the annual conference for the National Association of SARA Title III Program Officials (NASTTPO).

    MAY 29, 2015--The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) recently participated in the U.S State Department's Ocean Distance Learning Program.

    Oiled boulders at the water's edge.

    MAY 29, 2015—OR&R is continuing to respond to the oil spill that resulted from a pipeline break at Refugio State Beach, near Santa Barbara, California, on May 19, 2015.

    Man with oil spill boom in water.

    MAY 29, 2015--OR&R’s Emergency Response Division collaborated with USCG District 13, the Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC), and Washington Department of Ecology to provide 8-Hour Hazardous Waste Operator ("HAZWOPER") refresher training to Washington Coast Tribes from May 19 – 22, 2015.

    People walking along a rocky shore.

    For over 26 years OR&R scientists have been keeping tabs on the recovery and variability of marine life on rocky shores of Prince William Sound, Alaska, once impacted by the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

    Two men digging in the sand on a beach.

    MAY 22, 2015--On May 19, 2015, NOAA was notified of a 24-inch pipeline rupture that occurred earlier in the day near Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County, California. A reported 500 barrels (21,000 gallons) of crude oil flowed from the shore side of Highway 101 into the Pacific Ocean. The source was secured.

    Man lecturing to students.

    MAY 22, 2015--The Maine/New Hampshire Area Committee hosted its 18th annual Oil Spill Seminar on May 13, 2015, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This year’s topic was “NRDA for Responders.”

    Group of students standing on a beach.

    MAY 22, 2015--From May 12 through 14, 2015, OR&R Emergency Response Division personnel presented Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) Training at the Hudson River National Education Research Reserve at Norrie Point, New York.

    This course outlined methods for conducting shoreline assessments and incorporating the results into the decision-making process for shoreline cleanup at oil spills. It also provided methods you can use to plan and conduct shoreline assessment after an oil spill.

    MAY 22, 2015--On May 19-21, 2015, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in the twelfth International Effects of Oil on Wildlife Conference , in Anchorage Alaska.

    MAY 22, 2015--On May 15, 2015, the Ocean Summit on Marine Debris at the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Newport, Rhode Island, showcased an impressive list of speakers who brought attention to the issue of marine debris. The Ocean Summit was hosted by Professor Dennis Nixon, Rhode Island Sea Grant Director, and speakers included Bjӧrn Lyrvall, Ambassador of Sweden to the USA; Senator Sheldon Whitehouse; Dr. Sandra Whitehouse, senior policy advisor for Ocean Conservancy; Catherine Novelli, Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, U.S. State Department; Dr.

    Broken up ice in the ocean.

    On May 21, 2015 in Anchorage, Alaska, NOAA participated in a Worst Case Discharge oil spill drill with Shell.

    Ship in water.

    MAY 15, 2015--On May 9, 2015, NOAA and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, which are working on the restoration of natural resources injured by the T/V Margara vessel grounding , released a Final Primary Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment.

    MAY 15, 2015--The Hudson River Foundation sponsors a monthly seminar series with the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program. The seminars focus on scientific issues of the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary related to environmental quality and resource management. The New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary is one of 28 estuaries of national significance.

    Students on beach.

    MAY 15, 2015--During the week of May 4, fifth graders from the Ocosta Elementary School in Westport, Washington, joined the Feiro Marine Life Center and the NOAA Marine Debris Program staff for a day of marine debris and ocean science education.

    Creek with city skyline.

    MAY 15, 2015--NOAA has been asked to participate in a meeting of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Contaminated Sediment Technical Advisory Group (CSTAG) regarding the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study of the Newtown Creek site on May 19 and 20, 2015.

    MAY 15, 2015--On May 11, 2015, NOAA OR&R hosted a visiting group of undergraduate biology majors from Seattle University, along with their professor Dr. Kristin Hultgren.

    Old processing facility on a river.

    MAY 15, 2015--On May 11, 2015, NOAA released a Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment [PDF], opening a public comment period, for the former coal tar processing facility adjacent to the Island End River in Everett, Massachusetts.

    Matt Dorsey.

    Based out of Long Beach, California, Matt Dorsey is a GIS Specialist for the Assessment and Restoration Division's Spatial Data Branch.

    His background includes creating a database for the Seneca Nation of Indians, managing data for Southwest ERMA, and cooking a Syracuse pasta dish known as Chicken Riggies.

    MAY 8, 2015--Chemical herders, can be applied to oil slicks to make them thicker and more stable, which creates conditions that are easier for burning in open water (in situ burn).

    Map of California.

    MAY 8, 2015--The Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®) played a major part at the Marine Debris Program’s Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Workshop.

    Woman holding a certificate.

    MAY 8, 2015--Along with other federal colleagues, Nickie Scillo was an honoree at the Seattle Federal Executive Board's 2015 Public Service Award Ceremony.

    MAY 8, 2015--On April 30, 2015, Scientific Support Coordinator Ed Levine was part of a panel discussion concerning crude oil transportation on railways.

    Man holding a turtle.

    MAY 8, 2015--Teams who train together play better. This spring OR&R, the Texas General Land Office (TGLO), and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) put that thought into action.

    MAY 8, 2015--In support of the NOS Roadmap and with the primary goal of improving emergency response capabilities across NOS, OR&R, and Office for Coastal Management teamed up to plan and execute a one-day drill that simulated a small-scale tsunami wave inundating the east coast.

    MAY 8, 2015--On Thursday, April 30, 2015, Sarah Lowe, NOAA Marine Debris Program Great Lakes Regional Coordinator, gave a marine debris presentation to the American Chemical Society (ACS) to wrap up a series of ACS Earth Month Science Lectures and events in Midland, Michigan.

    April 2015

    banner with two women advertising the video.

    APRIL 30, 2015--On Earth Day, the NOAA Marine Debris Program along with NOAA's Ocean Today, launched its first "Trash Talk" video, part of an upcoming series of videos that explores many questions about marine debris from the impacts debris has on our ocean to what we can do to prevent it.

    Screen icon for mobile site.

    APRIL 30, 2015--The OR&R website is accessible on your mobile phone now.

    Yellow and black sign.

    The Hudson River Natural Resource Trustees released an updated injury determination report on Hudson River fish consumption advisories due to PCBs. The current report confirms that the public’s use of the fishery in the 200 mile Hudson River Superfund Site, whether for a livelihood, a source of recreational enjoyment, or for nutrition, has been and continues to be severely curtailed as a result of the closures and health advisories detailed in this report.

    A group of people on a beach.

    APRIL 30, 2015 -- U.S. Coast Guard District 5 and OR&R’s Emergency Response Division co-hosted a three-day Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) class that took place at the Assateague National Seashore, Virginia from April 19-21, 2015.

    Front page of website with map.

    APRIL 30, 2015--A new data warehouse and custom query tool, developed by OR&R to support the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, is now available for the public to use.

    APRIL 30, 2015--On May 6, 2015, nearly 60 staff from across NOS offices will be participating in a NOS Concept of Operations (CONOPS) Exercise.

    An abandoned vessel laying partially submerged in the water.

    APRIL 24, 2015--This week, 52 representatives from 15 states, four federal agencies, and Canada gathered at the NOAA Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Alabama, for a NOAA Marine Debris Program workshop focusing on abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs).

    Man in red and black coat.

    APRIL 24, 2015--On April 15 and 22, 2015, OR&R’s Alan Mearns teamed up with retired oil toxicologist Dr. Jim Clark, to give two morning lectures at Edmonds Community College on lessons learned since the Exxon Valdez.

    Four people pulling a large fish into a boat.

    APRIL 24, 2015--On April 16, 2015, the Hudson River Summit, in Poughkeepsie, New York, brought together about 400 people to hear about the Hudson River Estuary Program's 2015-2020 Action Agenda, a conservation and restoration blueprint.

    Man speaking at a podium.

    APRIL 24, 2015--While Deepwater Horizon is on many policy-makers minds the week of April 20, OR&R participated in a briefing to help inform Senate offices about spill response.

    Group of students in a classroom.

    APRIL 24, 2015--On April 15 and 16, 2015, emergency planners and responders gathered at NOAA's Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Alabama, for an in-depth discussion of the CAMEO software suite in light of Presidential Executive Order (EO) 13650 to improve chemical facility safety and security.

    Ice covering water with a large crack.

    APRIL 24, 2015--For years, OR&R has been concerned about staff’s ability to operate safely and effectively in the harsh arctic environment in the event of a major incident, given the wide range of weather-related and environmental hazards.

    Partial boat floating in the water.

    APRIL 15, 2015--A partial boat, approximately 25’ long, was spotted off the Oregon Coast near Newport on April 9, 2015. OR&R was notified and provided a trajectory showing the partial boat making landfall the next day, south of its reported location.

    Kayaks on a river.

    APRIL 17, 2015--OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division staff from the Northeast will participate in a regional workshop that will address remediation and restoration challenges in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Hudson Delaware Chapter of the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, in coordination with the Rutgers University Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, will hold their spring 2015 meeting at the Rutgers New Brunswick, N.J. campus on April 20-21, 2015.

    Woman standing on a beach.

    APRIL 17, 2015--Hello! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Jessica White, the Deputy Director at the Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC) in Mobile, Alabama.

    Park entrance sign in foreground, with bridge in background.

    APRIL 15, 2015--On April 11, 2015, Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society honored Lardner’s Point Park with its Green Park Award.

    APRIL 10, 2015--During the week of April 6, 2015, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division provided Inland Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (“SCAT”) Training in Boise, Idaho. The training, conducted in collaboration with trainers from U.S. EPA Region 10 and Washington Department of Ecology, was focused on techniques for conducting surveys of shorelines impacted by oil spills in freshwater environments. The class also covered considerations for appropriate cleanup methods for different types of shorelines in freshwater environments.

    Fire truck.

    APRIL 10, 2015--OR&R provided training to all four shifts of the Seattle Fire Department's Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Team this week.

    APRIL 10, 2015--The week of April 6, 2015, Marine Debris Program Director Nancy Wallace presented at the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML) meeting in New York City, co-hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). NOAA is the chair of the steering committee for the GPML.

    Man standing in front of a photograph.

    APRIL 10, 2015--Veteran spill responder Mark W. Miller is the new co-director of the University of New Hampshire Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC), a partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), effective April 3, 2015.

    Training students and instructor on a beach.

    APRIL 10, 2015--Bradford Benggio, OR&R Scientific Support Coordinator for the southeast U.S., provided Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Techniques (SCAT) training for thirty-five state, federal, and industry representatives on April 7-9, 2015 at the U.S. Coast Guard Sector in Charleston.

    Coastal Geotools logo

    APRIL 3, 2015--Staff from OR&R's Emergency Response Division (ERD) and the Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) gave presentations at the Coastal GeoTools conference in Charleston, S.C. the week of March 30, 2015.

    Fish trapped in a net.

    APRIL 3, 2015--The NOAA Marine Debris Program, in partnership with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, published a report recently that assesses the current state of science on “ghost fishing” and the derelict fishing gear that causes it.

    Oil on a beach.

    APRIL 3, 2015--OR&R and the NOAA Restoration Center have been working together to highlight a collection of stories, images, and maps relating to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that occurred on April 20, 2010.

    Woman speaking to a group.

    APRIL 3,2015--On April 1, 2015, Marine Debris Program staff presented to members of the Golden Gate Chapter of the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP), an organization for networking and education within the packaging industry.

    March 2015

    Shallow water containment boom stretched across a stream in California.

    OR&R teamed up with California's Office of Spill Prevention and Response to offer an oil spill training, which for the first time since the partnership began in 2005, incorporated both marine and inland spill elements.

    Group of people standing under a vortex-shaped art sculpture outside.

    In a three-day workshop, the NOAA Marine Debris Program brought together Florida's marine debris community to share updates on accomplishments and to continue development of a statewide marine debris reduction plan.

    People in chairs and tables in a conference room.

    From March 24–26, 2015, OR&R's Spatial Data Branch met in Seattle, Washington, for an operational team meeting.

    Attendees discussed how the team's strategies align with regional branch case team work, the Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) Strategic and Operation Plan, and the National Ocean Service Roadmap.

    Stretch of Richmond, California, beach.

    OR&R staff organized a meeting with Coast Guard, California spill responders, and a San Francisco-based software start-up company to review a demonstration of a new aerial imagery data capture and analysis service.

    They also discussed potential applications of these technologies and services for spill response and damage assessment.

    Seven men and women standing next to a wall.

    NOAA Administrator Dr. Kathy Sullivan toured the Port of Seattle on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Wahoo on March 25, 2015 with members of the local port community and several local NOAA staff in order to listen to the concerns of the waterway users.

    The North Pacific Marine Science Organization is leading a project funded by the Government of Japan to assess and forecast the effects of debris generated by the tsunami that followed the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

    The team directing this three year effort met last week in Honolulu, Hawaii, to assess progress and set priorities.

    OR&R will be hosting the Seattle Fire Department HAZMAT teams at the NOAA Western Regional Center in Seattle April 6–9, 2015 for training on the latest versions of the CAMEO software suite.

    The CAMEO suite includes several hazardous materials response and planning tools used by firefighters across the United States.

    Trash, including plastics laying on a beach.

    March 20, 2015--On March 18, 2015, the Marine Debris Program's Mid-Atlantic and Caribbean Regional Coordinator, Jason Rolfe, participated in Marine Plastic Waste and the Circular Economy: Building Long-term Solutions to Immediate Challenges.

    Woman in uniform standing in front of flags.

    MARCH 20, 2015--ENS Rachel Pryor completed a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science at the University of West Florida and a master’s degree in Environmental Studies from Florida International University (FIU).

    Map showing ESI data.

    MARCH 20, 2015--Some of the biggest challenges faced when collecting the biology and human-use data for the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps are 1) identifying the appropriate source(s) for each species or data type; 2) demonstrating to the identified data experts the necessity and benefit of sharing their data through the ESI venue; 3) coordinating the data transfer while minimizing the work load for the provider; and 4) revisiting data providers and other experts during the review of the ESI maps and data.

    River with snow on riverbank.

    MARCH 13, 2015--On February 24, 2015, the United States entered into a settlement agreement with D.S.C. of Newark, the owner of the property where the Cornell-Dubilier Electronics, Inc., (CDEI) facility operated.

    On March 10, 2015, Doug Helton from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division joined experts from across NOAA to share their Arctic research.

    OR&R biologist Gary Shigenaka continued the longtime Emergency Response Division (ERD) tradition of interacting with students selected for a National Science Foundation program designed to support minorities in the marine sciences.

    Man in a uniform in front of a wall poster.

    LT Greg Schweitzer, an OR&R Scientific Support Coordinator, was invited to speak at the EPA’s Region 5 Annual On-Scene Coordinator Training in Angola, Indiana.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program attended the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's (NFWF) Fishing for Energy 2015 Symposium that highlighted research projects working to mitigate fishing gear loss in the marine environment.

    Aerial view of an oil spill in a river.

    Marine biologist Gary Shigenaka of OR&R’s Emergency Response Division was one of 17 experts invited to make technical presentations March 9-10, 2015, before a National Academy of Sciences committee.

    Logo incorporating a bird and a fish.

    Representatives from the Makah Tribal Council Office of Marine Affairs visited with the Office of Response and Restoration and National Weather Service (NWS) National Forecast Office Wednesday, March 11, 2015.

    Woman with a small child in a back pack.

    Jasmine Sandhu is a software engineer working in OR&R’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) at the Seattle Western Regional Center - Sand Point.

    The National Ocean Science Bowl held their annual competition on February 28, 2015.

    A group of people in front of a red brick building.

    OR&R's Emergency Response Division recently conducted a Science of Oil Spills (SOS) class from February 23-27, 2015 at NOAA's Gulf Of Mexico Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Alabama. Science of Oil Spills 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. The course focuses on oil spills that occur in coastal and marine environments.

    Boat covered in barnacles on a rocky beach.

    Marine debris, the perennial global problem that harms the environment, impacts commerce, and threatens human health and safety, provides an opportunity to learn about the oceans from a unique perspective that shows how winds and currents, the main forces that move marine debris over long distances across the world oceans, can drag objects from one side of the world to the other.

    Oil on a beach.

    MARCH 3, 2015--Drs. Adriana C. Bejarano and Alan Mearns are pleased to announce that a new paper, Improving Environmental Assessments by Integrating Species Sensitivity Distributions into Environmental Modeling: Examples with two hypothetical oil spills, is in press this week and available online at the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.

    February 2015

    FEBRUARY 27, 2015--During the week of February 16, 2015, Peter Murphy, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Alaska Regional Coordinator, presented on marine debris and local partnerships to research and prevent its impacts on our oceans at the Alaska Forum on the Environment (AFE).

    Oiled beach.

    FEBRUARY 27, 2015--Every two years, California’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) teams up with Chevron to host an Oil Spill Response Technology Workshop to expand responders’ understanding of existing and emerging technologies and help them achieve the best available protection for California waters.

    Arctic sea ice.

    FEBRUARY 27, 2015--On March 10, 2015, Doug Helton of the OR&R Emergency Response Division will present, “Oil dispersants in the Arctic: What does the science say about efficacy and tradeoffs?”

    Group of people working in a warehouse.

    In the Great Lakes, monofilament fishing line is an entanglement hazard for wildlife. This is especially true in areas such as the Maumee River in Ohio, which are popular recreational fishing spots.

    Original art for marine debris poster.

    Congratulations to our 2015 “Keep the Sea Free of Debris” art contest winners!

    Woman posing in front of a poster.

    ENS Rachel Pryor is the new Assistant Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) for the West Coast. On February 18, 2014, ENS Rachel Pryor attended the Snohomish County Marine Resources Advisory Committee monthly meeting at the County Administration building in Everett, WA.

    Landscape of sea ice with mountains in background.

    The 17th annual Alaska Forum on the Environment (AFE) was held in Anchorage during the week of February 9, 2015.

    Man lectures to students seated at tables.

    USCG Sector Miami is holding a series of county focused updates for the local area contingency plan that started on February 11, 2015, in Broward County.

    Man at lectern.

    JUNE 14, 2019 — Ben Shorr, OR&R Physical Scientist with the Assessment and Restoration Division’s Spatial Data Branch, presented on NOAA’s data management and query tools developed and used for the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) at the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conference in Houston, TX

    Derailed train in the snow.

    On February 16, 2015, a CSX oil train derailed and caught fire in West Virginia near the confluence of Armstrong Creek and the Kanawha River.

    Pacific Northwest ERMA map.

    The Pacific Northwest Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) team and NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Region Protected Resource Division have collaborated to make the final Rockfish Critical Habitat designation under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) available through Pacific Northwest ERMA concurrent with the publication of the final rule in the Federal Register.

    Woman on a boat with bags of debris.

    Sarah Latshaw is the new Southeast Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, based in Charleston, SC. She joined the Marine Debris Team at the end of October and is working with government, non-profit, and academic partners in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and the east coast of Florida to address marine debris issues on a regional scale.

    Drawing on NOAA's expertise in emergency management for marine incidents, a delegation from a maritime security research team at Korea Institute for Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) visited OR&R's Silver Spring office on Monday, February 9, 2015.

    Woman standing in front of poster.

    The Marine Debris Program staff participated in the inaugural conference of the Citizen Science Association in San Jose, CA, on February 11-12, 2015.

    Natural stream with large tree trunk in the river and lush vegetation.

    The Pacific Northwest Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) team is pleased to announce a collaboration with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to identify and update the online mapping tool ERMA with spatial data layers from the Oregon Geospatial Enterprise Office.

    Michelle Jacobi accepts award, flanked by Kathryn Sullivan, Russell Callender.

    On February 3, 2015, several OR&R employees received NOAA Bronze Medals and Distinguished Career Awards, presented in Silver Spring, Maryland.

    Group of men in suits holding award certificates.

    The Consulate General of Japan in Seattle recently recognized contributions to Japan-United States relations. In a ceremony held during the New Year's Reception at the Official Residence, recipients, including one from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, were awarded the Consul General's Commendation.

    January 2015

    On Friday January 23, 2015 the $5.15 billion settlement with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation for environmental and tort claims went into effect.

    A man and a woman with four children.

    Ian Zelo is currently the acting NW and Great Lakes branch chief for the Assessment and Restoration Division.

    Woman by the side of a boat covered in marine growth.

    Last year, students and teachers at Del Norte High School in Crescent City cleaned and returned a small boat to Takata High School in Rikuzentakata, a city in Japan.

    In the National Ocean Science Bowl's (NOSB) first ever "Ask an Expert" Google+ Hangout, NOAA's OR&R experts answered on live-streaming video questions about oil in the marine environment from students across the country.

    A NOAA Arctic Coordination Workshop was held in Seattle on January 15 and 16, 2015. The goal of the meeting was to strengthen coordination and planning across NOAA on the Arctic to focus on key thematic areas to be addressed over the next two years building on the NOAA “Arctic Vision and Strategy” and “Action Plan.”

    Man on a boat with a crab pot.

    Commercial fishermen spent three days removing "ghost pots" this week from North Carolina's waters as part of a two-year grant from the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) to clean up the crab pots and re-purpose them into oyster reefs. Jason Rolfe, the MDP's Mid-Atlantic regional coordinator participated and said they were on pace to exceed last year's removal numbers.

    Men at tables in a classroom.

    OR&R collaborated with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and EPA to present a full day course, “Introduction to Oil Spill Response for Firefighters and Public Safety Personnel,” at the Florida Hazardous Material Symposium for firefighters from Florida.

    People roaming around a hall of posters.

    A contingent of OR&R staff and scientists joined 800 attendees at the 2015 Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage, January 19-22, 2015.

    Brass bell on a wood desk.

    NOAA is in London, UK, the week of January 19, 2015, as part of the Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) subcommittee of the larger Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) at the International Maritime Organization.

    Electronic equipment near the water's edge.

    Marine debris is a global problem, and marine debris items are found on beaches all over the world. But how can we tell how much debris washes up on the beach, and when?

    This week a series of guidelines for collecting ephemeral data for oil spills in the Arctic to support Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) were released.

    On January 12, 2015, NOAA participated in a nationally broadcast presentation hosted by the National Response Team (NRT) Training Subcommittee. The training session was designed for planners and field responders from federal, state, local, and tribal governments to learn about emerging risks associated with Bakken crude oil.

    Image of man--head and shoulders.

    Michael Walton is a Web and Multimedia Specialist in OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD).

    Small boat being towed through the water, covered with barnacles.

    The week of January 5, 2015, the NOAA Marine Debris Program released a technical memo, Detecting Japan Tsunami Marine Debris at Sea: A Synthesis of Efforts and Lessons-Learned, a review of the debris detection efforts that took place in the years following the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011, as well as valuable lessons for the future of marine debris detection.

    Steve Lehmann, an OR&R Scientific Support Coordinator, gave the keynote address at the 25th annual No-Spills Conference in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan on January 5, 2015.

    Grasses and oily water in a bucket.

    NOAA was part of an international team that assessed and advised in the aftermath of an oil spill in a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Bangladesh.

    Driftwood on a beach, with water in background.

    The week of January, 5, 2015, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division and NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary staff participated in a Salish Sea Vessel Oil Spill Risk Assessment and Management Workshop in Bellingham, WA.

    During the first week of January 2015, OR&R held a series of meetings at NOAA's Sand Point Seattle campus on the state of the science for dispersant use in Arctic waters.

    OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division staff will present at the Battelle Eighth International Conference on Remediation and Management of Contaminated Sediments in New Orleans during the week of January 11, 2015.

    Excavator digging sediment from a wetland bottom.

    On January 6, 2015, a crowd of more than 100 people gathered to celebrate and witness the breaching of a levee that since the 1800s has held back tidal water from the 1200 acre Cullinan Ranch property, located along the fringe of San Pablo Bay in California (part of the San Francisco Bay Estuary).

    December 2014

    Woman posing with a large hawk.

    Following a week at Clean Gulf Conference in San Antonio, District 8 OR&R Scientific Support Coordinators (SSCs) LT Kyle Jellison and Dr. Paige Doelling headed back to Texas to participate in the Central Texas Coastal Area Committee (CTCAC) meeting, held at the Wildlife Center of Texas in Katy, Texas. CTCAC develops and manages the Area Contingency Plan addressing oil and hazmat spills in the coastal areas and navigable waters of Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, and Harris counties.

    Several OR&R staff members have been recognized with the prestigious Bronze medal award! The Bronze medal is the highest award granted by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.

    Image of first page of report.

    OR&R’s accomplishments in fiscal year 2014 highlight examples of the world-class science and solutions that the office provides for protecting and restoring the nation's resources from coastal environmental hazards.

    A group of students present on marine debris in front of a stand-up poster.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce the FY2015 Marine Debris Prevention through Education and Outreach Federal Funding Opportunity.

    Man launches a large remote-controlled plane by hand from a ship deck.

    On December 4, 2014 the United States hosted the semi-annual meeting for the Arctic Council's Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (EPPR) Working Group in Seattle, Washington.

    Train car that carries Bakken crude oil.

    West Coast federal and state trustees and oil industry representatives convened in Portland, Oregon, for the West Coast Joint Assessment Team (JAT) meeting on December 3, 2014.

    The JAT is a forum for trustees and industry to coordinate on Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) planning and approaches related to oil spills.

    Screen shot of Atlantic ERMA environmental mapping tool with Hurricane Sandy.

    On December 9, 2014, OR&R introduced the semiannual ERMA® newsletter, which will serve to inform users of system updates and any changes in functionality.

    Classroom of adults sitting at tables.

    OR&R's Emergency Response Division (ERD) recently conducted a five day Science of Oil Spills (SOS) class from November 17-21, 2014 in Norfolk, Virginia.

    Photo of Tom Barry.

    Tom Barry is the Marine Debris Program's Cooperative Programs Specialist.

    Conference agenda cover.

    Dr. Lisa DiPinto of the OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division delivered two presentations on the ongoing Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill at the second workshop on Marine Oil Spill and Biological Effects in Busan, South Korea on December 3-5, 2014.

    A man and a woman address a group.

    NOAA Acting Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Management, Holly Bamford, stopped by the Disaster Response Center (DRC) on Monday, December 1, 2014 while she was in town for the Bays and Bayous Symposium.

    Woman in front of large piece of industrial equipment.

    As part of the Clean Gulf conference this week (see related article in this issue), Paige Doelling, Kyle Jellison, and John Tarpley toured the Marine Well Containment Company shore facility in Ingleside, Texas.

    Two men and a woman at a conference.

    In addition to serving on the planning committee, OR&R presented one poster and six papers, served as a chair or co-chair for two sessions and participated on a panel for the December 2-4, 2014, Clean Gulf Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

    The 35th annual meeting of the Society of Toxicology and Chemistry recently held its meeting in Vancouver, BC.

    Photo of meeting participants.

    On December 2, 2014, staff from OR&R joined partner U.S. agencies in meetings with Cuba, Mexico, and the Bahamas as part of Multilateral Technical Operating Procedures (MTOP) efforts.

    November 2014

    Three nametags.

    On November 20, 2014, NOAA's Holly Bamford, Acting Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Management, represented NOAA at a meeting of senior agency executives at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington DC.

    OR&R and EPA met on November 18-20, 2014, to address recommendations for CAMEO (Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations) made in Executive Order (EO) 13650.

    NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration has incorporated the Inland Sensitivity Atlas (ISA) for the Great Lakes region into the Great Lakes Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) to support contingency planning, assist responders, and enhance public access to this information.

    Dispersant container label.

    On November 12-14, 2014, OR&R staff participated in a technical forum entitled “Understanding Dispersants in Oil Spill Response”, at the Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

    On Monday, November 17, 2014, staff from the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in a workshop led by The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) where they explored the topic of lost and derelict blue crab pots in the Chesapeake Bay.

    A woman talking with two men.

    A Swedish delegation representing nine government agencies is touring DC and the Gulf region to discuss interagency and public crisis communications during oil and chemical spills with various US agencies. The group visited OR&R in Silver Spring on Monday, November 19 and will visit the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center on Monday, November 24.

    An old nuclear reactor.

    On November 18-19, 2014, OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division staff participated in the Department of Energy's National Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Workshop in Washington, D.C.

    Woman standing behind table.

    On November 7, 2014, the Alice Ferguson Foundation, with support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, hosted the 9th Annual Potomac Watershed Trash Summit.

    Photo of a woman.

    Katie Wagner is a Communications Specialist in the Office of Response and Restoration’s Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD).

    People in a classroom.

    The week of November 3, 2014, the Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC) hosted the United States Coast Guard for their annual Salvage Seminar.

    People working together at tables.

    In an effort to increase preparedness for acute marine debris events, NOAA's Marine Debris Program is working with states to create Marine Debris Regional Response Plans, starting with the State of Alabama.

    Canoe on a beach.

    On Wednesday, November 6, 2014, OR&R was an invited presenter at the Northwest Tribal Council meeting, held at Everett Naval Station.

    Ken Finkelstein, of OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division attended the formal opening of the fish bypass around the Tingue Dam along the Naugatuck River in Seymour, Connecticut on October 30, 2014.

    Group of students at a stream.

    OR&R’s Emergency Response Division recently assisted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 10 with a three-day Inland Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) training course in Seattle, Washington, on October 28-30, 2014.

    On Tuesday, October 7, 2014, Gulf of Mexico Marine Debris Coordinator, Kim Albins, led a workshop with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to capture lessons learned from a recent waterway debris removal mission in Baldwin County, Alabama.

    Men sitting in a classroom with computers.

    The week of October 27, 2014, the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center hosted NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS) for the two-day Online Positioning User Service (OPUS) training.

    Group posing on a beach.

    During the week of October 27, Gulf of Mexico Scientific Support Coordinators (SSCs) LT Kyle Jellison, Paige Doelling, and Adam Davis, along with Environmental Scientist Jeff Dauzat from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) taught a SCAT class in Grand Isle, Louisiana.

    October 2014

    Man sitting at a table.

    What have we learned from Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon, and where are we going? The week of October 27, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) gathered representatives from across the response community to discuss just that.

    Diver underwater with net.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program funded the 33-day Northwestern Hawaiian Islands marine debris removal mission.

    A man and a woman at a table with lots of papers spread out.

    On October 30, 2014, the National Ocean Service (NOS) Employee Recognition Award Ceremony was held in Silver Spring, Maryland.

    People meeting at at a table.

    On, October 15-16, 2014, OR&R participated in a NRDA workshop and drill hosted by Phillips 66 in Bellingham, WA.

    On October 17, 2014, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Kim Albins (Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator) participated in the fourth annual St. Petersburg Science Festival to meet new partners and view "The Current Collections."

    Rail car.

    On October 20, 2014, OR&R attended and participated in the “State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) Plume Modeling Workshop and Exercise,” in Albany, New York.

    2014 was a ground breaking year for the NOAA Marine Debris program. We paved the way in the marine debris field by releasing a first of its kind economic study that assessed how litter affects beachgoers‘ economic welfare and publishing marine debris science papers summarizing the issues of entanglement and ingestion.

    Water celery in a river.

    Until recently the lower Hudson River estuary supported about 4450 acres of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV).

    OR&R’s Dr. Alan Mearns, Courtney Arthur, and Nicolle Rutherford partnered with experts from California State University, EPA and industry to compose Effects of Pollution on Marine Organisms .

    Students watching a presentation on a large screen.

    On October 14, 2014, the NOAA Disaster Response Center (DRC) hosted the annual SkyWarn Program Storm Spotter Training offered by the Mobile-Pensacola Weather Forecasting Office.

    Three men by the water's edge.

    On October 7-9, 2014, staff from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division met at the NOAA Kasitsna Bay Laboratory, near Homer, Alaska, to share new science and technology for emergency response.

    Art contest poster.

    Ready, set, draw! Grab your kids, art supplies, and spread the word--about marine debris of course!

    Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), chemical facilities with certain quantities of Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHSs) must annually submit facility information to the local authorities for emergency planning and response purposes.

    In mid-September of 2014, a group of scientists including social and public health experts, biologists, oceanographers, chemists, atmospheric scientists, and data management experts convened in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, to discuss ways they could better integrate their respective environmental and health data during disasters.

    Cover art for educator's guide.

    To advance ocean and environmental stewardship, the NOAA Marine Debris Program in partnership with the North American Marine Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA) developed an Educator’s Guide to Marine Debris in an effort to bring students new science, technology, engineering and mathematics-based marine debris lessons.

    The International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) and the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) are producing recommended practices for GIS technology and geo-information used in the formation of a Common Operating Picture (COP).

    Ground area with poles, fencing for restoration work.

    On October 7, 2014, OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) staff presented an introduction to Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) and Restoration for a capstone class of Sustainability students at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

    Woman in marshes with bucket.

    From September 29 through October 1, 2014 OR&R Emergency Response Division (ERD) staff, Nicolle Rutherford and Kyle Jellison, along with Scott Zengel and Jennifer Horsman of Research Planning, Incorporated, returned to Bay Jimmy, Northern Barataria Bay, Louisiana to evaluate oiling conditions, erosion, vegetation, and macrofauna recovery in marshes heavily oiled during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

    Group of about 20 people in a conference room.

    On Tuesday, two OR&R staff had a rare opportunity--lunch with Dr. Sullivan.

    Recovered crab pots stacked on the ground.

    On October 3, 2014, staff from NOAA Marine Debris Program and NOAA Restoration Center met in Westport, WA, with The Nature Conservancy, Quinault Indian Nation, and Natural Resource Consultants project partners to discuss the project’s progress and scope.

    Group of people standing outside.

    On October 1, 2014, the NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) hosted a very successful site visit for Russell Callender, Deputy Assistant Administrator for NOS, in Portland, Oregon.

    From September 23-25, 2014, OR&R Outreach team members from headquarters and all the divisions met in Seattle to map out a strategy for FY15, review last year’s activities, and identify new opportunities for promoting the accomplishments, products, and services of OR&R.

    Submerge: NYC Marine Science Festival, an all-day, free ocean science event to be held on October 5, 2014, focuses on delivering hands-on activities and compelling presentations.

    Nets in a large bin.

    On September 25, 2014, two of the Marine Debris Program’s own staff and a team of 17 scientists and trained divers from NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) embarked on a 33-day mission to remove derelict fishing nets and plastics from the sensitive reefs, shallow waters, and shorelines of the Monument.

    On September 30, 2014, several OR&R Emergency Response Division (ERD) staff and a Wildlife Biologist from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center met with the Environmental Program Director at Naval Station Everett, Washington.

    In late September a planned levee breach took place that will restore 150 acres of San Francisco Bay coastal wetlands. The removal of portions of the Breuner Marsh levee is a major milestone in the effort to increase the habitat for tidal marsh-dependent species in the Bay. The construction of the project began in 2013 and received partial funding from NOAA’S Damage, Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program. NOAA’s funds are from a 2010 settlement with Chevron for historical contamination from refinery operations.

    Bay with marshes.

    NOAA and co-trustee agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Commonwealth of Massachusetts and State of Rhode Island have released the Final Programmatic Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the B-120 Buzzards Bay Oil Spill.

    Two men and a woman in front of a poster.

    On September 10, 2014, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina, in conjunction with PCS Phosphate conducted one-day Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) Industry Led Full-Scale Exercise.

    Three men walking on a road.

    OR&R's Simeon Hahn and partners from the state, city and community met with Congressman John Carney, staff from Senators Coons and Carper, notable officials from the City of Wilmington, and community leaders to discuss a variety of urban revitalization and restoration issues.

    September 2014

    Group of people on beach listening to instructor.

    OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) District 5, Portsmouth, Virginia, recently conducted a three-day Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) training course in Lewes, Delaware, on September 23-25, 2014.

    This week the OR&R Emergency Response Division participated in a National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) conducted by U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Honolulu in collaboration with Chevron.

    Woman outdoors, next to trash.

    September 20, 2014, marked the 29th annual International Coastal Cleanup, and the NOAA Marine Debris Program is a proud sponsor of the effort.

    OR&R’s Ken Finkelstein took an all-day Science Communication Workshop at Dartmouth College on September 12, 2014.

    Three people on a beach.

    On September 17, 2014, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Southeast and Caribbean Regional Coordinator, Jason Rolfe, presented a Regional View of Marine Debris at the Second Annual Marine Debris Symposium at the Onslow County Environmental Center in coastal North Carolina.

    Sunset over water with building in foreground.

    On September 2-5, 2014, OR&R staff participated in the NOAA Alaska Emergency Responder Workshop at the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Lab in Kasitsna Bay, Alaska.

    Screenshot of a map.

    OR&R’s Spatial Data Branch (SDB) worked with the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ (UAF) Arctic Tracer Release Experiment (ARCTREX): Applications for Mapping Spilled Oil in Arctic Waters.

    On September 16, 2014, NOAA and The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources working on the restoration of natural resources injured by the T/V Margara vessel grounding released a Draft Primary Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment, opening a 30-day public comment period.

    People working at the edge of the river at night.

    “Young of year” shad sampling occurred on the Delaware River in Trenton, New Jersey, Phillipsburg, New Jersey, and Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania the week of Aug 8, 2014. Shad is an anadromous species, meaning the fish live in the ocean and come back to spawn in freshwater. Young-of-year are shad hatched from eggs that are spawned in the same year.

    Photo of a woman.

    Natalie Richardson of OR&R's Business Services Group is the Staff Spotlight feature this month.

    Shadow of crew members reflected on Arctic Ice.

    As Arctic waters continue to lose sea ice each summer, oil-powered activity in the region will be on the rise—along with an increased risk of oil spills.

    A drilling rig floating near an island.

    On December 27, 2012, Shell’s Arctic drilling unit Kulluk parted from its tow and grounded on Alaska’s Sitkalidak Island on New Year’s Eve. The rig had 138,000 gallons of diesel and other fuels and lubricants on board.

    Three men on a boat, working in a marsh.

    On September 9, 2014, the Science and Technology Subcommittee of the New Orleans Area Committee returned to the site of an in-situ burn which was conducted on June 3-4, 2014.

    Discarded plastic bottle on the beach

    Kim Albins, Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator for NOAA's Marine Debris Program traveled to Austin and Corpus Christi Texas to “talk trash” with over 30 federal, state, and local partners last week.

    Group on beach collecting plastic.

    Recently, NOAA's Marine Debris Program and Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office held a staff picnic on at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, MA.

    OR&R presented at a forum on spills of heavy oils (Non-buoyant) hosted by the ISCO in Detroit on September 9, 2014.

    People in a boat pull trash out of a marina using nets.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program is a proud sponsor of the annual International Coastal Cleanup. This year, the cleanup is taking place on Saturday, September 20, 2014, across the globe from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

    General Electric plant next to falls on the Hudson River in New York.

    Dredging and capping/backfilling activities in the Upper Hudson River are destroying mussel beds and mussel habitat, which are not being replaced as part of the remedy for the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site in New York.

    The trustees recently issued the final plan for a study examining how freshwater mussel communities are affected by these activities.

    People gathering oil samples along the Mississippi River.

    OR&R's Emergency Response Division met with oil spill responders from California and the EPA to kick off a collaboration to develop a new handheld Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) data collection tool. When completed, this tool will greatly improve the speed and accuracy of field data collection during oil spills.

    August 2014

    Heavy equipment clearing a field along a body of water.

    OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division's Alyce Fritz was invited to participate in the Department of Defense, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and State Tier 3 Meeting held at EPA Headquarter offices in Arlington, Virginia last week.

    She discussed collaborative interagency efforts to promote restoration success stories at Defense sites which are also Superfund sites.

    On Wednesday, August 27, 2014, the NOAA Marine Debris Program hosted its first Marine Debris Prevention Projects Webinar.

    Ninety participants engaged in marine debris prevention from across the country joined the call to learn more about education and outreach projects funded through the program's Marine Debris Prevention through Education and Outreach grants in FY 2013.

    Officials standing next to a burned-out, derailed train.

    Like many regions of the United States, the Pacific Northwest has seen a massive surge in transportation of crude oil by rail, as well as oil train accidents, in recent years. The Assessment and Restoration Division is using spatial analysis to illustrate the intersection of railroads and sensitive habitats and species.

    Two mussel-covered boulders on the ocean edge.

    On the morning of August 20, 2014, Dr. Rob Campbell, oceanographer with the Prince William Sound Science Center, visited Shelter Bay in Alaska's Prince William Sound and took the 25th year of photos at this Office of Response and Restoration long-term monitoring site in connection with the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

    Lobsters and fish on a derelict trap on the ocean floor.

    Thousands of fishing traps are lost or abandoned each year in U.S. waters and become what are known as derelict traps, and result in losses to habitat, fisheries, and watermen who depend on these resources.

    These losses are largely preventable, according to a new study released by the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

    Artist's rendering of restored river and wetlands.

    Along the banks of Oregon's Willamette River, NOAA and our partners, including a habitat development company called Wildlands, have started building habitat for fish and wildlife, just a few miles downriver from Portland, Oregon.

    Two men working at computers.

    The week of August 18, 2014, the OR&R participated in a worst-case oil discharge exercise for the Shell Harbor Island Oil Terminal in downtown Seattle.
    The exercise simulated a response to a spill of over 60,000 barrels of marine diesel oil from the Shell facility into the West Duwamish Waterway and Elliot Bay.

    Large ship tied up at water's edge.

    On August 15, 2014, NOAA and fellow Trustees, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Hawaii, working on the restoration of natural resources injured by the M/V Cape Flattery vessel grounding, released a Draft Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (Draft DARP/EA), opening a 30-day public comment period.

    Hurricanes Gustav and Ike made landfall on September 1 and 12, 2008, respectively. High winds and waves associated with the passage of these storms caused a number of discharges of oil from damaged facilities, tanks, and pipelines along the coasts of Louisiana and Texas and in deeper waters offshore.

    Three men and one woman standing on a dock.

    On August 18, 2014, OR&R Senior Scientist Alan Mearns met with two professors funded by NOAA Sea Grant to evaluate the economic benefits vs. environmental impacts of marinas and boat harbors.

    Group in boat launching PUMA.

    The unique logistics of responding to an oil spill in the extreme and remote Arctic environment drive to the heart of why OR&R GIS specialists Jill Bodnar and Zachary Winters-Staszak are currently on board the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy, at the edge of the sea ice north of Alaska.

    Two students working at a table.

    On August 19, 2014, NOAA was very pleased to host students enrolled at the Native Youth Enrichment Program at the University of Washington.

    Three students in front of a table.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program announced funding during the week of August 18, 2014, for 10 new Prevention through Education and Outreach partners across the country. The Marine Debris Program has provided $500,000 to launch these partnership projects ranging from education for fishers to social marketing and awareness campaigns.

    Litter at water's edge of an ocean beach.

    Southern California residents lose millions of dollars each year avoiding littered, local beaches in favor of choosing cleaner beaches that are farther away and may cost more to reach, according to a new NOAA-funded Marine Debris Program economics study.

    Two members of OR&R's Emergency Restoration Division attended a week-long training workshop at U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) headquarters in Washington, D.C. during the week of August 4, 2014.

    Group of people smiling, sitting at a conference room table.

    This concoction was created in the Western Regional Center (Seattle) kitchen on August 13-14, 2014.

    • 3 Emergency Response Division managers
    • 1 seasoned NOAA labor management advisor
    Image of oil and bird (also in an inset photo).

    On August 4 - 6, 2014, representatives from OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division collaborated with staff from the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), and the Oceanic and Atmospheric Research UAS Program (UASPO) in an exercise to evaluate Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for oil spill response and damage assessment activities.

    Group of people standing in a parking lot.

    The week of August 4, 2014, the annual Pacific Northwest Oil Spill Control Course (PNWOSCC) took place in Port Angeles, WA. PNWOSCC is a blend of classroom training and practical hands-on exercises in the methods of controlling, containing, and cleaning up oil spills on water and on shore.

    During the week of August 4, 2014, as part of an ongoing effort to prepare for an oil spill in the Arctic, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) joined a team of researchers in Barrow, Alaska, to field test ephemeral data collection methods.

    An aerial view of a very large rectangular tank, or pool, outdoors.

    On August 8, 2014, OR&R marine biologist, Gary Shigenaka, and Dr. Adrian C. Bejarano, aquatic toxicologist, made presentations to a group of oil spill response professionals as part of the Science of Oil Spills class, offered by OR&R in Seattle this week.

    Two men on a beach.

    A field trip, part of the Science of Oil Spills (SOS) class conducted by OR&R in Seattle during the week of August 4, 2014, featured a presentation by local marine biologist and citizen scientist Michael Kyte on on "Sea Star Wasting Syndrome."

    Two ships moored next to a dock.

    The NOAA Research Vessel Laurentia , spent July 28 to August 2, 2014 with the crew and three NOAA Corps Officers at the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Festival in Grand Haven, Michigan.

    Poster showing a whale and a seal entangled with string.

    The week of August 4, 2014, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science published reports that assess the current state of science on two marine debris impacts: ingestion and entanglement.

    On August 1, 2014, a perfect Seattle summer day, NOAA Vice Adm. Michael Devany visited the recently completed shoreline restoration on the Duwamish River constructed by the Boeing Company.

    Outdoor sign advertising Quinault seafood.

    The Northwest Scientific Support Coordinator met with tribal representatives from the Quinault, Makah, Hoh, Shoalwater Bay, and Quileute tribes the week of July 28 discuss the update to the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps for the outer Washington and Oregon coastlines.

    Sand dunes and dunes grass.

    Emory Wellman, OR&R’s Constituent and Legislative Affairs intern, presented her research into storm protection and its incorporation in Natural Resource Damage Assessments (NRDAs).

    Diver, underwater, near a derelict crab pot.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program funded two research projects with recently published papers to better understand the regional derelict trap issue in the Southeast. The projects focused on derelict lobster traps in the Florida Keys and derelict fish traps in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    July 2014

    A sign with Japanese characters.

    The week of July 21, 2014, a large wooden sign that was once part of the Japanese village of Tanohata went home, thanks to collaboration between the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the State of Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, and Japanese officials.

    NOAA's Western Regional Center campus hosted two weeks of science camp for junior high students.

    Building on a project initiated with the Disaster Response Center in 2012, the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JC NERR) kicked off its Disaster Response Planning on Wednesday.

    Derailed train.

    As federal leaders in oil spill response science, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration is grateful for each oil spill which does not take place, which was fortunately the case on July 24, 2014 in Seattle, Washington, near our west coast office.

    A multibeam computer image.

    On July 15, 2014, a fisherman filed a report after observing an unknown sheen from an unknown source in ocean waters approximately 48 miles offshore of Cape Lookout, NC.

    On July 23, 2014, Dave Westerholm testified before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Marine Transportation during a hearing entitled "Implementing U.S. Policy in the Arctic".

    A crab trap with crabs in it.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program is funding four new research projects on innovative gear technology to reduce the loss of fishing gear, such as crab traps and pots, at sea and reduce the impacts of lost gear through the program's Fishing for Energy partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

    Group of children in water with bucket and vegetation.

    The annual North Atlantic Regional Collaboration Team (NART) meeting on June 8-9, 2014, was held at the Norrie Point Environmental Center, part of the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve.

    Circular image.

    The week of July 7, 2014, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (NOAA MDP) participated in a week-long Marine Debris Teacher Workshop in Savannah, Georgia. The workshop was organized by the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service through Project SORT, a NOAA MDP FY 2013 Prevention through Education and Outreach Partnership grant. Fifteen educators from Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina attended a four-day workshop to learn how to incorporate marine debris science into their curriculum.

    Group of people in front of a brick building.

    The NOAA Disaster Response Center hosted the Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaboration Team for their two day meeting on July 1-2, 2014.

    NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) jointly held a Dispersed Oil Effects Research Collaboration Meeting at the NOAA Sand Point campus in Seattle on Thursday, July 11, 2014.

    Staff members giving instruction to children.

    On Saturday, June 28, 2014, at the River and Roots Festival in Berryville, Virginia, NOAA staff led an environmental education workshop to teach festival-goers of all ages about the sources of marine debris and non-point source pollution and how actions upstream affect creeks, rivers, and ultimately our coastal ecosystems.

    Dr. Amy Merten and CDR Elizabeth Kretovic participated in the EPPR Arctic Council's Working Group meeting in Ottawa, Canada. EPPR addresses prevention, preparedness and response to environmental emergencies in the Arctic.

    Three canoes in a river.

    On June 26, 2014, OR&R Regional Resource Coordinator Simeon Hahn participated in a kick-off event for Great Outdoors America Week at Bladensburg Park on the Anacostia River in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

    Heavy equipment, construction site.

    In accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Panama Canal Authority and the U.S. National Response Team, an annual exercise known as EcoCanal and associated training took place in Panama City, Panama, during the week of June 23, 2014.

    June 2014

    Sign on a fence in front of river.

    On June 17, 2014, NOAA spoke at a celebration event on the newly restored banks of the Lower Duwamish River near Seattle.

    A wall display of photos.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program, along with the NOAA Restoration Center, organized an exhibit at the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) featuring local artwork created from marine debris.

    Man with game.

    Recently, the OR&R Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in a One NOAA Pacific Region Education Showcase organized by the Pacific Services Center in Hawaii.

    Large rock with barnacles.

    During a minus tide on June 25, 2014, Dr. Rob Campbell, biological oceanographer from the Prince William Sound Science Center (PWSSC) visited Knight Island in Prince William Sound.

    Beginning of large pipeline.

    On June 17-19, 2014, a team of OR&R staff traveled to Deadhorse, Alaska, to participate in a North Slope orientation visit and tour of Alaska Clean Seas facilities.

    People standing by a creek.

    On June 9, 2014, OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division staff visited the locations of restoration projects implemented after the 2004 M/T Athos I oil spill.

    Ken Finkelstein co-led a two day Natural Resource Damage Assessment short course on June 10-11, 2014, at the University Of Massachusetts, Amherst conference center.

    Group of teenagers pose for photo.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in the Teen Marine Debris Summit - a two-day workshop for students to find solutions for preventing marine debris from entering our oceans.

    Group of people on a beach.

    NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration Emergency Response Division held a three-day Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) training class at the NOVA Southeast Oceanographic Institute at John U. Lloyd Beach State Park on June 10-12, 2014.

    From June 18-20, 2014, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) hosted a marine debris strategy development meeting alongside the Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative partners.

    Man in front of trees.

    Keith Cialino is the Northeast Regional Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program.

    Man and a woman look at a manual on a beach.

    OR&R’s Scientific Support Coordinator, in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Long Island Sound presented a three-day Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Techniques (SCAT) class in New London, CT.

    OR&R's Emergency Response Division and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collaborated to teach a newly developed inland Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Techniques (SCAT) training course for field responders to oil spills.

    Two men in front of U.S. Capitol.

    In addition to Capitol Hill Oceans Week (CHOW) and the NOAA Fish Fry, this week in Washington D.C. (June 9-13) was also the Georgetown University Congressional Operations Seminar on Capitol Hill.

    Workers with large pipe.

    On June 10-12, 2014, several NOAA presenters spoke about Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) and successful approaches to integrate injury assessment and early restoration actions at contaminated sites.

    Jessica Winter and Bob Haddad, of OR&R's Assessment and Restoration Division, presented their paper entitled "Ecological Impacts of Dilbit Spills: Considerations for Natural Resource Damage Assessment" at Environment Canada's Arctic and Marine Oil Spill Program conference last week.

    Participants around a table at spill drill.

    On May 31, Dr. Mark Whittington and Mr. Miguel Patel of the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF, based in London) arrived in Seattle for a two-week exchange with NOAA scientists.

    Group of people posing outdoors.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) hosted a marine debris strategy development meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida from May 20-22, 2014.

    Plastic bag litters a beach.

    Plastics and other litter, abandoned vessels, and derelict fishing gear have been a long-standing problem for the Great Lakes.

    Screen shot of ERMA model.

    U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) District 7 held a four-day workshop in Tampa/St. Petersburg, at USCG's Airstation at Clearwater and the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Southeast Regional Office in St. Petersburg to focus on the use of various spatial data management and mapping tools to support a variety of all-hazards and response needs.

    May 2014

    Marshy area near Duwamish River.

    NOAA has released a short video highlighting recently completed river restoration near Seattle, WA implemented by the Boeing Corporation.

    Four team members at the drill.

    On May 21-22, 2014, a large-scale industry-led oil spill drill was conducted involving the collision of a container ship and a Chevron tanker 30 miles off the coast of Oceanside, CA.

    DRC Director Charlie Henry addresses the group. (NOAA)

    On May 21-23, 2014, the Disaster Response Center partnered with the National Weather Service to provide a NOAA-only tabletop exercise called Tropical Storm Topaz.

    Marine Debris Program staff and partners.

    All of us hope that it will never happen again, but... If years from now, a major disaster generates large amounts of debris, and the floating debris is carried away by ocean currents and wind to North America, the response community will benefit from the experience and lessons learned accumulated during the response to the Japan Tsunami Marine Debris (JTMD) event, which still on-going today.

    NOAA OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division and NOAA Restoration Center will be attending a June 3, 2014 Restoration Symposium in New York City hosted by the New Jersey Harbor and Estuary Program and the Hudson River Foundation.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program coordinated a meeting to identify and discuss solutions for Florida marine debris issues.

    OR&R's Emergency Response Division provided perspectives on NOAA's emergency response roles related to marine debris issues during hurricanes and oil spills.

    A group of people stand with an award on a stage.

    On May 20, 2014, 13 OR&R employees received NOAA Bronze Medals and Distinguished Career Awards, presented in Silver Spring, Maryland.

    A group of people standing on a boat in front of the Statue of Liberty.

    OR&R Scientific Support Coordinator Ed Levine hosted NOAA leaders for a boat tour of New York Harbor, which included discussion of a variety of local topics of interest to NOAA, ranging from changes at the Panama Canal to post-Sandy efforts.

    A group of adults standing outside in front of trees.

    OR&R collaborated with the EPA to develop a new Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Techniques (SCAT) training course for surveying inland bodies of water.

    Toddlers, wearing gloves, walk aside with two adults.

    Toddlers in Athens, Georgia, recently became the youngest group of citizen scientists to use the Marine Debris Tracker, collecting and recording trash they found outside their school.

    Two men with a small underwater sensor in hand talking on a pier.

    The 2014 International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC) On-Water and Aerial Technical Demonstration provided a great opportunity for the international oil spill response community to observe a simulated oil spill response that used enhanced communication systems, remote observation tools, and leading edge response technologies.

    Cargo ship in San Francisco Bay with Bay Bridge.

    In early May three NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) team members, Greg Baker, Natalie Cosentino-Manning, and Chris Plaisted, were lauded along with representatives from multiple federal and state agencies as part of a larger team that successfully completed the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) for the 2007 Cosco Busan oil spill in the San Francisco Bay and central coast of California and have been implementing restoration following settlement of this case.

    Because of the similar missions and capabilities between the International Tank Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) and OR&R, a month-long exchange program was developed and initiated in 2012.

    In mid-May, OR&R will host two ITOPF staff members for one month in Seattle, Washington.

    Local fishermen on Vieques Island have expressed concern to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico that contamination related to underwater munitions are impacting the southeastern shore of the island and are negatively affecting fish catch.

    NOAA will be conducting a fish study during the summer of 2014 to help inform this issue.

    Here is a breakdown of the 2014 International Oil Spill Conference and OR&R’s involvement, by the numbers:

    Crabs in a crab trap.

    The Virginia Institute of Marine Science's Center for Coastal Resources Management estimated that 900,000 blue crabs are killed each year in derelict pots in Virginia. Commercial fishers removed about 32,000 lost and abandoned blue crab pots from 3,300 km2 of Virginia's Bay bottom over four consecutive winters through the Blue Crab Fishery Resource Disaster Relief Plan, a program funded through NOAA.

    Debris pulled from Lake Erie laying on a dock.

    On May 1, 2014, NOAA Marine Debris Program staff participated in a round-table panel on "The Future of the Great Lakes" at the Water Institute Research Symposium at the University of Waterloo in Ontario.

    So, what exactly do you do?

    How many times have you been asked this question and tried to distill the subtleties of ocean currents or oil chemistry into something a local reporter or your neighbor could understand?

    Man accepting award on stage.

    The International Oil Spill Conference 2014 was held in Savannah, Georgia, during the week of May 4. The conference included almost 2000 participants from 67 countries.

    IOSC logo.

    The NOAA co-sponsored International Oil Spill Conference 2014 occurs every three years and is always a valuable place for OR&R's oil spill responders and scientists to network, exchange information, and learn about the state of oil spill response in the U.S. and around the world.

    Sunken sailboat.

    Throughout the U.S. and its territories, thousands of abandoned and derelict vessels clutter our harbors and waterways.

    People spreading mulch.

    To celebrate Earth Day NOAA Fisheries staff led the first NOAA Restoration Day on April 24, 2014, at NOAA’s Western Regional Campus (WRC) on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle, WA.

    On May 2, 2014, OR&R Senior Scientist Alan Mearns presented a talk at the session "Spill prevention, preparedness and response issues in the Salish Sea and Pacific Northwest" on uptake and depuration of PAHs in mussels following the May 2012 DeepSea diesel spill in Penn Cove, Washington.

    people cleaning up site.

    This Earth Month volunteers have been diving deep into tons, literally tons, of spring cleaning for our planet.

    Eroding sand dunes

    OR&R’s Emergency Response Division is pleased to announce the release of its latest update to the Sensitivity of Coastal Environments and Wildlife to Spilled Oil for Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

    Man in front of blackboard speaking into microphone.

    On April 30, 2014, OR&R Scientific Support Coordinator Ed Levine addressed an audience of undergraduates and high school students at the Annual NOAA CREST Day at The City College of the City University of New York.

    April 2014

    Two men at exhibit table.

    April 24, 2014 -- On Wednesday, April 23, 2014, the U.S. Coast Guard brought high school students from Woodrow Wilson High School, Alliance Christian Academy, and home schools to its Portsmouth (Virginia) Base. The goal was to show them how STEM courses can help them later in life.

    Large excavator removing debris from water.

    April 24, 2014--Earth Day began with a clean sweep at Dog River in Alabama.

    April 24, 2014--The week of April 14, OR&R's Kari Sheets and George Graettinger taught introductory and advanced GIS classes at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.

    Photo of high water next to road.

    The non-profit Hudson River Foundation sponsors monthly scientific seminars about the quality and management of the Hudson River ecosystem including the New York/New Jersey Harbor.

    Last week, the NOAA Marine Debris Program launched an Instagram account with the handle "@NOAADebris."

    Image of event invitation.

    Successful Earth Day Event Kicks Off California Restoration

    April 17, 2014 -- On April 20, 2010, the Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit “Deepwater Horizon” suffered a blowout and fire. The seafloor blowout preventer failed, resulting one of the world’s largest marine oil spills.

    Photo of woman with children next to a canal.

    NOAA led a "community service project" at a public elementary school in Brooklyn, New York as part of the P.S. 58 Earth Day Celebration on April 10, 2014.

    Image of a ship passing through the Panama Canal.

    NOAA's Emergency Response Division is participating with the Authoridad del Canal de Panama (ACP) and the U.S. Coast Guard in planning the upcoming EcoCanal 2014 exercise. The EcoCanal 2014 Exercise is a two-day exercise plus a day of training on June 24 - 26, 2014, that has been jointly planned by representatives of the multiple plans being exercised.

    Steve Lehmann, one of the OR&R Scientific Support Coordinators, will be conducting training and participating in an oil spill workshop and table top exercise with the U.S. Navy in Bahrain from April 14-17, 2014.

    Photo of boy with gloves.

    The NOAA Marine Debris Program staff kicked off Earth Month activities participating in the 26th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup and the 25th Annual Anacostia Watershed Society Earth Day Cleanup--concentrating our efforts throughout watershed last weekend. With more than 300 cleanup sites, volunteers literally dug deep to remove debris and prevent litter from reaching coastal shorelines. The cleanups attracted more than 5,000 volunteers that helped remove more than 100 tons of debris, which included everything from cracked bowling balls to piles of tires.

    Photo of bridge over Passaic River.

    April 2014 - NOAA welcomes an EPA plan to clean up the entire lower 8.3 miles of the Passaic River in New Jersey as an early component of the larger program to restore and revitalize the Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay. The proposed cleanup includes bank to bank dredging of approximately 4.3 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment to allow for placement of a cap to cover the contaminated sediment that will remain in place. The dredged sediment would be transported off-site for disposal.

    Photo of a waterfall.

    The Quassaick Creek is one of sixty-six tributaries to the Lower Hudson River estuary. On April 2, 2014, a public meeting was held in Newburgh, New York to unveil the Draft Quassaick Creek Watershed Management Plan.

    OR&R Outreach offered Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) and media training on April 2 and 3, on the Seattle/Sand Point campus. The one and a half day training covered skills for communicating to the public, media, partners, and stakeholders during an emergency as well as after.

    Photo of docks and building debris on the shore of the bay.

    In 1860, non-native settlers in Humboldt Bay, California attacked and massacred nearly 200 indigenous Wiyot people in Tuluwat, an ancient and culturally significant village on Indian Island.

    Photo of oil observer looking out of helicopter.

    At this year's annual meeting of the Spill Control Association of America (SCAA), held on March 19 -21, OR&R Director Dave Westerholm provided an update on OR&R's work to members of the spill response community from across the country.

    March 2014

    Photo of workers cleaning up a beach

    POSTED: March 28, 2014 | UPDATED: March 30, 2014--The March 22 vessel collision in Galveston Bay (see Kirby Barge Oil Spill, Houston/Texas City Ship Channel, Port Bolivar, Texas) that resulted in an oil spill of approximately 168,000 gallons caused the closure of the heavily trafficked Port of Houston for 3 days. Some oil came ashore near the collision site in the Galveston area, but northeasterly winds carried the remainder out of the Bay. Longshore currents then carried the oil to the west, some as far as 150 miles, were it stranded on Matagorda Island.

    Ken Finkelstein, coach of the Marblehead, Massachusetts High School National Ocean Science Bowl team, led his students to their first winning record at the Massachusetts regional tournament (The Blue Lobster Bowl) on March 1, 2014 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.

    Photo of students in EROS class.

    During the week of March 24, nearly 45 spill responders from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), EPA, and numerous federal, tribal, state, local and industry partners are being introduced to the use of science during oil spills through table-top and field exercises as well as classroom instruction.

    Photo of Glen Cove Creek.

    NOAA and our co-trustees have finalized an addendum to the Final Restoration Plan summarizing the restoration projects selected to compensate for habitat degradation related to releases of hazardous substances from the Mattiace Petrochemical Site located on the north shore of Long Island in Glen Cove, NY.

    Photo of people at the District of Columbia STEM Fair.

    On March 22, NOAA awarded the “Taking the Pulse of the Planet” to eighth-grader, Julius Ball-Heldman, at the District of Columbia Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Fair.

    Graphic of the ADIOS model.

    In support of the Texas City Y Oil Spill response, OR&R chemist Dalina Thrift-Viveros used an ADIOS model to predict how much of the spilled oil evaporated, how much mixed in to the water column, and how much remains floating on the surface.

    Photo of two men in front of a helicopter.

    Starting on March 22, Adam Davis has been serving as Lead NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator on the recent Texas City Y Incident in Galveston Bay.

    Photo of workers deploying boom.

    A March 22 vessel collision in Galveston Bay, Texas, resulted in an oil spill of approximately 168,000 gallons. As of March 27 as predicted, strong southerly winds stranded much of the offshore oil overnight in the Matagorda region and these onshore winds are expected to bring ashore the remaining floating oil off Matagorda Island by Friday morning.

    National Response System publication.

    The National Response Team (NRT) and Regional Response Team (RRT) chairs and coordinators from around the country met in Atlanta March 18-19, 2014, to discuss issues related to oil and chemical spill prevention, preparedness and response. The NRT is comprised of 15 federal agencies (https://nrt.org/).

    Photo of King Range National Conservation Area.

    Sherry Lippiatt, NOAA's Marine Debris Program California Regional Coordinator, participated in a winter lecture series hosted by the Bureau of Land Management King Range National Conservation Area. This region is home to the "Lost Coast," some of the most remote coastline in California.

    Image of restoration being done in a wetland.

    Restoration action for the Brio Refining / Dixie Oil Processors joint Natural Resource Damage Assessment case in Harris County, Texas has been completed. Texas Natural Resource Trustees, working with the responsible parties, negotiated a settlement to restore trust resources injured as a result of hazardous materials being released from both sites.

    An example screen shot of Atlantic ERMA.

    The North Atlantic chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) is sponsoring a two-day short course on Natural Resource Damage Assessments (NRDAs) on June 10-11 at University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

    On March 4, 2014, the Maine and New Hampshire Area Committee held its 17th annual “Oil Spill Response Seminar.” This year’s topic was “Responding to Submerged Oils.” OR&R’s Emergency Response Division has been a key participant and contributor to these seminars both as a member of the Design Team and as a presenter.

    OR&R Outreach is offering Crisis and Risk Communication (CERC) training to take place on April 2, 2014 in NOAA Building 9 on the Seattle/Sand Point campus. The training will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is free to all participants (not limited to OR&R) and is open to any NOAA staff in Seattle that day. First developed in 2002 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CERC training is a fast-paced, interactive course that gives participants essential knowledge and tools to navigate the harsh realities of communicating to the public, media, partners and stakeholders during an emergency.

    Image of panel discussing the film.

    Last weekend, Jason Rolfe, the NOAA Marine Debris Program Southeast and Caribbean Regional Coordinator, took part in a panel discussion and provided insight on the award-winning documentary, Into the Gyre about plastic pollution in the North Atlantic Ocean following the public screening at the Jekyll Island Convention Center on Jekyll Island, Georgia.

    Image of classroom at the Disaster Response Center.

    During the week of March 10, OR&R provided a Science of Oil Spills (SOS) Class to 45 emergency response and natural resource professionals from the region, nationally, including one student from the Canadian Coast Guard at the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Disaster Response Center. (We had 124 applicants for the class and were only able to accommodate 45, which still is a larger than normal class.)

    Ken Finkelstein sponsored and organized the tenth winter meeting of the NOAA New England working group. This biannual meeting is held all over New England with the recent meeting held in Boston, MA at the U.S. EPA Regional Office on March 11, 2014.

    The ship Exxon Valdez.

    On March 24, 2014, we hosted a Twitter Q&A with NOAA marine biologist Gary Shigenaka on the environmental impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which happened 25 years earlier in Prince William Sound, Alaska.

    The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated a three-day summit hosted by and held at the National Marine Fisheries Southeast Regional Office in St. Petersburg, Florida, on February 25-27, 2014.

    Winning entry in the Marine Debris Program art contest.

    Congratulations to the winners of the 2014 "Keep the Sea Free of Debris!" art contest.

    Image of Kent-Reliant grounding in 2003.

    The OR&R Emergency Response Division is pleased to announce the release of an updated version of IncidentNews.

    Science of Oil Spills class.

    This week NOAA's Disaster Response Center hosted more than 40 state and federal responders for the Emergency Response Division's Science of Oil Spills class.

    A virtual table-top exercise between the U.S. Coast Guard, Cuba, Mexico and the Bahamas will occur on March 12, 12014.