Last year, we provided scientific support for 162 new incidents — including 132 oil spills, 13 chemical spills, and 17 other incidents—such as severe storms, marine debris, and whale carcass drift requests. In our latest blog, we're taking a look back at our 2023 response efforts

Dr. Madison Willert, a 2023 Knauss Fellow from Georgia Tech, shares her experience as the Marine Debris Coordinator in NOAA’s Marine Debris Program and the National Sea Grant Office.

In 2023, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration kickstarted a project to optimize oil spill response by utilizing uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), or “drones,” and strengthen data collection and delivery for oil spill response in real-time.

Last month, OR&R emergency response scientists provided support for 25 marine pollution incidents, including a fire on a cargo vessel transporting lithium-ion batteries in Alaska, a gasoline pipeline spill in northwest Washington, and a chemical explosion and fire in Connecticut.

OR&R and the Coast Guard are working together to enhance and expedite response operations with cutting-edge science that puts eyes in the sky through the use of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) technologies, such as drones.

So far this year, OR&R has supported 150 incident responses. In November 2023 alone, we provided response support for 28 incidents, including a crude oil spill off Louisiana's coast, a downed U.S. Navy aircraft in Hawaii's Kaneohe Bay, and reports of mysterious tar balls along New Jersey beaches.

So far this year, OR&R has provided support for 141 incidents. During October 2023, OR&R provided response support for 23 incidents, including 16 new incidents in six different states and two in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

So far this year, OR&R has provided support for 122 incidents. During September 2023, OR&R provided response support for 18 incidents, including eight new incidents in seven different states.