A Whale of Information from a Single Shot: Studying Marine Mammals After Oil Spills Using Remote Biopsy

Posted Mon, 02/10/2020 - 16:32
By Megan Ewald, Office of Response and Restoration

As the vessel speeds through the icy water in pursuit of whales, one researcher cocks and loads a crossbow, waiting for a dorsal fin to surface and the perfect time to strike. It’s a scene reminiscent of America’s maritime past, when commercialized whalers harpooned whales from wooden rowboats to harvest their oils and bones. Industrial whaling nearly wiped out some of America's whales, but today when scientists approach marine mammals such as whales and dolphins in small boats, they are on the hunt for information that helps protect them.

More Than Two Decades Later, Have Killer Whales Recovered from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill? alyssa.gray Mon, 02/10/2020 - 14:36

Does a killer whale instinctively know how to avoid oil spilled on the surface of its watery home? At the time of the Exxon Valdez oil spill 23 years ago, scientists and oil spill experts presumed that the answer was "yes."

Incident Responses for January 2020

Posted Fri, 02/07/2020 - 15:09

Every month our Emergency Response Division provides scientific expertise and services to the U.S. Coast Guard on everything from running oil spill trajectories to model where the spill may spread, to possible effects on wildlife and fisheries and estimates on how long the oil may stay in the environment. This month OR&R responded to eight incidents, including oil discharges, sunken vessels, and other pollution-related incidents. Here are some of January's notable incidents ...

Minds Behind OR&R: Meet Marine Debris Program’s Tom Barry

Posted Fri, 01/24/2020 - 17:25
By Jennifer Simms, Office of Response and Restoration Marine Debris Program

This feature is part of a monthly series profiling scientists and technicians who provide exemplary contributions to the mission of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R). In this month’s feature meet Tom Barry, a management and program analyst in OR&R’s Marine Debris Program.

Three Ways to Assess Marine Mammals During Oil Spills

Posted Tue, 01/21/2020 - 14:01
By Megan Ewald, Office of Response and Restoration

Since thousands of oil spills of varying sizes occur in U.S. waters each year, oil spill scientists must be prepared to respond to and assess the impacts of oil on marine mammals. To do this, the NOAA has published: "Guidelines for Assessing Exposure and Impacts of Oil Spills on Marine Mammals," which is available for the public on the NOAA Central Library website. These guidelines provide a review of considerations for marine mammals under NOAA's jurisdiction, incorporating knowledge gained from previous oil spills.

Homewaters: Exploring Waterways that Inspire, from Rhode Island to Texas

Posted Wed, 01/15/2020 - 17:52

Everyone at NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration plays a crucial role in our mission. For many of us, our journey into the marine world can be traced back to a special place that first sparked a love of water and wild places. This installment of our monthly series “Homewaters” explores some of the waters that kindled a passion that would go on to last a lifetime.

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Incident Responses for December 2019

Posted Tue, 01/07/2020 - 12:47

Every month our Emergency Response Division provides scientific expertise and services to the U.S. Coast Guard on everything from running oil spill trajectories to model where the spill may spread, to possible effects on wildlife and fisheries and estimates on how long the oil may stay in the environment. This month OR&R responded to 12 incidents, including oil discharges, sunken vessels, and other pollution-related incidents. Here are some of December's notable incidents ...