By Vicki Loe, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration
On a drizzly November day, I met Simeon Hahn at Phoenix Park in Camden, New Jersey to talk about his work. As a Philadelphia native, I wanted to learn more about the work NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration does in the area. It was also an opportunity for me to get to know Simeon, an environmental scientist and regional resource coordinator with OR&R.
Simeon grew up in the natural beauty of the Shenandoah Valley in Waynesboro, Virginia. His parents came from the Black Forest area in Germany, and later bought a cabin and land adjacent to the George Washington National Forest in Virginia.
Guest Blog By Leslie Smith, Science Communicator for the Consortium for Ocean Leadership
Almost eight years have passed since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Following the spill, scientists embarked on an unprecedented effort to better understand the fragile ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico that provide livelihood for so many in the nearby coastal communities.
Has the Gulf of Mexico recovered following the 2010 oil spill? Has new science made it more resilient to future disasters? Are we now more prepared to respond to the next spill? Experts will explore these questions and more at the upcoming 2018 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science (GoMOSES) Conference.
Another year has come and gone, and we’re starting the new year off right with a list of resolutions to make this one as great (if not better) than the last.
With a record number of incident responses and ongoing pollution response to an above-average hurricane season, 2017 was a busy year. We accomplished quite a bit last year, and while we always hope the new year will bring fewer oil spills and disasters than the year before, it’s our job to be prepared for whatever 2018 throws our way.
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.
Our Incident News website has information on oil spills and other incidents where we provided scientific support.