Monthly Archives September 2019

National Geodetic Survey Disaster Response

Posted Mon, 09/23/2019 - 14:50
By Dave Gothan, NOAA National Geodetic Survey

This week, during National Preparedness Month, OR&R is taking a closer look at some of the disaster response roles our office and its partners serve in being prepared for both natural and human-caused disasters. In today’s blog, learn more about an important partner in preparedness within NOAA — the National Geodetic Survey.

The ‘Little Extras’ in Preparedness: ‘Fun Food’ and an Old MRE Memory

Posted Mon, 09/23/2019 - 14:34
By Charlie Henry, OR&R Disaster Preparedness Program

This week, during National Preparedness Month, OR&R is taking a closer look at some of the disaster response roles our office and its partners serve in being prepared for both natural and human-caused disasters. In today’s blog, read a first person account of an OR&R scientist’s experience preparing for and living through disasters, and how the “little extras” in preparedness can make a difference. 

Before the Storm Hits: Preparing for Disaster Debris

Posted Mon, 09/23/2019 - 11:54
By Emma Tonge, OR&R Marine Debris Program

This week, during National Preparedness Month, OR&R is taking a closer look at some of the disaster response roles our office and its partners serve in being prepared for both natural and human-caused disasters. In today’s blog, learn more about how OR&R’s Marine Debris Program helps to prevent and remove debris after major storms, such as hurricanes, and find out what you can do to help prevent debris before the storm hits.

The Power of Preparedness

Posted Sun, 09/22/2019 - 17:57
By Alyson Finn, Disaster Preparedness Program

This week, during National Preparedness Month, OR&R is taking a closer look at some of the disaster response roles our office and its partners serve in being prepared for both natural and human-caused disasters. In today’s blog, learn more about why disaster preparedness is important, what the National Ocean Service does to prepare, and some tips for how you can prepare.

Incident Responses for August 2019

Posted Tue, 09/10/2019 - 12:12

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 10 incidents, including oil discharges, sunken vessels, and other pollution-related incidents.  

Here are some of August’s notable incidents:

Keystone Species Arctic Cod Extremely Sensitive to Oil Exposure

Posted Tue, 09/03/2019 - 22:40
By Dr. Sarah Allan and Megan Ewald, Office of Response and Restoration

Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) are small, ice-affiliated forage fish, that can make up more than 80% of all living fish in Arctic waters. Arctic cod have a circumpolar distribution that includes the Chukchi, Beaufort, and Bering seas in the Alaskan Arctic, and are a critical link in Arctic food webs. 

This keystone Arctic species is also particularly vulnerable to oil spills, which was the focus of a new study titled “Embryonic crude oil exposure impairs growth and lipid allocation in a keystone Arctic forage fish.”