Flying High for Science: The Role of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems in Oil Spill Response
By Melanie Herrera, Office of Response and Restoration
ryan.v.smith Tue, 01/16/2024 - 08:31

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.

Incident Responses for November 2023 ryan.v.smith Mon, 12/18/2023 - 09:21

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.

Incident Responses for September 2023 donna.l.roberts Fri, 10/13/2023 - 11:31

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. 

Advances in Pollution Response and Assessment Science donna.l.roberts Tue, 08/22/2023 - 15:57

As new and more intense forms of marine pollution threaten coastal ecosystems, economies, and communities, scientists from NOAA OR&R collaborate with leading experts on topics like marine debris, environmental economics, endangered species, environmental chemistry, and many other subjects that intersect with pollution science. This blog highlights some recently published scientific advances supporting pollution response and assessment.

Looking Back to a Major Spill in Tampa Bay—30 Years Ago this Month

Posted Wed, 08/09/2023 - 13:51
By Doug Helton, Office of Response and Restoration

Doug Helton, Regional Operations Supervisor in OR&R's Emergency Response Division, recalls a significant incident that happened 30 years ago in Tampa Bay, involving multiple vessels, a fire, and spilled heavy fuel oil, jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline. Despite decades passing by, he continues to use photos from that incident to illustrate the challenges and trade-offs of shoreline cleanup.