Posts tagged with

Deepwater Horizon

Advances in Pollution Response and Assessment Science

Posted 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.

National Aquarium Dolphins Take a Deep Breath on Camera for Oil Spill Science

Posted Tue, 03/29/2022 - 13:52
By Megan Ewald, Office of Response and Restoration

Dolphin anatomy and behavior put them at high risk of inhaling oil during spills. They breathe at the surface, where oil floats. Unlike humans, who have noses that serve as air filters, dolphins blow holes connect almost directly to their lungs. This creates a more direct pathway for toxic oil to enter their bodies.

A Spooky Science Story: Deep-Sea Corals Entombed by an Oily Snow

Posted Fri, 10/29/2021 - 13:21
By Megan Ewald and Daniel Hahn

At the very bottom of the Gulf of Mexico live deep-sea corals—soft, alien versions of their more familiar shallow water cousins. For eons, deep-sea corals thrived in the depths, providing shelter for smaller denizens like brittlestars, sponges, and crabs. Until one day, dirty snow from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill descended upon them.

8 Projects to Make Gulf Recreation Better Since Deepwater Horizon

Posted Thu, 07/22/2021 - 15:06
By Megan Ewald, Office of Response and Restoration

Imagine the perfect day at the beach, lying in the sand, fishing from the pier, maybe taking a boat out on the water. Then an oil spill occurs, and the beach is no longer a fun place to be. When an oil spill or other pollutant keeps people from enjoying a natural area, it’s up to agencies like NOAA, acting as public trustees of affected areas, to determine the impact of pollution on public recreation. 

Advances in Assessing Sea Turtles and Marine Mammals During Oil Spills

Posted Tue, 06/01/2021 - 12:58
By Megan Ewald, Office of Response and Restoration

2021 marks 30 years of NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) working to hold polluters accountable for the impacts of oil spills, hazardous waste, and ship groundings in waterways. When oil spills and hazardous waste pollution impact protected species like sea turtles, whales, and dolphins, NOAA experts use leading science to assess the impacts and hold polluters accountable. 

8 Advances in Oil Spill Science in the Decade Since Deepwater Horizon
By Megan Ewald, Office of Response and Restoration
alyssa.gray Wed, 04/21/2021 - 12:10

From March 30 to April 20, tune in as we go back in time to the day of our country’s largest marine oil spill, what’s happened since then, and how we’re better prepared for future spills. In our final blog we provide on overview of some of the advances in science we’ve discussed in-depth throughout the last three weeks.

Dolphin Discoveries in the Decade Since Deepwater Horizon
By Teri Rowles, Lori Schwacke (National Marine Mammal Foundation), and Megan Ewald
alyssa.gray Wed, 04/14/2021 - 20:30

From March 30 to April 20, tune in as we go back in time to the day of our country’s largest marine oil spill, what’s happened since then, and how we’re better prepared for future spills. In our latest blog, learn more about the research and discoveries that have been made about dolphins since Deepwater Horizon.

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990: A History of Spills and Legislation
By Gary Shigenaka, Office of Response and Restoration
alyssa.gray Mon, 08/17/2020 - 12:45

In the U.S., it has been a fact of life that major news events influence the political course of the country. Occurrences large and small can stir the notoriously short and fickle attention span of the public, and in turn, the political machinery that generally responds to what the voters believe to be issues of importance. Oil spills may sometimes rise to that level, depending on their size and complexity.

On Sea Turtles, Seaweed, and Oil Spills

Posted Tue, 06/16/2020 - 12:22

The young loggerhead sea turtle, its ridged shell only a few inches across, perches calmly among a floating island of brown seaweed called sargassum. Suddenly, a shadow passes overhead. A hungry seabird? Taking no chances, the small sea turtle dips beneath the ocean surface. It dives through the sargassum's tangle of branches and bladders filled with air, which keep everything afloat. Open ocean stretches for miles around the free-floating sargassum mats — which provide critical refuge to juvenile sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico — as they drift slowly with the currents. Unfortunately, these currents can just as easily push floating oil. This puts sargassum and all the creatures it supports in the path of oil spills.

The Early Days and Hours of Deepwater Horizon

Posted Mon, 04/20/2020 - 13:59

From March 30 to April 20, tune in as we go back in time to the day of our country’s largest marine oil spill, what’s happened since then, and how we’re better prepared for future spills. In our latest blog, get a detailed look at the early hours and days of the spill.