MAY 13, 2024 — In 2024, the Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) celebrates its 20th year in partnership with OR&R and the University of New Hampshire (UNH).
OR&R Weekly Report
The Office of Response and Restoration publishes this weekly round-up of news and information of interest to our partners, stakeholders, and team members. Click to subscribe
December 2022
DEC. 19, 2022 — On Dec. 13, following a competitive review process, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the five recipients of the 2022 Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund.
DEC. 19, 2022 — Extreme heat is one of the leading causes of weather-related illness and death in the United States, causing more fatalities in a typical year than hurricanes, tornadoes, severe storms, and floods. As climate change continues to increase the likelihood of weather extremes, the impacts of heat on communities—especially on their most vulnerable citizens—is likely to worsen.
DEC. 12, 2022 — On Nov. 29, the 2022 Young Pacific Leaders cohort visited the Inouye Regional Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, for a facility tour and presentations from NOAA team members. The Young Pacific Leaders Program is organized by the U.S. government and aims to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region and strengthen ties between the United States and the Pacific.
DEC. 12, 2022 — On Nov. 22 2022, the Journal of Benefit Cost Analysis published “Discounting in Natural Resource Damage Assessment '' by OR&R’s economists Cameron Duff, Chris Giguere, and Jason Murray, and co-authors from Industrial Economics and the University of Wisconsin.
DEC. 12, 2022 — The Office of Response and Restoration Disaster Preparedness Program serves a vital role for the National Ocean Service’s preparedness and continuity of operations planning. This November, the program celebrated a major milestone — five years of preparing partners and communities to respond to and recover from disasters. Their work is growing in importance and demand as coastal disasters become more frequent and severe.
DEC. 12, 2022 — In early October, NOAA OR&R scientists participated in a functional tabletop exercise in Anacortes, Washington. The purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate the capability of the oil industry and other agencies working together to develop an oil spill response plan that is used to minimize and mitigate the impacts of an oil spill.
DEC. 12, 2022 — Last week, NOAA OR&R and NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service’s Pacific Regional Office, in collaboration with U.S. Coast Guard District 14, hosted an Environmental Consultation Seminar in Honolulu, Hawaii.
DEC. 5, 2022 – The Office of Response and Restoration attended the 2022 Clean Gulf Conference in New Orleans from Nov. 8-10, with representation from the director, senior scientist, scientific support coordinators and scientists, and Assessment and Restoration staff.
DEC. 5, 2022 — On Nov. 17, the NOAA Marine Debris Program coordinated and presented at the bi-annual California Ocean Litter Prevention Strategy webinar. The webinar brought together over 80 partners across the state and included a diverse set of sectors including state agencies, nonprofits, policy-makers, and academia.
DEC. 5, 2022 — OR&R scientists hosted a booth at the “Scientist at Sea Research Symposium” put on by local Eckerd College to showcase student research.
DEC. 5, 2022 — On Feb.15-16, 2022, the Coastal Response Research Center and NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration co-sponsored a virtual workshop entitled “Greater Houston Area Bottlenose Dolphin Data Gaps.”
DEC. 5, 2022 — On Nov. 3, scientists from the Southeast region in OR&R’s Assessment & Restoration Division prepared to assess oil spill impacts on beaches by testing a beach porewater sampling protocol.
DEC. 5, 2022 — In late September 2022, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) released a pre-publication version of Oil in the Sea IV: Inputs, Fate and Effects.
November 2022
NOV. 21, 2022 – The Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster took place more than a dozen years ago, beginning on April 20, 2010, but the recovery process continues to this day.
NOV. 21, 2022 — On Nov. 8, the NOAA Marine Debris Program Deputy Division Chief MaryLee Haughwout presented at a River Management Society Education Roundtable webinar titled “Talking Trash: Approaches to prevent, intercept, and remove ocean bound plastic and debris.” MaryLee shared the stage with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service colleague Glenn Constant.
NOV. 21, 2022 — On Nov. 3, the NOAA Marine Debris Program released an updated toolbox of materials to help assess marine debris on shorelines through NOAA’s Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP).
NOV. 21, 2022 — Recently, NOAA and the Environmental Protection Agency jointly released their annual updates for CAMEO Data Manager and Tier2 Submit™, two programs that aid emergency organizations in preparing for and responding to chemical emergencies.
NOV. 7, 2022 — On Oct. 26, representatives from NOAA’s National Ocean Service and the Marine Debris Program, within NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration, presented to more than 200 middle and high school students at a unique field trip opportunity in Washington D.C.
NOV. 7, 2022 — Two significant oil spills that occurred in the late 1980s—the barge Nestucca, which spilled more than 230,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel oil into the Pacific Ocean near Grays Harbor, Washington, and the Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska—led to the formation of an oil spill task force in 1989 between Washington State and British Columbia.
NOAA Marine Debris Program Joins Sustainability Leaders on the Water to Discuss Microfiber Pollution
NOV. 7, 2022 — On Oct. 27, NOAA Marine Debris Program staff attended Materevolve’s Textiles x Ocean Connector Sail Event in San Francisco Bay, California. The goal of the event was to bring sustainability leaders together to discuss important topics at the intersection of textiles and ocean.
NOV. 7, 2022 — The Office of Response and Restoration recently participated in the final of four multi-agency hotwashes to debrief the F/V Aleutian Isle sinking incident that occurred in the San Juan Islands in the state of Washington.
NOV. 7, 2022 — For the first time in three years, U.S. Coast Guard District 9 held an Incident Management Team round-up training event in Camp Grayling, Michigan.
October 2022
OCT. 31, 2022 — Nearly half of all Americans are exposed to potentially damaging earthquakes where they work and live. Still, others will be at risk when traveling. It’s a good idea for everyone, everywhere to know how to protect themselves during an earthquake.
OCT. 24, 2022 — On Oct. 13, Christy Kehoe, the California regional coordinator for the NOAA’s Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, presented at the virtual California State University Channel Islands Women in Conservation Session Speaker Series.
OCT. 24, 2022 — On Oct. 6, Andrew Mason, the Pacific Northwest regional coordinator for NOAA's Marine Debris Program shared his NOAA career story, including that of starting as an intern before becoming a contractor and eventually a federal employee, with seniors from Highline High School in the Seattle area.
OCT. 24, 2022 — A new map synthesizes more than 30 years of NOAA oil spill and hazardous waste pollution settlements. In total, NOAA has helped recover $10.6 billion for restoration from settlements across the United States.
OCT. 24, 2022 — In early October, OR&R Director Scott Lundgren, along with several OR&R scientists, traveled to Halifax, Nova Scotia to participate in the International Oil Spill Science conference. This conference was an in-depth scientific conference capping the first phase of the Canada Multi-Partner Research Initiative funded under Canada's Oceans Protection Plan.
OCT. 21, 2022 — On Oct. 19-20, OR&R was represented by Scott Lundgren, Aaron Parker, and LT Steven Wall at two information exchange forums with the oil spill response community.
