Deepwater Horizon
AP Photo: Gerald Herbert
Member agencies of the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee have submitted the following Gulf oil spill reports and links to display useful resources on observations, forecast models, and current conditions in the affected area.
If you have any specific questions, please contact the support office.
IOOC Federal Agency Oil Spill Resources
Jump to: NOAA | BOEMRE | EPA | MMC | USCG | USGS
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
| Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill | IOOS response to BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A portal that consolidates many data streams to help response efforts. |
| Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory | Links to AOML’s products for monitoring the Gulf of Mexico Conditions During the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. |
| Subsurface Monitoring Unit (SMU) Wiki | An interagency, multi-sector wiki to address the immediate operational response needs and provide a foundation for subsequent assessment phases. |
| OR&R Emergency Response | NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration provides updates on coordinated scientific weather and biological response services to federal, state and local organizations. |
| GeoPlatform Emergency Response Management Application (ERMA) | The site integrates the latest data the federal responders have about the oil spill’s trajectory with fishery area closures, wildlife data and place-based Gulf Coast resources — such as pinpointed locations of oiled shoreline and current positions of deployed research ships — into one customizable interactive map. |
| Satellite Derived Surface Oil Analysis Products – Deepwater Horizon | The Satellite Analysis Branch manually integrates data from numerous imagery sources including Synthetic Aperture Radar and high resolution visible imagery along with various ancillary data sources. The result is a quality-controlled display of the locations of possible detected oil on the surface of the ocean. |
| NOAA Homepage | Website provides information on weather, NOAA organizations, media & constituents, NOAA in your state, budget information, and emergency information. |
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement
| Deepwater Horizon Incident Homepage | Overview and resources related to the Gulf oil spill. |
| Electronic Reading Room | Contains documents related to the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill that have been cleared for public release. |
| Safety Alerts to Operators and Drilling Contractors | The nature of the accident compels operators and drilling contractors to inspect their drilling equipment and review their procedures to ensure the safety of personnel and protection of the environment. This site provides safety recommendations. |
| Offshore Energy and Minerals Management | Website provides information on the Bureau’s role in America’s energy supply by managing the mineral resources on 1.7 billion acres of the he Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This includes managing Renewable Energy Programs as well as Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing in Federal waters. |
| Environmental Studies Program Information System | Technical summaries of over 700 BOEMRE-sponsored environmental research projects, as well as full pdf documents of over 2,000 research reports, are available for online full text search. |
| Safety and Oil Spill Research | Provides information on the Technology Assessment & Research Program, which supports research associated with operational safety and pollution prevention as well as oil spill response and cleanup capabilities. |
| Directive to Guide Implementation of Stronger Safety Requirements for Offshore Drilling | Deepwater drilling moratorium remains in place, shallow water drilling may continue in compliance with stronger safety requirements. |
| Directive to Guide Safe, Six-Month Moratorium on Deepwater Drilling | The U.S. Department of the Interior today issued a directive to oil and gas lessees and operators on the Outer Continental Shelf notifying them of requirements under the six month deepwater drilling moratorium that Secretary Salazar has ordered. |
| NOAA Coast Watch | CoastWatch provides a variety of environmental data (i.e. SST, ocean color, winds, etc.) from several different satellite platforms covering all U.S. coastal waters, including Hawaii and Alaska. |
| Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico Node Oil Spill | Satellite imagery of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill. |
Environmental Protection Agency
| Response to BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico | EPA’s oil spill response page provides more information related to dispersant use, response to air quality concerns, alerts related to drinking water, and more information. |
| Oil Spill Emergency Management | Contains information on EPA’s prevention, preparation, and response to oil spills that occur in and around inland waters of the United States. |
| Petroleum Oils | Describes petroleum-based oils as a broad range of natural hydrocarbon-based substances and refined petroleum products, each having a different chemical composition. |
| Spill Location | Different factors affect the ability to contain and clean up an oil spill. Issues concerning geographic isolation, weather conditions, body of water, and type of shoreline are all considered when creating a spill site scenario. |
| Threats from Oil Spills | Spilled oil poses serious threats to fresh water and marine environments, affecting surface resources and a wide range of subsurface organisms that are linked in a complex food chain that includes human food resources. |
| Response to Oil Spills | Despite the nation’s best efforts to prevent spills, almost 14,000 oil spills are reported each year, mobilizing thousands of specially trained emergency response personnel and challenging the best-laid contingency plans. |
| Understanding Oil Spills and Oil Spill Response | A brochure to provide information about oil spills. It outlines what oil spills are, their potential effects on the environment, how they are cleaned up, and how various agencies prepare for spills before they happen. Details about several oil spills and the resulting cleanup operations are provided to offer examples of the complexities involved in oil spill cleanup activities. |
| Alternative Countermeasures for Oil Spills | Describes how mechanical equipment, such as booms and skimmers, is used to block the spread of oil, concentrate it into one area, and remove it from the water. Chemical and biological treatment of oil can be used in place of mechanical methods, especially in areas where untreated oil may reach shorelines and sensitive habitats where a cleanup becomes difficult and environmentally damaging. |
| Recommendations Following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill | As a result of the Exxon Valdez spill, the President directed the National Response Team (NRT) in April 1989 to study the nation’s overall capability to prevent and respond to oil spills of national significance and recommend improvements. |
| Marine Mammal Commission Testimony | Testimony provided by Executive Director, Tim Ragen, submitted to the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its effects on marine mammals. |
| Deepwater Horizon Unified Command | Official Website of the Unified Command tracking alerts, press briefings, breaking news, and live remotely operated vehicle (ROV) footage. Also provides phone numbers for various support and assistance. |
| Overall USGS Oil Spill Response |
The USGS hosts a website providing continuous updates on our overall operations. |
| Coastal Impacts & Sampling Efforts |
The USGS provides weather scenarios and a list of sampling sites. |
| Satellite Imagery & Other Geospatial Information |
The USGS has lidar topography, bathymetry, and aerial imagery for the Northern Gulf of Mexico. |
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The USGS has recorded images from the Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 satellites. |
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| In addition, the USGS maintains a Hazards Data Distribution System. | |
| Wildlife Issues | The USGS is performing research on oil’s effects on birds |
| Publications | |
| Other Related Media |
The USGS maintains a multimedia gallery of oil spill-related media. |
| News Releases & Congressional Testimony |
The USGS has several press releases and twitter chats on the Flow Rate Technical Group, as well as Secretary Salazar’s efforts in Houston |
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The USGS also has the transcript of Director Marcia McNutt’s statement before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies |
