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EPA Superfund Web Site The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administ...
NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program News News from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program...
Recent Press Releases View this section of our download catalog to quick...
NOAA 200th Celebration Web Page Link to NOAA 200th Celebration Web Page
Incident News: Barge DM932 Learn more about the Barge DM932 collision and spi...
Featured Image Galleries
Strandley-Manning Site Tour A Superfund site on south Puget Sound in Washingto... (11 images)
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Photos of OR&R in action during Hurricanes Katrina... (17 images)
small noaa logo Home | Interested Public
Information for those interested in ocean and coastal issues.
Featured:Software & Data SetsPublicationsWeb Portals
NOAA's Emergency Response Program NOAA's cross-cutting program to build and sustain the agency's ability to respond effectively to emergencies.
OR&R across the U.S.
OR&R: A History
NOAA Weather Service/Seattle and OR&R Joint Web Product Completed
Safe Seas Drift Card FAQ
OR&R Budget Overview
• view all 9 items regarding NOAA's Emergency Response Program
Assessing Risk to Ecological Resources Assessing hazardous waste sites that threaten NOAA's trust resources.
Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet Assessment Project
November 2006 Update to NOAA SQuiRT Cards
Creating New Habitat As Part of Hazardous Waste Cleanup at Asarco
Marine Debris Marine debris is any man-made object discarded, disposed of, or abandoned that enters the coastal or marine environment. It may enter directly from a ship, or indirectly when washed out to sea via rivers, streams and storm drains.


Marine debris threatens oceans and coasts; marine mammals, fish, and seabirds; human health and safety; and navigation.

OR&R Budget Overview
First Lady Comments on Marine Debris

Inspiring Students and Teachers Information and activities for students and teachers who'd like to learn more about oil spills or hazardous chemical accidents.
Mearns Rock Time Series
Coral Reefs and Oil Spills: A Guided Tour
Water Cycle Game
Investigating the Top of the Water Column
What's the Story on Oil Spills?
• view all 8 items regarding Inspiring Students and Teachers
Restoration Planning Tools Describing NOAA's responsibilities, defining restoration terms, assessing injuries to natural resources and approaches to restoration.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Oil and Chemical Spills
What is ARD's role in waste site cleanup?
Glossary of Natural Resource Restoration Terms
What are NOAA trust resources?
Responding to Oil Spills Information to support effective and safe responses to oil spills in the coastal environment.
ESI Exercises
New Orleans Spill Incident: Barge DM932
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Guided Tours
Container Ship Strikes Bay Bridge
• view all 16 items regarding Responding to Oil Spills
Protecting Coastal Resources Evaluating pollutants in the coastal environment and determining remediation measures to protect coastal resources from further harm caused by those pollutants.
Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet Assessment Project
OR&R: A History
First Lady Comments on Marine Debris
November 2006 Update to NOAA SQuiRT Cards
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Oil and Chemical Spills
Helping Revitalize Communities Working locally to help communities revitalize waterfronts through environmental remediation and restoration.
OR&R Budget Overview
First Lady Comments on Marine Debris
OR&R Efforts in Vieques, Puerto Rico
Featured Case Studies Highlighting selected cases and restoration projects with summary information about project implementation.
OR&R Efforts in Vieques, Puerto Rico
Restoration at Bar Beach Lagoon, Long Island, New York
Strandley Manning
Restoration in Jefferson County, Texas
Restoration of Commencement Bay, Tacoma, Washington
Responding to Chemical Spills Information to support effective and safe responses to chemical spills in the coastal environment.
Guided Tours
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about ALOHA
Chemical Spills: A Guided Tour
The Emergency Response Division (ERD) Role in OR&R
OR&R Media Archive
Integrating Remediation and Restoration Merging remediation and restoration planning to promote timely, effective, and efficient protection and restoration of degraded coastal resources.
Pribilof Islands Environmental Restoration Project
Creating New Habitat As Part of Hazardous Waste Cleanup at Asarco
Supporting Local and Regional Decision-Making Working to support community decisions that promote sustainable uses of coastal resources.
Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet Assessment Project
OR&R: A History
First Lady Comments on Marine Debris
OR&R Hawaii Data Management Partnership Reaps Rewards
Vieques Crab Sampling Study
• view all 6 items regarding Supporting Local and Regional Decision-Making
Restoration Projects Summarizes restoration projects conducted by NOAA and our partners in order to recover natural resources.
OR&R Budget Overview
Wetland Restoration near Bladensburg
Restoration in Port Arthur, Texas
Naval Construction Battalion Center
Creating New Habitat As Part of Hazardous Waste Cleanup at Asarco
• view all 9 items regarding Restoration Projects
Planning for Environmental Emergencies Information to help contingency planners protect regions against oil and chemical spills.
ESI Exercises
Guided Tours
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about ALOHA
Safe Seas Drift Card FAQ
Chemical Spills: A Guided Tour
• view all 7 items regarding Planning for Environmental Emergencies
Watershed Database & Mapping Projects NOAA's Assessment and Restoration Division has developed numerous Watershed Database and Mapping Projects. Because each project is unique, with its own characteristics, their components vary. But each builds upon a standard database structure and a data delivery application (Query Manager). Most include GIS data as well.
Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet Assessment Project
OR&R Efforts in Vieques, Puerto Rico
ARD IMS Sites
Assessing Environmental Harm Evaluating oil and chemical behavior and assessing effects and damage from spills.
Mearns Rock Time Series
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Summary Points: 10 Years of Intertidal Monitoring After the Exxon Valdez Spill
Prince William Sound: An Ecosystem in Transition
Prince William Sound: Our Changing Perspective on Recovery
• view all 7 items regarding Assessing Environmental Harm
Abandoned Vessels Identifying and removing vessels abandoned in sensitive coastal environments.
Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet Assessment Project
Charter Vessel Scuttled on Pearl and Hermes Atoll in NW Hawaiian Islands
Abandoned Vessel Reporting Form
Natural Resource Damage Assessment Through the NRDA process, DARRP and co-trustees conduct studies to identify the extent of resource injuries, the best methods for restoring those resources, and the type and amount of restoration required.
NOAA, DOJ, DOI, and State of Texas Settle Chevron Natural Resources Liability
Recent and Historical Incidents Responses to oil and chemical spills.
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
OR&R Aids Selendang Ayu Spill Response
OR&R Continues Support for M/V Selendang Ayu in Unalaska
Response to the Exxon Valdez Spill
M/V Selendang Ayu Cleanup Operations Complete
• view all 11 items regarding Recent and Historical Incidents

Featured Software & Data Sets for Interested Public Pages on our site that provide access to software created by the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) to aid first responders, planners, and restoration practitioners.
A small section of an ESI map. Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Maps
ESI maps help oil spill responders and planners to identify vulnerable coastal locations, establish protection priorities, and identify cleanup strategies.
ESI Training
A new training module is now available for ESI users. The manual and associated training materials will help spill responders and planners learn to use ESI data in multiple formats.
• view all Software & Data Sets for Interested Public.

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Featured Publications for Interested Public Pages on our site that provide access to publications containing scientific information, field guides, and other material.
The head of a green turtle photographed underwater. Oil and Sea Turtles: Biology, Planning, and Response
A basic overview of sea turtle biology, summarizes what is known about the effects of oil on sea turtles.
OR&R State Summary fact sheets
A series of twenty-six state summary fact sheets that highlight state-specific OR&R activities are now available on-line.
A NOAA seafood tester examines seafood as part of a sensory test. Seafood Safety after an Oil Spill
Publications that describe how to monitor seafood for exposure and contamination after an oil spill.
Summaries of Portfields and Brownfields Projects
OR&R's work in helping revitalize port communities and managing Brownfield sites.
• view all Publications for Interested Public.

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Featured Web Portals for Interested Public Pages on our site that provide information about and access to Web sites of closely-related agencies and programs.
NOAA Restoration Portal Web Site
Provides centralized access to information about NOAA restoration resources, including restoration techniques and NOAA restoration references, through a single point-of-entry.
Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program
NOAA's Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) is responsible for assessing and restoring coastal and marine resources injured by oil spills, hazardous substance releases, and vessel groundings.
NOAA Coastal Brownfields Web Portal
Web portal link to OCRM Coastal Brownfields web site.
San Francisco Bay Watershed Database and Mapping Project Web Portal
The project is designed as a decision support tool for coastal managers within the San Francisco Bay region.
• view all Web Portals for Interested Public.

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Current News: Interested Public
New Orleans Spill Incident: Barge DM932 NOAA OR&R's scientific support team is assisting the U.S. Coast Guard and the State of Louisiana in their response to the collision of vessels near New Orleans on July 23, 2008. (updated: July 29, 2008)
Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet Assessment Project Status report of Suisun Bay project. (updated: July 3, 2008)
Of Special Note: Interested Public
Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program NOAA's Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) is responsible for assessing and restoring coastal and marine resources injured by oil spills, hazardous substance releases, and vessel groundings.
Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Maps ESI maps help oil spill responders and planners to identify vulnerable coastal locations, establish protection priorities, and identify cleanup strategies.
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Overview of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Includes links to many related resources, including photo galleries.
NOAA Restoration Portal Web Site Provides centralized access to information about NOAA restoration resources, including restoration techniques and NOAA restoration references, through a single point-of-entry.
• view all 9 special note items
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