DEEPWATER HORIZON NRDA DATA

On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon MC252 drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico caused the rig to sink and oil began leaking into the Gulf. The magnitude of this spill is something our nation has not seen before, causing significant impacts to wildlife and the fishing community along the large coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, and Florida. 

The Oil Pollution Act authorizes certain federal agencies, states, and Indian tribes—collectively known as natural resource trustees—to evaluate the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill on natural resources. These trustees are responsible for studying the effects of the spill through a process known as Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA). As part of this process, scientists work together to identify potential injuries to natural resources and lost human uses resulting from the spill.

DIVER (Data Integration Visualization Exploration and Reporting) serves as the public NOAA repository for data related to the DWH Trustees' NRDA efforts. To provide additional context to the NRDA data, the site also includes historical (pre-2010) contaminant chemistry data for the onshore area of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as contaminant chemistry data collected during the Response efforts and by the responsible party BP. These data are available to the general public and are accessed through a query and mapping interface called DIVER Explorer. Trustee NRDA data include photographs, telemetry, field observations, instrument data, and results of laboratory analysis on tissue, sediment, oil, and water samples. DWH restoration projects and monitoring data will also be incorporated into DIVER as information becomes available. Data can be viewed onscreen or downloaded in a variety of formats. Query the DWH-related data in DIVER Explorer...

Please visit the help materials to learn how to use DIVER Explorer. For more detailed information on how the data are organized, managed, and standardized, please visit the data overview page. 

DWH Data Packages

For convenience, NOAA compiled several DWH-related data packages and links to external data sources. The DWH data packages typically contain spreadsheets, metadata records and study notes (if available). Download data package files....

Additional Resources

Gulf Spill Restoration is a website maintained by NOAA on behalf of the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees. The site provides updates on the agency's participation in the DWH oil spill NRDA and Restoration activities.

 

 

 

ERMA® Deepwater Gulf Response and Restoration, powered by Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®) is an online mapping tool integrating key environmental response information for decision makers. ERMA played a critical role in the response to the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill and remains an active resource during continued response efforts and the NRDA process. The U.S. Coast Guard selected ERMA as the official Common Operating Picture for all federal, state and local spill responders during this incident in the Gulf of Mexico. Map layers available on ERMA from the Response include oiling observations from shoreline cleanup assessment teams, overflight trajectories and photos, and locations where oiled birds and stranded marine mammals or turtles were observed.