This feature is part of a series profiling scientists and technicians who provide exemplary contributions to the mission of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration. This month we’re excited to feature the scientific support coordinator for California, Jordan Stout. We think you’ll enjoy meeting him!

When oil spills in the ocean, NOAA uses cutting-edge mapping and spatial data tools to help respond to, clean up, and assess the impacts of pollution. These tools are utilized by the U.S. Coast Guard and other state and federal agencies to help mitigate the damage of pollution, and to guide post-spill restoration. A new ArcGIS Story Map about the Refugio Beach oil spill puts real data from the spill response at your fingertips

Every month our Emergency Response Division provides scientific expertise and services to the U.S. Coast Guard on everything from running oil spill trajectories to model where the spill may spread, to possible effects on wildlife and fisheries and estimates on how long the oil may stay in the environment.

This month OR&R responded to 16 incidents in October, including oil discharges, grounded vessels, and other pollution-related incidents.  

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.

Every month our Emergency Response Division provides scientific expertise and services to the U.S. Coast Guard on everything from running oil spill trajectories to model where the spill may spread, to possible effects on wildlife and fisheries and estimates on how long the oil may stay in the environment.

This month OR&R responded to seven incidents in September, including oil discharges, grounded vessels, and other pollution-related incidents.  

Prevention efforts have reduced recent ship sinkings, but what about the thousands of historical shipwrecks in U.S. waters?  Many of these sit out of sight, damaged, collapsed onto the seabed—some threatening to leak their oil cargo or fuel. Is there a way to prevent spills from ships that have already sunk? Improvements in underwater technologies now allow salvage companies to safely conduct oil removal operations from sunken ships, but where to start? 

Our ocean is filled with items that don’t belong there. From our everyday food wrappers, plastic bottles, and cigarettes to large and damaging derelict fishing nets and abandoned and derelict vessels, marine debris is a global problem that touches every corner of our ocean and Great Lakes. Although cleaning up marine debris is a helpful way to address the problem, the best way to keep marine debris out of our environment is by preventing it. 

There are many ways to prepare for hurricanes as individuals, organizations, and as communities. Hurricanes pose threats from storm surge, inland flooding, wind damage, and even tornadoes. These impacts also lead to a lesser known but dangerous threat—natural and man-made marine debris.