Incident Responses for March 2025

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Every month, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration’s (OR&R) Emergency Response Division provides scientific expertise and services in support of spills and other coastal and ocean emergencies. Our support ranges from producing oil spill trajectories that estimate where a spill may spread; to identifying possible effects on wildlife and fisheries; to estimating how long oil may stay in the environment. This support is to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) as the federal lead for coastal zone spills, and also assists other Unified Command members including state and industry leads for response operations. We also receive requests to track and model other floating objects, such as log booms or shipping containers that have broken free, whale carcasses, fish die-offs, and algal blooms.

From January to March, 2025, OR&R responded to 50 incidents. In March, OR&R provided response support for 20 incidents, including 16 new incidents in five states and one incident in Ontario, Canada which involved a refinery accident on the Canadian side of the St. Clair River. Eleven of the new incidents were actual or potential oil spills, two were chemical spills, and three included lost shipping containers in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska; a possible pollutant reported offshore the central California coast later identified as a mass of jellyfish-like creatures; and an accident investigation in Alaska.

OR&R staff prepared 98 incident reports and documents, including four fate and trajectory analyses. Seven of the incidents during March were unknown volumes, but nine of the incidents had volume estimates. Cumulatively, these incidents posed an approximate risk of more than 300,000 gallons of oil.

(Note: All spill volumes are approximate and based on initial information that may be updated after further investigation.)

Here are some of the incidents we worked on during March.

Possible Pollutant Report off Stinson Beach, California

OR&R helped discern the source of possible pollutant reports off the California coast.

On March 15, USCG Sector San Francisco contacted the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) regarding a possible oil sighting off of Stinson Beach, California. Initial reports were described as “black blotches breaking up in the water.” The reporting party was not able to get within 500 yards of the material but did not smell any petroleum product. They reported the possible pollutant to the National Response Center.

Aerial image of dark-colored masses of jellyfish-like creatures floating offshore along a rocky California coastline.
Aerial image of masses of jellyfish-like creatures floating offshore a rocky California coastline.

Although the floating substance appeared dark in color, initial photos indicated no signs of sheen, and some photos showed the unknown material appeared to float high in the water. Evidence pointed towards a “false positive” for oil; however, the response team agreed to assess nearby accessible shorelines for material as it washed ashore.

A jellyfish-like creature stranded on a beach with a finger pointing at it.
A “by-the-wind Sailor” (Velella velella), a jellyfish-like creature that lives on the surface of the water. Due to its small triangular "sail," Velella velella travel with the wind and sometimes strand in groups on West Coast beaches, especially during the spring and early fall. Image credit: U.S. Coast Guard.

The floating material was subsequently confirmed as masses of Velella velella, commonly known as “by-the-wind sailors.” These flat, oval-shaped, jellyfish-like creatures live on the surface of the water. With a flexible triangular-like "sail," they travel where wind and currents take them. They are common on the U.S. West Coast, often found stranded on beaches especially during spring and early fall.

Two weeks after this incident, the NOAA SSC received a similar report and assessment near Jenner, California (roughly 55 miles upcoast from Stinson Beach). Most of the photos shown are from that incident. 

These reports are good examples of the numerous materials that can mimic oil on water. The Coast Guard shared photos that OR&R will incorporate into future training on differentiating actual oil from “false positives.”

Oil Spill in St. Clair River; Sarnia, Ontario, Canada

OR&R provided trajectory analysis for a crude oil spill that occurred on the Canadian side of the St. Clair River in the Great Lakes region.

On March 27, at the Suncor Energy Facility in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, an estimated 1,300 gallons of crude oil was reported to have spilled from an unknown source into the St. Clair River. The Coast Guard contacted the NOAA SSC for the Great Lakes, requesting a trajectory to predict the movement of spilled oil, including its likely path and arrival time at shorelines and other sensitive areas. The initial overflight reported no visible sheening.

Aerial image of spill boom (oil containment tool) floating at the surface of water along a waterway with an industrial facility close by.
Spill boom deployed at the Suncor Energy Facility in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, after an estimated 1,300 gallons of crude oil was reported spilled from an unknown source into the St. Clair River. Image credit: U.S. Coast Guard.

Boom was deployed around the spilled product, and the spill’s source was isolated and secured the following afternoon. Following these efforts, OR&R prepared another trajectory at the Coast Guard’s request to check for potential leaks from the spill and boom area.

On March 28, the waterway remained open to vessel traffic and no impacts were reported in U.S. waters or along the U.S. coastline.

Aerial image of spill boom (oil containment tool) floating at the surface of water behind a docked vessel docked along a waterway with an industrial facility close by.
Aerial image of spill boom (oil containment tool) floating at the surface of water and containing oil spilled in waterway.

Mystery Blue Product in Eliason Harbor; Sitka, Alaska

Following reports of pungent, neon-blue “patches” observed in a harbor in Sitka, Alaska, OR&R supported the U.S. Coast Guard in identifying the pollution’s source, guiding field analysis equipment options and instructions.

A mystery blue product observed in water next to a vessel at nighttime.
An unknown blue product found in Eliason Harbor in Sitka, Alaska, March 28, 2025. Image credit: U.S. Coast Guard.

On March 28, the Coast Guard contacted the NOAA SSC for Alaska regarding an unknown blue product found in Eliason Harbor in Sitka, Alaska. Eliason Harbor has a strong tidal influence and is not enclosed by breakwaters and jetties.

The product was a neon-blue color with a strong diesel odor, but more viscous than diesel. Dozens of reported blue “patches” were investigated by the Coast Guard, each a complex shape with “tendrils.” 

The Coast Guard noted that herring were spawning in the Sitka Sound, and harbor activity was heavy with commercial, subsistence, and personal-use fishing vessels. Herring milt is abundant throughout Sitka waters, and the color of the milt can be bluish; however, it is a very different color than that observed in the harbor.

The Coast Guard contacted the NOAA SSC to discuss the feasibility of analyzing the unknown product. The SSC provided suggestions for analysis equipment and instructions for field analysis. The analysis of the samples is currently ongoing. The investigation into the possible pollutants in this incident could provide some comparison information if another incident of this kind occurs.

By daylight, the product had either dissipated or washed out with the tide.

Here is the complete list of March’s incidents. Click on the links to find out more: