Presented by NOAA TAS Elizabeth Eubanks

Applications accepted now NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni ‘07 Elizabeth Eubanks St. Mark Catholic School

Science That Informs Keeping Seafood Safe Protecting Wildlife and Habitat Assessing Ecosystem Damage Restoring Habitat 3 NOAA: Recovery and Restoration

People – who live and work in and love the Gulf Quality of life and livelihoods at stake NOAA also lives and works in the Gulf – Weather and river forecast offices Ocean and fisheries services Research labs and data centers Cooperative Institutes 4 Why does NOAA care?

Where is the oil? When will fisheries be reopened? Is my seafood safe? What are the impacts on sea turtles and marine mammals? How will clean-up efforts proceed? How would a hurricane impact the oil spill? What is Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)? 5 Questions NOAA Has Heard Related To Mission

Where is the oil? 6 Sub-surface oil Inter-Agency Joint Analysis Group (JAG) Federal Oil Budget Report (report on all events since ) Continued subsurface monitoring and shoreline assessments

Register for Southeast Fishery Bulletins: NOAA (6622) for current coordinates NOAA Weather Radio for closure updates Text to Twitter: usnoaagov 7 Where & When Can I Fish?

Protocols agreed to by NOAA, the FDA and EPA and the Gulf States: Area free of oil sheen for 30 days Area not likely to become oiled in the future Testing (sensory and chemical) confirms fish harvested from the area are not contaminated When will fisheries be reopened? 8

NOAA, FDA, and EPA: Comprehensive, coordinated, multiagency program ensuring seafood safety Coast Guard and NOAA are monitoring and enforcing closed Federal areas Collaborated and strict reopening protocols by state and federal agencies Central to economy of Gulf 9 Seafood Safety

Our experts are part of the federal team rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing sea turtles. NOAA conducts necropsies of sea turtles and marine mammals to determine causes of death. 10 Protecting Wildlife and Habitat

Much effort goes to even one small weak turtle…. It gets personal… I Monitor Sea Turtles/Nests on Lake Worth Beach

NOAA research ships study impact of the oil on marine mammals and fisheries. Implemented region-wide protocols caring for turtles in distress Partnered with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to address sea turtle nesting beaches issues Released 23 Kemp’s Ridley in Aug 2010 near Cedar Key, FL 12 Protecting Wildlife and Habitat

Shoreline Assessment teams Surveying beaches, marshes, coasts Developing response strategies – boom deployment and clean- up crews Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) 13 Assessing Ecosystem Damage

Determines: Injuries/lost use of public’s natural resources & services Amount & type of restoration needed to offset losses 3 Phases: Pre-assessment Injury Assessment and Restoration Planning Restoration 14 What is Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)?

My Personal Experience with Collaborative Efforts I am a New Orleans Native My family lives in coastal Alabama I spend at least 4 weeks a year in the Gulf Coast area Video taken in late July- early August

Restoring Habitat Advise all federal, state and local partners on sensitive marine resources at risk Monitor Decreased habitat use in affected areas Signs of altered migration patterns and disrupted life cycles Design and execute projects to repair or sustain valuable habitat 16

Scientists on the Scene 17

Oceans Response Restoration Fisheries Weather Satellites Research Scientists Vessels Services across NOAA 18

NOAA Tracks the Oil Important for: Unified Command Response efforts Commercial, recreational and charter fishermen Small businesses Tourism Homeowners NOAA provided daily oil spill trajectory maps and twice-daily weather forecasts 19

July 30 th - Updated shoreline threat predictions for Southern Florida, the Florida Keys and the East Coast based on the assumption that there will be no further release of oil from the BP wellhead. Based on two factors: Current amount of oil on the surface of the water Present configuration of the loop current. Analysis: No clear way for oil to be transported to Southern Florida, the Florida Keys or along the East Coast of the U.S. unless the Loop Current fully reforms with Eddy Franklin, or moves northward – which is unlikely As of July 25, 2010, Eddy Franklin was more than 100 miles from the nearest surface oil associated with the Deepwater Horizon/BP source 20 Shoreline Impact Analysis What about us?

NOAA’s geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites help produce accurate, daily weather forecasts NOAA aircraft conducted multi-spectral scan surveys of marsh/coastline survey flights NOAA WP-3D Orion aircraft Tracked Loop Current Assisted EPA w/air quality monitoring Satellites & Planes 21

Nearly 4000 spot forecasts in support of response National Hurricane Center issues watches, warnings forecasts and analyses of tropical weather Have a Plan – Be Prepared! 22 Weather Services

Assessment of air quality risks of workers at sea and the public ashore are important NOAA is supporting the Environmental Protection Agency enhanced observations and models Data from the NOAA flights are providing an important detailed and independent set of air quality data On July 21, NOAA Released Data Report on Air Quality Measurements Near the Deepwater Horizon/BP Oil Spill Area: t.pdf 23 What about air quality?

Collecting & surveying impacts to varieties of fish/mammals and seafood safety sampling Performing sub-surface testing to determine presence of oil and monitor water quality Vessels 24 THOMAS JEFFERSONGORDON GUNTER PISCESDELAWARE II Numerous Partnerships

NOAA Information Resources deepwaterhorizon.noaa.gov/ Response Trajectories Closures Sea Turtles & Marine Mammals Assessments Important Contacts Factsheets and Publications Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant: l/index.htm 25

NOAA Responds to Students

Data Resources “One-stop shop" for spill response information Web-based GIS platform that provides you with near-real time information about the response effort. 27

Federal Web Portal Clear and accessible information and resources for the public “One-stop” repository for news, data and operational updates related to administration-wide efforts 28

Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) Scientific support to the U.S. Coast Guard and Unified Command National Weather Service Incident weather forecasts including marine and aviation National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) Experimental imagery for spill trajectory forecasts NOAA Line Office Contributions 29

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Issues related to marine mammals, sea turtles, and fishery resources Management of Fishery Closures Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) USCG Liaison to the DCO Incident Support Team USCG Headquarters Provide ships and aircraft in support of NOAA environmental assessment NOAA Line Office Contributions 30

Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Oceanographic and atmospheric modeling and data support Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant programs providing technical advice on impacts to living resources and coastal communities National Ocean Service Oceanographic modeling support Production of nautical charts that display the spill zone forecast - Data to support trajectory forecasts Collection of aerial imagery Operation and maintenance of systems to measure water levels, weather, and near-shore current meters Support for National Estuarine Research Reserves and Gulf coastal managers Collection of data to monitor contaminants in the area Assessment of socioeconomic impacts NOAA Line Office Contributions 31

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