DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL
Sanctuary Impacts
May 4, 2010 (Updated September 7, 2010)--Many of you have contacted us with concerns about the effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on sanctuary resources. We thank you for your concerns.
So far, no visible oil has been observed in or near Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. However, sanctuary staff are prepared to work with NOAA's many line offices, particularly the Office of Response and Restoration, to determine the nature and extent of any possible injuries to natural resources and the restoration actions that would be needed to recover from these losses.
NOAA Response
NOAA continues to work closely with the many organizations engaged in responding to the Deepwater Horizon incident to find the best possible solutions to address the spill and its aftermath.
The best information about these efforts is available from NOAA Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R):
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwaterhorizon
You can also visit the official site of the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command at
http://wwwrestorethegulf.gov
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Oil Spill Contacts
Here is an overview of contacts provided on the OR&R web site:
* For NOAA media inquiries, please contact Keeley Belva at keeley.belva@noaa.gov or 301.713.3066
* For response inquiries, please phone the Joint Information Center (JIC) at 985.902.5231 or 985.902.5240
* To report oil on land, or for general Community and Volunteer Information, please phone 866.448.5816
* To report oiled or injured wildlife, please phone 866.557.1401
* To discuss spill related damage claims, please phone 800.440.0858
* BP is asking fishermen for their assistance in cleaning up the oil spill. BP is calling this the Vessel of Opportunities Program and through it, BP is looking to contract shrimp boats, oyster boats and other vessels for hire to deploy boom in the Gulf of Mexico. Fishermen should phone 425.745.8017 about this program.
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Oil Spill Education Materials
For those of you interested in discussing the oil spill with students, please be sure to check out the National Ocean Service Education lesson developed following the Exxon Valdez spill.
Prince William's Oily Mess: A Tale of Recovery
This lesson focuses on the aftermath of an oil spill, its effects on the people and ecosystems, lessons learned, and what recovery means. It also includes links to an Oil Spill Trajectory Model, an Oil Spill Primer for Students, and How Toxic is Oil?
Additional Gulf Oil Spill Informati
on
The four Sea Grant programs in the Gulf of Mexico have joined forces to provide a web resource on the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill.
http://gulfseagrant.tamu.edu/oilspill/index.htm
The Gulf of Mexico Alliance Environmental Education Network has a downloadable document with gulf-wide contact information and educational resources.
http://www.gulfallianceeducation.org/
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) addresses seafood safety concerns for the oil spill region.
http://www.fda.gov/Food/ucm210970.htm
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