NOAA Website Supports Offshore Renewable Energy Planning

MarineCadastre.gov is a website that supports offshore renewable energy development in U.S. waters by providing the best available geospatial data, decision-support tools, information, and partnership opportunities in an accessible online format. It integrates legal, physical, ecological, and cultural data to inform decision making on a range of ocean issues. More...

Tracking Marine Debris from the Japanese Tsunami

Debris from the tsunami that devastated Japan in March could reach the United States as early as this winter, according to predictions by NOAA scientists. However, they warn there is still a large amount of uncertainty over exactly what is still floating, where it's located, where it will go, and when it will arrive. Responders now have a challenging, if not impossible situation on their hands: How do you deal with debris that could now impact U.S. shores, but is difficult to find? More...

NOAA Researchers Investigate Shipwrecks and 'Mystery Oil Spills': Part 2: Long-sunk secrets rise slowly to the surface

In Part 1 of this feature, NOAA researcher Doug Helton explained how he and his co-investigators began studying shipwrecks as the source of mysterious oil spills. His interview resumes with a case study of one of those vessels. More...

NOAA Researchers Investigate Shipwrecks and 'Mystery Oil Spills': Part 1: A new field of study and the 'Montebello Mystery'

More than a decade ago, Doug Helton of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration began to study historic shipwrecks and derelict vessels, including those that may be the sources of unexplained “mystery oil spills.” The following interview reveals the environmental implications of his current research. More...