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A "vessel of opportunity" (a local commercial or recreational vessel contracted to assist in responding to a spill) skims oil spilled after the Deepwater Horizon well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 (Credit: NOAA).
Most oils float on the surface of the ocean, rivers, and lakes. Oil usually spreads rapidly across the water’s surface forming a thin “slick.” As the oil continues spreading, the slick becomes thinner and thinner, finally becoming a very thin sheen, which often looks like a rainbow. In rare cases, heavy oil can sometimes sink. Oil can also sink when mixed with organic matter and sediments.
When a large oil spill is reported, NOAA scientists work with emergency responders to share important information to manage the situation. Oil spill responders need to know which shorelines to protect from the oil, where to place cleanup equipment, or which areas should be closed to fishing or boating during a spill. This team of scientists and responders use a series of five guiding questions to help decide what to do:
Scientists and responders must work quickly to prevent significant damage to natural resources and human communities.
Questions guiding NOAA's oil spill science recommendations (Credit: NOAA). View and print this infographic and see the description below.
This graphic illustrates the process of scientific recommendations after an oil spill. The five questions are arranged in a circle around a tanker with oil spilling across the surface of the water. The questions are as follows:
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