Chemical measurements confirm official estimate of Gulf oil spill rate

By combining detailed chemical measurements in the deep ocean, in the oil slick, and in the air, NOAA scientists and academic colleagues have independently estimated how fast gases and oil were leaking during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico....

Statement from NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco on the selection of acting assistant secretary of commerce for conservation and management

On Jan. 5, Dr. Jane Lubchenco announced that she has chosen Eric Schwaab, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, to serve as NOAA’s acting assistant secretary of commerce for conservation and management....

Research grant awarded to help prevent toxin-induced seafood poisoning in Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean

NOAA has awarded the first year of an anticipated five-year, $4 million grant to scientists researching the causes of Ciguatera fish poisoning, the most common form of algal toxin-induced seafood poisoning in the world, focusing on the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean....

Comment sought on draft environmental impact statement on Arctic oil and gas exploration

NOAA is seeking public comment on a draft environmental impact statement describing how offshore oil and gas activities in the U.S. Beaufort and Chukchi seas could affect marine mammals and the Alaska Native communities that depend on them for subsistence....

Air pollution levels from Deepwater Horizon spill similar to large urban area

The amount of air pollutants in the atmospheric plume generated by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was similar to a large city according to a new NOAA-led study published today in a special issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences....