National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration • NOAA Ocean Service 

Office of Response and Restoration • Emergency Response Division

Shoreline Assessment Job Aid
This job aid was produced and published by NOAA’s Emergency Response Division (ERD). All photographs, with exception of the 

one on the cover, were contributed by Miles O. Hayes and Jacqueline Michel of Research Planning, Inc. 

ERD draws on three decades of experience in responding with the U.S. Coast Guard to spill emergencies and resolving the often 

longer-term problems presented by hazardous waste sites, garnering a reputation for rapid, yet carefully considered and costeffective environmental protection decisions.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA Ocean Service

Office of Response and Restoration/Emergency Response Division

7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, Washington 98115

(206) 526-6317 or orr.library@noaa.gov
CONTENTS

Introduction .................................................................1

Beach Profiles ...............................................................2

Photographs .................................................................4

Surface Oil Distribution – Percent Cover

C Continuous ..................................................................................4

B Broken ...........................................................................................4

P Patchy ............................................................................................5

S Sporadic .......................................................................................5

Surface Oiling Descriptors – Thickness

PO Pooled oil .....................................................................................6

CV Cover ..............................................................................................6

CT Coat ................................................................................................7

ST Stain ...............................................................................................7

FL Film .................................................................................................8

Surface Oiling Descriptors – Type

FR Fresh oil ........................................................................................9

MS Mousse ..........................................................................................9

TB Tarballs .......................................................................................10

PT Patties .........................................................................................10

TC Tar ................................................................................................11

SR Surface oil residue .................................................................11

AP Asphalt pavements ...............................................................12

Subsurface Oiling Descriptors – Type

SAP Subsurface asphalt pavement ...........................................13

OP Oil-filled pores .........................................................................13

PP Partially filled pores ...............................................................14

OR Oil residue .................................................................................14

OF Oil film ........................................................................................15
CONTENTS

Sediment Types

R Bedrock outcrop .....................................................................16

B Boulder ......................................................................................16

C Cobble ........................................................................................17

P Pebble ........................................................................................17

G Granule ......................................................................................18

S Sand ............................................................................................18

M Mud .............................................................................................19

Shoreline Types by ESI rank

1 Exposed rocky shores ...........................................................20

2 Exposed rocky platforms .....................................................20

3 Fine-grained sand beaches ................................................21

4 Coarse-grained sand beaches ...........................................21

5 Mixed sand and gravel beaches .......................................21

6a Gravel beaches ........................................................................22

Shoreline Types continued

6b Riprap structures ....................................................................22

7 Exposed tidal flats ..................................................................22

8a Sheltered rocky shores .........................................................23

8b Sheltered man-made structures .......................................23

9 Sheltered tidal flats ................................................................23

10a Salt to brackish marshes ......................................................24

10b Freshwater marshes ..............................................................24

10c Swamp .......................................................................................25

10d Mangroves ................................................................................25

Cleanup Methods

 Barriers/berms .........................................................................26

 Physical herding .....................................................................26

 Manual oil removal/cleaning .............................................27

 Mechanical oil removal ........................................................27
CONTENTS

Cleanup Methods continued

 Sorbents ....................................................................................28

 Vacuum ......................................................................................28

 Debris removal ........................................................................29

 Sediment reworking/tilling ................................................29

 Vegetation cutting/removal ...............................................30

 Flooding (deluge) ..................................................................30

 Low-pressure flushing ..........................................................31

 High-pressure flushing .........................................................31

 High-pressure, hot-water flushing ...................................32

Percent Cover Estimation Charts .................................. 33
1 INTRODUCTION

Shoreline Assessment Job Aid

When oil contaminates shoreline habitats, responders must 

survey the affected areas to determine the appropriate 

response. Though general approvals or decision tools for use of 

shoreline cleanup methods may be developed during planning 

stages, responders must base specific cleanup recommendations on field data on the shoreline habitats, type and degree of 

shoreline contamination, and spill-specific physical processes.

A shoreline assessment program is:

• a SYSTEMATIC approach that uses STANDARD terminology to collect data on shoreline oiling conditions and 

support decision making for shoreline cleanup.

• FLEXIBLE in terms of scale of the survey and detail of the 

data sets collected.

• MULTI-AGENCY, with TRAINED representatives from all 

interested parties who have authority to make decisions.

NOAA published the Shoreline Assessment Manual (Report 

No. HAZMAT 97-4) which outlines methods for planning and 

conducting shoreline assessment and incorporating the results 

into the decision-making process for shoreline cleanup at oil 

spills. This job aid was developed to supplement the manual, 

providing a visual guide to many of the terms used during 

shoreline assessments.

Photographs are included for the following terminology:

• Oil distribution (as ranges in percent oil cover)

• Surface oiling thickness descriptors

• Surface oiling type descriptors

• Subsurface oiling type descriptors

• Sediment types

• Shoreline types

• Cleanup methods

Beach terminology is defined on typical cross-sections of sand 

and gravel beaches. Percent cover estimation charts are also 

provided.

At a spill, it is important to “calibrate” by having all team members visit a segment together and agree on how the oiling 

descriptors will be applied for the specific spill when used with 

the Shoreline Assessment Manual. This job aid is helpful for calibrating and promoting consistency among terms.
BEACH PROFILES 2

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3 BEACH PROFILES

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SURFACE OIL DISTRIBUTION – Percent Cover 4

C B

Continuous

91-100% cover

(seen here as black oil on light sand beach)

Broken

51-90% cover

(seen here as brown oil on tan sand beach)
5 SURFACE OIL DISTRIBUTION – Percent Cover

P S Patchy

11-50% cover

(seen here as black oil bands on a white sand beachface)

Sporadic

1-10% cover

(seen here as brown oil bands on a white sand beachface)
SURFACE OILING DESCRIPTIONS – Thickness 6

PO CV

Pooled Oil

fresh oil or mousse > 1 cm thick

 (seen here as accumulation around a large boulder)

Cover

oil or mousse > 0.1 cm to < 1 cm thick

(seen here as oil covering sand beach surface 

and running into a small trench)
7 SURFACE OILING DESCRIPTIONS – Thickness

CT ST

Coat

visible coating of oil < 0.1 cm – can be scraped 

off with fingernail

(seen here as a thin layer of oil on riprap)

Stain

visible oil which cannot be scraped off with 

fingernail

(seen here as splotches on cobbles)
SURFACE OILING DESCRIPTIONS – Thickness 8

FL

Film

transparent or iridescent sheen, or oily film

(seen here as oil sheen floating on water)
9 SURFACE OILING DESCRIPTIONS – Type

FR MS

Fresh Oil

unweathered, liquid oil

Mousse

emulsified oil

(seen here as brown oil coating cobbles)
SURFACE OILING DESCRIPTIONS – Type 10

TB PT

Tarballs

discrete accumulations of oil < 10 cm in diameter

(seen here scattered on sand beach)

Patties

discrete accumulations of oil > 10 cm in 

diameter 

(seen here as single black patty on sand beach)
11 SURFACE OILING DESCRIPTIONS – Type

TC SR

Tar

highly weathered oil of nearly solid consistency

Surface Oil Residue

non-cohesive, heavily oiled surface sediments 

characterized as soft, incipient asphalt 

pavements
SURFACE OILING DESCRIPTIONS – Type 12

AP Asphalt Pavements

cohesive, heavily oiled surface sediments

(seen here as thick black deposit on a beachface)
13 SUBSURFACE OILING DESCRIPTIONS – Type

SAP OP Subsurface Asphalt Pavement

a buried layer of hardened oil

(seen here as black layer buried in a white sand beach)

Oil-filled Pores

pore spaces are completely filled with oil to the 

extent that oil flows out of sediments when disturbed

(seen here as brown oil pebbles)
SUBSURFACE OILING DESCRIPTIONS – Type 14

PP OR Partially Filled Pores

pore spaces filled with oil, but generally does not 

flow out when disturbed

Oil Residue

sediments visibly oiled with black/brown coat or 

cover on clasts, but little or no accumulation of 

oil within pore spaces
15 SUBSURFACE OILING DESCRIPTIONS – Type

OF

Oil Film

sediments are lightly oiled with an oil sheen or 

stain on the clasts.
SEDIMENT TYPES 16

R B Bedrock Outcrop Boulder

>256 mm in diameter
17 SEDIMENT TYPES

C P

Cobble

64 – 256 mm in diameter

Pebble

4 – 64 in diameter
SEDIMENT TYPES 18

G S

Granule

2 – 4 mm

Sand

0.06 – 4 mm
19 SEDIMENT TYPES

M

Mud

silt and clay
SHORELINE TYPES 20

1 2 Exposed Rocky Shores

(also includes exposed seawalls)

Exposed Rocky Platforms

(also includes clay scarps)
21 SHORELINE TYPES

3 5 Fine-grained 

Sand Beaches

(also includes scarps in sand)

Mixed Sand and 

Gravel Beaches

(also includes mixed sand and shell 

beaches)

4 Course-grained 

Sand Beaches
SHORELINE TYPES 22

6a 7

Gravel Beaches

(also includes shell beaches)

Exposed Tidal Flats

6b

Riprap 

Structures
23 SHORELINE TYPES

8a 9

Sheltered 

Rocky Shores

Sheltered 

Tidal Flats 8b

Sheltered 

Man-made Structures
SHORELINE TYPES 24

10a 10b

Salt to Brackish Marshes Freshwater Marshes
25 SHORELINE TYPES

10c 10d

Swamps Mangroves
CLEANUP METHODS 26

Barriers/Berms Physical Herding
27 CLEANUP METHODS

Manual Oil Removal/Cleaning Mechanical Oil Removal
CLEANUP METHODS 28

Sorbents Vacuum
29 CLEANUP METHODS

Debris Removal Sediment Reworking/Tilling
CLEANUP METHODS 30

Vegetation Cutting/Removal Flooding (deluge)
31 CLEANUP METHODS

Low-pressure Flushing High-pressure Flushing
CLEANUP METHODS 32

High-pressure, Hot-water Flushing
33 PERCENT COVER ESTIMATION CHARTS

These charts are aids to help you estimate the percent oil coverage in the area you are observing. The black shading represents oil. 

Do not spend time trying to get a precise measure of percent cover; the four ranges listed are usually sufficient. The chart below 

would prove most helpful in oil band situations; the one on the following page is best for discrete oil deposits such as tarballs.

Chart source: Owens, E.H., and G.A. Sergy. Field Guide to the Documentation and Description of Oiled Shorelines.

Environment Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. March 1994. ISBN 0-662-22048-X.

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PERCENT COVER ESTIMATION CHARTS 34

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U.S. Department of Commerce • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration • NOAA Ocean Service

August 2007

Carlos M. Gutierrez

Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce

Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.)

Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator

John H. Dunnigan

Assistant Administrator,

Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management

NOAA Ocean Service

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