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1. Home
2. About
3. NOS Fiscal Year 2022: Year in Review
4. Office of Response and Restoration

**Office of Response and Restoration** NOS Fiscal Year 2022 Year in Review *NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) is tasked with responding to oil spills, chemical accidents, and other emergencies in coastal areas. OR&R’s expertise spans oceanography, biology, chemistry, and geology, allowing the response team to estimate oil and chemical trajectories, analyze chemical hazards, and assess risks to coastal animals, habitats, and important commercial and recreational areas. OR&R teams, led by regional scientific support coordinators, provide scientific support to the U.S. Coast Guard for spills in coastal waters.*  $114M Recovered for Restoration in Five States **SUPPORTS NOS PRIORITY:** DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, JUSTICE, AND ACCESSIBILITY | CONSERVE, RESTORE, AND CONNECT. This year, OR&R’s Assessment and  Restoration Division and partners recovered $114 million through pollution  settlements for restoration, including for three oil spills and three hazardous  waste (Superfund) settlements. These included: $73.5 million to build a riverside  park in East Newark, New Jersey, to create a safe green space for underserved  urban communities disproportionately impacted by industrial pollution.
    $16.5 million to restore the Gulf  of Mexico from the Taylor Energy oil spill — the longest offshore oil spill in  United States history.
    $15.3 million to restore coastal  habitats and marine mammals in Texas after an oil spill in the Port of Houston.
    $5.3 million to restore fisheries  and marsh in Louisiana after an oil spill near New Orleans.
    $2.5 million to remove invasive  mangroves in Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, after industrial pollution.
    $500,000 to restore an urban  waterway in Pennsylvania for oysters, migratory fish, and birds. These actions add to over 30 years of pollution  settlements, recovering $10.5 billion for restoration across the country.  This work is undertaken through NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and  Restoration Program and conducted with federal, state, and tribal partners.  A boat in the water near oil slicks.*: A research vessel at the Taylor Energy oil spill site in July 2022.*  New Marine Debris Projects Awarded, More Funding Announced **SUPPORTS NOS PRIORITY:**  CONSERVE, RESTORE, AND CONNECT. Marine debris is a pervasive national and  global problem that harms wildlife, navigation safety, ecosystem health, and  the economy. This year, OR&R’s Marine Debris Program provided approximately  $3.7 million in federal funds to 14 projects that will remove and prevent  marine debris. The awards include funding appropriated through the United  States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act. Nonfederal matching  contributions bring the total investment in these projects to approximately  $7.8 million. The projects incorporate justice, equity, diversity, and  inclusion components, including working with traditionally underserved  communities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided  $150 million to NOAA for marine debris assessment, prevention, mitigation, and  removal for FY 2022-2026. In September, the program awarded $1 million in  Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to support marine debris removal in the  Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, enabling the removal of over 500  metric tons of debris in coming years. In June, the program announced a $56  million competitive funding opportunity using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  funding to remove large marine debris and use proven interception technologies  to capture marine debris. The awards will be announced in early 2023.  Better Disaster Preparedness for Coastal Communities **SUPPORTS NOS PRIORITY:** DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, JUSTICE, AND ACCESSIBILITY | COASTAL RESILIENCE | NEW BLUE ECONOMY | CONSERVE, RESTORE, AND CONNECT. Partnerships are  critical to NOAA’s success in disaster preparedness. This year, OR&R’s  Disaster Preparedness Program embarked on a new partnership with the National  Sea Grant Office in NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. Sea  Grant programs are well positioned to support their communities given their  proximity to and familiarity with the needs of those they serve. OR&R and Sea Grant  established a new funding opportunity for their programs that would improve  disaster preparedness within coastal communities. A new competition will  provide funding for projects that address preparedness gaps or needs that would  enable the community to reduce disaster impacts and reach recovery more  quickly. Sea Grant announced the selection of three projects led by Hawaii, MIT, and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs that will receive a total  of $540,000 over two years. These projects will benefit vulnerable communities  by helping them plan for, respond to, and recover from flooding, sea level  rise, and oil spill impacts to aquaculture.  An aerial view of damaged property and land along the coast.*This aerial image shows devastation in Bolivar Peninsula, Texas, following Hurricane Ike in September 2008. Disaster preparedness projects help communities prepare for and respond to events like hurricanes.*  Updating Data, Increasing Effectiveness in the Great Lakes **SUPPORTS NOS PRIORITY:** COASTAL RESILIENCE | NEW BLUE ECONOMY | CONSERVE, RESTORE, AND CONNECT. As part of an  emphasis on freshwater spill preparedness in the Great Lakes region, OR&R  launched a full refresh of Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) data in the  area, carried out preparedness events, and initiated new partnerships. With support from the  U.S. Coast Guard, data and maps for Lake Erie were updated in FY 22. Next, the  team will work on refreshed ESI data and maps for Lake Ontario, to be followed  by lakes Michigan and Huron, leveraging generous support from the Great Lakes  Restoration Initiative. In total, the data covers 2,000 miles of shoreline, biology,  and socioeconomic data. The funding will also go toward creating a holistic,  “enterprise solution” for ESI data and resources. These efforts will improve  coastal resilience in lakes where shipping and pipelines carry nearly 23  million gallons of oil per day. OR&R also led  complimentary webinars, trainings, workshops, and tabletop exercises in 2022 to  enhance NOAA’s and our partners’ readiness posture for oil spill response and  environmental threats in the Great Lakes. OR&R established new agreements  with the Coast Guard National Center of Expertise for Great Lakes Oil Spill  Preparedness and Response for projects to enhance data management, detect oil  in ice environments, improve uncrewed systems applications, and transition  research into operations.  Icons on a map indicate different marine life and sensitive features on the shoreline.*This ESI map, produced in 2022, shows sensitive biological features for a section of the shoreline of Lake Erie. Icons indicate the presence of different species of marine life and sensitive habitats. ESI maps also show human use sites, such as protected areas, aquaculture sites, cultural heritage locations, and recreational areas.*  Oil on Ice Research for a Changing Arctic **SUPPORTS NOS PRIORITIES:**  CONSERVE, RESTORE, CONNECT | COASTAL RESILIENCE In FY 22, scientists from OR&R and the  U.S. Coast Guard conducted research at three locations to test uncrewed  aircraft systems (aerial drones) and remotely operated vehicles (underwater)  sensors to characterize oil on water in ice environments. At the Cold Regions  Research and Engineering Laboratory facilities in New Hampshire, scientists  created oil slicks, with and without ice, in a test pool with a frozen ice  surface, then simultaneously measured them from above and below. This allowed  researchers to test their ability to see oil in icy water and to verify the accuracy  of these tools. The team then traveled to Alaska to  characterize uncertainties, strengths, and limitations of these technologies  under real-world environmental conditions. In Olitok, Alaska, the team  confirmed their ability to use these tools to produce consistent data and  upload it into NOAA’s Emergency Management and Response Application (ERMA®) for  use by oil spill responders. Scientists then collected data aboard a Canadian  Coast Guard vessel to map Arctic ice in water, identify complicating factors  for drone sensors, and use the sensors to identify sensitive areas and  resources. Collectively, this work bolsters resilience to oil spills and NOAA’s  oil spill response capabilities in a changing Arctic.  Image of a Canadian Coast Guard vessel with an inset closeup of staff aboard.*The team used aerial drones and underwater remotely operated vehicles to better understand oil spills and response in the Arctic. The drone also captured photos like this one, of the science team, captain, and crew onboard the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Sir Wilfrid Laurier.*
 OR&R **Highlights** $114M Recovered for Restoration in Five States New Marine Debris Projects Awarded, More Funding Announced Better Disaster Preparedness for Coastal Communities Updating Data, Increasing Effectiveness in the Great Lakes Oil on Ice Research for a Changing Arctic
  NOS **Accomplishments** NOS by the Numbers 2022  Browse by Office: Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services Coral Reef Conservation Program U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science National Geodetic Survey NOS Management and Budget NOS Information Management Office for Coastal Management Office of Coast Survey Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Office of Response and Restoration   **Search** Our facts    Get **Social** Social
  **Last updated:** 01/20/23 **Author:** NOAA How to cite this article Contact Us


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