Restoring Injured Habitats & Natural Resources

NOAA restores coastal habitats and resources degraded by oil, hazardous substances and/or physical impacts by...

A scientist monitors acid mine drainage in Slickrock Creek near Sacramento, CA.

Almost 14,000 annual oil spills and 700 hazardous waste sites contaminate our nation’s coasts. Some contamination impacts are immediate and clearly visible, such as oiled shorelines, dead wildlife, lost tourism, and closed fisheries. Other impacts are less obvious and require expertise and time to fully assess. For example, contaminated sediments can cause tumors in fish, months after and incident; oil that reaches an estuary can contaminate prey species impacting the sport fish that eat them; and damaged coral reefs may become susceptible to disease as a consequence of a ship grounding. These impacts may take months to assess.

From Injury to Restoration, NOAA Is There

After an oil spill or hazardous substance release, the first responders (Environmental Protection Agency or U.S. Coast Guard) clean up the contamination, minimizing risks to human health and the environment. NOAA is on-scene providing vital information to the response agency. With oil spills, NOAA tracks and projects if and where the spill will land and what resources will be impacted. We also collect time-sensitive data and take photographs and video to determine which resources have been injured or lost.

NOAA then conducts additional studies to identify the full extent of environmental and economic injury and the best methods for addressing those losses. For example, contaminated fisheries affect anglers, boat owners, local tourism, and residents. NOAA economists conduct studies to understand these economic impacts and identify projects -- such as creating fishing access sites or improving existing fishing piers -- to address the social and economic losses resulting from the contamination. Finally, NOAA implements and monitors projects to restore the ecosystem, helping local economies and the environment rebound after an incident.

• Download Restoring Injured Habitats Handout (pdf, 2 pages, 10.3MB)

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