Incident Responses for May 2017

Every month our Emergency Response Division provides scientific expertise and services to the U.S. Coast Guard on everything from running oil spill trajectories to model where the spill may spread, to possible effects on wildlife and fisheries, and estimates on how long the oil may stay in the environment.

In May, there were two incidents of dead gray whales in Washington state, one floating offshore near Long Beach, and another washed ashore in Bellingham Bay. In both cases, we were asked for trajectories.

In the case of a whale found floating at sea, we use our GNOME trajectory modeling software to map the possible drift route of the carcass. When a whale washes ashore, one of the things that officials need to know is how far they have to tow the carcass back out to sea to ensure it will not wash back to shore.

Our Incident News website has information on oil spills and other incidents where we provided scientific support.

Here are some of this month’s responses:

• Bellingham Gray Whale Carcass
• Gray Whale Carcass: Seaview Approach, Washington
• Lower Caribbean Oil Spill
• Mystery Sheen, Keweenaw Waterway, Michigan
• Sunken Tug, Eugene Island Block, Offshore Louisiana
• GB 545 Mystery Sheen
• Delta Flight 159 Fuel Dump
• Mystery Sheen, MC-21
• Ethylene Glycol Drums, Sea Rim State Park
• Tug Adrift off Washington Coast
• Tug Mr. Landon Aground
• PVS Chemicals Sulfuric Acid Release
• Crowley Barge DBL 165-1 Grounding
• Marathon Petroleum Storage Tank H2S release
• Navy OCEANA Jet Fuel Spill
• U.S. Steel Ferrous Chloride Release