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Exxon Oil Spill

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NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS ORCA 114

Integrating Physical and Biological Studies of Recovery from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Case Studies of Four Sites in Prince William Sound, 1989-1994

September 1997
Seattle, Washington

noaa

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

National Ocean Service

Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and Assessment
National Ocean Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
The Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and Assessment (ORCA) provides decisionmakers comprehensive, scientific information on characteristics of the oceans, coastal areas, and estuaries of the United States of America. The information ranges from strategic, national assessments of coastal and estuarine environmental quality to real-time information for navigation or hazardous materials spill response. Through its National Status and Trends (NS&T)
Program, ORCA uses uniform techniques to monitor toxic chemical contamination of bottom-feeding fish, mussels and oysters, and sediments at about 300 locations throughout the United States. A related NS&T Program of directed research examines the relationships between contaminant exposure and indicators of biological responses in fish and shellfish.
ORCA provides critical scientific support to the U.S. Coast Guard during spills of oil or hazardous materials into marine or estuarine environments. This support includes spill trajectory predictions, chemical hazard analyses, and assessments of the sensitivity of marine and estuarine environments to spills. The program provides similar support to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
Superfund Program during emergency responses at, and for the cleanup of, abandoned hazardous waste sites in coastal areas. To fulfill the responsibilities of the Secretary of Commerce as a trustee for

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