Oil spills: A natural resource trustee's perspective

As recognition of increased pressure on coastal ecosystems and the value of the goods and services that these systems provide have grown, the US has enacted environmental laws to protect these sensitive resources from injury and depletion. To meet its responsibilities under these laws, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed and utilizes a science-based paradigm in response to spills of oil and other hazardous materials. The goals of this system are to reduce the injury to coastal resources and ecosystems (response) and enhance the recovery of any injured resources (restoration).