Mapping BP Oil Spill Response

The dynamic nature of the BP oil spill has been a challenge for a range of communities - from hotel operators to fishermen to local community leaders. NOAA with the EPA, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Interior have developed GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse, a site offering a "one-stop shop" for spill response information.

The site integrates the latest data the federal responders have about the oil spill's trajectory with fishery area closures, wildlife data and place-based Gulf Coast resources, such as pinpointed locations of oiled shoreline and current positions of deployed research ships, into one customisable interactive map.

GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse employs the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) a web-based GIS platform developed by NOAA and the University of New Hampshire's Coastal Response Research Center. ERMA was designed to facilitate communication and coordination among a variety of users - from federal, state and local responders to local community leaders and the public. The site was designed to be fast and user-friendly, and we plan to keep it constantly updated.