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compared to the remote Alaskan Arctic. Vessels crossing the Arctic Ocean may Þ nd themselves with comparatively little response equipment on board. They also would need to have agreements in place with oil spill removal organizations, which, at present, only have equipment and infrastructure in limited locations on AlaskaÕs North Slope. Despite the best efforts at prevention, oil spills will happen in the Arctic. When this occurs, the expectations for response should not be the same as in the Gulf of Mexico or other areas with signiÞ cant coastal response assets and infrastructure. Instead, everyone involved needs to be ready to work with the limitations of the ArcticÕs extreme environment. The region has highly variable and harsh weather conditions including ice which could interact with spilled oil, and limited infrastructure for transportation, food, and housing for response personnel. Questions remain about what kind of impacts an oil spill might have on Arctic marine ecosystems and how best to mitigate the effects. Potential impacts could affect not only protected species but also extend to the subsistence lifestyles which are deeply engrained in the culture of Alaska Native peoples and include activities such as hunting for bowhead whales, ice seals, and walruses. In addition, not as much background environmental data exists for the Arctic as for other U.S. coastal locationsÑand since the Arctic is in a state of change, what background data is known will not be viable indeÞ nitely. When an oil spill does occur, a lack of baseline data for comparison may affect NOAAÕs ability to assess and restore injuries to natural resources. We have been fortunate not to have a large release in the Arctic, but the lack of an actual spill also means that data to inform restoration decisions, such as ecosystem recovery rates, is limited. For these reasons, NOAAÕs OfÞ ce of Response and Restoration (OR&R) is working proactively alongside other federal, state, and tribal agencies as well as industry, academia, and nonproÞ ts to prepare for and understand the consequences of oil spills in the Arctic. OR&R serves as a center of expertise in preparing for, evaluating, and responding to oil spills and other threats to coastal environments. Tailoring its years of experience to the ArcticÕs challenges, OR&R is developing the tools, fostering the relationships, and building the knowledge base to help deal with the unique demands of an Arctic oil spill. SPECIFIC EFFORTS To assist emergency response decision makers such as the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of the InteriorÕs Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, OR&R is developing the technologyÑspeciÞ c to the ArcticÑ to manage environmental and response information. One such tool is NOAAÕs Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) for the Arctic Region. Now accessible to the public, Arctic ERMA is based on the same platform as NOAAÕs Gulf of Mexico ERMA, which federal responders used successfully during the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill in 2010. ERMA is a web- based mapping and data management platform that brings together and creates a visual overview of information on environmental conditions and ongoing response and damage assessment operations. Arctic ERMA is available online at https://www.erma.unh.edu/arctic . Effectively preparing for the threat of an Arctic oil spill requires leveraging the tremendous knowledge and experience of the many people with Arctic expertise, including local residents. Additionally, the U.S. government should continue work with industry, academia, nonproÞ ts, and other Arctic nations to bring the best available technology to oil spill response, both to reduce the likelihood of a polluting event and to minimize harm should one occur. During such an incident, decisions need to be made based on current conditions, infrastructure capacity, andÑof courseÑsound science. NOAAÕs OR&R is focused on fostering the working SEA READY ? SEA TOUGHSEE SILVERSHIPS.COM s S I L V E R S H I P S C O M DESIGNERS AND BUILDERS OF ALUMINUM BOATS MN 19www.marinelink.com
