Shoreline oiling from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
We build on previous work to construct a comprehensive database of shoreline oiling exposure from the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill by compiling field and remotely-sensed datasets to support oil exposure and injury quantification. We compiled a spatial database of shoreline segments with attributes summarizing habitat, oiling category and timeline. We present new simplified oil exposure classes for both beaches and coastal wetland habitats derived from this database integrating both intensity and persistence of oiling on the shoreline over time. We document oiling along 2113km out of 9545km of surveyed shoreline, an increase of 19% from previously published estimates and representing the largest marine oil spill in history by length of shoreline oiled. These data may be used to generate maps and calculate summary statistics to assist in quantifying and understanding the scope, extent, and spatial distribution of shoreline oil exposure as a result of the DWH incident.
Research Planning, Inc., 1121 Park Street, Columbia, SC 29201, USA. Electronic address: znixon@researchplannning.com.
Zachary
Z
Nixon
Research Planning, Inc., 247 E. 7th Ave, Suite 200, Tallahassee, FL 32303, USA.
Scott
S
Zengel
Assessment and Restoration Division, Office of Response and Restoration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, USA.
Mary
M
Baker
Assessment and Restoration Division, Office of Response and Restoration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, USA.
Marla
M
Steinhoff
Industrial Economics, Inc., 2067 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
Gail
G
Fricano
NewFields, LLC., 1349 West Peachtree St NW #2000, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA.
Shahrokh
S
Rouhani
Research Planning, Inc., 1121 Park Street, Columbia, SC 29201, USA.
Jacqueline
J
Michel
D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D060851:Gulf of America; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis*; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D053833:Wetlands
D010578:Petroleum; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Deepwater Horizon; Gulf of Mexico; MC-252; Oil spill; Oiling; Shoreline