National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / National Ocean Service

Visit our Incident News website for regularly updated reports on OR&R efforts in response to Hurricane Katrina. Also, see the Sept. 12, 2005 NOAA Magazine article describing our work in combining LIDAR and aerial satellite imagery to create aerial maps of the region. More press releases are available at the NOAA Archived News Releases web page.

Update: The charter vessel Casitas, which ran aground on Pearl and Hermes Atoll on July 2nd, was successfully refloated then scuttled on August 4th. More information is available at the U.S.Coast Guard District 14's Public Information Site.

Charter Vessel Grounds on Pearl and Hermes Reef in NW Hawaiian Islands On July 2nd, 2005, the charter vessel Casitas ran aground on Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Read about the rescue of the crew and divers aboard the vessel, and efforts to remove the fuel, and salvage the vessel and equipment.

NOAA is responsible for providing both scientific and technical support to the US Coast Guard during an oil spill, and acting as a natural resource trustee to protect and restore those resources impacted by the spill. The on-going M/V Selendang Ayu oil spill in Alaska highlights NOAA's multiple roles during spill responses.

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