Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Keen USCG Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Ameen

Ask a Responder: Q&A with an Aerial Observer

Petty Officer 1st Class Judy Silverstein is a Public Affairs Specialist serving at the St. Petersburg Branch of the Florida Peninsula Command Post (FPCP) of the Deepwater Horizon Incident Response. A U.S. Coast Guard reservist, she is assigned to the Seventh Coast Guard District Public Affairs Detachment in St. Petersburg, Fla.

PA1 Silverstein recently sat down with Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Keen, a reservist Maritime Enforcement Specialist assigned to Sector St. Petersburg. Keen is currently serving as an Aerial Observer at the St. Petersburg Branch of the FPCP. More than 100 aircraft are working in the Gulf of Mexico during the largest oil spill response in history. He previously served on active duty as a Marine Safety Technician.

Q: What are your response duties while assigned to the St. Petersburg Branch of the FPCP?

A: I work in air operations, over flight missions and on local pollution response. Senior NOAA aerial observers trained us to spot oil on the surface of water. They also taught us to recognize the five different states of surface oil, and how to differentiate it from sargassum (sea weed) beds, which look similar from the air. We were also trained to plot the locations of our findings, since we turn our data in for mapping and tracking purposes.

Q. Please describe what you have seen on your overflights.

A. I’ve actually seen a lot of clean and pristine water, especially up and down the west coast of Florida. I’ve also seen schools of fish, jellyfish and pods of dolphin. Frequently, I see the reddish-orange sargassum beds and have spotted and mapped sheen with wind rows. Mostly, I spot, track and map various textures and concentrations of surface oil close to the source of the spill.

Q. While oil has not reached the Florida Peninsula, please comment as to how your work has impacted the overall response?

A. As Aerial Observers, we are gathering real-time observations and noting changes in observed surface oil. Our observations are compiled into maps for responders to follow the daily trajectory of oil from the Deepwater Horizon Incident. Our sightings also help monitor the health and condition of the Florida shoreline. Sometimes, we observe oil sheen unrelated to the Deepwater Horizon spill and coordinate with surface units for verification of the source. It allows us to track cases of illegal bilge emptying. All the information we gather helps provide a visual snapshot of the health of the peninsula.

Q: Is there anything else you'd like to share about this experience?

A. It's pretty remarkable to see people and resources from many different agencies come together on this vital effort. Throughout this assignment, I’ve been struck by the enormity of the work and how everyone plays an important role. For example, we are sometimes joined on overflights by county emergency managers, scientists and members of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. It’s been a great opportunity to talk with subject matter experts about the science behind currents and weathered oil, especially since we’re all committed to ensuring the Florida coastline remains clean. I'm glad to have been activated and know we remain committed to ensuring the Florida coastline remains clean.

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