National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

NPS Oil Spill Response

Aerial photo of Gulf Islands NS

NPS Photo

Overflight assessing boom conditions at Gulf Islands National Seashore

Background

The National Park Service has been an integral part of the national federal response to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig which occurred in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, and tragically killed 11 of the rig’s crew.

What we're doing Follow us on Twitter

The National Park Service has deployed incident management personnel from across the country to prepare for and respond to oil impacts along the Gulf Coast. We recognize that the national parks in the Gulf Coast attract millions of visitors each year and are integral to the economic fabric and natural systems of this region.

As oil continues to come onshore at Gulf Islands National Seashore and creeps closer to other national parks in Florida, Louisiana and Texas, National Park Service employees regularly based in these parks as well as those deployed as part of various incident teams are working to assess and clean up oil impacts and protect the park’s critical natural and cultural resources, including wildlife, birds, and historic structure and serve the visiting public.

All national parks in the Gulf coast region remain open to the public. However, depending on future oil impacts, some temporary closures may occur. Please check individual park websites for further information by clicking on the appropriate link below.

Videos from the Gulf

National Park Service employees from across the country are part of the oil spill response, joining the staffs of affected parks to help protect natural and cultural resources. These videos and publications share some of their experiences and provide insight into the issues that affect National Park Service lands.

Who we work with

After oil spills, the responsible party (in this case BP) is legally required to fund and organize the cleanup under the U.S. Coast Guard. So even though you may not see rangers out on the beaches cleaning up oil, we’ll be there making sure that our natural and cultural resources are not damaged any further. Science and environmental compliance are the primary keys to decision making in the response efforts of the National Park Service. Visitor safety and protection of sensitive park resources are top priorities. Achieving recovery goals is a delicate and crucial balance between swift and immediate response and science-based decisions and actions which are intentional and measured.

Park status

For information about park closures and specific park operations, go to:

Resources at risk

National parks in the Gulf area are home to many amazing animals, habitats, and cultural resources. Here are just a few that could be affected by the oil spill:

  • Seagrass beds are important nursery habitat for sea turtles, young fish, crabs, shrimp, and many other crustaceans. They also provide an important food source for manatees. Oil will kill seagrasses on contact and this community is slow to recover.
  • Salt marshes, which occur in back bays, provide a buffer that protects the mainland during storm events. They also offer foraging sites for all kinds of birds. If oil kills these plants in the marsh, the soil will destabilize and erode.
  • Mangroves are similar to salt marshes in that they provide a buffer between the sea and the mainland, as well as providing wildlife habitat.
  • Shipwrecks, archeological sites, Civil War defenses, historic structures, and other cultural resources tell the stories of past inhabitants and key moments in our nation’s past. Damage from oil and cleanup operations is a concern for these treasures.

The ecosystems and wildlife represented in the parks could provide the biological and genetic diversity needed when the spill is over - they will be the well-springs of resurgence in wildlife populations.

Learning the hard way

We wish it weren't true, but the National Park Service has a lot of experience with oil spill cleanup. In 1989, the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska spilling 257,000 barrels of oil that washed up on the shores of three national parks. What was learned from that experience two decades ago is having a profound effect on what we are doing today in the Gulf. For more -- Kenai Fjords National Park wrote a summary, called 20 Years Later, detailing their experience with the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

How you can help

  • Report oiled/distressed wildlife: (866) 557-1401
  • Report community impacts: (866) 448-5816
  • Volunteer: (866) 448-5816
  • Register as a consultant, contractor, or vendor: (281) 366-5511
  • Register boats available to assist: (281) 366-5511

Learn more

Media inquiries

  • About Gulf Islands (850) 916-5638
  • About South Florida parks (305) 242-7714
  • About Unified Command (985) 902-5240