From training to tactic: NOS harnesses drone potential for oil spill response

The U.S. Coast Guard launches an uncrewed aircraft system from the Coast Guard Cutter Blackfin off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. Credit: U.S. Coast Guard.

Oil spills are a race against time and every second matters. To accelerate the response to oil spills and other disasters, the National Ocean Service's Office of Response and Restoration has partnered with the U.S. Coast Guard to launch new drones that will serve as a powerful new tool for environmental protection.

The two agencies share a common goal to expand the use of drones as powerful tools for oil spill response, recovery, and restoration, while also improving how data is collected, managed, and delivered. Experts came together in 2025 to complete hands-on training for both drone piloting and data analysis. Pilots mastered launching and retrieving drones from a moving vessel, refining flying techniques, and testing aircraft capabilities and limitations to capture high-quality imagery and video.

The U.S. Coast Guard launches and tests an aerial flight with an uncrewed aircraft system underway on the Coast Guard Cutter Blackfin off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. Credit: U.S. Coast Guard.

Then, drone pilots tested how quickly the data can move from the air to decision-makers' hands by executing the near real-time transfer of data while still at sea. NOAA's data management software DIVER and online mapping tool ERMA® eliminated the typical delay of waiting for vessels to return to dock or for aircraft pilots to return.

The resulting ERMA maps visually summarized an area and included additional layers showing the locations of known natural oil seeps and offshore platforms, along with satellite imagery data from NOAA Satellites. The ERMA tool allowed for a direct data comparison, making it possible to identify oil signatures undetectable by the human eye.

U.S. Coast Guard retrieves an unmanned aircraft system on the Coast Guard Cutter Blackfin off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. Credit: U.S. Coast Guard.

The ability to quickly deploy drones for natural disaster response, damage assessments, and other critical tasks can significantly boost operational effectiveness during incidents. NOAA's efforts with interagency partners brings the expertise and knowledge needed to successfully execute this collaborative approach to the work. Combining strong training programs, acquiring cutting-edge technology, and fostering interagency partnerships helps ensure a safe and secure marine environment.

This project is funded by the Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise and NOAA, in collaboration with the Coastal Response Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, Research Planning Inc., and Water Mapping, LLC. Teams are now working to develop guidance and training to maximize the potential for commercial, off-the-shelf platforms to be used for marine environmental responses.

Learn about this effort and the collaborative interagency training and imagery on the Office of Response and Restoration website.