Situation: May 25, 2010
Response
NOAA continues to provide regular trajectories, and modeling expertise.
Today’s forecast includes relatively light and variable winds over the next 72 hours, potentially extending through the week. The oil is not anticipated to move much further westward during the forecast period.
Satellite imagery continues to show a very small portion of the oil moving to the SE. The oil was being entrained into a counter-clockwise rotating eddy to the north of the Loop Current. Sheens were no longer visible within the eddy on recent overflight.
Trajectories for remaining observed oil within this region suggest some of these scattered sheens will continue to be entrained in the counter-clockwise eddy, but it is possible that a small amount of may move in to the Loop Current and persist as very widely scattered tarballs not visible from imagery.
NOAA by the Numbers in the Gulf Region May 25, 2010
NOAA aircraft deployed:
N46RF Twin Otter (DHC-6), Current station: Mobile, Ala., Began flying marine mammal surveys as of 28 Apr. Its mission changed on May 5 to multispectral scanning to study oil density and thickness.
N56RF Twin Otter (DHC-6), Current Station: Mobile, Ala., Mission: Marine mammal surveys, First Flight: 5 May
N68RF King Air (BE-350ER), Current Station: New Orleans, La., Mission: Coastal photography and mapping, First Flight: 5 May
N42RF Orion (WP-3D), Current Station: Tampa, Fla., Mission: Loop Current study; First Flight: 8 May, flew May 21. During its May 21 mission 62 vertical oceanographic profiles (AXBT, AXCP, and AXCTD) and eight atmospheric profiles (GPS dropwindsondes) were collected. The next flight is planned for Friday, May 28.
NOAA and contract research vessels:
NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter - Preparations for the acoustics cruise on the Gordon Gunter are ongoing with the AUV ("Gulper") being housed on the deck of the ship. Additional equipment continues to arrive daily.
Thomas Jefferson - Arrived at first station last night and began deployment of the two SeaGliders, 5 profiling floats, and 7 Davis drifting buoys by the 2 NAVOCEANO technicians.
F/V Simple Man - Under contract to SEFSC/Mississippi Laboratory, has completed two weeks of trawl sampling from pre-spill areas in Alabama. Samples will be processed in Pascagoula, MS.
Other NOAA vessels in area include OREGON II and PISCES
R/V Caretta, R/V Gandy and R/V HST are alongside
SCAT teams:
Two aerial reconnaissance teams and three SCAT teams were operational on May 24.
Fishery closure update:
NOAA Fisheries Service revised the fishery closure effective 6:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 25. The closure now encompasses slightly more than 22 percent of the federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico exclusive economic zone.
Marine mammals and turtles (effective May 24):
Sea Turtles
The total number of sea turtles verified from April 30 to May 24 within the designated spill area is 215. The 215 includes three entirely oiled sea turtles that were captured alive during dedicated on-water surveys last week: two small Kemp's ridley and a larger subadult loggerhead turtle. They were taken to the Audubon Aquarium where they are undergoing de-oiling and care and are doing well. In addition, 200 dead and 12 live stranded turtles (of which two died in rehab) have been verified. None of the dead or live stranded turtles have had visible evidence of external oil.
Dolphins
From April 30 to May 24, there have been 20 dead dolphins verified within the designated spill area. The dolphin collected on May 24 will be evaluated externally today. The other 19 dolphins have had no visible evidence of external oil.
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/topic_subtopic_entry.php?RECORD_KEY%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=entry_id,subtopic_id,topic_id&entry_id%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=809&subtopic_id%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=2&topic_id%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=1
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