Coastal Response Research Center - Celebrating 20 Years of Partnership

Video Transcript

My name is Scott Lundgren, and I am the director of NOAA’s Office of Response & Restoration, or OR&R.

In 2004, the Coastal Response Research Center, or CRRC, was established as a partnership between OR&R and the University of New Hampshire.

Today, the center celebrates 20 years of work supporting OR&R’s mission to protect and restore ocean and coastal resources from oil and chemical spills, disasters, and marine debris through cutting-edge research, innovative response and restoration methods, and the sharing of critical technology.

As the director of OR&R, I’m proud and excited to celebrate this milestone.

Human-made and natural disasters profoundly impact ocean and coastal communities, disrupting the lives and livelihoods of those who depend on these areas.

The CRRC helps us respond swiftly and effectively to these hazards.

Over the past two decades, the CRRC has performed groundbreaking research to support emergency response in challenging environments, such as the Arctic and Great Lakes, where ice and oil present unique obstacles.

The center also developed the Environmental Response Management Application, or ERMA , a powerful mapping tool that thousands of responders and natural resource decision-makers use nationwide.

And, just this summer, the CRRC, with colleagues from OR&R, the Coast Guard, California state, and private industry, led crucial research testing techniques to support future oil spills.

Beyond innovation, the CRRC has received $19 million in funding from NOAA and our partners, and supported 192 students, fostering the next generation of ocean stewards.

While we can’t predict the next incident, the CRRC helps strengthen coastal communities’ preparedness and resilience to a wide range of threats.

For that, I am grateful for this long-term partnership.

To stay informed about the CRRC’s efforts, please visit our website.