Recent incidents within our National Marine Sanctuaries and throughout our country have directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to begin to look proactively at catastrophic oil and other chemical releases from submerged and abandoned sources. Integrating data from several federal, state, and private sources, the Abandoned Vessel Program (AVP) and Resources and UnderSea Threats (RUST) database worked hand in hand to develop a joint inventory of submerged and abandoned vessels to determine through analysis the scope of this potential threat.

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Author notes

1 Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the position of NOAA, the Department of Commerce, or the United States.