Refugio Oil Spill Sea Otter Observations from May 28, 2015

Santa Barbara County, California, was the site of an oil spill on May 19, 2015, where an estimated 21,000 gallons flowed into the Pacific Ocean. This dataset from NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration contains observations of sea otters in the affected area on May 28, 2015. The data supports investigations into environmental impacts and restoration needs following the Refugio Beach spill.

Use Cases

• Mapping the spatial distribution of sea otters relative to an oil spill based on the described survey.
• Assessing potential wildlife exposure to oil contamination based on the described observation event.
• Supporting environmental damage assessment and restoration planning based on the described incident context.

Strengths

• Data is tied to a specific, documented environmental incident with an estimated 21,000-gallon spill volume.
• Observations are from a precise date (May 28, 2015) following the May 19, 2015 spill event.
• Provided by the authoritative NOAA Office of Response and Restoration.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to a single survey event.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Aerial overflight survey, as suggested by the title.

Time Range

May 28, 2015

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 22:28:25.528702; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Refugio State Beach area, Santa Barbara County, California, Pacific Ocean