The Argo Merchant oil spill : a preliminary scientific report NOAA Special Report : The Argo Merchant oil spill, a preliminary scientific report

The grounding of the Argo Merchant triggered intense scientific activity between December 15, 1976, and February 12, 1977, aimed at describing the movement and fate of the oil released by the tanker as a first step in the long process of assessing the ecological effects of the spill. This activity was centered on the U.S. Coast Guard's operations at its Cape Cod Air Station, and was coordinated by the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and academic scientists from the oceanographic research institutions in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.