Tag Archives: Science Communication

Sea Grant Publication Offers Tips for Effective Academic Engagement with Spill Response Community

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team released a tip sheet that discusses how academic researchers can become more familiar with priority oil spill research needs and with protocols for collecting data during response activities.

Using feedback from academic, industry, and response representatives, the publication offers specific recommendations for actions that academic researchers can take prior to a spill event so that they can better meet the response community’s needs as a spill unfolds.

Read What to Expect in Response to An Oil Spill: A Tip Sheet for Academic Researchers to learn more about recommendations for developing an oil spill research plan and about the organization of response efforts as outlined in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 .

Check out these Sea Grant publications for more information about oil spill response:

Read these articles to learn how scientific teams responded to oil and gas events:

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team synthesizes peer-reviewed science for a broad range of general audiences, particularly those who live and work across the Gulf Coast. Sea Grant offers oil-spill related public seminars across the United States.

Information about upcoming Sea Grant science seminars and recently held events is available here. To receive email updates about seminars, publications, and the outreach team, click here.

By Stephanie Ellis. Contact sellis@ngi.msstate.edu with questions or comments.

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GoMRI and the Sea Grant programs of the Gulf of Mexico (Florida, Mississippi-Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas) have partnered to create an oil spill science outreach program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010-2020 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

State Events to Showcase a Decade of Discovery with the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

6767 — Image courtesy of Tara Skelton, Oil Spill Science Outreach Team Communicator at the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium.

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team is pleased to announce and extend an invitation to attend Gulf Coast state events that will highlight GoMRI contributions to research, recovery, and resilience from a state-based perspective. Each event features scientists affiliated with their respective state who are involved with GoMRI research as well as members of the GoMRI Research Board and administration.

Established in response to the Deepwater Horizon incident, GoMRI has led an independent, 10-year, $500 million research program focused on the Gulf of Mexico, which has traditionally been underfunded, to study the effect of oil spills on the environment and public health. As the GoMRI program nears its conclusion, focus has turned to its legacy and the application of knowledge accrued to the long-term environmental health of the Gulf of Mexico.

Please join us as the Sea Grant oil spill outreach team hosts these state events, which can be viewed on Zoom or via Facebook Live. More details are provided below and also available at https://gulfseagrant.org/celebrating-gomri-around-the-gulf/.

Save the Date! Texas – September 25, Florida – October 16, Alabama – October 23, Mississippi – October 29, Louisiana – November 10.

GoMRI and Texas: Celebration of a 10-year partnership
September 25, 10 am-12:30 pm CDT/11-1:30 EDT
Register here to watch on Zoom or via Facebook Live.
Questions? Please contact Dani Bailey with Texas Sea Grant at danielle.bailey@exchange.tamu.edu or 361.825.6215.

Speakers and panelists
Rita Colwell, Chair of the GoMRI Research Board
Laura Bowie, Executive Director, Gulf of Mexico Alliance
Chuck Wilson, GoMRI Chief Scientific Officer
Raymond L. Orbach, GoMRI Research Board member from the state of Texas, The University of Texas at Austin
Larry McKinney, Senior Executive Director of Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
Antonietta Quigg, Senior Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, Texas A&M University Galveston
James Gibeaut, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (GRIIDC), Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
Tony Wood, Director of the National Spill Control School, Corpus Christi
Steve Buschang, Director of Research and Development/ Scientific Support Coordinator, Texas General Land Office
Pamela Plotkin, Executive Director, Texas Sea Grant

Ten years of GoMRI Science: Honoring discoveries, contributions, and legacies in Florida
October 16, 2020, 12–3 pm CDT/1-4 EDT.
Register here to watch on Zoom or via Facebook Live.
Questions? Please contact Monica Wilson with UF/IFAS Florida Sea Grant at monicawilson447@ufl.edu or 727.776.0831.

Speakers
Rita Colwell, Chair of the GoMRI Research Board
Laura Bowie, Executive Director, Gulf of Mexico Alliance
Chuck Wilson, GoMRI Chief Scientific Officer
William Hogarth, GoMRI Research Board member from the state of Florida, Florida Institute of Oceanography
Richard Dodge, GoMRI Research Board member from the state of Florida, Nova Southeastern University
Steve Murawski, University of South Florida
Tamay Ozgokmen, University of Miami
Tracey Sutton, Nova Southeastern University
Martin Grosell, University of Miami
Timyn Rice, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

Ten years of discovery: Celebrating the legacy of GoMRI in Alabama
October 23,2020, Reception 6 pm CDT/7 EDT, Program 6:30-8:30/7:30-9:30
The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores, AL.
Register here to attend in person or remotely on Zoom/via Facebook Live.
Questions? Please contact Missy Partyka with Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium at m.partyka@auburn.edu or 251.348.5436.

Speakers and panelists
Rita Colwell, GoMRI Research Board Chair
Laura Bowie, Executive Director of GOMA
Chuck Wilson, GoMRI Chief Scientific Officer
Tina Miller-Way, Chair of Discovery Hall Programs, Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Patricia Sobecky, University of Alabama
Nikaela Flournoy, GoMRI Scholar, University of Alabama
Ruth Carmichael, Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Carl Cloyed, Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Carl Edmiston, US Coast Guard (retired)

A salute to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative’s contribution to the state of science in Mississippi
October 29, 1-3 pm CDT/2-4 EDT.
Register here to watch on Zoom or via Facebook Live.
Questions? Contact Tara Skelton at tara.skelton@usm.edu or 228.327.5284.

Speakers and panelists
Rita Colwell, Chair of the GoMRI Research Board
Laura Bowie, Executive Director, Gulf of Mexico Alliance
Chuck Wilson, GoMRI Chief Scientific Officer
David Shaw, GoMRI Research Board member from the state of Mississippi, Mississippi State University
Dennis Weisenburg, GoMRI Research Board member from the state of Mississippi, University of Southern Mississippi
LaDon Swann, Executive Director, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium
Pat Fitzpatrick, Mississippi State University/Texas A & M
Jerry Wiggert, University of Southern Mississippi
Joe Griffitt, University of Southern Mississippi
Jessie Kastler, University of Southern Mississippi
Kemal Combazaglu, University of Southern Mississippi
Stephan O’Brien, Deakin University
Sabrina Parra, Johns Hopkins University
Missy Partyka, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium /Auburn University
Cheryl Lassitter, NOAA
Ryan Bradley, Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United, Inc.

Commemorating 10 years of GoMRI science in Louisiana
November 10, 2020, 2-4 pm CST/3-5 EST
Register here to watch on Zoom or via Facebook Live.
Questions? Please contact Emily Maung-Douglass with Louisiana Sea Grant at edouglass@lsu.edu or 225.578.9926.

Speakers and panelists
Rita Colwell, Chair of the GoMRI Research Board
Laura Bowie, Executive Director, Gulf of Mexico Alliance
Chuck Wilson, GoMRI Chief Scientific Officer
Richard Shaw, GoMRI Research Board member from the state of Louisiana, Louisiana State University
Debi Benoit, GoMRI Research Board member from the state of Louisiana, Nicholls State University
Stephen Sempier, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant
Emily Maung-Douglass, Louisiana Sea Grant
Vijay John, Consortium for the Molecular Engineering of Dispersant Systems (C-MEDS), Tulane University
Melissa Finucane, Consortium for Resilient Gulf Communities (CRGC), RAND Corporation
Nancy Rabalais, Coastal Waters Consortium (CWC), Louisiana State University
Natalia Sidorovskaia, Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center-Gulf Ecological Monitoring & Modeling (LADC-GEMM), University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Additionally featuring:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
Clean Gulf Associates

By Nilde Maggie Dannreuther. Contact maggied@ngi.msstate.edu with questions or comments.

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GoMRI and the Sea Grant programs of the Gulf of Mexico (Florida, Mississippi-Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas) have partnered to create an oil spill science outreach program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit https://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Fact Sheet: Sea Grant Oil Spill Science Overview

Click Image for Factsheet PDF…

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team is a team of oil spill science outreach specialists to collect and translate the latest peer-reviewed research for those who rely on a healthy marine ecosystem for work or recreation. Our specialists – all trained scientists themselves – connect with audiences in person, in print, and online.

Our audiences let us know what oil spill science topics they want to learn about next! Join our mailing list to become a part of the conversation.

All of our publications, news about upcoming events, links to webinars, and videos of past presentations can be found on our website at https://gulfseagrant.org/oilspilloutreach/

Link to Factsheet PDF…

This work was made possible in part by a grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and in part by the Sea Grant programs of Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi-Alabama. The statements, findings, conclusions and recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.

ECOGIG Hosts Second Annual Ocean Discovery Camp

4541 Campers aged 11-14 explored ocean topics such as deep oceans, ecosystems, and chemosynthetic processes through hands-on projects, games, videos, and slideshows. The students also designed and built their own remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and created stop-motion videos based on the camp’s themes.

View the campers’ ROVs.

Watch their stop-motion films.

See photos from the camp.

ECOGIG Education & Outreach Site

Get to Know CRGC Grad Student Betsy Lopez

4460 Betsy is a masters student at Tulane University’s Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. She is also the program coordinator of Internships and Experiential Learning at the Newcomb College Institute, where she manages grants and endowments and oversees experiential learning opportunities, the alumnae-mentoring program, and the Kenya summer abroad program.

Learn more about Betsy here.

CONCORDE Hosts Third Fisherman-Scientist Bridge Building Workshop

4465 Approximately 15 local fishermen and their families attended the workshop to meet the scientists and voice their concern about topics such as sediment and marine snow. The fishermen also learned how to use the YSI ProDSSII conductivity/temperature-depth meter (CTD) to collect depth salinity and temperature profiles. They will continue collecting and returning data through the end of the project.

Read more about the workshop and CONCORDE’s collaboration with fishermen here.

Trailer: Dispatches from the Gulf 2 (2017)

Credit: Screenscope

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative is pleased to announce the release of the Screenscope film production company’s trailer for “Dispatches from the Gulf-2.”

This second film continues the remarkable stories about the global scientific team studying the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The movie, narrated by Matt Damon, will air later this year as a new episode of the award-winning Journey to Planet Earth Series.

The first “Dispatches from the Gulf” documentary received industry recognition with an Emmy for best photography and the Blue Whale Award at the 2016 Blue Ocean Film Festival. Using material from this first documentary, producers Hal and Marylyn Weiner created 50 video shorts that include film highlights, interviews with scientists and graduate students, and more. An associated Educators Guide provides detailed descriptions and keywords for each video and can be used in classroom curriculum and in other educational efforts.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, in response to the 2010 oil spill, initiated an unprecedented response effort and mobilized the largest, coordinated scientific research endeavor around an ocean-related event in history. For additional information about the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative:

Watch this video: The Making of a Ten-Year Gulf of Mexico Research Program
Use the Research Information System to learn about funded projects, people, and publications
Use the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative to discover and access scientific datasets resulting from GoMRI-funded research

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“Dispatches from the Gulf” is made possible in part by a grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). The GoMRI is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Science at the Stadium Scores Big with Game-Day Attendees

Graduate student Fanny Girard (left) joins game-day fans at the ECOGIG-II Ocean Discovery Zone. The coral banner makes a beautiful photo backdrop! (Photo by ECOGIG-II)

Scientists and education staff have tapped into a novel venue – football games – to reach new audiences and share ongoing research and ocean technology. The research consortium Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf II (ECOGIG II), funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), took their mobile Ocean Discovery Zone on the road to State College, PA for the Penn State Nittany Lions season opener.

“Football is a passion for people around the country, and a remarkable number of people fill stadiums every Saturday in the fall,” explained Sara Beresford, the Communications and Outreach Lead for ECOGIG-II, on why they chose this venue. “Hosting our exhibit during tailgating, we’re able to interact with and reach people who might not otherwise seek out the information we can provide.”

Visitors can drive a model Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to learn about an important piece of technology used in deep ocean research. Visitors also can build deepwater corals, see a model of a natural hydrocarbon seep, and view video content and information displays about the Gulf and deepsea exploration. Game-day fans can attend four more Ocean Discovery Zone events in the southeast this year.

These young fans enjoyed playing Gulf of Mexico themed cornhole! (Photo by ECOGIG-II)

A: Graduate student Sarah Harrison explains to young fans how scientists use ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) technology. Visitors can drive the model ROV and earn honorary ECOGIG Pilot’s Licenses. B: A coral enthusiast built a replica of the deepwater coral polyp displayed on one of our tent sidewalls. C: Pen State fans used the ROVs to collect replications of deep sea animals from the bottom of the tank and learned about life in the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico. D: ECOGIG education and outreach lead Sara Beresford helps fans build deepwater corals to take home. This station was quite popular with everyone! E: Pen State fans used the ROVs to collect replications of deep sea animals from the bottom of the tank and learned about life in the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico. F: This young fan enjoyed playing Gulf of Mexico themed cornhole! (All Photos by ECOGIG-II)

“For me, the most exciting part of the program is the opportunity to engage with visitors – both children and adults – and share stories with them about our work and its relevance for the Gulf of Mexico and the global oceans,” said Dr. Samantha Joye, the Director of ECOGIG-II. “I’m always impressed by the questions I’m asked and by the enthusiasm I see, especially in young people. Seeing these young kids get inspired and start asking thought-provoking questions about the Gulf of Mexico and oceans in general is really special.”

Fans met several scientists at Penn State, including ECOGIG-II co-Principal Investigators Dr. Charles Fisher and Dr. Iliana Baums, and learned about their research on the unique deepwater coral communities in the Gulf.

Want to join the fun? The 2016 Science in the Stadium schedule is available here.

Read more about ECOGIG II and their research on their website and Facebook page.

Read about last year’s events at What a Matchup! SEC Football and Science at the Stadium.

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The GoMRI is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Trailer: Dispatches from the Gulf (2016)

It happened on April 20, 2010 – 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana. The Deepwater Horizon oil-drilling rig exploded. Tragically – the blowout killed 11 – and changed the lives of millions living near the Gulf coast – as well as hundreds of scientists who responded to the crisis.

To discover what happened – scientists from around the world turned their attention to the Gulf of Mexico. A whole research community has developed dedicated to finding new and unique methods to understand the oil pollution process.

Share your thoughts at the following Dispatches from the Gulf Social Media links:

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“Dispatches from the Gulf” is a new Journey to Planet Earth (J2PE) episode showing how scientists confront the challenges of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The documentary also investigates the impact of the event on the ecosystems and communities along the Gulf of Mexico.

J2PE dramatizes new ways of looking at the delicate relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The series is designed to help viewers understand and cope with the most important environmental issues of the 21st century.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, these programs reach beyond the physical sciences and draw connections to politics, economics, sociology, and history. A common thread runs throughout — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Though photographed on different continents and focusing on different sets of problems, audiences come to see why all of these stories are connected, providing a dramatic mosaic of how the Earth works as an interrelated system.

ECOGIG Kicks Off the 2016 Science at the Stadium Season

Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf (ECOGIG) Consortium outreach staff recently brought the Ocean Discovery Zone to Penn State’s Fan Fest for the season’s first home game. Visitors explored the Gulf’s deepwater ecosystems and learned about the importance of healthy oceans. View photos or watch a time-lapse video of the event to learn more.

“Science at the Stadium” is an extension of the Ocean Discovery Zone- you may read more about our signature outreach event here.

ECOGIG Education and Outreach Site

Photos
Videos

Visit our social media pages

Fostering a Love of Learning – CARTHE Outreach

Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment (CARTHE) teamed up with Project Give Kids (PGkids) to expose a bright group of foster kids, ranging in age from 1st grade to high school, to the amazing world of marine science.

The students started the day with CARTHE outreach manager, Laura Bracken, who taught them about ocean currents and enlisted their help in painting drift cards for our upcoming Biscayne Bay study: Bay Drift. These cards will be released into Biscayne Bay and aerial photos will be taken as they spread so we can learn about the movement inside the bay. In order to see the movement of individual cards/plates, they all need to be painted different colors. Thanks for the help!

Next the students saw the impressive SUSTAIN facility in the new Glassell building at RSMAS. Here scientists are studying air-sea interactions, hurricane intensity and the ability for structures to withstand hurricanes, and testing equipment like the custom-made CARTHE drifters.

The second half of the tour visited the Rescue-a-Reef coral restoration lab, the National Resource for Aplysia, and the RSMAS Toadfish lab. The young scientists got the chance to touch everything!

A great day was had by all. Thank you to everyone who made this tour possible, especially the great group of students who were excited to participate and asked great questions. We look forward to having you on campus again soon!

Visit cartheblog

CARTHE and DROPPS Scientists Team Up for UT Summer Science Program

(Photo credit – DROPPS Consortium)

The Dispersion Research on Oil: Physics and Plankton Studies (DROPPS) Consortium had another successful collaboration with the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment (CARTHE) for the UT Summer Science program! We taught 3rd-4th graders about how oil spill scientists sometimes use drift cards to study oil spills to see where currents may carry the oil. Then they designed their own scientific drift cards and tossed them off the UT Pier! Stay tuned for reports on where the drifters that are found!

The researchers Skyped with 3rd – 4th graders to teach them how oil spill scientists can use drift cards to see where currents may carry spilled oil. The students then designed and released their own drift cards from the University of Texas at Austin pier. Check out the photos albums here and here to learn more about the consortia’s involvement in the program!

GoMRI One-Pager Now Available on Website

Click image to download brochure…

GoMRI has developed a new one-page information brochure about the research program. Use it at your next open-house, meeting, or conference.

Continue reading →

Smithsonian Features Blog about Sharing Gulf of Mexico Big Data

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The Smithsonian Ocean Portal posted a blog that describes the needs and challenges of sharing scientific data, especially unique data collected after a disaster such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Featured are insights from Marcia McNutt, Editor-in-Chief of Science Magazine, and Chuck Wilson, Chief Scientist for the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative.
The blog begins with how children are taught that sharing is a good thing but, over time, adults may shift their thinking towards holding back. The blog explains why, when it comes to scientific data, sharing is best for the greater good.

Read the Ocean Portal Blog: Do You Have The Answer? Sharing Big Data in the Gulf of Mexico

Read about the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative’s scientific data collection and legacy here.

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GoMRI and the Smithsonian have a partnership to enhance oil spill science content on the Ocean Portal website.

Researchers Inspire Future Oceanographers!

Boy Scouts attending the 2016 Advance-a-rama at UGA, taking water samples at Lake Herrick (Photo provided by ECOGIG)

The Spring Boy Scouts Advance-A-Rama (AAR) program has been conducted for over 25 years by volunteers from the Northeast Georgia Council’s Cherokee District. The AAR is hosted by the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. In recent years, over 200 scouts from troops in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee have registered for the Spring AAR. This year’s event was held on February 27th, 2016 and involved several departments on UGA’s campus.

Ecosystem Impacts of Oil & Gas Inputs to the Gulf (ECOGIG) Graduate students Andy Montgomery and Ryan Sibert, along with ECOGIG outreach personnel and marine science faculty, taught a class on oceanography to twelve boy scouts in order to fulfill some of the requirements the scouts needed to earn their oceanography badges. Some highlights of the event involved learning about the different branches of oceanography, why studying the oceans are important, and the cool technology and tools scientists use to do their research. There were several hands on activities involved during the day- the scouts built their own plankton nets and traveled to a nearby lake to sample for plankton using their nets. They also collected water samples and analyzed those in the lab to learn about the nutrients available for the plankton in the lake. They also got to observe and identify the plankton they collected under microscopes.

It was a great event that inspired a few future oceanographers in the group! To view photos from the event, check out our facebook album!

Sharing Oil Spill Science with Non-Scientists: Effectively Communicating Complex Research Results Through Outreach and Education Programs

Photo credit: Leigh Zimmermann

The four Sea Grant Programs in the Gulf of Mexico region, the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and the Consortium for Ocean Leadership jointly co-hosted an outreach workshop at the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conference on February 1 in Tampa, FL, called Sharing Oil Spill Science with Non-Scientists: Effectively Communicating Complex Research Results through Outreach and Education Programs.

The workshop brought together outreach professionals in the oil spill science community to provide them with information and resources on techniques for sharing science with non-science audiences, tools and technologies for sharing information including social media, documentaries, webinars, and short films, and assessment and evaluation techniques for evaluating outreach programs. Breakout sessions gave the audience members an opportunity to discuss outreach methods and challenges when addressing a variety of audiences, including the general public, the media, K-12, and the fishing community. The workshop report includes a summary of those breakout sessions, slides from the PowerPoint presentations, and additional resources provided by the workshop speakers and panelists.

Click here for a copy of the Workshop Report.

Photo credit: Leigh Zimmermann

CONCORDE Begins Fisher Outreach Program During Fall Campaign

Heather Dippold (left- CONCORDE Education & Outreach) meets with Peter Nguyen ( right close- Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center) and Captain Nguyen (far right) to discuss data collection and the community meeting. Photo credit: Jessica Kastler

While Consortium for oil spill exposure pathways in Coastal River-Dominated Ecosystems (CONCORDE) researchers sampled the northern Gulf to determine the paths and impacts of river outflow, a pair of citizen scientists, also commercial fishers, assisted from their own vessels. Hoang Nguyen Van of D’Iberville, Mississippi, and George Barisich of Ycloskey, Louisiana—Captain Nguyen and Captain George—took readings during the Fall Campaign as a carefully planned part of the overall effort to understand the physical and biological processes that dominate the area.

“We’re working to understand how oil could move through the coastal environment,” explained Outreach Coordinator Jessie Kastler. “This is very important to people who make their living harvesting Gulf fish, shrimp, and oysters.”

Captain Nguyen gathered data the last week in October in conjunction with the R/V Point Sur, while Captain George went out in early November alongside the Pelican. Both took readings on the depths at various GPS locations in the study area. They also sampled for water quality, but experienced some of the difficulties field scientists face in terms of weather and equipment issues presenting challenges to obtaining usable data.

Captain George stands aboard his vessel Peruga. Photo credit: Jessica Kastler

With the Fall Campaign effort behind her, Kastler is now concentrating on phase two of the outreach program. Both Captain Nguyen and Captain George come from cultures unique to the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts and common in the professional fishing community. Captain Nguyen is Vietnamese, one of many on the Gulf coast whose families came to the area as refugees from the Vietnam conflict in the latter part of the twentieth century. Captain George, on the other hand, is a Cajun who descends from generations that have relied on the Gulf for their livelihood. While many who identify as Cajuns have traditionally French surnames, large populations of people whose families originally hailed from the former Yugoslavia and the Canary Islands have been folded into the Cajun culture through the centuries. Each smaller subset of community has these traditions and cultural practices that color its approach to fishing. Understanding these nuances will help CONCORDE’s outreach staff better tailor outreach opportunities.

In light of this, Kastler plans to have Captain Nguyen and Captain George act as liaisons into their professional fishing and ethnic communities. With their assistance, CONCORDE will host community meetings to engage senior and early career scientists with area fishers. The evening programs will include an introduction to CONCORDE’s mission, an overview of what is currently known, and what scientists hope to learn. After the presentation at large, attendees will have an opportunity to join small groups of four to eight people—a mix of fishers, scientists, educators, and interpreters where necessary—to discuss the issues at hand.

Kastler says that while the overall goal is to educate the public regarding findings and to bolster the public trust in science through transparency, it’s important to stress that CONCORDE researchers can benefit from the contact as well. “We want to show members of the these communities that we want to learn from them,” Kastler said. “They’ve been out on the water for decades and know through experience what is typical for the area.”

Once the doors of communication are open, social media will be used to keep information flowing. Through Kastler’s leadership, CONCORDE already has an active presence on Facebook, where updates are posted regularly. During the Fall Campaign, educators and research staff blogged on the CONCORDE website from on board the research vessels. A goal of CONCORDE outreach is for fishers- or any local resident with questions about current issues- to turn to these outlets first for answers. “By the time we launch the Spring Research Campaign, I want people in the community who rely on the Gulf for their livelihood to know who we are and where we post information they can use,” said Kastler.

ACER Engages Local Teachers to Reach K-12 Students

The Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER) Teacher Advisory Group is a team of local science teachers who will work with the consortium’s Educational Team to increase students’ interest in and understanding of the northern Gulf of Mexico.

More Information: http://acer.disl.org/news/2016/02/02/working-with-the-experts/

The goals of ACER’s Education Team include communicating the importance of the northern Gulf of Mexico and the excitement of learning through research to K-12 students.

To help us achieve that goal, we have enlisted the help of several science teachers from our local school systems. The members of our Advisory group include Desi Bishop, Jeanell Calhoun, Jennifer Jaynes, Kristen Perez, Nellie Shiver, and Mobile County Public School Science Supervisor, Stephanie LeGrone. These ladies teach a variety of subjects including physical science, chemistry, biology, environmental science and marine science at the middle or high school level. While we may know the science and research results, these ladies work day in and day out with students and know the best ways to get them excited about science and help them learn. We very much appreciate the assistance of these great teachers in the ACER project!

ACER’s Teacher Advisory Group (l-r) Jeanell Calhoun, Jennifer Jaynes, Nellie Shiver, Kristen Perez and Science Supervisor Stephanie LeGrone. Not pictured – Desi Bishop. Photo credit: T. Miller-Way

GoMRI Provides Support to the Sea Grant Programs of the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) was established by a $500 million commitment from BP in response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The 10-year research program aims to mitigate the impacts of hydrocarbon pollution and stressors on the marine environment and public health from the spill, as well as improve society’s understanding of oil spill issues. GoMRI provides support to the Sea Grant programs of the Gulf of Mexico (Florida, Mississippi-Alabama, Louisiana and Texas) for an extension and outreach effort to increase the use of oil spill science by people whose livelihoods depend on a healthy Gulf. This is a new model of a private entity engaging with the four Sea Grant programs in the Gulf of Mexico to develop a regional outreach program.

Program Goals

Share emerging oil spill science with target audiences.
Collect input from target audience to inform the Sea Grant outreach program,
and deliver input to the GoMRI Research Board to assist in assessing the
direction of its investments.

Link to website.

ADDOMEx Researcher Helps Introduce Teachers to Engineering

James Chiu presented theAggregation and Degradation of Dispersants and Oil by Microbial Exopolymers (ADDOMEx) Consortium’s research to nearly seventy teachers participating in a program called Team-E Science, which will help them better understand engineering concepts. The program is part of a three-year endeavor to implement engineering curriculum in Merced and Mariposa county schools.

Underrepresented minority groups make up more than half of the student body at the university. Also, about 52 percent of students are majoring in science, technology, engineering and math.

During the next three years, an estimated 1,800 elementary students in Merced and Mariposa counties will be part of the program to attempt to improve their knowledge in those fields.

Read more about the program here:
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/…/uc-merc…/article25372726.html

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Professional Development Teacher Workshop Features GoMRI Research

Earlier this month, South Florida teachers attended the Center for the Integrated Modeling and Analysis of the Gulf Ecosystem (CARTHE)-hosted science visualization workshop at the University of Miami, intended to help create improved future resources for sharing science.

The workshop featured CARTHE science, NOAA’s global drifter program, RECOVER consortium, University of Miami Rosenstiel School scienitists and faciliites, and UM Visual Graphics Professor Alberto Cairo.

We hope this will help create better resources for sharing science in the future. Special thanks to the MDCPS Dept of Career and Technical Education for helping to make this event possible.

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Scientists Put ROV Technology in Hands of Teachers and Students

Dr. Tina Miller-Way conducts a safety inspection on Jinks Middle School’s ROV prior to competition.
(Photo credit: Tracy Ippolito)

As science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills become increasingly important to the 21st century workforce, what better way to foster those skills in middle and high school students than an old-fashioned friendly competition?

Over the past four years, the Deep Sea to Coast Connectivity in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico (Deep-C) consortium and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) have trained fifty-five teachers in summer workshops and have had over two-hundred students participate in spring competitions, advancing STEM education with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).

Last July, sixteen middle and high school Gulf Coast teachers attended the five-day workshop “Technology in Marine Science,” where they learned how researchers use ROVs to investigate deep or dangerous waters. The course provided teachers with ROV technology training and tools to use in their classrooms and engage students’ interest in ocean sciences. That fall, the teachers used their new supplies and fresh knowledge about ROV design, construction, and operation to help students design and build their own ROV for the spring competition.

Student teams from twelve schools spent the 2014-2015 school year designing, building, and testing their ROVs in anticipation of the 3rd Annual Spring ROV Competition. The event served as the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Program Northern Gulf Coast regional competition. Teams used their ROVs to complete missions based on GoMRI research that reflected ROV use in marine exploration of deep ocean environments. Students gave oral and poster presentations – judged by local engineers and scientists – explaining their design and operation details. Scientist Will Patterson added additional educational components to the event with a student boat trip and lecture on how ROVs are used in research.

The event featured three levels of competition – Scout (entry-level), Navigator (mid-level), and Ranger (advanced-level). Ranger level winners attended this year’s international MATE competition in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. Dr. Tina Miller-Way, a Deep-C Education Team member leading the DISL ROV program said, “It was great being able to offer all three levels of competition this year and allow the younger students to see how their ROVs and their understanding can grow more complex each year.”

The competing teams were:

Chickasaw High School, Chickasaw, AL
Evangel Classical Christian School, Alabaster, AL
Scotlandville Middle School, Baton Rouge, LA
Santa Rosa High School, Milton, FL – Ranger, 1st place
James Clemens High School, Madison, AL – Navigator, 1st place
James S. Rickards High School, Tallahassee, FL – Navigator, 2nd place
Donnie Bickham Middle School, Shreveport, LA – Navigator, 3rd place
Sacred Heart Cathedral School, Pensacola, FL – Scout, 1st place
Fairview High School, Cullman, AL – Scout, 2nd place
Hancock High School, Kiln, MS – Scout, 3rd place
Jinks Middle School, Panama City, FL – Tethered Together Award (for great teamwork)
Walker High School, Walker, LA – Buoyancy Award (for rising to the surface after problems)

For more information about the annual ROV competition, see the Deep-C ROV competitions webpage and fact sheet. (Note: The Deep-C (Deep Sea to Coast Connectivity in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico) Consortium was a four-year, interdisciplinary study of deep sea to coast connectivity in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. The study, which began in 2011, ended in 2015.)

To learn more about Deep-C research and past ROV competitions:

Deep-C at Sea: Disciplines Converge to Improve Response to Gulf Contaminants
Deep-C Technology Experiences Bring Science to Life for Students (2013 Competition)
Educators Dive into ROV Training and Emerge with Innovative Teaching Tools (2013 Workshop)

Ranger Level Winners Santa Rosa Christian School “Subtropics” pose for a photo. The Subtropics have received the competition’s top spot each year since 2013. (Photo credit: Tina Miller-Way)

The team from James Clemons High School pose with their ROV. They received first place in the competition’s Navigator Level. (Photo credit: Tina Miller-Way)

Fairview High School poses with their ROV after being interviewed by Mobile’s WALA Fox 10 News.
(Photo credit: Tracy Ippolito)

Sacred Heart Cathedral School prepares their ROV for competition. The team later received first place in the Scout Level of competition.
(Photo credit: Tracy Ippolito)

Video Presentations Available from the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference

Sunset in the Gulf off the coast of Alabama. (Photo credit: Oceana/Carlos Suarez)

(Photo Credit: Oceans/Carlos Suarez)

Click here to watch the conference presentations about research that helps answer “what have we learned, what does it mean, and how can it be used?”

This year’s event was especially significant as the Principal Investigators of eight GoMRI consortia presented highlights during the opening plenary from their groups’ three-year research efforts. During a conference poster session, directors of twelve recently-funded GoMRI consortia presented their groups’ planned research activities for the next three years.

Click here for the latest information about the upcoming 2016 conference.

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NBA Player Makes Science the Star for Miami Youth

James Jones of the Miami Heat, along with the University of Miami mascot, sits with the Crew 22 camp kids at the opening ceremony. (Photo provided by CARTHE)

NBA Champion James Jones took the stage for young fans this July, but not to talk about sports. Instead, his goal was to get kids excited about cutting-edge science happening in their home town.

Over 40 kids participated in his week-long Crew 22 Training Camp hosted by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.

Jones and his wife Destiny started the James Jones Legacy Foundation to reach under-served youth in Miami. Growing up in the inner city, Miami native Jones wants kids in tough circumstances to know they have more options than they realize, saying, “We believe that allowing young people an opportunity to experience a college setting as part of our programming has the potential to transform the lives of these children.”

Professor Josefina Olascoaga assists camp kids in simulating the effect of the Earth’s spinning on currents by using a rotating tank and dye. (Photo provided by CARTHE)

After warming up the crowd with upbeat music, friendly banter, and just a little basketball talk, Jones let the kids see a different side of him. “I was a finance major in college and an academic all American,” he said, “I used basketball to get an education, but I’m not just a basketball player.”

Jones encouraged the kids to make friends with the science mentors, learn something new, and get outside their comfort zone. Then, he turned the program over to the enthusiastic CARTHE team and joined the group to learn right alongside them.

CARTHE Outreach Manager Laura Bracken teaches the group about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the importance of understanding how oil moves in the ocean. (Photo provided by CARTHE)

Laura Bracken, the CARTHE Outreach Manager, opened with the video “Bob the Drifter,” an animated depiction of their high-tech tracking devices that go with the flow of ocean currents, helping scientists understand how things move in water. She gave the example of the rubber ducks that, to this day, land in different parts of the world after a container full of them fell from a cargo ship in 1997. Professor Josefina Olascoaga, a physical oceanographer with CARTHE, asked the kids what they thought caused currents, getting answers like “wind,” “rain,” and “animals.” Using a rotating tank, she and post-doc Guillaume Novelli helped them see how the Earth’s spinning affects currents by adding dyes and watching swirling eddies form, taking the dyes in different directions.

Campers watch as an airborne drone equipped with cameras is remotely maneuvered to capture images of them boarding the shark-tagging research vessel. (Photo provided by CARTHE)

Now, the team had the opening to relate currents and the oil spill. Bracken asked how many of them knew about the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Only two raised their hands. The team explained what happened and how they were using science – and really cool equipment – to answer questions about how oil moves in the ocean. The kids got to see drifters and drones that CARTHE used in the GLAD and SCOPE experiments to understand surface currents in deep and in near-shore waters.

The week’s high-interest activities included a toad fish lab, a wave tank, sea slugs, corals, an aquarium, and aviation. A highlight of the program was a day spent catching and tagging sharks. Jones, who joined the kids every day, said he loved being able to expose them to things most people only see on television. “A lot of them thought this would be something similar to going to the zoo or the Seaquarium, but they’re actually out here baiting lines and taking blood and tagging sharks,” said Jones. “It’s something you see on Discovery Channel but rarely get a chance to do in person.”

A drone’s perspective of the Jones Crew 22 campers as they gather to board a research vessel and tag sharks. (Photo provided by CARTHE)

CARTHE Director Tamay Özgökmen explained that, given the constant electronic distractions of our ADD world, outreach programs must be creative to bring science to the masses. He believes partnering with celebrities, such as sports stars and musicians, to host educational events provides an avenue to introduce new concepts when people are relaxed and open to ideas that might not ordinarily interest them. For this reason, CARTHE participated in the Tortugas Music Festival in April, where they spoke directly with over 500 individuals and brought scientific discovery to thousands. They hope to expand their reach to non-college audiences through films and other visual/audio media.

The CARTHE team chats with James Jones about the amazing experiences that the Crew 22 kids had during their week-long science camp. From L-R: CARTHE Outreach Manager Laura Bracken, post-doc Guillaume Novelli, Miami Heat Forward James Jones, CARTHE Director and Professor Tamay Ozgokmen, and Professor Josefina Olascoaga. (Photo provided by CARTHE)

And, partnering with the Jones Crew 22 camp has done just that. “I’ve always taken pride in finding new experiences,” said Jones. From the opening ceremony, where he got kids cheering and dancing, to the camp’s end, where he learned as their peer, Jones made science fun. Now, while most of these kids can say that Jones wears a size 16 shoe, they might also be able to tell their friends where the loop current goes, how currents move oil, or what it’s like reeling in a five-foot shark. For Jones and the CARTHE team, that means the week was a success.

Visit the CARTHE website for more information.

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This research was made possible in part by grants from BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) to the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment (CARTHE). The GoMRI is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit www.gulfresearchinitiative.org.

Teens Explore Oil Spill Impacts on Wetlands through Science and Art

Student April Olivier’s acrylic painting, “Window of Time.” April created this during the CWC Art and Science Camp saying, “In my artwork, I depicted the deterioration of the marsh and land loss over time.” Provided by Murt Conover.

Each summer, parents send their children to camp, trying to match their interests while broadening their horizons. This year, the parents of ten Louisiana students hit the jackpot: the Coastal Waters Consortium (CWC) inaugural Art and Science Camp. This camp challenged participants, engaging both their analytical and creative talents to learn about a locally-relevant and nationally-important subject matter—oiled marsh lands.

For decades, academic institutions have witnessed the arts and sciences compete with each other for funding, recognition, and validation. However, the events at this year’s CWC Art and Science Camp proved that the two disciplines are not only compatible but complementary.

Murt Conover, the Senior Marine Educator for CWC, funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), had been thinking about a combined discipline workshop such as this for years. The idea for the camp moved from dream to reality after a local artist, Karen Alice Clanton, approached Conover with questions regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill following her attendance at a CWC-hosted Coastal Roots workshop. Clanton, whose work focuses heavily on the Louisiana coast, and Conover soon developed a partnership, organizing a summer camp that emphasized the importance of both art and science as tools for communicating environmental concerns. For Conover, this workshop was a “breath of fresh air” because it was outside the traditional Science-Technology-Engineering-Math (STEM) focus, bringing together artists and scientists and reaching students who are not typically interested in science-related activities.

Students created artistic renderings in the field while receiving information from both scientists and artists. Photo by Murt Conover.

The camp took place June 8-11 in Cocodrie, Louisiana, and introduced teenagers to art and science – not as rivals but as allied subjects. The students (ranging from 8^th to 12^th grade) came from varying backgrounds, some with a noted interest in science and others in art. Students spent their days performing research and experiments about coastal wetlands and then translating what they learned into pieces of art. Upon their arrival, the campers and their parents learned about local professional artists, such as Walter Anderson, from camp instructors and local artists Clanton and Jennifer Koppin. They also heard about GoMRI-funded research that focuses on understanding the impacts of the oil spill on the ecosystems that they would be encountering during the camp. The following days were a melding of science and art.

The mornings began with students going into the wetlands aboard kayaks and research vessels and gathering samples of water, sediment, vegetation, and marine life. They learned about wetlands vegetation and impacts of disasters on them directly from scientists with CWC who are currently conducting research in these areas: Dr. John Marton (marsh biogeochemist at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, LUMCON), Dr. Brian Roberts (marsh ecologist at LUMCON), and graduate student Elizabeth Robinson (studying oil impacts on blue crabs at Louisiana State University). Afternoons consisted of laboratory work analyzing the samples they collected and generating data from them. Then, they went into studios to recreate what they learned through art. Some camp activities included experiences in both disciplines simultaneously.

Hands-on science, such as collecting samples of marine life in the marsh, helped students gain a deeper understanding about the science that they later used in their artistic depictions. Here students were on board the RV Acadiana. Photo by Murt Conover.

For example, some boat trips consisted of sketching wildlife while listening to an expert explain the surrounding vegetation and the impacts of pollution on various species. The camp finished on a high note, with students holding a gallery show for their families and staff from LUMCON and CWC.

The art aspect of the camp provided an entirely new method of teaching the students about coastal wetlands. While students had no trouble understanding and learning from their experiences in the field, translating the science into works of art helped them look at the material from a completely different angle, fostering a deeper understand of the information. Conover explained that students would “ask the art teachers about composition one minute and then come to me the next minute asking about the details of the organisms they were drawing, wanting to make sure they were accurate.” As the students developed their artwork, it became obvious that they assimilated their experiences from field work and the lab by the visual imagery they created to share their learning.

The students were extremely enthusiastic about the camp, exceeding Conover’s expectations. One student remarked, “I came for the science, but I really learned a lot about art.” Meanwhile, another student who had attended the camp strictly to create art found that she loved working in the field and expressed that she was now considering pursuing wetlands biology once she entered college.

What began as an experiment to educate students on coastal wetlands through art and science soon became a life-changing experience. The impact of the camp on students and teachers set the stage for future CWC Art and Science camps, opening the door to not only education, but expression.

“Magic happened,” said Conover, “I can’t say it any other way.”

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This research was made possible in part by a grant from BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) to the Coastal Waters Consortium (CWC). The GoMRI is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Coastal Waters Consortium Education and Outreach

The purpose of this site is to inform the public of current scientific research and education activities being conducted by the Coastal Waters Consortium which is funded through the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative.

Louisiana Scientists Present Marsh Research in Public Workshop Series

On board the R/V Acadiana, Dr. Tara Duffy and workshop participants collect marine and water samples in marsh waters. (Photo credit: Jessica Hernandez)

An old philosophical question asks, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

Similarly, if a scientist makes an important discovery and people do not hear about it, will it matter? Scientists are conducting research about oil and other impacts on coastal marine environments. Sharing this unfolding science with communities most affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is a priority for them.

Marine educator Jessica Hernandez with the Coastal Waters Consortium (CWC) voiced the importance of this outreach, saying, “What is scientific research if we cannot share it with the public?” To do this, educators and scientists with the CWC have established a series of public education workshops to highlight recent research about the chemical evolution, biological degradation, and environmental stresses of petroleum and dispersant in the Gulf of Mexico and their effects on coastal and shelf ecosystems.

Dr. Chuck Wall presents research on marine life that live in marsh sediment. (Photo credit: Jessica Hernandez)

Dr. Chuck Wall and Dr. Tara Duffy, postdoctoral research associates with the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), led the first Gulf Lagniappe Public Education Workshop on October 26, 2013 at the DeFelice Marine Center in Cocodrie, Louisiana. Attendees listened to presentations, explored the bay, used laboratory equipment, and—in true Louisiana fashion—enjoyed a delicious chicken and sausage gumbo lunch.

Dr. Wall focused on two research areas—the hypoxic or “dead zone” in the Gulf and the effect of oil on the tiny creatures that live in salt marsh mud. He talked about the abundance and diversity of these mud-dwelling critters and explained his work that uses samples from both oiled and non-oiled areas to understand how oil exposure affects them.

Dr. Tara Duffy helps participants use laboratory equipment to study marine larvae. Photo credit: (Jessica Hernandez)

A fisheries expert, Dr. Duffy spoke about her work with the early life stages of blue crab, anchovy, red snapper, and trout to study the impacts of oil exposure on these animals at this delicate developmental stage. She described lab experiments that exposes larvae to oil and records how the organisms respond.

After the presentations, participants traveled by boat around the local estuary and used trawl nets to collect marine samples. They experienced the biodiversity – both plants and animals – that live right offshore and that are at risk. After the bay tour, the group looked at plankton specimens under a microscope. Viewing these tiny organisms, integral to the Gulf of Mexico’s food web, brought home the many lessons of the day on the interconnectedness of the environment.

On board the R/V Acadiana, workshop participants identify marine animals caught when trawling in marsh estuaries. (Photo credit: Jessica Hernandez)

One attendee explained the desire to continue learning about the research saying, “Unless you are in this career, the aspects of this life and the ecosystems all around us are never in your mind,” adding that it was important to know “the things we do that impact them and how they impact us.”

The CWC will host another all-day Gulf Lagniappe Public Education Workshop on Coastal Wetlands Formation, Functions, and Susceptibility on November 23 at the LUMCON facility in Chauvin, Louisiana. For more information, go to the CWC website. To register directly online, go to http://blogcwc.weebly.com/events.html.

This research was made possible in part by a grant from BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) to the Coastal Waters Consortium. The GoMRI is a 10-year, $500 million independent research program established by an agreement between BP and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance to study the effects of the Deepwater Horizon incident and the potential associated impact of this and similar incidents on the environment and public health.

Tulane Scientists Hold Oil Spill Q&A Event with Vietnamese Fishing Community

Louisiana Shrimp being weighed before sold. (Photo: Kerry Maloney/Louisiana Seafood News www.Louisianaseafoodnews.com)

Many people outside of the Gulf Coast region are not aware of the large population of Vietnamese residents who live across this area, in concentrated communities from Texas to Alabama.

Arriving as refugees during and after the Vietnam War, they settled along the Gulf Coast to work in the booming commercial fishing industry. Today, the business of catching and processing seafood for sale around the country remains an important economic driver for their community. As a result, the Macondo oil spill profoundly affected the livelihoods of many Vietnamese residents of Louisiana.

In order to address the concerns of this unique community, a joint team of researchers from Tulane University’s School of Science and Engineering and School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine provided information and fielded questions on a Sunday in July at a Vietnamese Catholic church in Houma, Louisiana. Titled, “Is it safe? The Oil Spill, Dispersants, and Frequently Asked Questions,” the event took place after mass with about 20 community members in attendance.

Tulane University held an outreach event on July 21, 2013 at Our Lady of Holy Rosary church in Houma, LA, to address issues related to the oil spill. The church is attended by the local Vietnamese community, many of whom work in the seafood industry. (Photo courtesy of C-MEDS)

Vijay John of Tulane University, Director of the Consortium for the Molecular Engineering of Dispersant Systems (C-MEDS), explained that in order to adequately answer all the questions, it was important that both Schools be represented at the meeting, saying, “The C-MEDS consortium is centered at Tulane University and is in close proximity to the communities that were most directly affected by the Deepwater Horizon incident. In addition, the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane has an extensive research and outreach program on the health impacts of the oil spill.”

Debi Benoit, a Research Board member of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), began the session by explaining the history and mission of GoMRI. Then Vijay John, along with undergraduate students who work with him on dispersant studies, gave brief talks about what dispersants do and why they were used in the oil spill response. Using demonstrations to show the crowd how they worked, the presenters brought up a volunteer child from the audience to shake vials to make emulsions form. Dr. Jeffery Wickliffe, a Tulane toxicologist, ended the talk by explaining the methods researchers used to test seafood for safety.

At the conclusion of the talk, the questions began. “I earn my livelihood shucking oysters. How would I know if the oysters I am working with are contaminated?” “If I develop a skin rash 6 months after working with seafood, where do I go? Who do I turn to?” “My seafood catch is poor. How do I know if it is due to the spill?” “If the state closed certain areas due to contamination, would the water flowing between the closed and open areas not bring oil or other toxic materials into our catches?” And, “Should we be concerned about health hazards even now if we inadvertently come into contact with a contaminant?”

The audience was very polite, but their questions clearly showed that they had concerns about short- and long-term effects of the spill, both on their health and on their ability to provide for their families. The speakers listened with concern, answering questions with the latest scientific research. Dr. Wickliffe fielded quite a few health questions and was extremely helpful in addressing the audience’s concerns. The team also directed the community to organizations and resources that might be a source of ongoing support with health or economic issues. Because of the success of this program, Tulane researchers plan to hold similar events with local community groups in the future as a way of engaging those most affected by the oil spill and sharing their science findings with them.

The Consortium for the Molecular Engineering of Dispersant Systems (C-MEDS) received a research grant from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). The GoMRI is a 10-year, $500 million independent research program established by an agreement between BP and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance to study the effects of the Deepwater Horizon incident and the potential associated impact of this and similar incidents on the environment and public health.

Educators Dive into ROV Training and Emerge with Innovative Teaching Tools

Fairview High School teacher Stephanie Chambers navigates an underwater ROV while out at sea aboard DISL’s R/V Alabama-Discovery. (Photo credit: Tina Miller-Way, DISL)

Ten high school teachers from Alabama and Florida are returning to their 2013-2014 science classes armed with new skills, materials, and inspiration. In July, these educators attended a five-day workshop entitled Technology in Marine Science. They built and operated Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and, more importantly, learned how to use them as teaching tools in their classrooms. Throughout the coming year, the teachers will help their students design, build, and test their own ROVs and prepare them for spring competition.

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) directs and hosts this and other teacher workshops as part of a larger education effort by the Deep Sea to Coast Connectivity in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico (Deep-C) research consortium. Their goal is to incorporate oil-spill related research – a topic of high public interest – into classrooms and assist teachers and students in understanding and using this relevant research and associated scientific and engineering concepts as well as a means to further Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.

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CWC Involves All in the Family in Oil Spill Marsh Science

Alan and Anissa Holekamp enjoyed looking at a juvenile blue crab that was caught in the trawl aboard the R/V Acadiana during Dads and Daughters Day. (Photo by Murt Conover)

“My mom would love this boat ride.” “I wish my child could walk the marshes.”

Murt Conover, Senior Marine Educator and Aquarist with the Coastal Waters Consortium (CWC), often hears comments like these when leading teacher and student groups at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) facility. She thought it seemed like a “no brainer” to put parents and kids together in outreach programs, and thus the inaugural Father/Daughter and Mother/Son Discovering Coastal Waters Science events were born.

Mothers and sons identified, sorted, and counted the species caught in a trawl in Terrebonne Bay aboard the R/V Acadiana. (Photo by Murt Conover)

Conover loves planning educational activities that get local families outside in the marshes and waterways to learn about the delicate ecosystem that surrounds them. They also learn about impacts from natural and manmade hazards that affect this region, one being the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. She explains, “We like to get people to experience it first hand, because ownership leads to responsibility. We have a very ‘get your feet wet and hands muddy’ philosophy as far as education goes!” But the events are not just pretty nature walks. Participants often gather samples and analyze them in the LUMCON lab using state-of-the-art research technology. “We do the scientific process from start to finish,” Conover says proudly.

Groups of dads and daughters conducted experiments to learn about how oil can behave in currents before and after it has been dispersed. (Photo by Murt Conover)

Earlier this year, close to Valentine’s Day, CWC hosted a Dads and Daughters Day. They began with a ride on the R/V Acadiana to see the beauty of the Louisiana coast and to experience the kinds of tasks scientists perform on a research vessel. That afternoon, the group conducted oil-spill related experiments in the lab. After the experiments, they finished the day learning about marsh habitat.

CWC hosted a Mothers and Sons Day in May in honor of Mother’s Day. This event was similar to the Dads and Daughters Day, but because of the warmer weather, they constructed Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and tested them outside. Both the moms and the sons enjoyed working with this research technology and being out in the field. One son said, “We walked into the marsh. That was a first for me. We saw little house-like areas made of sticks.” He added, “I’m glad to see the oil spill didn’t kill all of the animals.”

Mother Shawn Duplessis and her son Brady learned the names of the vegetation found on a natural ridge in the salt marsh. (Photo by Murt Conover)

One of the main goals of these programs was to acquaint locals with current research being done to learn about the environmental response to the oil spill, and participants’ feedback showed success. One mom gave this family outreach event the perfect review, commenting, “I wasn’t aware of the structure in place for studying oil spill impacts. It is comforting to realize that compassionate and competent people are researching independently, because without the independent research, it would be hard to trust the data provided to the public.”

Conover enjoyed watching the father/daughter and mother/son dynamics as they learned about the coastal environment. And since her own father came to support her efforts, the father/daughter event was even more special. She laughs, “Having my dad there that day, I got the same kind of experience as the other girls. It was fun to be the educator and the daughter.”

Both inaugural events had full attendance and participants and staff were pleased with these learning experiences. The CWC plans to host similar family-themed events in the coming months.

This research was made possible in part by a grant from BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) with the Coastal Waters Consortium. The GoMRI is a 10-year, $500 million independent research program established by an agreement between BP and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance to study the effects of the Deepwater Horizon incident and the potential associated impact of this and similar incidents on the environment and public health.

CARTHE and DEEP-C Inspire Future Scientists

Scientists conducting GoMRI-funded oil spill research take their mission regarding society seriously:

Left: 12-year old Kevin Telfer from Boston, MA, with the prototype drifter buoy he and a fellow science partner Harrison Reiter built and field tested for their science fair project titled, “Deployment of a Drifter Buoy in the Sudbury River: Prototype Design and Results.” (Photo by Brian Telfer) Right: High school sophomore Elizabeth Smithwick from Jacksonville, FL, collects soil samples along the St. Johns River for her science fair project titled, “The Isolation, Examination, and Comparison of Hydrocarbon Degrading Bacteria in the St. Johns River.” (Photo provided by Elizabeth Smithwick)

They employ cutting-edge technology to collect and analyze data using rigorous scientific parameters and publish their findings. But there are other ways these researchers define success, like working with students. When young students seek answers to scientific questions and contact them, these scientists experience a special type of accomplishment and fulfillment. Two GoMRI-funded researchers shared their experiences working closely with middle and high school students who initiated contact with them for help on science fair projects. Continue reading →