$112.5M awarded to research consortia studying effects of Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Gulf of Mexico
31 August 2011
The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GRI) Research Board announced that eight Research Consortia will be funded for the next three years with a total of $112.5 million to study the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. These teams will investigate the fate of petroleum in the environment; the impacts of the spill; and the development of new tools and technology for responding to future spills and improving mitigation and restoration.
The new grant recipients were selected using a competitive merit-review process. The GRI Research Board is an independent body established by BP to administer the company’s 10-year, $500 million commitment to independent research into the effects of the Deepwater Horizon incident.
Through a series of competitive grant programs, the GRI is investigating the impacts of the oil, dispersed oil, and dispersant on the ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico and the affected coastal States in a broad context of improving fundamental understanding of the dynamics of such events and their environmental stresses and public health implications. The GRI also funds research that improves techniques for detecting oil and gas, spill mitigation, and technologies to characterize and remediate spills. Knowledge accrued will be applied to restoration and to improving the long-term environmental health of the Gulf of Mexico.
The grants awarded were in response to RFP-I, a request for proposals the GRI Research Board issued on 25 April 2011. This request for proposals solicited applications from Research Consortia—groups of researchers with compatible expertise from four or more institutions—to address one or more of the five intellectual themes established by the GRI Research Board. These themes are:
Physical distribution, dispersion, and dilution of petroleum, its constituents, and associated contaminants under the action of physical oceanographic processes, air-sea interactions, and tropical storms;
Chemical evolution and biological degradation of the petroleum/dispersant systems and subsequent interaction with coastal, open-ocean, and deep-water ecosystems;
Environmental effects of the petroleum/dispersant system on the sea floor, water column, coastal waters, beach sediments, wetlands, marshes, and organisms, and the science of ecosystem recovery;
Technology developments for improved responses, mitigation, detection, characterization, and remediation associated with oil spills and gas releases; and
Fundamental scientific research integrating results from the other four themes in the context of public health.
The Research Consortia funded are:
| Lead Institution: | The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute. |
| Lead Investigator: | Edward J. Buskey, Ph.D. |
| Project Title: | The Impact of Biological, Physical and Chemical Processes on the Fate of Oil Spills – bridging small scale processes with meso-scale modeling |
| Member Institutions: | The Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Minnesota, SINTEF Norway, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Research Applied Technology Education Services (Rates)/Coastal Oil Spill Simulation System (COSS) |
| Lead Institution: | Texas A&M University at College Station. |
| Lead Investigator: | Piers Chapman, Ph.D. |
| Project Title: | Gulf of Mexico Integrated Spill Response Consortium |
| Member Institutions: | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, North Carolina State University, University of Texas at Austin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Maryland, Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Lead Institution: | Florida State University |
| Lead Investigator: | Eric Chassignet, Ph.D. |
| Project Title: | Deep-C: Deepsea to Coast Connectivity in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico |
| Member Institutions: | Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Florida Institute of Oceanography, Georgia Institute of Technology, Naval Research Laboratory, Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Science Applications International Corporation, University of South Florida, University of West Florida, University of Miami, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution |
| Lead Institution: | Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium |
| Lead Investigator: | Nancy N. Rabalais, Ph.D. |
| Project Title: | The Effects of the Macondo Oil Spill on Coastal Ecosystems |
| Member Institutions: | Brigham Young University, Connecticut College, Florida Gulf Coast University, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Louisiana State University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, University of Maryland, University of Tennessee, Virginia Institute of Marine Science |
| Lead Institution: | University of South Florida |
| Lead Investigator: | Jacqueline Dixon, Ph.D. |
| Project Title: | Center for Integrated Modeling and Analysis of the Gulf Ecosystem (C-IMAGE) |
| Member Institutions: | Eckerd College, University of West Florida, Florida Institute of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, Florida State University, University of Miami, Mote Marine Laboratory, North Carolina State University, University of California at Los Angeles, University of California at San Diego, Pennsylvania State University, Leibniz Institute, Hamburg University of Technology, NHL University of Applied Sciences, University of Calgary, Wageningen University |
| Lead Institution: | University of Miami |
| Lead Investigator: | Tamay Ozgokmen, Ph.D. |
| Project Title: | Consortium for Advanced Research of Hydrocarbon Transport in the Environment (CARTHE) |
| Member Institutions: | City University of New York, Staten Island, Florida International University, Florida State University, Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Laboratory, Nova Southeastern University, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Tulane University, University of Arizona, University of Delaware, University of Texas at Austin |
| Lead Institution: | Tulane University |
| Lead Investigator: | Vijay T. John, Ph.D. |
| Project Title: | The Science and Technology of Dispersants as Relevant to Deep Sea Oil Releases |
| Member Institutions: | University of South Florida, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Rhode Island, Princeton University, Auburn University, Louisiana State University, City University of New York, University of Houston, University of Minnesota, University of Buffalo, Arizona State University, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, North Carolina State University, Brown University, University of Michigan, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Maryland, Florida International University, Georgetown University, Princeton University |
| Lead Institution: | University of Mississippi |
| Lead Investigator: | Raymond Highsmith, Ph.D. |
| Project Title: | Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf (ECOGIG) |
| Member Institutions: | University of Southern Mississippi, University of Georgia, Florida State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Temple University, Oregon State University, Pennsylvania State University, Columbia University, University of Maryland, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Texas at Austin, J. Craig Venter Institute |
This is the second round of funding the GRI has provided this year. On 30 June, the Research Board awarded 17 grants totaling $1.5 million to support the time-sensitive acquisition of critical samples and observations associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico. Funding for these grants was awarded under the terms of an emergency request for proposals, RFP-III.
The GRI is working to develop and issue another request for proposals, RFP-II, which will award approximately $7.5 million a year in smaller grants to individual or small teams of researchers.
Is there anyone other than myself that thinks 112 million is a bit high for this study. For the price of a stamp I will tell them that is was not good for the Gulf. This is basiclly a colledge handout.
Posted by: Jimr | 31 August 2011 at 05:17 AM
Jimr has a point. Besides, the info is likely fully known and the corporate oil highly negative results are being hidden/release stalled by yet another money grab/time stall study.
Everyone has heard the 'total responsibility' and $20 billion BP arranged for cleanup and damages.
What people don't act on is the 3/4ths($15B) BP HASN'T paid out and their "all is well" media campaign. Let the owners of devalued Gulf beach property control that $15B and see how long is sits drawing BP investment interest.
If a study must be made, how about one on human mass memory.
A year ago, the BP spill still hadn't been cemented shut, yet knowledgeable people, even many in these comments, are now advocating reduced oil/EPA regulations.
Not nine months ago, the same people demanded the exact opposite.
Corporations and politicians have always played us with these stall/diversion tactics.
Posted by: kelly | 31 August 2011 at 06:17 AM
Meanwhile, it's still leaking; http://blog.al.com/live/2011/08/scientists_oil_fouling_gulf_co.html
Posted by: ai_vin | 31 August 2011 at 09:36 PM
ai vin, thanks for the incredible link.
More oil spill denials, excuses, and ceaseless lies by the most law violating and fined corporation in history.
Posted by: kelly | 31 August 2011 at 09:57 PM
$112 million may by a bit high for this study.
But forget the possible small leaks.
The link states " “My guess is that it is probably coming from the broken riser pipe or sunken platform. ... However, it should be confirmed, just to make sure there is no leak from the plugged well.”
Sounds like small potatoes.
The real problem is the second crime - getting the money from BP to those who deserve the compensation, whether they be individuals or communities or businesses or - -
- BP should compensate them NOW
and $20 billion was only supposed to be the start.
What happened.
Our gov spend much more effort ensuring "entitlements", from the innocent taxpayers, are disbursed to those who do not earn them.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 02 September 2011 at 06:57 AM
Weakyleaks could have done it $100?
Posted by: HarveyD | 02 September 2011 at 07:46 AM
Weakyleaks could have done it $100?
Yeah, but who would've taken it seriously?
Posted by: ai_vin | 03 September 2011 at 09:36 AM