Scientists performing oil spill-related research and monitoring activities are encouraged to enter their information into the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Research and Monitoring Activities database (http://gulfseagrant.org/oilspill/database.htm).
Researchers may enter their projects in less than 5 minutes per activity. People interested in viewing the information can perform queries or view all activities on the website.
Numerous organizations have provided input and endorse this online clearinghouse, which contains brief descriptions of oil spill-related research, monitoring and restoration activities that are occurring at or funded by universities and state and federal agencies.
In addition to coordinating existing research activities, a webpage has been developed to list opportunities for researchers and others to find oil-spill-related research, monitoring and restoration funding opportunities. That site is available at: http://gulfseagrant.org/oilspill/rfp.htm.
Several groups identified the need for this database to improve coordination and identify research and monitoring gaps. The National Sea Grant Office and Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant programs initiated the effort. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC) built and designed the database to meet these goals.
For more information about these activities, contact Steve Sempier (stephen.sempier@usm.edu).
The Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant College Programs include Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, Florida Sea Grant College Program and Texas Sea Grant College Program. Sea Grant College Programs are NOAA-state partnerships that are based at universities and support coastal resource use and conservation. Sea Grant research and outreach programs promote better understanding, conservation and use of America’s coastal resources.
The NOAA National Coastal Data Development Center is based at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and supports national and regional data management needs for NOAA and its partners. NCDDC is dedicated to building the long-term coastal data record to support environmental prediction, scientific analyses and formulation of public policy.