Eight years ago, when the impacts from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill were still on the forefront of people’s minds, the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative and the four Gulf Sea Grant programs developed a partnership to share research findings broadly. Since those early discussions, a regional Sea Grant oil spill science outreach program was formed and a team of extension and communication professionals was hired to join the program. The team engaged with people that depend on healthy, resilient coasts and ecosystems throughout the Gulf and beyond.
All Sea Grant programs must track metrics and performance measures, so we know that the team produced:
- 33 needs assessment sessions representing feedback from more than 1,200 people.
- 76 outreach publications accessed more than 240,000 times online and hard copies distributed broadly.
- 49 science seminars with 313 speakers that reached more than 8,000 people.
- 3 outreach videos and a science on a sphere module with more than 32,000 views.
- 213 presentations that reached approximately 9,000 people.
However, metrics are just those — numbers. The true value of this program has been building relationships, serving others and sharing peer-reviewed science. As we conclude this program, we conducted a summative evaluation. Organizations have updated their contingency plans, formulated outreach ideas, and refined research and development priorities due to the team’s activities. Local officials have received the latest on the state of oil spill science and the work has been used in educational programs, adapted for scientific presentations and included in college courses.
The Sea Grant products also have been used in formal training programs for the next generation of oil spill responders. The team was successful at linking groups that had not engaged with one another, such as scientific teams connecting with the Coast Guard, other response leaders and industry. This effort bridged the gap between the response community and local groups. The evaluation results also noted that the Sea Grant effort increased the awareness of human dimensions of oil spills.
As the oil spill science outreach program comes to an end, it is important to acknowledge that none of the above would have been possible without the dedication and perseverance of the extension and communications professionals on the team: Tara Skelton (Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium - MASGC), Missy Partyka (MASGC), Larissa Graham (formerly MASGC), Monica Wilson (Florida Sea Grant), Emily Maung-Douglass (Louisiana Sea Grant), Dani Bailey (Texas Sea Grant) and Chris Hale (formerly Texas Sea Grant).
It also would not have been a success without continued leadership support by LaDon Swann (MASGC director and also PI for the project) and the other Gulf Sea Grant directors: Pam Plotkin (Texas Sea Grant), Robert Twilley (formerly Louisiana Sea Grant), Karl Havens (formerly Florida Sea Grant), Sherry Larkin (Florida Sea Grant) and Julie Lively (Louisiana Sea Grant) and significant contributions by other Sea Grant professionals across the four programs.
Thanks to every person who contributed to this effort, whether serving as a presenter, attending an event, reviewing a publication or providing technical or administrative support and deep appreciation to GoMRI for supporting this incredible opportunity. This truly was a team effort, and it was an honor to work with team members on a daily basis and with the four Sea Grant programs regularly. As the team members transition and broaden their scope of work into other areas, hopefully all of us will reflect not on the metrics but the incredible relationships that have been built with the people we served over the past eight years. Thank you!
Meet the author
Steve Sempier, Ph.D.
Director
Steve Sempier serves as Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant's director. Steve joined MASGC in 2007 and became director in 2026. As director, he provides overall leadership and management for all MASGC... Read more
Phone: 228-818-8830
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