Our Oil Spill Science Outreach Team has been up and running for nearly a year now. During that time, we have been talking with our audiences to figure out what questions they have about the oil spill and sifting through the most up-to-date science in order to craft publications and seminars to answer those questions.
In the next month or so, we will be offering three seminars that focus on the impacts that the oil spill had on our coastal habitats:
- Oil spill science seminar: Impacts of oil on coastal habitats - Scientists will be sharing their work on the effects of oil on salt marshes, wetlands, mangroves, and beaches.
- Navigating shifting sands: Oil on our beaches - Scientists will be sharing their work to answer lingering questions about oil that washed up on Alabama and Florida beaches during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
- Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to Gulf wetlands - Scientists will present published work regarding the impacts of Deepwater Horizon to Gulf wetlands. Specific topics covered will include ecosystem effects, impacts to marsh life, and shoreline response and restoration.
We’re also gearing up to release a two series of publications that highlight the most recent oil spill science to answer questions that are still on people’s minds.
- Dispersant series – The first three publications of this series will focus on:
- Why and how dispersants are used during oil spills;
- How effective dispersants are and how long they stay in the environment; and
- What compounds are found in oil, how they mix with dispersants, and how these chemicals impact aquatic life.
- Fisheries series – The first two publications of this series will focus on:
- How seafood was tested to ensure safety during the oil spill, how safety limits were set, and the results of these studies; and
- How fisheries landings data has changed over time and why this information is important for fisheries management.
You can receive announcements about our upcoming seminars and new publications by signing up for our oil spill science updates emails. If you have questions about oil spill science, please feel free to contact me by email or at 251-348-5436.