The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative
From Response to Coordinated Research
Established 2011
Deepwater Horizon
Credit: US Chemical Safety Board
Deepwater Horizon
Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic
Deepwater Horizon
Credit: Reuters
U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz
Deepwater Horizon
Credit: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
Mission
The mission of Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative
(GoMRI) is to implement an independent research
program that will
(1) Study the effects of the Deepwater Horizon
incident and the potential associated impact of
this and similar incidents on the environment
and public health and
(2) Develop improvements for spill mitigation, oil
detection and characterization, and advanced
remediation technologies.
Goal
The ultimate goal of the GoMRI is be to improve
society’s ability to understand, respond to and
mitigate the impacts of petroleum pollution and
related stressors of the marine and coastal
ecosystems, with an emphasis on conditions found in
the Gulf of Mexico. Knowledge accrued will be applied
to restoration and to improving the long-term
environmental health of the Gulf of Mexico.
Research Themes
1. Physical distribution and ultimate fate of contaminants
associated with the Deepwater Horizon incident;
2. Chemical evolution and biological degradation of the
contaminants;
3. Environmental effects of the contaminants on Gulf of
Mexico ecosystems, and the science of ecosystem recovery;
4. Technology developments for improved detection,
characterization, mitigation, and remediation of offshore
oil spills; and
5. Impacts of oil spills on public health.
Research Board
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Rita Colwell – UMD & JHU
Margaret Leinen – FAU
Debra Benoit – Nicholls State
Peter Brewer – MBARI
Richard Dodge – NOVA SE
John Farrington – WHOI
Kenneth Halanych – Auburn
David Halpern – NASA
William Hogarth – FIO
Jörg Imberger – W. Australia
Raymond Orbach – Tx Austin
• Jürgen Rullkötter – University
of Oldenburg, Germany
• David Shaw – MSU
• John Shepherd –University of
Southampton, UK
• Bob Shipp – South Alabama
• Burton Singer – Florida
• Ciro Sumaya – Texas A&M
• Dennis Wiesenburg – USM
• Charles Wilson – LSU
• Dana Yoerger – WHOI
• Michael Carron – GOMA
– Ex Officio
Scientific Integrity
• GoMRI uses National Science Board peer evaluation protocols to select
funded research
• Independent reviews are comprised of scientific peers not affiliated with
institutions who lead proposed projects to avoid conflict of interest in
the selection of funded research
• All reviewers sign conflict of interest and non-disclosure statements
• Individual researchers will comply with professional standards as defined
by the National Academies of Science
• All GoMRI-funded researchers conduct independent and objective work
with no influence from BP
• Researchers independently publish their results in peer-reviewed
scientific journals with no requirement for BP approval
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Alabama State
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Auburn
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Dauphin Island Sea Lab
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Florida A&M
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Florida Atlantic
Florida Gulf Coast University •
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Florida Institute of
Technology
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Florida International
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University
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Florida State University
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Harte Research Institute
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Jackson State University
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Jacksonville State University •
Louisiana State University •
Mississippi State University
Mote Marine Lab
National Institutes of Health
Nova Southeastern
University
Samford University
Troy University
Tuskegee University
University of Alabama
U. Alabama at Birmingham
U. Alabama at Huntsville
U. Alabama at Tuscaloosa
University of Central Florida
University of Florida
University of Miami
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University of Mississippi
University of New Orleans
University of South Alabama
University of South Florida
U. of Southern Mississippi
University of West Alabama
University of West Florida
RFP III (Summer Sampling)
To ensure continuity of observations and sampling while the peer-review
process was underway, $1.5 million in grants were issued in June 2011 to the
following institutions:
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University of South Florida
Johns Hopkins University
Auburn University
University of Georgia Research Foundation
Texas Tech University
University of Southern Mississippi
LSU Agriculture Center
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Texas AgriLife Research
Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Florida State University
Mississippi State University
Louisiana State University
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
WHOI
Johns Hopkins
Texas Tech
MSU
GA Research Foundation
Auburn
Texas AgriLife
LSU
USM
DISL
ULL
Tulane
FSU
USF
RFP I (Consortia)
• The Impact of Biological, Physical and Chemical Processes on
the Fate of Oil Spills – Bridging Small-Scale Processes with
Meso-Scale Modeling
– University of Texas at Austin - Marine Science Institute
• Gulf Integrated Spill Research (GISR) Consortium
– Texas A&M University at College Station
• Deepsea to Coast Connectivity in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico
– Florida State University
• The Effects of the Macondo Oil Spill on Coastal Ecosystems
– Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
RFP I (Consortia)
• Center for Integrated Modeling and Analysis of the Gulf
Ecosystems
– University of South Florida
• Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of
Hydrocarbons in the Environment
– University of Miami
• The Science and Technology of Dispersants as Relevant to
Deep-Sea Oil Releases
– Tulane University
• Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf
– University of Mississippi
Yr-1, RFP-I and RFP-III
GoMRI Funds Awarded
as of December 31, 2011
RFP II (PI-based)
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RFP II released in December 2011
Single projects
$100,000 – $1,000,000 each
$7.5M/year for 3 years
Data Management Policy
Guiding Principles
• Timely submission of data and model outputs by RC and Principal
Investigators (PIs) to the GoMRI “Research Database”
• Timely submission of data to existing national repositories
• Data, results, and ancillary information are made fully accessible
to the public with minimum time delay
• Use of existing data standards and management systems as much
as practicable
• Ensure data interoperability to the greatest extent possible
• Employ best practices for data policy and data management as
elucidated by NSF and NOAA or other agency appropriate for the
topic of study
• A strong commitment to data management by each RC and
participating PI
GoMRI Organization Chart
BP & Gulf of Mexico Alliance
via the Master Research Agreement established
the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative
Research Board
Scientific Direction & Funding Decisions
Chief Scientific Officer
Coordinator of Research &
Communications for Research Board
Administrative Entity
Support for Research
Board Operations
Administrative Unit
Grant Unit
Administration & Management of
Research Programs
Grant Agreements &
Distribution of Funds
GoMRI-Funded Research Consortia & Individual Researchers
Conduct Research & Report Results
Formal Reporting
Essential Collaboration
Increasing velocity
The Impact of Biological, Physical and Chemical Processes on the Fate of Oil
Spills – bridging small scale processes with meso-scale modeling (DROPPS)
Lead Investigator: Edward J. Buskey, Ph.D
Clarkson
Minnesota
Wisconsin
PENN
JHU
SINTEF, Norway
U. Texas
Gulf Integrated Spill Research (GISR) Consortium
Lead Investigator: Piers Chapman, Ph.D.
MIT
WHOI
Berkeley
Maryland
Stanford
NC State
GIT
UT Austin
Hawaii Manoa
TAMU
Deepsea to Coast Connectivity in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico (Deep-C)
Lead Investigator: Eric Chassignet, Ph.D.
WHOI
SAIC
GIT
West Florida
NRL
FSU
FIO
Dauphin
USF
Island
Sea Lab
Norwegian
Meteorological
Institute
Miami
The Effects of the Macondo Oil Spill on Coastal Ecosystems
Lead Investigator: Nancy N. Rabalais, Ph.D
WHOI
Connecticut College
BYU
Maryland
Rutgers
VIMS
Tennessee
UNC
LSU Ag
Lafayette
LSU
LUMCON
Florida Gulf Coast
Center for Integrated Modeling and Analysis of the Gulf Ecosystem (C-Image)
Lead Investigator: Steve Murawski, Ph.D.
University
of Calgary
Penn State
Wageningen
University,
Netherlands
University of
Applied
Sciences,
Netherlands
Scripps
South
Texas A&M Alabama West Florida
FIO USF
Eckerd
Mote
Miami
Hamburg
University
Consortium for Advanced Research of Hydrocarbon Transport in the Environment (CARTHE)
Lead Investigator: Tamay Özgökmen, Ph.D.
College of Staten Island
Naval Postgraduate School
Delaware
Deltares
University of Arizona
Texas A&M University
UT Austin
NRL
FSU
Tulane
FIO
Nova
U. Miami
The Science and Technology of Dispersants as Relevant to Deep Sea Oil Releases (C-MED)
Lead Investigator: Vijay T. John, Ph.D.
Minnesota
UMASS Brown
Buffalo
Michigan
Princeton URI
Carnegie
NY City U.
Mellon
MarylandGeorgetown
Colorado
NC State
Arizona State
Auburn
USM
Austin
Houston
LSU
Tulane
USF
FIU
Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf (ECOGIG)
Lead Investigator: Raymond Highsmith, Ph.D.
Bigelow
Oregon State
Harvard
Columbia
Penn State
Venter Institute
UC Berkeley
UNC
GaTech
Georgia
U. Miss
Austin
University of
Alaska Fairbanks
USM
FSU
Temple
Maryland
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem
Science Conference
&
GoMRI Annual Meeting
New Orleans Marriot, New Orleans, LA
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Jan 21-23, 2013: Open Science Conference
Jan 24, 2013: GoMRI Annual Meeting
GOMURC, NSF, SOST & other federal partners
Call for sessions due May 10, 2012
Call for papers to be announced in June