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 • • • • • • • • • • • 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 • • • • • • • • • • • • • Alabama State • Auburn • Dauphin Island Sea Lab • Florida A&M • Florida Atlantic Florida Gulf Coast University • • Florida Institute of Technology • Florida International • University • Florida State University • Harte Research Institute • Jackson State University • 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 . • • • • • • • 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 peerreview process was underway, $1.5 million in grants were issued in June 2011 to the following institutions: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 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) • • • • 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 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. Oregon State Columbia Penn State Venter Institute UC Berkeley UNC GaTech Georgia U. Miss Austin USM FSU Temple Maryland GoMRI Annual Meeting • Jan 21 – 25 2013, New Orleans Marriot • NSF, NIH NOAA • Call for papers April 2012