UNCW. Resources, Preparedness and Responses The Deepwater Horizon Oil Leak

Transcription

1 UNCW Resources, Preparedness and Responses The Deepwater Horizon Oil Leak

2 McIntyre won't back offshore oil drilling in N.C. By Shannan Bowen Published: Monday, July 12, 2010 After a meeting Monday with more than 100 representatives of federal, state and local agencies about oil spill preparedness, U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre said he does not support offshore drilling near North Carolina while concerns existed about the spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, in the event that oil does reach the North Carolina coast, officials representing the various agencies, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the University of North Carolina Wilmington, said Monday that plans exist and stakeholders are communicating about their response tactics.

3 21 July 2010 Officials discuss oil spill response Photo by Mike Spencer Lynn Leonard, professor and chairwoman of the geography and geology department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, stands next to a research buoy while leading a tour of the UNCW Center for Marine Science building Wednesday.

4 Faculty Facilities/Vessels/Equipment Databases Proactive Studies Response in the Gulf

5 Protected Species: Mammals, Turtles, Birds Dr. Ann Pabst marine mammals; co directs the Marine Mammal Stranding Program at UNCW Mr. Bill McLellan NC State Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator and NOAA Large Whale Mortality Team Leader for endangered marine mammals Dr. Steve Emslie marine and coastal bird populations Dr. Amanda Southwood Williard sea turtle physiology Dr. Heather Koopman physiology and ecology of marine mammals, focusing on lipid metabolism and energetics

6 Coastal Ecosystems, Resources, Impacts water quality, beaches, fisheries (shellfish and finfish) Dr. Jennifer Culbertson effects of oil spills on fiddler crabs, shellfish populations and salt marsh grasses Dr. Martin Posey and Troy Alphin coastal nearshore and offshore communities including critical habitats such as offshore hardbottom reefs, coastal beaches, salt marshes, oyster reefs, and coastal estuaries and sounds Dr. Larry Cahoon aquatic primary productivity, ocean ecology; NC Marine Science Council, NC Ocean Science Council, NC Ocean Resources Task Force, Advisory Committee for the Division of Coastal Management, General Assembly's Legislative Study Subcommittee on Offshore Energy Development Dr. Mike Mallin effects of chronic and acute water pollution on fresh, estuarine and coastal marine waters Dr. Michael Durako photosynthesis and stress responses/tolerances of seagrasses

7 Offshore Ecosystems Resources, Impacts deep sea corals, shelf reefs, Gulf Stream and water column, oil/gas related habitats Dr. Joe Pawlik marine chemical ecology and coral reef ecology Dr. Steve Ross deepwater coral reefs along the Atlantic coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, some of which are threatened by the Gulf oil spill Mr. Andy Shepard Associate Director for NOAA s Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research and Technology; undersea research on oil and gas cold seeps, seafloor gas hydrates, and deep coral ecosystems; participant on 2010 Deep Reef Expedition to the Gulf Oceans and Human Health Dr. Dan Baden Managing Director for NOAA s Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research and Technology; Florida red tide and human health related activities, to include oil components

8 Physics Gulf Stream, models and spill trajectories Dr. Fred Bingham large scale regional physical oceanography: the Kuroshio, the western North and Equatorial Pacific, the Hawaiian Islands and Onslow Bay, North Carolina Dr. John Morrison descriptive physical oceanography, general ocean circulation, air sea interaction and climate, ocean observing systems Geology geology of oil/gas reserves Dr. Lynn Leonard marine geology, sediment transport mechanisms in coastal environments Dr. Roger Shew 20 years of work in the oil industry with Shell Oil in New Orleans and Houston; energy resources including fossil fuels and renewables, energy demand globally and in the U.S., locations of the current and future resource bases of all fuel types including the issues of oil, gas, and wind in the Outer Continental Shelf

9 Economics/Industry Dr. Chris Dumas economic impact analysis of oil spill effects Dr. Peter Schuhmann economic valuation of marine resources including economic impacts on commercial and recreational fisheries, tourism and recreation, economic value of diminished resource quality, economics of fishery response to natural resource damages such as oil spills Microbiology Dr. B.K. Song marine microbial ecology, denitrifying bacteria and marine phytoplankton, bioremediation of toxic metals in contaminated sites

10 Facilities/Vessels/Equipment Aquarius Reef Base: the world's only undersea research laboratory, capable of housing four scientists and two technicians for ~10 days, located on Conch Reef off Key Largo NOAA Cooperative Institute (Ocean Exploration) CIOERT/UNCW: CIOERT explores and studies the nation s ocean frontiers using innovation and cutting edge technologies. Sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration s (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, headquartered at Harbor Branch at Florida Atlantic University in Fort Pierce, FL. UNCW is a co managing partner with FAU. Vessels: R/V Cape Fear, R/V Seahawk Equipment: Full range of oceanographic, GIS, and analytical laboratory equipment

11 Databases Our researchers have developed extensive, long term, baseline data and monitoring sets that have been, and can be, extremely helpful in oil spill relief efforts: Oil and gas seeps Coral reefs Deep coral ecosystems Salt marshes and oyster reefs Offshore reef communities Gulf Stream ecosystems Estuarine community health and fisheries impacts Sea turtles, shorebirds and marine mammals Near shore coastal ocean processes Microbiology

12 UNCW researchers prepare for oil slick by Brian Freskos (Lumina News) Thursday, June 24, 2010 NC Sea Grant provided a $6K extension of a two year grant to Dr. Larry Cahoon, on the impact of beach renourishment on local ecologies, so researchers could gather baseline sediment samples in preparations for the oil spill.

13 Observing Network Components Fixed moorings Real time & Non-real time Wind, air temp & pressure, currents, waves, salinity, ph, temp Periodic sampling of water quality & biota using vessels of opportunity: (e.g. salinity, temp, ph, DO, chl, nitrate, phosphate, phytoplankton, larval fish, etc.) AUV surveys

14 Capitalizing on existing capacities, UNCW partnered with ECU (Dr. Siddhartha Mitra) to undertake a cruise to obtain baseline data for potential hydrocarbon hazards to coastal NC from Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Vessel: R/V Cape Fear Dates: May 21-22, station transect: (Wrightsville Beach to 100 nm offshore)

15 Positive Identification of Hydrocarbon Compounds By Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometer

16 UNCW graduate students assisting in rescue efforts for birds and marine mammals in Gulf UNCW faculty sought for expertise DUNCOC cruises in the Gulf UNCW assets being employed for monitoring and assessment

17 CIOERT Sponsored Cruise in the Gulf 7:15 a.m. Friday, 09 July 40 person crew aboard the R/V Seward Johnson embarked on a month long research cruise in the Gulf to conduct a baseline assessment of the shelf and deep water reefs Team of scientists from the Harbor Branch (FAU), NOAA, FSU, UNCW, U of Miami focus on 150 to 2,000 feet below the surface, from Jupiter south along the southeastern coast of Florida and from Key West north along the west coast, in search of oil from the Deepwater Horizon leak UNCW: ROV scout of dive sites and heavy oil before use of submersible; data management for NOAA and the Spill Unified Command Center; web site/blog development; water sampling for UNCW and Natural Resource Damage Assessment