WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Members of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) Research Board will discuss important scientific and technological advances from a decade of research on the effects of oil on the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and human health.  GoMRI was established in the immediate aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy nearly 10 years ago.  Members of the GoMRI Research Board organized this special symposium which is being held during the 2020 American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Seattle, Washington, on Friday, February 14, 2020. 

"As long as society requires oil, we will experience oil spills.  Historically, we have lacked an adequate understanding of the ocean environment in which marine oil drilling takes place.  This knowledge deficit has limited our ability to respond to and mitigate the effects of previous oil spills," said Dr. Rita Colwell, Chair of the GoMRI Research Board.  

Outcomes from GoMRI-supported research and remaining gaps in our knowledge are being shared with various stakeholder communities throughout 2020.  This symposium is one of the programs in which findings are being shared with the scientific community.  

GoMRI-funded researchers have made significant technological advances, including the development of new biodegradable ocean-surface drifters, genomic tools, methods for analytical chemistry, and human health applications.  These advances provide new tools for scientists, resource managers, and first responders confronted by a future marine oil spill in shallow coastal waters or the deep sea.

Event Details:

Time: 3:30 – 5:00 PM PST, Friday, February 14, 2020

Location: Washington State Convention Center -- 612

Speakers:

Dr. Rita Colwell, Chair, GoMRI Research Board; University of Maryland
GoMRI: A Model for Large-scale, Coordinated Research

Dr. David Halpern, Member, GoMRI Research Board; Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The Science of Oil Transport in Marine Systems: Where Does the Oil Go?

Dr. John Farrington, Member, GoMRI Research Board; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Enhanced Understanding of Fate of Compounds of Petroleum in Deep Water Ecosystems

Dr. Ken Halanych, Member, GoMRI Research Board; Auburn University
Assessment and Tracking of Hydrocarbons in Biological Systems Including Human Health

Dr. Margaret Leinan, Vice Chair, GoMRI Research Board; UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Moderator and Synthesis

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative is a ten-year, $500 million research program funded by a commitment from BP in the immediate aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon incident.  The independent research program is administered by an independent research board.  For more information, visit https://gulfresearchinitiative.org.

SOURCE Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI)

Related Links

http://gulfresearchinitiative.org