The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

From Response to Coordinated ResearchEstablished 2011

Deepwater Horizon

Credit: US Chemical Safety Board

Deepwater Horizon

Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic

Deepwater Horizon

U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz

Credit: Reuters

Deepwater Horizon

Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Credit: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

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 peer-review 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

USF

Johns Hopkins

Auburn

GA Research FoundationTexas Tech

USM

ULLTexas AgriLife

DISLFSU

MSU

LSU

Tulane

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 Awardedas 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 PolicyGuiding 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-Funded Research Consortia & Individual ResearchersConduct Research & Report Results

GoMRI Organization Chart

Research BoardScientific Direction & Funding Decisions

Chief Scientific OfficerCoordinator of Research &

Communications for Research Board

Administrative EntitySupport for Research

Board Operations

Formal Reporting Essential Collaboration

Grant UnitGrant Agreements & Distribution of Funds

BP & Gulf of Mexico Alliancevia the Master Research Agreement established

the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

Administrative UnitAdministration & Management of

Research Programs

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

SINTEF, Norway

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Clarkson

PENN

JHU

Incr

easi

ng v

eloc

ity

U. Texas

Gulf Integrated Spill Research (GISR) Consortium

Lead Investigator: Piers Chapman, Ph.D.

MIT

Stanford

Berkeley

NC State

UT Austin

WHOI

Hawaii Manoa

Maryland

GIT

TAMU

Lead Investigator: Eric Chassignet, Ph.D.

Deepsea to Coast Connectivity in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico (Deep-C)

DauphinIsland Sea Lab

FIO

GIT

NRL

Norwegian Meteorological Institute

USF

West Florida

Miami

SAIC

WHOI

FSU

The Effects of the Macondo Oil Spill on Coastal Ecosystems

Lead Investigator: Nancy N. Rabalais, Ph.D

BYU

Connecticut College

Florida Gulf Coast

LSU

WHOI

Rutgers

Lafayette

Maryland

Tennessee

VIMS

UNC

LSU Ag

LUMCON

Center for Integrated Modeling and Analysis of the Gulf Ecosystem (C-Image)

Lead Investigator: Steve Murawski, Ph.D.

Eckerd

West Florida

FIO

Texas A&M

Miami

Mote

Penn State

University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands

Scripps

South Alabama

Hamburg University

University

of Calgary

Wageningen University, Netherlands

USF

Consortium for Advanced Research of Hydrocarbon Transport in the Environment (CARTHE)

Lead Investigator: Tamay Özgökmen, Ph.D.

UT Austin

Texas A&M University FSU

Delaware

University of Arizona

NRL

Naval Postgraduate School

Tulane

College of Staten Island

Nova

Deltares

FIO

U. Miami

The Science and Technology of Dispersants as Relevant to Deep Sea Oil Releases (C-MED)

Lead Investigator: Vijay T. John, Ph.D.

Austin

Arizona State

Auburn

USF

Minnesota

Maryland

NC State

NY City U.

LSU

USM

FIU

Brown

Carnegie Mellon

Georgetown

Michigan Princeton

Colorado

UMASS

URIBuffalo

Houston Tulane

Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf (ECOGIG) Lead Investigator: Raymond Highsmith, Ph.D.

Austin

GaTech

FSU

Penn State Venter Institute Maryland

UNC

Oregon State

Columbia

USM

Georgia

UC Berkeley

Temple

U. Miss

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Bigelow

Harvard

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference

&GoMRI Annual Meeting

New Orleans Marriot, New Orleans, LA

• 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