Coastal Restoration
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Coastal Restoration
Coastal management and restoration of our planet's coastlines with a particular focus on California, Louisiana and the Pacific.  Emphasizing wetland restoration, aspects of agriculture in the coastal plain, fisheries, dealing with coastal hazards, and effective governance.
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Deepwater Horizon Ten Years On

Deepwater Horizon Ten Years On | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
Members of the bipartisan commission created to investigate the spill say Congress and the Trump administration have failed to take safety seriously.
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Interior Department orders halt to study of agency overseeing offshore oil safety

Interior Department orders halt to study of agency overseeing offshore oil safety | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
Interior has given no reason for halting the study aimed at improving safety inspections of offshore oil and gas operations.
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GulfCast Ep. 7 - The Whale Who Fell In Love With A Robot

Stream GulfCast Ep. 7 - The Whale Who Fell In Love With A Robot by Dispatches from the Gulf from desktop or your mobile device
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The 'well from hell' – my fight with BP to film Deepwater Horizon

The 'well from hell' – my fight with BP to film Deepwater Horizon | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
The 2010 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico triggered an environmental catastrophe and resulted in unbelievable human heroism – so it was a natural fit for Hollywood. But what do you do when your film leads you into conflict with a corporate oil giant? The film’s director, Peter Berg, explains
Dulce Lopez's insight:
I think that the making of the Deep Water Horizon film was an excellent way to bring this catastrophic event even greater attention and to educate the public about what happened and overall keeping it relevant even 6 years later. I watched the Deep Water Horizon Film and after watching it I was out on a mission to compare the film to what actually happened which led me to find this interesting article. While the Deep water horizon was the largest oil spill in the history of the U.S. and so many of the events that ultimately led to the spill itself have been publicized its interesting to see how BP still is very cautious about how much they release to the public about the spill especially when it comes to making a Hollywood film. 
Karina Barron's comment, October 9, 2016 5:15 PM
This was a great article because it shows how far is a company willing to go to preserve their image. Plus it's a good thing that the film is trying to get as close to the real event and how it happened. I will definitely go watch the movie.
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Yale Environment 360: Six Years After BP Spill, Remaining Oil More Toxic Than Ever To Fish

Yale Environment 360: Six Years After BP Spill, Remaining Oil More Toxic Than Ever To Fish | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
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Science Action Network (SAN)

Science Action Network (SAN) | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it

The SAN would link academics with federal, state and local emergency responders.  In each emergency response region non-governmental scientists from academic institutions, professional societies, and scientific NGOs could contribute to pre-incident preparedness efforts and develop new collaborative research initiatives relevant to fill knowledge gap that emerge during drills and scenario-testing.  


During a disaster response effort, if necessary, government agencies could access Hub members' scientific expertise in a rapid, streamlined manner because collaborative, high-trust relationships would already be in place.

PIRatE Lab's insight:
This is a network to respond to oil spills and similar disasters.  It appears to be nascent at this point.
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Is The BP Oil Spill Settlement Money Being Well-Spent? : NPR

Is The BP Oil Spill Settlement Money Being Well-Spent? : NPR | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it

Some $25 billion is headed to the five Gulf states that were devastated in the 2010 BP oil disaster. Just a fraction of the government fines and court settlements have been paid — but not all of it will end up repairing the damaged ecosystem.

Louisiana, which suffered the most damage in the spill, has used the fines and settlements to rebuild its coast, one that was already fragile and disappearing. When it took a direct hit from the BP disaster, oil choked off vegetation that is critical to holding together what land is left.

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'Deepwater Horizon' Starring Mark Wahlberg Casting Call in Louisiana

'Deepwater Horizon' Starring Mark Wahlberg casting call for oil riggers in Louisiana The highly anticipated feature film, 'Deepwater Horizon', is now looki
PIRatE Lab's insight:

Oh my God!  Wahlberg is going to screw up another movie.  This keeps hitting too close to home for me.

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BP embraces climate change risk resolution

BP embraces climate change risk resolution | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it

Oil major supports "non confrontational" call from shareholders to disclose analysis of climate risk.

 

BP will advise shareholders to back a resolution on climate change at April’s annual general meeting.The resolution, similar to one endorsed by Shell last week, will force the company to reveal the risks climate action poses to its business plan. That is likely to heighten scrutiny on high cost projects like its “Sunrise” venture in Canada’s tar sands. Analysts say these could struggle to turn a profit as governments act to curb greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.

Explaining the board’s reasons for accepting the resolution, a BP spokesperson said they saw it as “non-confrontational”. “It also gives us the opportunity to demonstrate BP’s current actions in the area and build on its existing disclosures in the area,” he added.

PIRatE Lab's insight:

Wow!  This is potentially huge!

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Where Did All the Oil Go?

Where Did All the Oil Go? | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
Assessing the environmental damage caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill has been a challenge

Via clare wormald
PIRatE Lab's insight:

Yep.  I think we had it right:

 

 

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781118825662.ch2/summary

 

https://www.academia.edu/7910964/A_Tale_of_Two_Spills_Novel_Science_and_Policy_Implications_of_an_Emerging_New_Oil_Spill_Model

 

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BP appeals Gulf oil spill ruling of up to $18B in damages

BP appeals Gulf oil spill ruling of up to $18B in damages | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
BP has asked a New Orleans court to amend a judge's ruling that the company could be liable for as much as $18 billion in damages levied for its role in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, or possibly even grant it a new trial.
PIRatE Lab's insight:

This thing just keeps drawing out...

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Gulf oil spill researcher: Bacteria ate some toxins, but worst remain, research finds

Bacteria in the Gulf of Mexico consumed many of the toxic components of the oil released during the Deepwater Horizon spill in the months after the spill, but not the most toxic contaminants, new research has found.
PIRatE Lab's insight:

Interesting.  In a more typical, shallow water spill, PAHs are relatively rapidly degraded.  The persistence is troubling and was a worry of our EcoTox working group since 2010.

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‘Active Cleanup’ of Oil Spill Is Ended on Louisiana Coast

Coast Guard officials stressed that a more narrow cleanup response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill would continue.

 

The “active cleanup” phase of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill ended this week, days before the four-year anniversary of the 2010 spill.

 

“Let me be absolutely clear: This response is not over—not by a long shot,” said Capt. Thomas Sparks, the Coast Guard federal on-scene coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon response. “Our response posture has evolved to target re-oiling events on coastline segments that were previously cleaned.”

 

BP said its cleanup involved aerial patrols over more than 14,000 miles of shoreline and ground surveys covering more than 4,400 miles

PIRatE Lab's insight:

“Immediately following the Deepwater Horizon accident, BP committed to cleaning the shoreline and supporting the Gulf’s economic and environmental recovery,” BP said in a press release. “Completing active cleanup is further indication that we are keeping that commitment.”

 

Multiple studies are attempting to assess not only the reach of the spill, but also its health effects for spill responders and Gulf wildlife. A new report by the National Wildlife Federation used data from independent scientists and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to assess how 14 species were faring. Some—such as the bottlenose dolphins and sea turtles—are still dying in large numbers due to the spill.

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Study Shows Oil Impacts in Deep-Sea Coral Colonies Seven Years After Deepwater Horizon

Study Shows Oil Impacts in Deep-Sea Coral Colonies Seven Years After Deepwater Horizon | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
Researchers analyzed high-definition imagery of over three hundred deep-sea coral colonies from 2011 – 2017 to quantify their recovery from the oil spill.
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Study Suggests Brittle Stars Limited Deepwater Horizon Impacts on Deep Sea Corals | GoMRI

Study Suggests Brittle Stars Limited Deepwater Horizon Impacts on Deep Sea Corals | GoMRI | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
Pennsylvania State University scientists analyzed images of impacted and non-impacted deep sea corals to characterize their symbiotic relationship with brittle stars and determine if brittle stars influenced coral recovery from the Deepwater Horizon spill.
PIRatE Lab's insight:
Another example of how more intact ecological systems can better withstand perturbations and anthropogenic disturbance.
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USGS, NASA Study Finds Widespread Coastal Land Losses from Gulf Oil Spill

USGS, NASA Study Finds Widespread Coastal Land Losses from Gulf Oil Spill | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
This picture was taken June 23, 2010, along the Louisiana shoreline in Barataria Bay during the peak of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill crisis. Photo by Bruce A. Davis, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.A pattern of dramatic, widespread shoreline loss along Louisiana’s coast caused by the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill has been revealed by a new study by the U.S.
PIRatE Lab's insight:
Not much of surprise here, other than the magnitude of the loss.  This is a very complex story and direct impact of the marsh is but one aspect of it.


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Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico

Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
Download a PDF of "Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico" by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for free. Description: Gulf Coast communities and natural resources suffered extensive direct and indirect damage as a result of the largest accidental oil spill in US history, referred to as the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. Notably, natural resources affected by this major spill include wetlands, coastal beaches and barrier islands, coastal and marine wildlife, seagrass beds, oyster reefs, commercial fisheries, deep benthos, and coral reefs, among other habitats and species. Losses include an estimated 20% reduction in commercial fishery landings across the Gulf of Mexico and damage to as much as 1,100 linear miles of coastal salt marsh wetlands.

This historic spill is being followed by a restoration effort unparalleled in complexity and magnitude in U.S. history. Legal settlements in the wake of DWH led to the establishment of a set of programs tasked with administering and supporting DWH-related restoration in the Gulf of Mexico. In order to ensure that restoration goals are met and money is well spent, restoration monitoring and evaluation should be an integral part of those programs.  However, evaluations of past restoration efforts have shown that monitoring is often inadequate or even absent.

Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico identifies best practices for monitoring and evaluating restoration activities to improve the performance of restoration programs and increase the effectiveness and longevity of restoration projects. This report provides general guidance for restoration monitoring, assessment, and synthesis that can be applied to most ecological restoration supported by these major programs given their similarities in restoration goals. It also offers specific guidance for a subset of habitats and taxa to be restored in the Gulf including oyster reefs, tidal wetlands, and seagrass habitats, as well as a variety of birds, sea turtles, and marine mammals.
PIRatE Lab's insight:
The National Academy of Sciences Committee on Effective Approaches for Monitoring and Assessing Gulf of Mexico Restoration Activities just issued this report laying out a framework for Gulf Coast restoration efforts in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. 

The restoration process, guided by three major programs, is a $16 billion undertaking. This report focuses on best practices in monitoring, evaluation, and management of the restoration process. The recommendations are centered around promoting unified action among the various restoration programs and projects, standardizing metrics and goals for progression assessment, utilizing existing programs and networks, promoting open and long-term data access, and implementing adaptive management strategies. 

 The full text of the report can be found here (you can register as a guest if you don't want to register fully).
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Deepwater Horizon Samples...FINALLY

Deepwater Horizon Samples...FINALLY | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are making environmental samples collected in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon explosion available to the scientific community. Samples of water, oil, sediment, and organisms are available. More information about available samples and results of prior analyses are available at https://dwhdiver.orr.noaa.gov/web/guest/home. To make inquiries or request specific samples, email dwhsamples@noaa.gov by 10 June 2016.
PIRatE Lab's insight:
Samples anyone?  Six years late isn't that bad, right?
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Transocean Delays Drillship Delivery

Transocean Delays Drillship Delivery | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) announced today an agreement with Sembcorp Marine's subsidiary, Jurong Shipyard Ptd Ltd, to defer…
PIRatE Lab's insight:
Transocean of Deepwater Horizon fame is still churning out deep water drilling rigs, although with apparent continual delays.
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After the Spill: Oil & Coastal Wetland Loss

After the Spill: Oil & Coastal Wetland Loss | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
Recovery in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon has been something of a slow recovery when it comes to the most impacted communities (mid- and deepwater).  More readily-viewable areas have seen mixed…
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Study details impact of Deepwater Horizon oil spill on beach microbial communities

Study details impact of Deepwater Horizon oil spill on beach microbial communities | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
Researchers have studied the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on communities of beach microbes.

Via Anita Woodruff
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Information about Oil Spills Is at Your Fingertips

Information about Oil Spills Is at Your Fingertips | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
Where and when was the biggest oil spill? How many oil spills happen each year? Is the frequency of oil spills going up or down? Where can I get information about oil spills? We at NOAA’s Office of...

Via AimForGood
PIRatE Lab's insight:

I was hoping for a more dynamic website, but this is a good starting point for folks interested in starting to dele into oil spill data.

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BP Oil Spill ‘Didn’t Ruin The Gulf,’ Says Politico Article Written By BP

BP Oil Spill ‘Didn’t Ruin The Gulf,’ Says Politico Article Written By BP | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
Politico readers have to go through ten paragraphs of someone telling them BP's historic oil spill was environmentally negligible before they know that the writer is one of BP's top executives.
PIRatE Lab's insight:

This is just sick.

 

See also:

 

http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-bp-pr-release-20141023-column.html

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Deepwater Horizon Researchers estimate oil that reached the shoreline in 2010

Deepwater Horizon Researchers estimate oil that reached the shoreline in 2010 | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it
A research team has estimated the total mass of oil that reached the Gulf of Mexico shore in the wake of the BP Deepwater Horizon blowout. It's the first time such an estimate was reported.
PIRatE Lab's insight:

This is lower than I had guessed, but not by that much.  It actually confirms what we saw in the field, observed in the water column, and predicted from our conceptual models.  The problem was oil and other hydrocarbons IN THE PELAGIC and/or deep BENTHOS.

 

See:

 

http://bit.ly/JvFGya, http://bit.ly/XLBgXO & http://bit.ly/VR3AuG

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Study Shows Dispersant Lingered in Gulf Four Years after Oil Spill

Study Shows Dispersant Lingered in Gulf Four Years after Oil Spill | Coastal Restoration | Scoop.it

rScientists from Haverford College and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution investigated the presence of dispersants following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

PIRatE Lab's insight:

Corexit seems to be persisting much longer than originally thought.

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