Deep Horizon Oil Spill Research Funded
– August 30, 2011
A consortium of U.S. universities and research institutions will get $20 million to study long-term effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, officials said.
(From UPI.com) — The consortium, led by Florida State University scientists, is one of eight research teams granted $112.5 million over three years under the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, an FSU release said Tuesday.
The GoMRI is an organization overseeing BP’s commitment to provide $500 million in funding over 10 years for independent scientific research related to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill.
“About 4.9 million barrels of oil were dumped into the Gulf of Mexico, so it is important to find out exactly how the oil affected marine life and the health of the ecosystem,” FSU Vice President for Research Kirby Kemper said. “Florida State University is pleased to be leading the way in helping the nation to understand the answers to important questions that have arisen in the wake of the disaster.”
About 30 scientists from FSU research and teaching faculties will contribute research and expertise.
“It’s an interdisciplinary group consisting of geologists, biologists, chemists, physicists and meteorologists,” lead researcher Eric Chassignet, a professor of oceanography, said.
The research “will produce a powerful tool set that can be used to investigate and forecast environmental impact scenarios and to assess the influence of hydrocarbon releases on fisheries, tourism and human health,” the FSU scientists said.
“GoMRI In the news” is a reposting of articles about GoMRI-funded research (published by various news outlets). The author’s interpretations and opinions expressed in these articles is not necessarily that of GoMRI.
