November 5, 2019
via The National Academies of Sciences Gulf Research Program
The Gulf Research Program and the Sea Grant Oil Spill Science Outreach Program recently released several reports from a series of collaborative workshops aimed at helping communities prepare for future oil spills. The five states where workshops were held— Alabama, Alaska, California, Louisiana, and Virginia — are all home to communities that have been impacted by oil spills. Held between December 2018 and May 2019, the workshops focused on how oil spills impact the health, social fabric, and economies of these regions. Five regional workshop reports and one summary report are now available online here. The summary report highlights common research and outreach priorities that have national relevance. Regional reports describe unique needs and interests in each region, as well as suggested protocols, pilot project ideas, and resources.
Workshop reports and highlights:
Mobile and Bayou la Batre, Alabama, May 6-7, 2019 Participants from three Gulf States discuss mental health in the years following the Deepwater Horizon Spill; and how to destigmatize, integrate, and expand mental health services in disaster response.
Santa Barbara, California, April 5, 2019 Learn how the community is applying lessons learned from the Refugio oil spill of 2015 – including combatting misinformation.
Virginia Beach, Virginia, March 29, 2019 After responding to 200 oil spills in the last two years, stakeholders discuss environmental justice; and restoring community health, safe seafood consumption, and the tourism economy in the Mid-Atlantic.
Anchorage, Alaska, February 20-21, 2019 Discover how Arctic communities are responding to the realities of ship traffic, oil and gas exploration – and preparing for the next technological disaster.
Houma, Louisiana, December 4-5, 2018 Read about how the diverse interests of oil workers, tribal communities, and fishing families are incorporated into response planning
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