OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE
GULF RESEARCH PROGRAM
Monitoring Ecosystem Restoration
and Deep Water Environments
SUMMARY OF A WORKSHOP
|
GULF |
RESEARCH PROGRAM |
| INNOVATE | EDUCATE | COLLABORATE | |
| National Academy of Sciences National Academy of Engineering Institute of Medicine National Research Council |
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE
GULF RESEARCH PROGRAM
Monitoring Ecosystem Restoration
and Deep Water Environments
SUMMARY OF A WORKSHOP
Gulf Research Program
Kim Waddell and Steve Olson, Rapporteurs
|
GULF |
RESEARCH PROGRAM |
| INNOVATE | EDUCATE | COLLABORATE | |
| National Academy of Sciences National Academy of Engineering Institute of Medicine National Research Council |
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-36808-7
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-36808-1
Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Room 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.
Copyright 2015 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
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ABOUT THE GULF RESEARCH PROGRAM
In 2010 the Deepwater Horizon explosion and fire in the Gulf of Mexico caused the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, resulting in significant impacts on the region’s environment and residents. Legal settlements with the companies held responsible led the federal government to ask the National Academy of Sciences to form and administer a 30-year program to enhance oil system safety, human health, and environmental resources in the Gulf of Mexico and other U.S. continental shelf areas where offshore oil and gas exploration and production occur or are under consideration. The new Gulf Research Program will receive $500 million to support activities using three broad approaches: research and development, education and training, and environmental monitoring.
To inform program planning, the Gulf Research Program held three Opportunity Analysis Workshops in 2014: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs, Monitoring Ecosystem Restoration and Deep Water Environments, and Community Resilience and Health. These workshops are part of an ongoing effort to elicit input from experts, practitioners, and community members on key opportunities to translate the Program’s strategic vision into activities that will benefit communities in the Gulf region and beyond. The workshops are expected to lead to the development of additional Program activities and opportunities for the research and education communities.
The Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs Opportunity Analysis workshop was delegated to the Board on Higher Education and Workforce at the National Academy of Sciences. The Gulf Research Program gratefully acknowledges the assistance that the Board on Higher Education and Workforce provided during the planning and execution of this workshop.
For more information on the Gulf Research Program and to access the additional Opportunity Analysis workshop reports, see www.nas.edu/gulf.
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PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR THE WORKSHOP ON ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GULF RESEARCH PROGRAM
DONALD BOESCH, University of Maryland, Cambridge
ROBERT CARNEY, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
CORTIS COOPER, Chevron Corporation, San Ramon, California
LaDON SWANN, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Staff
KIM WADDELL, Senior Program Officer
TERI THOROWGOOD, Manager Administrative Services
Consultant
STEVE OLSON, Consultant Writer and Rapporteur
GULF RESEARCH PROGRAM
Advisory Group
BARBARA A. SCHAAL (Chair), Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
DONALD F. BOESCH, University of Maryland, Cambridge
ROBERT S. CARNEY, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
STEPHEN R. CARPENTER, University of Wisconsin, Madison
CORTIS K. COOPER, Chevron Corporation, San Ramon, California
COURTNEY COWART, Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee
ROBERT A. DUCE, Texas A&M University, College Station
DEBORAH L. ESTRIN, Cornell New York City Tech, New York
CHRISTOPHER B. FIELD, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California
GERARDO GOLD-BOUCHOT, Center for Research and Advanced Studies at Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
LYNN R. GOLDMAN, George Washington University, Washington, DC
BERNARD D. GOLDSTEIN, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
THOMAS O. HUNTER, Sandia National Laboratories (retired), Albuquerque, New Mexico
SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York
ASHANTI JOHNSON, University of Texas, Arlington, and Institute for Broadening Participation, Damariscotta, Maine
DAVID M. KARL, University of Hawaii, Honolulu
MOLLY McCAMMON, Alaska Ocean Observing System, Anchorage
LINDA A. McCAULEY, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
J. STEVEN PICOU, University of South Alabama, Mobile
EDUARDO SALAS, University of Central Florida, Orlando
KERRY MICHAEL ST. PÉ, Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (retired), Thibodaux, Louisiana
ARNOLD F. STANCELL, Mobil Oil (retired), Greenwich, Connecticut
LaDON SWANN, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Ocean Springs, Mississippi
JAMES W. ZIGLAR, Van Ness Feldman, Washington, DC
MARK D. ZOBACK, Stanford University, Stanford, California
Staff
CHRIS ELFRING, Executive Director
BETHANY MABEE, Research Associate
LEIGHANNE OLSEN, Senior Program Officer
EVONNE TANG, Senior Program Officer
TERI THOROWGOOD, Manager, Administrative Services
KIM WADDELL, Senior Program Officer
MAGGIE WALSER, Senior Program Officer
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This workshop summary has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published summary as sound as possible and to ensure that the summary meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this workshop summary:
Cortis Cooper, Chevron Corporation;
Paul Montagna, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi; and
Alisha Renfro, National Wildlife Federation
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they did not see the final draft of the workshop summary before its release. The review of this summary was overseen by Linda Blum of the University of Virginia. Appointed by the National Research Council, she was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this summary was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this summary rests entirely with the authors and the institution.
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Contents
Organization of Workshop Summary
Environmental Monitoring and the Gulf Research Program
2 EVIRONMENTAL MONITORING: LESSONS LEARNED, NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE GULF OF MEXICO
Environmental Monitoring in the National Ecological Observatory Network
A Plan from the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System
Community Engagement and Environmental Monitoring
Data Management for Environmental Monitoring
Monitoring the Hypoxic Zone of the Gulf
Observations of the Breakout Groups
3 MONITORING TO SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION
Valuing Ecosystem Services for Coastal Protection and Restoration
Restoring Oyster Reefs: Performance, Benefits, and Tradeoffs
Managing an Ecosystem Service Approach
Gulf Restoration Programs: Emerging Roles and Potential for Monitoring
Identifying Data Priorities to Support Monitoring
Observations of the Breakout Groups
4 MONITORING NEEDS IN THE DEEP GULF OF MEXICO
An Introduction to the Deep Ocean
Deep Gulf Research: Potential for Partnerships
Ecosystem Services from the Deep Ocean
Industry Marine Research and the Potential for Gliders
Deep Sea Mining and its Impacts: a Case Study
