The Gulf Research Program A Strategic Vision (2014) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
1 Program Foundation
1 Program Foundation
Pages 10-21
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 10... ...
1 PROGRAM FOUNDATION Legal Context for Establishing the Gulf Research Program 11 First Steps in Program Planning 13 Interpreting the Settlement Language 17
|
From page 11... ...
The DWH oil spill1 began with an explosion and fire that led to the deaths of 11 oil rig workers and the injury of 17 others. For 87 days after the DWH rig sank, oil flowed from a blowout of the Macondo well, causing the largest offshore oil spill on record in U.S.
|
From page 12... ...
Under the agreements, BP will pay $350 million by 2018 and Transocean will pay $150 million by 2017 to the NAS to be managed in a fixed-term endowment. BP payments Transocean payments 2013 $5 million $2 million 2014 $15 million $7 million 2015 $45 million $21 million 2016 $80 million $60 million 2017 $90 million $60 million 2018 $115 million of "enhancing the safety of offshore oil drilling and hydrocarbon production" and protecting "human health and environmental resources in the Gulf of Mexico and United States outer continental shelf." The program's work is to be carried out in the public interest, supporting activities that otherwise might not be pursued.
|
From page 13... ...
. and Program staff explored the meaning of the tasks Activities at the National Academies include consensus specified in the legal agreements, built relationships with studies; convening activities such as workshops, forums, other organizations, and identified perceived needs that roundtables, and symposia; management of science program match the Program's mandate.
|
From page 14... ...
One significant change over time has been coastal population growth: the region's coastal counties are now home to 40 million residents and are home to 7 of the 10 busiest ports in the United States. The region is economically and culturally vibrant, but there are significant challenges due to competing uses of valuable environmental resources.
|
From page 15... ...
The Gulf States produce nearly half the Nation's natural gas and 23 percent of the Nation's oil. The offshore oil sector employs 55,000 workers.
|
From page 16... ...
Climate models indicate an increased frequency of extremely warm days, more extreme rainfall events, and, at least along the central and western Gulf Coast, drier summer conditions. Increased precipitation in the upper Mississippi River Basin might generate greater discharges of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers, which will influence circulation, productivity, and the occurrence and extent of hypoxia (creating what is known as the Dead Zone)
|
From page 17... ...
of the Gulf region's environment, economy, and health, these challenges include wetland loss, which in Louisiana alone averages 25 to 35 square miles per year; erosion of coastal barrier islands and shorelines, which undermines capacity for storm protection in a region that has experienced more than 120 hurricanes over the past century; loss and degradation of coastal estuarine habitats, which threaten the critical nursery habitat for the Gulf's fishery resources; overfishing of major commercially and recreationally important fish stocks; and hypoxia caused by excess nutrient pollution from the Mississippi River watershed. Like the rest of the Nation, some of the greatest challenges to human health in the Gulf region are related to chronic illness, health disparities, and growing inequality.
|
From page 18... ...
Ecosystem services are the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems, including provisioning services such as the supply of food and water; regulating services such as flood and disease control; cultural services such as spiritual, recreational, and cultural benefits; and supporting services, such as nutrient cycling, that maintain the conditions for life on Earth. OIL SYSTEM SAFETY HUMAN HEALTH ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES The Gulf Research Program will focus on issues at the intersections of its three specified areas of responsibility.
|
From page 19... ...
Through research and development (R&D) activities, the Program will seek to increase understanding of the Gulf region as a dynamic system that provides key ecosystem services such as energy, seafood, and wetlands for storm protection.
|
From page 20... ...
. Interest in increased collaboration has accelerated since the DWH oil spill, which because of its size, highlighted 20 THE GULF RESEARCH PROGRAM A Strategic Vision
|
From page 21... ...
Although GoMRI's mission is primarily to that recovers data from past monitoring programs, stores investigate the impacts of the DWH oil spill, it also shares with data from current monitoring activities, and provides GCOOS, GOMA, the Program, and many other organizations the public-ready access to the data and related information. common goal of improving the long-term environmental health The workshops identified outcomes around three themes: of the Gulf of Mexico.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.