Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Revelle Lecture at Scripps Addresses Challenges of Gulf of Mexico Oil Disaster

Nancy Rabalais to deliver free public presentation on April 5 as the one-year anniversary of the worst oil leak in U.S. history approaches

Scripps Institution of Oceanography / University of California, San Diego

WHAT: Nancy Rabalais, executive director and a professor at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, will present "Troubled Waters of the Gulf of Mexico" during the 12th annual Roger Revelle Commemorative Lecture, presented by the Ocean Studies Board, part of the U.S. National Research Council.

With the approach of the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil well blowout, Rabalais' lecture will highlight the challenges of developing and implementing large-scale restoration plans for the Gulf Coast ecosystem.

• THE PRESENTATION IS FREE AND THE PUBLIC IS INVITED •

WHEN: Tuesday, April 5, 2011, 4 p.m.

WHERE: Robert Paine Scripps Forum for Science, Society and the Environment (Scripps Seaside Forum); 8610 Kennel Way, just north of El Paseo Grande on the Scripps campus in La Jolla.

BACKGROUND: The BP Deepwater Horizon disaster was an engineering failure that brought the world's attention to the Gulf of Mexico. The oil was an immediate environmental threat, with short- and long-term effects remaining elusive given the nature of the spill and incomplete knowledge of the oil's impact on socio-ecological systems.

With the spill also came attention to the already-damaged condition of the northern Gulf of Mexico. The area bears marks from decades of extensive oil and gas production with an inshore maze of canals and channels dicing up the fragile landscape. A nutrient-polluted Mississippi River yields a large "dead zone" in the Gulf every spring and summer.

"We are now challenged to further document impacts and to initiate and pursue complex, large-scale restoration projects in a Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Plan," says Rabalais. "Will we meet the challenge?"

Rabalais, who holds a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Texas at Austin, researches the dynamics of oxygen-depleted environments, interactions of large rivers with the coastal ocean, benthic ecology, science policy and other areas. She has earned several research awards for her work on the causes and consequences of Gulf hypoxia.

The Revelle Lecture was created by the Ocean Studies Board to honor former Scripps Oceanography Director Roger Revelle for his contributions to ocean sciences and his dedication to making scientific knowledge available to policymakers. Rabalais' presentation is the fourth Revelle Lecture scheduled to be given on both West and East coasts. Rabalais also will give the lecture on March 29 at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Roger Revelle (1909-1991) was director of Scripps Oceanography from 1951 to 1964. He was one of the nation's most prominent oceanographers, a pioneer of climate change research and a world leader in the application of science and technology to help solve problems in developing countries. Long associated with the University of California, Revelle's vision and energies led to the establishment of the UC San Diego campus in 1960.

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About Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California, San Diego, is one of the oldest, largest and most important centers for global science research and education in the world. Now in its second century of discovery, the scientific scope of the institution has grown to include biological, physical, chemical, geological, geophysical and atmospheric studies of the earth as a system. Hundreds of research programs covering a wide range of scientific areas are under way today in 65 countries. The institution has a staff of about 1,400, and annual expenditures of approximately $170 million from federal, state and private sources. Scripps operates robotic networks, and one of the largest U.S. academic fleets with four oceanographic research ships and one research platform for worldwide exploration. Birch Aquarium at Scripps serves as the interpretive center of the institution and showcases Scripps research and a diverse array of marine life through exhibits and programming for more than 415,000 visitors each year. Learn more at scripps.ucsd.edu.

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Fifty years ago, the founders of the University of California, San Diego, had one criterion for the campus: It must be distinctive. Since then, UC San Diego has achieved the extraordinary in education, research and innovation. Sixteen Nobel laureates have taught on campus; stellar faculty members have been awarded Fields Medals, Pulitzer Prizes, McArthur Fellowships and many other honors. UC San Diego-recognized as one of the top ten public universities by U.S. News & World Report and named by the Washington Monthly as number one in the nation in rankings measuring "what colleges are doing for the country"- is widely acknowledged for its local impact, national influence and global reach. UC San Diego is celebrating 50 years of visionaries, innovators and overachievers.
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