Fall 2024 • Issue 23

Oil Spill Science

Published November 2024

This issue takes a look at Oil Spill Science specific to the Great Lakes, emphasizing the unique challenges posed by the region's ice-covered environment and the necessity for robust cross-border collaboration. It highlights how research networks and new consortia are building scientific capacity to improve preparedness and response strategies, while detailing advancements in modeling, regulatory impacts, and the deployment of modern cleanup technologies like high-speed containment systems. The content also underscores the critical role of training and knowledge retention for responders, traces the history of significant spills that shaped current policies, and explores emerging biological solutions involving freshwater microbes to mitigate contamination.

Guest Editors: Kenneth Lee, of Kenneth Lee Research Inc., and Kelsey Prihoda, of the University of Minnesota Sea Grant College Program

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Features

Innovating Environmental Solutions for a Cleaner Future

The Concordia Oil Spill Research Group is developing green technologies, such as bio-based coatings, to prevent oil adhesion on shorelines and enhance cleanup efficiency in freshwater environments.

Leading Response Research

An inside look at the U.S. Coast Guard's Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise (GLCOE), which leads research and training to improve oil spill response in freshwater and icy environments.

A New Focus on an Old Issue

The International Consortium of Oil Research (ICOR) is building scientific capacity to study the biological impacts, fate, and detection of oil spills in the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Oil Spill Modeling

Research highlights the complex interactions between oil and ice in the Great Lakes, emphasizing the need for improved modeling to predict oil movement and weathering under ice cover.

Research Networks

An overview of collaborative research networks in the Great Lakes, including the GLCOE and ICOR, working to improve oil spill prediction, detection, and response capabilities.

A Look Back

A historical chronology of major oil spills in the Great Lakes basin, from the 1948 Detroit River incident to the 2010 Kalamazoo River spill, illustrating the evolution of spill science and response.

The Impact of Regulation on Oil Spill Response

A perspective on how regulatory frameworks like the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 have shaped oil spill response, highlighting the challenges of workforce retention and the need for advanced training.

Oil Spill Risks & Response Capabilities

A RAND report assessing oil spill risks and response capabilities in the Great Lakes, identifying gaps in preparedness and the need for enhanced communication and training.

Departments

In Memoriam

Chris Vandergoot

A tribute to Chris Vandergoot (1976–2024), the director of GLATOS, whose innovative work in acoustic telemetry has transformed fisheries management and left a lasting impact on the Great Lakes community.

Member Spotlight

Huifang Bi

Huifang Bi is developing green, biomass-derived coatings to prevent oil adhesion on shorelines and enhance biodegradation, aiming to revolutionize oil spill response in freshwater environments.

Research Brief

Can freshwater microbes help clean up oil contamination in the Great Lakes?

Research at the University of Windsor is investigating the potential of natural freshwater microbial communities to degrade hydrocarbons and clean up oil contamination in the Great Lakes.