February 7, 2011: We tap into the best and brightest at the National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment in Washington, DC to get answers to the tough questions. An interview with Dr. David Yoskowitz, Chair of Socioeconomics at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, with jaw-dropping statistics on what the Gulf is worth. What we all assumed about dispersants that may be all wrong. And we follow the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling as it goes before Congress.

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The Tough Questions, Answered.

Where's the oil now? What's a Gulf Worth? The Tough Questions, Answered.

The National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment in Washington, DC is a who’s who in ocean research and conservation and a chance to really focus on the major issues ahead. If you want tough questions about the Gulf or the oceans answered, this is the place to be.

We hear from:

• Richard Harris, Science Correspondent, NPR
• Dr. Edward Overton, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Sciences, Louisiana State University
• Dr. John “Wes” Tunnell, Associate Director, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
• Dr. Charles “Pete” Peterson, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Marine Sciences, Biology and Ecology,  University of North Carolina
• Dr. David Yoskowitz, Chair of Socioeconomics , Associate Director, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
• Dr. Carl Safina, President, Blue Ocean Institute

Panel on Impacts of BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Left to Right: Richard Harris, NPR; Dr. David Yoskowitz, HRI; Dr. Charles “Pete” Peterson, UNC; Dr. Edward Overton, LSU; Dr. John "Wes" Tunnell, HRI (Photo: D. Guggenheim)

What's nature worth to you? The Ocean Doctor interviews Dr. David Yoskowitz, Chair of Socioeconomics, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies

Also: Our In-Depth Coverage of the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Continues

Our show continues its in-depth coverage of the Gulf oil spill and once again we’re going deep. As promised last week, this week we take you to congress as the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, co-chaired by former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator, Bob Graham and former EPA Administrator, William Riley, has issued its final report and has entered its most crucial phase: Getting Congress to act on its recommendations.

The Commission co-chairs recently testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. The reception was mixed. While in general the Commission commanded respect, there were attacks, primarily by oil-producing states.

Links:

National Council for Science and the Environment

National Commission on the BP Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling

Videofiles, Inc.

Blue Ocean Institute

Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Special thanks to the National Council for Science and the Environment and Videofiles, Inc. for their assistance in making this episode possible.

Cubans and Americans display the flags of both nations following a historic 2-day meeting in Cancún, México on collaboration in marine science & conservation

CANCÚN, México — In a historic meeting co-organized and led by the Washington, DC-based Center for International Policy and the Harte Research Institute (HRI) for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi,a group of 15 Cubans and 15 Americans met in Cancún, Mexico to develop a plan for taking joint marine research and conservation activities between the U.S. and Cuba to a new level. Collaboration between U.S. and Cuban scientists has been exceedingly difficult because of the decades-old U.S. embargo, even though research is a permitted activity and U.S. scientists are allowed to travel to Cuba. Complicated logistics and ever-changing politics have prevented all but a few U.S. institutions from successful collaborative projects in Cuba.

1planet1ocean president Dr. David E. Guggenheim, HRI Advisory Council member and manager of its Cuba Program, organized and led the November 1-2 meeting along with Dr. Wayne Smith of the Center for International Policy. The conference was conceived of in recognition of the critical need for more scientific research in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean, and the key role that Cuban waters play in the ecosystem. The Cancún meeting brought together major institutions from both countries to establish research priorities and to chart a way forward toward stronger and more comprehensive collaborative activities.

At the end of the two-day meeting, a framework plan of action was established with the following priorities: Research and conservation of coral reefs, sharks, sea turtles and dolphins, improved management and conservation of fish resources, and strengthening of marine protected areas. The proceedings of the meeting are currently being drafted. Working groups — each headed by one Cuban and one American — are leading continuing dialogue on each of the priority areas. A follow-up meeting is scheduled in 6-12 months and will include the participation of México. Over the past few years, HRI and its partner, University of Havana’s Centro de Investigaciones Marinas (Center for Marine Research), have conducted a number of research expeditions and related research efforts along Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico, the 320 km expanse along its northwest coast, in a project called Proyecto Costa Noroccidental (Project of the Northwest Coast).

 

The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research (CIM) [Centro de Investigaciones Marinas] are leading a collaborative effort, Proyecto Costa Noroccidental [Project of the Northwest Coast], a comprehensive multi-year research and conservation program for Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico coast. Dr. David E. Guggenheim, president of 1planet1ocean, is a member of HRI’s Advisory Council and also serves as HRI’s Cuba Programs Manager and is co-principal investigator of the project with Dr. Gaspar González Sansón of CIM.

Proyecto Costa Noroccidental is assessing northwestern Cuba’s marine habitats, identifying and describing the principal human uses and threats, providing recommendations for the conservation of the region’s ecosystems, and establishing a framework for long-term cooperative research and monitoring. The project is designed to provide fundamental data on this understudied region of Cuba while also providing new insights regarding biological connectivity and conservation in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. The project is expected to help secure science-based conservation policies in advance of the inevitable wave of development in the region.

Proyecto Costa Noroccidental is the first comprehensive study of Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico region

Cuba’s northwest coast has not been comprehensively studied, and the results of this project are providing an important advance to the natural sciences in Cuba and conservation of costal ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico. This research is gaining attention and participation from numerous Cuban institutions and is providing the basis for the research theses and dissertations for 16 students at the project’s lead Cuban institution, the University of Havana’s Centro de Investigaciones Marinas (CIM) [Center for Marine Research], the only Cuban institution where marine scientists are trained. Our understanding of the Gulf increasingly points toward a vast web of linkages throughout the ecosystem, linkages that span international borders. Collaborative scientific research is a permitted activity under the long-standing United States’ economic embargo of Cuba.

CIM researcher prepares samples for reference collection during second expedition

Up until now, Cuba’s northwest coast has not experienced the levels of coastal development seen elsewhere on the island, but as the country is now among the world’s fastest growing tourist destinations, there are growing pressures of tourism in the region, accompanied by accelerating impacts from fishing, agriculture, and now, offshore petroleum development.

The project is collecting data on corals and invertebrates, fish populations, and water quality. Ecotoxicological analysis is also being conducted to assess land-based pollution impacts. In 2007, a shark research component will be incorporated, including a planned October 2007 shark tagging expedition. Northwest Cuba has seen a ten-fold reduction in shark landings since the 1960s.

CIM researcher measures green sea turtle nesting at Guanahacabibes, Cuba

The project also includes a comprehensive sea turtle research and conservation component focused at Cuba’s westernmost point, Guanahacabibes. Through strong community involvement and education, it has dramatically reduced turtle poaching.

In 2007, in collaboration with several Mexican institutions, the project will include a genetic analysis of Cuban sea turtle populations in order to gain new insight into population dynamics. Also planned for 2007 is a broadening dialogue with Cuban policymakers to make use of the data obtained from this project.

At the December 2006 MARCuba conference in Havana (Cuba’s triennial marine research conference) a total of 22 presented papers and posters were based on the research outcomes of this project. Publication efforts will continue and intensify over the coming year.