Cordoba Times: Students study oceanography and oil spills

Students study oceanography and oil spills
Published on October 4th, 2010

By ALICE DOU-WANG

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This August, nine high school students from around the country traveled to Cordova and completed the Ocean Science and Leadership Expedition, a summer intensive course led by the Prince William Sound Science Center.

For 10 days, the students studied principles of oceanography and marine environmental issues, especially focusing on oil spills, and developed leadership skills in a wilderness learning environment.

Students traveled from as far away as New York and Florida, with several coming from the Gulf Coast on first-time scholarships awarded through a partnership between the Science Center and Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. For them, OSLE was an opportunity to share their experiences from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, learn insights from the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and develop an understanding of ocean systems to help them make sense of the changes to their home environment.

'I really wanted to learn as much as I could about oil spills and how to properly respond,' said Danielle Wall, a high school senior from Sarasota, Fla.

In Cordova, Science Center researchers and educators taught the students about concepts in physical and biological oceanography and the science of oil spills through classes and laboratory activities. In Valdez, students visited the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council to learn about the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the activities of the Regional Citizens' Advisory Council.

'I would love to be part of starting an RCAC along the Gulf,' said Cierra Martin, a high school senior from Hurley, Miss.

The group also toured the Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Center to learn about oil transportation through Prince William Sound.

As a wilderness expedition, the course included a kayaking trip to Columbia Glacier and along the coast of Valdez Arm. Although some of the planned kayaking was stymied by bad weather, the students were thrilled to paddle among icebergs and camp on remote beaches in Prince William Sound. On one of those beaches, the group conducted a marine debris cleanup, collecting 202 pieces of trash.

The students' culminating project at the end of the course was a half-day oil spill scenario, in which they used everything they had learned to decide how to respond to a mock oil spill in Prince William Sound.

Spill role play
Playing roles in the Incident Command System, a standardized system for emergency response, as well as other stakeholders, the students first used their oceanographic knowledge to forecast the trajectory and impact of the spill, then decided how best to respond.

In the midst of making cleanup decisions and assessing shorelines and ecological impacts, the students also had to negotiate contracts with fishermen and issue press releases.

'I thought that this project was interesting and informative. Both working with the incident command system and with the 'public' was important, and let me develop a respect for those people handling the Gulf oil spill,' reflected William Dou, a high school sophomore from New York City.

Many of the students were attracted to OSLE by their interest in pursuing careers in marine science, and the course provided opportunities for firsthand interaction with the marine environment that confirmed their ambitions.

Students were able to earn college credit for the course from Prince William Sound Community College, and gained experiences and knowledge to bring back to their schools and communities.

'This trip was like nothing I've ever done before and it changed my life,' said Martin at the end of the trip. 'I'm so glad that I had this experience, and it's going to take me so far in life.'

The OSLE was presented by the Prince William Sound Science Center with support from Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, BP, and Conoco Phillips.

-- Alice Dou-Wang is an education specialist for the Prince William Sound Science Center.