ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Oct. 15, 2010) - Dr. Jane Lubchenco, U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans & Atmosphere and NOAA administrator, will be the opening keynote speaker for a major academic conference on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill Feb. 9-11, 2011, hosted by the University of South Florida, the Florida Institute of Oceanography, Mote Marine Laboratory, and the State of Florida Oil Spill Academic Task Force.
Lubchenco, who played a leading role in the nation's response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster, heads a lineup of speakers which also features leading public policy leaders, scientists and energy industry figures. Registration is open for the event, which will be held at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Other announced speakers include:
•John Hofmeister, founder and CEO of Citizens for Affordable Energy, Inc., and former CEO of Shell Oil Company
•U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (Invited)
•U.S. Representative C. W. Bill Young (Invited)
•U.S. Representative Kathy Castor (Invited)
•Randy Bayliss, The Bayliss Consultancy, former Environmental Manager at CBI Americas Ltd, and State OnScene Coordinator for the Lee Wang Zin oil spill in 1980 and the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.
Conference registration is available at http://www.oilspill.usf.edu/
The event will bring together representatives from academia, government, NGOs and the private sector to consider the issues related to off-shore drilling, discuss the state of research into the impact of the spill and the translation of scientific findings into policy and management decisions for the future. The conference aims to draw international experts from oil-producing nations such as Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Nigeria to consider potential risks and new approaches in mitigating them.
Sessions will cover: Human health issues, geotechnical engineering; regional oceanography; chemical weathering and biological consumption; dispersants; ecological consequences and toxicity; economic and social impacts; and stakeholders, science and policy
The conference is co-chaired by Robert H. Weisberg, Distinguished University Professor of Physical Oceanography at the University of South Florida; William T. Hogarth, Acting Director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography; and Michael P. Crosby, Senior Vice President for Research at Mote Marine Laboratory.
Oral or poster presentations on substantial and original research on all aspects of the Gulf Oil Spill disaster and its impact also will be featured. Additional information is available on the conference website or contact oilspill@research.usf.edu.
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