Mission
Four Simple Goals
OSRI supports research, education, and demonstration projects that improve understanding of and response to oil spills in Arctic and sub-Arctic marine environments. To achieve the mission OSRI follows a science plan that outlines four goals and topic areas within the goals.
Understand
Attain an interdisciplinary understanding of Arctic and sub-Arctic marine environments as it pertains to: the baseline; the source, transport, fate, and effects of spilled oil; damage assessment; and the recovery of those environments following a spill.
Includes:
- Evaluate short and long-term effects
- Identify chemical, biological, and physical impacts and consequences
- Identify baseline conditions including the natural variability and their drivers
- Evaluate impacts from oil spills on the economy, food security, subsistence activities, lifestyle and well-being of people and the resiliency of communities
- Identify and improve new methods for assessing transport, fate, and effects
Inform
Share information and educate about the issues of oil spill prevention, response, and impacts.
Includes:
- Publish scientific and technical results in open literature
- Brief the response, assessment, and restoration communities on OSRI efforts
- Facilitate the exchange of information and ideas through workshops and other forums
- Educate future researchers and responders through K-12 programs, undergraduate internships, and graduate fellowships
- Convey information to the general public through various media
- Serve as a source of expertise
Respond
Enhance oil spill response and mitigation capabilities in Arctic and sub-Arctic marine environments.
Includes:
- Collaborate with other efforts related to OSRI’s mission
- Seek out new partnership opportunities
- Identify, develop, and/or evaluate prevention, assessment, and response tactics and technologies
- Identify the impacts of oil spill response options on the environment and human health
Partner
Partner with other organizations to take advantage of shared funding, facilities, knowledge, and experience.
Includes:
- Collaborate with other efforts related to OSRI’s mission
- Seek out new partnership opportunities