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Initial Publication Date: June 30, 2011

Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Awards $1.5 Million in Grants

Funding Supports Short-Term Continuing and Emergent Observations and Sampling of the Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on the Gulf of Mexico

RESTON, Va., June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GRI) Research Board announced today that it has awarded 17 grants totaling $1.5 million to support the time-sensitive acquisition of critical samples and observations associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico. The funding will support work from July 1 to September 30, 2011 and is provided under the terms of RFP-III, the most recent GRI request for proposals.

The Research Board at its May 5-6, 2011 meeting identified the critical need for funding to support short-term continuing and emergent observations and sampling of the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico.

"The RFP-III addresses the urgent need to provide stop-gap or emergency funding to continue observations and sampling, or to initiate new observations and sampling during the summer months," said Dr. Rita R. Colwell, Chairman of the GRI Research Board.

The following lead scientists and institutions have received a grant:

Susan S. Bell, Ph.D., University of South Florida Edward Bouwer, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University Stephen A. Bullard, Ph.D., Auburn University (2 Awards (1* Below)

Wei-Jun Cai, Ph.D., University of Georgia James A. Carr, Ph.D., Texas Tech University Micheal Davis, Ph.D., University of Southern Mississippi Lane D. Foil, Ph.D., Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Suzanne Fredericq, Ph.D., University of Louisiana at Lafayette Yufeng Ge, Ph.D., Texas AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University Frank J. Hernandez, Jr., Ph.D., Dauphin Island Sea Lab Markus Huettel, Ph.D., Florida State University Deepak Mishra, Ph.D., Mississippi State University Joseph Neigel, Ph.D., University of Louisiana at Lafayette John H. Pardue, Ph.D., Louisiana State University Christopher M. Reddy, Ph.D., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Caroline Taylor, Ph.D., Tulane University David C. Weindorf, Ph.D., Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Dr. Suzanne Fredericq, Biology Professor, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Dr. Stephen Landers, Faculty, Troy University Dr. Kewei Yu, Faculty, Troy University Dr. Kyle Piller, associate professor of biological sciences, was awarded a three-year grant worth $335,000 by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). (See 8/24/11 Update Below) Uta Passow, Researcher in UC Santa Barbara's Marine Science Institute and University of Mississippi* (9/24/11) University of Southern Mississippi* (9/24/11) University of Georgia* (9/24/11) Florida State University* (9/24/11) Georgia Institute of Technology* (9/24/11) Temple University* (9/24/11) Oregon State University* (9/24/11) Pennsylvania State University* (9/24/11) Columbia University* (9/24/11) University of Maryland* (9/24/11) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill* (9/24/11) University of Texas* (9/24/11) J. Craig Venter Institute* (9/24/11) Professor Robert J. Diaz, Virginia Institute of Marine Science* (9/20/11) Professor Ramanan Krishnamoorti, University of Houston* (9/20/11) Annette Engel, associate professor in earth and planetary sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville* (9/20/11) Travis Moore - Nova Southeastern University (10/15/2011)* Matthew Lee - Matthew Lee, LSU professor of sociology and associate vice chancellor of the universitys Office of Research and Economic Development* (10/16/11) Professor Richard Snyder of the University of West Florida, professor and director of the Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bio-remediation

"The $1.5 million awarded today enables scientists from many institutions within the Gulf Coast States and elsewhere to work collaboratively to continue to gather important data and

observations about how the Gulf of Mexico is responding to the oil released from the tragic Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion," said Colwell.

This funding allows observations and sampling of physical distribution, dispersion, chemical evolution, biological degradation, and environmental effects associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that would otherwise be unavailable.

In addition to the funding announced today, the GRI is accepting proposals under the RFP-I program until July 11, 2011. The RFP-I program will allocate a minimum of $37.5 million a year among four to eight Research Consortia. Approximately $7.5 million will also be available under RFP-II, which will make smaller awards to individual or small teams of researchers. The application requirements for RFP-II will be announced at a later date.

The funding provided under RFP-I, RFP-II, and RFP-III is part of BP's commitment to provide $500 million over ten years to support research in the Gulf of Mexico. This funding is administered by the independent GRI Research Board and is separate from the Natural Resources Damage Assessment program.

The GRI Research Board anticipates announcing the recipients of grants under the RFP-I program in late summer 2011.

For more information about the GRI, please visit www.griresearchboard.org.

SOURCE Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gulf-of-mexico-research-initiative-awards-15million-in-grants-124786654.html

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20110705/NEWS01/110705028/UL-professor-amonggrant-recipients-Gulf-Mexico-research (7/5/11)

Update 7/6/11:

TROY - Two Troy University professors have taken on separate projects with funding from the Gulf Research Initiative to conduct research on the BP Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill.

Dr. Stephen Landers and Dr. Kewei Yu, both faculty members in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, have received more than $70,000 collectively of GRI funding allocated through the Dauphin Island Sea Lab to conduct their research projects.

http://www.wtvy.com/home/headlines/Troy_Professors_Receive_Money_for_Gulf_Oil_Spill_R esearch_124617489.html

Update 7/25/2011 - (1* - Stephen "Ash" Bullard, Auburn University) - AUBURN - Stephen "Ash" Bullard, assistant professor in Auburn University's Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures in the College of Agriculture, has received a $132,000 grant from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, or GRI, Research Board to continue studies on the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. http://family.auburn.edu/profiles/blogs/auburn-professor-to-continue-s

Update 8/24/2011 - (Piller believes that the grant was connected to the BP oil spill. A reported 4.9 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010. Many commercial and recreational fishing areas were shut down as a result. A lack of confidence in the quality of seafood from the Gulf has been the hardest blow to the seafood industry since the leak was capped just over one year ago. BP gave the LDWF and the state Department of Health $13 million after the spill to use for testing seafood for the next three years. Ref: http://www.lionsroarnews.com/news/professor-awarded-grant-1.2552236)

Update 9/20/11: Professor Robert J. Diaz will use his share of the money $190,000 to set a pair of time-lapse seafloor cameras along marsh areas of the Louisiana shoreline, according to statement from VIMS. http://www.gulfresearchinitiative.org/2011/vims-professor-to-study-bpoil-spill/

Update 9/20/11: (From the University of Houston / by Laura Tolley) As the debate continues over their use on oil spills, a University of Houston researcher has received a grant to develop safer, more efficient dispersants. Professor Ramanan Krishnamoortis work is part of a major multi-institution grant project to study the effects of the 2010 oil spill, develop new tools and technology to respond to future spills and improve mitigation and restoration efforts. http://www.gulfresearchinitiative.org/2011/uh-researcher-receives-grant-to-develop-new-oildispersants/

Update 9/20/11: Now, Engel and her fellow researchers, led by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), will be able to finish what they started with a three-year $12 million grant to study the effects of the spill on coastal ecosystems. The award is from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GRI), an independent research program and board established by British Petroleum, the White House and the governors of the five Gulf Coastal states. http://www.gulfresearchinitiative.org/2011/researcher-investigates-deepwater-horizon-oil-spillimpact-on-coast/

Update 9/24/2011: Passow is part of a consortium led by Raymond Highsmith of the University of Mississippi. The teams assignment will be Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs in the Gulf of Mexico, with funding of $22.5 million for three years. Other institutions on the team are University of Southern Mississippi, University of Georgia, Florida State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Temple University, Oregon State University, Pennsylvania State University, Columbia University, University of Maryland, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Texas, and J. Craig Venter Institute. http://www.independent.com/news/2011/sep/24/ucsb-researcher-receives-grant-study-impactdeepwa/

Update 10/15/2011: Travis Moore - Nova Southeastern University: Still to come is an analysis of the fish livers for traces of hydrocarbons an indicator they might have been exposed to oil from the BP spill. Those results are not expected for a few more months. Moore says hell continue to make regular sampling trips to local tournaments from West Palm Beach through the Keys into next year. His research is funded by the Gulf Research Initiative, endowed by BP after the spill, and by the Yamaha/Contender Miami Billfish Tournament. Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/15/2455519/novas-moore-continues-hisresearch.html#ixzz1auA4dBqV

Update 10/16/2011: Matthew Lee - LSU - A large chunk of the funding comes directly from BP. Initially, the oil giant responsible for the spill pledged $10 million to the University for the next decade. The University was given $5 million last year and has awarded about $2.5 million to researchers thus far, according to Matthew Lee, interim associate vice chancellor of the Office of Research and Economic Development. Reference: http://www.gulfresearchinitiative.org/2011/university-gets8-2-million-from-bp-others-for-oil-spill-research/ Additional Reference: http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20111016/ARTICLES/111019680?p=1&tc=pg

UPDATE 2/25/2012: The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) Research Board announced today the selection of Dr. Charles "Chuck" A. Wilson to serve as the GoMRI Chief Science Officer.

The GoMRI Research Board is an independent body that administers BP's ten-year, $500 million commitment to independent research into the effects of the Deepwater Horizon incident. Through a series of competitive grant programs, the GoMRI is investigating the impacts of the oil, dispersed oil, and dispersant on the ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico and the affected coastal States in a broad context of improving fundamental understanding of the dynamics of such events and their environmental stresses and public health implications. The GoMRI also funds research that improves techniques for detecting oil and gas, spill mitigation, and technologies to characterize and remediate spills. Knowledge accrued will be applied to restoration and to improving the long-term environmental health of the Gulf of Mexico.

GoMRI Research Board Members: Rita R. Colwell, Ph.D. Chairman, GoMRI Research BoardDistinguished Professor University of Maryland College Park and Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Margaret Leinen, Ph.D. Vice Chairman, GoMRI Research BoardAssociate Provost for Marine and Environmental Initiatives of Florida Atlantic University Executive Director of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Debra S. Benoit, MEd Director of Research and Sponsored Programs Nicholls State University Peter G. Brewer, Ph.D. Senior Scientist Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

Richard E. Dodge, Ph.D. Professor, Dean, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center Executive Director, National Coral Reef Institute John W. Farrington, Ph.D. Scientist Emeritus Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Kenneth M. Halanych, Ph.D. Alumni Professor and Coordinator, Marine Biology Program Auburn University David Halpern, Ph.D. Senior Advisor for Earth Science Research, NASA Headquarters Senior Research Scientist, California Institute of Technology/NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory William T. Hogarth, Ph.D. Interim Director Florida Institute of Oceanography College of Marine Science, University of South Florida Jorg Imberger, Ph.D. Director, Centre for Water Research Professor of Environmental Engineering The University of Western Australia Raymond L. Orbach, Ph.D. Director, Energy Institute The University of Texas at Austin Jurgen Rullkotter, Ph.D. Professor of Organic Geochemistry Institute of Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) David R. Shaw, Ph.D. Vice President for Research and Economic Development Mississippi State University John Shepherd, Ph.D. Professorial Research Fellow School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre University of Southampton Bob Shipp, Ph.D. Chair, Department of Marine Science University of South Alabama Burton Singer, Ph.D. Courtesy Professor Emerging Pathogens Institute University of Florida Ciro V. Sumaya, M.D., MPHTM Professor, Health Policy and Management Cox Endowed Chair in Medicine Founding Dean, School of Rural Public Health Texas A&M Health Science Center Denis Wiesenburg, Ph.D. Vice President for Research The University of Southern Mississippi Charles Wilson, Ph.D.Professor and Executive DirectorLouisiana Sea Grant College Program, Louisiana State University Dana Yoerger, Ph.D. Senior Scientist Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

For more information about the GoMRI, please visit http://www.gulfresearchinitiative.org/

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/24/4288198/gulf-of-mexico-researchinitiative.html#storylink=cpy

September, 2012 - John Kessler - Texas A&M University and one of its faculty members, Asst. Prof. of Oceanography now currently Associate Professor, Chemical Oceanography, Isotope geochemistry, Analytical chemistry and receiver of Texas A&M Research Funds from BP Granting for research into bacteria and microbes in the Gulf of Mexico. http://tamunews.tamu.edu/tag/john-kessler/ http://www.ees.rochester.edu/people/faculty/kessler_john/index.html