Integrated oil spill response actions and environmental effects

Aims

The project will focus on developing, comparing and evaluating the effectiveness and environmental effects of different oil spill response methods in a cold climate. In addition to this we will be developing a system for the real-time observation of underwater oil spills and a strategic tool for choosing oil spill response methods.

The results of the project will be made available for use to international organizations that plan and carry out cross-border oil spill response cooperation in Arctic sea areas. The full name of the project is ”Integrated oil spill response actions and environmental effects – GRACE".

Objectives

The overall objectives of the project are to:

explore the true environmental impacts and benefits of a suite of marine oil spill response technologies in the cold climate and ice-infested areas in the northern Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. The response methods considered include mechanical collection in water and below ice, in situ burning, use of chemical dispersants, natural biodegradation and combinations of these;
assess in particular the impacts on fish, invertebrates (e.g., mussels, crustaceans) and macro algae of naturally and chemically dispersed oil, in situ burning residues and non-collected oil using highly sensitive biomarker methods, and to develop specific methods for the rapid detection of the effects of oil pollution on biota;
improve the observation, monitoring and predictions of oil movements in the sea using novel on-line sensors on vessels, fixed platforms incl. gliders and smart buoys together with realtime data transfer into operational systems of oil spill situational awareness;
develop a Strategic Net Environmental Benefit Analysis tool for oil spill response strategy and decision making in cold climate and ice-infested areas.

Concept and approach

The project includes a genuine trans-disciplinary consortium with experts from Europe and Canada in the fields of oil monitoring and on-line observations, oil spill response authority, bioanalytics and environmental impact assessment, monitoring and assessment of the fate of oil pollutants, experimental studies, biotechnology related to oil degradation, and oil spill response technology development.

Expected impacts

Mitigate negative impacts of oil pollution and response activities on the marine environment, coastal economies and communities
Better decision support tools for oil spill response strategy in different conditions.
Improve the integration between the scientific community and relevant government agencies charged with dealing with pollution, including cross-border and trans-boundary co-operation
Better business potential for companies producing oil response equipment and monitoring services
Increased public acceptance of off shore activities through a thorough environmental assessment of the environmental impacts of different response methods.

GRACE Project has six work packages:

WP 1: Oil spill detection, monitoring, fate and distribution

Objective:
Evaluation of existing oil spill detection and monitoring systems, integration with decision support tools to improve situational awareness of oil spill response actions. New oil detection and monitoring sensors on different platforms, such as sensor systems on board ships of opportunity, UAVs (underwater autonomous vehicle), AUVs (unmanned aerial vehicle), gliders, smart buoys, drifters, marine radars, and other technologies, partly available already today, but not implemented for in-situ oil spill detection to make oil spill detection more accurate and cost-effective. These new sensor technologies and platforms will be tested and their capabilities to improve operational picture of oil spill response, both in open water and ice covered sea, will be performed and systems prototyped.

Planned steps:

Evaluate the technological capabilities of oil detection sensors and systems, currently available on market, identification of gaps and user needs to be filled for better in situ situational awareness of oil spill detection, monitoring and post accident fate of oil products.
Field tests and validation of novel oil detection sensor technologies and observation platforms, evaluation the practicality measures of these to be used in future systems.
Operational Integration of in situ data into oil spill decision support and risk analysis tools in accident phase as well post accident monitoring the fate of oil.
Integration and synergy of multisource data and information from in situ operational observation systems and models.

Work package leader:
Senior scientist, Dr. Tarmo Kõuts,
Marine Systems Institute
Tallinn University of Technology
tarmo.kouts@msi.ttu.ee

WP 2: Oil biodegradation and bioremediation

Objective:

Assessment of natural degradation rates of different oil fractions in seawater and sediments, and taking into account environmental parameters, dispersants application and electro-kinetic treatment. The aim is to determine key bacterial species and metabolic pathways responsible for the degradation of different oil fractions in different compartments (aerobic and anaerobic water and sediments) of the Baltic Sea and the Northern Atlantic. Response of Arctic shoreline and seawater microbial communities to oil pollution and the application of different oil remediation strategies including in situ burning of oil in ice and near shore burning will be assessed.

Planned steps:

Oil biodegradation in seawater and impact of dispersants on oil biodegradation characteristics
Oil biodegradation is sea water-ice interface
Remediation of oil contaminated sediments using electrokinetic treatment
Effect-based assessment of biodegradation and remediation success
Omics data integration and meta-analysis

Work package leader:
Professor Jaak Truu
Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences
University of Tartu
jaak.truu@ut.ee

WP 3: Oil impacts on biota using biomarkers and ecological risks assessment

Objective:

The objective of WP3 is to improve the knowledge on the biological impacts of oil spills and the different oil spill response methods in the northern Atlantic and the Baltic Sea, characterized by extreme environmental conditions. This is achieved by examining the adverse outcome links in ecologically relevant target species at a regional scale and the zebrafish as a well investigated vertebrate model. We define these links as causative relations of molecular events with adverse outcomes on organ or organism level, which are in contrast to AOPs species and/or contamination specific and do not cover the complete pathway from the molecular event to the adverse outcome, but rather just link the initial event to the observable effect. However, where possible we will further aim at developing complete adverse outcome pathways for understanding the entire process of toxicity by oil constituents in local species of the study areas. This approach will result in monitoring and environmental hazard and risk assessment strategies covering a wide range of bioeffect-based tools useful for oil spill and oil spill response impacts in these particular regions.

Planned steps

Gaining of science-based knowledge on the effects of oil contamination on biota in the Baltic Sea and the northern Atlantic as a pre-requisite for effective oil spill response;
Deriving a set of effect-based tools for easy and cost-effective monitoring and for rapid remediation assessment;
Establishing species-specific adverse outcome links for a set of ecologically relevant species from the study regions (bivalves, fish, crustaceans) and for laboratory models (zebrafish) for assessing the relevant effects of oil contamination and impacts of response actions in cold water with a reference to temperate areas; and
Providing biomarker data on effects on key invertebrate species in the coastal zone.

Work package leader:

Assistant professor, Dr. Thomas-Benjamin Seiler
Institute for Environmental Research
RWTH Aachen University
seiler@bio5.rwth-aachen.de

WP 4: Combat of oil spill in coastal arctic water - effectiveness and environmental effects

Objective:

The main objective of WP4 is to improve the knowledge base for combating oil spills in icy and cold waters. It is assessed that the results from the research experiments will provide valuable information for decision makers regarding oil spill response options to include in the Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) for oil spill response strategy and capacity building in the Arctic and Baltic Sea.

Planned steps:

Improvement of the knowledge base for combating oil spills in ice infested waters.
Design and test of mechanical unit for removal of oil under sea ice.
Increase knowledge on environmental fate and effects of stranded oil and shoreline cleaning by use of in situ burning and shoreline clean-up chemical agents in arctic regimes.

Work package leader:
Senior researcher Kim Gustavson
Department of Bioscience/ DCE
Aarhus University
kig@bios.au.dk

WP 5: Strategic Net Environmental Benefit Analysis

Objectives:

A Strategic Net Environmental Benefit Analysis tool will be developed for decision-making on inclusion of in situ burning, chemical dispersants and bioremediation, in national oil spill response strategies and contingency planning as well as which restrictions to consider for the use of those techniques in closed basins with extreme cold temperatures. The outcome supports the development of potential national guidelines and approval procedures for oil spill response and cross-border and trans-boundary co-operation and agreements

Planned steps:

Development of matrices for knowledge / data collection to serve as input to the strategic analysis.
Gathering of data on biodiversity and oil ecotoxicology and national frames for oil spill sensitivity, including results from WP1-4. Modelling of relevant oil spill scenarios (Disko Bay, northern part of Baltic Sea)
Application of logistic tools and operational selection guidance.
Operational requirements. Risk assessment model
Development and launching of the Strategic Net Environmental Benefit Analysis tool.
Fuzzy logic model. Workshop.
Strategic Net environmental Benefit Analysis Ph.D. course development.

Work package leader:
Senior Advisor, Dr. Susse Wegeberg
Department of Bioscience/ DCE
Aarhus University
sw@bios.au.dk

WP 6: Management, dissemination and communication

Objectives
- to manage the project work efficiently in order to produce a smooth reporting to EC- to coordinate the activities between the work packages in order to get the maximum new collaboration
- to ensure that data, methodology, innovations produced in the project will become available to the scientific community and to emerging markets.
- to communicate the results of the project to the stakeholders in Arctic oil response actions, the scientific community and to emerging markets.

Planned steps:

Management
Project initiation. Project operational management – Steering group consisting of the workpackage leaders and the coordinator. Other management bodies are the General Assembly, Innovation Management Board and Advisory Board. Project administration. Project finalizing.
Dissemination
A dissemination and exploitation plan will be prepared. A data management plan will be prepared. Coordination of a business plan for the companies involved in GRACE.
Project web pages
A project brochure will be printed at the beginning of the project. Info to international, transnational and transboundary working groups. Presentations at scientific meetings of joint project results.

Work package leader:
Leading Research Scientist, Dr. Kirsten Jørgensen
Marine Research Center, Finnish Environment Institute Syke