Oil Spill Projected across Wide Swath of Gulf Coast

Below is the 24 hour trajectory map for the Gulf Oil Spill, with landfall across most of the northern Gulf Coast. Click HERE for the trajectory map as a PDF file.

June 18 - Oiled Grass

Below are some areas of marsh grass hit with oil.

June 18 - Flotilla of Response Vessels

Below you see a flotilla of response boats in the bays north of Grand Isle area. Many are shrimp boats converted to oil skimmer operations.

Below are several other odd assortments of ships being assembled, including several barges lashed together with suction vehicles on top.

June 17, 2010 - A Few Good Pictures

Small oil rigs in Fourchon

 Large flock of Roseate Spoonbills in small bay off Bayou Fourchon, protected by boom

Large areas inside passes from Gulf of Mexico protected by absorbent booms and barriers

Shoreline area protected by absorbent booms

Hot Hot Hot

In the mornings you run and seek shelter from rain storms. In the afternoon, you pray for one just for the brief moment of cool it provides by way of its wind and down draft.

(Clouds building before 10AM on Gulf coast)

Drilling Rigs

A couple of drilling rigs in Port Fourchon

Grand Isle Report

Well, good morning. It's another beautiful day on southern Louisiana. Today marks a week that I have been down here working.

There has been a lot of negative and inaccurate press about the work we are doing. It is a bit disheartening to the dedicated men & women, experts in their field, from all over the country, who have left behind the comforts of home & family, to help out.

While the Deepwater Horizon has pumped out far more oil than Exxon Valdez, this is a totally different situation. Whereas Exxon Valdez dumped all its oil all at once in a small area, the spill here is spreading throughout the Gulf and much of it has not impacted the coastline, YET. The potential for serious impacts exist, but at present I see good protection with booms and absorbent material, great coverage of area looking for wildlife.

Yesterday we only brought in a few birds. The number has been declining as the date of the last wave of oil recedes. I worry that complacency will cause a withdrawal of interest and support that erodes our numbers here, leaving an inadequate response team in place for when the "BIG OIL" hits. Perhaps there is. I'm not privy to any of that and don't have time to sit down and watch the news.

My other concern is that there needs to be a plan in place for massive rapid response should, or when, a large mass of oil comes ashore. What oil I have been seeing is fresh and unweathered. And I've heard some of the captains report that there is a large slick not too far offshore.

Off Grand Isle

Another beautiful day off Grand Isle. Here you can see a work tent set up on Grand Isle Beach. The entire beach is protected and constantly cleared of any oil, tar balls, and oiled seaweed that washes up. I don't know anything about the land operation but I do know that, for the moment, not much oil is reaching the shore.

CNN

I heard CNN slammed us down here. Ask the locals, the state, and the feds. They love us and impressed by the work we are doing to save Louisiana wildlife. I didn't see it. We are up at 5AM, in morning briefing at 6AM, at docks before 7AM, dispatched to boats (cramming in a breakfast standing at staging area) and on the water by 7AM to 7:30AM. We are on the water until 5PM, covering vast distances, and often without much of a break for lunch. We unload and stow gear and hit the chow line by 5:30PM. Shower, quick check of emails, often another meeting and MaYBE an hour or two of personal time before crashing into bed by 9PM - 9:30PM.

This goes on 7 days a week without any days off. And we love it.

Catching a White Pelican

Today I netted a White Pelican - they are a lot bigger than the Browns once you have them in a net and try to bring them on board and into a crate. (click for larger images)

The bird doesn't appear oiled from any distance, but was unable to fly

 When "spooked," it did a little flap and paddle to try and escape

Up close, you can see the oiled feathers

Booms around "Bird Island," large rookerie

Good night from Grand Isle

Sorry, folks, I was just too exhausted to go through all my pictures and post a few select ones to the blog.

We saw some more cool bird species today. We found ourselves at a small, narrow grass island with shrubs being used as a rookerie and hang out for a wide variety of birds, including Ibis, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, terns, egret, and others. We also saw probably a dozen and a half or more Magnificent Frigates. They were perching in groups of six to ten on top of pilings or other structure, in one case the emergent superstructure of a sunken shrimp boat.

Feels like I'm still on a boat, rocking, and I am exhausted even though we didn't catch any oiled birds today.

Thoughts & Impressions

I'm not saying this isn't a disaster, but you learn quick that the media looks hard for "the story" that gets ratings. The shock images you see on the news are carefully constructed, almost staged. Naturally, they want to be taken to where they can say "it's a tragedy."

Well, of course it is. And has the potential to become much worse. But what you don't see is the expanses of unimpacted ocean, wetlands, and bayous. You don't see the huge flocks of healthy, clean birds. You don't see the flotilla of small boats and trawlers skimming oil, the airboats servicing booms, and the army of workers on nearly every beach cleaning up.

In addition to miles of booms, some of which cordon off entire bays, there are small barriers built along strategic areas to keep oil out. I saw NO oil until we got into the pass that opens into the Gulf. Then, I saw a gasoline-like sheen on the water, and, after a bit of a search, patches of red oil along the shore where the wind had swept it.

Don't get me wrong. I am glad to be part of the effort looking for oiled birds. And when we catch one, it is a great feeling that we have probably saved this guys life. But for every bird we capture, there are hours and hours of manpower searching likely areas for affected birds.

And as a scientist, I think I can be a bit more objective. I recognize the impacts, economic and environmental, but also appreciate the large expanses of unimpacted ecosystems (and unlikely to be impacted unless we get a direct hit hurricane, then its all bets off and likely a disaster of epic proportions). I also appreciate the recovery response of natural systems and populations.

A few pictures from today

Here are a few pictures from today. I will also be uploading high-resolution images to http://gulfcoastpost.cedaredenphoto.com as I get time to sort through them all. Be sure to CLICK on these images for a larger view.

Brown Pelican (clean) in flight - why we are here

  A couple of Brown Pelicans (clean) hanging out

Our first oiled pelican of the day

The chase is on (below)

 This particular bird was tired enough that we were able to chase it

a little ways and net it once it landed

Day One Update

We are running back to port to deliver three oiled brown pelicans that we captured on open water. We chased them a bit until they tired, then ran up on them & scooped them up with a large net.

This area west of Grand Isle is an interesting mix of natural wildelife habitat and industrial-looking marine facilites.

Day One

Driving up the coast east of Grand Isle - good news is they aren't finding many oiled birfd any more. I've seen a few brown pelicans, a lot of laughing gulls, ibises, an egret or two and a cormorant. There is water and wetlands everywhere. The weather is cool (84) and mostly cloudy. The seas are heavy - 4 - 5 foot swells but it is calm behind the barriers and bayous.

Eve of Action

I am settled into a house on Grand Isle with a number of other workers from Matrix. We are staying in a rental with the owner, who also happens to be one of the boat captains. Tomorrow starts early, with a briefing at 6AM, where we are given our boat assignments. Down at the docks, we are given out gear, boxed breakfast and lunch, water and gatorade-type beverages. Then it is off to look for oiled birds.

I'm told we will see a lot of neat sea birds (most not oiled), including white & brown pelicans, frigates, ibises, roseatte spoonbills. We are also allowed to bring cameras and take lots of pictures! So if I am not too beat, tomorrow will be a night to upload some choice pics.

Boats are catching anywhere from none to 5 or so oiled birds a day, so it sounds like the numbers are low.

The biggest issue is the heat, especially for this Adirondack-acclimated boy. Right now we have a heat advisory for high temperatures and humidity, so it will be a little rough in that respect.

Catching Pelicans

Deployment - Grand Isle

I have checked in and had my orientation. I am now on my way to Grand Isle Louisiana to join up with US Fish and wildlife service did capture oiled birds. i am the first of my group to be deployed And will be relieving a biologist there. I have already made some new friends but I think for the moment we will be deployed to different areas.

Southward Bound Chronicles

I have crossed into Alabama with 432 miles to go until I reach Houma Louisiana. This is my second day of driving 13 or 14 hours. The traffic hasn't been bad and I have made good time. So far I have avoided run-ins with local and state law enforcement officers, which is good since I'm cruising at a pretty high rate of speed. I think I have a pretty good excuse - rushing to the gulf coast help with the oil spill.

I was sent off with a nice prayer circle and laying on of hands this past Sunday's praise service. It was quite moving to have my pastor and congregants gather around and say a prayer over me. There was also a funny coincidence. When I got home from church there was an email informing me it was time to leave for the Gulf coast after I'd been waiting 6 weeks to be deployed.

I stepped outside a few miles back to pick up some things from Walmart and, as a warm breeze blew across the parking lot, I thought to myself, "I am definitely no longer in the Adirondacks."

I promise that future posts won't be so free form and will be more newsworthy. I intend to document the work I am doing, the things that I see, the impact of the oil spill, and efforts being made to protect and clean up the flora and fauna of the Gulf coast ecosystem.

This blog post has been created on my BlackBerry bold 9700 using Vlingo Pro word recognition software.

Post from the road

6/8/2010 10:57:53 AM • I am on my way, day 1 of the two day drive to Louisiana. I making good time and on the road approaching Harrisburg Pennsylvania right now. I will stop tonight in Greensboro North Carolina and visit with my daughter whs is at college there.

Final Preparations • June 7, 2010

I am enjoying the fresh, cool Adirondack air for one last evening before I begin my drive to Louisiana. I completed my OSHA training today. Most of my gear is packed. A late-arriving Deployment Checklist added a few items that I still need to track down and pack. Driving down, I'll be able to pack one of my guitars. My only regret is not being able to trailer my motorcycle.

A special thank you once again to Peter at Major Plowshares Army & Navy Surplus in Saranac Lake. A last minute call to his establishment just before closing netted me several pairs of lightweight BDUs. You owe yourself a visit to his shop at 18 Broadway, as it is chock full of new and used clothing and et cetera.

The Journey Begins & Information on Safety for Workers and Volunteers

I am in the middle of completing the required OSHA training program, HAZWOPER. That stands for "Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response" and is mandated under federal regulations as 29 CFR 1910.120. Although my main responsibilities will be cleanup oversight and impact assessment, OSHA requires all respondents (workers) to be trained to the highest level of responsibility that might be assigned to them.

A Note to Volunteers & Potential Volunteers

Federal OSHA regulations do not cover uncompensated workers, aka volunteers. However, in states with their own approved State OSHA Plans, volunteers are covered by the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) own HAZWOPER standard (Superfund Worker Protection or 40 CFR 311), which has identical requirements as OSHA's standard, but covers state and local government employees, both compensated and volunteers. NONE of the Gulf coast states (AL, FL, LA, MS) currently impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have approved State Plans.

See http://www.osha.gov/Publications/3172/3172.html for detailed information about HAZWOPER specifically for Marine Oil Spill Response Workers. This same document provides information on the hazardous chemicals and their effects associated with marine oil spill response and cleanup operations.

Beneath the Oil Slick

Here is a diagram of the Deepwater Horizon site showing drill site, oil rig wreckage and drilling of relief well.

Source: The Times-Picayune

On The Road with the Gulf Oil Spill

Now that oil is coming ashore in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, it looks like I will soon be rolling on the Gulf Oil Spill, joining a group of scientists monitoring clean up and evaluating environmental impacts. I might also spend some time helping the US Fish and Wildlife Service catch oily birds and deliver them to cleaning stations.

Follow the action on my oil spill blog, Gulf Coast Post (http://GulfCoastPost.org) and on Twitter @GulfCoastPost (http://twitter.com/GulfCoastPost). I'll be posting photographs on my Cedar Eden Photo online gallery (http://GulfCoastPost.CedarEdenPhoto.com) as well as selected photos on the Gulf Coast Post blog.

How Big is Oil Spill? Google Earth/Google Maps Tool compares Gulf oil spill to any place on earth

A new tool from Google uses Google Maps/Google Earth to project the size of the Gulf Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill to your city or geographic area. The tool is entitled How Big is Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. When you first go to this website, you see the current coverage of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. You can see size of the spill versus your neighborhood by entering a location in the provided text box or click on links to some well-known cities from around the world.

 Current extent of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill 

compared to upstate New York and Vermont.

Oil Pours Ashore in Mississippi, Alabama & Florida Panhandle

The latest projected oil trajectories show oil hitting the ground in mainland Alabama and Florida by Saturday, June 5, impacting miles of shoreline.An extended period of onshore winds are projected to drive the oil spill onto the shorelines of Alabama, Mississippi and Florida over the next 24 - 72 hours. Oil is expected to move beynd the barrier islands and impact the shoreline and inland areas.

Deepwater Horizon 72Hr Trajectory Map 2010-06-02-2100