JULY 17, 2015--“This is LT Murphy with the USCG. There has been a ship collision in Puget Sound off of Shilshole Bay.” So began the journey for NOAA Science camp participants exploring what OR&R’s Emergency Response Division scientists do during an oil spill emergency.

Campers spent time discovering how to respond to typical questions that NOAA oceanographers, biologists, chemists, and physical scientists are expected to answer in the event of a spill. Questions included: Where will the oil go? How will it behave in and on the water and on different types of shorelines? What biological and human resources may be at risk during a spill? How might the oil adversely impact these resources?

OR&R’s Assessment and Restoration Division worked used a hands-on watershed model to show how water moves contaminants through the system and what can be done to address those problems. They also had students use a cross-sectional view of how water moves underground.

Later in the week, campers were presented with a science mystery to solve. They visited several NOAA offices to find out more about various aspect of the scenario and then applied what they learned to test their hypotheses. They presented their results on the last day of camp each week and were evaluated by a scientist representative of each office.

OR&R staff hosted approximately 45 campers for a total of four, two-hour sessions over the two weeks of Science Camp and also participated in the jigsaw mystery and project evaluations.

For more information, please contact Nicolle.R.Rutherford@noaa.gov or Marla.Steinhoff@noaa.gov.

Go back to OR&R Weekly Report.