MAY 15, 2015--On May 11, 2015, NOAA OR&R hosted a visiting group of undergraduate biology majors from Seattle University, along with their professor Dr. Kristin Hultgren.

Doug Helton from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division gave an overview of the breadth of NOAA’s missions, as well as details on OR&R activities in spill response, marine debris, and assessment and restoration for spills and waste sites. The students also visited the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and the National Marine Mammal Laboratory.

On May 13, 2015, Doug Helton was invited to lecture at Dr. Robert Pavia’s class at the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. All incoming graduate students in this program take a year-long sequence of classes around the theme, “Human Dimensions of Global Change in the Marine Environment.” The spring quarter class is entitled, “Decision Making and Action Taking in Marine Affairs,” and is focused on the intersection of policy, science, and decision-making.

Helton presented on the ongoing efforts to improve our understanding of dispersant science and how that science helps, but only goes so far, in informing planning and decision-making for oil spills in the Arctic. The pending arrival of Shell’s drilling rigs in Seattle and the recently announced provisional approval to drill in the Arctic made for a lively discussion.

For more information, contact Doug Helton.

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