TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - The Future of Water Quality in Coeur d'Alene Lake SN - DO - 10.17226/26620 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26620/the-future-of-water-quality-in-coeur-dalene-lake PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Coeur d'Alene Lake in northern Idaho is an invaluable natural, recreational, and economic resource for communities in Idaho and eastern Washington. Starting in the late 1880s, mining in the Lake’s watershed sent heavy metals and other mining wastes into the Lake, resulting in contamination of lake sediments with lead, cadmium, arsenic, and zinc that persists today. The watershed was designated a Superfund site and cleanup has been ongoing for 30 years. However, the Lake's environmental quality and cleanup is overseen by a Lake Management Plan, originally implemented by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the state of Idaho. A major focus of that plan is whether lakeshore development might promote low-oxygen (anoxic) conditions that could release toxic metals from lake sediments back into the water column. This report analyzes water quality data collected from the Lake and the watershed over the past 30 years. The analyses indicate that, although the Lake is still heavily contaminated, concentrations of metals in the major inputs to the Lake have declined, and there is no evidence that phosphorus concentrations have been increasing in the last decade or that low-oxygen events are becoming more common. However, the shorelines of the Lake, where exposure to metals or harmful algae is more likely, are not currently monitored. Protecting the water quality of Coeur d'Alene Lake will require that monitoring efforts be expanded to provide an early warning of deteriorating conditions, regular syntheses of data, and targeted studies—all coordinated among interest groups—followed by application of those results to managing the Lake. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Chemical Reference Materials: Setting the Standards for Ocean Science SN - DO - 10.17226/10476 PY - 2002 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10476/chemical-reference-materials-setting-the-standards-for-ocean-science PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - The accuracy of chemical oceanographic measurements depends on calibration against reference materials to ensure comparability over time and among laboratories. Several key parameters lack reference materials for measurements in seawater, particles in the water column, and sediments. Without reference materials it is difficult to produce the reliable data sets or long-term baseline studies that are essential to verify global change and oceanic stability. Chemical Reference Materials : Setting the Standards for Ocean Science identifies the most urgently required chemical reference materials based on key themes for oceanographic research and provides suggestions as to how they can be developed within realistic cost constraints. Chemical analyses of seawater are uniquely difficult given the poorly known speciation and the low concentration of many of the analytes of interest. Analyses of suspended and sedimentary marine particulate materials present their own distinct challenges, primarily due to potential interference by predominant mineral phases of different types. Of all the analytical methods applied to marine waters and particles, at present only a small fraction can be systematically evaluated via comparison to reference materials that represent the appropriate natural concentrations and matrices. Specifically, the committee was charged with the following tasks: - compile from available sources a list of important oceanographic research questions that may benefit from chemical reference standards; - create a comprehensive list of reference materials currently available for oceanographic studies; - identify and prioritize the reference materials needed to study the identified research questions; - determine for each priority analyte whether reference materials and/or analytic methods should be standardized; and - identify the most appropriate approaches for the development and future production of reference materials for ocean sciences. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Nutrient Control Actions for Improving Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin and Northern Gulf of Mexico SN - DO - 10.17226/12544 PY - 2009 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12544/nutrient-control-actions-for-improving-water-quality-in-the-mississippi-river-basin-and-northern-gulf-of-mexico PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - A large area of coastal waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico experiences seasonal conditions of low levels of dissolved oxygen, a condition known as hypoxia. Excess discharge of nutrients into the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers causes nutrient overenrichment in the gulf's coastal waters and stimulates the growth of large algae blooms. When these algae die, the process of decomposition depletes dissolved oxygen from the water column and creates hypoxic conditions. In considering how to implement provisions of the Clean Water Act to strengthen nutrient reduction objectives across the Mississippi River basin, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested advice from the National Research Council. This book represents the results of the committee's investigations and deliberations, and recommends that the EPA and U.S. Department of Agriculture should jointly establish a Nutrient Control Implementation Initiative to learn more about the effectiveness of actions meant to improve water quality throughout the Mississippi River basin and into the northern Gulf of Mexico. Other recommendations include how to move forward on the larger process of allocating nutrient loading caps -- which entails delegating responsibilities for reducing nutrient pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus -- across the basin. ER - TY - BOOK TI - Oceanlab Concept Review DO - 10.17226/21341 PY - 1980 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21341/oceanlab-concept-review PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - KW - Earth Sciences ER - TY - BOOK TI - Spills of Nonfloating Oils: Risk and Response SN - DO - 10.17226/9640 PY - 1999 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9640/spills-of-nonfloating-oils-risk-and-response PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - In the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1996, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) was directed to assess the risk of spills for oils that may sink or be negatively buoyant, to examine and evaluate existing cleanup technologies, and to identify and appraise technological and financial barriers that could impede a prompt response to such spills. The USCG requested that the National Research Council (NRC) perform these tasks. In response to this request, the NRC established the Committee on the Marine Transportation of Heavy Oils. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Oil Spill Dispersants: Efficacy and Effects SN - DO - 10.17226/11283 PY - 2005 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11283/oil-spill-dispersants-efficacy-and-effects PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Approximately 3 million gallons of oil or refined petroleum products are spilled into U.S. waters every year. Oil dispersants (chemical agents such as surfactants, solvents, and other compounds) are used to reduce the effect of oil spills by changing the chemical and physical properties of the oil. By enhancing the amount of oil that physically mixes into the water, dispersants can reduce the potential that a surface slick will contaminate shoreline habitats. Although called for in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 as a tool for minimizing the impact of oil spills, the use of chemical dispersants has long been controversial. This book reviews the adequacy of existing information and ongoing research regarding the effectiveness of dispersants as an oil spill response technique, as well as the effect of dispersed oil on marine and coastal ecosystems. Oil Spill Dispersants also includes recommended steps for policy makers faced with making hard choices regarding the use of dispersants as part of spill contingency planning efforts or during actual spills. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Transportation Research Board AU - National Research Council TI - Spills of Emulsified Fuels: Risks and Response SN - DO - 10.17226/10286 PY - 2002 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10286/spills-of-emulsified-fuels-risks-and-response PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Spills of Emulsified Fuels: Risks and Response is part of an evolving body of work conducted by the National Research Council (NRC) to help inform debate and decision-making regarding the ecological consequences of releases associated with the widespread use of fossil fuels. Like earlier NRC reports, it attempts to understand the chemical, physical, and biological behavior of a complex mix of compounds that make up various petroleum hydrocarbon-based fuels. The specific risk factors presented by emulsified fuels are difficult to characterize, mainly because there have been no spills of emulsified fuels to date, and thus there is little practical experience with these products. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Future Needs in Deep Submergence Science: Occupied and Unoccupied Vehicles in Basic Ocean Research SN - DO - 10.17226/10854 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10854/future-needs-in-deep-submergence-science-occupied-and-unoccupied-vehicles PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Deep-diving manned submersibles, such as Alvin, which gained worldwide fame when researchers used it to reach the wreck of the Titanic, have helped advance deep-ocean science. But many scholars in this field have noted that the number and capabilities of today's underwater vehicles no longer meet current scientific demands. At the same time, the relative value of manned and unmanned vehicles is often disputed. The report finds that new submersibles—both manned and unmanned—that are more capable than those in the current fleet are needed and would be of great value to the advancement of ocean research. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Oil in the Sea IV: Quick Guide for Practitioners and Researchers DO - 10.17226/27155 PY - 2023 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27155/oil-in-the-sea-iv-quick-guide-for-practitioners-and PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Earth Sciences AB - This booklet provides key insights from Oil in the Sea IV: Inputs, Fates, and Effects, published in 2022, which benefited from significant advancements in scientific methods to detect the input and fates of oil in the sea, and from lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in 2010. Going beyond previous reports, Oil in the Sea IV includes analysis of human health impacts of oil in the sea, oil in the Arctic marine environment, and prevention and response efforts that can help to both reduce the amount of oil reaching the sea and minimize its effects. The booklet is meant to serve as a reference guide to all those involved in oil spill research and response. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - The Use of Dispersants in Marine Oil Spill Response SN - DO - 10.17226/25161 PY - 2020 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25161/the-use-of-dispersants-in-marine-oil-spill-response PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Whether the result of an oil well blowout, vessel collision or grounding, leaking pipeline, or other incident at sea, each marine oil spill will present unique circumstances and challenges. The oil type and properties, location, time of year, duration of spill, water depth, environmental conditions, affected biomes, potential human community impact, and available resources may vary significantly. Also, each spill may be governed by policy guidelines, such as those set forth in the National Response Plan, Regional Response Plans, or Area Contingency Plans. To respond effectively to the specific conditions presented during an oil spill, spill responders have used a variety of response options—including mechanical recovery of oil using skimmers and booms, in situ burning of oil, monitored natural attenuation of oil, and dispersion of oil by chemical dispersants. Because each response method has advantages and disadvantages, it is important to understand specific scenarios where a net benefit may be achieved by using a particular tool or combination of tools. This report builds on two previous National Research Council reports on dispersant use to provide a current understanding of the state of science and to inform future marine oil spill response operations. The response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill included an unprecedented use of dispersants via both surface application and subsea injection. The magnitude of the spill stimulated interest and funding for research on oil spill response, and dispersant use in particular. This study assesses the effects and efficacy of dispersants as an oil spill response tool and evaluates trade-offs associated with dispersant use. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Illuminating the Hidden Planet: The Future of Seafloor Observatory Science SN - DO - 10.17226/9920 PY - 2000 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9920/illuminating-the-hidden-planet-the-future-of-seafloor-observatory-science PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Despite our reliance on the ocean and its resources, it remains a frontier for scientific exploration and discovery. Seafloor observatories—unmanned systems of instruments, sensors, and command modules—will have power and communication capabilities to provide support for spatially distributed sensing systems and mobile platforms. Illuminating the Hidden Planet is a voyage to the bottom of the sea, advancing oceanographic science further through long time-series measurements, to discover the mysteries of the deep that have, until now, avoided scientific opportunity. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Using Oil Spill Dispersants on the Sea SN - DO - 10.17226/736 PY - 1989 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/736/using-oil-spill-dispersants-on-the-sea PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - While major oil spills are rare, oil slicks can have disastrous environmental and economic consequences. This book summarizes research on the use of chemical dispersants: their effectiveness and limitations and the results of using them in different spill situations. Based on laboratory and field research as well as on actual case histories, this book contains a clear-cut set of recommendations for action, planning, and research. Of special interest is the chapter on the biological effects of oil itself and of oil treated with chemical dispersants. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Understanding and Predicting the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current: Critical Gaps and Recommendations SN - DO - 10.17226/24823 PY - 2018 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24823/understanding-and-predicting-the-gulf-of-mexico-loop-current-critical PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - One of the most significant, energetic, yet not well understood, oceanographic features in the Americas is the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current System (LCS), consisting of the Loop Current (LC) and the Loop Current Eddies (LCEs) it sheds. Understanding the dynamics of the LCS is fundamental to understanding the Gulf of Mexico's full oceanographic system, and vice versa. Hurricane intensity, offshore safety, harmful algal blooms, oil spill response, the entire Gulf food chain, shallow water nutrient supply, the fishing industry, tourism, and the Gulf Coast economy are all affected by the position, strength, and structure of the LC and associated eddies. This report recommends a strategy for addressing the key gaps in general understanding of LCS processes, in order to instigate a significant improvement in predicting LC/LCE position, evolving structure, extent, and speed, which will increase overall understanding of Gulf of Mexico circulation and to promote safe oil and gas operations and disaster response in the Gulf of Mexico. This strategy includes advice on how to design a long-term observational campaign and complementary data assimilation and numerical modeling efforts. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites: Assessing the Effectiveness SN - DO - 10.17226/11968 PY - 2007 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11968/sediment-dredging-at-superfund-megasites-assessing-the-effectiveness PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Earth Sciences AB - Some of the nation's estuaries, lakes and other water bodies contain contaminated sediments that can adversely affect fish and wildlife and may then find their way into people's diets. Dredging is one of the few options available for attempting to clean up contaminated sediments, but it can uncover and re-suspend buried contaminants, creating additional exposures for wildlife and people. At the request of Congress, EPA asked the National Research Council (NRC) to evaluate dredging as a cleanup technique. The book finds that, based on a review of available evidence, dredging's ability to decrease environmental and health risks is still an open question. Analysis of pre-dredging and post-dredging at about 20 sites found a wide range of outcomes in terms of surface sediment concentrations of contaminants: some sites showed increases, some no change, and some decreases in concentrations. Evaluating the potential long-term benefits of dredging will require that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency step up monitoring activities before, during and after individual cleanups to determine whether it is working there and what combinations of techniques are most effective. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Oceanography and Mine Warfare SN - DO - 10.17226/9773 PY - 2000 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9773/oceanography-and-mine-warfare PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Conflict and Security Issues KW - Earth Sciences AB - Environmental information is important for successful planning and execution of naval operations. A thorough understanding of environmental variability greatly increases the likelihood of mission success. To ensure that naval forces have the most up-to-date capabilities, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) has an extensive environmental research program. This research, to be of greatest use to the warfighter, needs to be directed towards assisting and solving battlefield problems. To increase research community understanding of the operational demands placed on naval operators and to facilitate discussion between these two groups, the National Research Council's (NRC) Ocean Studies Board (OSB), working with ONR and the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy, convened five previous symposia on tactical oceanography. Oceanography and Mine Warfare examines the following issues: (1) how environmental data are used in current mine warfare doctrine, (2) current procedures for in situ collection of data, (3) the present capabilities of the Navy's oceanographic community to provide supporting information for mine warfare operations, and (4) the ability of oceanographic research and technology developments to enhance current mine warfare capabilities. This report primarily concentrates on the importance of oceanographic data for mine countermeasures. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Oil in the Sea IV: Inputs, Fates, and Effects SN - DO - 10.17226/26410 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26410/oil-in-the-sea-iv-inputs-fates-and-effects PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Earth Sciences AB - Oil and natural gas represent more than 50 percent of the worldwide energy supply, with high energy demand driven by population growth and improving standards of living. Despite significant progress in reducing the amount of oil in the sea from consumption, exploration, transportation, and production, risks remain. This report, the fourth in a series, documents the current state-of-knowledge on inputs, fates and effects of oil in the sea, reflecting almost 20 additional years of research, including long-term effects from spills such as the Exxon Valdez and a decade-long boom in oil spill science research following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The report finds that land-based sources of oil are the biggest input of oil to the sea, far outweighing other sources, and it also notes that the effects of chronic inputs on the marine environment, such as land-based runoff, are very different than that from an acute input, such as a spill. Steps to prevent chronic land-based oil inputs include reducing gasoline vehicle usage, improving fuel efficiency, increasing usage of electric vehicles, replacing older vehicles. The report identifies research gaps and provides specific recommendations aimed at preventing future accidental spills and ensuring oil spill responders are equipped with the best response tools and information to limit oil’s impact on the marine environment. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Engineering AU - National Research Council TI - Environmental Information for Naval Warfare SN - DO - 10.17226/10626 PY - 2003 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10626/environmental-information-for-naval-warfare PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Conflict and Security Issues KW - Earth Sciences AB - Accurate and timely environmental information can provide a tactical advantage to U.S. naval forces during warfare. This report analyzes the current environmental information system used by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps and recommends ways to address uncertainty and leverage network-centric operating principles to enhance the value of environmental information. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Southern Ocean Dynamics: A Strategy for Scientific Exploration, 1973-1983 DO - 10.17226/18713 PY - 1974 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18713/southern-ocean-dynamics-a-strategy-for-scientific-exploration-1973-1983 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - KW - Earth Sciences ER - TY - BOOK TI - Coastal Oceanography and Littoral Warfare DO - 10.17226/9240 PY - 1994 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9240/coastal-oceanography-and-littoral-warfare PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Oil in the Sea: Inputs, Fates, and Effects SN - DO - 10.17226/314 PY - 1985 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/314/oil-in-the-sea-inputs-fates-and-effects PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - This comprehensive volume follows up and expands on an earlier National Academy of Sciences book. It is the result of an intensive multidisciplinary effort to assess the problems relating to petroleum-derived hydrocarbons in the marine environment. Specifically, it examines the inputs, analytical methods, fates, and effects of petroleum in the marine environment. The section on effects has been expanded significantly, reflecting the extensive scientific effort put forth in determining the effects of petroleum on marine organisms. Other topics discussed include petroleum contamination in specific geographical areas, the potential hazards of this contamination to human health, the impact of oil-related activities in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and the potential impact of petroleum on fisheries. ER -