Bridging research to response – how the spill response community benefits from academic engagement

Abstract

Often technical advances are made through key industry-academic alliances in a diverse range of engineering, medical and scientific disciplines. Oil spill response studies are no stranger to research programmes within the academic / R&D community and have advanced our knowledge, understanding and capability significantly over the last 50 years. For example, following the use of industrial detergents during Torrey Canyon in 1967, the research, development and scientific rigour behind the latest marine dispersants is testament to the value in investment of resources to develop and deliver solutions to new and emerging risks. Typically, spill responders are focussed on operational issues and seeking maximum reward when selecting a response technique(s) as part of a given spill scenario. Research scientists conversely may be focussed on a more detailed aspect of the spill such as a sub-cellular, non-lethal biological effect which may have limited relevance to the immediate clean-up effort. Having a spill response organisation intrinsically involved with academic response research ensures that an element of “operational realism” is injected into the programmes to produce outputs with more direct relevance and application to advance the boundaries of future spill response techniques and capability. The paper discusses the merits and leverage potential of “Bridging Research to Response” and offers suggestions for future collaborations potentially adding value to all spill stakeholders.