October 7-8, 2008 – A workshop will be held in Cordova on the scientific applications of acoustic arrays and design principles for research studies.  For more information see the workshop announcement (link to announcement) or contact Mary Anne Bishop at the Prince William Sound Science Center.

October 20, 2008 – The OSRI Board will be meeting at the Cordova Library conference room to discuss the FY 09 work plan and budget.  They will also be finalizing the review of OSRI’s mission and goal statements.   

July 22, 2008 – OSRI prize award through InnoCentive is highlighted in an article in the New York Times.  The article describes the use of the prize approach for funding innovation in research.  The article can be found at www.nytimes.com

July 14, 2008 – OSRI is collaborating with Tesoro, Alaska Clean Seas, and Cook Inlet Spill Prevention and Response, Inc. to sponsor testing of a new skimmer surface that holds the potential for greatly increasing the efficiency of oil recovery and at the same time reduce the amount of water collected.  Testing of the system will occur at the Mineral Management Service’s Ohmsett facility in New Jersey.

July 3, 2008 – OSRI is beginning two collaborative projects with the Coastal Resource Recovery Center in New Hampshire.  The first project is a collaboration between several research entities to examine the transport of oil through ice and the biodegradation of that oil.  It includes both laboratory and modeling components.  OSRI will be funding the University of Alaska component that examines transport of oil through the ice by laboratory and modeling approaches.

The second project is a socioeconomics project designed to examine the social disruption from oil spills and spill response.  In particular, to characterize effects, vulnerabilities, and the adequacy of existing data to inform decision-making.  OSRI’s contribution will add Cordova, Alaska to their study sites.  This provides a study site that has had a relatively long period for the effects to be fully realized.  It also builds on the previous research done in relation to the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

July 1, 2008 – OSRI will be continuing the funding of two graduate research fellows.  Matthew Druckenmiller is working to combine local and geophysical knowledge of sea ice properties to provide a better understanding of sea ice services.  Jim Alanko is continuing his work analyzing high-frequency radar maps of surface currents in Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet.