How To Repair Spill’s Damage

Extensive research will be needed to properly assess the ecological and environmental damage caused in the Gulf by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to an interim report released by the National Research Council on Nov. 10. The report also noted that developing a restoration plan for the area will require a broad effort that includes rehabilitating damaged fisheries and replacing natural resources. Larry A. Mayer, chair of the committee that wrote the report, director of the Center for Coastal & Ocean Mapping, and professor of earth sciences and ocean engineering at the University of New Hampshire, said in a statement, “It will be a challenge to assess the full scope of impacts from this spill—the biggest in U.S. history—and ensure that valuable services are fully restored for the region and ultimately the nation.” NRC will release a final report, sponsored by NOAA, in the spring of 2013.