Deepwater Horizon Spill

The Harte Research Institute, an endowed research component of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, is dedicated to advancing the long-term sustainable use and conservation of the Gulf of Mexico.

Scientists at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) have been providing knowledge and information to national and international media about the consequences and long-term effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

For more on HRI's response, click the links below:

• Video Interviews
• Radio Interviews
• News Articles
• HRI Outreach

The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) is an interdisciplinary marine research institute. CCS conducts basic and applied research, ecological monitoring, public education outreach, and graduate-level education and research programs. CCS scientists and students work on marine topics from the local area of the Texas Coastal Bend to the farthest reaches of the Gulf of Mexico on Mexico's southeastern coasts and beyond, with projects that also include the east and west coasts, Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These scientists and students reflect a heritage of nearly 40 years of scientific endeavors. Their efforts contribute significantly to our understanding of the marine environments on which much of the quality of our lives is dependent.

The Conrad Blucher Institute conducts innovative research and encourages scientists and professional engineers to develop and apply technology solutions relevant to surveying, scientific measurements, and to the issues in the Gulf of Mexico region. The Institute has achieved and maintains a national reputation for developing innovative geospatial science research and serves as a focused resource area for geospatial datasets relevant to the coastal environment. The Institute participates in cooperative ventures with other academic entities and federal and state agencies to ensure that research opportunities are available for the historically underrepresented population in the region.

The National Spill Control School was established in 1977. Due to its great successes in teaching the principles of spill response around the nation and the world, the NSCS was named as a consulting, training, and research resource for the National Response Team in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. The NCSC offers a comprehensive combination of classroom and hands-on safety and spill response training. Located on the Island University campus of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, the NSCS trains responders, managers and executives for spill planning and responses on land and in the water. Local training can be conducted at local industrial, port, beach, estuary, river or other locations across the Texas Coastal Bend region. While some of our courses are offered locally, NSCS personnel also travel nationally and internationally to deliver customized training to domestic and foreign industry and governmental agencies.

To address the needs of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the NSCS offers continuing education training in spill response, hazardous materials handling and training for community volunteers. Courses meeting OSHA criteria for paid workers are offered in spill response, oiled wildlife handling and other topics. The NSCS also engages in development and testing of spill response plans and hurricane preparedness using the Incident Command System (ICS).

Future plans include virtual and distance training, as well as development/deployment of a mobile training unit.

In addition to training response personnel, industrial workers and military personnel, the NSCS supports the National Response Team's Strike Force with consulting and research as requested.