Newswise — As a world-class research institution and New York’s Land Grant university, Cornell University has a broad range of faculty members with expertise relevant to the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf. These experts are up-to-date on the issue and ready to talk with the media.
Oil spills and cleanup:
Robert Howarth, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.A biogeochemist and ecosystem scientist, Howarth’s expertise is in the ecological consequences of oil spills and the effectiveness of various cleanup technologies. He has twice served as an expert witness in federal courts on oil pollution, and has testified before the U.S. Senate. He was hired by the Attorney General of Alaska to be the lead scientist overseeing quality control during the response to Exxon Valdez by the scientists who worked for the state. He has served on the Ecological Effects Panel of a committee of the National Academy of Sciences on oil pollution in the oceans.
Legal ramifications:
Jeffrey J. Rachlinski, professor at the Law School with a Ph.D. in psychologyRachlinski is an expert in environmental law.
In a published opinion piece on the Gulf oil spill, Rachlinski wrote:“BP is facing massive environmental liability. Exxon paid billions to governments and individuals from the Exxon Valdez spill decades ago, and environmental law has only become more strict since then. … Although litigation over the spill is apt to stretch on as far as the spill itself, the liability that BP now confronts is apt to be enormous.”
Implications for marine life:
Willy Bemis, professor of marine biology and director, Shoals Marine Lab, Appledore Island, MaineBemis is a professor of marine biology, with years of experience on the Gulf Coast.In a published opinion piece on the Gulf oil spill, Bemis wrote:“This oil slick is not like a typical coastal hurricane, where people can begin to assess damage within hours or days after the storm. This is more like a stationary hurricane that threatens to cause damage for a long time to come.”
Christopher W. Clark, director, Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.Clark is actively involved in research that monitors the impact of energy exploration on marine wildlife. In addition to work around the globe, his team, working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has created a high-tech monitoring system to help avoid collisions between endangered North Atlantic right whales and tankers transporting liquefied natural gas.
Implications for migratory wildlife:
John Fitzpatrick, director, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.Fitzpatrick is a professional ornithologist with expertise in avian behavior, ecology and conservation biology. He has been the director of the Lab of Ornithology for 12 years.In a published opinion piece on the Gulf oil spill, Fitzpatrick wrote:“Although we cannot yet know the eventual scale of its biological and economic costs, we should, for once, agree that we must never again forget the fundamental lessons of this disaster. The unthinkable is possible, and must be planned for in advance.”
Care of animals affected by the spill:
George V. Kollias, professor of wildlife medicine and doctor of veterinary medicineKollias is an expert on wildlife health and conservation. He is a specialist with decades of experience in the care of wild animals, including knowledge of the medical ramifications of exposure to oil.
Oil exploration and its ecological impacts:
Warren Allmon, professor of paleontology at Cornell and director of the Paleontological Research InstituteAllmon is an expert on the geology of oil, as well as oceanography and the ecological impact of oil spills.
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