GEHD Project Journal: Grand Isle Excursion (June 18, 2010)

[Disclaimer: Before we go further, we apologize ahead of time that some of the information learned from the project will not be divulged because we are trying to establish prior knowledge in the blog entry entitled, "What are your emotions concerning the disaster." It is important that we understand your thoughts and emotions of the disaster. Therefore, please provide your thoughts in the previous blog.]

Greetings from Louisiana! First, we apologize for the delay in getting back to our blog. Yesterday was a very long and busy day. We arrived in Baton Rouge at 7:30AM CDT to begin our first interview with a Veterinary Aquatic scientist at Louisiana State University. We were so excited that we were 1.5 hours early. The interview was extremely enlightening and educational. The discussion concerned the impact the spill has on aquatic life and how the impact influences our food chain. Aquatic life scientists are currently examining specimens to see how oil moves through the food chain.

We also had the privilege of speaking with the Earth Scan Laboratory about the methods that they use in acquiring, analyzing, and disseminating satellite imagery of the oil spill. (A long-time colleague of mine from Indiana State University Climate Laboratory was instrumental in setting up the opportunity, thanks!) The lab uses satellite imagery to show the current position of the oil spill. My senior seminar at Eastern Illinois University asked several questions concerning the impact a hurricane has on the oil spill. The lab is well known for its involvement with analyzing Hurricane Katrina as well as other events that impacted the Gulf Coast. From our discussion with the Lab, it is highly possible that hurricanes can cause increased damage to the coast in that it will push storm surge well into the inland areas. Rather than having oil at the coasts edge, it could reach several miles inland depending on the strength of the hurricane and/or the height of the storm surge.

We moved on to New Orleans where we first had a moment of civility (i.e. freshening up). Exhausted and tired from the previous overnight drive, we trekked on to the southern portion of Louisiana that we highly impacted by the oil spill, Grand Isle. It is a very long two hour drive with most of it being over aquatic wetlands. The landscape is absolutely awe inspiring.

Again, we are withholding our specific findings until we can establish prior knowledge. You can find those results on Tuesday. Thank you for your understanding.