ITOPF R&D Award 2018 goes to ExpOS’D

We are pleased to announce that the beneficiary of the 7th annual ITOPF R&D Award is ExpOS'D (Experimental Oil Spill Data-sharing), a research project led by the NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), in partnership with the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, the University of Essex (UK) and the Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands).

The Award will fund a one-year study to investigate the fate and behaviour of an oil slick subject to different dispersion mechanisms. The results will be used to validate and calibrate a dispersion model to allow decision makers to compare the benefits of chemical versus natural dispersion. In addition, the effects on the water column of the different dispersion techniques will be studied to determine whether there is evidence of enhanced aggregation as a precursor to marine oil-snow sedimentation and flocculation accumulation (MOSSFA).

ITOPF's Managing Director, Dr. Karen Purnell, said "This is a very relevant project given the controversy surrounding the use of dispersants during the DEEPWATER HORIZON incident and how this may or may not have contributed to the production of 'marine snow'" (a shower of organic material falling from upper waters to the deep ocean).

Since the ITOPF R&D Award was set up in 2011, £300,000 has already been distributed to six separate R&D projects worldwide on behalf of ITOPF's shipowner Members, Associates and their P&I insurers.

Information on the Award, including updates on previous award winners, can be found on our website: <link in-action r-d-award _blank external link in new>www.itopf.com/in-action/r-d-award/. Potential candidates for future awards should not hesitate to contact us if they have any questions regarding the Award by emailing <link>rdaward@itopf.com.