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The EU Horizon 2020 project GRACE: integrated oil spill response actions and environmental effects

Abstract

This article introduces the EU Horizon 2020 research project GRACE (Integrated oil spill response actions and environmental effects), which focuses on a holistic approach towards investigating and understanding the hazardous impact
of oil spills and the environmental impacts and benefits of a suite of marine oil spill response technologies in the cold
climate and ice-infested areas of the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea. The response methods considered include mechanical collection in water and below ice, in situ burning, use of chemical dispersants, natural biodegradation,
and combinations of these. The impacts of naturally and chemically dispersed oil, residues resulting from in situ burning,and non-collected oil on fish, invertebrates (e.g. mussels, crustaceans) and macro-algae are assessed by using
highly sensitive biomarker methods, and specific methods for the rapid detection of the effects of oil pollution on
biota are developed. By observing, monitoring and predicting oil movements in the sea through the use of novel online sensors on vessels, fixed platforms including gliders and the so-called SmartBuoys together with real-time data transfer into operational systems that help to improve the information on the location of the oil spill, situational awareness of oil spill response can be improved. Methods and findings of the project are integrated into a strategic net environmental benefit analysis tool (environment and oil spill response, EOS) for oil spill response strategy decision making in cold climates and ice-infested areas.
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Category

Academic article

Language

English

Author(s)

  • Kirsten S. Jørgensen
  • Anne Kreutzer
  • Kari Lehtonen
  • Harri Kankaanpää
  • Jorma Rytkönen
  • Susse Wegeberg
  • Kim Gustavson
  • Janne Fritt-Rasmussen
  • Jaak Truu
  • Tarmo Kõuts
  • Madis-Jaak Lilover
  • Thomas-Benjamin Seiler
  • Henner Hollert
  • Sarah Johann
  • Ionan Marigómez
  • Manu Soto
  • Xabier Lekube
  • Bjørn Munro Jenssen
  • Tomasz Maciej Ciesielski
  • Lonnie B. Wilms
  • Rune Högström
  • Mika Pirneskoski
  • Seppo Virtanen
  • Björn Forsman
  • Christian Petrich
  • Nga Phuong Dang
  • Feiyue Wang

Affiliation

  • SINTEF Narvik
  • Aarhus University
  • Greenland
  • Finland
  • The Finnish Environment Institute
  • Sweden
  • Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech University)
  • University of Tartu
  • University of the Basque Country
  • RWTH Aachen University
  • Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology
  • The University of Manitoba

Year

2019

Published in

Environmental Sciences Europe

Volume

31:44

Page(s)

1 - 10

View this publication at Norwegian Research Information Repository