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Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University (FAU) has a broad variety of environmental science, engineering, and technology resources to aid response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. FAU is home to the Florida Center for Environmental Studies, a state university research center established to synthesize and communicate knowledge related to Florida ecosystems including tropical and sub-tropical water-dominated freshwater, estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, a research institute of FAU (HBOI-FAU), for decades has collected data on water quality, benthic and reef habitats, and marine life in habitats including the eastern Gulf of Mexico, Florida Keys, Florida Bay, and the estuaries and offshore environments along Florida’s east coast, which can serve as a baseline for gauging impacts of the spill. FAU scientists can characterize not only the immediate effects of oil contamination on marine species, but also the anticipated effects as contamination is passed along the food chain. FAU engineers have developed a variety of sensors and technologies that can be used to monitor water quality and contaminant dynamics. HBOI-FAU is a member of the NOAA Marine Mammal Stranding Network and is authorized to perform marine mammal rescue.
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