Competitive Grant Program
In order to ensure that wildlife exposed to petroleum products receive the best achievable treatment, research and technology development was added to the goals of the OWCN in 1995. To address this need, a Scientific Advisory Committee composed of PhD-level research professionals from state and federal agencies, rehabilitation and zoological organizations, industry research departments and university programs was convened to critically evaluate proposed projects and to provide to the Advisory Board, the OWCN Director and the Administrator of the OSPR, recommendations for current and future research emphases.
This program was instituted to allow interested and appropriate researchers to apply for individual grants to support projects investigating the effects of oil on wildlife. A minimum of $250,000 per year is allocated to support this effort.
Project Types
Projects supported by this program have included both basic research and applied research projects. The goals of this program fall into several categories:
- Improve Animal Care
- Identify new, and refine current, wildlife rehabilitation techniques
- Develop and validate new oiled wildlife treatments & diagnostics
- Determine and test methods for mitigating the effects of oil on wildlife
- Assess Wildlife Health
- Investigate medical conditions that may affect care during oil spill response
- Compile biomedical health parameters of commonly oiled wildlife species
- Determine the health impacts of oil exposure, including those that persist after release
- Assess the impacts of medical treatments and chemical countermeasures on wildlife
- Determine Wildlife Population Information that Aids in Caring for Oiled Wildlife
- Determine the demography & distribution of wildlife species in California
- Understand how populations respond to oil spills (to improve rehabilitation protocols)
- Develop New Technology for Oiled Wildlife Care
- Generate methods to detect & quantify oil exposure, and to document effects
- Assess applicability of radiotelemetry to monitor survival of wildlife after spills
- Develop hardware to improve oiled wildlife rehabilitation & husbandry
Currently Funded Projects 2008-2009
Scott Benson |
Assessment of Nutritional Condition in Free-Ranging Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) |
James Harvey |
Quantifying health parameters of Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) to improve Procellariid rehabilitation |
Kirk Klasing |
Investigation into the Dietary Needs of Faunivorous Seabirds Undergoing Rehabilitative Care |
Lauren Palmer |
Is subclinical Toxoplasma gondii in northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) a risk for rehabilitation? |
Lisa Tell |
Bioavailability and multi-dose pharmacokinetics of itraconazole in Western grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis) |
Tim Tinker |
Pilot Project Investigating Potential Effects of Natural Seep Oil on Sea Otter Health and Survival |
Ron Tjeerdema |
Effects of Crude Oil and Dispersed Oil on Spawning Toposmelt (Atherinops affinis) |