Deepwater Horizon Lessons learned

If you are in Anchorage, AK this evening, come by the Captain Cook Hotel and join us for Lessons Learned from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill from 5:45-8:00PM at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium. Here are some lessons learned in my oppinion to try to help get the discussion going:

• Ships of all sizes should have AIS and there must be a way to track which ships are a part of a response


• Have portable AIS systems ready to put on ships (suitcase version)


• Know the bathymetry and be willing to collect your own if necessary. Have charts, the Coast Pilot and local names


• Have a manual that you get to all of the team. People coming to the area don’t know the local names, physical layout, and available data / resources


• Start using mobile devices to collect data – position and information. Avoid handwritten and voice communication to prevent confusion


• Train with actual ships being virtually moved around


• Get necessary data integrated into AOOS, ERMA and other systems before you are in a crisis. Unlike Deepwater Horizon, initial response time is usually critical


• Train people to work with the data types before a crisis


• PDFs and paper are not good primary delivery devices


• Communication across all the teams makes or breaks the response


• We should have AIS from a couple response vessels forwarded through satellite to supplement normal stations

Some are being worked on now, some are not. What would you add?