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Environmental Restoration Science: the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill experience. Robert Spies Ocean Conservancy Workshop St. Petersburg, Florida April 2012. Science guides environmental restoration.
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Environmental Restoration Science: the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill experience Robert Spies Ocean Conservancy Workshop St. Petersburg, Florida April 2012
Science guides environmental restoration • Restoration without science is like industrial production without market research or quality control.
Role of Science in ecosystem restoration What is the cause and effect relationship? Will it heal in a reasonable time without intervention? If not, can human intervention help? What actions would help? Will intervention have unanticipated negative consequences?
The EVOS RP process • Ongoing assessment of injury • Peer review to determine priorities • Call for proposals • Review proposals for quality and applicability • Do some trimming and joining • Take action • Monitor • Expected result ? • Report results; peer review • Identify more action, quit, modify, etc. • Update on injured resources
Restoration vs. Science:A false dichotomy • 1. These often appear as separate program elements. • 2. Environmental actions have consequences: provide learning opportunities. • 3. Investigation of damage provides new ecosystem information. • New knowledge is a legacy. • Restoration: Learning by doing.