Contact: Jim Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.--The Center for Educational and Training Technology at Mississippi State is partnering with Mississippi Public Broadcasting and others to produce "The Science of the Spill," a four-part television series taking a scientific look at issues surrounding the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The first installment, which airs Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. on MPB-TV, will explore the use of dispersants, as well as seafood safety.
Each episode will feature a panel of scientists and educators from across the Gulf South discussing research on the Gulf ecosystem, oceanography, oil production, and the role of science in crisis decision-making. The National Science Foundation is providing funding.
A companion website to the television series - www.spillscience.com - is also being developed. It will offer additional interviews, a blog, a question and answer forum and other resources that use science to provide understanding of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill's wide-ranging impact on the region.
"The website will be an integral part of the series. Viewer feedback and education is a priority for 'Science of the Spill,' and we hope to connect viewers directly with scientists who are in the Gulf and have direct experience with what is happening," said MSU CETT associate research professor Brian McCann, who serves as the project's technology leader and co-principal investigator.
In addition, the website will feature links to lesson plans addressing oil spill topics for teachers. McCann said that much of the material will complement the Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence network's Central Gulf of Mexico project, which is online at www.cosee-central-gom.org.