oceanography in the private sector (m tomlinson)
TRANSCRIPT
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Oceanography
in the
Private Sector Michael Tomlinson
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Where can I find jobs in oceanography
outside of academia?
Private Consulting Firms (today’s topic)
Not-for-profit Organizations
Federal Agencies (e.g., NOAA, MMS, USGS,
USFWS)
Department of Defense (Navy)
Interstate and State Agencies
Regional Agencies
County and/or City Agencies
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What type of private sector projects
would require oceanographic expertise?
Pure Research
Applied Research
Environmental Assessments
Physical and Numerical Model Support
Feasibility Studies
Siting Studies (e.g., ocean outfalls)
Environmental Permitting
Habitat Restoration
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Who would be the typical clients in the
private sector?
Industry (e.g., marinas, power, oil, mining, other
consultants)
Trade and Non-profit Organizations (e.g., API)
Federal Agencies (e.g., NOAA, MMS, DoD)
State Agencies (e.g., Departments of Health or
the Environment)
Regional Agencies
City and County Agencies (e.g., ports, WWTPs)
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North Sea Ekofisk-Bravo Blowout
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Ekofisk Field (North Sea)
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Ekofisk Complex (0.8 miles, flare to flare)
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Catching a lift up
to TOR Platform
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Hydrography &
Water Chemistry
(CTD/Rosette)
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Ocean Currents—
Current Meters
(Eulerian)
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Ocean Currents—(Lagrangian)
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Zooplankton
Sampling
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Demersal Fish
Trawling
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Significant Findings
Estimated 23,000 tonnes of crude oil spilled in 7½ days
Studied meteorology, physical oceanography, sediments, water
chemistry, fish, macroinvertebrates, phytoplankton, zooplankton,
marine birds and mammals, oil spill modeling
Oil spill components generally remained near Ekofisk
Water column n-alkanes (possibly associated with spill) up to 5.5 µg/L
measured immediately after oil spill (historical range: 0.3-7.1 µg/L)
Undegraded hydrocarbons in sediments decreased from 8 ppm (by
weight) in May to 1 ppm in May of next year
Benthic macroinvertebrates affected by industrial development
No observable effects of oil spill on zooplankton
No apparent effect of the oil on fish health or distribution
A few isolated marine bird mortalities resulted from oil spill
Model worst case conditions--oil could have reached land in 4 days
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Affects of Crude &
Dispersed Crude Oil
on Arabian Corals
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Study Area—Arabian
(Persian) Gulf
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Jurayd Island
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Dispersant/Oil
Containment
Test Structure
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Deploying Test Structures
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Significant Findings
No visible effects to corals after 1 year following a 24-hour
exposure to crude oil, dispersant, or dispersant + crude oil
Stressed (bleached) corals were unable to survive the winter
after 5-day exposure to dispersant + crude oil
Coral growth and colonization appeared unaffected by exposure
to crude oil, dispersant, or dispersant + crude oil
Implies that healthy corals can tolerate a 1- to 5-day exposure
with no observable effects provided:
Oil spill is not massive
Dispersant is applied properly
Did not test for disproportionate amounts of dispersant in
shallow water or spill occurring during winter
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U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll SFOTS Environmental Assessment
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USAKA Submarine Fiber Optic
Transmission System (SFOTS)
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Corridor
Selection
for Roi-Namur
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Significant Findings
Judicious corridor selection greatly reduced potential for impacts
to sensitive reef communities
No endangered species (e.g., Tridacna spp.) in corridors
Construction only temporarily affected aquatic and terrestrial
plants and animals
No impacts to historical or pre-historical sites
Minor air and water quality impacts during construction caused
by fugitive dust and runoff, respectively
No socioeconomic or human health effects during construction
or operation of SFOTS
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Suwannee Estuary
Salmonella Study
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Effect of WWTP on Salmonella Occurrence
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Effect of WWTP on Fecal Coliform
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Climatic Differences Between
1996 & 1997 (El Niño)
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Significant Findings
The Town of Suwannee relied on 850 septic tanks, most of
which were not in compliance with state requirements
OCT97-- WWTP with land disposal was brought online
Study was conducted prior to and following WWTP operation
Salmonella was always present in the river channel and was
occasionally present in the Town of Suwannee canals
More occurrences of Salmonella in canals after construction of
WWTP than prior to construction (36.7% vs. 13.8%)
Pre- and post-construction Salmonella occurrences in the river
were comparable
Average fecal coliform counts in canals ~3X higher than river
and exceeded Florida Class III standards (800 MPN/100 mL)
Climate and river conditions differed considerably during the
pre- (1996) and post-construction (1997, El Niño) years
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Southwest Florida
Shelf Benthic
Ecosystems Study
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Hydrography (CTD and
Niskin Bottles with DSRTs)
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Underwater TV &
Benthic Still Camera
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Otter Trawl &
Triangular Dredge
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Instrumented Array
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Array Deployment
& Servicing
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Instrumented Array
Components
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GoM Natural Phenomena—Hurricanes
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Tropical Storm Effects on Currents
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GoM Natural Phenomena—Loop Current
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Loop Current &
the
USNS America
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Summary of Cross-shelf
Benthic Characteristics
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Significant Findings Sediment hydrocarbons primarily terrigenous and marine biogenic
Sediment hydrocarbons in deeper water attributed to pelagic tars
transported by Loop Current
Loop Current dominates circulation on shelf—can double current
speeds and reverse directions, cause upwelling, & cause a 2-4 ºC
temperature rise
Hurricanes affect near-surface currents & increase sediment
resuspension
Soft-bottom infauna composition (primarily polychaetes) controlled by:
1) depth & 2) sediments
Live-bottom communities cover 30% of the shelf; distribution
controlled by substrate type, sediment deposition, & light
Thin, transitory sands over hard substrate favor gorgonians, algae,
antipatharians, large sponges, scleractinian corals
Many demersal fish favor areas of low relief to areas with no relief
15 valued ecosystem components (VECs) modeled to assess impacts
Created matrix summarizing oil & gas development impacts to VECs
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What skills are especially valuable in
the private sector? Ability to write well & quickly
Ability to organize, schedule, & meet deadlines
Resourceful, flexible, & not too specialized
Ability to manage projects & keep them on-
schedule and on-budget
Proficiency with some type of word processing,
spreadsheet, & graphics software
Proficiency with other software (e.g., GIS,
presentation software, mathematical or modeling
software)
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What degree is required and will a
PhD price me out of the market?
Depending on your responsibilities, your degree
could range from an AA to a PhD.
I would recommend an MS but much can be
done with a BS as evidenced by my 22 years in
consulting.
No, a PhD does not price you out of the market.
Many firms are looking for PhDs, especially to
manage projects.
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What are the advantages &
disadvantages of working in the
private sector?
Advantages
Exciting
Good pay
A lot of travel
Independence
Variety
Disadvantages
Long hours
Tight deadlines
Too much travel
Not much time to
keep abreast in your
field
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Will my integrity be compromised?
In a reputable firm (most are reputable)—NO! If
you lose your credibility you lose your
customers.
Your reports, while they may be prepared for a
private client, are usually reviewed (&
scrutinized) by government agencies & the
public.
Often agency and public reviews of consultant
documents are more comprehensive & rigorous
than reviews required for refereed journals.
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Will I ever work with a university?
If you are smart, you will; universities can be
valuable resources.
Universities can provide very specialized
experts consulting firms cannot afford to hire.
Some services provided by universities (boats,
laboratory analyses, etc.) are less expensive
than the private sector.
Universities can provide cutting-edge
technology.
Often university faculty are perceived as experts
in their specialized field (and they often are).
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Oceanography, it’s not just a job, it’s an adventure!