TROPICS Longitudinal Study in Support of Shoreline Spill Response Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA)

The TROPICS Longitudinal Study in Support of Shoreline Spill Response Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) Joint Industry Project (JIP) is a crucial initiative aimed at deepening our understanding of the long-term ecological impacts of untreated crude oil and chemically dispersed oil on tropical and nearshore habitats. All field studies will take place at designated Mangrove Islands within Bahia Almirante and Laguna de Chiriqui, near Bocas del Toro, Eastern Panama. Permitting will be coordinated through the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama. 

As a member of the JIP, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) seeks to utilize the scientifically acquired data to enhance the decision-making framework for oil spill response strategies by expanding the scientific knowledge base underpinning the NEBA process, imperative to its mission. Through a multidisciplinary collaboration involving federal agencies, academic institutions, and industry stakeholders, the study will revisit and re-evaluate a 40-year-old experimental site in Panama, offering an unparalleled opportunity to assess the persistent environmental effects of oil spills. 

The research will combine advanced chemical and biological assessment techniques to analyze the impacts, degradation and migration of oil residues in sensitive tropical ecosystems. By providing empirical data on the long-term consequences of oil spills, this project will critically inform the development of more effective and environmentally sound spill response strategies, ultimately contributing to the protection and preservation of vulnerable coastal habitats.