Oil Spill Science Seminar for Journalists
January 27-29, 2014
Mobile, Alabama
Metcalf Institute offered a three-part seminar for journalists at the 2014 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference in Mobile, Alabama, to summarize and clarify the latest scientific findings from the conference, and to support improved coverage of oil spills and their effects. 

Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
April 6-8, 2011
Cocodrie, Louisiana
This 2.5-day program, co-hosted by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) and Louisiana State University, was held at LUMCON’s DeFelice Marine Center in Cocodrie, LA. Participants learned about basic scientific principles and techniques and specific research questions arising from the oil spill through lectures, interactive discussions, and field/laboratory sessions.

Science and Impacts of Toxic Chemicals
Brown University
March 31-April 1, 2010
With growing public awareness of toxic exposures in the air, water and ground around us, journalists must bridge the gap between science and public perception. The subtle caveats of environmental toxicology can be lost in translation, leaving news audiences confused and regulators and scientists frustrated. Metcalf Institute and Brown University Superfund Research Program offered a two-day seminar for journalists featuring leading environmental scientists and writers. Participants visited research labs and discussed case studies on the communication of bisphenol-A and air quality impacts.

Improving Communication of Oil Spill Research
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig suffered a catastrophic failure in April 2010, resulting in an unprecedented volume of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. As the scientific community worked to identify and prioritize research needs, Metcalf Institute received a Rapid Response grant from the National Science Foundation’s Informal Science Education program to help scientists, journalists and informal science educators understand and better communicate the impacts and research efforts relating to the oil spill.