OSPR is required by Government Code § 8670.12 to conduct studies and evaluations that improve California’s spill response, damage assessment, and wildlife rehabilitation functions. OSPR’s California Oil Spill Study and Evaluation Program (COSSEP) meets this requirement by sponsoring a wide range of studies designed to advance oil spill response, understand the effects of oil on the environment, and enhance OSPR’s technical capabilities. Previous studies have addressed aerial imaging of oil spills, dispersant use, oil effects on birds and migratory fish, and oil spill recovery monitoring using sand crabs.
We have updated this website to feature our recently published studies. These studies include advances in the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to characterize oil spills, an additional study of oil dispersant toxicity, talitrid amphipods as a means to evaluate beach ecosystem exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and methods to evaluate the effects of oil extraction facilities on dry streambeds.
Reports and Products from COSSEP Funded Projects
COSSEP Seminar Series Video Presentations