THE IMPACT OF BP DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL CLEAN UP ACTIVITIES ON A RECENTLY NOURISHED BARRIER ISLAND BEACH GRAND ISLE, LOUISIANA

Since February 2008, the managed and wild beaches of Grand Isle State Park, on Grand Isle LA, have been monitored by students from Tulane University. In addition to quantifying erosion rates and locations on Grand Isle, this project sought to examine whether undergraduate students, originally involved in a physical geology service-learning course, can collect meaningful scientific data of use to decision makers in times of disaster and for longer term planning during periods of recovery. Since the May 23, 2010 arrival of oil from the BP Deep Water Horizon Spill, continued measurements on these same beaches have provided an opportunity to assess the effect of the oil spill and clean up efforts on the recently nourished beach system. The 3-year time series of beach profiles and photographic records at the 50 meter scale afford a detailed view of how the beach has responded to the background erosion, hurricanes, and beach nourishment projects which form the baseline against which the effects of the oil spill and its clean up must be measured. Student data on the location and rates of erosion and deposition along Grand Isle have been a vital resource to local and state governments and have already been used to advise BP and the LA National Guard on the need to redeploy oil containment booms during the spill in response to the on-going erosion. Student observations of sand retention atop heavily oiled/tarred areas suggest impacted areas may resist erosion in a fashion similar to buried peat/vegetated surfaces previously observed following hurricanes Gustav and Ike. However, student observations also suggest the BP oil clean up operations have the potential to enhance beach erosion by direct removal of sand and interference with natural deposition processes. This presentation will contrast the state of the beach prior to the oil spill with its evolution over the first 9 months since the clean up began.