SGER: KATRINA ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND RESTORATION NETWORK (KERRN)

Tulane University, New Orleans LA

Investigators

Abstract

Hurricane Katrina caused destruction and disruption on an unprecedented scale in a three state area larger than the United Kingdom and the additional havoc caused by Hurricane Rita expands the area of concern into southwestern Louisiana and Texas. Both the impact of the hurricane on the gulf coast environment and processes for environmental change and recovery are being actively studied by researchers from across the country supported by a wide variety of governmental (federal, state and local) and private entities. Ensuring maximum benefit and avoiding duplication of effort will require coordination and collaboration among the many research teams working in the area. Such coordination and collaboration can only be achieved if researchers are readily able to determine what work is being or has previously been done and can interact with others whose experience and expertise can complement their own efforts. There is an immediate need for an information resource for investigators who are working in the area now, gathering time-sensitive data, and providing information that will be essential for planning processes (including those already underway). The Katrina Environmental Research and Restoration Network (KERRN) supported by an NSF Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) provides such an information resource. The KERRN network serves as a source of information about the wide range of environmental research efforts focused on understanding and responding to one of our nation's largest hurricane events. The network enables scientists and others, who may be supported by different agencies or affiliated with various institutions, to be aware of the full range of research efforts in order to collaborate and to coordinate their efforts. The broader impacts of KERRN are substantial. Using the network, scientists from a wide range of disciplines can combine their efforts to synthesize a broader understanding of the environmental processes at work in the hurricane-impacted gulf coast region. These insights can be used in future planning, mitigation, and restoration efforts. Online access to the network also eliminates geographical barriers to participation in this important effort. The network will also encourage interdisciplinary efforts, allowing students and others engaged in the research to learn how to apply concepts and strategies from other disciplines and to work across intellectual boundaries.