Gulf-Alaska Knowledge Exchange

The two biggest oil spills in U.S. history— the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska and the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico—have caused enduring environmental, economic, and social damage. Recognizing the parallels between these two events, the Gulf Research Program (GRP) at the National Academies of Science organized a workshop series to connect experts and community representatives from both regions. The goal of the workshops was to exchange lessons learned, share strategies, and develop best practices for preventing and responding to future spills. The initiative supported GRP’s mission to reduce risks to people, ecosystems, and economies from oil-related incidents.

Three workshops were held in Anchorage, AK; Thibadoux, LA; and Washington, D.C., involving researchers, practitioners, and other key stakeholders. The sessions focused on topics that were valuable to both regions and aligned with GRP’s objectives—such as socioeconomic impacts, community-centered response, transformative recovery, and proactive preparedness.