Oil spill

How to clean up oil spillsMIT researchers devise a surprisingly simple but effective method for magnetically separating oil and water.

Newfound gene may help bacteria survive in extreme environmentsResulting microbial lipids may also signify oxygen dips in Earth’s history.

New method to prevent undersea ice clogsSurface coatings developed by MIT researchers could inhibit buildup of methane hydrates that can block deep-sea oil and gas wells.

Navigating blindfoldedAdvanced mathematical techniques enable AUVs to survey large, complex and cluttered seascapes.

AUVs: From idea to implementationOne day, researchers predict, these robots will be able to do tasks without a human in the loop.

Forecasting pipe fracturesMIT simulation accurately reconstructs pipe fractures formed in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident.

Admiral Thad Allen explains leadership during crisisFormer Sloan Fellow speaks with Dean Schmittlein about response to Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

CEE's Eric Adams receives the Ig Nobel Prize in chemistryEnvironmental engineers share prize with BP for work that proved oil and water really do mix

Better prepared next timeLessons learned from the BP oil spill could help both companies and regulators to be more ready for the next emergency.

Facilities EHS manager helping with Gulf oil-spill relief effortsEd Akerley called into duty with U.S. Coast Guard

3 Questions: John Marshall on the Gulf of Mexico oil spillAn MIT oceanographer discusses why ‘we have never had a spill like this’ — and what that means for cleanup efforts.

Oil spills, safety and system design and managementInterdisciplinary thesis explores complexity of safety in organizations with a culture of blame and ways to address this

Slideshow: Mapping the oil spillMIT student leads project using balloons and kites to provide aerial documentation of the Gulf oil slick’s extent and effects

Interview: Jerome Milgram on oil spillsAs the oil spill off the Louisiana coast widens, the mechanical engineering emeritus professor discusses floating booms, containment caps and more