Three leading biologists at Auburn University in Alabama have been awarded training and research grants to assess the long-term impact of the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM).

According to the Examiner, the scientists will use funding from BP totalling nearly $75,000 to conduct a one-year collaborative research and training project looking at the impact of the spill on Alabama's wetlands.

Training programmes will include opportunities for undergraduates to attend GOM assessment workshops, as well as postgraduate and postdoctoral training.

In addition to the funding allocated to oil spill response training in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, BP has put forward $20 billion to cover damages caused by the spill.

Claims against the company are now being assessed by an external assessor, but as the Indpendent reports, there is still considerable uncertainty about how high the total costs of remediation and adjudication will rise.

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development