Services
Scientific Support of Oil Spill Response
Leadership for shoreline response operations encompassing shoreline assessment (SCAT), cleanup, inspections, and damage assessment.
Natural resources damage assessment
Unique combination of technical expertise, from pre-planning through restoration, supports critical operational decisions in the context of NRDA and restoration concerns.
Coral Grounding Assessment and Restoration
Support for coral reef damages from ship casualties, anchor damage, oil and chemical spills and wreck removal alternatives among others.
PREVENTION & PLANNING
Spill response plans, tactical and strategy site plans, prevention and contingency plans including national planning initiatives (typically through IMO and/or UN programs), integrated response plans, fleet plans, spill and operations manuals, and practical guidelines for response personnel.
Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT)
Polaris scientists helped develop the SCAT process in the 1980s and have performed SCAT leadership and management functions for many significant spill events.
Technical Training
Wide range of training courses that cover a variety of oil spill planning and response topics.
Aerial Video Surveys and Mapping
POLARIS scientists continue to pioneer the use of aerial video surveys for shore-zone mapping, coastal inventories, and oil spill countermeasures planning.
Restoration
Technical representation for responsible parties on restoration projects including: trustee liaison, assessment of alternative restoration/ compensation, project design/coordination, and monitoring.
About Polaris
POLARIS APPLIED SCIENCES, Inc. (POLARIS) was created in 1998 from the merger of three highly successful companies with a broad range of capabilities in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial oil and chemical spill response.
POLARIS’ scientific support staff for oil spill response includes internationally recognized leaders in shoreline treatment operations, shoreline geomorphology, pre-spill planning, technical training of spill responders, and environmental assessment.
Our scientists offer a combined total of over 100 years of response experience from more than 200 spills and groundings. POLARIS has provided clients worldwide with spill planning, spill and grounding response, scientific support, shoreline cleanup assessment technique (SCAT) training and implementation, natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) and environmental restoration services.
Rapid response, worldwide coverage
Decades of experience with NRDA projects
World class plans for marine, coastal and inland operations
Highly skilled and experienced instructors, proven materials
OUR TEAM
Click here for full bios
Greg E. Challenger, M.S.
Dr. Elliott Taylor
Andrew W. Graham, M.S.
Travis M. Scott, M.S.
Dr. Stephan Gmur
Alison Craig, M.S., M.P.A.,
Gary S. Mauseth, M.S.
Contact Us for More Information
Latest news
Grand Bahama Vegetation Monitoring
Polaris completed another round of monitoring for remediation effectiveness and ecological recovery from the oil spill at Grand Bahama as a result of Hurricane Dorian in 2019. The same Caribbean pine showing over 70cm grow in a 6 month time period.
Clean Gulf 2021
POLARIS Applied Sciences attended the 30th Clean Gulf Conference in San Antonio, Texas from 16 through 17 November. Dr. Taylor chaired the session on Shoreline/All-Hazards Response within Track 2: Response and Restoration on Day 3, and presented work done in the development of a Shoreline Response Decision Tool and Job Aid. https://www.cleangulf.org/
National Contingency Planning Workshop – Anguilla and Sint Maarten / Virtual (19 -21 October 2021)
Dr. Elliott Taylor joined Mr. Lukas Rodriguez (USCG assigned to RAC-REMPEICT) to facilitate a NCP workshop for Anguilla and St. Maarten. The objective of the three-day workshop was to provide training on oil spill preparedness and contingency planning, as well as developing hands-on working knowledge of the use, and advantages of the ARPEL Manual and Read more about National Contingency Planning Workshop – Anguilla and Sint Maarten / Virtual (19 -21 October 2021)[…]
REMPEC RETOSTM Workshop / Virtual (September – October 2021)
Dr. Elliott Taylor was contracted as the lead consultant to deliver a two-day plenary workshop on the use of RETOSTM for the assessment of national oil spill response programs. The Sub-regional Workshop on the use of RETOSTM was organized by the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC). Participants represented national Read more about REMPEC RETOSTM Workshop / Virtual (September – October 2021)[…]
Photos: Experts assess oil spill damage at Orange County beaches
Polaris scientists assisting with response and environmental assessment in California Oil spill. Travis Scott is shown with Shoreline Cleanup Assessment team. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-03/photos-major-oil-spill-closes-orange-county-beaches