Riki Ott

Marine oil pollution expert Riki Ott, PhD, was on the scene before, during, and after one of the biggest environmental disasters in the United States--the Exxon Valdez oil spill. A former commercial salmon "fisherma'am" in Prince William Sound, she experienced firsthand the spill's effects, including environmental devastation, economic losses to the fishing industry, and psychosocial trauma to the close-knit community. 1993's spill-related salmon- and herring-population collapses prompted Ott...See more

Marine oil pollution expert Riki Ott, PhD, was on the scene before, during, and after one of the biggest environmental disasters in the United States--the Exxon Valdez oil spill. A former commercial salmon "fisherma'am" in Prince William Sound, she experienced firsthand the spill's effects, including environmental devastation, economic losses to the fishing industry, and psychosocial trauma to the close-knit community. 1993's spill-related salmon- and herring-population collapses prompted Ott to retire from fishing and found three nonprofit organizations to deal with the area's lingering social, economic, and environmental harm. A popular and dynamic lecturer, her talks weave the legacy of the Exxon Valdez spill into current issues of public health, environmental pollution, and our energy future--and inspire individuals to take action. Writer, director, editor and producer Robert Cornellier made his documentary film debut in 1978. In 1995, with Patricio Henriquez and Raymonde Provencher, he formed the independent film production company Macumba International. In the ten years that followed, Robert co-produced and directed over twelve documentaries in the successful Living in the City series and eXtremis series. In 2008 he completed Black Wave: The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez, a feature film that focuses on the worst environmental disaster in North America: the Exxon Valdez oil spill. See less