Authors: Paul Bunkera, Mallory DeChantb, Nathan Hallb, Lauryn DeGreeffc, Ed Owensd

aChiron K9, Somerset, Texas, USA; bTexas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA; cFlorida International University, Miami, Florida, USA; dOwens Coastal Consultants, Banbridge Island, Washington, USA

Chapter 20 “Canine Detection Teams to Support Oil Spill Response Surveys” in “Canines: The Original Biosensors,” presented the results of a series of studies and field projects up to 2020. The chapter discussed operational deployments and research conducted by the authors, Dr. Ed Owens and Paul Bunker, including real-time support for Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) surveys. Since early 2020, the Oil Detection Canine teams have continued to advance the knowledge and understanding of detection canines; this presentation describes three significant updates regarding the expanded capability of detection canines. Although the focus is specifically on Oil Detection Canines, the concepts, and principles discovered are just as valuable to any detection canine training and deployment aspect.
Laboratory research conducted with Texas Tech University established the potential capability for Oil Detection Canines (ODCs) to be calibrated to a specific detection threshold. This capability means that the canines can be trained to respond on a certain threshold level of oil or higher and ignore lower-level concentrations. This is an important attribute on a spill response, as the ODC can be trained to ignore low oil concentrations below the treatment threshold.
A field research trial developed an innovative underwater canine training device that releases the volatile components of a target odor and pushes them through a pipe to discharge within a water body, in the case of this field trial, at the bottom of a shallow lake. The volatiles are detected at the surface of the water body by a canine on a boat. This system allows for training ODCs to detect sub-surface oil without releasing any of that oil into the water.
A third project investigated the ability to train canines to locate an incident-specific spilled oil on a beach or riverbank and ignore other oils present within a survey area, such as background tar balls. The research phase, which was to determine the ability of canines to be trained to alert to fresher oils and ignore weathered oils, was completed at the Canine Olfaction Lab at Texas Tech University. Following the research results, two canines were trained and paired with volunteer handlers and deployed on the Gulf Coast in Texas. The field phase transitioned the laboratory-based results to a field-deployable canine team.