Monthly Archives: January 2017

CONCORDEGoMRI StudentsPeople Grad Student Quas Analyzes Sediment Grain Size to Characterize Oil Behavior 3915a

Oil droplets can attach to tiny sediment particles suspended in the water column, causing them to sink to the seafloor where they can linger for a long time. Sediment grain size influences if and how oil droplets are resuspended into the water column. Larger particles sink faster and are more difficult to resuspend in the Read More

GoMRI ScienceResearch StoriesRFP-V Project Highlights RFP-V Lin: Resiliency and Recovery Connections in Oiled Wetland Plant-Microbial-Benthic Ecosystem 3908a

Marshes depend on a healthy, well-functioning complex of plants, microbes, and benthic communities to support the environmentally and economically important ecosystem services they offer, such as reducing storm surges and providing nursery grounds for many species. Researchers have been conducting studies assessing Louisiana marsh flora and fauna after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and Read More

Classroom MaterialsDEEPENDLesson Plans Lesson Plan: Marine Navigation Learning Module 3934

The module is the fourth in a series of marine environment-focused teaching and learning modules developed by the consortium for grades 6 – 12. This module focuses on navigating marine environments, particularly historical and current human navigation and animal navigation. The module is available for download here. This module was developed by the DEEPEND (Deep-Pelagic Nekton Read More

GoMRI ScienceResearch StoriesRFP-V Project Summary Videos RFP-V Van Bael: Chemical Evolution & Degradation of Petroleum in Saline Marsh Plants & Soils 3942

The importance of bacteria for biodegradation of petroleum is well described for contaminated seawater and coastal soils, but very little is known about the role of symbiotic plant bacteria in degrading petroleum. Endophytes are bacteria and fungi that live as symbionts within plant roots, stems and leaves. These symbionts are closely associated with the plant Read More

GoMRI ScienceResearch StoriesRFP-V Project Summary Videos RFP-V Slack: Resilience Attributes for Children, Youth, and Communities in Deepwater Horizon 3938

The Understanding Resilience Attributes for Children, Youth, and Communities in the Wake of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill project is lead by Tim Slack, Louisiana State University. This proposal outlines a research agenda to assess the public health impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, with special emphasis Read More

Classroom MaterialsDEEPENDPosters & Graphics DEEPEND Infographic Poster Visualizes Vertical Migration 3934

Deep-sea investigators served as consultants for their partner Oregon Coast Aquarium’s educational infographic about diel vertical migration – the largest animal migration phenomenon on earth. The consortium has printed several copies of the poster to distribute to teachers as well as a large banner for use during outreach events. Download your own copy of the Read More

GoMRI ScienceResearch StoriesRFP-V Project Highlights RFP-V Kourafalou: Identifying the “Missing Link” Between River-Induced Fronts and Hydrocarbon Transport 3859a

Researcher Oscar Garcia-Pineda demonstrates some of the methods the team uses to collect imagery and samples of floating oil near MC20. (Provided by Villy Kourafalou) The flow of the Mississippi River into the northern Gulf of Mexico may have caused circulation patterns and fronts that significantly influenced the transport and fate of Deepwater Horizon oil. Read More

Classroom MaterialsFact SheetsSea Grant Fact Sheet: Sea Grant Releases Brochure on Oil Spill’s Mental Health Impacts Oil Spill’s Mental Health Impacts

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team released a new informational brochure about how the Deepwater Horizon oil spill affected the mental health of some Gulf Coast residents. They reviewed published science and worked with experts to develop this brochure for a broad range of audiences, particularly those who live and work across the Gulf Read More