Author Archives: Suzanne Shean

Lesson Plan (Grades 9-12): Deep-Sea Bioluminescence, Hydrothermal Vents, and Food Webs

DEEPEND

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Free, downloadable classroom materials covering topics ranging from bioluminescence,  marine environments, hydrothermal vents,  food webs and Light in the deep sea – including curricula and experiment instructions.

Grades 9th – 12th
Bioluminescence
Candy Chemosynthesis
Hydrothermal Vent Food Web
Oceanographic Terms and Equipment
ROV in a Bag
Water-down Topographic Map
Marine Environments Teaching Module
Light in the Deep Sea
The BP Oil Spill and its aftermath, explored through art – presentation
The BP Oil Spill and its aftermath, explored through art – lesson plan
Adaptations Teaching Module

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Lesson Plan (Grades 6-8): BP Oil Spill and Aftermath in Marine Environments

DEEPEND

Free, downloadable classroom materials covering topics ranging from the BP Oil Spill and its aftermath explored through art, marine environments, hydrothermal vents, food webs and light in the deep sea – including curricula and experiment instructions!

Grades 6th – 8th
Hydrothermal Vent Food Web
Light at the Bottom of the Deep, Dark Ocean?
Marine Environments Teaching Module
Light in the Deep Sea
The BP Oil Spill and its aftermath, explored through art – presentation
The BP Oil Spill and its aftermath, explored through art – lesson plan
Adaptations Teaching Module

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Lesson Plan (K-5): “Taking Science Deeper” Deep-Sea Curricula, Activities, and Coloring Pages

DEEPEND_Lesson_Plans_2176Free, downloadable classroom materials covering topics ranging from bioluminescence to hydrothermal vent food webs and include curricula, experiment instructions, and coloring sheets!

Taking Science Deeper Activities
Grades K – 5

Coloring Sheet – Deep Red Medusa
Coloring Sheet – Deep Sea Squid
Coloring Sheet – Glass Squid
Coloring Sheet – Anglerfish
Coloring Sheet – Benthic Octopus
Coloring Sheet – Siphonophore

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Fact Sheet: Creating Healthy Communities to Overcome Oil Spill Disasters

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Ever wonder how individuals and communities can best recover from an oil spill? Check out our latest fact sheet.  Find out what can we do to help communities during and after an oil spill.

Human-caused disasters, such as accidental oil spills, tend to break down even the strongest communities. Impacts to human health, the environment, and the economy – whether real or perceived – may lead to additional stress and anxiety among community members.

Click here to download.

Link to SeaGrants publications.

This work was made possible in part by a grant from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and in part by the Sea Grant programs of Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Mississippi-Alabama. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.

Fact Sheet: Sea Grant Oil Spill Science Overview

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The Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team is a team of oil spill science outreach specialists to collect and translate the latest peer-reviewed research for those who rely on a healthy marine ecosystem for work or recreation. Our specialists – all trained scientists themselves – connect with audiences in person, in print, and online.

Our audiences let us know what oil spill science topics they want to learn about next! Join our mailing list to become a part of the conversation.

All of our publications, news about upcoming events, links to webinars, and videos of past presentations can be found on our website at https://gulfseagrant.org/oilspilloutreach/

Link to Factsheet PDF…

This work was made possible in part by a grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and in part by the Sea Grant programs of Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi-Alabama. The statements, findings, conclusions and recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.

Fact Sheet: Sea Turtles and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

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In April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, the largest offshore spill in U.S. history, occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. Emergency response personnel, natural resource managers, non-profit organization staff, scientists, volunteers, and many others worked together to rescue sea turtles. Sea turtles are some of the world’s most well-known endangered and threatened animals. So far, what have we learned about the impact DWH had on sea turtles in the Gulf?

THE BASICS OF THE SEA TURTLE LIFE CYCLE
Sea turtles are long-lived, air-breathing reptiles that spend most of their lives in the sea. They are highly migratory and depend on several habitats across large geographic areas throughout their life cycle. As hatchlings, sea turtles emerge from eggs located in nests on sandy beaches. Hatchlings crawl from their nests to the nearest coastal waters and swim out into the open ocean. These young turtles spend the next phase of their lives in and around convergence zones, or areas where open ocean currents come together. Here they feed and grow. As juveniles, they spend much of their time at or near the ocean surface. Click the link below for more…

Link to Factsheet PDF…

This work was made possible in part by a grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and in part by the Sea Grant programs of Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi-Alabama. The statements, findings, conclusions and recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.

Fact Sheet: Predicting the Movement of Oil

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When oil spills occur, one of the first questions is “Where will the oil go?” Pollutants, such as oil, float on the surface and move through and along with the water. Computer models are tools that help predict the path of pollutants. They help minimize oil spill impacts by estimating the landfall and movement of oil. Plans for protecting the environment, society, and the economy require reliable forecasts that predict where oil will spread in the event of a spill.

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill was the largest spill in U.S. history. About 172 million gallons of crude oil entered the Gulf of Mexico waters, causing an unprecedented threat to marine life and the environment. Determining the spill’s potential impacts and planning response strategies required getting information unique to the situation because no two oil spills are alike. Each spill occurs in a different location under different circumstances. The type and amount of oil, the proximity of oil to sensitive resources, the season, the weather, and the water currents all combine to make each spill a unique event.  Click the link below for more info…

Link to Factsheet PDF…

This work was made possible in part by a grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and in part by the Sea Grant programs of Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi-Alabama. The statements, findings, conclusions and recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.

Is It Safe? Examining Health Risks from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Fact Sheet on health risks to DwHThe 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill left many tourists and residents questioning if oil and the dispersants used to keep oil from reaching the shore could make them sick. Scientists studied the health risks of lingering chemicals from the spill.

This fact sheet covers common questions, such as:

  • Is Gulf seafood safe to eat?
  • Are beaches safe to visit?
  • Is the water safe for swimming?
  • What to do if you come in contact with oil or tar at the beach?

Link to Factsheet PDF…

This work was made possible in part by a grant from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and in part by the Sea Grant programs of Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Mississippi-Alabama. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.

GoMRI Activities Report Instructional Video Update – 2018

Instructional_video_150x192This instructional video is designed to update the previous activities report section of the GoMRI Administrative Webinar created in January 2016.  Since that time, several sections of the activities report have been modified and added to expand the collection of Consortia and Individual Project information.

For your convenience, we have displayed the full instructional video below and have created links to individual report sections to assist you.   If you have any questions that are not covered in this video, please contact your Grant Administrator regarding Sections a. through g. and the GRIIDC Data Team for sections h. and i.

Thank you…  The GoMRI Research Information System (RIS) Team.

Full Video  (13.5 minutes)

Videos of Individual Report Sections :

00:00 – Introduction and Overview
02:48 – Cruises and Workshops
02:55 – Publications
05:27 – Presentations and Posters
07:35 – Participants
09:10 – Students
10:08 – Outreach: Individual Projects and Consortia
13:01 – Data Status and Training
13:27 – Closing

ACER Consortium: Education and Outreach

Alabama Center for Ecological ResilienceThe Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER) Consortium came together to investigate how biodiversity influences an ecosystem’s ability to resist and recover from disturbance, specifically the ecosystems of the northern Gulf of Mexico to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Over the next 3 years, ACER scientists will conduct field and large scale manipulative lab experiments to: 1.) assess ecological processes (productivity, nitrogen cycling and predation), (ii) ecosystem structure (measured by density, biomass & multiple measures of biodiversity), and (iii) ecosystem services (habitat provisioning & shoreline stabilization) across a gradient of oiling exposure that resulted from the DWH incident, and 2.) investigate how the genetic, taxonomic and functional diversity influenced the northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem’s response to oiling.

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ADDOMEx Consortium: Education and Outreach

ADDOMExThe Aggregation and Degradation of Dispersants and Oil by Microbial Exopolymers (ADDOMEx) consortium is funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative to investigate the impacts of spilled oil and dispersants on the formation of an extracellular matrix called EPS (exopolymeric substances) formed by marine microbes that is thought to be instrumental in determining the fate of oil. EPS formed by marine microbes can aid in the formation of marine snow that is important in the self-cleansing capacity of natural waters. It does this by binding to and aggregating particulates, oil, and debris in the water, thus causing them to sink to the seafloor.

Marine snow has been found to aid both in the dispersal and in the sinking of oil droplets from oil spills; marine microbes and phytoplankton can even use the hydrocarbons found in the oil as a source of food! However, it is hypothesized that the addition of dispersants (used to literally disperse the oil into the water column, much like dish soap in a greasy pan) can impede the formation of marine snow. Our consortium aims to investigate these interactions to better understand how the presence of oil can trigger the formation of EPS and subsequently aid in its degradation.

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ADDOMEx Education and Outreach Site

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CARMMHA Consortium: Education and Outreach

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The scientific knowledge gained through the Consortium for Advanced Research on Marine Mammal Health Assessment (CARMMHA) research objectives will be informative to ongoing restoration efforts, resource management, and mitigation efforts aimed at reducing the effects of stressors on marine mammal populations and improving the long-term environmental health of the Gulf of Mexico.

Whether you are a student, researcher, resource manager, or local community member interested in dolphin health, you can find the resources you need to make a difference here!

The northern Gulf of Mexico is home to 22 species of marine mammals, including manatees in coastal seagrasses and dolphins and whales in estuarine, nearshore, and offshore habitats. At least 15 cetacean species were exposed to the DWH surface slick. Cetaceans that encountered the slick likely inhaled, aspirated, ingested, and/or adsorbed oil.

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CARTHE Consortium: Education and Outreach

carthe_logo3The Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment (CARTHE) studies ocean currents in the Gulf of Mexico in hopes that they will be able to predict where oil or other toxins may go in the event of a future spill.

CARTHE’s outreach program disperses our scientific results to a wide audience and interactively engages students in geoscience, mathematics and computational research. Our outreach team synthesizes our Gulf of Mexico research into interesting, accessible, educational materials and activities. They also develop partnerships with schools, universities, government agencies, science centers and museums, allowing a wide audience to use our research to explore how science and mathematics are applied to solve practical environmental problems.

If you would like to get involved in CARTHE activities, please contact our Outreach Manager, Laura Bracken, at lbracken@rsmas.miami.edu.

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CONCORDE Consortium: Education and Outreach

CONCORDECoastal River-Dominated Ecosystems (CONCORDE) scientists explore water movements and organism distributions in the northern Gulf of Mexico to see how oil and dispersants from future oil spills might impact the biota.

An important part of the scientific process—one as carefully planned as every experiment in a well-thought-out program—is how to share findings with the community who will benefit most from understanding them. The education program of CONCORDE addresses the level of public trust in science through a two-pronged approach to make sure the information produced by CONCORDE scientists gets into the right hands.

Jessie Kastler, Coordinator of Program Development at the Marine Education Center of USM’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, is engaging two specific audiences to work with CONCORDE researchers.

By targeting these two groups, teachers and fishermen, Kastler hopes to grow the local investment in the health of the Gulf across the community while spreading knowledge of CONCORDE’s work.

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Concord Overview Video:

 

CRGC Consortium: Education and Outreach

CRGCThe Consortium for Resilient Gulf Communities (CRGC) aims to reach and bridge community organizations and leaders, policy makers, and scholars by seeking to improve the understanding of and responses to hydrocarbon release disasters. By linking academic and practice institutions in our management model and integrating basic science and applied research, we will create products that are collectively used and informed by each audience.  CRGC uses an interdisciplinary approach to research and outreach activities to address a major policy issue in this region with implications for the rest of the United States:

The CRGC research and outreach is expected to result in:

  • An improved knowledge base about the ways the Deepwater Horizon oil spill has affected communities in the Gulf of Mexico region and what factors enhance or diminish resilience after the spill or similar events.
  • Evidence-based strategic planning and risk communication strategies for specific communities in areas relatively more exposed to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
  • Guidance for policy makers to identify specific actions that will mitigate future disaster impacts more effectively.

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CSOMIO Consortium: Education and Outreach

CSMIO logoThe nature of the CSOMIO project presents many opportunities for engagement with teachers, graduate and undergraduate students, K12 students, policy makers, and the general public. The primary goals of the CSOMIO Education & Outreach efforts are to provide resources and research experiences for high school students, K-12 teachers, undergraduates, and graduate students; and to communicate to the general public, legislators, and other policy makers the importance of scientific research. CSOMIO researchers are located in six locations: Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL), the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science(Cambridge, MD), Virginia Institute of Marine Science (Gloucester Point, VA), Texas A&M University (College Station, TX), and HR Wallingford (United Kingdom).

CSOMIO researchers are available to give public lectures, participate in special “science cafe” forums, make classroom presentations and community events. Visits can include an age-appropriate hands-on activity that allows the students to make connections with the concepts that are explored.  Also, building upon the Gulf of Mexico Curriculum for High School Science published by the Deep-C Consortium, CSOMIO is developing a middle school curriculum.  Please contact us if you would like to discuss an outreach event.

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CWC Consortium: Education and Outreach

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The Coastal Waters Consortium (CWC) came together in early 2012 to assess the chemical evolution, biological degradation, and environmental stresses of petroleum and dispersant within Gulf of Mexico coastal and shelf ecosystems. CWC research and education and outreach programs are funded for 3 years by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative.  The Lead Administrative unit is the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium for Research and Education (LUMCON). The Executive Director, Nancy Rabalais, is the Project Director for our research. There will be a Steering Committee of 9 out of 25 investigators to guide the overall sampling strategy and incorporation of the multidisciplinary aspects of the research plan. The Steering Committee is led by 3 executive members who were integral in the development of the overall research plan and includes key staff for Public Outreach and Education, Data Management, and development and sourcing of the project’s web site. We have assembled a Science Advisory Committee of outstanding experts on the study of coastal and marine ecosystems.

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Deep-C Consortium: Education and Outreach

Deep-C_logo

The nature of the Deepsea to Coast Connectivity in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico (Deep-C) Consortium — investigating the issues involved in understanding and protecting ecological communities in the Gulf of Mexico, and the opportunity to create models that make the interaction of the physical, chemical, and biological realms real — provide rich opportunities for engagement with teachers, graduate and undergraduate students, K12 students, policy makers, and the general public.

The primary goals of the Deep-C Education & Outreach efforts are:

  • To provide real-life Deep-C research experiences for high school students, K-12 teachers, undergraduates, and graduate students from the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana; and
  • To communicate to the general public, legislators, and other policy makers the importance of Deep-C research in the Gulf as it relates to coastal ecosystems.

Gulf of Mexico Multidisciplinary High School Curriculum
The curriculum is a 155-page book containing five modules, each representing the main research areas of the Deep-C Consortium: geomorphology, geochemistry, ecology, physical oceanography, and modeling. Each module includes five cumulative lessons, background information on the topic, relevant supplementary reading materials, a glossary, and an assessment.

For a downloadable PDF version of the curriculum, click here. For more information, click here.

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DEEPEND Consortium: Education and Outreach


DEEPEND
Deep-Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico (DEEPEND) is excited to share their science, teaching content, and exciting outreach programs with everyone over the next 3 years. Part of DEEPEND’s goal for a successful program is to have a robust education/outreach platform for anyone interested in learning more about the projects, the people and the science of the DEEPEND Consortium.

There are three prongs to our approach: The public, grades K- deepend_squirtgraduate education, and the various outreach partnerships we are building as this program launches.

  1. For Grades K-5, the “Creep into the Deep” program run through WhaleTimes, Inc. will engage students in real time with the scientists onboard research vessels as they explore the deep sea.
  2. For Grades 6-12, the “Gulf of Mexico Exploration” Teacher workshops and DEEPEND Teacher-At-Sea Program will engage secondary teachers in learning deep-ocean project content as well as taking science lessons back to the classrooms to share with students. They also have the opportunity to experience the science through participating on a research cruise with the DEEPEND Team. Workshops are held once a year (St. Petersburg, FL: Year 1) and the teachers submit applications to become one of our team members on a cruise over summer or in the fall of each year (3 teachers/year).
  3. For Undergraduate and Graduate students, there are many DEEPEND projects that will need to be completed throughout the 3-year process as well as opportunities to join the DEEPEND team on cruises. Please go to the main page for more details about individual projects.
  4. If interested in more details, please email info@deependconsortium.org

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LADC-GEMM Consortium: Education and Outreach

LADC-GEMMThe Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center – Gulf Ecological Monitoring and Modeling (LADC-GEMM) consortium scientists have been collaborating through the LADC since 2001. The team will bring to GoMRI the experience of 14 years of continuous acoustic research in the northern GoM. The LADC-GEMM consortium members include the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the University of New Orleans, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Oregon State University. The consortium’s expertise and experimental capabilities are extended through collaboration with Proteus Technologies, LLC, R2Sonic, LLC, C&C Technologies, and Seiche Measurements Limited.

The goal of the LADC-GEMM Education and Outreach team is to communicate the methods used and the results obtained to the public via presentations, teacher-training events about the technologies used, scientist-in-residence programs, web sites, videos, etc.

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RECOVER Consortium: Education and Outreach

RECOVER

The Relationships of Effects of Cardiac Outcomes in fish for Validation of Ecological Risk (RECOVER) Consortium consists of seven Co-PIs from four institutions: University of Miami, FL, University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, University of North Texas, and University of California, Riverside.

It is the mission of RECOVER to better understand the toxic effect of oil on pelagic and coastal species of fish and recognize future impacts on economies and the environment.

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Fact Sheet: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill’s Impact On Bottlenose Dolphins

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After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the public worried that the oil spill caused health problems in bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists examined the health and stranding patterns of dolphins along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama and discovered oiled areas had more sick and dead dolphins than other areas.

OIL AND ITS IMPACT ON DOLPHINS

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred on April 20, 2010. The ruptured wellhead released approximately 172 million gallons of oil into Gulf of Mexico waters before responders capped it on July 19, 2010. Emergency responders used dispersants to break up oil at the sea surface and at the wellhead located almost a mile below the surface of the water

Marine mammals, like dolphins and whales, breathe air at the surface of the 2 water where oil slicks form during spills. The oil and its vapors can irritate and damage their airways and lungs. Marine mammals may also be exposed to oil by eating contaminated prey or ingesting oil from the water or sediments when feeding.

Link to Factsheet PDF…

Factsheet by: Larissa Graham, Christine Hale, Emily Maung-Douglass, Stephen Sempier, Tara Skelton, LaDon Swann, and Monica Wilson

This work was made possible in part by a grant from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and in part by the Sea Grant programs of Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Mississippi-Alabama. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.

Grad Student Snider Examines Seaside Sparrows Diet for Food Web Impacts from Oiling

Allison holds a Seaside Sparrow after a muddy day in the field. (Photo credit: Anna Perez-Umphrey)

Allison holds a Seaside Sparrow after a muddy day in the field. (Photo credit: Anna Perez-Umphrey)

Seaside Sparrows live and forage in coastal Gulf of Mexico marshlands, some of which were oiled following the Deepwater Horizon incident. Sparrows in these oiled marshes likely ingested invertebrates that were also exposed to oil. Allison Snider uses DNA analyses to investigate potential long-term changes in the diets of Seaside Sparrows following Deepwater Horizon. She hopes that her findings will provide insight into the resilience of these birds and their environment following a large-scale disturbance such as an oil spill.

Allison is a wildlife biology master’s student with Louisiana State University’s School of Renewable Natural Resources and a GoMRI Scholar with the Coastal Waters Consortium (CWC).

Her Path

Allison’s parents fueled her passion for science by giving her nature field guides, conducting experiments with her in their kitchen, and helping her grow flowers and vegetables. She enjoyed learning about different ecosystems during visits to science museums, zoos, and state parks. When she entered Central Michigan University as a freshman, she found herself torn between her two favorite subjects, English and science. However, exciting fieldwork opportunities and the potential to learn more about the natural world in the science field persuaded her, and she completed a bachelor’s degree in natural resource biology and a minor in museum studies.

Allison wasn’t sure what she wanted to do after graduation until she discovered an open position with Dr. Sabrina Taylor at Louisiana State University. Taylor and her colleague Dr. Phil Stouffer were seeking a graduate student for their CWC project researching the Deepwater Horizon incidents effects on marsh Seaside Sparrows. “I was drawn in by the unique research and how it focuses on the implications of interactions between nature and society,” explained Allison. “It is crucial to learn from our mistakes, and that’s why this is research topic is so important to me – it offers a way to make the best of a bad situation.”

Her Work

Allison checks a Seaside Sparrow after processing, which include measuring the tarsus, wing, and tail, checking for a brood patch or cloacal protuberance, and collecting various types of data. (Photo credit: Anna Perez-Umphrey)

Allison checks a Seaside Sparrow after processing, which includes measuring the tarsus, wing, and tail, checking for a brood patch or cloacal protuberance, and collecting various types of data. (Photo credit: Anna Perez-Umphrey)

Allison studies the diet of Seaside Sparrows to determine if the oil may have altered the saltmarsh food web. Allison extracts DNA from gizzard, fecal, and ligature samples collected from the sparrows during 2011-2017. Then she analyzes them using metabarcoding to target a short DNA region common to many different organisms called the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I or COI. Because the technique uses a common DNA region, she is able to analyze many prey species in a single sample at the same time.

She identifies the COI region of each prey found in a dietary sample and amplifies it to identify small differences in their genetic sequences, which she compares to online sequence databases and identifies the prey’s exact species. Once she completes the DNA analysis and prey identification, Allison will use this information to compare the dietary compositions of birds in oiled and unoiled saltmarshes and identify differences between their long-term dietary habits.

“What is so exciting to me about my research and about the Gulf overall is that I get to dive into this big, complicated system and try to understand the place of a single species in the bigger picture,” said Allison. “I am humbled to study an important system that people all along the Gulf Coast rely on.”

Her Learning

Allison snapped this photo of (front to back) Anna Perez-Umphrey, Megan Hart, and Tyler Williams watching dolphins as they hunted close to shore. (Photo credit: Allison Snider)

Allison snapped this photo of (front to back) Anna Perez-Umphrey, Megan Hart, and Tyler Williams watching dolphins as they hunted close to shore. (Photo credit: Allison Snider)

Many of Allison’s most memorable moments during her research experience occurred while working in the field. The long days and deep concentration often required for successful fieldwork can be exhausting. However, Allison found that encountering unexpected animals in the marsh and bay helped her see the big picture. She recalled that early one morning, a pod of dolphins began hunting a few meters from the marsh edge just as she and her team members pulled their boat ashore. “The entire crew stood completely still. I turned away from the dolphins for just a moment to see if my friends were watching the frenzy,” recalled Allison. “Seeing the looks of wonder and amazement on their faces was incredible, and I think it really is the heart of why we’re doing the research that we’re doing.”

Allison believes that these types of experiences helped her realize that science is not an isolated practice but something that occurs across academic disciplines for the benefit of all. “No matter our backgrounds, we’re united by a drive to see how we can learn from the Deepwater Horizon disaster and move forward in a constructive way,” she said. “It’s a privilege to work alongside my colleagues and all of the scientists in the GoMRI program.”

Her Future

Allison weighs a Seaside Sparrow nestling. (Photo credit: Allison Snider)

Allison weighs a Seaside Sparrow nestling. (Photo credit: Allison Snider)

Allison hopes to find a position with a state department where she can apply her research in a policy-focused role. She suggests that students considering a scientific career not worry about following one specific path, as there is no one “right” way to enter a scientific field. “One of the great things about my graduate work has been meeting people with a variety of backgrounds and experiences,” she said. “Don’t compare yourself to others, because everyone has different starting points and end goals. Learn from the diversity, appreciate it, but don’t hold yourself to someone else’s path.”

Praise for Allison

Dr. Taylor described Allison as a gifted writer and bright researcher who brings good ideas and a positive attitude to her research lab. “I’m very much looking forward to seeing the results of her research,” said Taylor. “They will certainly provide a deeper understanding of the effects of the oil spill.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Allison and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the CWC website to learn more about their work.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Grad Student Shi Uses Chemical Fingerprinting to Investigate Oil in the Water Column

David uses mesocosms to simulate conditions in the natural ocean environment. (Photo credit: ADDOMEx)

David uses mesocosms to simulate conditions in the natural ocean environment. (Photo credit: ADDOMEx)

Crude oil contains tens of thousands of hydrocarbons, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that create unique chemical fingerprints for different types of oil. Dawei “David” Shi uses geochemical analysis techniques in mesocosm studies to track these fingerprints, observe how they change over time, and investigate how dispersant affects PAH concentrations in the water column.

David is a Ph.D. student with Texas A&M University’s Department of Oceanography, a researcher with the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG), and a GoMRI Scholar with the Aggregation and Degradation of Dispersants and Oil by Microbial Exopolymers (ADDOMEx) consortium.

His Path

David’s parents encouraged his early interest in science as a child growing up in southern China where his father was a physical oceanography professor. He became interested in environmental science after visiting coastal cities as a middle school and high school student. These cities were located in the fastest-developing region of China, and the local environment suffered as a result.

David attended the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology where he completed a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in environmental science. David’s application to Texas A&M University’s oceanography Ph.D. program caught the attention of Dr. Terry Wade, who thought that David’s scientific background would be perfect for his research investigating microbes’ role in oil sedimentation and degradation. Shortly afterwards, David began his Ph.D. work as a member of Wade’s lab.

His Work

While oil contains many hydrocarbons, only PAHs produce a strong fluorescent signature. PAHs typically represent a relatively fixed percentage of total petroleum hydrocarbons, allowing researchers to estimate the concentration of dissolved oil in a water sample based on its PAH concentrations. This measurement is called an estimated oil equivalent (EOE).

David takes fluorescence measurements to identify the presence of PAHs in his samples. (Provided by David Shi)

David takes fluorescence measurements to identify the presence of PAHs in his samples. (Provided by David Shi)

David investigates the role of microbes in oil sedimentation and degradation using mesocosm experiments to simulate the ocean environment. The ADDOMEx team prepares water-accommodated fractions (WAFs) and chemically enhanced WAFs (CEWAFs) by adding Macondo surrogate oil or surrogate oil plus Corexit 9500 (1:20 ratio, consistent with EPA recommendations) to seawater and filling twelve 120 L mesocosm tanks with these mixtures. The EOE in the mesocosms is 0.2-0.7 mg/L or ppm for WAF treatments and 39-81 mg/L or ppm for CEWAF treatments.

Then the team adds microbes collected with a plankton net from Galveston Bay and the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (an open ocean site in the Gulf of Mexico) to the mesocosm tanks. They collect water samples at the beginning of the experiment and every 24 hours for 72 – 96 hours thereafter and determines the EOE using total scanning fluorescence, an analytical technique that can selectively screen samples for PAH presence.

“It only takes approximately five minutes to process a sample using this technique, and it provides an approach to quickly determine the oil concentration in situ,” said David. “The main drawback of the fluorescence technique is that it provides few details about the composition of these PAHs, because their fluorescence signatures are very similar.”

David uses gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to fill in the missing information about the PAH compositions in the samples. His early results showed that low molecular weight (LMW) and high molecular weight (HMW) PAH concentrations reduced at about the same rate when dispersants were present. In trials without dispersants, LMW-PAHs vanished in about one day while HMW-PAHs persisted longer, with some compounds barely diminishing after four days. David said that this observation is important because HMW-PAH compounds are more carcinogenic than LMW-PAHs.

David believes that his preliminary results suggest that dispersant may alter the removal of PAH compounds from the water column, and he is working to characterize the nature of those alterations. He plans to conduct more mesocosm experiments that focus on the entry and removal of PAHs from sediments. “Hopefully, we will find out how much of these PAHs get into sediment and how much is biodegraded in situ,” he said. “Whether dispersants enhance oil biodegradation is still not clear, but it is an important issue and I hope my research can contribute to our understanding of it.”

His Learning

David’s research experiences have shown him the importance of cross-field training to an environmental science career. Because he analyzes data primarily from a chemistry perspective, he felt “enlightened” when he heard other researchers discuss the results in a biological context. He has enjoyed the poster sessions during Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conferences because presenters provided insights into his work. “People from different scientific backgrounds walked by and discussed my poster with me,” he explained. “Not only did I enjoy making connections to fellow scientists, sometimes the discussion itself was really inspiring and encouraged me to think outside the box.”

 

David (back row, far left) and the ADDOMEx research team in June 2016. (Provided by David Shi)

David (back row, far left) and the ADDOMEx research team in June 2016. (Provided by David Shi)

His Future

David plans to pursue a post-doc position in China followed by an academic or industry career that would allow him to use his education and expertise to improve China’s environmental conditions. He advises students considering a scientific career to engage in a wide range of sciences, “One should have a very broad understanding of all natural science fields, rather than simply focusing on one’s own discipline.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like David Shi and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the ADDOMEx website to learn more about their work.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Sea Grant Releases Boater’s Guide on Handling Oil and Fuel Spills: Now in Spanish, Vietnamese & Puerto Rican Spanish

Brochure for boater's on oil and fuel spills.

Click to download in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and  Puerto Rican Spanish.

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team released an informational brochure just in time for the summer boating season. The one-page guide gives boaters information on how to prepare for, respond to, and report an accidental oil or fuel spill on their vessels.

A Boater’s Guide to Handling Oil and Fuel Spills, which is available on waterproof paper, provides a list of products to prevent and/or contain leaking oil and fuel and contact information for authorities in every Gulf state.

Want a waterproof, hard copy of this guide?  Contact Tara Skelton, Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team member, at tara.skelton@usm.edu.

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team synthesizes peer-reviewed science for a broad range of general audiences, particularly those who live and work across the Gulf Coast. Sea Grant offers oil-spill-related public seminars across the Gulf Coast.

Information about upcoming Sea Grant science seminars and recently-held events is available here. To receive email updates about seminars, publications, and the outreach team, click here.

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GoMRI and the Sea Grant programs of the Gulf of Mexico (Florida, Mississippi-Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas) have partnered to create an oil spill science outreach program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Grad Student Rohal Examines Tiny Organisms to Understand Deep-Sea Ecosystems

Melissa identifies a copepod at the Copepod workshop in South Korea. (Provided by Melissa Rohal)

Melissa identifies a copepod at the Copepod workshop in South Korea. (Provided by Melissa Rohal)

Meiofauna provide important ecosystem services such as waste removal to the deep sea-floor environment and can act as indicators of ecosystem health. Because meiofauna live a largely sedentary life due to their small size and sediment habitat, they are often unable to escape an area affected by unusual disturbances, such as the Deepwater Horizon incident.

Melissa Rohal is investigating how oiling affects deep-sea meiofauna and how quickly their populations can recover. Her research combines community structure and function studies with modeling and socioeconomics studies to answer the question, “Do meiofauna matter?”

“There is still so much to discover and understand about the deep sea, and many of the meiofauna specimens we find in our samples are new species,” said Melissa. “Understanding the importance of these microscopic animals is becoming critical as more focus shifts to natural resources in the deep sea.”

Melissa is a Coastal and Marine System Science Ph.D. student with the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and a GoMRI Scholar with the Center for the Integrated Modeling and Analysis of Gulf Ecosystems II (C-IMAGE II).

Her Path

Melissa stands next to the multi-corer used to collect sediment samples. (Photo by Ben Prueitt)

Melissa stands next to the multi-corer used to collect sediment samples. (Photo by Ben Prueitt)

Melissa became interested in the ocean as a child during visits to her grandparents’ home on Jekyll Island, Georgia. When she realized that little is known about our oceans, she was inspired to become an oceanographer; however, she was unsure of which area of oceanography to pursue. She took a broad range of courses at Coastal Carolina University’s marine science program that introduced her to the physical, geological, biological, and chemical aspects of oceanography. She also began an internship at Ripley’s Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and assisted her professors with their research. These experiences helped her discover that, rather than wanting to work with dolphins or fish, she wanted to help solve the mysteries of the ocean depths.

Following her undergraduate career, Melissa worked in the Shores and Aquarium department of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio, and later as a marine mammal observer aboard a seismic vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. She loved being out at sea, so she applied to graduate school and accepted a position working with Dr. David Thistle at Florida State University. Her master’s work with Thistle introduced her to microscopic animals called meiofauna, which she calls her “little aliens.”

Melissa and Travis Washburn slice a sediment core for analysis. (Photo by Ben Prueitt)

Melissa and Travis Washburn slice a sediment core for analysis. (Photo by Ben Prueitt)

While at a Benthic Ecology Meeting, Melissa attended Dr. Paul Montagna’s lecture about the effects of Deepwater Horizon on benthic meiofauna and discovered that he had an open graduate student position. Hoping to remain in the benthic ecology field, Melissa contacted Montagna and began a doctoral program working in his laboratory at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. Montagna later received a GoMRI-funded grant to study the effects of the oil spill, making it possible for Melissa to focus her research on seafloor-dwelling meiofauna.

Her Work

Melissa used a three-fold approach to study the effects of oil on deep-sea meiofauna and their environment. First, she input observational data and data collected from experimental toxicity studies into a fisheries modeling software called Ecopath, which helped her understand food web connectivity in the deep-sea and identify depletions in meiofauna. Next, she collaborated with fellow C-IMAGE Ph.D. student Justine van Eenennaam in the Netherlands who ran laboratory experiments looking at the response of the benthic community to Deepwater Horizon. Justine added marine snow and Macondo source oil into an aquarium containing benthic animals and then counted the animals present, including meiofauna, 80 days later to determine how the animals were affected. She sent the results and samples from the experiment to Melissa for further study.

The crew of the 2016 C-IMAGE Mud and Blood cruise. (Provided by C-IMAGE)

Crew of the 2016 C-IMAGE Mud & Blood cruise. ( Provided by C-IMAGE)

Melissa’s current and final step examines the meiofauna’s post-spill recovery. She and her colleagues determine recovery using sediment samples collected from the 1979 Ixtoc-I oil spill site. They use a microscope to sort and count the number of meiofauna in the samples and compare the results from cores containing Ixtoc-I oil to those without. “In the lab, we essentially play a game of hide and seek as we try to find the animals in the sediment, but I’ll admit we do cheat a little bit and dye these animals pink so we can find them more easily,” joked Melissa.

Melissa’s observations about pollution in sediment around the Ixtoc-I oil spill site will serve as a significant analog for researchers estimating the long-term effects of the Deepwater Horizon incident. Her findings about deep-sea meiofauna’s loss and recovery will inform ecosystem-modeling studies and assist decision makers and response managers who handle future oil spills.

Her Learning

Melissa and the participants of the 2017 Benthic Invertebrate Taxonomy, Metagenomics, and Bioinformatics (BITMaB)workshop, sponsored by GOMRI, view copepod taxonomy. (Provided by Melissa Rohal)

Melissa and the participants of the 2017 Benthic Invertebrate Taxonomy, Metagenomics, and Bioinformatics (BITMaB)workshop, sponsored by GOMRI, view copepod taxonomy. (Provided by Melissa Rohal)

Melissa cherishes the opportunities that her research has given her to work and communicate with scientists from many disciplines and backgrounds. She attended the annual International Meiofauna Conference in South Korea and Crete, where she connected with researchers with whom she still communicates and collaborates today. “It was an eye-opening experience to meet and talk with experts and students from around the world who share the same interests. It has led to a number of international collaborations, particularly with regards to the taxonomic identification of meiofauna, for which few experts remain within the United States,” said Melissa.

Melissa participated in the NSF-sponsored East Asian and Pacific Summer Institutes for Graduate Students, an eight-week summer program that provides science and engineering graduate students from the United States the opportunity to experience research environments, science and policy infrastructure, and languages of Pacific and East Asian nations. She spent two months in South Korea with Dr. Wonchoel Lee at Hanyang University learning to identify harpacticoid copepods. “There are few harpacticoid copepod taxonomists remaining in the United States,” said Melissa. “This opportunity improved my understanding of this second-largest group of meiofauna.”

Her Future

Melissa is exploring post-doc positions and private sector opportunities and wants to use her education and experience to help the world better understand the deep sea. She says that students considering a scientific career should never be afraid to ask questions about potential research opportunities.

“If you never ask, then you will never know,” she explained. “I fulfilled my dream of going down in a submersible simply by telling a Florida State University professor that it was my dream and to please let me know if the opportunity arose. I also fostered an international collaboration by asking if anyone at the International Meiofauna Conference was interested in conducting taxonomic studies on my master’s samples with me.”

Praise for Melissa

A reunion of the Montagna meiofauna lab. (L-R) Melissa, Wonchoel Lee, Hanan Mitwally, Paul Montagna, and Jeff Baguley take a group photo after Melissa won a student presentation award at the International Meiofauna Conference 2014. Woncheol was a postdoc, and Jeff and Hanan were Ph.D. students with Paul Montagna. (Provided by Melissa Rohal)

A reunion of the Montagna meiofauna lab. (L-R) Melissa, Wonchoel Lee, Hanan Mitwally, Paul Montagna, and Jeff Baguley take a group photo after Melissa won a student presentation award at the International Meiofauna Conference 2014. Woncheol was a postdoc, and Jeff and Hanan were Ph.D. students with Paul Montagna. (Provided by Melissa Rohal)

Montagna said that Melissa was a bright, motivated, and engaging student when he met her at the Benthic Ecology Meeting and was happy when she reached out to him about completing her doctorate. Her experience with deep-sea meiofauna intrigued him because his research career had begun with meiofauna but switched to macrofauna for the last 20 years. “The idea of completing the circle by working with her was very satisfying to me. Her dissertation will blend the old with the new, because our approaches today are very different than they were 20 years ago.”

Montagna says that Melissa’s work is uncovering the importance of meiofauna to the natural world. “We are getting close to the end of her studies, and it’s becoming clear that the world would not work as well tomorrow if all the meiofauna disappear today,” he explained. “Answering this fundamental question [Do meiofauna matter?] that has stumped many over the last 50 years is a truly remarkable achievement.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Melissa Rohal and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the C-IMAGE website to learn more about their work.

The East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes student group. (Provided by Melissa Rohal)

The East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes student group. (Provided by Melissa Rohal)

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Grad Student Xue Uses Light to Characterize Oil Plume Fragmentation

Xinzhi adjusts the laser optics for particle image velocimetry experiments. (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

Xinzhi adjusts the laser optics for particle image velocimetry experiments. (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

Laser light and high-speed cameras can help researchers observe the behavior of oil droplets within a laboratory-simulated oil plume and interpret how the oil subsequently may move through the water column. Xinzhi Xue uses lasers to non-invasively probe inside the oil plume and get a detailed look at the oil fragmentation process. “This knowledge is crucial to understanding oil spill impacts and recovery and is potentially relevant to geophysical and engineering applications ranging from fuel spray in aerospace propulsion systems to inkjet printing,” he said.

Xinzhi is a Ph.D. student in Johns Hopkins University’s Mechanical Engineering Program with focus on fluid mechanics and a GoMRI Scholarwith the Dispersion Research on Oil: Physics and Plankton Studies II (DROPPS II) consortium.

His Path

 

Xinzhi conducts his research in John Hopkins University’s wind tunnel and wave tank laboratory. (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

Xinzhi conducts his research in John Hopkins University’s wind tunnel and wave tank laboratory. (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

Xinzhi’s parents, who are both engineers, sparked his interest in science. He conducted experiments with his father as a child, such as creating a paper pot capable of boiling water. Those small but fascinating scientific activities and his first trip on an airplane at age six were the greatest triggers for Xinzhi’s love of science. “It was rare at that time for kids to experience [a plane trip], because we live in a small town near the border between China and Russia,” he said. “That trip was a summation of all the [earlier] science experiments. I was amazed by everything.”

 

The laser set up in operation as former postdoc David Murphy and fellow Ph.D. student Kaushik Sampath monitor the results in the background. (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

The laser set up in operation as former postdoc David Murphy and fellow Ph.D. student Kaushik Sampath monitor the results in the background. (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

Xinzhi took an introductory fluid dynamics class as an exchange student at Purdue University and was amazed at the wide range of applications. He completed his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at China’s Harbin Institute of Technology and applied to the Ph.D. program in fluid dynamics at Johns Hopkins University where Dr. Joseph Katz is a co-Principle Investigator of a Deepwater Horizon oil spill study. Xinzhi was eager to apply his studies to a real world problem with which he personally connected. “My grandparents and parents were in the petroleum industry. Eventually life brought me petroleum-related research,” he said. “It was devastating to see the Gulf of Mexico get tremendously oil polluted during [Deepwater Horizon], not to mention the platform workers who were killed in the explosion. I felt a sense of responsibility as a researcher and engineer to make better and safer designs and provide data for predicting oil fate so responders could make well-informed decisions.”

His Work

Xinzhi analyses data from his plume experiments in his office at Johns Hopkins University. (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

Xinzhi analyses data from his plume experiments in his office at Johns Hopkins University. (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

Subsurface oil blowouts create turbulent oil plumes that quickly break up into droplets, which either rise to the surface or become trapped in the water column. Xinzhi’s previous experiments conducted alongside Dr. David Murphy and Kaushik Sampath found that when a crude oil plume interacts with the surrounding water moving around its escape point, the plume that forms consists of whirlpool-like flows that significantly affect how oil droplets are distributed. When mixed with chemical dispersant, crude oil plumes generate dramatically smaller droplets that are more easily entrained in large-scale vortex structures. His current research focuses on better understanding the mechanisms driving plume fragmentation.

Xinzhi illuminates the oil plume with a laser and then uses florescent and particle image velocimetry to observe the distribution of the plume’s oil phase and calculate the flow velocity field inside and outside the plume. When analyzing liquid-liquid flows (such as crude oil in sea water), optical diagnostics are limited when the two liquids’ refractive indexes (the extent that light bends when entering a material) are mismatched and cause optical distortions. Xinzhi avoids these limitations using surrogates for oil and water that have matching refractive indices. This method allows him to observe the center of the plume and quantify the oil fragmentation process in detail.

Simultaneous images of the plume depict a) oil phase fluorescence, b) velocity and vorticity distributions, and c) overlaid distributions of oil phase (white) and the strain rate magnitude. (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

Simultaneous images of the plume depict a) oil phase fluorescence, b) velocity and vorticity distributions, and c) overlaid distributions of oil phase (white) and the strain rate magnitude. (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

He has found that as oil plumes develop, they often entrain ambient water, which then becomes encapsulated inside oil ligaments and forms hollow, water-filled oil droplets that his team refers to as “Russian doll” droplets. These multilayer droplets often act significantly different than simple droplets because their changed buoyancy affects their movement through the water. Xinzhi said that the subsequent transport of multilayer droplets is distinct from the surrounding oil and that dispersion models should account for this phenomenon. “The presence of Russian doll droplets can change the surface area between oil and water, making them potentially important when considering the gas diffusion and heat transfer aspect of oil droplets in the subsurface environment,” he explained.

Xinzhi hopes that his previous research on dispersant and oil plumes can help improve concentration guidelines for future dispersant deployments. His work could also provide experiment data and dynamics for liquid atomization, droplet breakup, and collision statistics, which could help future responders better understand oil breakup and how previously unexplored phenomenon, such as “Russian doll” droplets, affect the oil fragmentation process.

His Learning

Xinzhi operates the towing tank carriage. (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

Xinzhi operates the towing tank carriage. (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

The most valuable lesson Xinzhi learned from his advisor is the importance of doubt. When presenting Katz with his experiment plans, Xinzhi faced questions from Katz about the logic behind his plan and its potential faults. Although the process was often stressful and frustrating, it taught him how to improve as a researcher. “It is that spirit of doubt and curiosity that leads us to concrete facts and drives people closer to the truth,” he said. “I now always ask myself those same probing questions.”

One of Xinzhi’s favorite memories is when he showed Katz the jet fragmentation data he collected using a high-magnification high-speed camera. It was the first detailed quantitative data of the plume’s center and best representation of the Russian doll droplets. Katz’s first reaction was to praise the beauty of the images before addressing their scientific aspects. Xinzhi explained, “Nothing compares with nature revealing its beauty before your eyes for the first time. It gave me a great appreciation for my work after all those late nights in the lab.”

His Future

An overlaid image depicts the distribution of oil phase (white) and velocity vector (blue). Red circles identify significant entrainment inside the larger coherent structure (green circles). (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

An overlaid image depicts the distribution of oil phase (white) and velocity vector (blue). Red circles identify significant entrainment inside the larger coherent structure (green circles). (Provided by Xinzhi Xue)

Xinzhi hopes to apply the technology and management skills he gained through his Ph.D. and GoMRI research to a position in academia, consulting, or industry. He wants to inspire the next generation of scientists the way that science and engineering inspired him. Xinzhi related his aspirations to musical conductor Benjamin Zander’s theory that a conductor’s power comes from his ability to make others powerful and put a shine in their eyes. “I’ve seen Hopkins professors’ shining eyes when talking about their research,” he said. “I hope I’ll also be someone who has shining eyes and makes other peoples’ eyes light up.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Xinzhi Xue and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the DROPPS website to learn more about their work.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Video: New Research Tactics for Mahi-Mahi Tagging

A mahi is loaded into a recovery tank after tagging. (Provided by RECOVER)

A mahi is loaded into a recovery tank after tagging. (Provided by RECOVER)

Data and pictures from before and after a disaster help us understand the impacts of an event; however, the “before” is not always available. Researchers with the Relationships of Effects of Cardiac Outcomes in fish for Validation of Ecological Risk (RECOVER) consortium have found through oil-exposure laboratory studies that the Deepwater Horizon incident may have negatively affected mahi-mahi’s heart function, vision, and swim performance. To get the “before” data on mahi-mahi behavior, the researchers are using data-collecting tags to explore how the fish behave in the wild under typical conditions for comparison studies.

Researchers work together to lower a mahi into an oxygenated bin that will help keep the fish healthy during the tagging process. (Provided by RECOVER)

Researchers work together to lower a mahi into an oxygenated bin that will help keep the fish healthy during the tagging process. (Provided by RECOVER)

During a recent expedition, researchers aboard the R/V Walton Smith used a new tag-and-release strategy for mahi-mahi. Tagged fish were held in 1,320-gallon tanks for 24 hours, allowing the fish to recover from angling and handling stress. Because tags used in previous expeditions have not stayed with the fish longer than 10 days, the team hypothesized that the increased recovery time before release would improve tag retention and fish survivability. The most recent feedback proved this hypothesis to be correct as tag retention more than doubled. The pop-up satellite archival tags that the researchers are using collect acceleration information (which helps determine if the fish is spawning) as well as water temperature, depth, and migration data. The team hopes to collect up to 96 days of data using this new tactic.

PhD student Lela Schlenker holds a device used to outfit captured mahi with data-collecting tags. (Provided by RECOVER)

PhD student Lela Schlenker holds a device used to outfit captured mahi with data-collecting tags. (Provided by RECOVER)

The concept may seem simple at first, but catching, tagging, holding, and releasing these large fish is challenging. Miss Britt Charters, an experienced Miami-based fishing charter, accompanied the R/V Walton Smith on their recent expedition. The charter’s crew used their fishing experience to identify schools of mahi, then relayed that information to the R/V Walton Smith crew, who traveled to the location.

Anglers from the RECOVER team onboard Miss Britt hooked mahi using rods and reels and sent the hooked lines to the research team. Then the research team guided each fish into a sling, carried it across the deck of the vessel, and placed the sling and fish into a shallow tank of oxygenated water. Once there, the researchers de-hooked, measured, and tagged each fish before moving it into a recovery tank onboard the vessel. This process typically took less than two minutes to complete from sling to recovery tank. Once the 24-hour recover period ended, the researchers used the sling to return the fish to the sea.

John Stieglitz and Lela Schelnker release a mahi back into the ocean after tagging and recovering for 24 hours. (Provided by RECOVER)

John Stieglitz and Lela Schelnker release a mahi back into the ocean after tagging and recovering for 24 hours. (Provided by RECOVER)

The expedition successfully tagged and released nine adult mahi. Since the tagging, all tags have detached and are transmitting the collected data to satellites, and an extensive amount of data now awaits detailed analyses. “This is the first time an experiment like this has been done, and it’s incredible to see fish swim off healthy at the end of it,” said RECOVER Ph.D. student Lela Schlenker, the lead scientist on the expedition. “It’ll be exciting to see where these fish go, how they travel, and what sort of environments they’re in. This is really important information for managing mahi-mahi and learning more about their ecology.”


A trailer for an upcoming documentary highlighting the team’s innovative research efforts.
(Credit: RECOVER)

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This research was made possible in part by a grant from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) to the Relationship of Effects of Cardiac Outcomes in Fish for Validation of Ecological Risk (RECOVER) consortium.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Grad Student Bhalerao Analyzes Food Webs of Horse Fly Larvae to Assess Marsh Health

Devika and Chinmay Tikhe floating tabanid larvae out of marsh sediments. (Photo by Claudia Husseneder)

Devika and Chinmay Tikhe floating tabanid larvae out of marsh sediments. (Photo by Claudia Husseneder)

Greenhead horse fly larvae are the top invertebrate predator in the Spartinamarshes along the Gulf of Mexico coastline. Adult and larval horseflies exhibited reduced genetic variation and population declines in oiled marshes after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which suggests that these organisms could be an indicator species for post-spill marsh health. Devika Bhalerao uses DNA analyses to identify organisms important to the larvae’s survival and determine if oiling alters the presence of various organisms in the food web. Her findings will help develop analytical tools that ecologists can use to evaluate the health of tidal marshes.

Devika is an entomology master’s student at Louisiana State University (LSU) and a GoMRI Scholar with the GoMRI-funded project A Study of Horse Fly (Tabanidae) Populations and Their Food Web Dynamics as Indicators of the Effects of Environmental Stress on Coastal Marsh Health led by Lane Foil and Claudia Husseneder.

Her Path

Devika Bhalerao. (Photo by Claudia Husseneder)

Devika Bhalerao. (Photo by Claudia Husseneder)

Devika’s love for biology began when her mother taught biology to local children in Devika’s childhood home of India. Devika discovered a more focused interest in molecular biology and genomic research while studying as a microbiology undergraduate student at Pune University in India. She gained more genomics experience through the Pune University microbiology master’s program where she used metagenomics to decode the microbiome of the rural Indian population.

Devika attended a presentation about using metagenomics in insect systems given by Chinmay Tikhe, a Ph.D. student in Dr. Claudia Husseneder’s LSU Agricultural Center lab. She contacted Husseneder to learn more about their project and the use of metagenomics to describe the food web of horsefly larvae in Louisiana marshes. “The prospect of using the latest techniques such as next-generation sequencing and metagenomics bioinformatics to figure out how the marsh ecosystem functioned made me excited about this research,” she said. Devika joined the Husseneder lab in spring 2015 as an entomology master’s student.

Her Work

A greenhead horse fly larva. (Photo by Claudia Husseneder)

A greenhead horse fly larva. (Photo by Claudia Husseneder)

Devika analyzes the greenhead horse fly larval food web to identify organisms in marsh soil that are important for sustaining this top invertebrate predator. She extracts DNA from the larvae’s gut contents and the surrounding sediments from oiled and unoiled marshes and multiplies a specific DNA region called the 18SrRNA gene using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification technique. She then applies next-generation sequencing to the 18SrRNA gene and compares the resulting sequences to a gene database to identify the organisms present in the gut contents and sediment. This information helps her analyze which organisms in the marsh soil are important for sustaining the greenhead horse fly larvae.

An adult greenhead horse fly. (Photo by Claudia Husseneder)

An adult greenhead horse fly. (Photo by Claudia Husseneder)

Devika’s research has shown that most species that are present in the larvae’s gut contents belong to insect and fungi families. Her next steps will compare food webs from oiled and unoiled areas to identify if any food web components are missing from oiled marshes. She and her colleagues will use the bioindicators that she identifies to develop a cost-efficient and user-friendly PCR tool capable of determining marsh health.

“My research is the first study of an apex invertebrate predator food web in coastal Spartina marshes with the purpose of identifying the food web’s key elements,” said Devika. “Since greenhead horse flies are associated with Spartina marshes spanning from Texas to Nova Scotia, this study could develop techniques that can monitor the health of coastal marshes across the entire eastern United States.”

Her Learning

Working in Husseneder’s lab taught Devika how difficult it can be to collect larvae in the field. The collection process requires the entire team to devote considerable amounts of time, diligence, and patience to processing many buckets of sediment for only a few larvae. She considers attending the 2017 Benthic Invertebrates, Metagenomics, and Bioinformatics (BITMaB) workshop organized by GoMRI researcher Dr. Kelley Thomas to be the greatest advantage she experienced as a member of the GoMRI scientific community. “The workshop was a game changer in my research,” she said. “I could use the techniques I learned at the workshop to conduct the bioinformatics of my study myself. In my pursuit to acquire advanced molecular techniques, learning to use Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) techniques was the cherry on the cake.”

Devika standing by her poster at an entomology conference. (Provided by Claudia Husseneder)

Devika standing by her poster at an entomology conference. (Provided by Claudia Husseneder)

Devika has won several awards for her poster and oral presentations, including the 2016 International Congress of Entomology’s Graduate Student Poster Competition award for ecology and population dynamics and a travel award for the LSU Coastal Connections Competition. “The presentation that won me the travel award was extremely challenging, because I had to explain my entire research in three minutes in layman’s terms using only two slides without animation,” she said. She also won the Outstanding Masters Oral Presentation Competition at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Branch of the Entomological Society of America. “This award was memorable because later at an informal meeting one of the judges commended me on my presentation and said that it stood out,” recalls Devika.

Her Future

Devika plans to pursue a Ph.D. program that uses her molecular biology skills. She advises students considering a career in science to find ways to expand their skill sets. “Keep updating your current skill set and acquiring new skills in your field and stay abreast of the latest research in fields besides your own,” she said. “It can open avenues to apply your skill sets in new systems.”

Praise for Devika

Husseneder described Devika as a bright and dedicated student with a knack for figuring things out – a perfect fit for a project handling massive amounts of data and statistics. Even after the BITMaB workshop ended, Devika continued teaching herself how to use the complex statistics associated with environmental metagenomics, which she shares with students from other departments. She also teaches undergraduate students and fellow graduate students how to use DNA sequencing to identify arthropods found in marshes. “Devika is an invaluable part of our team,” said Husseneder.

Devika (middle row, center) and Husseneder (middle row, far right) pose for a group photo with their research team. (Photo by Claudia Husseneder)

Devika (middle row, center) and Husseneder (middle row, far right) pose for a group photo with their research team. (Photo by Claudia Husseneder)

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Devika Bhalerao and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Sea Grant Publication Summarizes Where Deepwater Horizon Oil Went

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team released an informational publication that discusses the locations where approximate amounts of oil went after the Deepwater Horizon spill.

The publication Deepwater Horizon: Where did the oil go? summarizes what researchers have discovered about where the spilled oil traveled and what processes carried it along its path. Included are response actions and natural biological processes that affected oil fate. Even though scientists have discovered much concerning the fate of the oil, 11 to 25 percent of it remains as unaccounted.

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team synthesizes peer-reviewed science for a broad range of general audiences, particularly those who live and work across the Gulf Coast. Sea Grant offers oil-spill-related public seminars across the Gulf Coast.

Contact a Sea Grant oil spill specialist to receive email updates about seminars and publications.

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GoMRI and the Sea Grant programs of the Gulf of Mexico (Florida, Mississippi-Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas) have partnered to create an oil spill science outreach program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

RFP-V Researcher Dr. Sunshine Van Bael Hosts Workshops for Elementary and Middle School Aged Kids

Dr. Van Bael talks with students during one of her summer workshops. Photo Credit: Sunshine Van Bael

Dr. Van Bael talks with students during one of her summer workshops. Photo Credit: Sunshine Van Bael

Dr. Sunshine Van Bael, principal investigator of the RFP-V project Chemical Evolution and Plant-Microbe Degradation of Petroleum in Saline Marsh Plants and Soil, and her colleagues recently hosted a series of workshops in Louisiana for nearly 140 elementary and middle school-aged kids. The workshops were part of Dr. Van Bael’s outreach efforts to teach students about the coasts and the challenges facing them due to global changes and oil spills.

Dr. Van Bael’s RFP-V project focuses on bacteria and fungi that live in salt marsh grasses called endophytes (specifically Spartina alterniflora). She is working to understand what happens to these endophytes when they are exposed to oil, including if they play a role in helping degrade it. The project has two components: a field effort to collect samples and analyze them in the lab to improve understanding of the bacteria and fungi and a modeling effort to better predict how endophytes move in water.

The first workshop, called “My Pet Endophyte,” relates to Dr. Van Bael’s RFP-V research. The kids participated in a nature walk where they learned about fungi, bacteria, Spartina, and endophytes. They each collected a leaf or a flower during their walk, which they took back to the lab where they learned to isolate the endophytes and plate them, just like scientists do. They then got to take their “pet” endophyte plate home and watch what happened over the course of a week or two. Check out Dr. Van Bael’s blog post and pictures to find out more.

The second workshop focused on coastal ecology and decision making. The activity is modeled after the state of Louisiana’s Master Plan for Coastal Protection and challenged the students to make their own “Kid Master Plan for Coastal Management.” They were split into groups of three, each acting as either a city planner, an engineer, or a marsh ecologist. The teams had to build their own Mississippi River Delta, including levees, out of Play-Doh, sand, sponges, rocks, and sticks they collected. They also had to decide where to place the city of New Orleans and Grand Isle to protect it in the event of sea level rise, river flooding, and a hurricane. Throughout each of the three challenges, the kids, acting in their roles as city planner, engineer, or marsh ecologist, discussed what they saw happening to their cities and how they might adjust their designs to protect them. In the end, the winning team was selected by one of the students acting as the governor. The curriculum for this workshop was developed by Dr. Van Bael, Dr. Emily Farrer, Dr. Kim Mighell, and Emma Tower. Contact Dr. Van Bael if you would like a copy of the activity.

Dr. Van Bael and her colleagues host similar workshops for elementary and middle school-aged kids each fall and spring. Her goal is to teach kids about the challenges facing the coasts and show them that all kinds of people are needed to help solve them. For more information about Dr. Van Bael’s research, and to follow along with her outreach activities, please visit her Lab Website here.

Smithsonian Features Research about Brittle Stars Helping Coral Recover from Oil Spill

Brittle sea stars cling to deep sea coral. Photo Credit: ECOGIG

Brittle sea stars cling to deep sea
coral.  Photo Credit: ECOGIG

Smithsonian’s Ocean Portal recently released a new article in partnership with the Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf (ECOGIG) consortium called A Brittle Star May Be a Coral’s Best Friend. Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, ECOGIG researchers began studying the impacts of oil on deep sea corals. They noticed a particular type of brittle sea star, Asteroschema clavigerum, gathering on healthy portions of the octocoral Paramuricea biscaya. Scientists wondered if the brittle sea stars were avoiding damaged portions of the coral or if they were protecting them from contamination. They found that, in fact, the brittle sea stars are helping to protect corals from the impacts of oil by eating descending materials, including oil contaminants, so that they don’t accumulate on the corals’ branches.

Read the article A Brittle Star may be a Coral’s Best Friend to learn more about the mutually beneficial relationship of brittle stars and coral.

 

GoMRI and the Smithsonian have a partnership to enhance oil spill science content on the Ocean Portal website.

This research was made possible in part by a grant from BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) to the Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf (ECOGIG).

The GoMRI is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies.  An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research.  All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available.  The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP.  For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010-2018 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Influence of River Fronts on Oil Spill Transport (GOMRI) – Satellite-Drifters Study

4738In April 2017, GoMRI researchers collaborated on a field experiment focused on better understanding how oil movement and transport is impacted by river fronts. Led by RFP-V investigator Dr. Villy Kourafalou (University of Miami (UM)) and Dr. Tamay Özgökmen (UM and principal investigator of the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment (CARTHE)), the experiment featured satellites, drones, research vessels, and drifters working together to track how leaking oil from the former Taylor Energy Site interacts with the open ocean and the Mississippi River Delta, called the Mississippi-TaylorOcean Convergence Zone. Findings from the experiment are improving scientists’ ability to more accurately track transport and oil thickness near river fronts. The field study was led by WaterMapping LLC, who, with contributions from the University of South Florida and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, produced a video describing the experiment. Check it out below.

Grad Student Wang Quantifies Ocean Model Uncertainty to Improve Prediction Accuracy

Shitao generates a visualization comparing satellite observational data to model simulations. (Photo by Suzhe Guan)

Shitao generates a visualization comparing satellite observational data to model simulations. (Photo by Suzhe Guan)

Researchers use numerical models to simulate oil spill scenarios and predict where oil will go, but the many factors that affect the oil’s path create uncertainty in the predictions. Shitao Wang quantifies the uncertainty of ocean models to gauge the reliability of oil fate predictions. “It’s like a weather prediction. Instead of saying whether or not it will rain tomorrow, forecasters give you an estimation of how likely it is that it will rain tomorrow,” he explained. “While we can’t say for sure that the oil will transport to a certain place, we can say if there is a 10% or even 80% chance.”

Shitao is a Ph.D. student with the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and a GoMRI Scholar with the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment II (CARTHE II).

His Path

Shitao would often watch the sea in his coastal hometown of Qingdao in northeast China. He developed an interest in studying the ocean and enrolled in the Ocean University of China as a marine technology undergraduate student. While completing his bachelor’s degree, he also pursued his interest in computers and incorporated as many computer science classes as possible into his studies. He also spent time in 2010 as an exchange student in Taiwan at I-Shou University’s electrical and information engineering program. “Studying oceanography, especially the modelling aspect of oceanography, is the natural progression of my personal interest and my academic background,” said Shitao.

He applied to the ocean modelling master’s program at the University of Miami in 2012 and joined Dr. Mohamed Iskandarani, who is conducting CARTHE research that improves material transport predictions. Shitao continues his CARTHE research as a Ph.D. student to reduce the margin of error in oil fate predictions.

His Work

Shitao (middle) helped develop a plan for an interactive citizen science website centered on Tampa Bay, including live Q&A sessions with experts during ongoing disasters like sewage runoff or oil spills. (Provided by C-IMAGE)

Shitao (middle) helped develop a plan for an interactive citizen science website centered on Tampa Bay, including live Q&A sessions with experts during ongoing disasters like sewage runoff or oil spills. (Provided by C-IMAGE)

Uncertainty in ocean models comes from two main sources: the initial conditions (the point at which the model simulation begins) and physical variables such as wind and waves. Shitao uses a technique called ensemble forecasting to quantify uncertainty. He runs the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) under different conditions and analyzes the results to determine the likelihood of certain outcomes, such as for hurricanes or oil spills.

Shitao uses data gathered during the simulation along with Archiving, Validating, and Interpolating Satellite Ocean (AVISO) data to verify and correct the model’s projections. He conducts sensitivity analyses to determine which factors are the principle contributors to the model’s uncertainty. Researchers can use this information to identify which parameters require more attention to improve model output. “This information can inform almost everything related to decision making and helps decision makers assess how they’re going to handle the situation,” he said.

His Learning

Shitao (center right) volunteered at the CARTHE booth during Rock the Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, FL. (Provided by CARTHE)

Shitao (center right) volunteered at the CARTHE booth during Rock the Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, FL. (Provided by CARTHE)

Shitao’s interactions with other researchers have helped connect him to the bigger picture of his research. Iskandarani’s guidance kept him focused on his work’s purpose when he became engrossed in the details of his research. Shitao felt even more deeply connected to his research as he improved his ability to communicate his work to others. CARTHE All-Hands Meetings and annual Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem conferences gave him opportunities to communicate with prominent researchers in his field. Student activities and outreach programs taught him the skills to communicate with the public. “These activities connect me to the purpose of my work, and my advisor and fellow researchers connect me to the ‘why’ when the ‘what’ and ‘how’ are insurmountable,” Shitao said.

 

 

 

His Future

Shitao plans to join Uber this fall as a data scientist developing algorithms for improved customer service, leveraging his quantitative background and problem solving abilities. He said, “I am excited to help people move conveniently through the city and improve our community and world by making transportation as reliable as running water – everywhere for everyone.”

Shitao advises students pursuing a scientific career to keep their minds focused on the big picture. He explained that he struggled through the beginning of his research because he focused too much on the details. “The purpose of the research is much more important than the minute details because this is the big driver of your career,” he said. “You have to be able to see the purpose before you dive into the details.”

The CARTHE team at the University of Miami taking a short pause from writing papers to celebrate their successful experiments and publications. (Provided by CARTHE)

The CARTHE team at the University of Miami taking a short pause from writing papers to celebrate their successful experiments and publications. (Provided by CARTHE)

Praise for Shitao

Iskandarani said that Shitao is a hard-working and responsible student whose thorough work helped the project make rapid progress quantifying uncertainty in oil plume and ocean model outputs. He noted Shitao’s positive response to criticism as one of his most valuable traits. “Shitao always displayed an open mind about criticism and suggestions, which made his work more rigorous and deepened his understanding of many technical issues,” he said. “In turn, he was very generous with his knowledge and shared with anyone who asked for his help.”

Iskandarani also highlighted Shitao’s friendly and adventurous personality, which over time transformed Shitao’s office into an unofficial meeting place for daily teatimes with his fellow graduate students. He noted that, in contrast to his quieter teatime activities, Shitao is also an avid adventurer and adrenaline seeker. “It worried me to no end when I learned, through a Facebook post, that he went parachuting,” reflected Iskandarani. “I was enormously relieved that he landed safely.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Shitao Wang and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the CARTHE website to learn more about their work.

************

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

RECOVER Enlists Professional Anglers for Mahi Tagging Experiment

RECOVERThis RECOVER Consortium experiment uses satellite tags attached to adult mahi to help determine if consortium experiments could be replicated in the wild. Experienced anglers can help increase the amount of fish researchers catch in a day and reduce stressful fight times on the line to ensure that the tagged fish are as healthy as possible.

Click for more details…

CARTHE Prepares for Year Two of Bay Drift Project

CARTHE Consortium spent the day celebrating one successful year of the citizen science project #baydrift at Vizcaya museum and Gardens in Miami.

CARTHE Consortium spent the day celebrating one successful year of the citizen science project #baydrift at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami. Photo credit CARTHE.

The Bay Drift Project is a citizen-science experiment that uses drift cards to help determine the origins of the trash that washes up on the Vizcaya Museum and Garden’s shoreline. CARTHE Consortium representatives and Vizcaya hosted an event to highlight results from the project’s first year and to prepare drift cards and identify goals for the project’s second year.

Click for more details….

Visit the #baydrift project

Grad Student Malone Uses Engineering Skills to Put Pressure on Oil

Karen operates a high-pressure test center. (Provided by Hamburg University of Technology)

Karen operates a high-pressure test center. (Provided by Hamburg University of Technology)

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident highlighted new challenges and science gaps in our understanding of and ability to respond to deep-water oil releases.  Of particular importance is how highly pressurized oil and gas behaves in a deep-sea environment.  Karen Malone uses her engineering background to build high-pressure tanks that replicate deep-sea conditions in a laboratory so she can observe how pressure and temperature influence the behavior of oil droplets. Her findings will help responders and researchers predict the fate of oil and gas in the event of another deep-sea spill.

Karen is a Ph.D. student in the Hamburg University of Technology’s (TUHH) mechanical engineering program and a GoMRI Scholar with the Center for the Integrated Modeling and Analysis of Gulf Ecosystems II (C-IMAGE II).

Her Path

Karen grew up in Germany near the Wadden Sea, a North Sea intertidal zone where Wattwandern (walking several miles offshore or to islands at low tide) was a popular activity. However, after the 1998 Pallas cargo shipwreck caused one of Germany’s largest oil spills, she remembers being warned against the toxic oil slicks and finding dead birds along the shoreline. Twenty years later, Karen says it is still possible to find tar balls in the area’s beaches and tidelands. “When I heard about the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill, those childhood memories sprang to my mind along with the perception that it would cause damage far beyond what I witnessed in the North Sea,” she said.

Karen completed a bachelor’s degree in engineering at TUHH and then entered the university’s mechanical engineering masters’ program, where she heard about their involvement with the C-IMAGE group. Although Karen’s mechanical engineering background did not include studies on ocean currents and oil-degrading bacteria, the consortium’s interdisciplinary aspects and exciting student research opportunities fascinated her. She completed her masters’ degree in 2013 and joined the C-IMAGE research team as a mechanical engineering Ph.D. student. “I was hooked by the relevancy of the research,” said Karen. “The project offered the unique possibility to utilize my engineering skills to contribute to society and nature conservation.”

Her Work

Karen mounts the experimental module for oil-and-gas jet investigations. (Provided by Hamburg University of Technology)

Karen mounts the experimental module for oil-and-gas jet investigations. (Provided by Hamburg University of Technology)

Karen designs and maintains the high-pressure tanks and experimental modules that her group uses for experiments, including a complete refit and reassembly of their lab. She investigates how temperature and water depth affect the behavior of oil and gas spilled from a sub-sea well. First, she releases a steady plume of oil into the water-filled high-pressure tanks to simulate conditions in the deep-sea environment during the spill. She then takes endoscopic measurements of the plume to assess the distribution of oil droplet size as droplets travel upward through the water column.

So far, Karen observed that oil stored without gaseous components (dead oil) behaved differently than the gas-saturated oil inside of a well (live oil), particularly in terms of droplet size distribution. Droplet size distribution depended strongly on the pressure drop near the wellhead and whether and how much oil was over-saturated with gas. Compared to larger droplets, smaller droplets rose to the sea surface more slowly, which increased the likelihood for microbial biodegradation as they travel up the water column. Slowly rising droplets are also easier for ocean currents to sweep up and transfer to other areas of the Gulf, increasing their area of impact. Furthermore, the gases that are present in live oil make droplets lighter, enhancing their buoyancy. Understanding these differences in behavior and droplet size distribution can help responders predict how oil will move and evolve through the water column.

A comparison of “dead” (left) and “live” (right) oil jets generated in the pressure lab. (Provided by Hamburg University of Technology)

A comparison of “dead” (left) and “live” (right) oil jets generated in the pressure lab. (Provided by Hamburg University of Technology)

Karen has also observed how pressure (water depth), temperature, and certain physicochemical oil properties may significantly influence the behavior of oil and droplet size distribution. While pressure changes barely affected dead oil, high-pressure conditions significantly affected the gases in live oil, causing oil droplets to rise more quickly. Conversely, Karen’s team also observed that methane gas often created a hydrate crust around gas bubbles that slowed their velocity. Colder temperatures at depth increased the viscosity of live oil, which produced slightly larger droplets that rise more slowly.

Though her research is ongoing, the data and knowledge that Karen’s team produce will contribute to the modeling efforts of the C-IMAGE near- and far-field groups to help predict the fate and behavior of spilled oil and gas. “The uncertainties in Deepwater Horizon response showed the large knowledge gap regarding the deep-sea nature of this spill,” said Karen. “[The behavioral differences between live oil and dead oil are] almost non-existent at sea-surface conditions. As previous experimental work in this area has only been done at surface conditions, these effects have not been observed before.”

Her Learning

Working with her advisor Dr. Dieter Krause, Karen learned how to manage a research project. She was responsible for the pressure labs and their maintenance, which taught her how to manage major test sites and organize experiments. She explained that their diverse research team introduced her to new and different methods of conducting research, “Working in an international and highly interdisciplinary collaboration has the great benefit of learning work habits from many different countries and cultures – and making good friends on the way.”

Her Future

Karen is focusing her energy on analyzing and processing her experimental data and plans to conduct additional experiments that could help answer some questions she has. She plans to graduate in early 2018 and pursue a research position where she can further develop her engineering and management skills and knowledge of multi-phase flow systems.

Praise for Karen

Karen’s poster received the James D. Watkins Award for Excellence in Research at the 2013 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference in Mobile, Alabama. (Provided by Hamburg University of Technology)

Karen’s poster received the James D. Watkins Award for Excellence in Research at the 2013 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference in Mobile, Alabama. (Provided by Hamburg University of Technology)

Krause first noticed Karen’s potential in 2011, when she developed a model for variety allocation in product development during a student project. Her model is still widely used at TUHH and is well-recognized by the group’s industry partners. He explained that, although Karen joined C-IMAGE with no experience with oil spills and hydrodynamics, she adapted quickly and became an expert in her field.

Krause also praised Karen’s knowledge and experience with administrative and financial project management. “She independently manages and operates our high-pressure lab facilities. Her design and supervision of the lab’s refit resulted in an excellent research facility that offers unequalled opportunities for future research – and stayed well within budget.”

“Karen is a very dedicated and talented researcher,” he said. “I am certain her dissertation will reflect her excellent work within C-IMAGE, and I’m looking forward to her graduation next year.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Karen Malone and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the C-IMAGE website to learn more about their work.

************
The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010-2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Grad Student Johnson Uses Amino Acids to Demystify Salt Marsh Food Webs

Jessica presents her research at the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science conference in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Michael Polito)

Jessica presents her research at the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science conference in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Michael Polito)

Salt marshes support commercially and culturally important species and are often subject to natural and human-caused stressors. Gaps in our knowledge of salt marsh food webs made management and restoration decisions difficult after the Deepwater Horizon spill. Jessica Johnson helps fill this gap using novel chemical analysis techniques to describe the diets of salt marsh organisms and trace how energy flows through the marsh ecosystem food web. Her work may help inform decision making if a future spill occurs.

Jessica is a masters’ student with the Louisiana State University (LSU) Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences and a GoMRI Scholar with the Coastal Waters Consortium II (CWC II).

Her Path

Jessica participated in the Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies program in 2010 while completing a biology undergraduate degree at Tufts University. One of the program’s activities placed her at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium to gain experience working with salt marshes and the coastal environment. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred one month after she returned to Connecticut. “The spill had a very strong impact on me because I had just studied coastal issues in the spill area and knew how much it would affect the coastal environment,” said Jessica.

Jessica graduated from Tufts and worked in a Massachusetts genomics laboratory to gain practical research experience before pursuing graduate school. Although her position did not involve marine ecology, she kept herself close to the water through volunteer work for the Charles River Watershed Association and an internship with the New England Aquarium. While she worked, the oil spill was constantly at the back of her mind, and she wondered how that event had changed the coastal community in Louisiana.

Jessica saw an advertisement in 2015 for a graduate research position investigating Deepwater Horizon impacts on coastal salt marsh ecology and knew she had to pursue it. She contacted Dr. Michael Polito at LSU to learn more about the position. He encouraged her to apply for the Oceanography and Coastal Sciences graduate program, and Jessica moved to Louisiana in August 2015 to begin her CWC research.

Her Work

Jessica characterizes flow of energy between producers (such as plants, bacteria, and algae) and consumers (such as crabs and birds) from oiled and unoiled marshes using trophic biomarkers called stable isotopes. Basic analyses can determine stable isotope ratios in an organism’s tissues, which becomes a bulk geochemical signature deriving from all the fats, sugars, and proteins that the organism consumed. However, Jessica uses a compound-specific stable isotope analysis technique, which ecologists have just begun exploring for salt marsh research application, to identify the signatures of individual essential amino acids within an organism’s tissue proteins. She then identifies signatures from the food web base that show up in consumers farther up the food chain and maps how energy flows through the food web.

Jessica explains that the concept behind using stable isotopes for dietary research is “you are what you eat.” Producers can make essential amino acids themselves, but consumers cannot and must ingest them through their diets. This means that the essential amino acids found in consumer tissues ultimately come from the plant or algae source that made them. Because the geochemical signatures of amino acids do not change as they move up the food web, scientists can use this technique to observe how energy flows through a food web and whether a disturbance has altered that food web.

While Jessica can compare the energy flow of food webs in oiled and unoiled salt marshes, the lack of data pre-Deepwater Horizon makes it difficult to describe spill impacts confidently. Instead, her research helps establish a picture of what the marshes currently look like and provides responders with a clearer understanding of the way future spills may spread through and impact marsh ecosystems. “Our finished research will describe the ecology and food web of this system far better than anyone understood prior to the oil spill,” said Jessica. “I think that’s a common theme for GoMRI overall – people filling the knowledge gap they didn’t know existed until the oil spill happened.”

Her Learning

Jessica traces the flow of energy through the marsh ecosystem food web. (Provided by CWC)

Jessica traces the flow of energy through the marsh ecosystem food web. (Provided by CWC)

Jessica’s research experiences taught her that analyzing fieldwork is sometimes more difficult than conducting laboratory experiments. Although the method behind her stable isotope analyses was straightforward, interpreting her results properly and responsibly was more complicated than she anticipated. “You have to be very careful with how you interpret what you measure in the field and make sure you understand what factors are driving the patterns that you see,” explained Jessica. “You have to be very rigorous in your experimental design and the conclusions you make from your research.”

Jessica’s first semester was with CWC, and it included her first experience conducting fieldwork and participating in a group workshop to build a marsh food web model using only existing literature. She initially expected to work only with her advisor on the project, but these early experiences show her how important collaboration is to scientific research. “This is a very unique organization in that we’re all here for the same basic purpose, but we’re also all coming from different places and going different places,” she said. “I was lucky that, in my very first semester, I got to be part of a team and not just work alone.”

Her Future

Jessica will begin a Ph.D. program studying stable isotope ratios in human diets at the University of Alaska Fairbanks next spring. Her research will investigate how the techniques used in her salt marsh research can apply to more clearly and objectively describe the human diet.

She believes that a willingness to take risks is the most important trait for students considering a scientific career. “Approaching a potential advisor can be very scary, especially when you’re young, but scientists want to train people who are enthusiastic and dedicated to the science,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to show your interest, that’s how you get your foot in the door.” She also emphasized that students shouldn’t be discouraged if their risks result in failure. “If you contact someone and they’re not interested, contact ten people – it will happen. Not everyone ends up there the same way, as there are many paths to science.”

Praise for Jessica

Polito was impressed initially with Jessica’s drive, maturity, and level of interest in the project. He was a new professor looking for a student who could take charge and hit the ground running. Jessica exceeded his expectations and took on an ambitious thesis project despite having little experience with isotopes. Two years later, Polito describes her as an expert in stable isotope analysis and says that she often teaches him new things about the technique.

“She really dug into the literature, learned the nitty-gritty details of the methodology, and came out the other end with a strong and exciting thesis that pushes the techniques to their limits,” he said. “This is a really powerful and novel technique, and she’s using it in the salt marsh where it’s really never been done at this level before.” Polito credited the project’s advancement on Jessica and her hard work and talent, “She’s going to have a bright future in sciences, and I’ll be sad to see her go when she graduates.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Jessica Johnson and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the CWC website to learn more about their work.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Science at Sea: SPLASH Experiment Improves Predictions for Oil Moving toward Shore

Response decisions during Deepwater Horizon relied on forecasts of where the oil was going and when it would get there.  Researchers with the CARTHE consortium have been working to improve the information that goes into making ocean transport forecasts. The group recently completed the last of four field experiments that link the dynamics of deep ocean, shelf, and coastal surface currents, where materials such as oil or debris naturally accumulate, in a way that has never been done before. The aerial observation team (see photo – left) from the University of Brest, France measure sea surface temperature and surface roughness and take visual images of fronts. Their observations assist the ground teams to select exact locations for drifter deployments. The aerial observation team from the University of Brest, France measure sea surface temperature and surface roughness and take visual images of fronts. Their observations assist the ground teams to select exact locations for drifter deployments. Photo provided by CARTHE.

Take a look at the technology that CARTHE researchers use to answer, Where is water going to go in the ocean? Video credit:  Waterlust.

Led by chief scientist Jeroen Molemaker, CARTHE conducted a month-long (mid-April to mid-May) experiment named SPLASH (the Submesoscale Processes and Lagrangian Analysis on the Shelf) that involved hundreds of pieces of equipment and nearly as many people. SPLASH took place south of Grand Isle, Louisiana, across the shelf and shelf break, and along bays and inlets west of the Mississippi River Delta. This area has freshwater influx and complex small-scale processes, which heavily influenced where oil did and did not go during the 2010 spill, that are not well understood or represented in forecast models.  This is about to change for the better.

Click for full details about this research…..

Website: Beneath the Horizon – A Web Resource for the 1979 and 2010 Oil Spills

A map of the Gulf of Mexico that shows the Deepwater Horizon and Ixtoc spills. Image provided by C-IMAGE

A map of the Gulf of Mexico that shows the Deepwater Horizon and Ixtoc spills. Image provided by C-IMAGE
(Click to enlarge image…)

Scientists and outreach personnel created an on-line resource that examines two major oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico: The Deepwater Horizon in the northern Gulf and the Ixtoc in the southern Gulf. The Beneath the Horizon website, developed by the Center for Integrated Modeling and Analysis of Gulf Ecosystems (C-IMAGE) research group and Jake Price Productions, explores these spills, the people who coped with and responded to these disasters, and expectations for recovery.

C-IMAGE researchers have studied the tale of these two spills since 2015 with the goal of anticipating the decadal impacts in the northern Gulf through evidence found in the southern Gulf. Beneath the Horizon’s resources take a personal look at the resilience of the people living off the Gulf’s resources.

Timelines

The Deepwater Horizon timeline shows 35 significant events from the 2010 blowout. It starts with the well explosion on April 20, 2010 then moves through events such as the unsuccessful attempts to cap the well and dispersant applications. The timeline ends with the White House Oil Commission’s determination of responsible parties on January 6, 2011.

The Ixtoc I timeline shows 10 significant events from the blowout on June 4, 1979, including unsuccessful attempts to cap the well and application of dispersant. The timeline ends with the capping of the well nine months later and the spill fate report produced on April 1, 1980 by the Mexican-owned oil company, PEMEX.

Maps

Using the interactive oil spill map, you can view and compare the extent of the spills, the areas where there was loss of recreational land use, and the locations of oiled beaches.

Historic spills from around the world are featured on the map depicting the sizes of spills, the types of oil spilled, and the ongoing impacts.

Audios/Videos
Five videos and six podcasts feature scientists who have devoted their lives to studying spills and residents who lived through them.  Their first-hand accounts of experiences add the all-important human element to the research about and recovery from the Deepwater Horizon event.

Director’s Reflections

Putting together a resource like Beneath the Horizon requires getting to know the scientists who are studying these spills and the people whose lives and livelihoods were affected by these disasters.  Read the director’s personal perspective of his journeys to Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana and Mexico’s Campeche, Tabasco, and Veracruz shorelines.

Learn More

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This research was made possible in part by a grant from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) to the Center for the Integrated Modeling and Analysis of Gulf Ecosystems II (C-IMAGE II).

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Science at Sea: U.S. and Cuban Scientists Collaborate in Historic OneGulf Expedition

Gulf-wide baseline for oil pollution monitoring complete!

Marine geologist David Hollander (USF, right) instructs Cuban students on sediment core sampling techniques off northwest Cuba. Dr. Greg Brooks (Eckerd College, orange shirt) assists. Photo courtesy of C-IMAGE

Marine geologist David Hollander (USF, right) instructs Cuban students on sediment core sampling techniques off northwest Cuba. Dr. Greg Brooks (Eckerd College, orange shirt) assists. Photo courtesy of C-IMAGE  (Click image for more info and details)

 

Marine scientists advanced academic relations between the U.S. and Cuba during an 18-day research expedition (May 8-25) off the northwest coast of the island nation. Twenty-four scientists representing four universities sailed on the R/V Weatherbird II and collected 450 fish, 50 plankton, 150 water, and 1,500 sediment samples. They also tagged and released sharks.

The team will add the suite of samples from Cuban waters to collections gathered over the past four years from across the Gulf of Mexico. Now, with a comprehensive catalogue of environmental baseline specimens complete, scientists will be able to determine the presence of petroleum chemical signatures and better understand ecological impacts of future oil spills.

The U.S. team includes members of the Center for Integrated Modeling and Analysis of Gulf Ecosystems (C-IMAGE) consortium led by Steven Murawski of the University of South Florida (USF) who served as the expedition’s co-chief scientist. Researchers represented USF, Eckerd College, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, and Florida State University.   The Cuban team was led by Maickel Armenteros, the expedition’s other co-chief scientist, with the University of Havana’s Centro de Investigaciones Marinas and included researchers from Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos.

Click here for more details and images regarding this historic One Gulf Expedition….

 

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This research was made possible in part by a grant from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) to the Center for the Integrated Modeling and Analysis of Gulf Ecosystems II (C-IMAGE II).

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

 

RFP IV Update: Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER)

Researcher John Valentine

Researcher John Valentine

The ACER objectives are: To assess how coastal ecosystem structure, as measured by multiple estimates of biodiversity, and functioning (its provision of valuable processes and services) have been affected by differential exposure to Deepwater Horizon oiling. To determine how the biodiversity of coastal ecosystems can buffer resistance and recovery from oiling. To determine the conditions of disturbance that drive coastal ecosystems beyond their “tipping points,” and prevent them from returning to their pre-disturbed states.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-IV Project Updates…

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This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

RFP-V Polzin: Topography of Gulf of Mexico Influences Mixing and Distribution of Oil and Gas

The Understanding How the Complex Topography of the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico Influences Water-column Mixing Processes and the Vertical and Horizontal Distribution of Oil and Gas after a Blowout project is lead by Kurt Polzin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

An integrated, multi-platform, observational field effort is proposed that makes direct observations of turbulent mixing in the Gulf of Mexico outer continental slope region near the BP Deepwater Horizon well and across the northern Gulf of Mexico. This study’s main objective is to quantify turbulence-induced dispersion and as such, specifically targets GoMRI Theme 1 which addresses the impact of the physical environment on the distribution, dispersion, and dilution of contaminants. The innovative research plan will obtain ocean turbulence and larger-scale ocean velocity and stratification data from the surface to up to 1000 m water depth using a combination of two Slocum G2 deepwater gliders, a vertically-sampling turbulence Profiler (the High Resolution Profiler) and bottom-anchored moorings. The observations will be made during field campaigns in each of project years 1-3 to ensure a variety of oceanographic and dynamical conditions are sampled. The results of this project will help improve the representation of mixing processes in modern plume dispersal models. Specifically, it is expected that linkages between the vertical distribution of turbulent mixing, the characteristics of the regional bathymetry and the nature of physical forcing phenomena of the northern Gulf of Mexico will be established including the Loop Current, Loop Current Eddies, bottom intensified Topographic Rossby Waves, internal waves, internal tides and surface and near bottom trapped inertial oscillations. Quantification of the turbulent field will support vastly improved forecast capabilities of present and planned numerical models. It should be noted that the turbulence parameterizations used in current GOM models are based on generalizations developed in other oceanographic regimes using very limited data sets. The project will provide research opportunities and at-sea training for a graduate student at Texas A&M University. The research is stand alone, will provide unique observations of vertical turbulent dispersion, and complements currently-funded GoMRI consortia efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

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This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

RFP-V Shay: 3D Gulf Circulation and Biogeochemical Processes – Profiling Float & Ocean Model

The Three-Dimensional Gulf Circulation and Biogeochemical Processes Unveiled by State-of-the-Art Profiling Float Technology and Data Assimilative Ocean Models project is lead by Lynn K. (Nick) Shay, University of Miami.

The overarching goal of this proposed research is to build a rapid response capability that can be deployed in the event of an oil spill. The capability will consist of an integrated observation-prediction system to map the distribution and extent of hydrocarbons in the water column in real time and to quantify hydrocarbon removal and fate including short-term predictions of dispersion induced by the current field and transport of oil to the sea floor through scavenging by marine particles. Specific research objectives are (1) Observe fundamental physical and biogeochemical properties and processes using advanced state of- the-art measurement sensors on new profiling floats; (2) Integrate physical and biogeochemical processes in a coupled model that assimilates real-time data streams in the presence of strong currents; (3) Develop a flexible and carefully evaluated “end-to-end” predictive capability that can be deployed rapidly in case of subsurface oil spills to improve mitigation approaches by emergency responders and policy makers; and, (4) Quantify data and model uncertainties via a robust suite of realistic scenario simulations so that the final forecasted probability has well-understood sources of uncertainty. The prediction system will be evaluated in retrospective assimilation experiments using data from the Deepwater Horizon spill and in forecast experiments that assimilate satellite and float data in real time. Both will demonstrate the system’s capability, and improve our understanding of physical mechanisms and their impacts on the biogeochemistry in the water column.

To address the overarching goal, this group brings together technological development in ocean sensing, and their strategic deployments, modeling and data assimilation techniques, and analyses of data and simulations. The research team members have strong track records in their respective fields as shown on the CVs. The research group includes Dalhousie University, North Carolina State University, Teledyne-Webb Research and the University of Miami. In addition, the team intends to collaborate with the University of Miami’s CARTHE Program, which focuses mainly on measurements of surface processes.

By addressing the complexities of interacting physical and biogeochemical processes through integrated observation and prediction, this research has high potential for scientific as well as societal impacts ranging from possible application of the rapid response capability in the event of a spill and advancement of autonomous observation technology to improved predictions and process understanding. We will combine our collective expertise to develop and implement a rapid response product that is grounded in physical and biogeochemical measurements and their utilization in a coupled modeling framework in the eastern GoM. As part of this effort, we will contribute to training the next generation of scientists and engineers in building and deploying new technology that addresses Research Theme 4. The team members will work closely together to ensure that goals and objectives are met in a timely fashion. Data sets generated by this research will be provided to the GRIIDC group where data will be available to the GoMRI community. This transformative science, made possible through recent advances in autonomous platform and sensor technology, is needed given the complexities that were observed during DwH with subsurface plumes at depth and the southeastern GoM is may be exposed to new risks with possible drilling sites off the Cuba coast in the Straits of Florida. From this broader perspective, our highly experienced team is poised and ready to transcend the boundaries of traditional disciplines in addressing and mitigating present and future risks to our sensitive ecosystems.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

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This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

 

RFP-V Miller: Toxicological Properties of Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Deepwater Horizon Spill

 

The Toxicological Properties of Specific Aromatic Hydrocarbons Isolated from Fresh and Aged Crude Oil from the Deepwater Horizon Spill project is lead by Charles Miller, Tulane University.

The scientific goal of this research is to elucidate the highly toxic compounds within fresh and weathered crude oil from the MC252 oil spill. The hypothesis of this research proposal is that a relatively small group of the chemicals in oil accounts for most of the toxicity. Learning the identity of these highly toxic compounds will lead to better predictions of the toxic

properties of fresh crude oil and will provide a way to follow these substances as oil weathers in the environment. Oil residues from various sites differ in their composition and toxic activity. Furthermore, oil constituents change dramatically with time and weathering. The ability to identify and quantitate the key toxic compounds in oil will permit predictions of adverse human health effects and ecotoxicity in the future.

In human and environmental risk assessment studies, the first steps are hazard identification and dose-response analysis. Oil spills are well recognized for causing toxic effects in people and environmental organisms. However, oil is chemically complex and the specific compounds that contribute to its toxicity are surprisingly poorly defined. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a large family of toxic chemicals in oil. PAHs have received considerable attention from scientists. However, most of this previous research has focused on the PAHs produced by combustion (pyrogenic products), and these are not well represented in oil. The petrogenic PAHs in oil are distinct in that they are generally alkylated and most have never been evaluated for toxicity. A review article from this research team (Envir. Health Perspect. 122, 6-9, 2014) highlighted the need for toxicological characterization of the PAHs and other toxic chemicals (e.g. benzothiophenes, naphthaenoaromatics, etc.,) in oil. The marriage of analytical chemical methodologies with cellular bioassays to identify the highly toxic compounds within fresh and weathered oil samples will help to fill this knowledge gap.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

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This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

RFP-V Raghavan: Food-Grade Dispersants as Highly Efficient/Safe Materials for Oil Spills

 

The Molecular Engineering of Food-Grade Dispersants as Highly Efficient and Safe Materials for the Treatment of Oil Spills project is lead by P.I. Srinivasa R. Raghavan, University of Maryland

The goal is to engineer a new class of dispersants that combine environmental safety and high efficiency. By avoiding the synthetic components in current dispersants that are of questionable toxicity, and replacing them with food-grade components, new dispersants will be created that are nontoxic and safe for use in aquatic environments. At the same time, through an improved understanding of the fundamentals of dispersion, high dispersion efficiencies will be achieved that are comparable or higher than with current dispersants i.e., the Corexits.

The use of food-grade dispersants will enable a safer and more environment-friendly approach to the mitigation of crude oil spills, which will help avert issues of public concern regarding dispersant toxicity. Molecular-level insights into dispersant action via innovative experiments will reveal ways to enhance the efficiency of dispersion and also allow for dispersants to be optimized for a variety of complex conditions (such as dispersion of highly viscous or weathered oils).

The project will involve the following five approaches: (1) Optimizing Food-Grade Surfactant Mixtures; (2) Optimizing Solvents and the Overall Dispersant; (3) Optimize Dispersants for Different Conditions (Oil, Water, Temperature); (4) Pilot-Scale Testing; and (5) Biodegradation and Toxicity Testing.

The concept of food-grade dispersants is one of the truly promising ideas to come out of the work done under C-MEDS. This project seeks to translate the inherent idea into a practical and viable technology. Towards this end, pilot-scale testing of optimized food-grade dispersants (Approach 4) will be conducted using the indoor wave tanks at S. L. Ross Environmental Research. In addition, initial tests on bacterial biodegradation in the presence of food-grade dispersants will be studied (Approach 5). The toxicity of these dispersants to aquatic species will also be studied using commercial assays, and further aspects concerning toxicity and biological effects will be investigated together with collaborators.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

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This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

RFP-V Kourafalou: Influence of River-Induced Fronts on Hydrocarbon Transport

 

The Influence of river induced fronts on hydrocarbon transport project is lead by P.I. Villy Kourafalou, University of Miami.

The overarching study objective is to understand, quantify and be able to predict the role of river plume induced fronts and circulation regimes in enhancing, modifying or altering the transport pathways of hydrocarbons, in the presence of complex topography, shelf flows and strong oceanic currents. Strong evidence has emerged that such fronts and currents played a crucial, but poorly understood, role controlling oil pathways in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) during the Deepwater Horizon (DwH) incident. The study area will cover the entire GoM, including the Florida Straits.

Two major hypotheses will be examined: a) large river plumes create distinct circulation regimes, separated with strong fronts that are of fundamental importance for hydrocarbon transport; b) accurate estimates of hydrocarbon pathways need to take into account the thickness of oil. This study will show under what conditions river plumes may help entrain oil and guide it toward the coastline (prevailing case west of the Mississippi Delta) or may help push oil offshore, acting as a barrier for onshore pathways (prevailing case east of the Mississippi Delta). The latter is also connected to river plume interaction with offshore flows, specifically the Loop Current (LC) system.

This project proposes to employ novel analyses of satellite data, targeted field surveys, and data-guided, high resolution physical, biochemical and oil spill simulations to explore details on hydrocarbon transport, with updated methodologies to estimate and model oil thickness. Both the true conditions of the DwH incident and a variety of relevant alternative scenarios will be studied. A known active leakage site, the Taylor Energy platform near the Mississippi Delta (leaking oil since 2004) will be used for in situ estimates of oil spreading and thickness under different conditions in the surrounding environment, which is dominated by Mississippi influence and LC intrusions. These in situ data will then be used to calibrate oil thickness estimation from remote sensing, allowing a more accurate initialization of the proposed oil spill simulations. This approach will fill important knowledge gaps and result in advanced understanding of the conditions controlling the complex hydrocarbon pathways in the GoM.

Expected outcomes are to:
• Understand how fronts and circulation due to river plumes influence hydrocarbon transport
• Derive methodology to: a) measure oil spill extent and thickness, combining satellite products and in situ measurements; b) perform oil spill simulations that accommodate data-derived oil thickness.
This project is well focused on: a) understanding specific processes impacting hydrocarbon transport in the GoM, which are currently not well understood; b) accommodating a specific oil parameter (thickness) that has been challenging to estimate and, therefore, largely missing in oil spill prediction. Results will thus be of fundamental importance both scientifically and for resource management and disaster response.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

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This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

RFP-V Meneveau: Transport & Fate of Oil in the Upper Ocean

 

The Transport and fate of oil in the upper ocean: Studying and modeling multi-scale physical dispersion mechanisms and remediation strategies using Large Eddy Simulation project is lead by P.I. Charles Meneveau, Johns Hopkins University.

In the aftermaths of deep water blowouts, oil plumes rise through and interact with various layers of the ocean and arrive in the upper ocean. There, several physical dispersion mechanisms such as turbulence, Langmuir circulations and sub-mesoscale eddies affect their evolution. Numerical modeling of these processes is playing an increasingly important role for estimating total oil spill volume and rate of biodegradation, planning for dispersant injection, and predictions/postdictions in general.

The research activities have four main goals: (i) develop a transport model for evolution of entire distributions of oil droplet sizes in LES and effects of dispersants on the size distribution. To address this goal, a multi-species LES framework will be developed to model droplet population dynamics (droplets of various sizes), and their interactions with surfactants. Another goal is to (ii) develop the Extended Nonperiodic Domain LES for Scalar Transport (ENDLESS) methodology that enables simulating plumes extending over physical scales that greatly exceed the size of the computational LES domain and thus couples the transport with outputs from larger (meso or sub-meso) scale regional ocean models. The ENDLESS method will be validated by comparing with CARTHE Lagrangian drifter data that covers many orders of magnitude of relevant length and time scales. (iii) By means of a series of simulations, explore effects of dispersants on plume evolution for both underwater and surface application of oil dispersants, with various overall dosage, release rates and locations, under various wind and wave conditions. (iv) Results will be used to develop engineering tools for rapid real-time assessment and parameterizations for regional scale ocean models.

RFP-V Di Iorio: Vertical Upwelling & Bottom-Boundary Layer Dispersal at a Natural Seep Site

 

The Vertical upwelling and bottom-boundary layer dispersal at a natural seep site project is lead by P.I. Daniela Di Iorio, University of Georgia.

The physical understanding of the vertical upwelling velocity and bottom boundary layer dispersal of a hydrocarbon seep in the Gulf of Mexico is extremely limited due to paucity of direct long-term measurements and to the time variability of the bubble plumes and boundary layer dynamics. This project is proposing to measure the vertical upwelling velocities of hydrocarbons from sea floor gas hydrates using novel acoustic forward scatter instrumentation and to improve our understanding of dispersal processes in the bottom boundary layer by making time-series measurements of 3-D velocity and hydrographic properties near a natural seep in the northern Gulf of Mexico. More specifically, we aim to 1) measure the vertical upwelling velocity of a natural hydrocarbon seep at GC600 or GC185 and its role in vertical transport of methane and oil to the surface and 2) investigate the turbulent bottom boundary layer dynamics that causes horizontal and vertical dispersal, including resuspension of hydrocarbon-containing deposits.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

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This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

RFP-V Knap: Deep-sea Risk Assessment & Species Sensitivity

 

The Deep-sea Risk Assessment and species sensitivity to WAF, CEWAF and Dispersant project is lead by P.I. Anthony Hayden Knap, Texas A&M University.

Subsea injection of dispersants offers some significant benefits compared to the application of dispersants on the sea surface, for example access to the freshest and non-emulsified oil in the high turbulence environment, ability to reduce the volume of required dispersant by injecting it directly into the oil stream without the loss of the product, ability to operate day and night under a wider range of weather conditions, and availability of a large water mass to rapidly decrease the concentration of a dispersed oil intrusion. Although dispersant application at the sea surface has been extensively studied, more data are needed on the efficiency and environmental impacts of dispersed oil in the subsea to evaluate and document acceptability of this response technique.

We will test a series of deep sea organisms to the effect of specific individual hydrocarbons, as well as WAF, CEWAF and Dispersant. If successful, we are hoping to develop a new method for the effects of contaminants on marine organisms.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

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This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

RFP-V Campiglia: Spectroscopy for Specific Isomer Determination of Petroleum Oil Spills

The A Combined Analytical and Synthetic Approach Based on Line Narrowing Spectroscopy for Specific Isomer Determination of Petroleum Oil Spills project is lead by P.I. Andres D. Campiglia, University of Central Florida.

This proposal tackles a different aspect of PAHs analysis as it focuses on detection and characterization of higher-molecular weight PAHs (HMW-PAHs), i.e. PAHs with MW equal or higher than 302 g mol-1. The HMW-PAHs isolated from environmental and combustion-related samples exhibit mutagenic activity and petroleum transformation products from HMW-PAHs persist in the environment longer than their lighter counterparts.

Studies have shown significant sedimentation of HMW-PAHs that may be increased with the addition of dispersants in a coastal setting. Their continued monitoring will ensure that HMW-PAHs present in sediments are not being redistributed and accumulating through the food chain.

When compared to un-substituted PAHs, APAHs comprise a relatively large fraction of the total number and mass of PAHs found in crude oil and crude-contaminated seafood samples. Sulfur is the principal heteroatom in coal, crude oil, tar and their by-products. Thus, to fully understand the environmental implications of the DWH accident, the ideal technique should be able to determine isomers of APAHs and PASHs

The specific research goals are the following: (a) unambiguously determine HMW-PAHs with MW 302 in complex environmental extracts from the Gulf of Mexico using the multidimensional laser excited time-resolved Shpol’skii spectroscopy (LETRSS) technique; (b) synthetize pure standards of MW 302 currently unavailable from commercial sources; and (c) extend the developed approach to the analysis of specific isomers of HMW-PAHs with MW > 302 including alkylated PAHs (APAHs) and sulfur containing PAHs (PASHs).

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

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This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

RFP-V Conrad: Role of Microbial Motility for Degradation of Dispersed Oil

 

The Role of Microbial Motility for Degradation of Dispersed Oil project is lead by P.I. Jacinta C. Conrad, University of Houston.

Microbial biodegradation processes are thought to have played a substantial role in the surprisingly swift disappearance of oil and gas released into the Gulf of Mexico after the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon MC252 blowout. Although previous GoMRI-supported work investigated the composition of the coastal, open-open, and deepwater microbial communities that degraded this oil, much remains poorly understood regarding the impact of physical factors in heterogeneous ocean and coastal environments on the rate of microbial biodegradation. Hence there is a pressing yet unmet need to understand how (a) nearby liquid oil/liquid water or gaseous oil/liquid water interfaces, (b) fluid flow, and (c) dispersants affect microbial motility towards dispersed oil. Moreover, this need must be addressed for bacteria living in each type of ecosystem impacted by catastrophic oil spills. The objective of this project is to elucidate the effects of oil-water interfaces on motility of marine bacteria in the initial stage in biodegradation, as microbes move towards and attach to dispersed oil.
Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

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This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

RFP-V Burd: Oil-Marine Snow-Mineral Aggregate Interactions and Sedimentation

The Oil-Marine Snow-Mineral Aggregate Interactions and Sedimentation during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill project is lead by P.I. Adrian Burd, University of Georgia.

The goal of this project will be to use coagulation theory to develop a predictive, mechanistic model for how oil coagulates with particulate material in the marine environment. There is strong observational evidence that oil interacts with particles in the marine environment forming heterogeneous aggregates comprised of oil droplets, mineral particles such as clay and silica, and biological particles such as phytoplankton cells, zooplankton fecal pellets, and marine snow (large heterogeneous aggregates). Such oil-aggregates have been observed in surface waters and in sediment traps, indicating that oil contained in these aggregates can be transported vertically from the surface to the deep ocean, ultimately providing a flux of oil to the seafloor.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

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This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Grad Student Parks Assesses How Disasters and Social Factors Influence Human Health

Vanessa inside a helicopter at a heliport in Cut Off, LA, where offshore oil workers commute to and from work. (Provided by Vanessa Parks)

Vanessa inside a helicopter at a heliport in Cut Off, LA, where offshore oil workers commute to and from work. (Provided by Vanessa Parks)

A person’s socioeconomic position can influence their health and well-being, and disasters can place additional strain on those whose health and well-being are already compromised.

Vanessa Parks compiles and analyzes data on Gulf Coast communities that explores how the Deepwater Horizon oil spill affected mental and physical health and how social factors contributed to post-disaster health outcomes. “I am interested in what contributes to better health outcomes, because I want to help reduce health inequalities and inequities,” Vanessa said. “If residents have access to better economic resources and health care, they are better prepared for the traumatic impacts of disasters.”

Vanessa is a Ph.D. student in Louisiana State University’s sociology program and a GoMRI Scholar with the Consortium for Resilient Gulf Communities (CRGC).

Her Path

RGC group photo at the Cut Off, LA, heliport. (Provided by Vanessa Parks)

RGC group photo at the Cut Off, LA, heliport. (Provided by Vanessa Parks)

Growing up, Vanessa was acutely aware of the public health concerns facing her hometown of Memphis, including high obesity rates, teen pregnancy, and HIV infection. However, those concerns rarely affected her affluent and largely white suburb. She first encountered the interrelationship between socioeconomic position and health working as a part-time clerk at a bankruptcy law firm while attending the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She noticed that many clients declared bankruptcy because they were unable to pay their medical bills, even if they previously had one or more stable, well-paying jobs. She realized that a person needs a deep reservoir of resources, as being sick or disabled can impair one’s ability to find work while medical expenses accrue.

Vanessa enrolled in the University of Mississippi’s sociology masters’ program and studied the role that social and economic factors play in a person’s health. She conducted numerous program evaluations related to health, education, and workforce development in the Mississippi Delta. She continues to explore the link between socioeconomic factors and health as a sociology Ph.D. student at LSU. CRGC received funding from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) soon after Vanessa began her doctoral program in 2014, and she was eager to get involved. She met Dr. Rajeev Ramchand through the program and joined his research group studying human health and well-being as it relates to environmental stressors.

Her Work

Vanessa and fellow GoMRI Scholar Jacqueline Fiore in front of a CRGC poster at the 2017 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conference. (Provided by Vanessa Parks)

Vanessa and fellow GoMRI Scholar Jacqueline Fiore in front of a CRGC poster at the 2017 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conference. (Provided by Vanessa Parks)

Vanessa’s research focuses on the mental and physical health of Gulf Coast communities who recently suffered from a major hurricane (Katrina) and the largest oil spill in U.S history (Deepwater Horizon). She began her research with a literature review of 1,477 medical publications documenting oil spills’ known health impacts and compiled the data into a searchable, publicly available database. Her research group used this information to develop the Survey of Trauma, Resilience, and Opportunity among Neighborhoods in the Gulf (STRONG). This survey was a household-level assessment of Deepwater Horizon impacts on social, economic, and health indices for coastal counties and parishes in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Vanessa also prepared a detailed guide to assist researchers when utilizing the survey data, including narrative information and relevant citations.

Vanessa and her team compiled STRONG survey data collected from approximately 2,500 Gulf residents. She is analyzing the survey data to investigate how factors such as occupation and community relationships contribute to the way a disaster impacts a person’s health, particularly mental health. The results of her research will help health care providers, community leaders, and policy makers make informed decisions to improve health-related outcomes when future disasters happen.

Her Learning

Vanessa (center) touring a seafood processing plant in Bayou La Batre, AL, with fellow CRGC grad students, Amanda Edelman (left) and Chelsea Adams (right). (Provided by Vanessa Parks)

Vanessa (center) touring a seafood processing plant in Bayou La Batre, AL, with fellow CRGC grad students, Amanda Edelman (left) and Chelsea Adams (right). (Provided by Vanessa Parks)

Vanessa’s use of medical journals for her literature review of oil spills’ health impacts introduced her to public health research methods and helped her identify how social scientists might use this knowledge. “It showed me the enormous potential of my work to inform other researchers, community leaders, and healthcare professionals,” said Vanessa.

Presenting her research at the 2017 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conference was another learning opportunity for Vanessa. It was her group’s first opportunity to share the STRONG survey’s findings publicly with a broad audience. While preparing her presentation, she solicited feedback from colleagues in diverse fields and incorporated their suggestions. Despite feeling nervous, the experience improved Vanessa’s self-confidence as a researcher. “Sometimes we only want to focus on one perspective, theory, or method, but it’s extremely important to integrate others’ expertise,” she said.

Her Future

Vanessa intends to pursue a career conducting applied interdisciplinary research and work with needs-based research projects addressing disparities in health and well-being. She advises students considering a career in science to be flexible and open to new opportunities. “[Conducting Ph.D. research in Baton Rouge while working with an epidemiologist in Washington, D.C.] may seem like an unconventional arrangement, but it provided me with opportunities I couldn’t have expected,” she said.

Praise for Vanessa

Vanessa (left) with Ramchand and Congresswoman Gabby Giffords (center). (Photo by Rajeev Ramchand)

Vanessa (left) with Ramchand and Congresswoman Gabby Giffords (center). (Photo by Rajeev Ramchand)

Ramchand describes Vanessa as “an intelligent, well-poised, and articulate graduate student.” He explained that she is not only a thoughtful and hard-working researcher but also a supportive mentor and colleague, accompanying Ramchand to the launch of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords’ “Veterans for Responsible Solutions” initiative. Vanessa’s presentation at the 2017 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conference exceeded Ramchand’s expectations for a graduate student and was on par with that of a seasoned researcher. “I am confident that she will continue to conduct thoughtful, important, practical, and informative research that will improve community resilience after disasters. I look forward to learning more from her,” he concluded.

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Vanessa Parks and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the CRGC website to learn more about their work.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Fact Sheet: Sea Grant Releases Boater’s Guide on Handling Oil and Fuel Spills

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Science Outreach Team released a new informational brochure just in time for the summer boating season. The one-page guide gives boaters information on how to prepare for, respond to, and report an accidental oil or fuel spill on their vessels.

A Boater’s Guide to Handling Oil and Fuel Spills, which is available on waterproof paper, provides a list of products to prevent and/or contain leaking oil and fuel and contact information for authorities in every Gulf state.

Want a waterproof, hard copy of this guide?  Contact Tara Skelton, Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team member, at tara.skelton@usm.edu.

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team synthesizes peer-reviewed science for a broad range of general audiences, particularly those who live and work across the Gulf Coast. Sea Grant offers oil-spill-related public seminars across the Gulf Coast.

Information about upcoming Sea Grant science seminars and recently-held events is available here. To receive email updates about seminars, publications, and the outreach team, click here.

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GoMRI and the Sea Grant programs of the Gulf of Mexico (Florida, Mississippi-Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas) have partnered to create an oil spill science outreach program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Grad Student Mahmud Makes Acoustics and Tracking Marine Mammals “Click”

Sakib stands on the deck of the R/V Pelican during LADC-GEMM’s 2015 recovery cruise. (Photo by Natalia Sidorovskaia)

Sakib stands on the deck of the R/V Pelican during LADC-GEMM’s 2015 recovery cruise. (Photo by Natalia Sidorovskaia)

Environmental stressors can cause changes in the abundance and location of certain marine mammal species, which can affect future populations. Researchers can track marine mammals using the number of vocalizations or clicks picked up by acoustic monitoring systems, which can provide insights into their recovery from environmental stressors and, more broadly, deep-water ecosystem health.

Sakib Mahmud tests combinations of passive acoustic monitoring equipment to find the best method to detect and measure marine mammal populations affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. His findings will help improve our understanding of long-term environmental impacts of the spill on deep-diving marine mammals and aid in improving oil spill regulations, monitoring, and mitigation efforts.

Sakib is a master’s student in the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette) physics program and GoMRI Scholar with the Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center – Gulf Ecological Monitoring and Modeling (LADC-GEMM) consortium.

His Path

Sakib’s love for nature began in his childhood home of Bangladesh, a nation whose diverse ecosystems face adverse effects of climate change. He watched documentaries to learn more about science, engineering, and conservation work aimed at protecting Earth’s creatures. “Continuously increasing natural and man-made stress endangers many animals and marine species,” he said.

Sakib’s desire to explore and protect nature led him to pursue a bachelors and his first master’s degree in physics at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh. While there, he volunteered as a researcher at the Atomic Energy Establishment. He began a second masters’ degree in physics at UL Lafayette and took a research assistantship with Dr. Natalia Sidorovskaia, the director of LADC-GEMM. “[The environmental issues in Bangladesh] motivate me to engage in research here, learn, and in the future go back to my country and work there,” said Sakib. “I was always searching for an opportunity to join a community like the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, who is working to protect nature and endangered animals.”

His Work

Sakib presents his research at a poster session during the 2017 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference. (Photo by Md Istiaq Hossain)

Sakib presents his research at a poster session during the 2017 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference. (Photo by Md Istiaq Hossain)

Bottom-moored buoys and autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) are two platforms that perform passive acoustics monitoring of cetaceans; however, there has been no comparative analysis of these platforms. Sakib seeks to fill this gap by comparing data collected by a bottom-moored Environmental Acoustic Recording System (EARS) buoy and an ASV to investigate the relative detection efficiency of those platforms. The EARS buoys in Sakib’s study use LADC-GEMM’s built-in energy detector script that identifies and counts particular species’ acoustic signals to estimate their regional abundance. The ASVs use an open-source marine mammal detection software called PamGuard able to log marine mammal distribution and migration.

Sakib runs the EARS and ASV detector scripts separately to obtain comparative data from each platform. He also modified the EARS buoys’ LADC-GEMM energy detector script to be capable of processing both EARS and ASV data, which will allow him to compare the efficiency of platforms using either EARS buoys or ASVs. “We compare the number of sperm whale clicks detected per minute by each platform’s independent detectors with the modified LADC-GEMM energy detector,” said Sakib. He and his team are currently investigating the density distribution of sperm whales.

Sakib’s trials to date have shown that passive acoustics monitoring platforms using EARS buoys and ASVs have comparable efficiency. Researchers and responders will be able to use the monitoring systems that Sakib is testing to establish more accurate baseline data for regional sperm whale populations and monitor their post-spill recovery. The potential advancements to passive acoustic data collection and processing could also have broader applications identifying relationships between regional abundance variations and long- and short-term environmental factors, such as oil spills and changing weather conditions.

His Learning

(L-R) Kun Li, Natalia Sidorovskaia, Sakib, and Tingting Tang monitor acoustics signals in the R/V Pelican’s dry lab during LADC-GEMM’s 2015 recovery cruise. (Photo by Douglas Dugas)

(L-R) Kun Li, Natalia Sidorovskaia, Sakib, and Tingting Tang monitor acoustics signals in the R/V Pelican’s dry lab during LADC-GEMM’s 2015 recovery cruise. (Photo by Douglas Dugas)

Being a member of the LADC-GEMM research team has given Sakib the opportunity to work with leading scientists in his field, attend scientific conferences, and gain a better understanding about the research process, which he describes as a “dream come true.” He feels most honored to work alongside Sidorovskaia, whose mentorship has taught him skills from processing bioacoustics data to presenting his results. He recalls an especially memorable experience during the 2015 LADC-GEMM research cruise, “I had never seen dolphins playing in the open ocean before. While we didn’t directly see any whales, we set hydrophones and detected whales clicking in real-time throughout the whole night. It was amazing.”

His Future

Sakib plans to pursue a physics Ph.D. after completing his masters’ and use his education to improve the future conditions of Bangladesh ecosystems. He advises students considering a scientific career to explore the world around them and find a field that sparks passion. “People think scientists are all work and no fun. This is not true – we are always having fun as we discover new things about the world around us!” he said. “There are limitless possibilities with scientific research, and everyone can find an aspect of science that they enjoy.”

Praise for Sakib

(L-R) Marah Dahn, Sean Griffin, Sakib, and Kun Li recover an EARS-Bouy during the 2016 LADC-GEMM recovery cruise. (Photo by Natalia Sidorovskaia)

(L-R) Marah Dahn, Sean Griffin, Sakib, and Kun Li recover an EARS-Bouy during the 2016 LADC-GEMM recovery cruise. (Photo by Natalia Sidorovskaia)

Dr. Natalia Sidorovskaia described Sakib as someone who is dependable, ready to help, and independent when tackling difficult and unexplored problems. She said that he is a simultaneously adaptive and loyal person who, despite having to quickly adapt to a new educational system and new professional and secular culture, maintains admirable loyalty to the roots of his native culture and religion. She said, “He is great to work with in many settings: by a computer or on a research ship on the open ocean. I wish him the very best in attaining professional and personal horizons he dreams about and making a positive impact on science and people around him.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Sakib Mahmud and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the LADC-GEMM website to learn more about their work.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

Grad Student Morales-McDevitt Explores How Nutrients Influence Marine Snow Formation

Maya presents her preliminary findings at the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference. (Provided by Maya Morales-McDevitt)

Maya presents her preliminary findings at the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference. (Provided by Maya Morales-McDevitt)

Marine oil snow is the largest commuter of carbon to the seafloor and occurs when oil and marine particles aggregate and sink through the water column. Previous studies show that oil and dispersant significantly increased marine microorganisms’ production of exopolymeric substances (EPS), an extremely sticky goo that holds marine snow together. Maya Morales-McDevitt conducts mesocosm experiments investigating how certain naturally occurring nutrients influence EPS production and oil degradation.

Maya is a chemical oceanography student at Texas A&M University and a GoMRI Scholar with Aggregation and Degradation of Dispersants and Oil by Microbial Exopolymers (ADDOMEx).

Her Path

Maya discovered her love for the marine environment while attending a science-based high school in Mexico City, Mexico. Watching trash and oil pollutants negatively affect Mexico’s marine ecosystems broke her heart and inspired her to pursue research that demonstrates the importance of regulating oil pollution. “Oil pollution regulations aren’t very clear in Mexico,” she explained. “I wanted to contribute something that would keep the environment clean and reduce our footprint in the ocean.”

Maya’s undergraduate biology thesis at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) México investigated how oil activity influences mussels. There were no active projects at the time, so she used the resources around her to conduct her own project. She asked her scuba instructor to take her on mussel-collecting excursions and washed dishes in various UAM and UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) laboratories in exchange for running analyses using their equipment. She presented her research at several international ecology conferences in Mexico. “When the person I was working with in Mexico put me in touch with Dr. Tony Knap, he told me to come [work in his lab], so I came,” she recalled. “Five or six months later, the ADDOMEx project started.”

Her Work

Maya builds a “baffled recirculation” tank to investigate accommodated oil fractions. (Provided by Maya Morales-McDevitt)

Maya builds a “baffled recirculation” tank to investigate accommodated oil fractions. (Provided by Maya Morales-McDevitt)

Maya used a 120 L tank to simulate the natural marine environment and created various mixtures of seawater, oil, dispersant. She examined each mixture once using the collected seawater’s indigenous nutrients (non-fertilized treatments) and again with added concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus (fertilized treatments). She collected samples from each treatment and compared the differences in oil degradation, marine snow generation, and chlorophyll concentrations.

Maya observed that nitrogen and phosphorus were biodegraded at similar rates, indicating that both are important to oil degradation processes. While nutrient degradation was high across all treatments including controls, nutrient enhanced treatments exhibited greater oil biodegradation than non-fertilized treatments. She found the strongest evidence of biodegradation in the diluted and concentrated oil plus dispersant treatments from the coastal water experiments. Oil plus dispersant treatments also experienced sharp reductions in chlorophyll and exhibited the greatest amounts of marine snow.

Maya’s research suggests that adding nutrients could enhance oil’s natural removal from the water column alongside weathering processes such as marine snow sedimentation and biodegradation. Her work also supports the hypothesis that dispersant enhanced EPS production and, thus, increased marine snow. Her findings will help inform decision makers about ways to lessen oil spills’ environmental impacts. “The initial interest in marine snow and EPS was the possibility that they aided oil removal, but the new train of thought is that the excessive marine snow related to Deepwater Horizon caused more hostile effects than good ones,” she said. “In order to prevent [these hostile effects], we need to understand how it works.”

Her Learning

Maya filters 50 mL of each treatment for inorganic dissolved nutrient analyses. (Provided by Maya Morales-McDevitt)

Maya filters 50 mL of each treatment for inorganic dissolved nutrient analyses. (Provided by Maya Morales-McDevitt)

Maya’s research showed her that scientists must consider the chemistry, physics, and biology of an ecosystem to understand it. Once their knowledge about these factors is improved, they are better equipped to find answers to their research questions. She remarked that one of the best ways to do this is to collaborate with other scientists. “We have physicists and chemists and biologists at our ADDOMEx All-Hands meetings who are all trying to solve problems. I think that has been one of my greatest experiences and the biggest lessons that I’ve learned in my master’s program,” she said.

Maya is particularly thankful for the support that she and other students received from the ADDOMEx team. She is most proud of how she and her team designed and built a baffled recirculation tank from scratch for their experiment. “It was very moving the way the PIs were always supporting us, pushing us to do more and do better and giving us all the advice that they could,” she said. One of her favorite memories is the struggle to fit fifteen researchers into the small, dark workspace surrounding the tanks. “I needed to be close to the tanks under very low light to take my samples. I ended up working in the men’s bathroom next to the dark room in order to take them! I will never forget my ‘laboratory’ in the men’s facilities,” she laughed.

Her Future

Shortly after graduating, Maya began a laboratory technician position with Texas A&M University’s Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG) and hopes to begin a Ph.D. program in 2018. She says that persistence is the key to her success and advises students pursuing science to focus on their goals, even when the road is difficult. “You don’t need to be a genius or the most-outstanding student in your class, you just need to be determined,” she said. “If you fight enough, read enough, and do enough research and lab work, you will get wherever it is you want to go.”

Maya and fellow ADDOMEx members on the last day of the mesocosm experiments held at Texas A&M University – Galveston in July 2016. (Provided by Maya Morales-McDevitt)

Maya and fellow ADDOMEx members on the last day of the mesocosm experiments held at Texas A&M University – Galveston in July 2016. (Provided by Maya Morales-McDevitt)

Praise for Maya

Dr. Knap reflected that Maya’s work building mesocosms and running experiments often involved late nights and long days. While working in his lab, Maya learned to operate various instruments including fluorometers, gas chromatographs, and auto-analyzers, which he said could often be a highly involved process. “Maya is a hard-worker and very cheerful individual,” he said. “She is a great team player, and it was a pleasure to have her involved with our programs at GERG.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Maya Morales-McDevitt and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the ADDOMEx website to learn more about their work.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010- 2017 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde “Maggie” Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).

RFP-V Lin: Wetland Plant-Microbial-Benthic Ecosystem Responses & Mitigation Strategy

The Long-Term Impact, Recovery and Resilience: Wetland plant-microbial-benthic ecosystem responses to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and mitigation strategies promoting sustainability by P.I. Qianxin Lin, Louisiana State University

Researcher Qianxin Lin

Researcher Qianxin Lin

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill exposed the nation’s largest and most productive wetland estuarine environment, the Mississippi River Delta coastal wetland ecosystem, to an unprecedented potential for environmental damage. The coastal marshes are of special concern because of the suite of environmentally and economically important services they support, all of which depend on a healthy, well-functioning plant-microbial-benthic complex that drives the food web base.

Over the last five years, the PI’s team has monitored DWH oil spill effects in Louisiana, making 12 field-based data collections that have quantified both the impacts on, and recovery of, a broad array of flora and fauna. Continuing this research is especially important along heavy oiled shorelines where the marsh plants that serve as foundation species suffered severe mortality. Results to date indicate that recovery is occurring but not yet complete.

Hence, a much longer-term study is needed to fully quantify the recovery of the plant-microbial- benthic complex and to better understand marsh resiliency. Furthermore, the PI’s team has initiated, and is currently monitoring a remediation/restoration effort that could accelerate the recovery rate of lost ecological services.

Therefore, the overall goals of this proposed research are to (1) document the long-term impacts of the DWH oil spill on the coastal marsh plant-microbial-benthic complex, (2) quantify rates of, and controls on, long-term recovery, and (3) evaluate the potential and effectiveness of a restoration and remediation strategy for promoting and accelerating long-term sustainability. This proposed research supports GoMRI theme 3: (1) knowledge of environmental effects of petroleum on wetlands, marshes and organisms and (2) the science of ecosystem recovery and means for accelerating recovery.

The proposed research will emphasize ecological assessments of plant structure and function, interactions within the plant-microbe-benthic complex, cultivation-based and modern molecular biological analysis of microbial communities, algal and invertebrate responses, biogeochemistry, digital aerial imagery for erosion assessment, and overall marsh integrity. This research will provide a better scientific understanding of the oil spill effects and long-term recovery of the plant-microbial-benthic ecosystem, as well as practical information concerning strategies for accelerating ecosystem recovery, and thus long-term sustainability, of oil impacted coastal wetlands.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

RFP-V Van Bael: Can Bacteria Living in Plant Tissues Help Clean Up Oiled Marshes?

Postdoc Brittany Bernik strains marsh mud through a screen to prepare it for greenhouse experiments at Tulane University. (Photo by Sunshine Van Bael)

Postdoc Brittany Bernik strains marsh mud through a screen to prepare it for greenhouse experiments at Tulane University. (Photo by Sunshine Van Bael)

Living inside the roots and leaf tissues of marsh grass are bacteria and fungi known as endophytes that help promote plant growth. Since some endophytes can also help degrade petroleum that the plants absorb, it is possible they could be a natural tool to help clean up oil buried in marsh soils.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) recently awarded Dr. Sunshine Van Bael a grant to explore plant-bacterial symbioses as they relate to petroleum and dispersant pollution in coastal salt marshes. Her team is investigating how endophyte communities inside oiled coastal plants incorporate and amplify oil-degrading bacteria and if plants can deliver endophytic bacteria to polluted soils, hastening petroleum biodegradation. The team will use their findings to learn how plant-bacterial combinations may be used to quickly and safely restore oiled marshes.

Ph.D. student Stephen Formel helps collect soil at Bay Jimmy in Barataria Bay. (Photo by Brittany Bernik)

Ph.D. student Stephen Formel helps collect soil at Bay Jimmy in Barataria Bay. (Photo by Brittany Bernik)

Preliminary research suggests that when coastal grasses are contaminated with petroleum, the bacterial communities in their tissues incorporate more taxa with petroleum tolerance and biodegradation capabilities. However, these processes are not well characterized. Improving our understanding about the mechanisms driving how grasses, symbiotic bacteria, and polluted soil interact could lead to the development of tools that use plant-delivered, naturally occurring bacteria to clean up polluted soils.

The team is conducting field work and controlled greenhouse experiments to identify how bacteria and bacterial communities behave in oiled and unoiled sites and determine how quickly the oil in soil and plant tissues are broken down. Next, they will investigate the bacteria’s interactions with oil droplets and oxygen and see if plant roots can deliver oxygen and bacteria to oil buried in the marsh soil.

The greenhouse experiment at Tulane University was set up in June 2016 to test how plants and their symbionts work together to clean up oil. (Photo by Stephen Formel)

The greenhouse experiment at Tulane University was set up in June 2016 to test how plants and their symbionts work together to clean up oil. (Photo by Stephen Formel)

“We know a lot about how bacteria break down oil in the ocean and on the beach, but we haven’t really investigated if and how this happens inside of the plant,” said Van Bael. “We hope to learn how plants and their microbial symbionts can influence oil spill clean-up, especially the possibility that the best tool to help clean up oil in buried marsh soils faster is plant-bacterial combinations.”

The project’s researchers are Sunshine Van Bael, Kyriakos D. Papadopoulos, Michael Blum, and Lisa Fauci of Tulane University, Claudia Gunsch of Duke University, and John Pardue of Louisiana State University. Their project is Chemical Evolution and Plant-Microbe Degradation of Petroleum in Saline Marsh Plants and Soils.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Science at the Stadium Scores Big with Game-Day Attendees

Graduate student Fanny Girard (left) joins game-day fans at the ECOGIG-II Ocean Discovery Zone. The coral banner makes a beautiful photo backdrop! (Photo by ECOGIG-II)

Graduate student Fanny Girard (left) joins game-day fans at the ECOGIG-II Ocean Discovery Zone. The coral banner makes a beautiful photo backdrop! (Photo by ECOGIG-II)

Scientists and education staff have tapped into a novel venue – football games – to reach new audiences and share ongoing research and ocean technology. The research consortium Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf II (ECOGIG II), funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), took their mobile Ocean Discovery Zone on the road to State College, PA for the Penn State Nittany Lions season opener.

“Football is a passion for people around the country, and a remarkable number of people fill stadiums every Saturday in the fall,” explained Sara Beresford, the Communications and Outreach Lead for ECOGIG-II, on why they chose this venue.  “Hosting our exhibit during tailgating, we’re able to interact with and reach people who might not otherwise seek out the information we can provide.”

Visitors can drive a model Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to learn about an important piece of technology used in deep ocean research. Visitors also can build deepwater corals, see a model of a natural hydrocarbon seep, and view video content and information displays about the Gulf and deepsea exploration. Game-day fans can attend four more Ocean Discovery Zone events in the southeast this year.

 

These young fans enjoyed playing Gulf of Mexico themed cornhole! (Photo by ECOGIG-II)

A: Graduate student Sarah Harrison explains to young fans how scientists use ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) technology. Visitors can drive the model ROV and earn honorary ECOGIG Pilot’s Licenses.  B: A coral enthusiast built a replica of the deepwater coral polyp displayed on one of our tent sidewalls.  C: Pen State fans used the ROVs to collect replications of deep sea animals from the bottom of the tank and learned about life in the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico.  D: ECOGIG education and outreach lead Sara Beresford helps fans build deepwater corals to take home. This station was quite popular with everyone!  E: Pen State fans used the ROVs to collect replications of deep sea animals from the bottom of the tank and learned about life in the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico.  F: This young fan enjoyed playing Gulf of Mexico themed cornhole! (All Photos by ECOGIG-II)

“For me, the most exciting part of the program is the opportunity to engage with visitors – both children and adults – and share stories with them about our work and its relevance for the Gulf of Mexico and the global oceans,” said Dr. Samantha Joye, the Director of ECOGIG-II. “I’m always impressed by the questions I’m asked and by the enthusiasm I see, especially in young people. Seeing these young kids get inspired and start asking thought-provoking questions about the Gulf of Mexico and oceans in general is really special.”

Fans met several scientists at Penn State, including ECOGIG-II co-Principal Investigators Dr. Charles Fisher and Dr. Iliana Baums, and learned about their research on the unique deepwater coral communities in the Gulf.

Want to join the fun?  The 2016 Science in the Stadium schedule is available here.

Read more about ECOGIG II and their research on their website and Facebook page.

Read about last year’s events at What a Matchup! SEC Football and Science at the Stadium.

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The GoMRI is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Trailer: Dispatches from the Gulf (2016)

It happened on April 20, 2010 – 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana. The Deepwater Horizon oil-drilling rig exploded. Tragically – the blowout killed 11 – and changed the lives of millions living near the Gulf coast – as well as hundreds of scientists who responded to the crisis.

To discover what happened – scientists from around the world turned their attention to the Gulf of Mexico. A whole research community has developed dedicated to finding new and unique methods to understand the oil pollution process.

Share your thoughts at the following Dispatches from the Gulf Social Media links:

YouTube ChannelFacebookTwitter

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“Dispatches from the Gulf” is a new Journey to Planet Earth (J2PE) episode showing how scientists confront the challenges of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The documentary also investigates the impact of the event on the ecosystems and communities along the Gulf of Mexico.

J2PE dramatizes new ways of looking at the delicate relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The series is designed to help viewers understand and cope with the most important environmental issues of the 21st century.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, these programs reach beyond the physical sciences and draw connections to politics, economics, sociology, and history. A common thread runs throughout — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Though photographed on different continents and focusing on different sets of problems, audiences come to see why all of these stories are connected, providing a dramatic mosaic of how the Earth works as an interrelated system.

Video: Close Encounters with a Sperm Whale

Whale Encounter

 

Professor Scott Socolofsky at Texas A&M University witnesses an unexpected visitor of the cetacean kind while conducting deep-sea research in the Gulf of Mexico.


The creators of award-winning environmental series Journey to Planet Earth (hosted by Matt Damon) present Dispatches from the Gulf – an upcoming documentary film and educational outreach initiative highlighting exclusive scientific discoveries in health, ecosystems, innovation and recovery in the post-oil spill Gulf of Mexico.

Share your thoughts at the following “Dispatches from the Gulf” Social Media links:

YouTube ChannelFacebookTwitter

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Dispatches from the Gulf” is a new Journey to Planet Earth (J2PE) episode showing how scientists confront the challenges of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The documentary also investigates the impact of the event on the ecosystems and communities along the Gulf of Mexico.

J2PE dramatizes new ways of looking at the delicate relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The series is designed to help viewers understand and cope with the most important environmental issues of the 21st century.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, these programs reach beyond the physical sciences and draw connections to politics, economics, sociology, and history. A common thread runs throughout — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Though photographed on different continents and focusing on different sets of problems, audiences come to see why all of these stories are connected, providing a dramatic mosaic of how the Earth works as an interrelated system.

Video: Meet Tracie Sempier: Helping the People of the Gulf

Tracie Sempier

Tracie Sempier, Ph.D (Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium) is a coastal storms outreach coordinator. She describes how after the Deepwater Horizon Event her work shifted from helping people prepare for and recover from natural disasters – like hurricanes – to helping people recover from man-made, technological disasters – like oil spills.


The creators of award-winning environmental series Journey to Planet Earth (hosted by Matt Damon) present Dispatches from the Gulf – an upcoming documentary film and educational outreach initiative highlighting exclusive scientific discoveries in health, ecosystems, innovation and recovery in the post-oil spill Gulf of Mexico.

Share your thoughts at the following “Dispatches from the Gulf” Social Media links:

YouTube ChannelFacebookTwitter

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Dispatches from the Gulf” is a new Journey to Planet Earth (J2PE) episode showing how scientists confront the challenges of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The documentary also investigates the impact of the event on the ecosystems and communities along the Gulf of Mexico.

J2PE dramatizes new ways of looking at the delicate relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The series is designed to help viewers understand and cope with the most important environmental issues of the 21st century.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, these programs reach beyond the physical sciences and draw connections to politics, economics, sociology, and history. A common thread runs throughout — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Though photographed on different continents and focusing on different sets of problems, audiences come to see why all of these stories are connected, providing a dramatic mosaic of how the Earth works as an interrelated system.

Scientists Use Oil Spill Research to Track Pollution in Biscayne Bay

The CARTHE team is receiving data from 15 biodegradable, GPS-equipped drifters. This image shows the tracks after 24 hours. (Image by CARTHE)

The CARTHE team is receiving data from 15 biodegradable, GPS-equipped drifters. This image shows the tracks after 24 hours. (Image by CARTHE)

It’s almost like a game of tug-of-war. There are growing numbers of residents, tourists, and industry at one end and the environment where people live, work, and play at the other. When the former increases, the latter is stressed. This scenario plays out all over the world, especially in coastal areas.

Biscayne Bay near Miami, Florida, is one of these areas. Its population, visitors, and businesses are booming, and its main harbor is expanding to accommodate large vessels in response to the widening of the Panama Canal. This growth has come with increased trash, wastewater runoff, and pollution that end up in the Bay, on beaches, and in mangrove forests. However, scientists are tugging on the same side of the rope as local citizens, pulling resources together to address this environmental concern.

Families worked with Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami Science Barge, and Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science to beautifully paint cards for the Bay Drift study. (Photo by Laura Bracken)

Families worked with Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami Science Barge, and Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science to beautifully paint cards for the Bay Drift study. (Photo by Laura Bracken)

Recently, members of the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens noticed that a lot of debris was accumulating at their waterfront, and they wanted to know why. Vizcaya contacted the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science  who in turn contacted the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment II (CARTHE II) based at the University of Miami. Other local groups joined the conversation: The International SeaKeepers Society, Insetta Boatworks, Miami Waterkeeper, Miami Science Barge, Surfrider Foundation Miami Chapter, and Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves. Conversations turned into action which resulted in the Bay Drift Study.

Drifter cards

Each yellow card is coded and has information that introduces the project and instructs the finder how to report its location. Tracking the location where drift cards are released and found helps researchers to learn how the currents distribute debris in Biscayne Bay (Photo by Laura Bracken)

“This project is an enormous collaborative effort,” said CARTHE Outreach Lead Laura Bracken. “The groups we have partnered with and the many people who have heard about the project want to get involved because they feel so passionately about the issue.”

CARTHE, funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, has developed the scientific expertise that is perfect for learning about how particles move in water. They have been conducting research since 2012 to improve our understanding about how ocean currents affected the movement of Deepwater Horizon oil.

“Large oil spills like the Deepwater Horizon event don’t happen very often, but there are continuous pollution events that occur near coastal cities that can take an economic toll,” said Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science oceanographer and CARTHE Director Tamay Özgökmen. “We can use the same technologies we developed to study the oil spill and apply them to address this problem.”

Graduate student releases drifter.

Graduate student Simge Bilgen, a CARTHE team member, deploys a drifter at a water discharge location in the Miami Beach area. The drifters measure currents at the water’s surface, where wind and waves can whip around much faster than deeper currents. The drifters’ GPS trackers lets the team calculate the speed and path of currents. (Photo by Tamay Ozgokmen)

The project uses technology and techniques developed for the CARTHE LASER experiment, such as bamboo drift plates and custom-made GPS-equipped biodegradable drifters, to study how trash, sewage, oil, and harmful algae blooms are transported through South Florida waters. From September 2016 to June 2017, the team will coordinate quarterly drift card deployments from eight locations with scientists, students, families, and members of the community across northern Biscayne Bay.

The project team has several goals: use science to advance understanding of the area’s flow patterns, provide students with a hands-on STEAM (STEM + Art) activity, develop a computer model to visualize how debris moves, and make information publicly available to help sustain local shorelines.

Maritime and Science Technology (MAST) Academy students prepare to release drift cards

Maritime and Science Technology (MAST) Academy students prepare to release drift cards and plates that they painted into Bear Cut. (depends on where you got this photo. (Photo by Diana Udel)

Özgökmen explains what they have learned so far, “The flow trajectories indicate a lot of stop-and-go near the shores due to coastal structures such as marinas, followed by episodic flushing of material into the Florida Current. Understanding how long pollution stays in the Bay is very important, and we can quantify this by using our drifters.”

It’s knowledge like this that could inform future decisions. “If we don’t tackle this from the root, it’s not a real solution,” said Vizcaya Museum & Garden schools program manager Diana Pena. “We’re hoping this information gives us enough to reach out to the public and realize how important they are to environmental stewardship.”

Özgökmen expressed that he and the CARTHE team are excited that the tools and experience that they developed with GoMRI support are addressing a serious coastal pollution problem that is important to local community.

Bay Drift drifter tracks Sept 12-20 from CARTHE on Vimeo.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is an independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies.  An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research.  All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available.  The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP.

Fact Sheets: ACER “Tool Talk” Series Tackles Gene Sequencing

DNAThis factsheet explains not only what gene sequencing is and how it works but also how scientists use it to identify and compare bacteria in sediment samples.

Remember back in high school biology when you studied genetics and learned about DNA, nucleotides and gene sequencing? Join us for this week’s Tool Talk as we clear away the cobwebs on gene sequencing and learn how Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER) scientists are using this process to study the microbial community composition.

Click to read more…

C-IMAGE Releases One Gulf Expedition Photos and Videos

C-IMAGE Releases One Gulf Expedition Photos and Videos

One Gulf Expedition - C-IMAGE

One Gulf Expedition – Photo Credit C-IMAGE

From 2 Aug-10 Sept, 20 researchers from the C-IMAGE Consortium circumnavigated the Gulf of Mexico studying fish toxicity between 20-180 fathoms (36-330m). The science crew caught 2,442 fish through 69 demersal long-lining stations.

Over 600 photos documenting the expedition’s equipment, crew, and research activities are now available through Flickr. The 40-day cruise resulted in thousands of fish, sediment, water, and plankton samples that will help scientists better understand how mega-spills impact the Gulf’s diverse ecosystem.

C-IMAGE Public Education and Outreach Site

Visit their social media pages….
Facebook1    YouTube1    Flickr1    View our Blog

 

ECOGIG Kicks Off the 2016 Science at the Stadium Season

ECOGIG LOGOEcosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf (ECOGIG) Consortium outreach staff recently brought the Ocean Discovery Zone to Penn State’s Fan Fest for the season’s first home game. Visitors explored the Gulf’s deepwater ecosystems and learned about the importance of healthy oceans. View photos or watch a time-lapse video of the event to learn more.

“Science at the Stadium” is an extension of the Ocean Discovery Zone- you may read more about our signature outreach event here.

ECOGIG Education and Outreach Site

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Videos

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RFP-V Drennan: Oil Spill Transport in a Coupled Wind-Wave Current Environment

The Investigation of Oil Spill Transport in a Coupled Wind-Wave Current Environment Using Simulation and Laboratory Studies project is lead by P.I. William M. Drennan, University of Miami.

Researcher William Drennan

Researcher William Drennan

This project aims at studying the transport of oil droplets in upper oceans subject to actions of Langmuir cells and breaking waves and the transport of oiled sprays in wind over waves. The focus of study is on the effects of wind-wave-current interactions when the wave influences are significant, including hurricane conditions. The feedback mechanisms among wind, waves, and upper ocean currents and turbulence play an essential role in the transport of oil slicks. Despite their importance, due to the complexity of the problem, previous simulation and measurement studies were unable to adequately capture the interaction dynamics. Existing models often reply on simplified approximations, such as flat sea surface treatment, vortex force approximation of Langmuir cells using uniform and constant Stokes drift, ad hoc prescribed sea surface roughness for marine atmospheric boundary layer.

The specific objective of this study are: (i) establish a high-fidelity computational framework for the interactions among wind, waves, and currents in upper oceans; (ii) use the unique capabilities of windwave tanks in the SUSTAIN laboratory to obtain accurate measurement data in air and water with wave phases resolved; (iii) use the laboratory study to provide input for the LES; (iv) establish an advanced simulation tool for the modeling and prediction of oil transport in both water and air under a variety of wind and wave conditions; and (v) assess the effects of wind and waves with various intensities, including hurricane conditions, on the transport of oil.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Now Available! GoMRI and Oil Spill Science Special Issue of Oceanography

Cover of the September 2016 Oceanography Magazine, Volume 29, Number 3

Cover of the September 2016 Oceanography Magazine, Volume 29, Number 3

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is pleased to announce a special issue of Oceanography Magazine: GoMRI: Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science

This special issue – a collaborative effort among scientists funded by GoMRI, the GoMRI Research Board, and the GoMRI management team – highlights scientific advances from the program. Twenty papers covering topics that range from how the spill affected marine ecosystems and the fate of oil in the marine environment, to data management, and education and outreach initiatives. Leading this effort were co-editors John Shepherd, Richard Shaw, Debra Benoit, Kenneth Halanych, and Charles Wilson.

To date, more than 3,000 GoMRI-funded researchers representing 278 institutions in 42 states and 17 countries have produced approximately 800 peer-reviewed publications. Continuing productivity of these and other GoMRI-funded scientific teams and individuals will ensure significant contributions to science, engineering, and outreach long after the GoMRI program has ended. The most powerful legacy of GoMRI will be the 2,000 young oil-spill scientists (post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduates) who are currently working or have worked alongside senior scientists.

Special issues of journals (like this Oceanography special issue), film documentaries, and partnerships with outreach organizations also comprise a significant component of the GoMRI legacy, and not least of which is the program itself, as Research Board Chair Dr. Rita Colwell has articulated, namely that

GoMRI provides an excellent model for industry to play a significant role in supporting independent, open, scientific research to foster discovery and at the same time help solve societal problems, inform decision-making, and address future environmental and public health challenges.”

A PDF copy of the special issue is available for purchase and download here.

Grad Student Max Weber Fishes for Insight into Deep-Pelagic Fish Taxonomy

Max removes tissue from a fish for future genetic analysis aboard the RV Point Sur. (Provided by Max Weber)

Max removes tissue from a fish for future genetic analysis aboard the RV Point Sur. (Provided by Max Weber)

There are hundreds of deep-pelagic fish species in the Gulf of Mexico, but we know very little about their taxonomy, diversity, and population sizes. Max Weber plans to catch fifteen individual specimens of each of the 500 known deep-sea Gulf fish species to help us better understand these organisms and how the Deepwater Horizon oil spill may have impacted them and environment.

Max is a marine biology master’s student at Texas A&M University (TAMU) and a GoMRI Scholar with the DEEPEND consortium.

His Journey

Max’s desire to become a scientist started with his childhood obsession with dinosaurs, and he told others that he was going to be a paleontologist. “When I got a little older I realized that, while dinosaurs were still amazing, I preferred animals that were not extinct,” Max laughed. His   interest turned to marine life and he became, and continues to be, an avid fisherman, motivated by his desire to catch new fish species.

He pursued his scientific interests as an undergraduate at Tulane University where he earned degrees in ecology and evolutionary biology. Prior to pursuing graduate school, he gained real-world experience and skills working with organizations such as San Diego Zoo’s Desert Tortoise Conservation Center and the Houston Audubon Society. The Society’s conservation director Richard Gibbons introduced him to TAMU’s Ron Eytan after discovering Max’s interest in fishery science. “Dr. Eytan offered me a position to work with DEEPEND,” Max said. “This presented a unique opportunity to work with amazing fish from the deep-sea environment that are rarely seen.”

His Work

Max presents his research on deep-sea fish genetic diversity at the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference in Tampa, Florida. (Provided by Max Weber)

Max presents his research on deep-sea fish genetic diversity at the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference in Tampa, Florida. (Provided by Max Weber)

The remote and extreme physical conditions of the deep-sea environment have inhibited our understanding of deep-sea organisms’ biology and diversity. Scientists have some information about many deep-sea species from a handful of samples, which is rarely enough to understand their taxonomic relationships. Max explained that he is searching for DNA evidence that will help them learn more. “For example, males, females, and juveniles of the family Cetomimidae, usually called whalefishes, are strikingly different and were traditionally classified as three separate families of fish,” Max explained. “DNA evidence finally revealed the true nature of their relationship to one another.”

He and his colleagues collect fish specimens using a Multiple Opening/Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System (MOCNESS), a towed system of multiple automated nets that sample at specific depths. Max identifies the fishes caught, removes some tissue for gene sequencing, and keeps the rest of the fish as a voucher specimen. Back at the lab, he sequences portions of the mitochondrial genome to provide a standard DNA barcode for each sample.

Max explained that this genetic sequencing provides invaluable information and described the project’s first sequences as “a big milestone” and the foundation of his research. His analysis is revealing that a number of species may in fact be cryptic, meaning that they are actually two or three similar species that have been mistakenly classified as the same. He will use the gene sequencing data to investigate patterns of genetic and species diversity and changes in population size over time. This information will help illuminate long-term trends in the Gulf’s deep-sea environment.

His Learning

Anoplogaster cornuta or common fangtooth (Provided by Max Weber).

Anoplogaster cornuta or common fangtooth (Provided by Max Weber).

When beginning his research, Max found himself unexpectedly moved by the contents of the team’s first trawl. “I had seen some of the fish in photos before the cruise, but that was the first time I had encountered any of those rare fish in person,” he said. “As a group, deep-sea fishes are incredible and so different than what you see in other environments.”

He also emphasized the importance of perseverance in scientific research, explaining that lab procedures that have been perfected on common fishes do not always translate well to deep-sea populations. “One thing I am consistently learning is that science may not always go right the first time you try,” he said. “It is critical to have a good attitude and be persistent when your methods require several rounds of adjustment.”

His Future

Echiostoma barbatum (Provided by Max Weber).

Echiostoma barbatum (Provided by Max Weber).

Max is considering the possibility of pursuing a Ph.D. and hopes to ultimately find a job in fisheries. “I could go with industry- or university-based fisheries jobs but am leaning towards something in the sphere of a government agency,” he said. Max will complete his fourth research cruise in August and receive another round of sequence data shortly afterwards. He plans to continue analyzing this new data and complete his thesis by spring 2017.

Praise for Max

Max prepares for a dive. (Provided by Max Weber)

Max prepares for a dive. (Provided by Max Weber)

Dr. Ron Eytan, assistant professor of marine biology at TAMU Galveston, said that Max impressed everyone with the way he immersed himself in DEEPEND’s team, “Max walked into this project from day one without any background in genetics and took to it wholeheartedly with enthusiasm and confidence.” Eytan said it became apparent on Max’s first research cruise that he would push himself to his mental and physical limits to do what the project needed. “He walked in there; he didn’t get seasick; and he commenced to be on his feet for hours and hours taking genetic samples from fish having never done it before,” Eytan said. “He worked like a champ, and he’s done that every cruise since.”

Max’s work with deep sea species and genetic diversity expands and supports research that Eytan and other DEEPEND scientists are doing with fish genetics overall. “We know nothing about [the species Max investigates] whatsoever,” Eytan said. “His work will make a major contribution to our understanding about how genetic diversity works in the deep sea.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Max Weber and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the DEEPEND website to learn more about their work.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Fact Sheet: Coastal Louisiana Flora and Fauna Fact-Sheets

These fact sheets highlight various flora and fauna living in the south Louisiana marshes.

Click the images below to download copies of these posters to share with your students.

Visit the Coastal Water Consortium’s Education & Outreach website for more information.

American Alligator

American Alligator Poster

Needlerush Poster

Needlerush Poster

Roseate Spoonbill Poster

Roseate Spoonbill Poster

Marsh Periwinkle Snail

Marsh Periwinkle Snail Poster

Fiddler Crab Poster

Fiddler Crab Poster

Spartina Poster

Smooth Cordgrass Poster

Video: Exquisite Mud: A History Book of the Gulf of Mexico

Dispatches_LogoA team of researchers from the University of South Florida uses a multi-corer to obtain deep sediment cores from the Gulf of Mexico. Back in the lab, they analyze the layers of sediment and build a history of the Gulf, with Deepwater Horizon being the latest chapter.

Featuring oceanographers David Hollander, Isabel Romero, and Patrick Schwing.


The creators of award-winning environmental series Journey to Planet Earth (hosted by Matt Damon) present Dispatches from the Gulf – an upcoming documentary film and educational outreach initiative highlighting exclusive scientific discoveries in health, ecosystems, innovation and recovery in the post-oil spill Gulf of Mexico.

Share your thoughts at the following “Dispatches from the Gulf” Social Media links:

YouTube ChannelFacebookTwitter

 

 

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“Dispatches from the Gulf” is a new Journey to Planet Earth (J2PE) episode showing how scientists confront the challenges of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The documentary also investigates the impact of the event on the ecosystems and communities along the Gulf of Mexico.

J2PE dramatizes new ways of looking at the delicate relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The series is designed to help viewers understand and cope with the most important environmental issues of the 21st century.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, these programs reach beyond the physical sciences and draw connections to politics, economics, sociology, and history. A common thread runs throughout — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Though photographed on different continents and focusing on different sets of problems, audiences come to see why all of these stories are connected, providing a dramatic mosaic of how the Earth works as an interrelated system.

RFP-V John: Synergistic Dispersant & Herding Systems Using Tubular Clay & Gel Phase

The Design of Synergistic Dispersant and Herding Systems using Tubular Clay Structures and Gel Phase Materials project is lead by P.I. Vijay John, Tulane University.

Dispersants are typically solutions containing one or more surfactants dissolved in a solvent. They work by reducing the interfacial tension between oil and water, thereby reducing the work needed to break oil into sufficiently small droplets that are in the colloidal size range and disperse into the water column. The COREXIT class of dispersants (C9500) was used extensively in the Deepwater Horizon incident, and was considered a success in preventing significant amounts of oil from reaching the shoreline. The ecological consequences of deep sea dispersant addition and subsequent oil dispersion are issues of intensive research efforts.

From a technological perspective, there are significant opportunities to improve dispersant efficiency. C9500 and other commercial dispersants are not effective in the dispersion of weathered oil and high viscosity crudes. Some components of C9500, in particular the di-octyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DOSS) component, may persist for extended periods in the marine environment. C9500 also contains a significant amount of paraffin as solvent, and alternative formulations that decrease the solvent content while maintaining efficiency are desirable. Being a liquid solution, significant amounts of dispersant become wasted if encounter with oil is not rapidly realized.

It is therefore proposed to conduct fundamental and applied research to develop dispersant systems that are synergistic with C9500, but that may alleviate many of the disadvantages of C9500 without the need for entirely different chemical components. This is motivated by the realization that many years of research have gone into the development of C9500 which is currently stockpiled along coastlines of offshore oil exploration and production. The proposed research involves fundamental concepts relevant to the stabilization oil droplets by particles (Pickering emulsions) that are relevant to the formation of oilmineral aggregates. While such particles stabilize oil droplets against coalescence, they do not lead to the generation of small droplets which require the surfactants in dispersants to significantly reduce the oil-water interfacial tension. The innovation in the proposed work lies in the use of natural tubular clays known as halloysites which are available in the large quantities necessary for oil spill remediation. When filled with surfactant, the clays not only stabilize the oil drops against coalescence, but also reduce the interfacial tension through a targeted release of surfactant to the oil-water interface. This is Specific Aim 1 of the proposal. Concomitantly, it is proposed to develop a new gel based dispersant that adheres to the oil and is buoyant, thus encountering oil efficiently, and has the potential to disperse weathered oil. The encapsulation of these gels into the tubular lumen of halloysite and the targeted delivery to oil are the topics of Specific Aim 2.

It is also the hypothesis that the presence of a solid phase (halloysite clay tubes) at the oil-water interface will facilitate anchoring of microbial oil degrading communities to the interface and will enhance biodegradation. Specific aim 3 therefore, is to examine the microbial degradation of oil when the interface is stabilized by halloysite. Our innovation lies in the understanding of microbial biodegradation by following the process at the nanoscale using high resolution cryogenic electron microscopy to characterize biofilm formation and the dynamics of oil droplet degradation. It is also the objective that such studies will provide insights into the formation of marine snow.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

RFP-V Meneveau: Improving How Oil Spill Models Predict Plume Dispersion and Transport

A Large Eddy Simulation of oil droplet (color contours) and gas bubble (white lines) plumes emerging from 1500 m below the surface into a stratified ocean, including 3D Coriolis force and west-to-east current effects. (Simulation performed by Dr. Di Yang, University of Houston)

A Large Eddy Simulation of oil droplet (color contours) and gas bubble (white lines) plumes emerging from 1500 m below the surface into a stratified ocean, including 3D Coriolis force and west-to-east current effects. (Simulation performed by Dr. Di Yang, University of Houston)

Deep ocean oil plumes that formed from the Deepwater Horizon spill and their subsequent rise through the water column were greatly influenced by physical mixing mechanisms such as turbulence, Langmuir circulations, and sub-mesoscale eddies.

These mixing processes are crucial variables needed for existing models to accurately predict a plume’s overall size, shape, and transport direction. Improving our understanding about these processes that affect a spill’s development can better inform response efforts.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative recently awarded Dr. Charles Meneveau a grant to develop an enhanced Large Eddy Simulation (LES) framework for predicting multiscale physical dispersion mechanisms and estimating the effectiveness of remediation strategies. The framework will incorporate relevant length and time scales and address specific needs of oil droplet dispersion ocean modeling.

Different-sized oil droplets rise at varying rates and interact through mixing mechanisms in different ways. These physical interactions affect how parts of the plume move to the surface and create slicks of various shapes and sizes. If applied, chemical dispersants can reduce droplet diameters and alter a plume’s composition, biodegradation susceptibility, transport direction, size, and surface signature.

The team will adapt droplet size distribution models in LES that predict plumes with multiple-size oil droplets by including turbulence and dispersant effects on oil transport. A technique known as the Extended Nonperiodic Domain LES for Scalar transport (ENDLESS) will be developed to simulate oil plume transport in the ocean mixed layer at scales that can capture simultaneously small-scale turbulence and regional-scale transport that affect oil transport predictions. The results will improve how regional models trace oil droplet plume dispersion.

The researchers will use their model to also perform LES computations that analyze the efficacy and efficiency of deep-sea and surface dispersant application and impacts on oil plume evolution under varying application scenarios (location, quantity, type of dispersant) and environmental conditions.

Meneveau explained that this research will be used to develop engineering tools for rapid real-time assessment, helping to improve emergency response and spill monitoring, “Applying state-of-the-art enhanced simulation tools to the field of oil spill modeling will help develop fundamental new insights in a research area with direct applications to the challenges confronting the Gulf of Mexico region and the energy industry.”

The project’s researchers are Charles Meneveau of Johns Hopkins University, Marcelo Chamecki of University of California Los Angeles, and Di Yang of the University of Houston. Their project is Transport and Fate of Oil in the Upper Ocean: Studying and Modeling Multi-Scale Physical Dispersion Mechanisms and Remediation Strategies Using Large Eddy Simulation.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Video: What’s At Stake?

Dispatches_LogoThe Gulf of Mexico’s coastal wetlands and marshes are home to thousands of species of plants and animals – and its beaches help support a hundred billion-dollar tourist industry. It’s also a place whose waters provide 40% of the commercial seafood caught in the lower 48 States.

After 87 days of oil spewing into the Gulf, the beaches and salt marshes were hit hard. Hundreds of thousands of marine animals and birds died. Tourists abandoned the beaches. And watermen were unable to work. The oil spill put at stake not only a way of life, but also the future of one of the most biologically fertile regions in the world.



The creators of award-winning environmental series Journey to Planet Earth (hosted by Matt Damon) present Dispatches from the Gulf – an upcoming documentary film and educational outreach initiative highlighting exclusive scientific discoveries in health, ecosystems, innovation and recovery in the post-oil spill Gulf of Mexico.

Share your thoughts at the following “Dispatches from the Gulf” Social Media links:

YouTube ChannelFacebookTwitter

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Dispatches from the Gulf” is a new Journey to Planet Earth (J2PE) episode showing how scientists confront the challenges of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The documentary also investigates the impact of the event on the ecosystems and communities along the Gulf of Mexico.

J2PE dramatizes new ways of looking at the delicate relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The series is designed to help viewers understand and cope with the most important environmental issues of the 21st century.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, these programs reach beyond the physical sciences and draw connections to politics, economics, sociology, and history. A common thread runs throughout — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Though photographed on different continents and focusing on different sets of problems, audiences come to see why all of these stories are connected, providing a dramatic mosaic of how the Earth works as an interrelated system.

Video: The CSI Effect – Using Forensics to Study Oil Spills

Dispatches_LogoCoupling the “crime scene” forensic idea with the idiom of geology creates the following premise: “the present is the key to the past, but the past provides a window into the future.”

Researchers are using chemical forensics to predict how the Deepwater Horizon Event will transpire over the decades to come.

Featuring David Hollander (University of South Florida), Steve Murawski (University of South Florida), and Chris Reddy (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution).


The creators of award-winning environmental series Journey to Planet Earth (hosted by Matt Damon) present Dispatches from the Gulf – an upcoming documentary film and educational outreach initiative highlighting exclusive scientific discoveries in health, ecosystems, innovation and recovery in the post-oil spill Gulf of Mexico.

Share your thoughts at the following “Dispatches from the Gulf” Social Media links:

YouTube ChannelFacebookTwitter

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Dispatches from the Gulf” is a new Journey to Planet Earth (J2PE) episode showing how scientists confront the challenges of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The documentary also investigates the impact of the event on the ecosystems and communities along the Gulf of Mexico.

J2PE dramatizes new ways of looking at the delicate relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The series is designed to help viewers understand and cope with the most important environmental issues of the 21st century.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, these programs reach beyond the physical sciences and draw connections to politics, economics, sociology, and history. A common thread runs throughout — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Though photographed on different continents and focusing on different sets of problems, audiences come to see why all of these stories are connected, providing a dramatic mosaic of how the Earth works as an interrelated system.

Video: Invasion of the Lionfish

Dispatches_LogoWill Patterson at Dauphin Island Sea Lab studies reef fish communities and the dramatic effect the non-native lionfish are having on native fish populations.


The creators of award-winning environmental series Journey to Planet Earth (hosted by Matt Damon) present Dispatches from the Gulf – an upcoming documentary film and educational outreach initiative highlighting exclusive scientific discoveries in health, ecosystems, innovation and recovery in the post-oil spill Gulf of Mexico.

Share your thoughts at the following “Dispatches from the Gulf” Social Media links:

YouTube ChannelFacebookTwitter

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Dispatches from the Gulf” is a new Journey to Planet Earth (J2PE) episode showing how scientists confront the challenges of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The documentary also investigates the impact of the event on the ecosystems and communities along the Gulf of Mexico.

J2PE dramatizes new ways of looking at the delicate relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The series is designed to help viewers understand and cope with the most important environmental issues of the 21st century.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, these programs reach beyond the physical sciences and draw connections to politics, economics, sociology, and history. A common thread runs throughout — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Though photographed on different continents and focusing on different sets of problems, audiences come to see why all of these stories are connected, providing a dramatic mosaic of how the Earth works as an interrelated system.

Video: Watermen of the Gulf

Dispatches_LogoFisherfolk share their feelings about working and living along the Gulf of Mexico.


The creators of award-winning environmental series Journey to Planet Earth (hosted by Matt Damon) present Dispatches from the Gulf – an upcoming documentary film and educational outreach initiative highlighting exclusive scientific discoveries in health, ecosystems, innovation and recovery in the post-oil spill Gulf of Mexico.

Share your thoughts at the following “Dispatches from the Gulf” Social Media links:

YouTube ChannelFacebookTwitter

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Dispatches from the Gulf” is a new Journey to Planet Earth (J2PE) episode showing how scientists confront the challenges of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The documentary also investigates the impact of the event on the ecosystems and communities along the Gulf of Mexico.

J2PE dramatizes new ways of looking at the delicate relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The series is designed to help viewers understand and cope with the most important environmental issues of the 21st century.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, these programs reach beyond the physical sciences and draw connections to politics, economics, sociology, and history. A common thread runs throughout — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Though photographed on different continents and focusing on different sets of problems, audiences come to see why all of these stories are connected, providing a dramatic mosaic of how the Earth works as an interrelated system.

RFP-V Huettel: Biodegradation & Ecosystem Recovery in Coastal Marine Sediments


Markus Huettel gives an overview of the project at the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference January 2016

The A systems approach to improve predictions of biodegradation and ecosystem recovery in coastal marine sediments impacted by oil spill project is lead by P.I. Markus Huettel, Florida State University.

After coastal oil spills, petroleum hydrocarbons accumulate in submerged nearshore sediments and on beaches, poisoning these ecosystems and creating health risks for coastal organisms and humans. Erosion and deposition cycles lead to burial of weathered crude oil in submerged shelf beds, intertidal sediments, and dry beach sands. Prediction of the effects and fate of these buried petroleum hydrocarbons remains hampered by our limited understanding of the controls of the biodegradation and functioning of sedimentary microbial communities that break down petroleum hydrocarbons. Transport of oxygen and nutrients to the buried oil is expected to control the rates of hydrocarbon biodegradation. While the flow of air through dry beach sands can rapidly transport oxygen to buried oil, it cannot carry nutrients that are limiting the degradation of the oil. Transport via pore water flows in submerged sand beds is slower than the gas transport in dry sand, but water can transport dissolved nutrients to buried hydrocarbons. It is therefore hypothesized that microbial oil degradation in dry, temporally wet and water-saturated sediments differ. A quantitative understanding of the mechanisms controlling these differences is a central prerequisite for the modeling of oil decomposition in these coastal ecosystems. The main goals of this project therefore are to link microbial degradation of buried oil and associated transport processes, and to integrate these data in a model that allows predictions of pathways and rates of oil degradation, and thus, forecasting recovery pathways in future oil spills. Specific objectives are to:

1. Determine microbial community structure and succession associated with petroleum hydrocarbons buried in sub-, inter- and supratidal coastal sands using in-situ measurements and controlled laboratory mesocosm incubations that simulate in-situ conditions.
2. Quantitatively link supply rates of oxygen and nutrients to microbial oil degradation rates and community structure in these sands.
3. Develop a model using a systems approach that incorporates microbiological, genomics, biogeochemical and transport data to predict decomposition rates of buried oil in sub, inter- and supratidal beach sands.
4. Organize a two-day workshop for disseminating our models and associated bioinformatics tools for multi-omics data analysis and integration to the GoMRI research community.

This project that contributes to GoMRI RFP V research theme (2) couples cutting-edge microbiological and geochemical approaches in the field with targeted laboratory experiments, genomic analyses and predictive mathematical modeling. In the experiments, biodegradation rates of specific hydrocarbon compounds are linked to the metabolic potential of microbial groups using a combination of metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing and culture-based physiological and genetic manipulations. A distinguishing aspect of this research is that it will integrate taxonomic, genetic and functional data from complex, multivariate experiments into advanced dynamic models that will represent responses of whole microbial communities and allow predictions of their activities under different levels of oxygen and nutrients. The broader impact of this research is related to the potential environmental and health risks associated with petroleum hydrocarbons still persisting in the coastal environment. Covered by anoxic sediment, oil may persist in largely un-weathered form and thus may contain relatively large concentrations of harmful oil components (PAHs) that can be released during storm events. The project will produce tools (e.g., models and microbial indicators of oil degradation) for environmental managers and decision makers that can help planning responses to future oil spills.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Grad Student Sun Uses Sun Glint to Assess Oil Spills

 Shaojie presents his research on sun glint requirements for oil film detection at the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Conference in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chuanmin Hu)

Shaojie presents his research on sun glint requirements for oil film detection at the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Conference in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chuanmin Hu)

Those who have ever photographed the ocean on a sunny day have likely noticed how the reflected sunlight made the water gleam, often distorting the image. Shaojie Sun has quantified this phenomenon, called “sun glint,” to help address a longstanding limitation in scientists’ ability to assess oil seeps and spills using satellite imagery.

Shaojie is a marine science Ph.D. student at the University of South Florida (USF) and a GoMRI Scholar with the C-IMAGE consortium. He describes his journey from coastal China to coastal Florida to aid marine conservation efforts.

His Path

Shaojie (far right) sets off for a three-day research cruise in the Florida Keys with colleagues from the University of Massachusetts – Boston and Florida International University, March 2016. (Photo by Chuanmin Hu)

Shaojie (far right) sets off for a three-day research cruise in the Florida Keys with colleagues from the University of Massachusetts – Boston and Florida International University, March 2016. (Photo by Chuanmin Hu)

The son of a fisherman, Shaojie grew up only a ten-minute walk from the seashore. His childhood memories of sailors’ stories and eating fresh seafood inspired him to dedicate his life to protecting the sea for the creatures who live there and the people who earn their livings from it.

Shaojie completed an undergraduate degree in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) at Shandong University of Science and Technology in Qingdao, China, in 2010. A highlight of his undergraduate work was his internship at the Chinese State Oceanic Administration’s First Institute of Oceanography. There, he used the programming language he learned in college to process remote sensing images of coastline islands. He explained, “The details of the high-resolution remote sensing imagery attracted me, and I knew what I had learned could help monitor and improve our marine environment.”

Shaojie’s master’s research at Nanjing University used remote sensing techniques to monitor water quality following a cyanobacteria bloom in China’s Taihu Lake, which impacted over five million people’s drinking water and generated increased attention to water pollution in freshwater and marine environments. While completing this study, the large 2011 oil spill in China’s largest inland sea, Bohai – which consisted of three separate leak events over a two-month period – inspired him to pursue oil spill research. “Considering the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, I began to think deeply about what we can do, as the marine pollution [events] continued one after another and would not stop in the near future,” he said.

Shaojie completed his master’s degree in GIS and cartography in 2013, feeling strongly that remote sensing would play an important role in combating future marine pollution such as oil spills. He contacted USF’s Dr. Chuanmin Hu, whose papers on optical remote sensing applications he had often cited, about joining his remote oil spill detection research with C-IMAGE as a Ph.D. student and entered the project later that year.

His Work

Oil spill footprint map for the Ixtoc I and Deepwater Horizon oil spills. The Ixtoc I oil spill footprint was generated from satellite observations by Shaojie, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill footprint was based on NOAA data. (Photo provided by Shaojie Sun)

Oil spill footprint map for the Ixtoc I and Deepwater Horizon oil spills. The Ixtoc I oil spill footprint was generated from satellite observations by Shaojie, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill footprint was based on NOAA data. (Photo provided by Shaojie Sun)

Remote sensing tools can be used to detect the oil’s presence in water but historically struggle to quantify its volume. Previous studies demonstrated that optical imagery could use sun glint effectively to detect oil, yet scientists had not quantified the exact sun glint threshold for the technology to work consistently, and very thin slicks could only be observed at optimal view angles and wind conditions. However, optical remote sensing is a technique that utilizes reflected solar radiation to find surface oil and employs spectral responses to estimate the amount present. “Remote sensing is now serving and will serve as a more and more important part in monitoring and predicting environmental disasters in marine environments.” Shaojie explained, “Volume quantification has been a real challenge to the remote sensing community for decades, but optical remote sensing has shown promising results.”

Shaojie compared multi-sensor data to calculate the sun glint requirement for finding natural oil slicks using the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). He applied the findings using archived Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) and Landsat/Multispectral Scanner (MSS) data to document the 1979 Ixtoc I oil spill’s footprint and trajectory. “To my knowledge, this is the first time that such information was objectively derived from synoptic measurements enabled by optical remote sensing. The results were used to plan the sediment core sampling locations during a C-IMAGE cruise survey of the Ixtoc I site,” said Shaojie.

His Learning

Shaojie (right 2nd) and other USF College of Marine Science students share their research about Ocean Color with the public at the St. Petersburg Science Festival. (Photo by Chuanmin Hu)

Shaojie (right 2nd) and other USF College of Marine Science students share their research about Ocean Color with the public at the St. Petersburg Science Festival. (Photo by Chuanmin Hu)

“Since remote sensing is interdisciplinary and has connections to most of the oceanographic disciplines, I have a lot of collaborations with researchers in USF’s College of Marine Science and the C-IMAGE community,” Shaojie said. He explained that physical modelers compare their modelling results with the Ixtoc I oil spill coverage map he generated. In turn, he uses their data to validate results from his work. Shaojie also benefited from C-IMAGE researcher Wes Tunnell’s western Gulf field missions during and after the Ixtoc spill, as data from that time period is limited. “The accordance of satellite observations with field records makes the published satellite results more persuasive,” said Shaojie, adding that he gains many other intangible advantages from sharing ideas with fellow researchers.

His Future

Shaojie plans to complete his comprehensive exam this fall and earn his Ph.D. by summer 2018. His long-term plan is to seek a research position in a university or a research institute. “As offshore oil exploration has increased and continues to increase, oil spills are inevitable,” he said. “I hope I will develop some cutting-edge technology for better detection and quantification and for helping decision makers on mitigation efforts and policy implementation.”

Praise for Shaojie

Shaojie’s advisor Chuanmin Hu said Shaojie first came to his attention when he co-authored a manuscript submitted to the journal Applied Optics. Hu, an associate editor, found Shaojie’s optical experiments on particle size characterization impressive. “I was right,” said Hu. “Since his enrollment in fall 2013, Shaojie’s performance has been outstanding in both classwork and oil spill research.” Hu explained that Shaojie has already fulfilled all course requirements, and is now fully dedicated to his dissertation on remote sensing of ocean oil spills, which Hu called an important and challenging research topic.

Hu discussed Shaojie’s remarkable progress on several publications, “One of these filled the knowledge gap about the footprint and trajectory of the 1979 Ixtoc oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and another one made cutting-edge progress to define the threshold of remote detection of thin oil films.” He noted proudly that NASA recently awarded Shaojie a fellowship to continue his research on the challenge of quantifying oil volume via optical remote sensing, a difficult problem that must be solved to help direct mitigation efforts. “Shaojie is smart and hard working,” said Hu. “He is always friendly to others, willing to help, and easy to work with in a team. I am very proud of him.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Shaojie Sun and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the C-IMAGE website to learn more about their work.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Grad Student Boyette Maps Plankton to Better Understand the Nearshore Environment

Adam Boyette retrieves a glider on the deck of the R/V Point Sur, where he served as chief scientist on the three-day cruise examining the impacts of the Bonnet Carré spillway opening. (Photo by Alison Deary)

Adam Boyette retrieves a glider on the deck of the R/V Point Sur, where he served as chief scientist on the three-day cruise examining the impacts of the Bonnet Carré spillway opening. (Photo by Alison Deary)

Microscopic organisms called plankton, an important component of the marine food web, congregate in the freshwater-laden coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Adam Boyette wants to learn more about how and where these plankton live to better understand how an oil spill or other disaster might impact their populations.

He is collaborating with other scientists to show how the near-coastal environment interconnects with the larger world around it.

Adam is a GoMRI Scholar with CONCORDE working towards a Ph.D. in marine science at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). He discusses his journey from the Mississippi Delta to the coastal Gulf he now calls home.

His Path

Adam stands by on the deck of the R/V Point Sur to retrieve the CTD rosette. (Photo by Alison Deary)

Adam stands by on the deck of the R/V Point Sur to retrieve the CTD rosette. (Photo by Alison Deary)

Adam grew up in a rural town at the heart of the Mississippi Delta, an area made famous by Muppets-creator Jim Henson and blues music. He spent his childhood outdoors collecting insects and snakes, fishing, and exploring the Delta’s rich ecology.

His first visit to the Florida panhandle at age eight sparked a life-long love of the ocean that would eventually steer his future.

Adam did not begin college immediately after high school. Instead, he worked on Mississippi River tow boats and in catering kitchens, discovering new interests and skills in every job. He would earn a bachelor’s degree in marine biology at USM more than ten years after he graduated from high school, immediately complete a master’s degree in marine science, and then move on to his Ph.D.

“I had this unfulfilled yearning to do something meaningful, something where I could contribute,” Adam said, explaining that living through the one-two punch of Katrina and the oil spill deeply affected him. “You want to be part of something bigger than you are. I knew without a doubt that I wanted to be a marine scientist.” Adam joined several research cruises while working as a graduate assistant for ECOGIG co-principle investigator Vernon Asper, including the successful effort to rescue the downed AUV Mola Mola. Familiar with GoMRI’s mission, he jumped at the chance to join CONCORDE director Monty Graham’s lab when the consortium formed in 2015.

His Work

Adam takes notes in the R/V Point Sur’s lab while his FlowCam analyzes samples. (Photo by Alison Deary)

Adam takes notes in the R/V Point Sur’s lab while his FlowCam analyzes samples. (Photo by Alison Deary)

Adam studies the thin layers of plankton common in the coastal Gulf of Mexico water column. He measures the plankton’s photosynthesis processes to better understand their uptake and primary production rates of carbon. He also investigates how frequently other organisms, namely predatory microzooplankton, graze on these plankton concentrations. This information will help researchers understand how pollutants like oil move through the area and what living creatures they impact.

Adam collects seawater within the Mississippi Bight, a coastal environment dominated by river water plumes that mix and merge with the salty Gulf. He has joined other CONCORDE scientists on three larger research cruises and sampled on his own in small crafts. “When I’m not actually on a research cruise, I’m either preparing to go on one or analyzing data from a previous one,” he laughed.

Adam determines carbon uptake rates in his samples using an incubator called a photosynthetron, which simulates the in situ light environment and uses the resulting vertical light gradient to measure photosynthetic rates. He uses this information to calculate plankton’s carbon production and uptake and to estimate changes in phytoplankton abundance and growth over a 24-hour period.

Adam works on dilution experiments during the early morning hours of a cruise. (Provided by Adam Boyette)

Adam works on dilution experiments during the early morning hours of a cruise. (Provided by Adam Boyette)

He also conducts experiments to examine grazing rates for microzooplankton feeding on phytoplankton. Then, he runs the samples through a particle imaging device called a FlowCAM to identify organisms in the water, allowing him to determine how many and which plankton and predatory microzooplankton species live in his study area.

Adam uses this information to understand the dynamics of nearshore microbial populations during various seasons. His calculations will be incorporated into a large ecological model that CONCORDE scientists are creating to represent the physical, chemical, and biological processes in the nearshore environment. “My motivation is to understand the connectivity between all things, to show how delicate the interplay is between the world we see and the microbial world,” he explained. “It’s a personal fascination.” Adam’s raw data collected through his CONCORDE research are available through the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC).

 His Learning

“As Dr. Graham’s student, I’ve learned a lot about working collectively to achieve a common goal,” Adam said. “He’s provided wonderful leadership opportunities for emerging scientists to learn and grow.” One such opportunity came earlier this year, when Adam served as the chief scientist on an emergency three-day multi-consortia cruise to study the Bonnet Carré spillway opening, an action taken to protect New Orleans from rising Mississippi River floodwaters that sent millions of gallons of freshwater into the northern Gulf. He and other GoMRI scientists attending the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference discussed how the unusual event might impact their study areas and planned the cruise.

 Adam and fellow graduate student Naomi Yoder teach Pontchartrain Elementary students about nearshore ecology during an Earth Science Day event. (Photo by Stephanie Watson)

Adam and fellow graduate student Naomi Yoder teach Pontchartrain Elementary students about nearshore ecology during an Earth Science Day event. (Photo by Stephanie Watson)

The cruise included scientists from CONCORDE, DEEPEND, ECOGIG,CARTHE, and ACER. Adam took pleasure in seeing the process through from its somewhat chaotic inception to a highly organized research event, drawing on his experiences working in professional kitchens to keep everything running smoothly. The array of cross-disciplinary GoMRI scientists also helped make the project a success. “The most important thing I learned from this experience was to let go,” Adam said of his chief scientist position. “Put your trust in people and don’t try to be in control of everything. Instead, work with everyone and utilize their expertise – these people are here for a reason.”

His Future

Adam plans to finish his doctoral program in May 2018. He wants to continue researching plankton ecology using technologies such as satellite imaging and the FlowCam. His dream is to become an ongoing water quality project manager working for government agencies such as NOAA or the EPA or in a postdoctoral role at a university. “The oil spill has really shown the importance of long-term datasets,” Adam said.

 

Adam and fellow USM student Liesl Cole work in the R/V Point Sur’s highly secure radioisotope lab (known as the “rad van”) during the CONCORDE Spring Campaign. (Photo by Heather Dippold)

Adam and fellow USM student Liesl Cole work in the R/V Point Sur’s highly secure radioisotope lab (known as the “rad van”) during the CONCORDE Spring Campaign. (Photo by Heather Dippold)

Praise for Adam

Monty Graham serves as both CONCORDE’s principle investigator and the Director of USM’s School of Ocean Science and Technology. He stated, “I can attest to Adam’s maturity, leadership potential, technical skills, and motivation and am thrilled that he is being recognized for his efforts.” Graham called Adam a critical member of the CONCORDE project, “He has been the student that his peers look up to, and a student that my research colleagues seek for advice. He pursues every opportunity to increase his knowledge within his chosen field, and has learned new technologies that are going to be applied widely in our studies.”

Graham explained that Adam shines in leadership roles, receiving “stellar reviews” from everyone involved in the Bonnet Carré cruise. “He has led his fellow students through trainings and scientific discussions and he is respected by his peers and senior scientists alike,” said Graham. “He is an excellent addition to the GoMRI Scholar program and is the definition of student success.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Adam Boyette and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the CONCORDE website to learn more about their work.

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This research was made possible in part by a grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). The GoMRI is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Video: Meet Nancy Rabalais – Focusing on Coastal Ecosystems

Dispatches_LogoProfessor Nancy Rabalais (LUMCON) and her team focus their research on the effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on coastal ecosystems – particularly the Louisiana wetlands and marshes.


The creators of award-winning environmental series Journey to Planet Earth (hosted by Matt Damon) present Dispatches from the Gulf – an upcoming documentary film and educational outreach initiative highlighting exclusive scientific discoveries in health, ecosystems, innovation and recovery in the post-oil spill Gulf of Mexico.

Consortia: CWC I and CWC II 
Themes: Physical, Chemical, Environmental

Share your thoughts at the following “Dispatches from the Gulf” Social Media links:

YouTube ChannelFacebookTwitter

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“Dispatches from the Gulf” is a new Journey to Planet Earth (J2PE) episode showing how scientists confront the challenges of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The documentary also investigates the impact of the event on the ecosystems and communities along the Gulf of Mexico.

J2PE dramatizes new ways of looking at the delicate relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The series is designed to help viewers understand and cope with the most important environmental issues of the 21st century.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, these programs reach beyond the physical sciences and draw connections to politics, economics, sociology, and history. A common thread runs throughout — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Though photographed on different continents and focusing on different sets of problems, audiences come to see why all of these stories are connected, providing a dramatic mosaic of how the Earth works as an interrelated system.

Video: It Was Just A Scary, Scary Time

Dispatches_LogoLouisiana waterman David Chauvin describes how the shrimping community in the Gulf is used to dealing with and recovering from natural disasters like hurricanes, but the man-made disaster that was Deepwater Horizon has left them unsure of how to move forward. The unknown duration and depth of the oil spill’s impact has instilled fear among those who work the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.


The creators of award-winning environmental series Journey to Planet Earth (hosted by Matt Damon) present Dispatches from the Gulf – an upcoming documentary film and educational outreach initiative highlighting exclusive scientific discoveries in health, ecosystems, innovation and recovery in the post-oil spill Gulf of Mexico.

Share your thoughts at the following “Dispatches from the Gulf” Social Media links:

YouTube ChannelFacebookTwitter

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Dispatches from the Gulf” is a new Journey to Planet Earth (J2PE) episode showing how scientists confront the challenges of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The documentary also investigates the impact of the event on the ecosystems and communities along the Gulf of Mexico.

J2PE dramatizes new ways of looking at the delicate relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The series is designed to help viewers understand and cope with the most important environmental issues of the 21st century.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, these programs reach beyond the physical sciences and draw connections to politics, economics, sociology, and history. A common thread runs throughout — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Though photographed on different continents and focusing on different sets of problems, audiences come to see why all of these stories are connected, providing a dramatic mosaic of how the Earth works as an interrelated system.

Fostering a Love of Learning – CARTHE Outreach

colorful drift cardsConsortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment (CARTHE) teamed up with Project Give Kids (PGkids) to expose a bright group of foster kids, ranging in age from 1st grade to high school, to the amazing world of marine science.

The students started the day with CARTHE outreach manager, Laura Bracken, who taught them about ocean currents and enlisted their help in painting drift cards for our upcoming Biscayne Bay study: Bay Drift.  These cards will be released into Biscayne Bay and aerial photos will be taken as they spread so we can learn about the movement inside the bay.  In order to see the movement of individual cards/plates, they all need to be painted different colors. Thanks for the help!

SUSTAIN facility

Next the students saw the impressive SUSTAIN facility in the new Glassell building at RSMAS.  Here scientists are studying air-sea interactions, hurricane intensity and the ability for structures to withstand hurricanes, and testing equipment like the custom-made CARTHE drifters.

ToadfishThe second half of the tour visited the Rescue-a-Reef coral restoration lab, the National Resource for Aplysia, and the RSMAS Toadfish lab.  The young scientists got the chance to touch everything!

A great day was had by all.  Thank you to everyone who made this tour possible, especially the great group of students who were excited to participate and asked great questions.  We look forward to having you on campus again soon!

Visit

Bringing Marine Snow to the Oil Transport Forecast

A photograph of oil-marine snow aggregates at the water’s surface in the Gulf of Mexico, May 2011. (Photo by Andrew Warren)

A photograph of oil-marine snow aggregates at the water’s surface in the Gulf of Mexico, May 2011. (Photo by Andrew Warren)

Evidence suggests that when oil interacts with particles in the marine environment, it can form larger, rapidly sinking particles called marine snow.

These oily aggregates are often transported from the sea surface to the seafloor. The snow falls more like a heavy blizzard than a light flurry for large discharges such as the Deepwater Horizon spill and could present a pathway for oil to enter the food web as it descends. Recent research indicates that oil transported to the seafloor is an important piece in calculating the oil budget. However, oil transported via marine snow is rarely incorporated into oil transport models, which focus on the distribution of oil by currents.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative recently awarded Dr. Adrian Burd a grant to develop a model with parameters that can predict how oil will interact with other particles present in the marine environment. Burd’s team will then use this model to investigate how these interactions affect oil sedimentation to the deep ocean. Burd explained, “It is important to understand the mechanisms behind oil-particle interactions and processes because, although these aggregates remove oil from surface waters, they also cause oil to be deposited on the ocean floor.”

This schematic depicts the interactions between oil, mineral particles, and marine snow in the water column. Oil droplets in the water column can create aggregates with mineral particles and marine snow. These large particles rapidly sink through the water column carrying the oil with them, creating a process that transports oil from the surface to the deep ocean. Sinking particles that pass through sub-surface oil layers can accumulate and carry even more oil to the ocean floor. Meanwhile, oil that reaches the surface can form large mucus-oil aggregates which can also subsequently sink to the ocean floor. (Figure by Adrian Burd).The schematic (at right) depicts the interactions between oil, mineral particles, and marine snow in the water column. Oil droplets in the water column can create aggregates with mineral particles and marine snow. These large particles rapidly sink through the water column carrying the oil with them, creating a process that transports oil from the surface to the deep ocean. Sinking particles that pass through sub-surface oil layers can accumulate and carry even more oil to the ocean floor. Meanwhile, oil that reaches the surface can form large mucus-oil aggregates which can also subsequently sink to the ocean floor. (Figure by Adrian Burd).

The researchers plan to incorporate oil droplets, mineral particles, microbial mucus flocs, and the relevant processes affecting them (such as weathering and microbial production) into an existing coagulation model. First, they will develop a surface model extending from the ocean surface to 140 meters depth and begin constructing parameters that will predict the microbial-mucus-oil aggregates’ sizes and the rates at which they form and sink through the water column. Then, they will extend the model through the whole water column and incorporate the effects of oil-particle interactions and oil sedimentation rates.

The full model will allow the team to predict how much oil is trapped in these sinking aggregates and how rapidly it settles under a wide range of conditions. Burd emphasized the utility of this model, “This information will be useful not only to understanding the fate of oil in water but also to first-responders, who will need to know how the oil is distributed in the water.”

This project’s researchers are Adrian Burd at the University of Georgia Department of Marine Science, Kendra Daly at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science, and Uta Passow at the University of California – Santa Barbara Marine Science Institute with outreach support from Liesl Hotaling at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science. Their project is Oil-Marine Snow-Mineral Aggregate Interactions and Sedimentation during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

RFP-V Foil: Horse Fly Populations & Food Web Dynamics as Stress Indicators on Coastal Marsh


Claudia Husseneder gives an overview of the project at the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference January 2016

A Study of horse fly (Tabanidae) populations and their food web dynamics as indicators of the effects of environmental stress on coastal marsh health project is lead by P.I. Lane Foil, Louisiana State University Ag Center.

Within the tidal marshes of Louisiana the PAH levels in subsurface water in the marsh locations remained high enough to have lethal effects on fish for up to two months, and it has been shown that high levels of oil were retained in the sediment of oiled marsh for much longer. Whether oil components remain in sediments of certain tidal marsh habitats and what effect these residues or degradation caused by oiling have on the invertebrate food web of vertebrates and invertebrates is now an important question. The aftermath of the oil spill provides unprecedented research opportunities for years to come. Tools must be developed not only to assess the impact of a particular oil spill but also to provide screening methods for time- and cost-efficient assessments of marsh health after future environmental insults to help guide remediation efforts. For future unpredicted insults on tidal marshes such as oil spills, techniques for rapid and intensive baseline sample collections with minimum impact on the fragile ecosystem will be needed.

During a two year period beginning immediately after the spill, we conducted studies on the abundance of greenhead horse fly populations at four locations (Grand Bayou and Grand Isle which were oiled and Cypremort Point and Cameron which remained pristine). Horse fly abundance estimates showed severe crashes of adult tabanid populations as well as reduced numbers of larvae recovered from the soil in oiled areas. We propose to follow up that study with a longitudinal population genetic study of horse flies as bioindicators of marsh health and recovery. In 2011, we conducted surveys of tabanid larvae and their surrounding sediment, and specimens were archived to initiate studies on establishing the food web within the sediments. We propose to use those and future collections for metagenetic analyses to compare the micro- and meiofauna community in larval guts to that in the immediate soil environment where tabanid larvae are either present or absent. Based on this knowledge we will develop a time- and cost-efficient PCR-based diagnostic method to differentiate between healthy and biologically depleted marsh soil for use in intensive sampling.

Click for access to GoMRI’s YouTube videos of RFP-V Projects…

This project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) in the RFP-V funding program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

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Video: The Mud and Blood Cruise – The Whole Story

Dispatches_LogoThe R/V Weatherbird embarks on a two-week research cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. Its mission is to collect and analyze fish and soil samples near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Dave Hollander and Steve Murawski from the University of South Florida lead the team of oceanographers. The research is divided into two phases: 1) blood = studying fish communities; 2) mud = coring for sediment samples.


The creators of award-winning environmental series Journey to Planet Earth (hosted by Matt Damon) present Dispatches from the Gulf – an upcoming documentary film and educational outreach initiative highlighting exclusive scientific discoveries in health, ecosystems, innovation and recovery in the post-oil spill Gulf of Mexico.

Share your thoughts at the following “Dispatches from the Gulf” Social Media links:

YouTube ChannelFacebookTwitter

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Dispatches from the Gulf” is a new Journey to Planet Earth (J2PE) episode showing how scientists confront the challenges of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The documentary also investigates the impact of the event on the ecosystems and communities along the Gulf of Mexico.

J2PE dramatizes new ways of looking at the delicate relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The series is designed to help viewers understand and cope with the most important environmental issues of the 21st century.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, these programs reach beyond the physical sciences and draw connections to politics, economics, sociology, and history. A common thread runs throughout — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Though photographed on different continents and focusing on different sets of problems, audiences come to see why all of these stories are connected, providing a dramatic mosaic of how the Earth works as an interrelated system.

Investigating How Complex Deepwater Topography Influences Oil Dispersion

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The project’s glider missions will involve two gliders – one equipped to measure turbulence – patrolling between two moorings (stars) for 1-2 months. A 12×12 grid of High Resolution Profiler (HRP3) stations will also collect CTD and oceanic velocity data for two weeks. Three field programs will be conducted, one occurring each year of the grant. Moorings (black squares), tracer injection (green dots), an initial sampling (red dots) from the previous study are also shown. (Image by the WHOI Advanced Engineering Lab)

The active environment of the Gulf of Mexico’s continental slope contains diverse currents that are difficult to simulate and predict.

We know that turbulence is an essential mechanism for hydrocarbon transport and subsurface oil plume dispersion, but we still have much to learn about the complex processes behind this area’s diverse currents.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative recently awarded Dr. Kurt Polzin a grant to study turbulent ocean mixing over the continental slope and its relationship to oil and contaminant dispersion.

His team hopes to quantify the area’s turbulent processes and assess their spatial and temporal variability in response to various environmental and topographical factors.

“Our project is motivated by results from a previous tracer release experiment funded by GoMRI,” explained Polzin. “Tracer data collected from the Gulf of Mexico continental slope at approximately the depth of theDeepwater Horizon blowout revealed unusually intense vertical turbulent mixing. However, none of the simultaneously collected acoustic and oceanographic data could justify the pattern of tracer concentration.”

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Initial (solid black) and four-month mean boundary layer (blue) and interior layer (red) vertical profiles taken from the initial tracer release. Concentration refers to the concentration of tracer compounds at a specified height. The large tails of the boundary profile indicates greater mixing at the boundary layer. (Ledwell, et. al., 2016; Provided by Kurt Polzin)

The team will directly observe turbulent mixing using an integrated, multi-platform field effort. State-of-the-art turbulence platforms and sensor systems will provide a four-dimensional characterization of turbulent mixing that spans the entire water column.

The researchers will conduct a two-week spatial survey and several two-month glider surveys focusing on two regions with distinct topographic structures.

Using measurements from over 144 stations, the team will quantify topographical patterns and local environmental and hydrographic variables. Gliders will capture the features of dynamic deepwater currents identified in the study area.

The scientists hope their research will expand our understanding of vertical turbulent dispersion and help improve the representation of mixing processes in modern plume dispersal models. They hypothesize that the enhanced turbulence resulted from nonlinear phenomena such as hydraulic effects and sporadic flows over the continental slope’s complex topography.

“There is much about these processes that we don’t understand,” said Polzin. “There are meaty science questions here, as rotation is a fundamental oceanic issue but atmospheric research deals almost completely with non-rotating approximations.”

This clip (above) depicts a 3D visualization of the tracer that sparked Polzin’s current project as it moved through the northern Gulf’s complex deepwater topography. The tracer and its accompanying RAFOS float (whose path is marked by the smaller blue and black dots) were injected at about 1100 meters depth above the 1250 m contour (thin blue lines). When Hurricane Isaac (large black dots appearing at 0:12) passed rapidly through the moored array (thick vertical black lines), it caused the float to move upslope, downslope, and westward more rapidly and chaotically, transporting it over a ridge as well as into the seafloor (puffs of smoke). (Video by Kurt Polzin and Jack Cook)The project’s researchers are Kurt Polzin and John Toole at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Steven DiMarco at the Texas A&M University Department of Oceanography, and Zhankun Wang at the Texas A&M University Geochemical and Environmental Research Group.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Video: The Story in Sixty Seconds (Dispatches from the Gulf)

Dispatches_LogoThe creators of award-winning environmental series Journey to Planet Earth (hosted by Matt Damon) present Dispatches from the Gulf – an upcoming documentary film and educational outreach initiative highlighting exclusive scientific discoveries in health, ecosystems, innovation and recovery in the post-oil spill Gulf of Mexico.

Published on Jun 22, 2016
Six years after the Deepwater Horizon blowout, an international team of researchers is focused on the Gulf of Mexico. These are some of their stories – intimate portraits of research – innovation – discovery. Stories that speak directly to a nation still recovering from the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

Share your thoughts at the following Dispatches from the Gulf Social Media links:

YouTube ChannelFacebookTwitter

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Dispatches from the Gulf” is a new Journey to Planet Earth (J2PE) episode showing how scientists confront the challenges of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The documentary also investigates the impact of the event on the ecosystems and communities along the Gulf of Mexico.

J2PE dramatizes new ways of looking at the delicate relationship between people and the world they inhabit. The series is designed to help viewers understand and cope with the most important environmental issues of the 21st century.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, these programs reach beyond the physical sciences and draw connections to politics, economics, sociology, and history. A common thread runs throughout — the necessity to achieve a balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Though photographed on different continents and focusing on different sets of problems, audiences come to see why all of these stories are connected, providing a dramatic mosaic of how the Earth works as an interrelated system.

Meet Undergraduate Students Cameron and Oscar!

Undergrads at work

Oscar and Cameron in front of a cylindrical tank that will be used to house samples. Photo Credit: ADDOMEx

Cameron Jackson, a sophomore, is studying marine biology Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG) and Oscar Agueda is a senior who will be getting his degree in marine science (TAMUG); both students are minoring in chemistry. When asked about career aspirations they stated that they hoped to go on to graduate school. “I want to do deep-sea research; bioluminescence in particular is something that really interests me” says Cameron. Oscar, on the other hand, is more interested in ocean and environmental sciences “So I’m right where I need to be”.

Both students approached Dr. Peter Santschi and Dr. Kathy Schwehr of LOER lab (Laboratory for Oceanographic and Environmental Research) in hopes of gaining valuable research experience. Drs. Santschi and Schwehr are principal investigators for Aggregation and Degradation of Dispersants and Oil by Microbial Exopolymers (ADDOMEx) , one of several consortia that are funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative to research the impacts of oil spills on the marine environment.

Cameron and Oscar at ADDOMEx

Fitting the rods that will hold the cylindrical
tanks to the table. Photo Credit: ADDOMEx

The students have been working to build a roller table that will be used for a set of experiments conducted by ADDOMEx. Advice and specifications for the roller tables have been provided by Dr. Uta Passow, a fellow researcher from the University of California Santa Barbara.

The roller table will be used keep samples of phytoplankton and microbes in constant motion to study the formation of marine snow with and without the addition of oil and Corexit (a common dispersant used to treat oil spills).

“It’s like a shaker table, but for a cylindrical tank”, says Oscar.

“I think my dad put it best,” Cameron explains which a chuckle, “in that the roller table is essentially a glorified hot dog cooker at a convenience store. And this is really the perfect way to think about it because it continually rolls the tanks in a horizontal manner.”

“The roller tables will be used to mimic the movement of water in the ocean” says Cameron. “Stagnant water really doesn’t exist in the ocean, and using standing water in our experiments would create conditions that don’t accurately reflect what is happening in the ocean.”

“It’s been a challenge to invent ways to overcome little problems like ensuring that the screws, bolts, and mounts were the proper size” he goes on. “For the first three or four days I didn’t have a drill, so I put the frame together using a screwdriver. I actually broke the screwdriver.”

When asked how this project has changed their perspectives on how research is done, Cameron stated that he “always imagined that you just buy any instruments you might need, so being told to actually design and build the roller tables was a bit of a surprise.”

“I expected that we would be in the lab most of the time” said Oscar. “Instead we’ve been outside working on the table almost every day, but it’s been fun. I would definitely recommend working in a lab to other students, it looks great on your resume… just be prepared to get sweaty!”

According to Cameron you should “bring a pair of headphones”.
After finishing the roller tables, the students will be moving on to work that will include measuring the tensile strength and hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity of the exopolymeric substances that are produced by the study species of marine phytoplankton and microbes in upcoming experiments.

Follow ADDOMEx on Facebook (www.facebook.com/addomex/), Twitter www.twitter.com/addomex/, and Instagram www.instagram.com/addomex/.

Credit for this story:  ADDOMEx

Identifying Effective, Food-Grade Dispersants for the Future

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This figure depicts two vials in which a thin layer of crude oil was placed over simulated sea water. Different dispersants were added to each vial, and the vials were lightly shaken and photographed 30 minutes later. The left vial shows an example of bad or ineffective emulsion, where the crude oil remains as a dark brown slick on the water’s surface and the water column contains negligible oil. The right vial shows an example of good and effective emulsion, where the crude oil is dispersed into small droplets in the water column. (Photos by Jasmin Athas)

Oil spill responders currently have the option to treat oil spills with a synthetic dispersant called Corexit, however scientists continue to search for alternatives. In this search, scientists seek to develop an understanding of the specific mechanisms that drive dispersion and identify an effective combination of food-grade components.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) awarded Dr. Srinivasa Raghavan a grant to investigate and identify a viable alternative to Corexit. Dispersants contain surfactant compounds that help break up oil into tiny droplets, particularly when the oil encounters agitations such as wave motion. Preliminary research identified soy lecithin, a nontoxic food-grade surfactant, as a viable replacement for dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DOSS), a synthetic surfactant that is one of Corexit’s major oil-dispersing compounds.

The team will study the fundamental mechanisms of efficient dispersion to reveal ways that dispersant formulations can be enhanced and optimized for a variety of complex applications, such as dispersing highly viscous or weathered oils. The researchers will apply various combinations of lecithin and other widely available food-grade surfactants to a thin oil layer on a simulated saltwater sea surface and identify which formulations best disperse oil. They will examine how much oil is dispersed and the dispersed oil’s stability to remain in the water column and not recoalesce at the surface.

Once the team identifies the most effective formulations, they will investigate the factors that contribute to effective dispersion. This process will include assessing the mechanisms behind oil dispersion and the way those mechanisms differ from emulsification (the stable suspension of oil droplets in water when mixed vigorously). The researchers hypothesize that a dispersant’s effectiveness is heavily influenced by its molecular nanostructure. “That is the true mystery aspect of this research – why are some formulations better than others?” said Raghavan. “We are finding that in the current literature there is no good answer to this question.”

The team hopes their findings will influence future dispersant design towards more effective and environmentally benign formulations. Raghavan commented, “We’ve set out to find an effective, nontoxic formulation that we can clearly prove is better than the current standard. Our hope is that our data and findings will be eye-opening and generate an incentive for change.”

The project’s researchers are Srinivasa Raghavan at the University of Maryland Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Geoffrey Bothun at the University of Rhode Island Department of Chemical Engineering,Vijay John at the Tulane University Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Alon McCormick at the University of Minnesota Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. Their project is Molecular Engineering of Food-Grade Dispersants as Highly Efficient and Safe Materials for the Treatment of Oil Spills.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

CARTHE and DROPPS Scientists Team Up for UT Summer Science Program

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(Photo credit – DROPPS Consortium)

The Dispersion Research on Oil: Physics and Plankton Studies (DROPPS) Consortium had another successful collaboration with the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment (CARTHE) for the UT Summer Science program! We taught 3rd-4th graders about how oil spill scientists sometimes use drift cards to study oil spills to see where currents may carry the oil. Then they designed their own scientific drift cards and tossed them off the UT Pier! Stay tuned for reports on where the drifters that are found!

The researchers Skyped with 3rd – 4th graders to teach them how oil spill scientists can use drift cards to see where currents may carry spilled oil. The students then designed and released their own drift cards from the University of Texas at Austin pier. Check out the photos albums here and here to learn more about the consortia’s involvement in the program!

CONCORDE’s Mission to Mentor Young Scientists Apparent in Spring Campaign and Beyond

Two postdocs, Ali Deary and Adam Greer, took turns as Chief Scientist aboard the R/V Point Sur during the Consortium for oil spill exposure pathways in Coastal River-Dominated Ecosystems (CONCORDE)’s recent Spring Campaign, while three others—Kemal Cambazoglu, Sabrina Parra, and Inia Soto-Ramos—devised the cruise plan for the R/V Pelican. Earlier in the year PhD student Adam Boyette organized and led a research cruise to study the impacts of the sudden and dramatic opening of the Bonnet Carré spillway, while working alongside Soto-Ramos to marshal CONCORDE’s resources to research a damaging harmful algal bloom in the Gulf. The consortium is also encouraging both postdocs and students to serve as lead authors on papers to be submitted for publication.

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PI Ian Church (l) trained Lauren Quas, an USM graduate student, on operating the Multibeam before sending her out on the Point Sur alone during the Fall Campaign. (photo credit: Heather Dippold)

CONCORDE postdocs and students are working in the spotlight—and sometimes outside of their comfort zone—as part of a carefully-crafted, consortium-wide plan to create competent scientists while gathering useful data. Education and Outreach Coordinator Jessie Kastler said, “I’ve never seen so many young scientists put in leadership positions. It’s very much something that’s being done on purpose.”

Read more about this story on CONCORDE’s website…

Digging Up the Mechanisms of Buried Oil Degradation

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(Click to enlarge) Partially buried oil at Pensacola Beach, Florida, showing oil deposited in intertidal (partially submerged) and supratidal (exposed) sands. Depending on the location of the oil burial, oil-degrading microbes are exposed to very different environmental settings ranging from permanently submerged to permanently dry. The location of the buried oil also affects the oil’s exposure to oxygen, nutrients, and heat and thus impacts the rates of microbial degradation. (Photo by Markus Huettel)

Spilled oil buried in nearshore sediment can persist for many years and act as a long-term source of episodic hydrocarbon contamination in the environment.

Although we have a basic understanding of how fast crude oil degrades in soils, we still do not fully understand what influences the degradation process or the microbial community responsible for oil decomposition in the seabed.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative awarded Dr. Markus Huettel a grant to investigate buried oil’s microbial degradation in coastal environments and create a model that can help predict oil degradation rates and pathways for future spills. His team will combine cutting-edge microbiological and geochemical techniques in the field with targeted laboratory experiments to uncover how microbial communities degrade buried oil under varying environmental conditions.

Microbial oil degradation is most effective in oxygen-rich conditions. Huettel’s team will incubate sediment cores in mesocosms that can simulate oil transport caused by tides, water currents, and air flows. They will collect time-series molecular data to characterize interactions between the environment and microbial communities and will use hydrocarbon composition data to determine the degradation rates of specific hydrocarbon classes. The incubation treatments will vary in oxygen concentration, temperature, and level of nutrients to test how different conditions affect microbial oil degradation.

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Click to enlarge) A conceptual overview of the modeling analysis of shore sand microbial communities. (Figure by Kostas Konstantinidis)

The team will use their findings to create a model that links microbial sedimentary oil degradation to key environmental variables. The goal is to present this model in a format that managers and decision makers can use when planning responses to future oil spills. Huettel explains, “This project aims to open the ‘black box’ surrounding the mechanisms of buried oil degradation and generate a tool that can forecast oil degradation pathways and the potential environmental and health risks associated with petroleum hydrocarbons still persisting in the coastal environment.”

The project’s investigators are Markus Huettel of Florida State University and Kostas Konstantinidis and Joel Kostka of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Their project is A Systems Approach to Improve Predictions of Biodegradation and Ecosystem Recovery in Coastal Marine Sediments Impacted by Oil Spills.

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Fact Sheet: Sea Grant Brochure on Oil Spill Impacts on Fisheries

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Click image to download brochure…

The Sea Grant oil spill science outreach team released an informational brochure about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill’s impacts on fisheries.

This brochure synthesizes peer-reviewed oil spill science for a broad range of general audiences, particularly those who live and work across the Gulf Coast.The brochure Impacts From the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Gulf of Mexico Fisheries discusses topics such as individual-level impacts to fish, population impacts, community-wide impacts, and factors influencing impacts on fisheries.

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Team offers public seminars across the Gulf Coast. Click here to view upcoming science seminars and read about recently-held events. To receive email updates about seminars, publications, and the outreach team, click here.

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GoMRI and the Sea Grant programs of the Gulf of Mexico (Florida, Mississippi-Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas) have partnered to create an oil spill science outreach program.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

Teacher-At-Sea Chronicles DEEPEND Cruise

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Science Selfie at Sea with Dr. Heather Bracken-Grissom onboard the DEEPEND Cruise (Image credit: DEEPEND)

Christia Hewlett was the official Teacher-At-Sea during the consortium’s most recent research cruise. She documented the equipment, experiences, and even the researchers on board for the DEEPEND blog. You can find all of her posts about the cruise here.

“I hope that I will be able to take back what I have learned and share it with generations of students; inspiring them to explore the world around them, ask questions and love science – especially marine science!”

Teacher At Sea,…. Christia Hewlett

Visit DEEPEND’s Education/Outreach Program

Kids Blog       Adult Blog

Visit our social media pages…
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Grad Student Tang Studies Whale Populations’ Oil Spill Recovery

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ingting Tang presents her research on whale population recovery at the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem conference in Tampa. (Photo provided by Tang)

When disaster strikes, responders look at how creatures in its path may be impacted to mitigate damage.

Tingting Tang takes the process one step further, using mathematical models to predict how long recovery may take. The creatures that Tingting focuses on are some of the Gulf of Mexico’s largest predators and most charismatic animals, beaked and sperm whales.

Working towards her Ph.D. in Mathematics at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette), Tingting is a GoMRI Scholar with the LADC-GEMM consortium. She describes how her love of math led her to study some of the world’s largest creatures.

Her path

Tingting, a native of China, had never been to the United States before pursuing graduate studies in Lafayette. “When I was a child, I had no idea that later in my life I would be studying marine mammals in the Gulf of Mexico,’ she recalled.

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Sperm whales photographed by Franco Banfi (Copyright, Franco Banfi, all rights reserved. Image provided here as fair use for education purposes and to acquaint new viewers with Banfi’s work)

Always up for a challenge, Tingting found math appealing because it was the most difficult subject in school; however, as she grew older, she became captivated with it and its ‘simple beauty.’ Later she learned that math could address questions about her country’s large population. Tingting explained, “The idea of studying population structures became more attractive to me as I learned about powerful tools in mathematics.”

This interest led her to seek advanced math programs, and she earned degrees in applied mathematics and computer science from the East China University of Technology and Science in 2012. She took a big step away from home, enrolling in the UL Lafayette mathematics graduate program and then earning a Master’s degree with a concentration in applied mathematics.

UL mathematics and physics departments had ongoing studies on Gulf marine mammal populations that inspired Tingting to initially focus her research on disease epidemics. Her advisor Dr.Azmy Ackleh was impressed with her work and encouraged Tingting to join him and the LADC-GEMM team assessingDeepwater Horizon oil spill impacts on marine mammals. “I was very excited to be on the project,” said Tingting. “This was a great opportunity to apply what I have learned to a timely and interesting real world problem.”

Her work

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The LADC-GEMM team for the 2015 Gulf of Mexico recovery cruise. From left to right: Douglas Dugas, Natalia Sidorovskaia, Tad Berkey (Captain), Sean Griffin, Tingting Tang, Kun Lee. Top right Bradley Lingsch and Carl Richter, bottom right Elizabeth Kusel and Sakib Mahmud. (Photo by Douglas Dugas)

Tingting described her daily research routine, “I often find myself losing track of time trying to solve a problem arising from modeling or debugging a program.” Yet, she feels that every day is an adventure, “I learn something new, which is my favorite part of being a research student.”

Her work has two parts:  estimating the number of whales and assessing environmental impacts on them. Tingting analyzes population density trends of beaked whales using data collected near the spill site in 2007, 2010, and 2015 by LADC-GEMM’s acousticians, led by Dr. Natalia Sidorovskaia. Tingting uses this data to develop statistical and mathematical models and obtain population density estimates.

Tingting assesses environmental impacts on marine mammals with a life-stage matrix population model to analyze changes in sperm whale population dynamics. Her study uses a mathematical model based on a five-stage life cycle that divides the female population into calves, juveniles, mature females, mothers, and post-breeders. A potential impact of the oil spill on the sperm whale population could be reflected in reduced adult female vital rates. Tingting uses the model to describe the population dynamics and derive recovery probability and time under different impact levels. For example, if the adult female survival rate is reduced by 1% for 20 years due to a certain event, how long would it take for the whale population to recover to pre-event levels? What if the reduction is 3% and lasts for 30 years?   The stage-structured population model can help provide insights into questions like these.

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The LADC-GEMM team memebrs during the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference. From left to right: Hal Caswell, Chris Tiemann, Azmy Ackleh, Dave Mellinger, Chris pierpoint, Stan Kuczaj, Natalia Sidorovskaia, Danielle Greenhow, Tingting Tang, Kun Li, Ross Chiquet. (Photo provided by Tingting Tang)

Previous research by LADC-GEMM indicates that sperm whales relocated to sites farther away from the spill. Tingting’s preliminary findings on beaked whales, however, suggest that they remained in the area, though she is not certain what specific factor(s) prompted the different migratory behavior of beaked and sperm whales.  She learned that both whale populations are fragile and particularly sensitive to changes in adult female vital rates. Even slight changes in adult females’ mortality or reproduction rates can result in population decline. Tingting completed analysis of the 2007 and 2010 acoustic data and hopes to analyze the 2015 data after others process it. Doing so will give her a longer timeline of the whales’ density trends so she can understand whether whales have returned to pre-spill numbers and predict their future populations.

Her learning

Tingting credits her advisor Dr. Ackleh with mentoring her towards her goals and teaching important research techniques, including exhaustive literature searches to refine her methodology. She also joined a LADC-GEMM research cruise in October of 2015 to recover equipment deployed in an earlier trip. She observed field-work processes, assisted in equipment recovery, and learned details of how data is collected. She feels very fortunate to work on such a large-scale project as a graduate student, particularly one with so many talented people. “I am truly thankful for the opportunity to join the GoMRI science community,” she added.

She participated in the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conference, “I was very excited but nervous standing by my poster,” Tingting said. “But as the poster attracted more people with questions and interest in our findings, I felt proud and accomplished explaining our methodology.” She is looking forward to presenting more results in the coming year.

Her future

Tingting plans to complete her Ph.D. in the summer of 2017. She hopes to secure a postdoc position, continue her population dynamics studies, and build a solid resume of published research. Her dream is to land a tenure-track position at a research institution, “I hope one day I can be as good as a researcher as my advisor Dr. Ackleh.”

Tingting would love for all aspiring scientists to embrace the beauty of mathematics as a research tool. She says that the right tools coupled with the right attitude can bring success in science. “For students considering science as a career, I would say endurance, persistence, and hard work will not fail you.”

Praise for Tingting

Describing Tingting as hardworking and smart, Dr. Ackleh said, “What distinguishes her from other students is her leadership skills.” He has watched her, even as a young Master’s student, lead meetings that involved older students further along in their research. She helped the team attend this year’s Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science conference, organizing travel, working with a postdoc on the presentation poster, and driving a group to Tampa.

Tingting joined Ackleh as an author on an earlier article funded by the National Science Foundation regarding disease epidemics, and they are preparing a manuscript for publication. Ackleh said that Tingting was a main driver of that paper, contributing as much as anyone else on the project. She is also a co-author with Ackleh and other LADC-GEMM team members on a recently-submitted paper about their research using stochastic modeling to analyze effects of environmental stressors on sperm whales.

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Tinting Tang and their important contributions. The GoMRI Scholars Program recognizes graduate students whose work focuses on GoMRI-funded projects and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals. Visit the LADC-GEMM website to learn more about their work.

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This research was made possible in part by a grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). The GoMRI is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/

Unraveling the Mystery of Oil Compounds, Weathering, and Toxicity

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David Podgorski uses a Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory to analyze weathered oil samples and changes to their molecular structure. (Photo by Kristen Coyne)

Responders to the Deepwater Horizon spill used large quantities of dispersant to facilitate oil biodegradation, but could a different method be safer for the environment?

Oil compounds take on additional oxygen atoms as physical and chemical processes weather them. However, the classical methods that scientists use to analyze and describe these molecular compositional changes cannot detect the new oxidized products, limiting our understanding of their molecular structure, environmental fate, and potential toxicity.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative awarded Dr. Ryan Rodgers a grant to investigate these products, the processes that yield them, and their potential toxicity using classical and new techniques. Rodgers and co-principle investigators Chris Reddy and Christoph Aeppli will use their findings to create a model that will help determine the rate, mass, and type of weathering products of future spills.

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Christoph Aeppli labels oil samples collected from Alabama beaches. Chemical analysis of these samples will determine the degree of natural oil degradation that occurred since the Deepwater Horizon spill. (Photo by Christopher Reddy)

The team will use gas chromatography methods to analyze oil samples collected immediately after and in the years following the spill, identifying their chemical “fingerprints,” determining their origin, and characterizing changes to their molecular structure.

Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FTICRMS) – an analytical technique with significantly higher resolution than classical methods – will help researchers track molecular-level changes in the oxidized transformation products created during weathering.

The researchers will investigate how structure affects weathering by separating unweathered oil components into saturates (waxy oil compounds) and one to five+ ringed aromatics (hydrocarbons containing ring-shaped carbon structures) and then irradiating the compounds using simulated sunlight or incubating them in a dark mesocosm containing oil-degrading bacteria. The team will screen the resulting transformation products’ toxicity to determine the most and least harmful compounds.

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Chris Reddy collects oil samples on Alabama beaches. These sand-oil aggregates continue to wash ashore six years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (Photo by Christoph Aeppli)

The combined degradation and toxicity data will reveal whether the individual saturates and aromatic fractions release more or less toxic transformation products in response to biodegradation or photo-oxidation.

The researchers hope that responders to future spills can use this study’s model to examine oil compounds and inform remediation decisions based on degradation processes that yield less toxic transformation products.

Rodgers gave the example that, if biodegradation would release highly toxic compounds from a certain oil type, responders may decide to let surface oil be photo-oxidized or burned. Alternatively, if photo-oxidation would lead to toxic compounds, responders may choose to use dispersants to facilitate biodegradation.

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Huan Chen tests the toxicity of photo-irradiated samples to identify which original crude oil components become more toxic with weathering. (Photo by Phoebe Z. Ray)

“We didn’t have the technology to do this kind of research ten or fifteen years ago,” said Rodgers. “Now, we can collect massive amounts of information about petroleum’s structural classes and how photo-oxidation and biodegradation make them more or less toxic. This information gives us as a community the best shot to understand how spilled petroleum will behave in the environment and will be immensely informative moving forward.”

The project’s researchers are Ryan Rodgers of Florida State University, Chris Reddy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, andChristoph Aeppli of Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. Their project is The State-of-the-Art Unraveling of the Biotic and Abiotic Chemical Evolution of Macondo Oil: 2010-2018.

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Phoebe Ray works on a solar simulator at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, which will generate photo-oxidized oil samples for subsequent analysis. (Photo by Stephen Bilenky)

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visithttp://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.