A flow cytometer is used to analyze bacteria, archaea and viruses collected after the oil spill. Photo credit: DISL
Scientists across the Gulf of Mexico, with support from NGI, are evaluating the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the health of the marine ecosystem. To understand the effects on key elements of the marine food web, one Dauphin Island Sea Lab scientist is comparing microbial samples taken before the oil spill to samples that were exposed to Deepwater Horizon oil.
Classroom Activity: Food Web Wipeout
Food webs demonstrate complex feeding relationships among species in an ecosystem by combining several food chains. Scientists use food webs to demonstrate the fragile and interconnected nature of an ecosystem. This activity demonstrated the complexity of a food web and what can happen when one component of a food web is altered.
Microbes and the Marine Food Web – PDF 1.1MB