Eelgrass, Rangia clams and oysters collected from the Pontchartrain Basin for oil spill monitoring. Photo credit: UNO PIES
Scientists with the University of New Orleans were busy monitoring the coastal ecosystem of the Pontchartrain Basin in Louisiana following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Their monitoring program aimed to track and evaluate the effects of oiling on eelgrass, oysters and clams, and free swimming fish and invertebrates. The information gained from this study builds on existing monitoring programs addressing the importance of the natural resources of the ecosystem.
Classroom Activity: The Pontchartrain Basin Watershed
A watershed is the area of land where all surface and ground water and precipitation drain to the same location. The Pontchartrain Basin watershed drains the creeks, rivers and lakes of southern Louisiana into the Gulf of Mexico. The water carries along with it naturally occurring nutrients and sediments but also harmful pollutants.
PDF: The Pontchartrain Basin_After the Oil Spill -PDF 1.26MB