Tag Archives: Chemistry

Grad Student Schwaab Investigates How Tuna and Billfish Respond to Oil

6710a — Madison Schwaab, a University of South Florida master’s student, stands in front of the gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer holding an almaco jack liver extract. (Provided by Madison Schwaab)

Marine ecosystems provide many valuable resources for humans, including seafood and petroleum. Conservation policies that protect marine ecosystems, especially pollution and petroleum-related policies, depend on accurate scientific data about the ways different marine species experience pollution. Madison Schwaab quantifies levels of toxic oil compounds in the bile and tissues (liver, muscle, and gonad) of fifteen pelagic Gulf of Mexico fish species to better understand how oil affects them compared to other species.

Madison is a master’s student with the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science and a GoMRI Scholar with the Center for the Integrated Modeling and Analysis of Gulf Ecosystems III (C-IMAGE III).

Her Path

Madison spent her childhood catching fish and blue crabs with her father on Chesapeake Bay, where she witnessed firsthand how human activities can negatively affect rivers, bays, and oceans. These experiences piqued her curiosity about quantifying those impacts. As a Temple University undergraduate student, she worked in Dr. Erik Cordes’ deep-sea ecology lab investigating how ocean acidification impacts cold-water coral physiology. She also worked at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center studying the behavioral avoidance of inland silversides in hypoxic and acidified environments. These research experiences showed her how changing conditions can negatively affect marine and estuarine animals.

6710b — University of South Florida master’s student Madison Schwaab holds a yellowfin tuna caught for subsampling and subsequent contaminant analysis. (Provided by Madison Schwaab)

Madison wanted to conduct anthropogenic-related research and started researching graduate programs in Texas and Florida, where she knew there was ongoing oil spill research. The oil spill research conducted in Dr. Steve Murawski’s Population and Marine Ecosystem Dynamics Lab at the University of South Florida intrigued her, and she reached out to him before applying for a graduate research position there. He invited her to visit during a recruitment weekend, and she immediately clicked with the lab and the university. She joined the group as a master’s student conducting GoMRI-funded research quantifying petrogenic and pyrogenic contaminant concentrations in pelagic fish.

Her Work

Madison sampled fifteen pelagic tuna and billfish species collected as by-catch during benthic research cruises (2011 – 2017) and main catch during a pelagic cruise (2018). Because the collection includes different time points and regions, she compared differences in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations between these pelagic species and across different regional, spatial, and temporal scenarios. She also used data compiled by her fellow C-IMAGE researchers to compare PAH concentrations in the pelagic species with species living in other ocean habitats.

6710c — (L-R) C-IMAGE Assistant Director Sherryl Gilbert, master’s student Brigid Carr, Ph.D. student Susan Snyder, Principal Investigator Dr. Steve Murawski, researcher Dr. Erin Pulster, and master’s student Madison Schwaab attend the opening of the University of South Florida’s Marine Environmental Chemistry Laboratory in November 2018. (Photo credit: Sean Beckwith)

Madison analyzed fish bile using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to semi-quantitatively measure PAH equivalent concentrations (parent compounds plus metabolites) of naphthalene, phenanthrene, and benzo[a]pyrene, which indicates short-term (hours to days) PAH exposure. She also prepared liver, muscle, and gonad tissue samples using the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) extraction process and applies gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) to assess concentrations of nineteen PAHs (including 16 considered priority pollutants by the EPA) and their alkylated homologues in fish tissue, which indicates long-term (months) PAH exposure.

Only eight of the fifteen pelagic fish examined yielded enough usable data to draw conclusions. Although Madison is still interpreting her data, her early results suggest that there are higher PAH equivalent concentrations in yellowfin tuna bile than the other seven fish species. These levels were similar to concentrations observed in the benthic golden tilefish, which are considered the highest known PAH equivalent concentrations in the Gulf of Mexico. These preliminary findings represent one of the first indications that pelagic fish species can be significantly affected by PAHs deposited into the Gulf of Mexico.

“Finding similar PAH equivalent concentrations in yellowfin tuna and the golden tilefish was unexpected, because the golden tilefish is a burrowing fish and is strongly linked to sediments, where about 21% of Deepwater Horizon hydrocarbons likely settled,” she explained. “Finding significant short-term PAH concentrations in yellowfin tuna several years later suggests that they are possibly being impacted by contamination sources other than Deepwater Horizon, such as the Mississippi River and the on-going natural oil seeps or small oil spills that frequently occur in the Gulf.”

Her Learning

Madison’s GoMRI work was her first experience conducting toxicology research. Her lab mates, especially Dr. Erin Pulster, taught her a great deal about common toxicological methods and operation of analytical instruments. While her lab work focused on the finer details, she experienced the larger implications of her research through field work. “Catching target pelagic species for our oil spill research just meters away from oil rigs highlighted the connection between my research and the bigger picture,” she said. Attending the annual Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conference helped her learn from oil spill researchers in other fields and further connect her own findings to the entire ecosystem. “Being part of GoMRI allowed me to gain a holistic perspective on Deepwater Horizon’s short- and long-term impacts on Gulf ecosystems and surrounding communities.”

Madison has an increased appreciation for transferable scientific skills, such as statistics and programming, and for opportunities that improve scientific writing and communication. She hopes to find a career where she can use her background and experiences to synthesize scientific findings and inform practices and policies that protect vulnerable ecosystems from pollution and oil contamination.

Praise for Madison

Dr. Murawski explained that Madison’s Deepwater Horizon research has equipped her with broadened skills sets for investigating key contemporary threats to marine ecosystems, especially related to chemical pollution resulting from acute oil spills. “Her work on pollution levels in large pelagic fishes of the Gulf has opened up new venues of research and provided important new insights into how the Gulf of Mexico functions,” he said. “She has a bright future in marine science and policy, wherever her career takes her.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Madison Schwaab 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.

By Stephanie Ellis and Nilde Maggie Dannreuther. Contact sellis@ngi.msstate.edu for questions or comments.

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

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 2010-2020 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).

How Grad Student Niles Gets to Know Crude Oil at a Molecular Level

6550a — Sydney Niles holds a jacketed beaker containing Macondo oil on water after photo-irradiation in the Atlas solar simulator (right). (Photo credit: Stephen Bilenky)

When an oil slick is exposed to sunlight, photo-oxidation processes break the oil down and incorporate oxygen into the petroleum molecules. When the incorporated oxygen reaches a certain amount, the petroleum can dissolve in water and potentially affect marine organisms and ecosystems. Sydney Niles is investigating how photo-oxidation alters the oil’s molecular composition and if that process forms toxic water-soluble oil compounds that may affect environmental and public health. Her research may help the response community better understand oil’s molecular-level effects on ecosystems and communities and inform future clean-up and restoration efforts.

Sydney is a Ph.D. student with the Florida State University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and a GoMRI Scholar with the project The State-of-the-Art Unraveling of the Biotic and Abiotic Chemical Evolution of Macondo Oil: 2010-2018.

Her Path

6550b — (L-R) Sydney Niles, Dr. Ryan Rodgers, and Dr. Martha Chacon at Florida State University’s National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (MagLab). (Photo credit: Stephen Bilenky)

As a child, Sydney was curious about how things work and enjoyed finding the answers in her science classes. She discovered a love for chemistry in high school, when she learned that chemical reactions can explain the molecular-level activities behind phenomena such as color changes in oxidized metals. As an undergraduate chemistry major at the University of Michigan, she gained lab experience while working on a Parkinson’s study and later in an environmental research lab focusing on analytical chemistry. She was amazed that scientists could use electron microscopes and analytical techniques to clearly observe micron-size aerosol particles and determine which elements were present. The experience sparked her desire to use analytical chemistry to benefit the environment and public health.

Sydney joined Dr. Alan Marshall’s research group at Florida State University as a graduate student hoping to work with the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory’s mass spectrometers (instruments that can measure the mass of individual compounds). She began working more closely with Dr. Ryan Rodgers after deciding to focus her research on petroleum applications.

6550c — Dr. Martha Chacon (left) and Sydney Niles (right) stand next to the custom-built 9.4 Tesla FT-ICR MS used for molecular-level analysis of petroleum compounds. (Photo credit: Stephen Bilenky)

“Growing up in Michigan, I loved being in nature and taking summer trips to the Great Lakes, where we have beautiful beaches and clean, clear water. I couldn’t imagine an event like Deepwater Horizon happening to the ecosystems I enjoyed back home,” said Sydney. “I was initially wary about working with petroleum, as I have always been passionate about wildlife and taking care of the planet. However, I realized Dr. Rodger’s group was also focused on environmental applications involving petroleum, and I became passionate about using the tools at my disposal to contribute to GoMRI’s research goals.”

Her Work

Sydney mimics in situ oil photo-oxidation in the lab using a solar simulator and oil collected directly from the Macondo well during spill response. She analyzes the oil before and after irradiation using Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). This process describes oil samples on a molecular level and allows her to compare oil compounds present before and after sunlight exposure. Since molecular composition is closely tied to oil’s tendency to aggregate and form emulsions and deposits, identifying the compounds present after irradiation can help determine how petroleum will behave in the environment. She conducts similar analyses on oil sheens and tar balls collected from oiled beaches and compares them to lab-irradiated samples. She found that lab-irradiated samples strongly resemble those collected from oiled beaches but do not resemble lab-generated samples created using biodegradation. This suggests that sunlight created oxygenated compounds identified in field samples rather than processes associated with oil-degrading bacteria.

6550d — (L-R) Dr. Alan Marshall, Sydney Niles, and Dr. Ryan Rodgers stand in front of the 21 Tesla FT-ICR MS used to analyze photo-oxidized oil samples. (Provided by Sydney Niles)

So far, Sydney has observed that photo-oxidation forms oxygenated oil- and water-soluble compounds that are not present in the samples prior to irradiation. Some of the oil-soluble compounds act like surfactants that cause oil slicks to swell with seawater and form strong, mousse-like emulsions. The emulsions’ oil- and water-soluble components are difficult to separate, which can impede clean-up efforts. “Typically, the densities of oil and water are different enough that you can easily scoop up an oil layer without disrupting the water layer,” she explained. “Separating the oil and water is much more difficult if an emulsion has formed (imagine shaking up oil and vinegar dressing and then trying to isolate the two layers). These mousses can be several feet thick, and the incorporation of water makes them heavier and increases the volume of material that needs to be cleaned up.” While both oil- and water-soluble compounds contain potentially toxic hydrocarbons, water-soluble compounds are of specific interest to Sydney’s research because they travel more freely throughout marine ecosystems.

6550e — Sydney Niles holds an oil sample at the 2018 National High Magnetic Field Laboratory open house. (Photo credit: Leda Eaton)

Sydney will test the toxicity of water-soluble compounds formed through the irradiation process using microtox bioassays, adding bioluminescent bacteria to a water sample containing the irradiated compounds and measuring luminescence at given time points. Luminescence will decrease when bacteria are killed by toxic compounds, allowing her to correlate luminescence with toxicity in the sample. “Petroleum hydrocarbons have known toxicity, and we are curious to see if they are released into the environment as water-soluble compounds after photo-oxidation,” she explained. “Understanding how different weathering processes contribute to the oil’s chemical and physical changes in the environment is the best way to plan better clean-up strategies for future spills.”

Her Learning

Sydney’s experiences conducting GoMRI research often reminded her of why she came to love chemistry. She recalled an experiment that placed dark brown oil into a solar simulator for several days, transforming it into a light brown fluffy emulsion with a peanut butter consistency. She viewed the samples in the FT-ICR and saw dramatic changes in the oil molecules after photo-oxidation. “These results were just as fascinating to me as my high school chemistry class, where a reaction represents how molecules change and a physical change is also observed,” she said.

Her Future

6550f — Sydney Niles presents a poster about the formation of ketone-containing photo-oxidation transformation products in petroleum at the 2018 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conference. (Photo credit: Huan Chen)

Sydney hopes to continue researching petroleum and the environment with an industry or at a national lab. She suggests that students considering a scientific career should participate in undergraduate research before pursuing graduate school, “Research is very different than classes, so make sure you like doing research before applying to graduate school.” She explains that finding a research project that sparks true passion in you is the best motivator for a science student. “If you are doing something you feel is important for society or the environment, you will be much more motivated in the lab,” she said. “Dr. Rodgers is very passionate about how our research can impact human health, animal health, and the environment, which helped me to see the bigger picture every step of the way.”

Praise for Sydney

Dr. Marshall recalled that Sydney immersed herself in the research from the moment she arrived at Florida State University. He describes her as a multi-tasker who often works on several projects at once, including mastering the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory’s custom-built FT-ICR MS. Her research has led to 14 poster and oral presentations at major scientific conferences, and her Ph.D. dissertation promises to yield multiple journal articles. “Her first paper, soon to appear in Environmental Science & Technology, provides definitive evidence that ketones and aldehydes generated in weathered petroleum essentially derive completely from photo-oxidation, not biodegradation,” he said.

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Sydney Niles 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.

By Stephanie Ellis and Nilde Maggie Dannreuther. Contact sellis@ngi.msstate.edu for questions or comments.

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

© Copyright 2010-2019 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 Bociu Digs into How Long Buried Oil Persists in Sandy Beaches

6506a — Ioana Bociu holds a salt marsh core while conducting research at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. (Photo credit: Dr. Ryan Moyer)

Petroleum hydrocarbons buried in sandy beaches are protected from tides and UV light and, thus, may persist longer in the environment than oil on the beach surface. As a graduate student, Ioana Bociu’s research focused on determining the degradation rates for large sediment-oil clusters buried in Florida beaches following Deepwater Horizon. Her findings will help inform environmental managers about the persistence of buried oil in the environment, which could affect recovery after an oil spill.

Ioana, who recently completed her graduate studies, was a master’s student with the Florida State University Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science. During that time, she was a GoMRI Scholar with the project A Systems Approach to Improve Predictions of Biodegradation and Ecosystem Recovery in Coastal Marine Sediments Impacted by Oil Spill.

Her Path

6506b — A standardized agglomerate sample inside a mesh tea strainer used during the biodegradation experiment. (Provided by Ioana Bociu)

Growing up in Romania and then the United States, Ioana was curious about and interested in nature and conservation. She began her undergraduate studies at Florida State University with a double-major in International Affairs and Japanese, but felt drawn to environmental issues. She switched her major to Environmental Science and began taking environmental science, geology, and oceanography classes. Her first class with Dr. Jeffrey Chanton got her interested in the carbon cycle and the need for filling gaps in ocean science research. Later on, a class with Dr. Ian MacDonald introduced her to oil biogeochemistry and Ph.D. candidate Brian Wells. She told Wells she wanted to do volunteer laboratory work, and he invited her to assist with his research investigating oil biodegradation in the Gulf of Mexico under Dr. Markus Huettel.

After completing her undergraduate degrees, Ioana conducted field work at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute for two years, which solidified her passion for carbon cycle research and sparked her desire to pursue graduate school. “When I had the chance of returning to Dr. Huettel’s lab, I was very enthusiastic to begin the GoMRI project as a master’s student,” she said. “I enjoy doing environmental research and learning about natural processes and mechanisms. My drive comes from wanting to understand what is happening in the environment after a long-term disturbance like the Deepwater Horizon oil blowout.”

Her Work

6506c — A lab vial containing an aggregate sample after being concentrated to 1 mL for GC-MS analysis. (Provided by Ioana Bociu)

Shortly after the oil spill, the Huettel team conducted an experiment using 100 round metal tea infusers filled with homogenized, weathered oil-sand mixtures (agglomerates) collected from Florida beaches. They buried the agglomerates in Florida beaches in sets of ten in sand at 10-50 cm depth at 10-cm intervals, retrieved the agglomerates at pre-determined intervals over 3 years, and then froze the samples until analysis.

Ioana’s team analyzed the agglomerates for weight loss and change in diameter, which could indicate microbial biodegradation of the oil. A noticeable change in the agglomerates’ color over time prompted Ioana and her team to conduct a color and fluorescence analysis. They applied an elemental analyzer coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer to evaluate temporal changes in carbon content and carbon type (stable isotopes) in the agglomerates. Using a gas chromatograph coupled to a gas mass spectrometer, the team assessed temporal changes in the samples’ petroleum hydrocarbon compositions. Because environmental samples can contain thousands of compounds, Ioana and her team focused only on hydrocarbons considered harmful to humans by the Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency of Research on Cancer. In total, her team evaluated 30 saturated hydrocarbons and 33 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Based on these analyses, Ioana estimated that the golf-ball-sized aggregates buried in beach sands would degrade within 3 decades. She further observed that the half-lives (the time required for a quantity to reduce to half its initial value) of saturated hydrocarbons varied between 100 – 568 days and correlated to carbon chain length, with longer (heavier) carbon chains degrading more slowly than shorter carbon chains. The half-lives of PAHs varied between 94 – 836 days, depending on the compound. In comparison, reference agglomerates kept in the dark for approximately 7.4 years without sediment exposure degraded three-times more slowly than agglomerates buried in situ.

6506d — (L-R) Dr. Peter Berg, Tom Bartlett, Dr. Markus Huettel, Amelie Berger, Alireza Merikhi, and Ioana Bociu during a trip to the Florida Keys to conduct field work. (Photo credit: Keys Marine Lab)

“The most critical part of our study is understanding the rate of degradation of buried oiled material, as most studies address oil degradation only in surface sediments. Buried material can persist for longer periods,” explained Ioana. “The more we can learn about what is going on in the environment, the better prepared we can be in the future. A significant part of my motivation comes from wanting to help resolve future issues by providing useful information to the greater public.”

Her Learning

Working in Huettel’s lab had a significant impact on Ioana’s growth as a scientist. Analyzing sediment-oil agglomerates involved a sophisticated extraction and measuring process that required a team effort to complete. This teamwork taught Ioana how to effectively interact with other researchers. She also gained leadership experience while teaching undergraduate students involved with the oil extraction process about the procedures and problem-solving techniques. Ioana’s conversations with Dr. Huettel had a great impact on her growth as a researcher, “Dr. Huettel was very patient with me, as there were quite a few times I walked into his office with a nervous laugh, struggling with something. I realized that verbalizing what I was thinking helped a lot in solving the issues I had. From brief conversations with him, I was able to proceed with the task at hand.”

6506e — Ioana Bociu presents her thesis defense. (Provided by Ioana Bociu)

Presenting her research at the 2018 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conference was an especially memorable experience for Ioana. Although she initially felt intimidated by the many experienced researchers present, she found that the conference community was extremely supportive and provided helpful feedback, leaving her feeling revitalized and ready to tackle the next steps of her master’s work.

Her Future

Ioana completed her master’s degree in spring 2018 and is searching for a government agency position conducting research on coastal or carbon cycle topics, broadening her experience and becoming a well-rounded scientist. She said that science students should consider the direction they want to go and the sacrifices they are willing to make at every step of their career. “There will be monotonous days when you have to redo samples or go through large batches of data, but in my opinion the reward of having data that can tell us something we didn’t know about Earth really pays off,” said Ioana. “As with everything in life, there are pros and cons – you just have to learn to find happiness in your choices.”

Praise for Ioana

6506f — (L-R) John and Liliana Bociu (Ioana’s parents), Dr. Markus Huettel, and Ioana Bociu at Ioana’s thesis defense. (Provided by Ioana Bociu)

Dr. Huettel praised Ioana’s enthusiasm and motivation, stating that her attitude had an immediate and positive affect on everyone in his lab. He said that Ioana optimized the hydrocarbon extraction line beyond factory-specified efficiency and became the lab’s expert in running the GC-MS. He explained that she kept a cool head throughout the group’s research and impressed him with her ability to evaluate the complex data sets produced by the GC-MS, despite frequent software crashes. “I guess she could eliminate any research frustration as she honed her aerialist skills while practicing and performing,” he joked.

Huettel noted that when the lab brought on undergraduate students, Ioana became their dedicated supervisor. “It was great to see how, even at this early stage of her career, she managed her own lab group, making sure that high-quality standards were maintained, work was completed on time, and that everybody always stayed well-hydrated,” he said. “She is a born leader, fun to work with, and a role model for her peers.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Ioana Bociu 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.

By Stephanie Ellis and Nilde Maggie Dannreuther. Contact sellis@ngi.msstate.edu for questions or comments.

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

Video: Infrared Video Documents Oil-Dispersant Interactions

Credit: Alexander Soloviev

Nova Southeastern University researcher Alexander Soloviev and his team generated a short clip in infrared imagery demonstrating how crude and weathered oil slicks respond to dispersant application.

Read the post here!

Watch the video!

Fact Sheet: ACER Blog Explains Mass Spectrometry

The mass spectrometer used to measure nitrogen compound in sediment samples to calculate denitrification rates. Photo credit: B. Mortazavi

The post explains that a mass spectrometer, or mass spec for short, has become an important tool in many aspects of science including genetics, biochemistry, pharmaceuticals, environmental science, geology and ecology. The mass spec is an instrument that tells us the masses of specific chemical elements in a sample. Briefly, a mass spec works by converting all of the chemical elements in a liquid, solid or gas sample to ions (‘ionizing’). The instrument then sorts or separates the ion based on their mass (specifically their mass to charge ratio) by applying a magnetic or electric field. A detector then records the specific ions present at specific times in the stream of ions.

An ion is a charged (positive or negative) molecule. A mass spec creates these charged particles by firing electrons at the sample until it all breaks apart. The ions are then shot into an electric or magnetic field. This field causes the ions of different charge to move to the detector at different rates from the chamber where the field is applied. Just as a lighter box is easier to shove than a heavier one, lighter ions are deflected more than heavier ones and reach the detector first.

For more educational entries from the ACER blog, head to the ACER Happenings page.

Video: DROPPS Researcher Delivers Televised Talk on Oil Degradation

3783 In April 20, 2010, the Gulf of Mexico had its greatest mishap in record time with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, wherein an estimated 1,000 barrels of oil (peaking at more 60,000 barrels) per day were released into the Gulf for 87 days, for a total of 3.19 million barrels for the entire duration. The ecological impacts of this spill have become one of the subjects of extensive research.

Dr. Hernando Bacosa is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. His lecture at Del Mar College, “Biodegradation and Photooxidation of Spilled Oil in Northern Gulf of Mexico,” presented some recent findings about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill’s ecological impacts and was televised on Channel 19 Spectrum Cable and Grande Cable in Corpus Christi.

Visit the DROPPS website.

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

Coupling 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:

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

“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.