Tag Archives: Sediment

Videos: Deepsea Research Technology

LBL Beacon Recovery Release

Middle School Student Anja Diercks learns about acoustic release operation to recover a Long Base Line (LBL) acoustic beacon after a successful AUV dive. These LBL beacons are necessary in aiding the Inertial Navigation System of the AUV while on survey on the ocean floor, sometimes at depths of 1600 m or more.

LBL Beacon Recovery

Middle School Student Anja Diercks helps recover the acoustic LBL (Long Base Line) beacon she had released from the ocean floor using an acoustic telemetry system minutes before. The Gulf of Mexico had a surprise for her too.

Fiberoptic Multicorer

Watch this successful collection of deep sea sediment cores during 7+ foot waves on a recent research cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. The Science team from National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology and Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute deployed a deep sea multicoring device in 1200 meters of water depth, attached to a fiberoptic winch cable. On the coring rig, they mounted several cameras and light sources. This spectacular mission was accomplished aboard the RV Pelican, during a recent research conducted for ECOGIG.

Credits: Diercks, A.; National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology (NIUST), Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute (MMRI) Ecosystem Impacts of Oil & Gas Inputs to the Gulf (ECOGIG) and Gulf of Mexico Research Institute (GOMRI).

Podcast: The Loop Podcast [English + Español]

The Loop podcast takes a deep dive into the Gulf of Mexico with the researchers studying the processes, mechanisms, and impacts of oil spills.

Researchers from the Center for Integrated Modeling and Analysis of Gulf Ecosystems (C-IMAGE) discuss their studies with David Levin of Mind Open Media. C-IMAGE is an international research group studying mud, microbes and mammals after two mega spills, Deepwater Horizon and Ixtoc I. The goal of C-IMAGE is to advance understanding of the fundamental processes and mechanisms of marine blowouts and their consequences, ensuring that society is better-prepared to mitigate future events.

Episode 1: Overview of C-IMAGE
C-IMAGE PI Dr. Steven Murawski talks to David Levin about C-IMAGE’s research goals and the importance of integration when tackling large scale impacts. This episode is available in English and Spanish. (Transcript: English, Español)

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Episode 2: The Mud and the Blood
C-IMAGE PIs Steven Murawski and David Hollander talk to David Levin aboard the R/V Weatherbird II in August 2012 about looking for Deepwater Horizon‘s impacts on Gulf of Mexico mud and fish. This episode is available in English and Spanish. (Transcript: English, Español)

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Episode 3: The “Not-So-Visible” Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on the Gulf of Mexico
Three years after the BP oil well disaster, scientists are struggling to understand the effects on the Gulf ecosystem. David Levin reports on the oil’s impact on the tiny creatures that form the base of the food chain. (Transcript: English)

Episode 4: Fitting the Gulf of Mexico Inside a Computer: How to Build an Ecosystem Model
David Levin talks with C-IMAGE members Cameron Ainsworth, Jason Lenes, Michelle Masi, and Brian Smith about building an ecosystem model of the Gulf of Mexico to describe how oil spills impact marine life. (Transcript: English, Español)

Episode 5: The Pressure is On!
David Levin talks with C-IMAGE PI Steven Murawski and scientists from the Technical University of Hamburg at Harburg Michael Schluter and Karen Malone about their ongoing experiments examining oil and gas droplets under high pressure to learn more about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (Transcript: English, Español)

Episode 6: Oil – It’s What’s for Dinner…
C-IMAGE scientists want to know more about how oil-eating microorganisms behave in the cold deep ocean to learn more about what happened to the oil from the Deepwater Horizon blowout. High-pressure experiments underway at our high pressure facility at the Hamburg University of Technology focus on how these microbes use oil and what happens to them in the process. Results from these studies may lead to a new way to clean up spills by eliminating its most poisonous ingredients. (Transcript: English, Español)

Episode 7: The Ixtoc Spill – Reflections
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill happened just a few years ago, but it might be possible to predict its impact on the Gulf by studying another major spill, one that happened in 1979. “These are two of the largest spills in the world’s history as far as blowouts go, and they were both in the Gulf of Mexico.” Wes Tunnell is a marine biologist who is looking at the aftermath of both spills. It’s almost like he’s looking at the same crime scene, separated by more than three decades. How? Give a listen. Mind Open Media producer David Levin talks to Wes Tunnell and John Farrington about their experiences during the 1979 Ixtoc spill and the applications to new blowouts thirty years late. This episode is available in English and Spanish. (Transcript: English, Español)

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Episode 8: In the Mud in Mexico
“We were of the mind that with studying the Deepwater Horizon in the northern Gulf we weren’t getting a full Gulf of Mexico perspective.” Geochemist David Hollander is traveling with an international team of scientists aboard a Mexican research vessel. Over the last few years, his team has studied the effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill. But today, they’re looking back at a spill that happened 35 years ago and what they learn on this trip might help them understand the future of the Gulf. Mind Open Media producer David Levin talks to David Hollander, Joel Ortega Ortiz, Isabel Romero, Adriana Gaytán-Caballero, and Travis Washburn about their experiences on the RV Justo Sierra in the southern Gulf of Mexico during the research on the Ixtoc spill. (Transcript: English, Español)

Episode 9: Forensic Oceanography
Listen to learn how scientists reanalyzed remotely sensed data taken in the late 1970s to study the Ixtoc 1 oil spill. Dr. Chuanmin Hu and his graduate student Shaojie Sun use the Landsat and Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) data to develop “treasure maps” of oil from the IXTOC-1 spill to steer field studies. Listen in to find out how they did it. This episode is available in English and Spanish. (Transcript: English, Español)

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Episode 10: The Risks for Fish
What happened to the fish in the days and weeks after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill? With a suite of exposure studies, C-IMAGE researchers are monitoring fish health after oil exposure in order to find out. Dr. Dana Wetzel and Kevan Main of Mote Marine Laboratory give fish a small does of oil through either their food, water, or the sea floor sediments, then analyze how their bodies recover. (Transcript: English, Español)

Episode 11: The Cuban Connection: Spills, Science Diplomacy
C-IMAGE collaborated with researchers from the University of Havana for the first join U.S.-Cuban expedition in over 50 years. (Transcript: English)

Episode 12: MTS TechSurge
When research and industry can communicate effectively when responding to an oil spill, both the environment and oil industry benefit from shared knowledge and new technologies. (Transcript: English)

Episode 13: For a Few Dollars More – Costs and Ecosystem Services after Spills
When oil spills are assessed through an economic viewpoint, both environmental and human impacts must be considered to provide a full picture. (Transcript: English)

Episode 14: Modeling Arctic Oil Spills
Understanding the long-term effects of arctic spills like this one could be even more urgent now than ever, as oil exploration makes its way to the North Slope of Alaska (including inside the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge). C-IMAGE has developed a computer model of the entire Gulf ecosystem, so they could test how future spills would affect the region. And now, they’re applying those tools farther north. (Transcript: English)

Episode 15: Asphalt Ecosystems
At the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, some truly bizarre ecosystems are hiding in the darkness among the asphalt volcanoes and supporting huge colonies of unique life. C-IMAGE has been analyzing these ecosystems and reveals that if chemosynthetic communities are harmed, it could affect other environments as well. The microbes that power those communities don’t just eat chemicals in oil or asphalt—they also eat up a lot of free-floating carbon that would otherwise escape to the rest of the ocean… and eventually, get into the atmosphere, adding to global climate change. (Transcript: English)

Episode 16: Panel Discussion
For the past several years, The Loop covered the work of scientists studying the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The research is winding down and this is The Loop‘s last podcast with C-IMAGE! (Transcript: English)

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.

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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 https://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© 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).

Get to Know CWC Researcher Kendall Valentine

5165 Kendall is an oceanography Ph.D. student at Louisiana State University and a researchers with the Coastal Waters Consortium (CWC). She is in the early stages of her research investigating the transport of suspended sediment in coastal Louisiana. Get to know more about Kendall, her background, and her Barataria Bay research here.

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)

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 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)

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 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)

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)

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

Researcher Daniela Di Iorio

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.

Grad Student Quas Analyzes Sediment Grain Size to Characterize Oil Behavior

Dr. Ian Church trains Lauren to operate the Multibeam on the R/V Point Sur during the first leg of the CONCORDE Fall Campaign. (Photo credit: Heather Dippold)

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

Lauren Quas uses acoustic sonar to map different sediment grain sizes and help understand and predict the behavior of oil in seafloor sediments. Knowing where different grain sizes are concentrated in the northern Gulf of Mexico seafloor can help scientists evaluate resuspension rates in those areas and estimate where oil might end up.

Lauren and Chief Engineer Joshua Jansen supervise the lowering of the multibeam pole into the water. (Photo credit: Alison Deary, Carla Culpepper, and Kelia Axler)

Lauren Quas is a master’s student in the University of Southern Mississippi’s Hydrographic Science program and a GoMRI Scholar with the Consortium for Oil Spill Exposure Pathways in Coastal River-Dominated Ecosystems (CONCORDE).

Her Path

As a child, Lauren loved being outdoors and collecting rocks and seashells. Her family’s vacations often involved trips to the beach, which sparked her love for the ocean. Encouraged by her parents to see the world, Lauren spent almost a decade during her high school and college years visiting countries in nearly every continent on the globe. No matter where she went, she found that the landscapes and coastlines were the most awe-inspiring parts of her travels. “It is in these places that you realize how small we are as humans and yet how big our impact is on the world,” she said.

The multibeam sonar attached to the pole mount off the side of the R/V Point Sur. (Photo credit: Ian Church)

While completing her bachelor’s degree in geology at the University of Memphis, Lauren interned at the University of Memphis Groundwater Institute conducting visual stream measurements. Knowing that she wanted to pursue a career that would combine her passion for adventure and travel with her love for the ocean, she enrolled in the University of Southern Mississippi’s Geological Oceanography program. She switched her major to hydrographic science after working with her advisor, Dr. Ian Church, and seeing the career possibilities hydrography offers. She conducts studies with Dr. Church and CONCORDE’s hydrographic research team to understand the dynamics of oil and ocean sediment.

The Allen Reef Liberty Ship (above) and Casino Magic Barge (below) are examples of seafloor targets researchers can map using multibeam sonar. The sunken vessels are part of fish havens in the northern Gulf of Mexico. (Photo credit: Ian Church, Lauren Quas)

Her Work

Lauren operates a multibeam sonar to map the seafloor’s appearance and depth and quantifies the grain size of sediments using acoustic backscatter (a sound wave’s intensity after hitting the seafloor and returning to the sonar). A higher intensity return indicates that the seafloor sediment has large grain sizes, while a lower intensity return means it is composed of small grain sizes. She also collects sediment samples during research cruises using a sediment multi-corer, which removes the top 5 – 10 cm of sediment from the seabed. The sediment samples are brought back to her team’s lab at Stennis Space Center, where she analyzes them for grain size.

Lauren correlates the grain sizes depicted in the multibeam sonar data with the laboratory grain analyses to graph where different sediment sizes are located. Her sediment and backscatter data are important inputs for CONCORDE’s ocean models, which incorporate physical, chemical, and biological field data. Future scientists and responders will be able to use these models to predict and interpret how future oil spills could impact the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Lauren uses a multicorer like this one to collect seabed sediment samples. (Photo credit: CONCORDE)

Her Learning

Lauren’s first research cruise began two months after she entered her Hydrographic Science program. She recalled being intimidated at jumping into field work because of her limited background in hydrography. However, Dr. Church used the first leg of the cruise to teach her about the equipment and data processing programs, and Lauren then taught another student how to do so. “The knowledge I gained within such a short time is all due to the opportunities provided to me by Dr. Church and the CONCORDE project,” said Lauren. “This consortium is full of some of the most incredible, hard-working people I have ever met. It has been incredibly valuable to me as a young scientist to watch and work with this team.”

Lauren describes how the multibeam sonar transmits real-time bathymetry data to the computers onboard the R/V Point Sur. (Photo credit: Alison Deary, Carla Culpepper, and Kelia Axler)

Her Future

Lauren hopes to complete her master’s degree in August 2017 and begin her career as a field hydrographer. “The world’s oceans need to be mapped and I want to have a part in that,” said Lauren. “I am excited about the advances in technology.” She recommended that students considering a career in science get hands-on experiences to discover their passions. “I started out as a geologist, and now I am a hydrographer. If you have an interest, get your hands dirty. Volunteer or find an internship. You need the fundamentals taught in the classroom, but there is nothing like experiencing what a day in the life of a scientist is like.”

Lauren (center, gray jacket) and the CONCORDE field team onboard R/V Point Sur for the consortium’s Spring Campaign. (Provided by Lauren Quas)

Praise for Lauren

Dr. Ian Church described Lauren as an intelligent, hardworking, and innovative student whose eagerness to assist and teach others has made her a mentor to her peers. He emphasized the determination and problem-solving skills she exhibited in her leadership role aboard the R/V Point Sur during CONCORDE’s recent seabed mapping campaign. Lauren oversaw the successful mobilization of vessel sonar equipment, system troubleshooting, calibration, and data acquisition, processing, and analysis, which Church called “an incredible and notable accomplishment for anyone, let alone a graduate student with less than a year’s experience.”

Church said that Lauren’s enthusiasm is contagious and she takes pride in her research. “She is a naturally talented researcher with a drive to discover and produce innovative solutions to complex problems – I could not think of a person more deserving of the GoMRI Scholar award.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Lauren Quas 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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Video: C-IMAGE Releases Aerial Video of OneGulf Expedition

Researchers studied fish and seafloor sediments across the southern, western and northern Gulf of Mexico. Their goals were to understand the lasting impacts of oil spills and to develop baseline levels in Gulf waters.

This aerial footage shows a sample of the work our researchers perform while aboard the R/V Weatherbird II. These studies include using a sediment multicore, bottom longline fishing, and plankton tows (bongo nets).

This research was made possible by a grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative/C-IMAGE II.

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

A 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:

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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: The Mud and Blood Cruise – The Whole Story

The 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.

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

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Using Acoustics to Monitor Oil and Gas from Deep Natural Seafloor Seeps

The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason II being deployed from R/V Atlantis. The researchers use the ROV to position the acoustic scintillation moorings in specific locations to capture vertical upwelling flows. (Photo by Daniela Di Iorio)

There is a lot of action at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. A turbulent mixed layer of water and sediment particles known as the bottom boundary layer circulates counterclockwise across the seafloor, flowing against the water above.

Meanwhile, oil and gas naturally seep into this active environment from the seafloor. Scientists are investigating how the dynamics of this bottom layer affect the vertical movement of seeping hydrocarbons and the resuspension of previously deposited hydrocarbons to better predict where oil spilled in the deep Gulf will go.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative recently awarded Dr. Daniela Di Iorio a grant to measure the long-term vertical upwelling processes of hydrocarbon plumes and determine the impacts of bottom boundary layer dynamics on hydrocarbon distribution and resuspension.

A lack of long-term measurements of these natural processes has limited our understanding of their impact on oil released from natural seeps and oil rigs such as the Deepwater Horizon.

The bosun of the R/V Atlantis (bottom right) indicates that the acoustic scintillation receiver mooring is clear to be lowered into the water. Di Iorio’s team will use this instrumentation to monitor the hydrocarbon plume. (Photo by Daniela Di Iorio)

Di Iorio’s team will observe an oil and gas plume from a natural seafloor seep for three months using acoustic scintillation, focusing on the point where seep materials reach the top of the bottom boundary layer. The acoustic scintillation method observes how sound waves fluctuate as they pass through the plume to determine the amount of vertical upwelling and turbulence. Di Iorio noted, “This work is an extension of our previous work with hydrothermal plumes. To date, there is nobody that monitors long-term vertical velocities of deep sea hydrocarbon plumes, and the three-month time period is critical for assessing seeps’ temporal variability.”

While some hydrocarbon escapes the boundary layer and rises to the surface, residual materials remaining in the bottom layer may encounter energetic processes near the seafloor. The team will use an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler and hydrographic sensors to measure bottom boundary layer processes that may affect hydrocarbon dispersal.

The data will allow researchers to measure turbulent fluxes and mixing levels in the bottom boundary layer and identify strong flows near the seabed that could cause sedimented oil resuspension and mixing between the boundary layer and the overlying water column.

The researchers use a bottom-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler to monitor turbulent bottom boundary layer flows. (Photo by Daniela Di Iorio)

Di Iorio stated, “The measurements we hope to collect will provide a useful complement to on-going studies funded through GoMRI consortia, particularly research by the ECOGIG team on natural seep research and the CARTHE and DROPPS teams on oil transport.”

The project’s researchers are Daniela Di Iorio of the University of Georgia and Andreas M. Thurnherr of Columbia University. Their project is Vertical Upwelling and Bottom-Boundary Layer Dispersal at a Natural Seep Site.

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This research was made possible in part by a grant from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) to the University of Georgia Department of Marine Sciences and Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory for their project Vertical upwelling and bottom-boundary layer dispersal at a natural seep site.

Researchers Seek New Insights from Decades-Old Spill

Undergraduate students Nichole Clark (left) and Rachael Kalin (right) transfer a sediment core aboard R/V Justo Sierra. (Provided by C-IMAGE)

The Ixtoc I blowout happened in the Bay of Campeche over thirty-five years ago, so why are scientists studying this spill now? Because understanding what happened to Ixtoc I oil may help predict if and how Deepwater Horizon oil will degrade, persist, and impact northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystems over the next few decades.

A Little Background

The 1979 – 1980 Ixtoc I wellhead erupted in 56 meters of water and released 3.5 million barrels of oil into the southern Gulf of Mexico. This spill is an important historical analog for the more recent Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the northern Gulf. Both spills affected coastal and deep-water biological systems as oil moved through the water column to the sea surface, causing widespread slicks that were treated with dispersants.

Martín Ramírez, Shannon O’Leary, and Kristina Deak collect samples from a fish caught aboard R/V Weatherbird II. (Provided by C-IMAGE)

In 2015, researchers with the Center for the Integrated Modeling and Analysis of Gulf Ecosystems II (C-IMAGE II) completed two expeditions covering over 11,000 kilometers in the southern Gulf using the R/V Justo Sierra and the R/V Weatherbird II. The team collected sediment cores, water samples, and fish tissues for the first-ever assessment of fish health and sediment contamination across Gulf habitats. This expanded record will provide much-needed baseline information if there are future spills or other environmental events and provides comparative data between Ixtoc I and Deepwater Horizon events.

Chief-scientist David Hollander and researcher Isabel Romero discuss R/V Justo Sierra’s anticipated path through the Gulf of Mexico. (Provided by C-IMAGE)

Challenges…

Both expeditions required customs clearance for sampling equipment and permission to collect scientific samples within Mexico’s federally-enforced marine exclusion zone around the Ixtoc-I site. Over thirty researchers from seven countries needed visas and customs clearances prior to departure. Once underway, the teams experienced several unexpected weather events as they traveled long distances to obtain the samples. Principle Investigator Steve Murawski stated:

The collaboration of the US State Department, the Mexican State Department (SRE), the Mexican State oil company PEMEX, and several other agencies was critical to the success of these expeditions.

Researchers on the R/V Weatherbird II collected “ear stones” or otoliths (pictured) and other biological materials from fish to gather information about their development. (Provided by C-IMAGE)

…and Successes

Despite complications, the teams exceeded their expedition goals. Researchers collected sediment cores from 70 sites (14 – 3,200 meters depth), including several less than 5 kilometers from the Ixtoc I site and along the western Gulf (south of Texas), Campeche, and Yucatan Peninsula coasts. They collected over 700 fish from 25 stations in Mexico’s territorial sea. Scientists collected almost 5,000 blood, bile, and tissue samples (muscle, liver, fin ray, eye, and otoliths) from dominant Gulf of Mexico species like red snapper and golden tilefish, more than 400 ichthyologic photos, and 22 plankton samples. They also collected water samples from all sediment-coring sites and while in transit from Tuxpan, Mexico, to St. Petersburg, Florida – the Gulf’s longest axis.

Researchers on the R/V Justo Sierra and crew look on as Patrick Schwing transfers a sample from the sediment corer. (Provided by C-IMAGE)

Cruise coordinator and R/V Justo Sierra co-chief scientist Patrick Schwing commented:

The real success story is how well the science party and the R/V Justo Sierra crew functioned as a team. I am grateful for all the hard hours that everyone worked. By the second site, the entire science team had the deck and laboratory operations down to…well…a science.

Adolfo Gracia, the R/V Weatherbird II’s science lead for Universidad National Autónoma de Mexico, stated:

We can hardly wait to see the findings and compare them with existing data of sediment oil and biological analyses recorded in the Ixtoc I area.

R/V Weatherbird II crew members cast longlines to catch prominent species of Gulf fish for sampling. (Provided by C-IMAGE)

David Hollander, the R/V Justo Sierra chief-scientist, said:

This research has the potential to reveal new and exciting results that provide a better understanding of long-term chemical and ecologic impacts and allow us to better predict the recovery times of impacted benthic environments in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Preliminary research is already revealing the value of these expeditions. A previous C-IMAGE study discovered evidence that marine snow connected to Deepwater Horizon created a mechanism for oiled particles to reach the seafloor. Initial analyses suggest a similar event may have occurred around the Ixtoc I site and may have affected benthic marine life. Researchers will compare tilefish captured off the Veracruz coastline, the most likely resting place for Ixtoc I oil, to catches near the Deepwater Horizon site and unpolluted areas in the northern and southern Gulf. They can use these data to establish if tilefish experience heavy PAH exposure in the entire Gulf or just near Deepwater Horizon.

David Hollander and Isabel Romero show a sediment core they collected. The core will be cut open and analyzed to determine the composition of Gulf sediment at different points in history. (Provided by C-IMAGE)

What’s Next?

While C-IMAGE II researchers are still seeking a sample of unweathered Ixtoc-I oil, the samples collected during these expeditions will jumpstart our understanding of this spill. Future analyses will identify chemical and biological changes in the sediment cores, such as shifting redox conditions, changes in benthic meiofauna abundance and diversity, and changes in microbial communities. Researchers will also assess fish stock health by determining PAH compound concentrations in fish and looking for genomic responses and sublethal symptoms related to long-term environmental hydrocarbon exposure. Water samples will provide researchers a rich dataset of water quality, dissolved and particulate organic matter inputs, plankton densities, and concentrations of tiny plastic particles for use in future studies.

Brittany Verbeke removes a sediment core from R/V Weatherbird II’s sampling equipment. (Provided by C-IMAGE)

C-IMAGE’s efforts to uncover new information about fish and oil spill-impacted sediments will help society better understand past spills and better respond to future spills. This research is a significant step toward increased knowledge about the southern and northern Gulf and the Ixtoc I and Deepwater Horizon spill sites. C-IMAGE plans to continue offshore sediment and fish sampling from Mexico through Texas to Louisiana during summer 2016.

Learn More!

These podcasts provide audio stories about this research:

These study summaries provide findings from recent C-IMAGE research:

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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) consortium.

Why Grad Student Martinec Digs the Seafloor

Ceil Martinec, Stephen Landers, and Craig Schimmer pose with the multicorer they use to retrieve sediment samples from the Gulf. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Landers)

Ceil Martinec picks microscopic creatures out of mud collected from deep in the Gulf of Mexico. She is looking for possible lingering effects of the 2010 oil spill on sediment-dwelling animals and making some exciting discoveries along the way.

“We are documenting new species for the area and studying the natural links or relationships between new and known organisms and their surrounding environment,” she explained.

Ceil recently earned her master’s degree in Environmental Science at Troy University and completed her thesis as a GoMRI Scholar. She was a research team member on the project Analysis of Continental Shelf Meiofauna in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Investigated during a Long Term Community Study. Ceil shared her journey from the heart of Texas to the Gulf’s deep waters.

Her Path

Ceil and lab mate Jonathan Miller display the sediment they collected for their meiofauna research. (Photo courtesy of Ceil Martinec)

Ceil grew up landlocked in Fort Worth, Texas, but she always found the ocean fascinating. Her father worked as an offshore welder, and the tales of his experiences at sea fueled her interest.

She accepted a soccer scholarship to Troy University in 2007. As a member of the athletic program’s leadership council, Ceil participated in community service and fundraising events and volunteered as a local high school soccer coach, all while earning top grades academically. There she met Dr. Stephen Landers, Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences, who was impressed with her work ethic and influenced her decision to major in marine biology.

Ceil completed her undergraduate studies, then worked for two years as a NOAA fisheries observer. She boarded commercial fishing vessels in the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean, collecting data on fishing gear, catch and discard rates, target and non-target species, and interactions with marine mammals and sea turtles. She also educated fishermen on regulations and handling protected species. Landers, who regularly collaborates with NOAA, contacted Ceil in 2013 and asked if she would consider graduate school and assist him with his GoMRI-funded oil spill research.

Her Work

Ceil takes sediment samples from a multicorer during a NOAA cruise in November 2013. (Photo credit: Stephen Landers)

Ceil and the Landers’ team are studying meiofauna in the northern Gulf of Mexico continental shelf. They are documenting species’ abundance, checking to see if they have increased or diminished after the spill, which could provide useful information when assessing future events. Their study could also reveal previously unknown details about meiofaunal populations in the Gulf of Mexico.

Ceil joined the annual NOAA fall fish survey cruises in 2013 and 2014, collecting sediment samples on the research vessels Pisces and Gordon Gunter. These extensive field expeditions lasted over two weeks, sampling areas from Texas to south Florida across the continental shelf.

Ceil extracts meiofauna for closer inspection. (Photo credit: Kesley Gibson)

Painstaking lab work followed, with each sample taking up to ten hours to process. Ceil sorted the samples using a centrifuge to separate the meiofauna from the sediments. Then she isolated animals and documented densities. She counted the meiofauna under a microscope, classifying them where she could and sending the others to experts to identify. The team has described entirely new species of meiofauna in a group known as mud dragons.

Ceil processed, analyzed, and reported on the resultant data sets. She and others on their team have been writing manuscripts about their findings, including one paper on which she was the lead author: International Journal of Oceanography Sediment chemistry and meiofauna from the Northern Gulf of Mexico continental shelf.

Her Learning

Ceil uses a counting wheel under a microscope to count and sort the meiofauna. (Photo credit: Ceil Martinec)

Ceil credits Landers for his guidance through the world of research science.

“I have learned that although the scientific process can be tedious at times, it is very rewarding,” she said, adding that “constructive criticism from the people around you and the peer review process is very important in order to make your work better.”

Ceil presented her research at Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conferences in Mobile and Houston. Her presentation in Houston was about the marine nematode communities they collected from central Louisiana to Apalachicola, Florida at 49-316 meters depth. “It was exciting to join the larger GoMRI community,” she said. “Those experiences showed me the importance of networking and collaboration among fellow scientists.”

Her Future

Ceil joined the annual NOAA Fish Survey cruise, identifying species like this red snapper. (Photo courtesy of Ceil Martinec)

Ceil graduated with her masters in May and married in September. She hopes to pursue a career in fisheries biology, ideally with the Alabama Marine Resources Division, focusing on either recreational or commercial fisheries. She also is considering fishery biologist positions with the State of Florida Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA and environmental science openings in government, industry, or environmental consulting agencies.

Ceil plans to volunteer until the right position comes available. “Right now,” she said, “any experience I can get will be helpful in building my future career.”

Praise for Ceil

Ceil presents her findings at the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conference in Houston. (Photo credit: Jonathan Miller)

Landers described Ceil as an excellent student, saying, “She tackled multivariate statistics and impressed me with how fast she absorbed its complexities.”

Ceil did not engage in lengthy field work as an undergraduate, but Landers felt that she was the right fit for the graduate-level position in his GoMRI project, and she did not disappoint him. “She worked very hard and was very involved in sample collections on the NOAA ships as well as in the lab,” Landers recalled. “She leaves Troy with one paper already published and another one in the works,” Landers said. “I’m sure she’ll be a very successful scientist.”

Ceil received the Troy University 2015 Best Graduate Research Scholar Award.

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Ceil Martinec 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.

Learn more about this research at Landers’ website.

This research was made possible in part by a grant from BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) to Troy University for the project Analysis of Continental Shelf Meiofauna in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Investigated during a Long Term Community Study.

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/.

Grad Student Deb Adhikary Sees How Burrowing Shrimp Help Microbes Deal with Oil

Nihar conducts a 14C-radiolabeled naphthalene assay in a radioactive laboratory to determine naphthalene degradation rate using sediments after each greenhouse microcosm experiment. (Photo credit: Suchandra Hazra)

Nihar Deb Adhikary uses his veterinary training and microbiology research to better understand the connections between oil fate, microbial degradation, and sediment-dwelling organisms such as shrimp and clams.

“Oil in coastal sediment can significantly impact the animals that live there,” he said. “I think it will be amazing if we can show that these benthic organisms help enhance oil degradation.” Nihar is an environmental and evolutionary biology Ph.D. student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a GoMRI Scholar with the project The Effect of Sediment Bioturbators on the Biological Degradation of Petroleum in Coastal Ecosystems. He explains how a background in veterinary medicine led to studying oil-degrading microbes.

His Path

Nihar samples sediment and water from microcosms in the project’s greenhouse.
(Photo credit: Suchandra Hazra)

Nihar, an animal-lover, wanted to pursue biological sciences since he was in high school. He saw a veterinary career as the perfect way to practice biology and work with animals. However, while studying veterinary medicine at West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences in Kolkata, India, he became interested in conducting molecular and microbiological research. He explained, “Working with animals made me realize there are many different ways to address animal health problems.” After completing his veterinary degree, he enrolled in a masters’ program studying bacterial biofilms at Texas State University.

While conducting biofilm research, Nihar narrowed his interests to a combination of environmental science and microbiology. His opportunity came when he met Dr. Paul Klerks and his advisor Dr. Andrei Chistoserdov through the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ph.D. program. Nihar soon began working on their GoMRI project researching the influence of bioturbators on petroleum bioremediation. He says, “While the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was a huge environmental disaster, it also presented the perfect opportunity to conduct research in environmental microbiology.”

His Work

Nihar works at the UL Lafayette Biology Department in the Chistoserdov Lab under the hooded ventilation system to quantify PAH dioxygenase gene expression. (Photo credit: Suchandra Hazra)

Nihar’s work assesses how bioturbators – organisms such as worms, shrimp, and crabs that burrow and live in sediment – affect the fate of oil by altering the physical and chemical properties of coastal marsh and beach sediment. He and his team are focusing on ghost shrimp and stout razor clams, two organisms abundant throughout the Gulf Coast. He recreates coastal sediment conditions in a greenhouse using ten-gallon (for razor clams) and thirty-gallon (for ghost shrimp) tanks filled with water and sediment. Once the shrimp and clams have acclimated to the tanks, he introduces crude oil. After ten days, his colleagues measure oil content in the water and sediment, and Nihar assesses the composition and activity of the microbial community.

Nihar observed that ghost shrimp activity increased degradation of naphthalene, the simplest polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. He hypothesizes that ghost shrimp’s natural functions and movement add organic matter and allow oxygen to penetrate further into the sediment, stimulating the growth of aerobic microorganisms and thereby enhancing microbial oil degradation. Increased oil exposure due to bioturbation may also stimulate oil-degrading genes in microbes. Although he found no changes in the number of oil-degrading bacteria or the microbial community at the phylum level, he has begun analyses at the genus level and is preparing to analyze 16S rDNA libraries to better understand these findings.

His Learning

While conducting his research, Nihar enjoyed working with experts from different scientific fields. He said, “Both the laboratory work and the field sampling helped me understand the value of collaboration. Reaching out to other researchers at GoMRI meetings has broadened my insights into my own project and oil spill research as a whole.” Working with Chistoserdov and Klerks is especially exciting and encouraging for Nihar, who said that the skills and experience he has gained from them will help him with future research. “I believe I am working in a great program with great people at UL – Lafayette,” he said. “It is like a small family to me, providing me with a home away from home.”

His Future

Nihar (center) collects razor clams from Choctawhatchee Bay in Defuniac Springs, Florida, with Dr. Paul Klerks (left) and fellow graduate student Alex Kascak (right). (Photo credit: Lujun Luo)

After completing his Ph.D., Nihar plans to start a career in environmental science, preferably in an environmental consulting or testing company. He is also interested in pursuing a post-doctoral position to gain more experience in his field.

Praise for Nihar

Chistoserdov described Nihar as a dedicated and inquisitive researcher whose versatility is one of his greatest strengths. He explained that Nihar feels equally at home in the field and in the laboratory. Furthermore, he is accustomed to dealing with larger animals (in their case, shrimp and clams) through his veterinary background and working with microorganisms as a trained microbiologist. Chistoserdov said these traits make Nihar an ideal researcher for their project. He explained, “Nihar’s findings were made working in close collaboration with students and faculty from our university, underscoring another of his strong points – the ability to be a productive member of a research team.”

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Nihar Deb Adhikary 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 Klerks Lab website to learn more about their work.

This research was made possible in part by a grant from BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) to The Effect of Sediment Bioturbators on the Biological Degradation of Petroleum in Coastal Ecosystems. 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/.

Grad Student Shin Shines Light on Oil-Degrading Microbes in Sediment

Boryoung Shin is breaking new ground in microbiology, uncovering little known facts about an enigmatic and important species in the Gulf of Mexico.

Bicheng working in lab

Boryoung Shin works in an anaerobic chamber at the Kostka Lab at Georgia Tech. (Photo credit: Max Kolton)

After the Deepwater Horizon incident, certain bacteria rapidly increased and helped degrade the oil. These microbes, who consume naturally-occurring hydrocarbons, rise and fall in number as access to their preferred food supply changes. Boryoung’s research focuses on a subset of this group, the oil-eating bacteria that live deep within seafloor sediment.

A Ph.D. student in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS) at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Boryoung is a GoMRI scholar with the Deep-C consortium. She shares her journey from South Korea to the depths of the Gulf.

Her Path

When Boryoung was a high school student, she read a magazine article about deep ocean-dwelling creatures that changed her life. She became fixated on the idea of making deep sea ecology her future work. However, geography was a major hurdle as Boryoung had a difficult time locating courses that fit her needs. She explained that marine science programs can be hard to find in Korea: “It’s just not commonly studied.”

Boryoung’s persistence paid off, though, and she found an environmental marine science undergraduate program at the Hanyang University. Luckily, her next favorite subject was English. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree, she searched graduate programs at American universities to pursue her growing passion for microbial ecology. The work of Georgia Tech Professor Joel Kostka on the bacterial populations that consumed oil after the Deepwater Horizon spill impressed Boryoung. In 2012, she enrolled in the EAS Ph.D. program and, under Kostka’s direction, began research on sediment-dwelling microbes.

Her Work

Crew working on research vessel

The crew of the RV Weatherbird II collects sediment samples for Boryoung’s projects. Pictured from far left: Arvind Shantharam, Caroline Johansen, Ben LeBelle, Curtis Okolovitch, and Boryoung. (Photo credit: Ian MacDonald)

Oil-eating microbial communities that live in the water column and top layers of sediment need oxygen to survive. However, microbes that live deeper within Gulf sediments are anaerobic – they can live without oxygen.

Boryoung explained that oil can linger for a long time in sediment, an environment where there is little to no light or oxygen to assist degradation. The microbes she studies are one of the only means of breaking down oil once it has become buried in an anaerobic zone. To learn how these microbes operate, she cultivates Gulf sediment samples collected during a research cruise in June 2014 aboard the RV Weatherbird II. On that expedition, she collected sediment at over 1,000 meters depth for her lab work.

In the lab, she monitors these sediment-dwelling bacteria, a process that requires much patience. Anaerobic bacteria grow incredibly slowly – a year or more can pass before there is measurable activity in her cultures. Boryoung isolates these microbes, enriches them with various nutrients, and observes their community structure response. She analyzes their DNA to determine the succession of microbial groups that follows after oil exposure.

Boryoung laughs, “This process can take so long that I sometimes find myself asking, ‘What am I doing?’ I have to give myself pep talks that this is worth the wait, that it’s valuable science.”

Her results have been worth the wait. Many of these anaerobic microbial groups are not closely related to known hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria. As one of the first scientists to describe these populations, Boryoung has identified unique oil-degrading bacterial communities under sulfate- and iron-reducing conditions. Her long-term goal is to use her results to guide oil spill response efforts and uncover new potential methods for bioremediation.

Her Learning

Gulf of Mexico sediment sample

Boryoung cultivates anaerobic bacteria populations in a Gulf of Mexico sediment sample housed at Georgia Tech. (Photo credit: Boryoung Shin)

Boryoung’s first research cruise was more difficult than she expected. She did not sleep well and was frustrated with very limited communications on board. But she really enjoyed working with the helpful and friendly crew and research team. Overcoming these obstacles made it that much more rewarding when she successfully completed her mission. Boryoung is greatly looking forward to using her newly-acquired sea skills on an expedition this August.

As much as she enjoys fieldwork, her favorite aspect of research is the science community she has joined. “The people I meet at GoMRI conferences really inspire me,” Boryoung said, referring to the annual Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science conferences. She explained that the researchers she has met are very supportive of one another’s work. Calling it a synergistic relationship, she said, “We help each other, share ideas, and learn from one other.”

Her Future

As Boryoung continues her research with C-IMAGE, she is considering both academic and industry jobs once she completes her Ph.D. An aspect that draws her to academia is the concept of solving problems. She encourages other young people to choose science as a career so that more researchers can work together for the benefit of the Earth and people. She also hopes to continue living in the U.S.

“I want to be a ‘real’ scientist wherever I am,” Boryoung jokes. “Seriously, I like the culture here in the United States and this is where the work is for the most part. I hope I’m privileged enough to stay.”

Praise for Boryoung

Boryoung and her Kostka lab collegues

Boryoung with her cohorts at the Kostka lab. From far left: Patrick Steck, Will Overholt, Xiaoxu Sun, John C. Gaby, Boryoung Shin, Kaitlin Esson, and Joel Kostka. (Photo courtesy of Deep-C)

Kostka describes Boryoung as a bright and dedicated young researcher, noting the tremendous amount of progress she has made in advancing anaerobic microbiology since she arrived at Georgia Tech. “She has the hardest job of any of my students,” said Kostka. He continued, “Hydrocarbon degrading bacteria grow very slowly under anaerobic conditions, and it usually takes Boryoung about one year to do a single experiment.” He said that Boryoung has isolated some cultures of anaerobic oil-degrading bacteria and is using molecular techniques to understand the processing of oil hydrocarbons in anaerobic sediments. Kostka also commented that aside from her academic capabilities, Boryoung is a pleasure to work with. “She nearly always has a smile on her face and a kind word for her colleagues. Her language skills are amazing, and she has embraced the American culture from the beginning of her tenure in Atlanta.” Kostka sees a bright future in science for Boryoung.

The GoMRI community embraces bright and dedicated students like Boryoung and their important contributions. The 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 Deep-C website to learn more about their work.

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This research was made possible in part by a grant from BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) to theDeepsea to Coast Connectivity in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico (DEEP-C) consortium.

Class Project: Responses of Benthic Communities to Oil Exposure

Researchers prepare to deploy a multi-corer which will collect sediment samples from the sea floor. Photo: USM

Initially, much of the oil released from the Macondo well during the Deepwater Horizon disaster floated on the surface of the water. Over time, physical processes drove some of the oil onto beaches and into other shallow habitats of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Researchers from the University of Southern Mississippi are trying to determine where the rest of the oil went. They want to see if oil has also reached the sea floor at greater depths, and if so, where.

Classroom Activity: Deep-Sea Sediments
The ocean floor is made up of sediment including sand, silt and clay particles. The skeletons of tiny animals also contribute to deep-sea sediments. The particles take different amounts of time to reach the sea floor, depending on their density and size. Scientists study the layers of particles to create a historical record of the ocean floor. In this lesson, students will examine a core sample and conduct an experiment to see what factors influence settling rates.

Responses of Benthic Communities to Oil Exposure – PDF 1.1MB

Ahoy! Teachers Take to the High Seas to Learn the Science of Oil Spill Research

Middle and high school teachers in Florida put on their sea legs, boarded the R/V Weatherbird II, and conducted science that matters to their students and communities.

Skype ship-to-shore video conference from deck of research vessel

Dr. Teresa Greely (L) assists C-IMAGE Chief Scientist Leslie Schwierzke-Wade (middle) as she talks with 3rd graders at Jamerson Elementary in Florida during a Skype ship-to-shore video conference. (Also pictured is scientist Heather Broadbent). (Photo by: Mary St. Denis)

Educators worked with scientists to understand the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. While gaining hands-on experience, teachers blogged and Skyped to share their learning and have others virtually join their adventures. Back on shore, teachers created classroom materials.

The Center for Integrated Modeling and Analysis of the Gulf Ecosystem (C-IMAGE) research consortium, led by the University of South Florida, hosts a Teacher at Sea Program. C-IMAGE expeditions collect marine data – from sea-surface plankton to deep-sea microbes in sediments – to answer questions about long-term oil spill impacts and understand the Gulf system.

This year’s participants were Matt MacGregor (Escambia High School), Mary St. Denis (Winter Haven High School), Elisabeth McCormack (Dunedin Highland Middle School), and Kathryn Bylsma (Dr. John Long Middle School). Their blogs depict life at sea and the academic rigor and challenges that go into planning and implementing sea experiments.

Below are a few highlights from their sea expeditions. Read more at the C-IMAGE blog Adventures at Sea: Deep Sea Fish and Sediment Surveys in the Gulf.

Teacher Elisabeth McCormack created a humorous cartoon to share science with students. (Image provided by C-IMAGE)

Teacher Elisabeth McCormack created a humorous way to share science with students. (Image provided by C-IMAGE)

Gung Ho! Enthusiastic Teachers

Teachers eagerly await their time at sea. Mary St. Denis said, “It is an exciting countdown to an adventure…to get out in the field and do science is a dream spot for many teachers like me.”

Some teachers expressed their enthusiasm through creative cartoon-style story-telling. Elizabeth McCormack created a skit filled with “characters” (real people on the vessel) and “action” (their at-sea research). Check out her Bonkers for Bongos blog !

Dr. Kendra Daly, the C-IMAGE chief scientist on the vessel was happy to have them: “The teachers were enthusiastic, hardworking, and valuable members of the science team.”

All Aboard! A Community of Active Learners

Impressive science teams are on board and their work of discovery and learning resonates with teachers, as Kathryn Blysma explains, “I am blessed to be surrounded by so many people who are avid learners… from such incredibly varied backgrounds… microbiology college students, European engineers, and graduate volunteers who enjoy…putting their skills to good use. It’s when there are interactionsbetween communities that true learning takes place.”

Preparing Niskin bottles in a CTD system

Teacher Matt MacGregor (R) and FWC scientist and graduate student, Matt Garrett prepare Niskin bottles in a CTD system. (Photo by: Teresa Greely)

That community spirit of learning and doing fosters teamwork. Blysma saw this as teams worked from early morning gathering data to late nights analyzing it: “This group has a real system down, a kind of bucket brigade where everyone takes a job or a section to be responsible for.”

Part of the learning involves sea technology. This year, C-IMAGE tested the SIPPER 4 (Shadow Image Profiler and Evaluation Recorder), a small “Rubik-cube size” underwater high resolution camera that goes deeper than earlier devices. It takes pictures of plankton and collects data on physical conditions. McCormack said the most exciting part was its internet connection ability, “That means engineers do not have to snag a spot on a research vessel to access the data, but can work with it in their lab thousands of miles away!”

College students are on board and they gave teachers insights on the value of hands-on learning. Blysma wrote about Joe, an undergraduate student, who had no interest in school until he went to an environmental center in his district. There, his whole outlook on learning changed. “[This] reminded me that each child we see is a ‘Joe’ searching for his niche. As teachers we are the wayfarers nudging and encouraging them at stages in that venture.”

All Hands on Deck! STEM in Action

Teacher Mary St. Denis (R) filters water with Dr. Teresa Greely (L) at the lab onboard the R/V Weatherbird II.

Teacher Mary St. Denis (R) filters water with Dr. Teresa Greely (L) at the lab onboard the R/V Weatherbird II. St. Denis said, “My students and I are very concerned about the effects of the Gulf Oil Spill. I am really happy to be a part of finding out more about what is happening in the Gulf.” (Photo provided by C-IMAGE)

C-IMAGE conducts interdisciplinary science to understand Gulf marine ecosystems. McCormack described how science, engineering, and technology came together with the SIPPER 4, “A scientist may know what they want to measure, but it may take the mechanical mind of an engineer to build the device that can collect that data.” Marine technicians got the equipment in and out of the water, completing a demonstration of collaborative efforts among specialists.

Teachers experienced the evolving nature of science discovery when a routine task – collecting bottles of seawater – took on greater importance, becoming as McCormack said “one of the most important missions on this cruise.” They found one sample from deep Gulf waters that looked and smelled different and determined that it contained much less salt than water from that depth does normally.

They hypothesized about freshwater sources, including the Mississippi River outflow into the Gulf. Scientists will run additional tests at their home labs and look for an explanation. McCormack said, “I feel really lucky I was out here in the Gulf when we had a mystery to solve…I got a chance to see how all of this fits together.”

Field work reminded teachers that answering big questions requires a systematic process that takes time. McCormack said they could not start with “What happened to the Gulf after the oil spill?” explaining that “It is too broad, and impossible to answer with a single measure.” She likened it to eating a steak in one bite instead of pieces and explained that the scientific method includes collecting data many times and in multiple ways before tackling the difficult job of interpreting it. “But in the end,” said McCormack, “you have data that means something….You find answers to your questions and are inspired to ask new questions and start all over again.”

Ship-to-Shore! Connecting Future Scientists

Dr. Teresa Greely Skypes with educators during a professional development session

Dr. Teresa Greely (on screen) Skypes with educators during a professional development session at the New England Aquarium during IODP Expedition 340 in the Lesser Antilles. (Photo by: Jennifer Collins, Deep Earth Academy, COL)

C-IMAGE scientists use Skype to visually and verbally share their scientific missions in real-time with the K-12 community. One online demonstration was with 90 third graders at Jamerson Elementary School in St. Petersburg, Florida. They toured the boat, saw researchers retrieve bongo nets and collect plankton samples, and spoke with science experts and crew members. St. Denis marveled, “So far this week, about 370 students have virtually sailed with us.”

Teachers in the field make an impression on students, “Wow, Miss McCormack, you really have done a lot of stuff!” McCormack reflected on this important revelation, “My goal is to encourage students to both observe and interpret the world around them…to get out there and see real science happening.” She continued, “I love bringing authentic data sets to the math classroom so I can give students an answer to their ‘why do we need to learn this” questions.’”

Educators’ use of social media grabs students’ attention. One teacher described her class’ response to a Skype session: “They got a kick out of us using Skype!…It really hit home that it is a useful tool for ‘real’ work and not just socializing!”

Dr. Daly noted that the teachers “worked around the clock,” but “still found time to create blogs and communicate with their students. We were fortunate to have such wonderful volunteers.”

Bounty! Helping the Gulf

In the midst of all the bustling ship and research activities, teachers maintained a bigger-picture perspective. Reflecting on the “bottle of seawater” mystery, McCormack connected that specific experience with a larger purpose: “Scientists have systematically collected these samples over the past three years [and] have begun to create a historical database that will allow us to develop a clearer picture of how the Gulf behaves over time.”

Blysma wrote about the importance of connecting her experience with making future generations prepared to help the Gulf: “What does all this have to do with the Deepwater Horizon event or the data being collected? It’s the study of human impact on the environment and the critical balance that has to be maintained.”

For more information about the C-IMAGE Teacher at Sea Program, contact Dr. Teresa Greely. To learn more about the Florida Institute of Oceanography’s R/V Weatherbird II, take a virtual tour.

This research was made possible in part by a Grant from BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) through theCenter for Integrated Modeling and Analysis of the Gulf Ecosystem (C-IMAGE) consortium. The GoMRI is a 10-year, $500 million independent research program established by an agreement between BP and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance to study the effects of the Deepwater Horizon incident and the potential associated impact of this and similar incidents on the environment and public health.