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Published Science Highlights
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GOMRI Generated Stories Archive
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Study Uses Radioisotopes to Trace Marine Oil Snow Associated with Deepwater Horizon
Posted on December 7, 2017Researchers used naturally occurring radioisotopes to quantify the footprint of sedimented marine oil snow on the Gulf of Mexico seafloor following the Deepwater Horizon incident. -
Sea Grant Releases Fact Sheet on Beach, Water, and Seafood Safety after Oil Spill
Posted on December 5, 2017The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is pleased to announce a new Sea Grant publication that addresses the public’s questions about health safety after the Deepwater Horizon incident. The fact sheet, Is it Safe? Examining Health Risks from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill succinctly explains findings from peer-reviewed studies and reports from state and federal agencies that investigated the safety of the beach, water, and seafood since the spill. -
Grad Student Snider Examines Seaside Sparrows Diet for Food Web Impacts from Oiling
Posted on November 30, 2017Seaside Sparrows live and forage in coastal Gulf of Mexico marshlands, some of which were oiled following the Deepwater Horizon incident. Sparrows in these oiled marshes likely ingested invertebrates that were also exposed to oil. Allison Snider uses DNA analyses to investigate potential long-term changes in the diets of Seaside Sparrows following Deepwater Horizon. -
Smithsonian Highlights Research Showing How Fish Get Risky Around Oil
Posted on November 28, 2017The Smithsonian recently published an article that included research, funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), that investigated the behavior of fish larvae around oil. The referenced study is of particular interest because the amount of oil used in exposure experiments were at levels recorded in industrialized sections of tropical coral reefs worldwide. -
Study Finds Clay Nanotubes Yield More Efficient Oil-Water Emulsions than Spherical Particles
Posted on November 15, 2017Researchers assessed various structures of clay nanotubes or halloysites, which are being studied for their potential in oil spill emulsification. They tested the nanotubes to identify which structures generated the most stable emulsions and smallest oil droplets and if catalytic reactions improved at the oil-water interface. -
Modeling Study Analyzes Sperm Whale Recovery after Environmental Disturbances
Posted on November 9, 2017Researchers used population models to investigate how reduced survival and fertility after environmental disturbances, such as an oil spill, might affect sperm whale populations. Model simulations indicated that the magnitude of a disturbance had a stronger impact on recovery from lethal and sublethal effects than its duration. -
Grad Student Shi Uses Chemical Fingerprinting to Investigate Oil in the Water Column
Posted on November 7, 2017Crude oil contains tens of thousands of hydrocarbons, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that create unique chemical fingerprints for different types of oil. Dawei “David” Shi uses geochemical analysis techniques in mesocosm studies to track these fingerprints. -
Study Describes How Marine Particle Aggregates Influence Oil Spill Fate
Posted on November 2, 2017Researchers analyzed simulated interactions of oil droplets and marine particle aggregates to understand how they could affect the behavior of an oil spill. The scientists found that the attachment of oil droplets to particle aggregates changed the distribution of oil droplet sizes over time scales of hours. -
Colwell to Receive 2017 International Prize for Biology
Posted on October 31, 2017The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative congratulates its Research Board Chair Dr. Rita Colwell on her selection as the 33rd laureate of the International Prize for Biology. The prize, managed by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, honors outstanding contributions to research advances in fundamental biology and is one of the most prestigious honors a natural scientist can receive. -
Study Finds Low Oil Concentrations Impair Self-Preservation Behaviors in Coral Reef Fish Larvae
Posted on October 26, 2017Researchers from the United States, Australia, and Europe conducted mesocosm experiments to assess how larval reef fishes respond physiologically and cognitively to low crude oil concentrations. The team observed that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), at levels recorded in industrialized sections of tropical coral reefs worldwide, increased larvae mortality and stunted growth rates.
