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Published Science Highlights
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Science Highlights Archive
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Study Links Recovery of Oiled Marsh with Return of Salt Marsh Vegetation
Posted on March 22, 2016Scientists studied the relationship between the resiliency of Louisiana salt marsh plants, invertebrates, and microbes in heavily-oiled sediment after the Deepwater Horizon spill. -
Study Shows Raindrops Push Oil Spill Pollutants into Air and Below Sea Surface
Posted on February 9, 2016Scientists at Johns Hopkins University used high-speed imaging and digital holography in laboratory experiments to investigate the effects of raindrops falling on a simulated oil slick. -
Study Describes How Hurricane Isaac Stirred Up a Marine Snow Storm
Posted on January 28, 2016Scientists representing eight institutions conducted in-situ observations and laboratory experiments to determine if Hurricane Isaac redistributed sedimented oil near the Deepwater Horizon site. -
Study: Oil May Have Diminished and Altered Phytoplankton Communities
Posted on January 20, 2016Scientists compared phytoplankton time-series data collected in Louisiana coastal waters after the Deepwater Horizon spill. They found that phytoplankton abundance was significantly lower in 2010 and that the community’s species composition significantly shifted immediately after the spill. -
Study Identifies Molecular Fingerprints for Tracking Oil and Dispersant Fate
Posted on December 22, 2015An international science team examined the effects of dispersant on the activity and composition of oil-degrading marine microorganisms.The researchers found that the biodegraded oil-derived compounds exhibited a specific molecular composition that distinguished them from naturally occurring dissolved organic matter. -
Study Suggests Coastal Marine Animals Assimilated Carbon from Deepwater Horizon
Posted on December 10, 2015Scientists measured radiocarbon levels in coastal invertebrates and fishes (such as oysters and catfish) to evaluate impacts from the 2010 oil spill on Gulf of Mexico food webs. -
Study: Nitrogen Enhances Microbial Oil Degradation
Posted on December 1, 2015Scientists from Brown University and the University of Rhode Island investigated how Alcanivorax borkumensis, a dominate bacterium in marine environments that contain high hydrocarbon levels, can be supported to naturally degrade oil. -
Study Shows Oil and Dispersants Damage Mangroves Differently
Posted on November 17, 2015Scientists evaluated the effects of oil contamination on coastal mangrove plants. Their partially-submerged root system makes them vulnerable to pollutants. Scientists found that oil coated the mangrove roots and reduced water transport, leading to rapid plant dehydration. -
Study: Different Dispersant Surfactants Help and Hinder Oil-Degrading Bacteria
Posted on November 3, 2015Scientists studied the interactions of the oil-degrading bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis with oil across oil-water interfaces that had varying amounts of different surfactants. -
Study: Early-Responder Microbial Groups Differed Over Time in Oiled Beach Sands
Posted on October 22, 2015Scientists analyzed microbial communities on beaches oiled by the Deepwater Horizon spill and found taxonomic and functional changes after hydrocarbon exposure.
