Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is pleased to announce an updated Sea Grant publication that incorporates the latest science that answers the top five most frequently asked oil spill questions by people who depend on a clean and healthy Gulf of Mexico.

A RECOVER team member transfers a mahi-mahi fitted with a pop-up satellite archival tag into a recovery tank prior to it being released into the Gulf of Mexico. Photo credit: RECOVER consortium. RECOVER team members Dr. John Stieglitz and Ph.D, student Lela Schlenker, the research cruise lead scientist, gently release a tagged mahi-mahi from the R/V W...

Following Deepwater Horizon, there was concern about how the oil spill might affect marine life. Since then, scientists have learned more about how polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) affect marine organisms, especially commercially and recreationally important fisheries.

Researchers examined the biological and physiological response of phytoplankton to oil and oil plus dispersant in laboratory experiments.

The Deepwater Horizon incident affected more than 1,700 km of Gulf of Mexico coastline. Chemical compounds from the oil spill posed a risk to human health, especially children whose play behaviors often bring them in direct contact with sand and water.