Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

Oil from the Deepwater Horizon incident and the chemical dispersants applied during response efforts affected many ecologically and economically important fish species in the Gulf of Mexico.

Large environmental disasters can have a wide range of impacts on communities in affected areas, yet we have a limited understanding about how disasters affect public health.

Deepwater Horizon oil impacted over 1,700 km of Gulf of Mexico coastline and prompted 89 beach closures, largely due to uncertainty about health risks associated with oil contamination.

The Smithsonian’s Ocean Portal published an article that describes some of the discoveries that scientists have made about microbes in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hydrocarbons from oil slicks floating on the ocean’s surface can be aerosolized by evaporation, breaking waves and bursting bubbles.