An epifluorescence microphotograph of a complex bacterial community feasting on or associated with an oil floc (pink). Gammaproteobacteria (green) are the majority of cultured, well-studied alkane- and aromatics-degrading bacteria. Other bacteria (blue) thrive in close association with the oil particle and their gammaproteobacterial neighbors. (Photo by Luke McKay, Montana State University).

Study Analyzes Metabolic Pathways of Oil-Degrading Bacteria

Researchers analyzed bacterial communities exposed to Deepwater Horizon oil and identified taxa and genes associated with oil degradation and assimilation. The scientists found that Marinobacter and Alcanivorax dominated alkane-degrading communities, while Alteromonadales, Oceanospirillales, and Rhodospirillales dominated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading communities.

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Beneath the Horizon: A Web Resource for the 1979 and 2010 Oil Spills

Scientists and outreach personnel created an on-line resource that examines two major oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico: The Deepwater Horizon in the northern Gulf and the Ixtoc in the southern Gulf. Beneath the Horizon website, developed by the C-IMAGE research group and Jake Price Productions, explores these spills, the people who coped with and responded to these disasters, and expectations for recovery.

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Study Finds UV Exposure Late in Mahi-Mahi Embryo Development Enhances Oil Toxicity

Researchers conducted laboratory experiments on mahi-mahi embryos to determine the effects of ultraviolet radiation (UV) and oil co-exposure during different times in their development. The team observed that UV affected the success of mahi-mahi hatch in all exposure scenarios compared to controls but was highest (a 1.6- to 6-fold increase) when co-exposure occurred late in embryonic development.

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The W.T. Hogarth is lowered into the water for the first time. Photo by Eric Younghans, University of South Florida Health Communications

Name of New Research Vessel Honors Dr. William Hogarth

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is pleased to announce that a new state-of-the-art scientific research vessel has been named in honor of Research Board member William “Bill” T. Hogarth. The R/V W.T Hogarth will support the research of over two dozen institutions and agencies across Florida and will be used for refined bottom mapping, metal tracing, surveying, collecting samples, and more.

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