Scientists developed a two-stage algorithm that identified the status of drogues attached to ocean drifters deployed during the Lagrangian Submesoscale Experiment (LASER).
Many fish that were exposed to Deepwater Horizon oil survived; however, they may have experienced later-in-life impacts that affected their ability to survive longer than fish that did not experience oil exposure.
Researchers conducted mesocosm experiments that simulated beach ecosystems to assess if razor clams, which are bioturbators, can influence environmental conditions and the fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
During the Deepwater Horizon incident, some models predicted that oil would reach the Florida coastline. However, much of the oil became trapped in cyclonic-like currents, which are eddy flows associated with the Loop Current, and exited the Gulf of Mexico without reaching the Florida coast.
Researchers provided some of the first descriptions of the feeding habits of eight deep-sea fishes using dietary tracers (stable isotopes), offering insight into the trophic structure of deep-sea ecosystems and informing ecosystem-based modeling.
A marine scientist and the creator of the “Sherman’s Lagoon” comic strip met up at the 2015 Blue Ocean Film Festival and Conservation Summit, and together they hatched an idea to reach kids about the deep ocean through short-form media.
Researchers analyzed high-definition imagery of over three hundred deep-sea coral colonies from 2011 – 2017 to quantify their recovery from the oil spill.
Researchers developed the first detailed numerical model for predicting the conditions under which marine oil snow aggregates form and the amount of oil they transport to the ocean floor.
Sharing science can be lots of fun, especially during events that have a light-hearted atmosphere where people gather for a good time. This past year, researchers and outreach staff from consortia funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative participated in a variety of events to share ocean and marine science that’s being used to study the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Researchers examined the isotopic composition of single-celled organisms (foraminifera) in seafloor sediment for evidence of the documented marine oil snow event that followed Deepwater Horizon.