The unprecedented quantities of oil released during the Deepwater Horizon discharge and the chemical dispersants used during the response effort raised concerns about how Gulf of Mexico ecosystems would be affected.
Scientists conducted a year-long mesocosm experiment to assess if the expansion of tropical black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) into Gulf of Mexico saltmarshes dominated by temperate cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) affected marsh response to oiling.
The award-winning animated series “The Adventures of Zack and Molly” released a new episode of kid-friendly science content about the deep ocean.
Oil that enters a marine environment can attach to particulate matter suspended in the water and form oil particle aggregates, which then sink to the seafloor.
Opportunity: Call for Nominations – Standing Committee to Advise the Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems Research Campaign – MARCH 27, 2020 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: Standing Committee to advise the Gulf Research Program on the Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems Research Campaign The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine invites you to nominate experts to serve on…
Scientists who monitored large marine mammals with Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) technology during and following Deepwater Horizon were able to estimate population densities for the cryptic pygmy sperm and dwarf sperm whales (Kogia species).
Coral reefs provide food, shelter, and habitat to thousands of organisms living in the Gulf of Mexico. However, their vulnerability to physical and toxicological damage increases corals’ risk during environmental disturbances, particularly in shallow water where dangers from coastline proximity include wastewater pollution, moving sediment, salinity and nutrient changes, scavengers, and boating and fishing activities.
Scientists conducted laboratory experiments to learn more about particle emissions when bubbles on an oil slick burst. They observed that bubbles bursting on slicks containing crude oil and dispersant mixtures aerosolize micro-sized droplets (diameter is one thousandth of a millimeter) and nano-sized droplets (diameter is one billionth of a meter).
How are microbes attracted to an oil spill? – FEBRUARY 20, 2020 (From Phys.org / by Jared Pike, Purdue University / February 20, 2020) When containing a massive disaster like an oil spill, small microbes play a big role. Arezoo Ardekani, a Purdue University associate professor of mechanical engineering, has published research that describes the…
The microbial community living in fish’s gastrointestinal tracts, also called the gut microbiome, are vital to their developing immune systems and can influence behaviors such as foraging.