Leslie Smith – Page 46 – Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

Study Quantifies Influence of Data Input on Confidence in Loop Current Forecasts

April 11, 2017

Researchers described in a recent study a surrogate-based technique to quantify the uncertainty in forecasting the oceanic circulation.

Sea Grant Releases Brochure on Oil Spill Cleanup Technology Developments

April 6, 2017

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is pleased to announce a new Sea Grant informational brochure that explores products currently available or in development to remove oil from water in future spills.

Scientists used two deep-sea autonomous underwater vehicles, the Eagle Ray and Mola Mola, to survey natural seeps near the Macondo wellhead site. Graphic provided by Arne Diercks.

Study Characterizes Natural Deep Sea Seeps

April 4, 2017

Mississippi scientists surveyed natural seeps near the Macondo blowout using a high-resolution autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to inform biogeochemical studies about the post-Deepwater Horizon water column and seafloor.

Miami Girl Scouts look at mahi-mahi embryos at an Ocean Kids outreach event. University of Miami students with the RECOVER consortium set up hands-on learning stations about the ocean. (Photo by RECOVER)

Virtual Lab Creates More “Wow” Moments in Science Discovery

March 30, 2017

A child’s face lit up with wonder as she peered into a microscope for the first time and discovered a new world. Researchers at the Miami-based RECOVER consortium want experiences like this to happen more often for more students, so they designed and developed the RECOVER Virtual Lab.

Grad Student Girard Uses High-Definition Imagery to Assess Post-Spill Coral Recovery

March 28, 2017

Deep-sea corals are important organisms that support a healthy and diverse deep-sea ecosystem. However, there is much we do not know about certain coral species, including how they grow, reproduce, or interact with other organisms.

Study discovers 60 new fish in Gulf of Mexico

March 24, 2017

A study that sailed out of Houma has delved the dark depths of the Gulf of Mexico and discovered a 60 new, weird and sometimes scary species of fish that live deep beneath the ocean surface.

Study Finds Jellyfish Mucus May Enhance Microbial Oil Biodegradation

March 23, 2017

Scientists conducted laboratory experiments to examine the influence of moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) on crude oil aggregation and degradation. The researchers found that jellyfish swimming in a dispersed oil solution produced copious amounts of mucus which formed aggregates containing 26 times more oil than the surrounding water.