Scientists with the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) have been investigating solvent-free formulations to improve the safety and efficiency of dispersant technologies used in oil spill response. One promising area involves halloysite clay nanotubes.
Oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident moved from deep waters to coastal shorelines, overwhelming their natural defenses which, in turn, slowed or prevented their recovery. Scientists with the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) have been assessing the health of these complex environments that experience stressors from multiple sources, providing information that can inform response decisions during future disturbances.
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.
Here are four recent studies that highlight their findings, which help improve our understanding about the spill’s possible sublethal effects on fish and establish a new baseline of data that researchers can use for future studies of Gulf of Mexico fishes.
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.
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).
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).
Researchers conducted a survey of more than 2,500 U.S. Gulf Coast residents to learn how their lives have been affected since Deepwater Horizon.
Scientists conducted rolling table experiments to improve our understanding of how marine oil snow forms and to provide input parameters for models that predict oil transport via sinking marine snow.
Researchers optically tracked 600 biodegradable bamboo plates floating in the Gulf of Mexico for 2.5 hours to better understand how small-scale currents (scales of minutes and meters) affect surface dispersion.
Scientists employed autonomous underwater vehicle-borne seismo-acoustics and photography to provide insights into the origins, dynamics, and evolution of an active hydrocarbon seep in the Green Canyon Lease Block 600 (GC600).
Scientists compared laboratory-generated weathered oil with weathered oil samples collected during Deepwater Horizon to better understand how different processes, specifically photo-oxidation and bio-oxidation, affect how oil changes chemically and physically.
Scientists compared oil biodegradation model parameters and ran simulations to understand the relative importance of variables that affect predictions for oil fate from a deep-water release.
University of New Orleans doctoral student Kendal Leftwich, who is a member of the LADC-GEMM research consortium investigating how Deepwater Horizon affected large marine mammals, created and implemented a year-long physics methodology to engage high school students in university research.
Scientists synthesized data from 53 peer-reviewed laboratory studies that investigated how Deepwater Horizon oil may affect 20 ray-fin fish species.
University and industry scientists are developing a benign alternative to chemical dispersants used for oil spill response, such as COREXIT used during Deepwater Horizon.
Researchers examined the biological and physiological response of phytoplankton to oil and oil plus dispersant in laboratory experiments.
Scientist John Taylor with the University of Cambridge analyzed simulations of small-scale fronts (<10 kilometers across) to better understand how they influence buoyant material transport across the ocean.
Scientists analyzed radiocarbon isotopes, which identify the source of carbons in compounds such as oil and methane, and applied those “fingerprints” to quantify recovery of deep-seafloor sediment contaminated by Deepwater Horizon.
Researchers at Florida State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology analyzed degradation processes of oil that was deposited along Gulf of Mexico beaches following Deepwater Horizon.
Scientists generated breaking waves in the presence of various dispersant and oil ratios (DOR) using a custom-built wave tank to investigate how subsurface oil droplets evolve in a turbulent environment.
Scientists conducted the largest comparison to-date of publicly available sequenced bacterial genomes to provide the first in-depth look at using high-throughput marker genes to profile a microbial community’s functional capability.
Scientists isolated bacteria from Gulf of Mexico surface waters and used them in microcosm experiments to identify those that simultaneously degrade oil and produce mucus-like materials (exopolymeric substances or EPS).
Scientists measured changes in oil quantity and quality in 1,200+ samples collected over eight years at locations that Deepwater Horizon affected – the Gulf of Mexico continental shelf, estuarine waters, and marsh sediments.
Scientists conducted field and laboratory experiments using oil and Corexit dispersant to uncover the reasons harmful algal blooms, also known as Red Tides, can occur after an oil spill.
Researchers described field methods and observations using the Ship-Tethered Aerostat Remote Sensing System (STARSS) to better understand how buoyant material moves and disperses on the ocean’s surface.
Scientists assessed the dynamics of heat and momentum exchange between the ocean and atmosphere to better understand how these factors influence Gulf of Mexico circulation.
Scientists analyzed effects from non-weathered source oil (collected directly over the Deepwater Horizon wellhead) and weathered slick oil (collected from surface skimming) on the microRNAs of mahi-mahi embryos.
Scientists traced and analyzed methane bubbles as they ascended from a deep seafloor seep to the ocean’s surface and compared results to two computer models’ output to better understand methane dissolution processes.
Researchers conducted swim tests on Gulf of Mexico Cobia fish to investigate potential impacts from oil exposure.
Scientists developed a new approach to improve near-surface (15 meters depth) ocean circulation estimations derived from drogued and undrogued drifters (drogues extend below the surface, providing stability) used in the NOAA Global Drifter Program.
Scientists conducted mesocosm experiments to explore how crude oil affects marsh-dwelling fiddler crabs, classified as ecosystem engineers or bioturbators. The researchers tested impacts of various oil concentrations to mimic light (L) to heavy (H) oiling scenarios, with fiddler crabs experiencing more acute impacts at higher oil concentrations and less at lower concentrations.
Scientists conducted mesocosm experiments to examine how oil and chemically-dispersed oil affect Gulf of Mexico phytoplankton. Exposure to oil alone did not impair phytoplankton growth or their photosynthesis ability, nor did it significantly change the community’s diversity.
Scientists adapted high-resolution sampling and analyses methods to assess Gulf of Mexico sediment core samples collected from 2010-2016 and identify sedimentation changes that followed Deepwater Horizon.
Scientists assessed an economical 2D model simulation of deep-ocean oil plume dynamics against 3D model results using conditions similar to Deepwater Horizon to better understand point-source buoyant convection, which affects the oil’s spreading rate and environmental impact.
Researchers compiled a two-page summary with detailed graphics explaining the complex mechanisms and processes involved in microbial hydrocarbon bioremediation.
Scientists evaluated two oil risk assessment protocols that use passive dosing to create oil and water accommodated fractions (WAFs) for laboratory tests as potential alternatives to the traditional oil dosing method that CROSERF (multi-agency/organization oil spill research group) recommends.
Scientists compared how different surfactants affect bacterial adhesion to oil droplets (20−60 μm), which is necessary for biodegradation.
Scientists conducted laboratory experiments using an abundant natural clay material, kaolinite, modified with carbon derived from chitosan as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical dispersants and visualized resulting phenomena at nanoscale detail.
Scientists conducted a time-series investigation of methane concentrations, oxidation rates, and rate constant (the instantaneous capacity of the methanotrophic community to consume methane) to describe methane dynamics after the oil spill.
Scientists conducted laboratory experiments to investigate if copepod behavior can reshape the size frequency distribution of oil droplets.
Researchers described, for the first time, the dynamics and interactions of regional ocean flows with both anticyclonic eddies (circulating clockwise) near Cuba’s northern coast (dubbed “CubANs”) and cyclonic eddies (circulating counter-clockwise) along Florida’s southern coast.
Scientists conducted mesocosm experiments with natural microbial communities to compare oil emulsion and dispersion mechanisms by microbial secretions of exopolymeric substances, EPS, also known as gels, and Corexit, a dispersant.
Scientists conducted laboratory experiments to assess how oil affects the chemical composition of submerged vegetation (Ruppia maritima) and subsequent effects on how organisms feed on oil-exposed plants.
Scientists developed a platform at environmentally-relevant scales to advance the study of oil-water interface interactions, biofilm formation, and particle dispersion.
Scientists used next-generation sequencing to analyze deep-sea corals following the Deepwater Horizon incident.
Researchers analyzed remote sensing imagery to assess oil slicks near the Taylor Energy platform, which was damaged by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, and determined how environmental conditions affected the slicks’ distributions.
Researchers conducted mesocosm experiments that examined how juvenile eastern oysters respond to salinity variations in the presence of oil and dispersed oil.
Scientists completed the first time-series study (2007-2016) of Gulf of Mexico deep-sea fishes and their exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) following Deepwater Horizon.
Scientists analyzed spectral images of surface oil slicks and proposed a new method to determine oil distribution and thickness when high resolution imagery is not available.
Scientists completed a regionally comprehensive analysis of impacts and recovery from Deepwater Horizon oiling in Louisiana’s Barataria Bay sediment-dwelling infaunal community (microalgae and small multi-cellular animals).
Scientists used 3D regional ocean model simulations and sediment trap data to investigate how large (mesoscale) and small (submesoscale) circulations affect the transport of sinking particles, or marine snow, in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Small-scale convergence and divergence processes (a few kilometers) and cross-shore transport of riverine inputs induced by mesoscale eddies significantly influenced the speed and trajectory of sinking particles in offshore waters.
Scientists developed a modeling framework that includes small-scale fluid dynamics to investigate how dispersant application during Deepwater Horizon may have affected oil biodegradation and the environment.
Researchers combined detailed observations, laboratory experiments, and existing numerical models to develop the Texas A&M Oil Spill (Outflow) Calculator (TAMOC) and improve predictions of subsea oil and gas plume dynamics.
Scientists developed a two-stage algorithm that identified the status of drogues attached to ocean drifters deployed during the Lagrangian Submesoscale Experiment (LASER).
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).
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.
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.
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.
An international science team studying oil spill effects on marine ecosystems completed 12 research expeditions over seven years and produced the first fisheries-independent, multinational Gulf-wide fish survey.
Scientists analyzed visual observations and computer simulations of the Deepwater Horizon oil flow to better understand the characteristics of an uncontrolled pipeline flow and how they affect the amount of oil discharge and droplet size distribution, which are critical for effective response decisions.
Outreach specialists working with science consortia, funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), reflected on their collective multi-year efforts for insights gained and lessons learned. These reflections resulted in recommendations for creating, managing, and implementing scientific outreach plans.
Researchers conducted experiments on Atlantic Croaker to determine if oil-induced respiratory impairment affects the fish’s tolerance to hypoxia. There were no observed effects from the combined stressors (oil exposure and hypoxia) on fish’s average critical oxygen threshold levels or its capacity to withstand hypoxia.
Scientists used drifters, drones, satellite imagery, and air/water measurements to investigate how local and regional ocean processes in the Gulf of Mexico influence where surface oil from the leaking Taylor Energy Site travels.
Scientists conducted light-exposure experiments using Macondo oil and Corexit dispersant and ran model simulations to investigate how photo-chemical weathering (oxidation) affects dispersant effectiveness in oil spill response.
Researchers collected and analyzed terrestrial arthropods from Louisiana marshes to determine the combined effects from Deepwater Horizon and Hurricane Isaac on saltmarsh ecosystems. The initial oiling from the spill (2010) followed by the oil’s redistribution during Hurricane Isaac (2012) negatively affected some arthropod groups three-four years after the spill.
Researchers analyzed an enhanced formulation of a gel-like surfactant encased in a compact buoyant pod for oil spill remediation.
Researchers modified a matrix population model to include the impact of a disturbance and study the recovery process for large marine mammal populations. They applied the model to identify key components in the recovery process for Gulf of Mexico sperm whales following a disturbance such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Researchers compared long-term data from low-oxygen (hypoxia) studies to determine if the Deepwater Horizon incident affected the Gulf of Mexico seasonal hypoxic area.
Researchers conducted incubation experiments and examined the roles of temperature, nutrients, and initial bacterial community on oil biodegradation. Higher and lower temperatures yielded distinctly different bacterial community compositions, indicating that temperature is a key influencer of bacteria that respond when oil is present.
Scientists detailed how they designed and tested an ocean drifter that tracks and measures shallow-depth (0.60 m) surface currents. The final version, called the CARTHE drifter, is made from a polymer produced by bacteria fed with corn sugar.
Researchers conducted 48-hour toxicity experiments on deep ocean crustaceans (200 – 1000 m depth) to determine the impact threshold levels for one polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH, 1-methylnaphthalene) under various environmental conditions.
Researchers identified small- to hurricane-scale resuspension events using time-series data of sinking organic material near the Deepwater Horizon site.
Researchers conducted a first-of-its-kind measurement of the vertical dynamics of water motion near the ocean’s surface in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Researchers analyzed the resource use of Seaside Sparrows residing in salt marshes impacted by large-scale disturbances like Deepwater Horizon and Hurricane Isaac to understand the effects on these indicators of ecological change.
Researchers conducted laboratory wave tank experiments to investigate how plunging breaking waves affect the concentration of particulate and gaseous emissions from oil slicks.
Researchers assessed several years of sediment trap collections near the Deepwater Horizon site, an active natural seep site, and a reference site to understand transport pathways and drivers of sinking particles in deepwater environments (1400 m depth).
Researchers conducted exposure experiments with mahi-mahi embryos using oil, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and temperature to determine how multiple stressors affect their survival. Compared to controls, exposed embryos floating near the ocean’s surface started to sink sooner and at faster rates, which intensified at higher temperatures.
Researchers analyzed how satellite-tracked ocean surface drifters moved in the Gulf of Mexico to learn how other floating materials (oil, plastics, marine organisms) move.
Researchers examined metal exposure patterns in otoliths from six offshore fish species with varying health status to identify changes corresponding with the Deepwater Horizon incident.
Researchers analyzed 3D renderings of oil-particle aggregates to better understand their interactions in turbulent environments. The team found that hydrodynamic forces can cause sediment particles to act as projectiles that penetrate oil droplets.
Researchers designed an automated network-based classification method to process large acoustic datasets and identify distinct dolphin click types without requiring prior knowledge of their distinguishing features. The method identified seven click types from over 50 million echolocation clicks recorded in the Gulf of Mexico – six clicks of unknown origin and one click belonging to the Risso’s dolphin species.
Researchers analyzed dissolved organic carbon from water column samples collected in five regions to establish baseline data about its relative persistence and cycling in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The team found that the Mississippi River exports large amounts of dissolved organic carbon with an anthropogenic 14C signature, which is removed and recycled offshore as the river plume moves offshore.
Researchers analyzed the metabolic capability of three Gulf of Mexico fish species after being exposed to toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds. Florida pompano exhibited faster biotransformation rates for hydroxylated naphthalene and phenanthrene compounds than red drum and southern flounder.
Researchers evaluated training sessions for community health workers that included disaster-related components to provide improvements in their curricula. Feedback from participants and staff identified public health, cultural competency, community advocacy, and peer listening as the most useful training modules.
Researchers simulated the sinking of marine particle aggregates in oil-dispersant mixtures to assess how Corexit chemical dispersant affects specific biological processes involving marine oil snow formation. The team found that Corexit could significantly enhance or inhibit marine oil snow formation depending on application timing and location and interactions with other water column compounds, making its influence difficult to predict.
Scientists analyzed in situ deep-depth water column measurements before and after the Deepwater Horizon well was capped and calculated degradation rate estimates for 49 hydrocarbons (23% of released spill material) and inferred the rates of an additional 5 hydrocarbons.
Researchers developed a new formulation to simulate gas-oil interactions within a developing underwater oil plume and applied the technique to the Deepwater Horizon incident. The simulations showed that in the absence of dispersant, gas bubbles reduced the median oil droplet and bubble sizes by up to 20%, with 30 – 50% reduction observed in intermediate gas fractions.
Researchers developed an algorithm that accounts for different wind speeds, oil types, natural dispersion processes (breaking waves), and chemical dispersant application to analyze oil slick evolution scenarios. The model results indicate how the oil slick will become thinner and dissipate over time as a result of dispersion.
Researchers developed the first transcriptomic database for mahi-mahi embryos and larvae exposed to oil from the Deepwater Horizon incident. The team assembled over 60,000 transcripts, identified over 30,000 gene sequences, and observed 2,345 genes that differed significantly after exposure to weathered oil.
Alabama researchers measured the nitrogen removal capacity of marsh sediments and compared it to sediments from subtidal unvegetated mudflats, which are what the marsh becomes when it erodes.
Researchers in Florida and Louisiana extended a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) of fiddler crabs and periwinkle snails after the Deepwater Horizon incident to assess marsh recovery from oiling. The team found that fiddler crabs, the more mobile of the two species, had mostly recovered by 30 months in terms of size, density, and species composition.
Researchers used naturally occurring radioisotopes to quantify the footprint of sedimented marine oil snow on the Gulf of Mexico seafloor following the Deepwater Horizon incident.
Researchers assessed various structures of clay nanotubes or halloysites, which are being studied for their potential in oil spill emulsification. They tested the nanotubes to identify which structures generated the most stable emulsions and smallest oil droplets and if catalytic reactions improved at the oil-water interface.
Researchers used population models to investigate how reduced survival and fertility after environmental disturbances, such as an oil spill, might affect sperm whale populations. Model simulations indicated that the magnitude of a disturbance had a stronger impact on recovery from lethal and sublethal effects than its duration.
Researchers analyzed simulated interactions of oil droplets and marine particle aggregates to understand how they could affect the behavior of an oil spill. The scientists found that the attachment of oil droplets to particle aggregates changed the distribution of oil droplet sizes over time scales of hours.
Researchers from the United States, Australia, and Europe conducted mesocosm experiments to assess how larval reef fishes respond physiologically and cognitively to low crude oil concentrations. The team observed that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), at levels recorded in industrialized sections of tropical coral reefs worldwide, increased larvae mortality and stunted growth rates.
Scientists video recorded bubbles released from natural seafloor seeps in the Gulf of Mexico to determine the rate and volume of oil and gas released. The researchers observed that oily bubbles were larger and released more slowly than gaseous or mixed (part-oil, part-gas) bubbles.
Researchers analyzed the combined effects of photooxidation and biodegradation on sand patties associated with the Deepwater Horizon incident. The scientists found that irradiation contributed to increased concentrations of dissolved organic carbon, which leached from sand patties penetrated by seawater.
A Louisiana State University researcher conducted laboratory experiments to learn how estuarine fish behave around sediments containing varying concentrations of weathered and fresh oil. He observed that fish exhibited a stronger avoidance response to medium and high concentrations of fresh oil compared to low concentrations and observed no significant avoidance of any weathered oil concentrations.
Scientists conducted passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) of whales in the northern Gulf of Mexico using two autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) capable of recording marine mammal sounds.
An interdisciplinary panel of 23 experts in oceanography, ecology, physics, and geospatial-mapping combined their knowledge of pelagic faunal distribution patterns to create a biogeographic map of the world’s deep oceans. The panel identified 33 distinct mesopelagic (200-1000 meters depth) ecoregions that reflect regional variation of biodiversity and function.
Scientists used data collected during the Deepwater Horizon spill to validate a model simulation of the physical and chemical behavior of oil and gas rising from the wellhead to the ocean surface.
Scientists analyzed model simulations of tracer dispersion in a Gulf of Mexico eddy to find out if small-scale flows surrounding the eddy influenced where the tracer went.
Researchers conducted laboratory experiments to assess the lethal and sublethal impacts of weathered and non-weathered crude oil exposure on red drum larvae. The scientists observed a 70% reduction in cardiac output in oil-exposed larvae, even at low oil concentrations.
Scientists conducted laboratory experiments with a simulated oil plume to assess how chemical dispersants affect a crude oil jet as it transitions into a plume under crossflow conditions.
Researchers combined laboratory experiments and molecular simulations to examine how two Corexit surfactants – DOSS (dioctyl sulfosuccinate) and Span 80 – individually affect oil aerosolization.
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.
Scientists constructed a food web model using data from published studies and their field experiences to understand how specific Louisiana salt marsh organisms influenced ecosystem response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The researchers found that carnivorous fishes were “critically resilient” and likely enhanced food web resilience.
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.
Scientists developed and validated a high-resolution mass spectrometry method to fill data gaps in existing methods that detect the surfactant DOSS, a significant Corexit component, in sediments near the Deepwater Horizon spill site.
Scientists analyzed the carbon composition in Seaside Sparrow tissues to learn if oil from the 2010 spill was incorporated into the terrestrial food web. The researchers found reduced radiocarbon and stable carbon concentration levels in the feathers of birds captured at oiled sites compared with birds from non-oiled sites, which is consistent with a fossil oil source.
Scientists analyzed sediment cores from two sites near the Macondo wellhead to characterize possible spill impacts on benthic foraminifera (single celled organisms with a hard shell). The team found elevated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations and a significant decrease in density and species diversity for foraminifera.
Scientists conducted genetic sequencing on bacteria to document the oil-associated groups in sediment affected by marine oil snow post-Deepwater Horizon. The researchers observed increases in bacteria that degrade aerobic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria in sediment collected from September-November 2010.
Scientists tested a new analytical method for a fast and comprehensive characterization of organic compounds in marine sediments. The Rapid Analyte Detection and Reconnaissance (RADAR) method couples atmospheric pressure photoionization in positive ion mode (APPI-P) with Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS).
Scientists examined Red Snapper and Spanish Mackerel larvae before, during, and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to determine if and how the spill may have affected them.
Scientists used GPS data collected from ocean drifters during Hurricane Isaac with a coupled atmosphere-wave-ocean model to better understand how hurricanes affect upper ocean circulation. The researchers found that hurricane-induced Stokes drift (wind-wave-driven water mass transport) created a cyclonic rotational flow to the storm’s left and an anticyclonic rotational flow to its right.
Researchers surveyed oil spill studies between 1968 and 2015 to characterize the field and describe changes. The team found that, despite its episodic nature, oil spill research is a rapidly expanding field with a growth rate greater than science as a whole.
Researchers described in a recent study a surrogate-based technique to quantify the uncertainty in forecasting the oceanic circulation.
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.
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.
Scientists observed in laboratory experiments the formation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS, a natural microorganism excretion) when phytoplankton and their associated bacteria were exposed to Corexit dispersant.
Scientists assessed the behavior of a Florida river plume to determine how it might influence the transport and dispersion of surface oil near coastal regions. The researchers found that the near-surface measurements of dissipation at the front’s bounding edge were four orders of magnitude larger than the environment beneath.
Scientists conducted a meta-analysis on marsh periwinkle snails using data spanning five years to investigate how the oil spill affected them over time. The researchers found that snails from heavily-oiled sites exhibited decreased density and shell length.
Researchers measured polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in water collected near the Deepwater Horizon site to understand how sinking particles, such as marine snow, influence the residence time of PAHs in the upper ocean.
Pennsylvania State University scientists analyzed images of impacted and non-impacted deep sea corals to characterize their symbiotic relationship with brittle stars and determine if brittle stars influenced coral recovery from the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Scientists developed a new model to predict how much oil from a spill might bind to sediments or organic matter in the water column. The model, A-DROP, introduces a formula that accounts for oil stabilization by particles, particle hydrophobicity, and oil-particle size ratio.
Scientists analyzed weathered and fresh Macondo oil to learn about oil products resulting from microbial degradation and photochemical reactions. They observed that 48 months after the Deepwater Horizon spill, less than 1 percent of oil remained in marsh sediments collected from heavily-impacted sites; however, it was still 400 times greater than sites with moderate-to-no observed oiling.
Scientists conducting oil spill research participated in the 2013 Marine Oil Snow Sedimentation and Flocculent Accumulation (MOSSFA) workshop. The researchers discussed the formation and fate of oil-associated marine snow and its ecological impacts on deep-sea environments and made recommendations for future marine oil snow research.
Scientists ran model simulations for oil evaporation based on composition measurements of fresh Macondo crude oil and weathered surface oil from Deepwater Horizon slicks.
Scientists conducted laboratory exposure experiments to assess the effects of dispersed crude oil, Corexit 9500A dispersant, and natural ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation on early larval stages of planktonic copepods (“nauplii”).
Louisiana scientists conducted genetic sequencing on oil-exposed blue crabs to identify genes involved in the blue crabs’ short-term responses to oil.
Scientists analyzed synthetic aperture radar satellite (SAR) imagery to compare the magnitude and distribution of floating oil from natural seeps in the Gulf of Mexico and the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Research consortia involved in the GoMRI self-organized a rapid response to characterize the waters around the Hercules 265 rig. They found evidence of an immediate response from the surrounding environment’s microbial community to elevated methane concentrations.
Researchers analyzed diet information for 474 unique fish species to quantify likely contributions of prey to predators’ diets for an improved marine food web matrix model.
Scientists conducted exposure experiments on Gulf killifish populations with known adaptions to common environmental contaminates to determine how rapid adaptation affects future fish health.
Scientists analyzed Gulf of Mexico model simulations to understand the flow processes that drive clustering of buoyant material such as Sargassum, oil from seeps and spills, and debris on the ocean surface.
Louisiana State University scientists quantified Louisiana island erosion pre- and post-Deepwater Horizon to determine the shoreline retreat rate when oiled, the length of time that oiling effects lasted, and whether or not there was recovery.
University professors developed a team-based educational project using satellite images of Deepwater Horizon surface slicks to introduce first-year computer science students to socially-relevant problem solving.
Scientists used novel bioinformatics to investigate molecular-level changes over time and toxicity pathways in mahi-mahi embryos and larvae exposed to Deepwater Horizon oil. They observed that weathered oil induced more pronounced gene expression changes than a non-weathered source oil.
Scientists from the University of Texas Marine Science Institute demonstrated how natural sunlight affects Gulf of Mexico microbial communities in the presence of Corexit (dispersant) and crude oil. They observed that sunlight significantly reduced the diversity of bacterial communities in the presence of oil, Corexit, or both.
An interdisciplinary scientific team conducted a rapid response sampling campaign in the immediate aftermath of the 2013 Hercules 265 blowout to determine if sediment and fish were polluted above established baseline levels.
Scientists simulated an underwater blowout to analyze the formation, path, and duration of oil plumes. They noted that the simulated blowout formed two plumes, one due to momentum and plume buoyancy and another due to the buoyancy of individual oil droplets separating from the first plume.
Scientists developed the first molecular-level comparison of photochemical effects on surrogate and Macondo (MC252) oil to better understand this weathering process and the toxicity mechanisms it produces.
Scientists conducted a meta-analysis of Gulf of Mexico fiddler crab data across multiple years, sites, and studies to examine if the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacted the crabs’ size, abundance, and population composition.
Texas A&M University scientists analyzed data made publically-available by BP for 20,000+ water samples collected from 13,000 stations during and after the 2010 spill. They found that oil occurrence was patchy with only about 20% of the samples having hydrocarbon levels above pre-spill background conditions.
Scientists used stereoscopic high-speed, high-resolution cameras mounted on remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to make fine-scale imaging and chemistry measurements inside and around gas bubbles rising from two natural Gulf of Mexico seeps.
Scientists analyzed sea floor sediment in the Gulf of Mexico’s DeSoto Canyon region to investigate potential oil spill impacts. Evidence from sedimentological, geochronological, geochemical, and biological sources pointed to a rapid, 4-5 month sedimentation event in late 2010.
Scientists monitored a major river discharge event in Mobile Bay in March 2011 to better understand how such inputs affect Gulf of Mexico nearshore water transport.
A team of scientists created a numerical model that simulates hydrocarbon biodegradation and transport in tidally influenced beaches to identify key factors affecting biodegradation in these environments.
Scientists used passive acoustic monitoring during 2010-2013 to detect the presence of beaked whales in the Gulf of Mexico. These animals are difficult to study visually because they spend little time at the sea surface and are only present in offshore deep waters; they are rarely found on the continental shelf and near-shore waters.
Scientists analyzed literature on surface oil dispersion processes to improve how (natural and chemical) dispersion could be quantified in oil spill prediction models.
Scientists conducted experiments to assess oil exposure effects on Ruppa maritima, a common underwater plant species in Gulf of Mexico estuaries.
Scientists studied the relationship between the resiliency of Louisiana salt marsh plants, invertebrates, and microbes in heavily-oiled sediment after the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Scientists at Johns Hopkins University used high-speed imaging and digital holography in laboratory experiments to investigate the effects of raindrops falling on a simulated oil slick.
Scientists representing eight institutions conducted in-situ observations and laboratory experiments to determine if Hurricane Isaac redistributed sedimented oil near the Deepwater Horizon site.
Scientists compared phytoplankton time-series data collected in Louisiana coastal waters after the Deepwater Horizon spill. They found that phytoplankton abundance was significantly lower in 2010 and that the community’s species composition significantly shifted immediately after the spill.
An international science team examined the effects of dispersant on the activity and composition of oil-degrading marine microorganisms.The researchers found that the biodegraded oil-derived compounds exhibited a specific molecular composition that distinguished them from naturally occurring dissolved organic matter.
Scientists measured radiocarbon levels in coastal invertebrates and fishes (such as oysters and catfish) to evaluate impacts from the 2010 oil spill on Gulf of Mexico food webs.
Scientists from Brown University and the University of Rhode Island investigated how Alcanivorax borkumensis, a dominate bacterium in marine environments that contain high hydrocarbon levels, can be supported to naturally degrade oil.
Scientists evaluated the effects of oil contamination on coastal mangrove plants. Their partially-submerged root system makes them vulnerable to pollutants. Scientists found that oil coated the mangrove roots and reduced water transport, leading to rapid plant dehydration.
Scientists studied the interactions of the oil-degrading bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis with oil across oil-water interfaces that had varying amounts of different surfactants.
Scientists analyzed microbial communities on beaches oiled by the Deepwater Horizon spill and found taxonomic and functional changes after hydrocarbon exposure.
Scientists conducted experiments to determine the effects of hypoxia (reduced oxygen conditions), a seasonal occurrence in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and oil spill contaminants on sheepshead minnow larvae.
Two studies show that some demersal fishes living in waters likely contaminated by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill exhibited elevated hydrocarbon concentrations and experienced shifts in diet and trophic level.
Scientists simulated twenty subsurface spill scenarios, using data reflective of the Deepwater Horizon spill, and found large differences in transport predictions when model parameters included bacterial consumption (biodegradation) of oil droplets.
Scientists assessed subsurface hydrocarbon plume simulations to understand the role of released gases on plume behavior.
An international science team assessed predictions from multiple oil spill models and found that subsea dispersants used during response to a simulated accidental blowout may reduce oil droplet size by at least one order of magnitude.
Scientists from the University of Texas at Austin assessed photooxidation and biodegradation rates on different hydrocarbon groups.
Scientists demonstrated an effective and environmentally benign technology to harness the forces that cause an oil spill to spread.
An international science team conducted a tidal-cycle study across a Destin, Florida inlet to better understand currents and the transport of dissolved and suspended materials between an estuary and the coastal ocean.
A team of university, NOAA, Naval Research Lab (NRL), and Naval Oceanographic Office researchers reviewed four evaluations of the ocean forecast system American Seas (AMSEAS) which was used during the 2010 spill to simulate oil trajectory.
An international science team investigated the effects of weathering of petroleum biomarkers on the reliability of these compounds for fingerprinting Macondo oil.
Scientists measured the natural abundance of radiocarbon (14C) in sediments near the Deepwater Horizon spill site and estimated the location and amount of carbon derived from crude oil or gas.
Scientists from the University of Southern Mississippi and Sultan Qaboos University assessed community responses to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill using data from a long-term plankton survey off the Alabama coast.
Scientists at the University of Miami and the University of Western Australia measured oil droplet size and simulated oil dispersion under conditions similar to those at the Deepwater Horizon wellhead.
Scientists from Haverford College examined Gulf of Mexico sediment and flocculent material (floc) associated with oil-impacted corals to study indigenous microbial communities and their oil degradation potential.
A team of scientists from Eckerd College and University of South Florida conducted a time-series sediment study to better understand impacts from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Auburn University scientists documented submerged oil mats and surface residual balls (also known as tar balls) on Alabama’s sandy beach systems and analyzed the physical and chemical evolution of compounds matching the characteristics of Macondo oil.
University of California Marine Science Institute researcher Uta Passow investigated the formation of aggregated oil and organic material, commonly called marine snow, after the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Scientists from Troy University and the University of Copenhagen, who are studying potential oil spill impacts on seafloor-dwelling marine life, examined microscopic invertebrates that live in the sediment (meiofauna).
Scientists at the Hamburg University of Technology conducted high-pressure biodegradation experiments simulating conditions at the Deepwater Horizon site.
Scientists from the University of New Orleans and Florida State University conducted simulated sunlight exposure experiments to determine sunlight’s effects on oil fate.
Scientists assessed the use of clay particles in experiments to develop a new class of dispersant that is effective and less toxic than those used in the Deepwater Horizon response.
Alabama scientists investigated oil spill effects on floating Sargassum, a critical seaweed habitat for many important Gulf species.
Louisiana State University scientists simulated Deepwater Horizon oiling scenarios with a dominant Mississippi River Delta marsh reed and analyzed its reaction to oil exposure.
Scientists widened their study scope of deep-sea coral communities after finding oil-impacted coral near the Deepwater Horizon site.
A large team of scientists used a combination of complex, cutting-edge-science testing methods to expand the understanding of the chemical components present in weathered oil.
Chemists from Oregon State University developed a method that detects and measures the chemical composition of the four Corexit surfactants in seawater.
Scientists from the University of Maryland and Tulane University investigated the possibility of using food-grade materials for oil spill remediation.
Scientists measured the speed of small, short-lived Gulf surface currents using position data from nearly 300 drifters to determine surface current impact on the dispersion of ocean contaminants.
Scientists using a high-speed camera to observe bubbles bursting have gained new insight into the hydrodynamics of complex fluids.
From March-December 2010 during ten research cruises covering over 105,000 square kilometers, scientists documented the fate and dynamics of Deepwater Horizon methane emissions around the blowout site.
Louisiana State University scientists assessed wetland soils for changes in oil compound levels before and after oil from the Deepwater Horizon blowout reached Louisiana marshes.
Using high-resolution DNA sequencing of specific marker genes to analyze microbial community composition, scientists tracked the diversity and abundance of water-column bacteria before and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Florida scientists analyzed over 7,400 Gulf of Mexico fish representing 103 species for skin lesions after fishermen reported diseased fish after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
U.S. and Swiss chemists used comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) to more accurately understand oil fate from the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Scientists used models, lab experiments, and observations from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to evaluate the importance of variables in oil transport and fate models, particularly those influencing underwater plume development.
Scientists with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi compared the accuracy and reliability of real-time ocean modeling forecast systems for near-surface currents.
Researchers from the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, including students from California and China, assessed impacts of crude oil, dispersant, and natural phenomena on zooplankton from the Gulf of Mexico.
Scientists from the University of West Florida found that Coquina clams could be used to detect biologically available oil in Florida surf zones.
Scientists from Texas, Delaware, and Louisiana conducted a multiyear study examining coastal waters in the Gulf of Mexico to determine if hydrocarbons from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill had changed the water column chemistry.
Scientists from Louisiana State University evaluated bursting bubbles as a pathway for hydrocarbons to move from the sea into the air and they investigated the influence of Corexit 9500A on this process.
A group of scientists led by the Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing (CSTARS) of the University of Miami recently published an overview of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) as a tool to identify oil slicks on the ocean surface using satellite imagery.
Two scientists from the University of Texas provide an alternate modeling framework that incorporates selective detailed adjustments while calculations are in process to predict storm surge.
A team of researchers from Texas, Florida, and California successfully quantified the gene expression of wild Fundulus grandis, commonly known as Gulf killifish, from the northern Gulf of Mexico in assessing exposure to toxicants from the 2010 oil spill.
Scientists from the University of South Florida used circulation models to conduct a tracer simulation and compared output patterns with ecological analyses to determine the possibility that hydrocarbons from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill could have moved onto the West Florida Shelf
A team of scientists from the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, including students from California and China, assessed the effects of crude oil exposure on adult and larval gelatinous zooplankton species – some commonly referred to as jellyfish.
Scientists confirmed that methane-derived carbon, likely from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill entered the food web via small particles through a pathway known as methanotrophy.
Researchers have known that pollutant exposure alters the ability of ecological systems to degrade those pollutants upon encountering them again.
Scientists from the University of Florida surveyed the vegetation at oiled and non-oiled Louisiana marsh sites to assess impacts from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Scientists with the University of Rhode Island, Tulane University, and the Cabot Corporation conducted tests using Carbon Black (CB) particles for more effective, safe, and low-cost oil spill remediation as compared to traditional dispersants.
Scientists from the University of Miami used a high-resolution prediction model to study the relationship between the Mississippi River and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Scientists at Florida State University are examining the mechanics behind oil transport, including changes to Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and the roughness of surface water that an oil slick could affect.
Scientists with the Norwegian Meteorological Institute are quantifying wave effects for use in ocean models that predict the direction of surface water movement.
Scientists used a novel fingerprinting technique to identify the source of oil sheens that appeared in late 2012 near the site of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Scientists are trying to develop more stable, safer dispersants.
Auburn University scientists examined the data to determine the chemicals’ origin
Scientists conducted a post-spill analysis of computational model projections that outlined the trajectory path of Deepwater Horizon oil.
Researchers found that bounded ring-shaped sugar molecules (cyclodextrin) are effective at extracting crude oil from sand.
Scientists studying oil impacts on fish, shrimp, crab, and oysters from coastal Mississippi waters one year post-spill found PAH levels were below Levels of Concern (LOC)
Scientists from Louisiana State University, University of California-Davis, and Clemson University, studying Deepwater Horizon impacts on killifish from oiled Louisiana estuaries…
Scientists who tracked deep underwater oil and gas plumes after the Deepwater Horizon incident concluded that the respiration of dissolved and trapped hydrocarbons resulted in reduced dissolved oxygen concentrations from a bloom of hydrocarbon-eating bacteria.
Scientists studying the fate of oil from the Deepwater Horizon incident published their findings in the November 2012 edition of Public Library of Science (PLoS ONE): Dispersants as used in response to the MC252-spill lead to higher mobility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in oil-contaminated Gulf of Mexico sand.
Scientists studying oil-contaminated surface waters near the well-head site immediately after the Deepwater Horizon incident published their findings in the July 2012 edition of Environmental Research Letters
Biologists studying the impacts of oil on marine species living in coastal Alabama salt marshes published their results in the March 2013 edition of the Public Library of Science (PLoS ONE)
Scientists studying dispersants and related chemical compounds recently published their findings.
Scientists used a mathematical approach to uncover path-defining “structures” beneath Gulf waters that governed the movement of oil following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Scientists studying the weathering processes that altered the oil released during the Deepwater Horizon spill recently published their findings in the September 2012 Issue of Environmental Research Letters
Separate groups of scientists studying the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacts on oysters along the Gulf coast recently published their findings in two journals.
Scientists studying the use of sub-sea chemical dispersants during the Deepwater Horizon spill published their recent findings.
Scientists studying the chemical composition of weathered oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill published their recent findings.
Scientists studying the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the food web published their recent findings.
Salt marshes are one of the most vulnerable coastal environments in the Gulf of Mexico.