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.
The Gulf of Mexico Research initiative (GoMRI) congratulates Dr. Antonietta Quigg for her distinction of Regents Professor of Marine Biology and Oceanography at Texas A&M University.
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).
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.