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Published Science Highlights
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Study Documents Initial Impacts and Recovery of Benthic Foraminifera after Deepwater Horizon
Posted on June 8, 2017Scientists 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. -
Science at Sea: Researchers Monitor Marine Ecosystems Near Deepwater Horizon
Posted on June 6, 2017A 12-day science expedition on the exploration vessel Ocean Intervention II embarks June 11 to investigate how oil, gas, and chemical dispersants affect marine life and their environment deep in the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists and outreach personnel onboard the vessel will interact with the public and school-age children using streaming video, social media, and question-and-answer sessions. -
UGA Researchers Return to Gulf to Study Impacts of Oil Spill
Posted on June 5, 2017The 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the deaths of 11 oil rig workers and ultimately the largest marine oil spill in history. As this environmental disaster recedes into history, researchers from institutions across the U.S. continue to study its enduring ecological impacts. -
Where ocean meets sky—new NASA radar gets a tryout
Posted on June 2, 2017Instruments already exist that measure ocean currents, and others that measure wind, such as NASA's QuickScat and RapidScat. But a new, airborne radar instrument developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, is able to measure both. -
Marine Researchers Engage Fishing Communities to Improve Trust in Science
Posted on June 1, 2017Trust in scientific findings is especially important when the research relates to your livelihood and health as it did for commercial and recreational fishing communities after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Many scientists conducting early studies on the spill believed that they were considered trustworthy, like firemen and policemen. However, it became apparent as the spill unfolded that the relationship of the public, science, and trust was complex and sometimes on shaky ground. -
Study Describes Response from Distinct Bacterial Groups to Marine Oil Snow
Posted on May 31, 2017Scientists 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. -
“Drifting in the Gulf” Video Depicts the Trials and Errors of Designing the Perfect Drifter
Posted on May 25, 2017The Deepwater Horizon event highlighted the need for more economical and ecofriendly methods to accurately track and study ocean currents. Scientists with the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment II (CARTHE II) spent two years testing different structures and materials to develop a practical, cost-efficient, and biodegradable drifter design. -
Study Expands Analytical Window for Marine and Oil Spill Chemistry
Posted on May 23, 2017Scientists 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). -
Sea Grant Releases Brochures on Oil Spill Impacts on Sea Turtles and Dolphins
Posted on May 18, 2017The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is pleased to announce new Sea Grant informational brochures on two popular marine animals – sea turtles and dolphins – that many people were concerned about after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Now seven years later, scientists have a better understanding about how they fared. -
Rita Colwell Honored with the National Science Board Vannevar Bush Award
Posted on May 16, 2017The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) congratulates its Research Board Chair Dr. Rita Colwell on her selection as the 2017 Vannevar Bush Award recipient. This award honors exceptional lifelong leaders in science and technology who have made substantial contributions to the nation’s welfare through public service in science, technology, and policy.
