Jewels of the Gulf: Deep-sea Coral Educational Video Series
What are deep-sea corals? Why are researchers conducting studies on their health? What type of equipment do scientists use to conduct research at the deep ocean seafloor?
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Study Estimates Reduced Nitrogen Removal Capacity in Marshes with Vegetation Loss
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.
Opportunity: SCOR Seeks Early-Career Scientist for SCOR Executive Committee
SCOR is seeking applications from highly qualified early-career scientists from countries with national SCOR committees to join the SCOR Executive Committee for a two-year term.
Grad Student Hoover Examines How Freshwater Discharge Affects Gulf Larval Fish
Angie Hoover wants to know how large freshwater pulses and other environmental stressors affect the diet, growth, and condition of larval fishes. “The main motivation behind my work is to do something that betters the planet,” said Angie. “There is a lot of anthropogenic-sourced stress on the Earth, and I want to provide data and information that can help mitigate these issues.”
Study Uses Fiddler Crabs and Periwinkle Snails to Monitor Long-Term Marsh Health after Oil Spill
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.
Study Uses Radioisotopes to Trace Marine Oil Snow Associated with Deepwater Horizon
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.
Sea Grant Releases Fact Sheet on Beach, Water, and Seafood Safety after Oil Spill
The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is pleased to announce a new Sea Grant publication that addresses the public’s questions about health safety after the Deepwater Horizon incident. The fact sheet, Is it Safe? Examining Health Risks from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill succinctly explains findings from peer-reviewed studies and reports from state and federal agencies that investigated the safety of the beach, water, and seafood since the spill.
Opportunity: RECOVER Outreach Coordinator
The University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science is seeking a Program Coordinator –Outreach to support the research consortium, RECOVER.
Grad Student Snider Examines Seaside Sparrows Diet for Food Web Impacts from Oiling
Seaside Sparrows live and forage in coastal Gulf of Mexico marshlands, some of which were oiled following the Deepwater Horizon incident. Sparrows in these oiled marshes likely ingested invertebrates that were also exposed to oil. Allison Snider uses DNA analyses to investigate potential long-term changes in the diets of Seaside Sparrows following Deepwater Horizon.
Smithsonian Highlights Research Showing How Fish Get Risky Around Oil
The Smithsonian recently published an article that included research, funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), that investigated the behavior of fish larvae around oil. The referenced study is of particular interest because the amount of oil used in exposure experiments were at levels recorded in industrialized sections of tropical coral reefs worldwide.