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.
Many factors affect how the ocean moves, and it is especially difficult to know exactly how it will behave in a specific area, as was evident with challenges in predicting oil transport during Deepwater Horizon.
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.
Our knowledge about ocean transport comes primarily from ocean circulation models that use field observations and theoretical motion equations to simulate ocean dynamics.
Albert Einstein considered art and science to be entwined, stating that “Experiencing the mysterious is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and science.”
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.
The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is pleased to announce the release of Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative: Research Resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, a special issue of Current: The Journal of Marine Education.
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.
There are currently over 30 active deep-sea drilling platforms and more than 600 areas where oil naturally seeps from the Gulf of Mexico seafloor.