Smithsonian Rolls Out New Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Webpage
The Smithsonian’s Ocean Portal recently redesigned their website, and it now includes a page dedicated to the Deepwater Horizon incident.
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Grad Student O’Brien Analyzes Sediment Movement to Help Predict Oil Transport
Oil spill material that enters the water column may adhere to resuspended seafloor sediments and be transported to other areas. Stephan O’Brien is investigating how physical factors, such as wind and waves, affect the suspension and subsequent transport of sediments in the Mississippi Sound and Bight.
Study Assesses a New Class of Safer, More Effective Dispersants
Researchers analyzed an enhanced formulation of a gel-like surfactant encased in a compact buoyant pod for oil spill remediation.
Sea Grant Releases One Pager on Where Deepwater Horizon Oil Went
The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is pleased to announce a new Sea Grant Fact Sheet that uses easy-to-understand graphics and descriptions about how some oil accumulated at shorelines, on the ocean’s surface, in an underwater plume, and on the seafloor.
Study Analyzes How Environmental Disturbances Affect Whale Recovery
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.
New Sea Grant Fact Sheet on Storms and Oil Spills
The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is pleased to announce a new Sea Grant publication that provides helpful information about storms and oil spills. Oil and chemicals from damaged rigs and vessels can form slicks that can pollute marine and shoreline ecosystems.
Grad Student Seeley Investigates the Longevity of Toxic Oil Compounds in Coastal Environments
Oil is a complex mixture of chemicals with different degradation behaviors and toxicity levels. Understanding how the compounds in spilled oil, particularly toxic compounds, change with weathering is important to predicting oil’s persistence in the environment.
GoMRI Mourns the Passing of Kenneth E. Barbor
It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Rear Admiral Kenneth “Ken” Eicher Barbor passed away on Sunday July 22, 2018 after battling cancer. Barbor served as Commander of Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command and was the Director of the International Hydrographic Bureau in Monaco. Barbor was also the founding Director of the Hydrographic Science Research Center at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM).
Study Finds “Business as Usual” for Hypoxic Zone Following Deepwater Horizon
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.
Smithsonian Highlights How Scientists Study Fish Hearts’ Response to Oil
The Smithsonian’s Ocean Portal published an article that gives readers a fascinating look at how scientists monitor the heartbeat, blood flow, and blood pressure of mahi-mahi before and after oil exposure.