Researchers conducted incubation experiments and examined the roles of temperature, nutrients, and initial bacterial community on oil biodegradation. Higher and lower temperatures yielded distinctly different bacterial community compositions, indicating that temperature is a key influencer of bacteria that respond when oil is present.
It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Dr. John “Wes” Tunnell passed away on Saturday July 14, 2018 after battling cancer. Tunnell was a marine ecology and biology professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and an early orchestrator of the Harte Research Institute (HRI) for Gulf of Mexico studies.
Nearly 100 scientists and researchers, including taxonomic and bioinformatics specialists, representing forty academic and research institutions, participated in genomics workshops held at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi.
The deep-pelagic habitat (200 m depth to just above the seabed) is the largest habitat in the Gulf of Mexico, yet we know very little about it compared to coastal and shallow-water habitats.
Scientists detailed how they designed and tested an ocean drifter that tracks and measures shallow-depth (0.60 m) surface currents. The final version, called the CARTHE drifter, is made from a polymer produced by bacteria fed with corn sugar.
Have you ever wondered how scientists ‘see’ under water? The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative is pleased to announce a new Sea Grant publication about the technology scientists use to look at and study the deep ocean, specifically manned and unmanned vehicles.
The Gulf of Mexico is one of four “super-diverse” ecoregions in the world; yet, we don’t know much about how its deep environment changed after Deepwater Horizon because very little was known about it before the spill.
Researchers conducted 48-hour toxicity experiments on deep ocean crustaceans (200 – 1000 m depth) to determine the impact threshold levels for one polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH, 1-methylnaphthalene) under various environmental conditions.
Researchers identified small- to hurricane-scale resuspension events using time-series data of sinking organic material near the Deepwater Horizon site.
The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative congratulates Dr. Rita Colwell on her selection as the 2018 Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize Laureate for her work in revolutionizing the fight against water borne diseases.