Grad Student Chen Knows Ants Are More Than Just Bugs – They’re Oil Detectors!

Xuan (right) and Ben Adams, AKA “Max,” (left) collect insects in Louisiana marshes using a vacuum. (Photo provided by Xuan Chen)

Can watching ants really contribute to understanding an oil spill? Yes, it can! Ants have acted as indicators of environmental change in the past.

Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative