Scientists developed a new approach to improve near-surface (15 meters depth) ocean circulation estimations derived from drogued and undrogued drifters (drogues extend below the surface, providing stability) used in the NOAA Global Drifter Program.
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Scientists conducted mesocosm experiments to explore how crude oil affects marsh-dwelling fiddler crabs, classified as ecosystem engineers or bioturbators. The researchers tested impacts of various oil concentrations to mimic light (L) to heavy (H) oiling scenarios, with fiddler crabs experiencing more acute impacts at higher oil concentrations and less at lower concentrations.
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When an oil slick is exposed to sunlight, photo-oxidation processes break the oil down and incorporate oxygen into the petroleum molecules.
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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.
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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.
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Spring 2019 – GoMRI Researcher Interview with Dr. Melanie Beazley – JUNE 19, 2019 (From Spring 2019 Newsletter) Dr. Melanie Beazley from the University of Central Florida’s Department of Chemistry answered a few questions about her RFP-VI project, Biodegradation of “Hidden” High Molecular Weight Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Closing Critical Research Gaps. 1. Please tell us…
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Spring 2019 – Education Spotlight – JUNE 19, 2019 (From Spring 2019 Newsletter) The Relationships of Effects of Cardiac Outcomes in Fish for Validation of Ecological Risk (RECOVER) consortium developed an exhibit in collaboration with the Education Department at the Miami Seaquarium, which is currently on display with the Tropical Fish Aquariums. The exhibit features…
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Spring 2019 – GoMRI Synthesis & Legacy – JUNE 19, 2019 (From Spring 2019 Newsletter) Contributing Author: Callan Yanoff Synthesis and Legacy activities are fully underway as the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) continues to encapsulate and celebrate an entire decade of research. The interrelation of the eight Core Areas and their contributions to the GoMRI legacy were highlighted in the last issue…
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Spring 2019 – Guest Frequently Asked Questions – JUNE 19, 2019 (From Spring 2019 Newsletter) Dr. Jessica Henkel, science advisor and coordinator with the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, established through the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States (RESTORE) Act after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, answered…
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C-IMAGE Leads the Publication of Two Books Focused on Oil Spills – JUNE 19, 2019 (From Spring 2019 Newsletter) Contributing Author: Sherryl Gilbert, C-IMAGE Assistant Director Two text books focused on oil spill science and response have been published by Springer Nature Publishing Company. The development of the books was led by the Center for…
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