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Published Science Highlights
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GoMRI in the News
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Smithsonian Highlights Research Showing How Fish Get Risky Around Oil
Posted on November 28, 2017The Smithsonian recently published an article that included research, funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), that investigated the behavior of fish larvae around oil. The referenced study is of particular interest because the amount of oil used in exposure experiments were at levels recorded in industrialized sections of tropical coral reefs worldwide. -
Study Finds Clay Nanotubes Yield More Efficient Oil-Water Emulsions than Spherical Particles
Posted on November 15, 2017Researchers assessed various structures of clay nanotubes or halloysites, which are being studied for their potential in oil spill emulsification. They tested the nanotubes to identify which structures generated the most stable emulsions and smallest oil droplets and if catalytic reactions improved at the oil-water interface. -
Opportunity: Research Associate/Assistant, Wetland Biogeochemistry, Coastal Waters Consortium at LUMCON
Posted on November 13, 2017The Roberts Lab of Ecosystem Ecology and Biogeochemistry at LUMCON is seeking a research associate or assistant in Wetland Biogeochemistry to participate in a series of field/laboratory and manipulative experiments studying the effects of the Macondo Oil Spill on coastal marsh ecosystems. -
Opportunity: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Wetland Plant Ecology, Coastal Waters Consortium at LUMCON
Posted on November 13, 2017The Roberts Lab of Ecosystem Ecology and Biogeochemistry at LUMCON is seeking a postdoctoral research associate in wetland plant ecology to help organize and lead a series field studies and manipulative experiments studying the effects of the Macondo Oil Spill on coastal marsh ecosystems. -
Modeling Study Analyzes Sperm Whale Recovery after Environmental Disturbances
Posted on November 9, 2017Researchers used population models to investigate how reduced survival and fertility after environmental disturbances, such as an oil spill, might affect sperm whale populations. Model simulations indicated that the magnitude of a disturbance had a stronger impact on recovery from lethal and sublethal effects than its duration. -
Grad Student Shi Uses Chemical Fingerprinting to Investigate Oil in the Water Column
Posted on November 7, 2017Crude oil contains tens of thousands of hydrocarbons, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that create unique chemical fingerprints for different types of oil. Dawei “David” Shi uses geochemical analysis techniques in mesocosm studies to track these fingerprints. -
Study Describes How Marine Particle Aggregates Influence Oil Spill Fate
Posted on November 2, 2017Researchers analyzed simulated interactions of oil droplets and marine particle aggregates to understand how they could affect the behavior of an oil spill. The scientists found that the attachment of oil droplets to particle aggregates changed the distribution of oil droplet sizes over time scales of hours. -
Colwell to Receive 2017 International Prize for Biology
Posted on October 31, 2017The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative congratulates its Research Board Chair Dr. Rita Colwell on her selection as the 33rd laureate of the International Prize for Biology. The prize, managed by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, honors outstanding contributions to research advances in fundamental biology and is one of the most prestigious honors a natural scientist can receive. -
Study Finds Low Oil Concentrations Impair Self-Preservation Behaviors in Coral Reef Fish Larvae
Posted on October 26, 2017Researchers from the United States, Australia, and Europe conducted mesocosm experiments to assess how larval reef fishes respond physiologically and cognitively to low crude oil concentrations. The team observed that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), at levels recorded in industrialized sections of tropical coral reefs worldwide, increased larvae mortality and stunted growth rates. -
Opportunity: Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami
Posted on October 24, 2017The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), University of Miami, is looking for a fish physiologist with toxicology experience/mechanistic aquatic toxicologist for a position that starts January 1, 2018.