Page 7 – Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

Opportunity: Call for Nominations – Standing Committee to Advise the Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems Research Campaign

Complete News, OpportunitiesBy Leslie Smith March 27, 2020

Opportunity: Call for Nominations – Standing Committee to Advise the Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems Research Campaign – MARCH 27, 2020 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: Standing Committee to advise the Gulf Research Program on the Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems Research Campaign The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine invites you to nominate experts to serve on…

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Study co-authors Melissa Soldevilla (left) and Kait Frasier (right), prepare a High-frequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP) for deployment from the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter. Using Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) technology during and following Deepwater Horizon, they were able to estimate population densities for the cryptic pygmy sperm and dwarf sperm whales. Photo by John Hildebrand.

Study Tracks Elusive Whales with Acoustic Data Collected During Oil Spill Research

Complete News, GOMRI Generated Stories, Science HighlightsBy Leslie Smith March 25, 2020

Scientists who monitored large marine mammals with Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) technology during and following Deepwater Horizon were able to estimate population densities for the cryptic pygmy sperm and dwarf sperm whales (Kogia species).

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Nova Southeastern University master’s student Dawn Bickham assists with the shipment of coral colonies to the Florida Coral Disease Rescue Project. (Provided by Abigail Renegar)

Grad Student Bickham Helps Capture A Clearer Picture of How Corals Respond to Oil

Complete News, GOMRI Generated Stories, GoMRI ScholarsBy Leslie Smith March 18, 2020

Coral reefs provide food, shelter, and habitat to thousands of organisms living in the Gulf of Mexico. However, their vulnerability to physical and toxicological damage increases corals’ risk during environmental disturbances, particularly in shallow water where dangers from coastline proximity include wastewater pollution, moving sediment, salinity and nutrient changes, scavengers, and boating and fishing activities.

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Scientists injected bubbles into a chamber column filled with seawater and topped with crude oil and dispersant mixtures to learn more about particle emissions from bursting bubbles. The schematic on the right: SMPS is Scanning Mobility Particle and APS is Aerodynamic Particle Sizer. The photo and schematic are provided by Dr. Joseph Katz, Johns Hopkins University.

Study Measures Size of Droplets Aerosolized from Bubbles Bursting on an Oil Slick

Complete News, GOMRI Generated Stories, Science HighlightsBy Leslie Smith March 3, 2020

Scientists conducted laboratory experiments to learn more about particle emissions when bubbles on an oil slick burst. They observed that bubbles bursting on slicks containing crude oil and dispersant mixtures aerosolize micro-sized droplets (diameter is one thousandth of a millimeter) and nano-sized droplets (diameter is one billionth of a meter).

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How are microbes attracted to an oil spill?

Complete News, GoMRI in the NewsBy Leslie Smith February 20, 2020

How are microbes attracted to an oil spill? – FEBRUARY 20, 2020 (From Phys.org / by Jared Pike, Purdue University / February 20, 2020) When containing a massive disaster like an oil spill, small microbes play a big role. Arezoo Ardekani, a Purdue University associate professor of mechanical engineering, has published research that describes the…

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Maggie Wigren is a master’s student at Purdue University’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. (Photo used by permission from Pinpoint National Photography and Maggie Wigren)

Grad Student Wigren Shows It Takes Guts to Explore How Oil Affects Fish’s Microbiomes

Complete News, GOMRI Generated Stories, GoMRI ScholarsBy Leslie Smith February 19, 2020

The microbial community living in fish’s gastrointestinal tracts, also called the gut microbiome, are vital to their developing immune systems and can influence behaviors such as foraging.

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The toxic reach of Deepwater Horizon’s oil spill was much larger — and deadlier — than previous estimates, a new study says

Complete News, GoMRI in the NewsBy Leslie Smith February 12, 2020

The toxic reach of Deepwater Horizon’s oil spill was much larger — and deadlier — than previous estimates, a new study says – FEBRUARY 12, 2020 (from The Washington Post / by Darryl Fears / February 12, 2020) The spread of oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico was far worse…

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Students and volunteers pick sort marine specimens collected during the 2019 Texas BioBlitz, which resulted in a DNA census of the area’s marine organisms. Photo: MarineGEO https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/invertebrate-zoology/news-and-highlights/marinegeo-bioblitz-2019 Permission from Lesley Aldrich Public Relations Blackbaud Inc.

BioBlitz Provides Treasure Trove of Marine Biodiversity Data

Complete News, GOMRI Generated StoriesBy Leslie Smith February 1, 2020

The Texas Gulf Coast is experiencing a rapid increase in oil refining and transport activities, which also increases the risk of spill-related impacts to its coastal bays and estuarine ecosystems.

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A fishing boat docked in Buras, Louisiana. Photo credit Vanessa Parks

Study: Fishing Households Experienced Depressive Symptoms Despite Social Support after Oil Spill

Complete News, GOMRI Generated Stories, Science HighlightsBy Leslie Smith January 31, 2020

Researchers conducted a survey of more than 2,500 U.S. Gulf Coast residents to learn how their lives have been affected since Deepwater Horizon.

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Microbiologist Samantha (Mandy) Joye (left) and engineer Simeon Pesch (right) shared their personal science stories at the 2019 Fall AGU Meeting’s Story Collider event. Photos by Lauren Lipuma, AGU. Used with permission from Story Collider.

Samantha Joye and Simeon Pesch Tell Their Science Stories at Story Collider Event

Complete News, GOMRI Generated StoriesBy Leslie Smith January 30, 2020

A journey reveals that her voice matters. A trip changes his work motivation. The theme of disaster response frames both of these touching and inspiring science stories.

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