Smithsonian Releases Animated Video on Three Discoveries from Oil Spill Studies

– JUNE 16, 2021

The Smithsonian’s Ocean Portal published an animated video that explores a few of the discoveries that came from several projects funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. After taking viewers back to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the animation describes oil spill research that helped us learn more about how the ocean’s currents move floating oil, about sea creatures seen for the first time, and about a marsh bird’s natural defense against oil.

View the four-minute Ocean Portal animated video Research Discoveries from the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill at https://ocean.si.edu/conservation/gulf-oil-spill/research-discoveries-deepwater-horizon-gulf-oil-spill.

Here are related stories about the research featured in the Ocean Portal video:

• Study Finds Seaside Sparrows Change Food Sources in Response to Environmental Stressors
• Ten-Year Assessment Study Finds Increased Vulnerability of Deep Sea Fishes to Oil Exposure
• Study Identifies Ocean Processes That Drive Surface Material Clustering

By Nilde Maggie Dannreuther. Contact maggied@ngi.msstate.edu with questions or comments.

************

GoMRI and the Smithsonian have a partnership to enhance oil spill science content on the Ocean Portal website.

The GoMRI is a 10-year (2010-2020) independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board made the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications are publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit https://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.

© Copyright 2010-2021 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – All Rights Reserved. Redistribution is encouraged with acknowledgement to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). Please credit images and/or videos as done in each article. Questions? Contact web-content editor Nilde Maggie Dannreuther, Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University (maggied@ngi.msstate.edu).