CONCORDE – Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

Studies Explore the Dynamics of How Offshore Oil Spills Affect Coastal Environments

Complete News, GOMRI Generated Stories, Science HighlightsBy Leslie Smith August 17, 2020

Oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident moved from deep waters to coastal shorelines, overwhelming their natural defenses which, in turn, slowed or prevented their recovery. Scientists with the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) have been assessing the health of these complex environments that experience stressors from multiple sources, providing information that can inform response decisions during future disturbances.

Smithsonian Highlights Research on Tiny Marine Organisms

Complete News, GOMRI Generated StoriesBy Leslie Smith May 9, 2019

The Smithsonian’s Ocean Portal published an article that describes how scientists are using the In Situ Ichthyoplankton Imaging System (ISIIS) to photograph zooplankton organisms and gather information about salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and light levels.

Grad Student O’Brien Analyzes Sediment Movement to Help Predict Oil Transport

Complete News, GOMRI Generated Stories, GoMRI ScholarsBy Leslie Smith August 23, 2018

Oil spill material that enters the water column may adhere to resuspended seafloor sediments and be transported to other areas. Stephan O’Brien is investigating how physical factors, such as wind and waves, affect the suspension and subsequent transport of sediments in the Mississippi Sound and Bight.

Marine Researchers Engage Fishing Communities to Improve Trust in Science

Complete News, GOMRI Generated StoriesBy Leslie Smith June 1, 2017

Trust in scientific findings is especially important when the research relates to your livelihood and health as it did for commercial and recreational fishing communities after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Many scientists conducting early studies on the spill believed that they were considered trustworthy, like firemen and policemen. However, it became apparent as the spill unfolded that the relationship of the public, science, and trust was complex and sometimes on shaky ground.

Grad Student Quas Analyzes Sediment Grain Size to Characterize Oil Behavior

Complete News, GOMRI Generated Stories, GoMRI ScholarsBy Leslie Smith January 26, 2017

Oil droplets can attach to tiny sediment particles suspended in the water column, causing them to sink to the seafloor where they can linger for a long time. Sediment grain size influences if and how oil droplets are resuspended into the water column.

Study Observes Mobile Bay Plume Dynamics on Coastal Circulation

Complete News, GOMRI Generated Stories, Science HighlightsBy Leslie Smith June 14, 2016

Scientists monitored a major river discharge event in Mobile Bay in March 2011 to better understand how such inputs affect Gulf of Mexico nearshore water transport.

How Scientists are Monitoring the Harmful Algal Bloom

Complete News, GOMRI Generated StoriesBy Leslie Smith December 17, 2015

It’s a catchy name, but the common phrase “Red Tide” for the algal bloom happening right now in the northern Gulf of Mexico is not quite right, scientifically. The bloom is not always red and it’s not always related to tides.

Opportunity: Postdoctoral Scholar in Coastal Ocean Numerical Modeling, CONCORDE

Complete News, OpportunitiesBy Leslie Smith November 2, 2015

The University of Southern Mississippi’s Department of Marine Science (www.usm.edu/marine) seeks a Postdoctoral Scholar in the field of coastal ocean numerical modeling.

Understanding Oil Transport in Coastal Waters

Complete News, GOMRI Generated StoriesBy Leslie Smith August 18, 2015

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative recently awarded CONCORDE a grant to study nearshore currents and circulation flows and their potential role in creating sub-surface oil exposure pathways.

Opportunity: Postdoctoral Research, Physical Oceanography, CONCORDE

Complete News, OpportunitiesBy Leslie Smith February 23, 2015

The Ocean Sciences Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) at Stennis Space Center (SSC), MS is seeking a postdoctoral associate in physical oceanography with research interests in the areas of ocean observations, ocean mixing, ocean fronts, and biophysical interactions.