Major disturbances such as oil spills can significantly affect populations of vulnerable saltmarsh species, which may result in greater impacts to the overall saltmarsh food web. Shelby Ziegler believes that a better understanding of what saltmarsh predator-prey interactions look like today can help identify changes in the food web following disturbances in the future.
Scientists constructed a food web model using data from published studies and their field experiences to understand how specific Louisiana salt marsh organisms influenced ecosystem response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The researchers found that carnivorous fishes were “critically resilient” and likely enhanced food web resilience.
Researchers analyzed diet information for 474 unique fish species to quantify likely contributions of prey to predators’ diets for an improved marine food web matrix model.
DEEPEND expands knowledge as a restoration tool for the Gulf’s largest ecosystem. Much uncertainty remains about impacts on the deep-sea environment from the 2010 oil spill that erupted more than 5,000 feet below the sea surface. However, knowing what was affected or what may change in the future is particularly difficult with little to no pre-existing knowledge about this obscure ecosystem. Environmental impact assessments of an area require some baseline of what lives and happens there.
Researchers receive three years of funding to study the effects of oil on the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and public health.
Four years after more than 200 million gallons of Macondo oil began to leak into the Gulf of Mexico, scientists are learning more about what long-term effects the ecosystem may endure.
Jocelyn Lockwood talks to Dr. Colwell about the latest scientific results concerning all aspects of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem following the BP oil spill.
“There were no detailed contingency plans in place during the BP oil spill,” said Murk. Therefore, ad hoc decisions were taken.