GoMRI eNews · Dec 13, 2016 · ← All issues
Welcome to the GoMRI eNews.

Keeping you current on emerging Gulf science and the people investigating the effects of oil spills on the environment and public health.

December 13, 2016                                                                    GoMRI eNews

Stories

How Grad Student Seubert Interprets Gulf of Mexico Resiliency Using Predator Diet

Major environmental disturbances such as oil spills can alter a marine ecosystem’s structure and even cause species losses or additions in impacted areas – changes which may have long-term consequences for an ecosystem’s functions.

Smithsonian Features Luminous Critters Living in the Deep, Dark Gulf

Scientists are finding fascinating discoveries in the largely unknown deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Some fishes, invertebrates, and bacteria have evolved a special adaptation to living in dark conditions using bioluminescence.

Rita Colwell Honored with International Award for Tropical Medicine Research

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) congratulates Dr. Rita Colwell for receiving the 2015 Mahathir Science Award.

From the Archives

Grad Student Chancellor Estimates Deepwater Horizon Impacts on Larval Fish

Posted on December 8, 2015
Emily Chancellor is applying her engineering and computer science background to a field that inspires her – marine science – focusing on how the oil spill may have impacted larval fish populations.

Study Shows Extended Footprint of Oil Spill Impact on Corals

Posted on December 11, 2014
Scientists widened their study scope of deep-sea coral communities after finding oil-impacted coral near the Deepwater Horizon site.

Studies Show Carbon Black Particles as an Alternative or Supplement for Oil Dispersants

Posted on December 9, 2013
Scientists with the University of Rhode Island, Tulane University, and the Cabot Corporation conducted tests using Carbon Black (CB) particles for more effective, safe, and low-cost oil spill remediation as compared to traditional dispersants.

Publications
Study Addresses Products in Oiled Marsh Sediment from Microbial Degradation and Photochemical Reactions
Four years after the Deepwater Horizon spill: Molecular transformation of Macondo well oil in Louisiana salt marsh sediments revealed by FT-ICR mass spectrometry. Chen, H.; Hou, A.; Corilo, Y.E.; Lin, Q.; Lu, J.; Mendelssohn, I.A.; Zhang, R.; Rodgers, R.P.; McKenna, A.M. Environmental Science & Technology, 2016, 50 (17), pp 9061–9069

Study Uses Polynomial Chaos to Quantify Uncertainty in Gulf of Mexico Ocean Forecasts 
Quantifying uncertainty in Gulf of Mexico forecasts stemming from uncertain initial conditions. Iskandarani, M.; Le Henaff, M.; Thacker, W.C.; Srinivasan, A.; Knio, O.M. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, Volume 121, Issue 7, July 2016, Pages 4819–4832 

Data
Inventory of Gulf oceanic fauna data including species, weight, and measurements, Pisces cruises from Dec. 1 2010 - Sept. 29, 2011 in the northern Gulf of Mexico - data link

Video recordings of jet break-up and oil droplet dissolution and fractionation during their buoyant rise through a column of synthetic sea water - data link

BIONESS profile and plankton sample collection data for plankton samples collected off Alabama (2007-2015) - data link

Video
GoMRI RFP-V: Unraveling the Biotic and Abiotic Chemical Evolution of Macondo Oil (Rodgers)

GoMRI RFP-V: Unraveling the Biotic and Abiotic Chemical Evolution of Macondo Oil (Rodgers)
Project is lead by P.I. Ryan P. Rodgers, Florida State University.

Announcements
 
Dispatches from the Gulf Wins Emmy for Outstanding Photography
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Suncoast Chapter awarded Screenscope's William Mills and BMA Production Services a regional Emmy for Photography in Journey to Planet Earth: Dispatches from the Gulf.

Reminder! Registration for 2017 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference
The deadline for online conference registration is Jan 27, 2017 (register here).  There are a limited number of hotel rooms available at a special rate (book your hotel here by Jan 7).

Just announced! Wed, Feb 8 Town Hall Meeting with Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology 
Discussions will be centered on developing a 10-year ocean research plan and gathering input from the Gulf science community. Details are available under Associated Meetings.

Project Activities
ACER Website Launches Fact Sheet Series
The fact sheets focus on the goals and emerging research of the consortium and will consist of 15 total fact sheets, with two fact sheets per each of the seven ACER research groups discussing their research and publications. The first fact sheet, Introducing ACER, is now available.
 
C-IMAGE Welcomes Jordanian Researcher Mohammed Rasheed to Team
Dr. Rasheed is a marine science professor at the University of Jordan and joins the C-IMAGE team through the Fulbright Program’s Council for International Exchange. He will work with Drs. Dana Wetzel and Kevan Main at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium to investigate oil’s impacts on fish health.
 
CGRC Releases Student Webinar Focused on Stakeholder Engagement
The webinar – the second in the consortium’s student webinar series – features Larissa Graham, an Oil Spill Extension Specialist at the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, and Adam Paris, the Executive Director of the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay. The full webinar is available here. More information on the Student Webinar Series is available here on the CRGC website.
 
DROPPS Scientists Participate in CITGO Oil Spill Drill
The two-day drill organized by the CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery simulated a 55,000 barrel sweet crude oil spill to help bridge the gap between scientists and responders. The drill provided the researchers with information about who to contact and how to get involved with sampling efforts related to local oil spills.