GoMRI eNews · Jan 10, 2017 · ← 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.

January 10, 2017                                                                    GoMRI eNews

Stories

Identifying the “Missing Link” Between River-Induced Fronts and Hydrocarbon Transport

Sea Grant Releases Brochure on Oil Spill’s Mental Health Impacts

From the Archives

Smithsonian Highlights How Scientists Use Genomics to Study Oil Spills

Posted on January 12, 2016
Months and years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, many people wondered where the oil went or where it might be lingering or what it may affect after it was no longer visible. Scientists are using genomic techniques such as DNA sequencing to help answer some of these questions.

Study Finds Three Ways for Oil Spill to Impact Gulf Seaweed

Posted on January 6, 2015
Alabama scientists investigated oil spill effects on floating Sargassum, a critical seaweed habitat for many important Gulf species.

Study Indicates “Memory” of Benzene Remains in Marsh Sediment and Affects Its Future Degradation

Posted on January 13, 2014
Researchers have known that pollutant exposure alters the ability of ecological systems to degrade those pollutants upon encountering them again.

Modeling Study Suggests Dispersants Used at Wellhead had Marginal Effect on Oil Reaching Surface Waters

Posted on January 3, 2013
Scientists studying the use of sub-sea chemical dispersants during the Deepwater Horizon spill published their recent findings.

Publications

Study Characterizes River Plume Mixing in Coastal Waters
On the nature of the frontal zone of the Choctawhatchee Bay plume in the Gulf of Mexico Huguenard, K.D.; Bogucki, D.J.; Ortiz-Suslow, D.G.; Laxague, N.J.M.; MacMahan, J.H.; Ozgokmen, T.M.; Haus, B.K.; Reniers, A.J.H.M.; Hargrove, J.; Soloviev, A.V.; Graber, H. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, Volume 121, Issue 2
February 2016, Pages 1322–1345 

Five-Year Study Finds Deepwater Horizon Impacted Periwinkle Snails
Five years of Deepwater Horizon oil spill effects on marsh periwinkles (Littoraria irrorata) Zengel, S.; Weaver, J.; Pennings, S.; Silliman, B.; Deis, D.; Montague, C.; Rutherford, N.; Nixon, Z.; Zimmerman, A. Environmental Science & Technology, 2016, 50 (2), pp 643–652

Data

Dataset For: Incorporation of Deepwater Horizon oil in a terrestrial bird -- data link

Shipboard ADCP, underway near surface meteorology and hydrography, G09 cruise, south of the Mississippi River Delta in April 2015 from the R/V Pelican cruise PE15-21 -- data link

Bacterial community composition of surface residual tarballs in Galveston and Mustang Islands following the Texas City "Y' spill -- data link

Video

GoMRI RFP-V: Resilience Attributes for Children, Youth, and Communities in Deepwater Horizon (Slack)

GoMRI RFP-V: Resilience Attributes for Children, Youth, and Communities in Deepwater Horizon (Slack)
Project is lead by P.I. Tim Slack, Louisiana State University.

Announcements

2017 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference Sea Grant Workshop New Orleans Feb 6: Exploring the Intersection between Oil Spill Science and Response
The oil spill outreach team is hosting a pre-conference workshop in the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, Bolden 6 Room. This workshop provides a venue for local scientists working on oil spill research and emergency responders to discuss needs and form partnerships. Attend in person or remotely through your computer or phone. Register here.

Project Activities

ACER Word Wednesday Series Discusses “Trophic Cascade”
The recent article explains that changes to one level in a food chain can sometimes result in changes in other levels, called a trophic cascade. Trophic cascades can be top-down (changes in the top trophic level impacted levels down the food chain) or bottom-up (changes in the bottom trophic level impacted levels up the food chain).
 
Meet C-IMAGE Student of the Month Susan Snyder
Snyder is a marine science Ph.D. student at the University of South Florida. Her research focuses on how exposure to oil, particularly oil’s more toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) components, affects fish health.
 
DEEPEND Infographic Poster Visualizes Vertical Migration
DEEPEND investigators served as consultants for their partner Oregon Coast Aquarium’s educational infographic about diel vertical migration – the largest animal migration phenomenon on earth. The consortium has printed several copies of the poster to distribute to teachers as well as a large banner for use during outreach events. Download your own copy of the poster here!
 
Visit the RFP-V Foil Project Website!
The site provides information about the project’s background, methods, and developing findings regarding the use of horse flies as bioindicators of marsh health.