GoMRI eNews · Jan 24, 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 24, 2017                                                                    GoMRI eNews

Stories

Study Summarizes Current Knowledge on Marine Oil Snow During and After Deepwater Horizon

Scientists conducting oil spill research participated in the 2013 Marine Oil Snow Sedimentation and Flocculent Accumulation (MOSSFA) workshop. The researchers discussed the formation and fate of oil-associated marine snow and its ecological impacts on deep-sea environments and made recommendations for future marine oil snow research.

Study Advances Predictions of Air Pollution from Oil Slick Evaporation

Scientists ran model simulations for oil evaporation based on composition measurements of fresh Macondo crude oil and weathered surface oil from Deepwater Horizon slicks.

Study Finds UVB Radiation Increases Oil Toxicity in Marine Copepod Larvae

Scientists conducted laboratory exposure experiments to assess the effects of dispersed crude oil, Corexit 9500A dispersant, and natural ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation on early larval stages of planktonic copepods (“nauplii”).

Colwell Named National Academy of Inventors Fellow

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) congratulates its Research Board Chair Dr. Rita Colwell for her selection as a National Academy of Inventors Fellow.

From the Archives

Study: Oil May Have Diminished and Altered Phytoplankton Communities

Posted on January 20, 2016
Scientists compared phytoplankton time-series data collected in Louisiana coastal waters after the Deepwater Horizon spill. They found that phytoplankton abundance was significantly lower in 2010 and that the community’s species composition significantly shifted immediately after the spill.

A Match Made in Florida: Citizens and Scientists Team Up for Research and Education

Posted on January 20, 2015
What do CARTHE, the International SeaKeepers Society, and Fleet Miami have in common? Ocean research!

Tracking the Last Mile Before Oil Meets the Beach

Posted on January 17, 2014
Rolling waves, swirling currents, converging fronts, shifting sediments – all are connected as anyone who has chased a ball in beach waters knows. But how?

Publications
Study Develops Predictive Model for Oil-Particle Aggregate Formation
 A-DROP: A predictive model for the formation of oil particle aggregates (OPAs). Zhao, L.; Boufadel, M.C.; Geng, X.; Lee, K.; King, T.; Robinson, B.; Fitzpatrick, F. Marine Pollution Bulletin. Volume 106, Issues 1–2, 15 May 2016, Pages 245–259

Study Demonstrates that Sinking Marine Particles Help Remove PAHs from Water Column
Vertical fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Adhikari, P.L.; Maiti, K.; Overton, E.B. Marine Chemistry, Volume 168, 20 January 2015, Pages 60–68. 

Data
R/V Point Sur: PS17-08 Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data, Gulf of Mexico, October 5 - 9, 2016 -- data link

Four ensembles of TAMOC integral oil-gas plume simulations for comparison of uncertainty quantification techniques -- data link

Common Loon Behavioral, PAH and Health Data, 2015, Louisiana -- data link 

Video
GoMRI RFP-V: Chemical evolution & degradation of petroleum in saline marsh plants & soils (Van Bael)

GoMRI RFP-V: Chemical evolution & degradation of petroleum in saline marsh plants & soils (Van Bael)
Project is lead by P.I. Sunshine Van Bael, Tulane 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 Bolden 6 Room. This event provides a venue for local scientists working on oil spill research and emergency responders to discuss needs and form partnerships. Register here.

Project Activities
C-IMAGE to Host Second Story Collider Event
The C-IMAGE Story Collider is a free spoken word event providing five life stories about the Gulf of Mexico oil spills. The event will take place during on Monday, February 6, at 7 pm at Club XLIV in New Orleans, Louisiana. More information about the event is available here.
 
CRGC Releases Working Paper Exploring Post-Spill Effects on Fisheries
The consortium’s preliminary findings suggest the spill had at least short-run negative impacts on fisheries landings and that there may be both biological and behavioral components driving the observed changes. A free PDF of the full report is available here.
 
CWC Launches Monthly Newsletter for Young Scientists
The first issue of “Notes from the Field” includes fun facts, puzzles, and research findings about marsh periwinkle snails as well as an interview with consortium post-doc Anthony Rietl. The issue is available for download here. Keep an eye on the CWC Printable Resources page for future issues!
 
DEEPEND Releases Marine Navigation Learning Module
The module is the fourth in a series of marine environment-focused teaching and learning modules developed by the consortium for grades 6 – 12. This module focuses on navigating marine environments, particularly historical and current human navigation and animal navigation. The module is available for download here.
 
DROPPS Grad Student Featured on GulfCast Podcast
Tracy Harvey, a master’s student at the University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute, discusses how she conducts her research and women’s growing role in the sciences.