GoMRI eNews · May 2, 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.

May 2, 2017                                                                    GoMRI eNews

Stories

Sea Grant Brings Partnership with GoMRI to NOAA for Oil Spill Preparedness

The Sea Grant Oil Spill Outreach Program is collaborating with NOAA entities to extend the two-way dialogue with sectors who were impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Study Analyzes Trends and Gaps in Oil Spill Literature Since 1968

Researchers surveyed oil spill studies between 1968 and 2015 to characterize the field and describe changes. The team found that, despite its episodic nature, oil spill research is a rapidly expanding field with a growth rate greater than science as a whole.

Oceanography Highlights Findings from Deepwater Horizon Research
7th year of the largest coordinated research endeavor around an ocean event.

SeaGlide Workshop Engages Teachers and Students in Ocean Research Technology

Practical applications of ocean research findings often include presenting the research and its results in a way that is accessible to non-researchers.

From the Archives

Grad Student Robinson Follows Little Blue Crabs for Bigger Food Web Picture

Posted on April 26, 2016
Elizabeth Robinson studies blue crab’s role in the northern Gulf of Mexico food web, looking closely at how Deepwater Horizon oil might have affected the natural predator-prey balance.

Research on Dispersants that Informs Oil Spill Response

Posted on April 27, 2015
The prevention or reduction of coastline oiling was high on responders’ priorities immediately following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Five years later, much discussion continues about balancing benefits and risks regarding dispersants, and there are increased research efforts for alternatives or enhancements to existing dispersant systems.

Science Datasets from GoMRI Oil Spill Research Publicly Available

Posted on April 24, 2014
Researchers studying impacts from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have scientific data available for public access. Data comes from research funded by GoMRI and is accessible through the GoMRI Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC) data repository.

Publications
Study Examines Combined Effects of Hypoxia and Oil Exposure on Sheepshead Minnow
Hypoxia depresses CYP1A induction and enhances DNA damage, but has minimal effects on antioxidant responses in sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) larvae exposed to dispersed crude oil. Dasgupta, S.; DiGiulio, R.T.; Drollette, B.D.; L. Plata, D.; Brownawell, B.J.; McElroy, A.E. Aquatic Toxicology, Volume 177, August 2016, Pages 250–260

Study Examines Individual Effects of SPAN 80 and DOSS on Hydrocarbon Aerosolization
Combined experimental and molecular simulation investigation of the individual effects of Corexit surfactants on the aerosolization of oil spill matter. Zhang, Z.; Avij, P.; Perkins, M.J.; Liyana-Arachchi, T.P.; Field, J.A.; Valsaraj, K.T.; Hung, F.R. Journal of Physical Chemistry, 2016, 120 (30), pp 6048–6058

Data
VIIRS Satellite Remote Sensing of Ocean Color, October-December 2015, Gulf of Mexico -- data link

Temporal analysis of NRDA meiofauna data, northern Gulf of Mexico, 2010, 2011, and 2014 -- data link

Dataset for: Crude oil jets in crossflow: Effects of dispersant concentration on plume behavior -- data link

Video
A Treadmill for Fish (Dispatches from the Gulf)

A Treadmill for Fish (Dispatches from the Gulf) -- Dr. Martin Grosell (University of Miami) replicates how mahi-mahi swim in the wild in order to determine how environmental disturbances – particularly oil spills – impact their development and life cycles.

Announcements
Sea Grant Releases Brochures on Dolphins & Sea Turtles
  • The bottlenose dolphin brochure provides a synopsis of the science that can help answer questions about dolphin health after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
  • The sea turtle brochure addresses what have we learned about the impact that the Deepwater Horizon spill had on sea turtles in the Gulf.

Project Activities
Meet C-IMAGE Student of the Month Katelyn Knight
Knight is a master’s student at the University of West Florida’s Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation. She analyzes bacterial communities to determine which environmental parameters influence community structure over time.
 
DROPPS Short Film Features Crustaceans and Oil
The short video created by consortium researcher Dr. Ai Nihongi examines the relationship between mysids (small, shrimp-like crustaceans) and tiny oil droplets. Watch the video here!
 
ECOGIG Attends Earth Day Texas
Consortium director Dr. Samantha Joye attended the Earth Day Texas Expo and Conference in Dallas, where she participated in two panels (“Coral Crusaders” and “Ocean Conservation – Thinking Outside the Box”) and spoke with science marchers following the Dallas Earth Day march.
 
CONCORDE Releases Time-Lapse Drifter Video
Consortium researchers Brian Dzwonkowski recently released drifters at the mouth of Mobile Bay. Graduate student Jeff Coogan animated the drifters’ path, which captured a low-wind, high-discharge event.
 
RECOVER Virtual Lab Now Available for iPad
The app allows students to analyze real data collected by consortium scientists and observe how oil-exposed mahi and redfish swim compared to unexposed control fish. Lesson plans for teachers and quizzes testing student’s performance are built-in to the app’s interface, and more experiments are in development.