GoMRI eNews · Oct 2, 2018 · ← 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.

October 2, 2018                                                                    GoMRI eNews

Stories

Grad Student Viamonte Puts Pressure on Microbial Oil Degradation

New Sea Grant Publication on Oysters and Oil Spills

Grad Student Keating Surveys Children and Families for Long-Term Oil Spill Impacts

Study Shows Oil Exposure Not Likely to Reduce Fish’s Ability to Compensate for Hypoxia
Researchers conducted experiments on Atlantic Croaker to determine if oil-induced respiratory impairment affects the fish’s tolerance to hypoxia. There were no observed effects from the combined stressors (oil exposure and hypoxia) on fish’s average critical oxygen threshold levels or its capacity to withstand hypoxia.

From the Archives

Study Describes How Autonomous Surface Vehicles Improve Marine Mammal Monitoring

Posted on September 28, 2017
Scientists conducted passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) of whales in the northern Gulf of Mexico using two autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) capable of recording marine mammal sounds.

Study Finds Natural Sunlight Affects Oil-Degrading Bacteria Composition and Dynamics

Posted on September 27, 2016
Scientists from the University of Texas Marine Science Institute demonstrated how natural sunlight affects Gulf of Mexico microbial communities in the presence of Corexit (dispersant) and crude oil. They observed that sunlight significantly reduced the diversity of bacterial communities in the presence of oil, Corexit, or both.

Model Comparison Study Confirms Subsea Dispersant Effectiveness

Posted on September 21, 2015
An international science team assessed predictions from multiple oil spill models and found that subsea dispersants used during response to a simulated accidental blowout may reduce oil droplet size by at least one order of magnitude.

Publications

Study Finds Tidal Pumping Enhanced Biodegradation of Buried Oil
Degradation of Deepwater Horizon oil buried in a Florida beach influenced by tidal pumping. Huettel, M.; Overholt, W.A.; Kostka, J.E.; Hagan, C.; Kaba, J.; Wells, W.B.; Dudley, S. Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 126, January 2018, Pages 488-500

Study Tests How Environmental Conditions, Multiple Plant Species, and Genetic Diversity Affect Marsh Grasses and Mangroves 
Effects of oil exposure, plant species composition, and plant genotypic diversity on salt marsh and mangrove assemblages. Hughes, A.R.; Cebrian, J.; Heck, K.; Goff, J.; Hanley, T.C.; Scheffel, W.; Zerebecki, R.A. Ecosphere, Volume 9, Issue 4, April 2018, e02207

Data

Dataset for: Material dispersion by oceanic internal waves -- data link

Dataset for: Langmuir circulation with explicit surface waves from moving-mesh modeling -- data link

Dataset for: Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with molecular mass 302 in standard reference material 1597a by reversed-phase liquid chromatography and stop-flow fluorescence detection -- data link

Announcements

Latest News for 2019 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference 
  • Registration Cost Changes. Options now include a one-day workshop fee for those only attending a workshop ($75). The full registration fee covers all workshops and conference activities ($500 for early registration on or before Nov 30, 2018; $250 for students). Register for the conference here. 
  • Registration Discounts. Attendees who stay at the Hyatt Regency (the conference venue) will receive a $100 discount on registration ($50 discount for students). When registering for the conference, you need to enter your hotel confirmation number to receive the discount. Make a reservation at the Hyatt Regency here. Reservations must be made at the Hyatt Regency to qualify for the discount. Although Hyatt House is connected to the Hyatt Regency, the parent company treats them as separate businesses and reservations made at Hyatt House are not included in the conference room block. 

Project Activities

CARMMHA Blog Describes How Dolphin Samples Are Processed for Lab Analysis
The latest update from the group’s Barataria Bay research describes how the field processing team sorts wild dolphin samples into blood, skin, blubber, and other categories so that each of the laboratories can receive enough samples to run their analyses.
 
Get to Know CWC Scientist Lixia Wang
Wang is a member of the consortium’s modeling team and is dedicated to developing numerical models to simulate hydrodynamics, predicting the physical transport of surface slick oil, and investigating the impacts of Mississippi River diversions on oil transport and fate. Learn more about her background, research, and findings here.
 
RECOVER Attends Miami Seaquarium Beach Clean-Up Event
The event took place at Virginia Key Beach Park in honor of the Seaquarium’s 63rd Birthday. Consortium researchers hosted a booth with information and activities to teach attendees about their research. Photos from the event are available here.