GoMRI
Investigating the effect of oil spills
on the environment and public health.
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Will Overholt

Georgia Institute of Technology

School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

311 Ferst Drive
Atlanta, GA  30332  

waoverholt@gmail.com

Project List:

A systems approach to improve predictions of biodegradation and ecosystem recovery in coastal marine sediments impacted by oil spill

Year 6-8 Investigator Grants (RFP-V)Role: Graduate Student - PhD Level, GoMRI Scholar

Center for the Integrated Modeling and Analysis of Gulf Ecosystems II (C-IMAGE II)

Year 5-7 Consortia Grants (RFP-IV)Role: Task Co-Lead, GoMRI Scholar, Graduate Student - PhD Level

Deepsea to Coast Connectivity in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico (DEEP-C)

Year 2-4 Consortia Grants (RFP-I)Role: Graduate Student - PhD Level

Publications & Presentations:

Journal Articles - 10

2020

Karthikeyan, S., Kim, M., Heritier-Robbins, P., Hatt, J. K., Spain, J. C., Overholt, W. A., et al. (2020). Integrated Omics Elucidate the Mechanisms Driving the Rapid Biodegradation of Deepwater Horizon Oil in Intertidal Sediments Undergoing Oxic-Anoxic Cycles. Environ. Sci. Technol., 54(16), 10088–10099. doi

2019

Karthikeyan, S., Rodriguez-R, L. M., Heritier-Robbins, P., Kim, M., Overholt, W. A., Gaby, J. C., et al. (2019). Candidatus Macondimonas diazotrophica, a novel gammaproteobacterial genus dominating crude-oil-contaminated coastal sediments. The ISME Journal, 13(5), 2129–2134. doi
Overholt, W. A., Schwing, P., Raz, K. M., Hastings, D., Hollander, D. J., & Kostka, J. E. (2019). The core seafloor microbiome in the Gulf of Mexico is remarkably consistent and shows evidence of recovery from disturbance caused by major oil spills. Environ Microbiol, 21(11), 4316–4329. doi
Shin, B., Kim, M., Zengler, K., Chin, K. - J., Overholt, W. A., Gieg, L. M., et al. (2019). Anaerobic degradation of hexadecane and phenanthrene coupled to sulfate reduction by enriched consortia from northern Gulf of Mexico seafloor sediment. Sci Rep, 9(1). doi

2018

Huettel, M., Overholt, W. A., Kostka, J. E., Hagan, C., Kaba, J., Wells, W. B., et al. (2018). Degradation of Deepwater Horizon oil buried in a Florida beach influenced by tidal pumping. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 126, 488–500. doi

2016

Joye, S. B., Kleindienst, S., Gilbert, J. A., Handley, K. M., Weisenhorn, P., Kostka, J. E., et al. (2016). Responses of Microbial Communities to Hydrocarbon Exposures. Oceano, 29(3), 136–149. doi
Overholt, W. A., Marks, K. P., Romero, I. C., Hollander, D. J., Snell, T. W., & Kostka, J. E. (2016). Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria Exhibit a Species-Specific Response to Dispersed Oil while Moderating Ecotoxicity. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 82(2), 518–527. doi

2015

Brooks, G. R., Larson, R. A., Schwing, P. T., Romero, I., Moore, C., Reichart, G. - J., et al. (2015). Sedimentation Pulse in the NE Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 DWH Blowout. PLoS ONE, 10(7), e0132341. doi
Rodriguez-R, L. M., Overholt, W. A., Hagan, C., Huettel, M., Kostka, J. E., & Konstantinidis, K. T. (2015). Microbial community successional patterns in beach sands impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Isme J, 9(9), 1928–1940. doi

2013

Overholt, W. A., Green, S. J., Marks, K. P., Venkatraman, R., Prakash, O., & Kostka, J. E. (2013). Draft Genome Sequences for Oil-Degrading Bacterial Strains from Beach Sands Impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Genome Announcements, 1(6), e01015–13-e01015–13. doi

Book Chapters - 2

2019

Kostka, J. E., Joye, S. B., Overholt, W., Bubenheim, P., Hackbusch, S., Larter, S. R., et al. (2019). Biodegradation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in the Deep Sea. In S. A. Murawski, C. H. Ainsworth, S. A. Gilbert, D. J. Hollander, C. B. Paris, M. Schlüter, et al. (Eds.), Deep Oil Spills – Facts, Fate, and Effects (pp. 107–124). Springer International. doi
Kostka, J. E., Overholt, W. A., Rodriguez-R., L. M., Huettel, M., & Konstantinidis, K. (2019). Toward a predictive understanding of the benthic microbial community response to oiling on the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. In S. A. Murawski, C. H. Ainsworth, S. A. Gilbert, D. J. Hollander, C. B. Paris, M. Schlüter, et al. (Eds.), Scenarios and Responses to Future Deep Oil Spills: Fighting the Next War (pp. 182–202). Springer International. doi

Conference Presentations - 50

2020

Schwing, P., Kilborn, J., Montagna, P., Paris, C., Faillettaz, R., Joye, S., et al. (2020). Assembling the Benthic Record of Species and Community Change for the Gulf of Mexico Following the Deepwater Horizon Event. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2020. Tampa, FL : 02/03/20-02/06/20. openurl

2019

Kostka, J., Overholt, W., Rodriguez-R, L., Huettel, M., & Konstantinidis, K. (2019). Toward a Predictive Understanding of Biodegradation and its Impacts on the Fate of Oil Deposited on the Northern Gulf of Mexico Coast. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2019. New Orleans, LA : 02/04/19-02/07/19. openurl
Kostka, J., Overholt, W., Sun, X., Romero, I., Hollander, D., Konstantinidis, K., et al. (2019). Weathered Crude Oil From the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was Rapidly Biodegraded but Altered Nutrient Cycles in Permeable Nearshore Sediments. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2019. New Orleans, LA : 02/04/19-02/07/19: Poster. openurl

2018

Heritier-Robbins, P., Karthikeyan, S., Kim, M., Hatt, J. K., Overholt, W. A., Kostka, J. E., et al. (2018). Oxygen Oscillation Effects on Microbial Community Activity and Nitrogen Metabolism in Oil Contaminated Beachsands. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2018. New Orleans, LA : 02/05/18-02/08/18. openurl
Karthikeyan, S., Kim, M., Heritier-Robbins, P., Rodriguez-R, L. M., Hatt, J. K., Overholt, W. A., et al. (2018). Macondimonas diazotrophicus: A Novel Hydrocarbonoclastic Gammaproteobacterium as a Potential Biomarker for Ecosystem Recovery from Oil Spills. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2018. New Orleans, LA : 02/05/18-02/08/18. openurl
Karthikeyan, S., Rodriguez-R, L. M., Heritier-Robbins, P., Overholt, W. A., Hatt, J. K., Spain, J. C., et al. (2018). Macondimonas Diazotrophicus: A Representative of A Novel Gammaproteobacterial Family of Globally-Distributed, Sediment-Associated, Keystone Oil Degrader. In ASM Microbe 2018. Atlanta, GA : 06/07/18-06/11/18. openurl
Lee, J., Schwing, P. T., Romero, I., Brooks, G. R., Larson, R. A., Overholt, W., et al. (2018). Elevated Rates of Biogenic Silica Deposition in the Sediment from the Northern Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2018. New Orleans, LA : 02/05/18-02/08/18. openurl

2017

Huettel, M., Overholt, W. A., Kostka, J. E., Hagan, C., Kaba, J., Wells, B., et al. (2017). Degradation of Deepwater Horizon Oil Buried in a Florida Sandy Beach. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17. openurl
Karthikeyan, S., Heritier-Robbins, P., Kim, M., Rodriguez-R, L. M., Hatt, J. K., Overholt, W. A., et al. (2017). Metagenome-guided isolation of Macondimonas diazotrophicus: A novel keystone species of oil biodegradation in beach sands affected by Macondo oil. In 11th International Conference on Bioinformatics. Atlanta, GA : 11/03/17-11/04/17. openurl
Overholt, W. A., Mercando, E., Sun, X., Romero, I. C., Hollander, D. J., Konstantinidis, K., et al. (2017). Microbial Processes in Submerged Coastal Sands Impacted with Weathered Oil. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17. openurl
Overholt, W. A., Schwing, P., Hollander, D. J., & Kostka, J. E. (2017). Predicting Benthic Microbial Communities Throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Hindcasting Impacts from the DWH. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17. openurl
Wagner, K. D., Overholt, W. A., Urakawa, H., Huettel, M., & Kostka, J. E. (2017). Buried Crude Oil Alters the Microbial Nitrogen Cycle in Submerged Coastal Sands. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17: Poster. openurl
Wells, W. B., Overholt, W. A., Kaba, J., Bociu, I., Brignole, P., Kostka, J. E., et al. (2017). Effect of deposited DWH oil and phytoplankton on oxygen consumption and dissolved inorganic carbon production in Gulf of Mexico shallow shelf and shelf slope sediments. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17: Poster. openurl

2016

Hastings, D. W., Bartlett, T. B., Brooks, G. R., Larson, R. A., Selden, C., Schwing, P. T., et al. (2016). Six Years after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Impacts on Marine Sediments and Fish. In College of Charleston Marine Biology Graduate Program Student Research Colloquium 2016. Charleston, SC : 09/30/16-10/01/16. openurl
Overholt, W. (2016). A Large Scale Comparison of Seafloor Microbial Communities in Regions Impacted by Two Gulf of Mexico Mega Spills. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2016. Tampa, FL : 02/01/16-02/04/16. openurl
Overholt, W. (2016). A Large Scale Comparison of Seafloor Microbial Communities in Regions Impacted by Two Gulf of Mexico Mega Spills.. Tampa, FL , : 02/01/16-02/07/16. openurl
Overholt, W. A., Carlson, K., Schwing, P., Hollander, D. J., & Kostka, J. E. (2016). A predictive understanding of deepsea benthic microbial communities in the Gulf of Mexico. In 16th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology. Montreal, Canada : 08/21/16-08/26/16: Poster. openurl

2015

Gaby, J. C., Overholt, W. A., & Kostka, J. E. (2015). Community Dynamics of Nitrogen Fixers in Oil contaminated Sands of Pensacola Beach, FL, Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. In 2nd Annual Southeastern Biogeochemistry Symposium. Atlanta, GA : 03/28/15-03/29/15. openurl
Gaby, J. C., Overholt, W. A., & Kostka, J. E. (2015). Diazotroph Diversity in Petroleum-Contaminated Sands of Pensacola Beach Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. In 115th American Society for Microbiology General Meeting. New Orleans, LA : 05/30/15-06/02/15: Poster. openurl
Hastings, D. W., Brooks, G., Schwing, P., Kostka, J. E., Larson, R. A., Overholt, W. A., et al. (2015). Surface Sediments Became More Reducing Following The BP Deepwater Horizon Blowout Event. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2015. Houston, TX : 02/16/15-02/19/15. openurl
Kostka, J. E., Overholt, W., Gold, J., Deak, K., Dishaw, L., Shamblott, M., et al. (2015). Genomic Research within C-IMAGE2: Cross Gulf Comparison of Microbes to Megafauna Impacted by the Deepwater Horizon and Ixtoc Oil Discharges. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2015. Houston, TX : 02/16/15-02/19/15. openurl
Kostka, J. E., Rodriguez-R, L., Overholt, W. A., Hagan, C., Huettel, M., & Konstantinidis, K. T. (2015). Metagenomic insights on the response and recovery of indigenous microbial communities in beach sands to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2015. Houston, TX : 02/16/15-02/19/15. openurl
Overholt, W. A., Hastings, D. W., Marks, K. P., Hollander, D. J., & Kostka, J. E. (2015). Distribution of Deep Sea Sedimentary Microbial Populations across Large Spatial Scales in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. In 115th American Society for Microbiology General Meeting. New Orleans, LA : 05/30/15-06/02/15. openurl
Overholt, W. A., Hollander, D. J., & Kostka, J. E. (2015). Distribution of Deep Sea Sedimentary Microbial Populations in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. In 2nd Annual Southeastern Biogeochemistry Symposium. Atlanta, GA : 03/28/15-03/29/15: Poster. openurl
Overholt, W. A., Schwing, P. T., Larson, R. A., Romero, I. C., Hastings, D. W., Brooks, G. R., et al. (2015). Elucidating the diversity of benthic microbial communities and foraminifera at the seafloor in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2015. Houston, TX : 02/16/15-02/19/15. openurl
Shin, B., Overholt, W. A., Chin, K., & Kostka, J. E. (2015). Anaerobic Hydrocarbon Degradation Under Iron- and Sulfate-reducing Conditions by Sedimentary Microorganisms from the Northern Gulf of Mexico. In 2nd Annual Southeastern Biogeochemistry Symposium. Atlanta, GA : 03/28/15-03/29/15: Poster. openurl
Shin, B., Overholt, W. A., Chin, K., & Kostka, J. E. (2015). Anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation by sedimentary microorganisms from the northern Gulf of Mexico. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2015. Houston, TX : 02/16/15-02/19/15. openurl
Shin, B., Overholt, W. A., Chin, K., & Kostka, J. E. (2015). Anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation under iron- and sulfate-reducing conditions by sedimentary microorganisms from the northern Gulf of Mexico. In 115th American Society for Microbiology General Meeting. New Orleans, LA : 05/30/15-06/02/15: Poster. openurl
Sun, X., Overholt, W. A., & Kostka, J. E. (2015). Aerobic biodegradation potential of oil hydrocarbons in the water column and deepsea sediments in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2015. Houston, TX : 02/16/15-02/19/15. openurl
Sun, X., Overholt, W. A., Romero, I., Hollander, D. J., & Kostka, J. E. (2015). Oceanographic Parameters Affect Biodegradation Potential In The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico. In 2nd Annual Southeastern Biogeochemistry Symposium. Atlanta, GA : 03/28/15-03/29/15: Poster. openurl

2014

Brooks, G. R., Larson, R. A., Schwing, P. T., Romero, I., Moore, C., Reichart, G. - J., et al. (2014). Sedimentation pulse in the NE Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 DWH blowout. In Ocean Sciences Meeting 2014. Honolulu, HI : 02/23/14-02/28/14: Poster. openurl
Brooks, G. R., Larson, R. A., Schwing, P. T., Romero, I., Moore, C., Reichart, G. - J., et al. (2014). Sedimentation pulse in the NE Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 DWH blowout. In Ocean Sciences Meeting 2014. Honolulu, HI : 02/23/14-02/28/14: Poster. openurl
Brooks, G. R., Larson, R. A., Schwing, P. T., Romero, I., Moore, C., Reichart, G., et al. (2014). Sedimentation pulse in the NE Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 DWH blowout. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2014. Mobile, AL: 01/26/14-01/30/14: Poster. openurl
Huettel, M., Kostka, J. E., Hagan, C., Kaba, J., Wells, B., Overholt, W., et al. (2014). The degradation of hydrocarbons in sandy sediment of the northeastern Gulf. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2014. Mobile, AL: 01/26/14-01/30/14. openurl
Kostka, J. E., Overholt, W., Marks, K., Sun, X., Shin, B., Snell, T., et al. (2014). The response of benthic microbial communities in the Gulf of Mexico to the Deepwater Horizon oil discharge: from shallow coastal sands to the deepsea. In Ocean Sciences Meeting 2014. Honolulu, HI : 02/23/14-02/28/14: Poster. openurl
Larson, R. A., Brooks, G. R., Schwing, P. T., Romero, I., Moore, C., Reichart, G., et al. (2014). Utilizing 234Th as a geochronometer in sediment cores following the 2010 DWH blowout. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2014. Mobile, AL: 01/26/14-01/30/14: Poster. openurl
Overholt, W. (2014). Oil in the beach: The microbial response to hydrocarbons parallels changes in oil chemistry. In FACILIS 2014: A course organized by the US-EU Task Force on Environmental Biotechnology. Milan, Italy : 7/17/2014. openurl
Overholt, W. (2014). The diversity of deep sea sediment microbes in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. In 2014 Deep-C Student Research Symposium. Tallahassee, FL : 09/18/14-09/19/14. openurl
Overholt, W. A., Marks, K. P., Rodriguez-R., L. - M., C. Hagan, C., Kaba, J., Konstantinidis, K., et al. (2014). Oil in the beach: the microbial response to hydrocarbons parallels changes in oil chemistry. In First Annual Southeastern Biogeochemistry Symposium. Atlanta, GA - 04/05/14-04/06/14. openurl
Overholt, W. A., Rodriguez-R, L. M., Marks, K. P., Hagan, C., Kaba, J., Konstantinidis, K., et al. (2014). A succession in microbial populations parallels the evolution of hydrocarbon chemistry in Gulf of Mexico beach sands contaminated by Macondo oil from the Deepwater Horizon discharge. In Ocean Sciences Meeting 2014. Honolulu, HI : 02/23/14-02/28/14. openurl
Riesenfeld, C. S., Jeffrey, W. H., Davis, B., Overholt, W., Kostka, J. E., Lepo, J. E., et al. (2014). Pensacola Beach Surf Zone Microbial Communities Before, During, and After Oil Contamination. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2014. Mobile, AL: 01/26/14-01/30/14: Poster. openurl
Shin, B., Overholt, W. A., Chin, K., & Kostka, J. E. (2014). Anaerobic hydrocarbon-degradation by microorganisms isolated from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In First Annual Southeastern Biogeochemistry Symposium. Atlanta, GA - 04/05/14-04/06/14: Poster. openurl
Sun, X., Overholt, W., & Kostka, J. E. (2014). Aerobic biodegradation potential of oil hydrocarbons in the water column and deepsea sediments. In 2014 Deep-C Student Research Symposium. Tallahassee, FL : 09/18/14-09/19/14. openurl
Sun, X., Overholt, W., Marks, K., Shin, B., Chin, K., & Kostka, J. E. (2014). Aerobic hydrocarbon degradation in deep sea sediments of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. In First Annual Southeastern Biogeochemistry Symposium. Atlanta, GA - 04/05/14-04/06/14: Poster. openurl
Sun, X., Overholt, W., Marks, K., Shin, B., Chin, K., & Kostka, J. E. (2014). Mapping of sedimentary microbial communities and identification of bioindicators for oil degradation in sediments of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2014. Mobile, AL: 01/26/14-01/30/14: Poster. openurl
Wells, W., Huettel, M., Kostka, J. E., Overholt, W., Kaba, J., & Bociu, I. (2014). Influence of buried crude oil and algal material on oxygen consumption in sediments collected along a depth transect through DeSoto Canyon. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2014. Mobile, AL: 01/26/14-01/30/14: Poster. openurl

2013

Hollander, D. J., Brooks, G. R., Larson, R., Romero, I., Schwing, P., Watson, K., et al. (2013). Testing the Mechanisms of Sedimentary Oil Deposition in Deep-Sea. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2013. New Orleans, LA: 01/21/2013-01/23/2013. openurl
Hollander, D. J., Romero, I. C., Schwing, P. T., Larson, R. A., Watson, K., Zenzola, N., et al. (2013). Elucidating the mechanism of sedimentary oil deposition following the Deepwater Horizon blowout event in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. In IMOG (International Meeting of Organic Geochemists). Tenerife, Spain, September 15-20, 2013. url
Kostka, J., Rodriguez, R. L. M., Overholt, W., Lin, X., Marks, K., Konstantinidis, K., et al. (2013). Metagenomic Insights into the Response of Indigenous Microbial Communities in Beach Sands to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. In Goldschmidt International Geochemistry Conference. Florence, Italy, August 25-30, 2013. url

2012

Kostka, J., Huettel, M., Prakash, O., Green, S., Kaba, J., Hagan, C., et al. (2012). The fate of Deepwater Horizon oil in Florida sandy beaches: can oil eating microbes help to clean up the mess? In Ocean Sciences Meeting 2012. Salt Lake City, UT: 02/19/12-02/24/12. url
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