GoMRI eNews · Jul 24, 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.

July 24, 2018                                                                    GoMRI eNews

Stories

GoMRI Mourns the Passing of Dr. John “Wes” Tunnell

It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Dr. John “Wes” Tunnell passed away on Saturday, July 14, 2018, after battling cancer. Tunnell was a marine ecology and biology professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and an early orchestrator of the Harte Research Institute (HRI) for Gulf of Mexico studies.

Workshops Enhance Genetic Sequence Library for Benthic Marine Organisms

Nearly 100 scientists and researchers, including taxonomic and bioinformatics specialists, representing forty academic and research institutions, participated in genomics workshops held at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi.

Grad Student Richards Uses Fish Muscle Tissue to Explore Deep-Sea Food Web Structure

The deep-pelagic habitat (200 m depth to just above the seabed) is the largest habitat in the Gulf of Mexico, yet we know very little about it compared to coastal and shallow-water habitats.

Study Describes Design and Testing of an Effective Biodegradable Ocean Drifter

Scientists detailed how they designed and tested an ocean drifter that tracks and measures shallow-depth (0.60 m) surface currents. The final version, called the CARTHE drifter, is made from a polymer produced by bacteria fed with corn sugar.

From the Archives

Science at Sea: U.S. and Cuban Scientists Collaborate in Historic OneGulf Expedition

Posted on July 20, 2017
Gulf-wide baseline for oil pollution monitoring complete! Marine scientists advanced academic relations between the U.S. and Cuba during an 18-day research expedition (May 8-25) off the northwest coast of the island nation.

Study Investigates Oil Spill Impacts and Recovery of Salt Marsh Fiddler Crab Populations

Posted on July 20, 2016
Scientists conducted a meta-analysis of Gulf of Mexico fiddler crab data across multiple years, sites, and studies to examine if the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacted the crabs’ size, abundance, and population composition.

Capping Off the First Five Years of Scientific Research

Posted on July 15, 2015
Oil Spill Research Makes Great Strides with Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Funding

Publications
Study Finds Oil Exposure Has No Wide-scale Detrimental Outcomes for Fish Tolerance of Hypoxia
The effects of oil induced respiratory impairment on two indices of hypoxia tolerance in Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus). Pan, Y.K.; Khursigara, A.J.; Johansen, J.L.; Esbaugh, A.J. Chemosphere, Volume 200, June 2018, Pages 143-150

Study Finds Seaside Sparrows with Elevated Gene Expression Involved in PAH Metabolism
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in seaside sparrows (Ammodramus maritimus) following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Perez-Umphrey, A.A.; Bergeon Burns, C.M.; Stouffer, P.C.; Woltmann, S.; Taylor, S.S. Science of the Total Environment, Volume 630, 15 July 2018, Pages 1086-1094

Data
Acetate oxidation and assimilation rates measured by radiotracer assays in oil the northern Gulf of Mexico water column -- data link

Marsh Invertebrate (Littoraria irrorata and Uca spp.) Density Data from 21 Sites with Varying Levels of Oil, 2017 -- data link​

Snapshots of simulated buoyant particles in the ocean surface boundary layer -- data link

Announcements
 
2019 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference Upcoming Dates
Abstract submissions and conference registration will start in mid-August.

2018 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference Archives Available
The conference report is available here, oil presentations abstracts are available here, and poster abstracts are available here.

Project Activities
CARMMHA Completes First Field Effort in Sarasota Bay
Researchers recently conducted a health assessment of Sarasota Bay dolphins. This population has been studied for 48 years and did not receive oiling during Deepwater Horizon, making them an ideal reference population for comparison with oiled populations. Read about the details of this effort here.
 
C-IMAGE “The Loop” Episodes Now Available in Spanish
Spanish-language transcripts for episodes 1, 2, 7, and 9 are now available for download on the C-IMAGE website. These episodes detail the C-IMAGE consortium, the annual Mud & Blood research cruises, Ixtoc-I research, and the spill’s risks for fish.
 
CRGC Researchers Present at Natural Hazards Research Center
The Center’s 2018 Researchers Meeting focused on improving rapid reconnaissance research, research coordination, and data practices. Consortium researchers presented their findings about the long-term mental and behavioral effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Gulf Coast residents.
 
RECOVER PI Receives Excellence Award from American Fisheries Society
The Physiology Section of the American Fisheries Society recently awarded Dr. Martin Grosell the 2018 Award of Excellence. Grosell was a plenary speaker at the group’s 13th International Congress on the Biology of Fish, where he discussed integrative and comparative fish physiology.