GoMRI eNews · Jan 7, 2020 · ← 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 7, 2020                                                                    GoMRI eNews

Stories

GoMRI Mourns the Passing of Dr. Ciro V. Sumaya

Sea Grant Publication Describes Technologies for Detecting and Monitoring Marine Oil Spills

Study Demonstrates High School Teaching Method for Oil Spill Science

From the Archives

Study Develops Oil Spill Outflow Calculator for Improved Oil Spill Forecasts

Posted on January 3, 2019
Researchers combined detailed observations, laboratory experiments, and existing numerical models to develop the Texas A&M Oil Spill (Outflow) Calculator (TAMOC) and improve predictions of subsea oil and gas plume dynamics.

Jewels of the Gulf: Deep-sea Coral Educational Video Series

Posted on December 27, 2017
What are deep-sea corals? Why are researchers conducting studies on their health? What type of equipment do scientists use to conduct research at the deep ocean seafloor?

Identifying the “Missing Link” Between River-Induced Fronts and Hydrocarbon Transport

Posted on January 5, 2017
The flow of the Mississippi River into the northern Gulf of Mexico may have caused circulation patterns and fronts that significantly influenced the transport and fate of Deepwater Horizon oil. However, the Gulf’s complex topography and the proximity of variable oceanic currents to the Mississippi Delta make it difficult to monitor and model these processes.

Publications

Study Visualizes Microbial Biofilm Formation and How it Disperses Oil 
Biofilm formation by hydrocarbon-degrading marine bacteria and its effects on oil dispersion. Omarova, M.; Swientoniewski, L.T.; Mkam Tsengam, I.K.; Blake, D.A.; John, V.; McCormick, A.; Bothun, G.D.; Raghavan, S.R.; Bose, A. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2019, 7, 17, 14490-14499

Study Finds Fishing Households Vulnerable to Depressive Symptoms after Oil Spill
Fishing Households, Social Support, and Depression after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Parks, V.; Slack, T.; Ramchand, R.; Drakeford, L.; Finucane, M.L.; Lee, M.R. Rural Sociology, 2019, pp. 1–24 doi:10.1111/ruso.12297

Data

Dataset for: Targeted and Stimulus-Responsive Delivery of Surfactant to the Oil-Water Interface for Applications in Oil Spill Remediation -- data link

Acoustic Scintillation Flow Meter (ASFM) data obtained in the bottom boundary layer near a natural hydrocarbon seep site in the Gulf of Mexico from 2017-09-03 to 2017-09-16 -- data link

Measurements of radium isotopes (224Ra, 228Ra and 226Ra) in water column samples collected aboard R/V Point Sur cruise PS19_14 in the Gulf of Mexico from 2019-01-27 to 2019-01-28 -- data link

Announcements

Latest News! 2020 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference
  • Registration The full conference registration fee covers entry to all conference activities, including workshops, breaks, and breakfast. When registering for the conference, please enter your hotel confirmation number to receive the discount (Marriott Water Street hotel and Barrymore hotel only). 
- Regular $650 ($550 with conference hotel reservation).
- Student $300 ($250 with conference hotel reservation).
- One-day Regular $300 (no hotel reservation required).
- Workshop-Only $250 (attendance only at a workshop and not any part of the conference).
- Onsite registration will be available subject to a $50 late fee

Project Activities

CARMMHA Researchers Attend World Marine Mammal Conference
Consortium members presented eighteen posters and presentations at this year’s conference in Barcelona, Spain. View the full list of CARMMHA’s presentation and posters here.

CARMMHA x Girl Scout Collaboration Generates K-12 Curriculum
The partnership aims to foster young girls’ interest in STEM via a patch focusing on oil’s impacts to marine mammals and has already reached 1,100 Girl Scouts and students. The team created a K-12 lesson plan and educational activities, including coloring pages and worksheets, that can be used in conjunction with the two-hour workshop or independently. Free copies of the materials are available for download here.
 
CARTHE Word Cloud Characterizes Nearly 200 Publications
A recent social media post depicted a word cloud of terms used in 195 CARTHE publications. The five most prominent terms were, in no order, “Ocean,” “Gulf,” “surface,” “Mexico,” and “transport.” Check out the visualization here!