Water contact advisory issued from Gulfport to Ocean Springs
WLOX
GULF OF MEXICO (WLOX) -Officials with MDEQ have issued a water contact
advisory for a large portion of the Gulf Coast.
http://www.wlox.com/story/28839030/officials-with-mdeq-have-issued-a-water-contact-advisory
Will mayor's emergency plan hold water?
Clarion Ledger
Ninety-three precautionary boil water notices have been issued so
far this year, mostly as a result of leaks in the city's aging water
lines.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/04/18/aging-water-pipes-lead-jacksons-boil-water-notices/25997523/
Household Hazardous Waste Day A Success
WTOK
Meridian, Miss. Saturday was household(Embedded image moved to file:
pic15724.jpg) hazardous waste day in Meridian and the city says there was a
big turnout.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Household-Hazardous-Waste-Day-A-Success-300552501.html
Residents take advantage of hazardous waste day
By William Moore
Daily Journal
VERONA – A steady stream of cars, trucks and trailers pulled into the Lee
County Agri-Center on Saturday to take full advantage of the annual
Household Hazardous Waste Day.
http://djournal.com/news/residents-take-advantage-of-hazardous-waste-day/
Ross Barnett Reservoir adopts user fee
Clarion Ledger
Boaters on Ross Barnett Reservoir could soon be required to pay a
user fee. At its Thursday night meeting, the Pearl River Valley
Water Supply District Board of Directors approved a plan to collect
a user fee from boaters to place in a special fund that would solely
be used for recreational enhancements.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/04/17/barnett-reservoir-adopts-user-fee/25948527/
Oil Spill
Coast still waiting for oil spill recovery money
Clarion Ledger
WASHINGTON – Five years after the massive BP Deepwater Horizon oil
spill, Gulf Coast communities are still waiting for the billions
promised to help them recover from the nation's worst environmental
disaster.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/04/18/coast-still-waiting-oil-spill-recovery-money/25995825/
Five years later experts still studying effects of BP oil spill
WLOX
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion that occurred on April 20, 2010 not
only triggered an unprecedented contamination of the northern Gulf of
Mexico, but also yielded an unparalleled research effort to gauge the
effects of the massive oil spill.
http://www.wlox.com/story/28842379/five-years-later-experts-still-studying-effects-of-bp-oil-spill
State of oyster industry five years after oil spill
WLOX
Monday, the coast will remember the anniversary of a tragic event that is
still impacting our area.
http://www.wlox.com/story/28840439/state-of-oyster-industry-five-years-after-oil-spill
Commercial fishermen still struggling five years after BP spill
WLOX
Five years after the disaster, commercial fishermen say they're still
feeling the impact of the BP oil spill. A longtime Vietnamese shrimper and
oyster fishermen took invited guests on a boat trip Friday to discuss the
ongoing struggles he faces.
http://www.wlox.com/story/28834657/commercial-fishermen-still-struggling-five-years-after-bp-spill
Help for Fishermen Post BP Oil Spill
WXXV
Fishermen like Tam Hyunh, whose language barriers have made it tougher to
make a comeback after the BP Oil Spill are finding help from the
Mississippi Coalition for Vietnamese Fisher Folk and Families.
http://www.wxxv25.com/news/local/story/Help-for-Fishermen-Post-BP-Oil-Spill/vcLRmkoHbkyEWl9p5h1QMQ.cspx
We're not recovered 5 years after the BP spill, South Mississippi fishermen
say
Sun Herald
BY KAREN NELSON
BILOXI -- For five years, they've come to the shrimp-boat docks around the
anniversary of the BP oil spill to read the names of the dead -- 11 workers
killed on the rig.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/04/17/6181784_were-not-recovered-5-years-after.html?rh=1
Science, law make awkward bedfellows in BP oil spill
Sun Herald
BY KAREN NELSON
So at five years after the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, why is it
some scientists studying its impact can talk to the media but many can't?
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/04/18/6183277_science-law-make-awkward-bedfellows.html?rh=1
FIVE YEARS LATER: SPILL STILL AFFECTS SOME COAST TOURISM
Posted by Evelina Burnett
MPB
Five years ago today, a rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11
workers and set off the worst oil spill in U-S history. In the first part
of a week-long series, MPB's Evelina Burnett looks at how the spill
affected tourism, a key part of the Mississippi coast economy with nearly
$2 billion dollars in visitor spending just last year.
http://www.mpbonline.org/blogs/news/2015/04/20/five-years-later-spill-still-affects-some-coast-tourism/
BP Gulf Oil Spill anniversary 2015: effects on dolphins, birds, turtles,
fish?
The Associated Press
April 17, 2015 at 3:45 PM
From above, five years after the BP well explosion, the Gulf of Mexico
looks clean, green and whole again, teeming with life -- a testament to the
resilience of nature.
But there's more than surface shimmering blue and emerald to the aftermath
of the Deepwater Horizon spill. And it's not as pretty a picture -- nor is
it as clear.
http://www.gulflive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/04/gulf_oil_spill_anniversary_201.html#incart_river
BP oil spill: 5 years later, many environmental effects remain unclear
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
April 19, 2015 at 10:13 AM
The BP oil spill was gushing in late May 2010 when LSU graduate student
Xuan Chen found himself on an Alabama beach collecting acrobat ants.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/04/bp_spills_effects_debated_by_s.html#incart_river
5 Years After BP Oil Spill, Effects Linger And Recovery Is Slow
NPR
Five years ago, BP's out-of-control oil well deep in the Gulf of Mexico
exploded. Eleven workers were killed on the Deepwater Horizon rig. But it
was more than a deadly accident — the blast unleashed the nation's worst
offshore environmental catastrophe.
http://www.npr.org/2015/04/20/400374744/5-years-after-bp-oil-spill-effects-linger-and-recovery-is-slow
On BP oil spill anniversary, trustees and BP announce $134M in proposed
early restoration projects
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
April 20, 2015 at 7:24 AM
Federal and state trustees and BP announced tentative approval of 10 more
natural resource early restoration projects, totaling $134 million, on
Monday (Apr. 20), the 5th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon accident
that killed 11 workers and resulted in the release of 3.19 million barrels
of oil in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/04/trustees_bp_announce
_134_milli.html#incart_most_shared-environment
BP oil spill's 'marine blizzard' coats Gulf floor area 7 times size of New
Orleans, scientist says
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
April 19, 2015 at 10:14 AM
The BP oil spill, which began five years ago Monday (April 20), unleashed a
feeding frenzy for deepwater bacteria that gobbled up a portion of the 3.19
million barrels of crude that flowed -- a welcome natural process that
limited the disaster's effects.
But that gargantuan digestive process has left a nasty result.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/04/marine_blizzard_created_by_eat.html#incart_river
RESTORE Act 101: How BP's billions will reshape the Gulf Coast
Press-Register
Dennis Pillion
April 20, 2015 at 7:04 AM
The RESTORE Act was a hugely important piece of legislation for the Gulf
Coast when it was signed into law in 2012, but understanding exactly what
the law does and how it works is no easy feat. There are helpful flow
charts, full-text documents and FAQs posted on various government sites,
but even those can sometimes confound the senses.
http://www.al.com/news/beaches/index.ssf/2015/04/restore_act_101_how
_bps_billio.html
Five years after BP oil spill, some Gulf oystermen are losing hope
Reuters
Five years after the largest oil spill in U.S. history spewed millions of
gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico, many Louisiana oystermen are
fearful that a once-bountiful population of the mollusks may never recover.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/19/bp-spill-anniversary-idUSL5N0XG0RZ20150419
BP oil spill: In hard-hit oyster areas, concrete mountains rise 5 years
after disaster
Benjamin Alexander-Bloch
Times-Picayune
April 20, 2015 at 7:06 AM
LA 624 runs for a few miles east of Yscloskey in southeastern St. Bernard
Parish, passing Bakers Ditch and the Hopedale Canal before ending nearly
where a rock barrier now closes the old Mississippi River Gulf Outlet.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/04/bp_oil_spill_oyster
_5_years_co.html#incart_river
Environmental groups, Alabama face off over hotel for Gulf State Park
BY MARTIN SWANT
Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Two of Alabama's premier state parks could soon get
their own hotels -- if they can overcome legal battles, budget cuts and
public dissent.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/04/19/6184577/environmental-groups-alabama-face.html
5 years on, empty graves, full hearts for Gulf survivors
BY ALLEN G. BREED
AP
JONESVILLE, LA. — Courtney Kemp was getting dressed for work when husband
Wyatt walked in and sat down. He didn't speak, but she could tell something
was weighing on him.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/04/18/6177349_5-years-on-empty-graves-full-hearts.html?rh=1
BP oil spill: Criminal cases largely unresolved 5 years after Deepwater
Horizon blowout
Andy Grimm
Times-Picayune
April 17, 2015 at 10:14 PM
Five years after the blowout of the Deepwater Horizon caused the death of
11 men and released 3.1 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of
Mexico, some of the world's biggest companies have paid out billions --
and, in the case of BP, have billions more to pay -- to resolve civil
litigation over the oil spill.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/04/bp_oil_spill_criminal_cases_la.html
On BP oil spill anniversary, ex-NOAA director urges major changes in
federal spill contingency plan
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
April 20, 2015 at 6:27 AM
Five years after the BP oil spill, the National Contingency Plan used by
federal agencies to respond to major environmental threats still needs to
be revamped to adjust to the lessons from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster,
said Jane Lubchenco, a marine biologist who ran the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration during the spill.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/04/on_bp_spill_anniversary_former.html#incart_river
5 years after BP spill, drillers keep pushing risk
AP
ON THE GULF OF MEXICO – Five years after the nation's worst offshore
oil spill, the industry is working on drilling even further into the
risky depths beneath the Gulf of Mexico to tap massive deposits once
thought unreachable. Opening this new frontier, miles below the
bottom of the Gulf, requires engineering feats far beyond those used
at BP's much shallower Macondo well.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/04/20/years-bp-spill-drillers-keep-pushing-risk/26055397/
Oil Rigs' Biggest Risk: Human Error
Five years after Deepwater Horizon, new rules and training go only so far
Wall Street Journal
HOUSTON—In a third-floor room of an office building here, a cluster of
equipment mounted with dials, wheels and screens mimics the controls of a
deep-water oil rig so workers can practice reacting to dangerous
situations.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/rig-safety-five-years-after-gulf-spill-1429475868
National
Report: Overfished species making comeback
USA Today
WASHINGTON – U.S. fisheries are on a winning streak.
A new government report Wednesday shows the number of key stocks off
America's coasts have continued to bounce back since 2007, when
Congress imposed catch limits for overfished species.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/04/18/report-overfished-species-making-comeback/26008327/
Opinion
BP oil spill fifth anniversary: Working hard to make the Gulf Coast whole
again
By Sen. Roger Wicker
Published April 20, 2015
FoxNews.com
Exactly five years ago today, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig
killed 11 Americans and set in motion the worst offshore oil spill in U.S.
history. For 87 days, more than three million barrels of crude oil flowed
into the Gulf of Mexico and toward the shores of five states.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/04/20/bp-oil-spill-fifth-anniversary-working-hard-to-make-gulf-coast-whole-again/
Press Releases
Deepwater Horizon Trustees Announce Agreement in Principle for Next 10
Early Restoration Projects
Proposed projects to benefit sea turtles, birds and fish; increase
recreational opportunities; improve nearshore and reef habitats
GULF COAST (April 20, 2015) --- The Deepwater Horizon oil spill Natural
Resource Damage Assessment Trustees (Trustees) today announced another
milestone in Gulf of Mexico early restoration.
The Trustees and BP have identified approximately $134 million in proposed
early restoration projects for inclusion in a draft Phase IV Early
Restoration Plan. Two of the projects would enhance bird nesting habitat,
one project would provide protection to sea turtles and enhance sea turtle
nesting, four projects would improve nearshore and reef habitats, two
projects would increase recreation opportunities on federal lands, and one
project would restore fish. The project names are listed here with
additional information provided at the end of this document:
· Osprey Restoration in Coastal Alabama – Baldwin and Mobile Counties,
Alabama
· Point aux Pins Living Shoreline – Mobile County, Alabama
· Shell Belt and Coden Belt Roads Living Shoreline – Mobile County,
Alabama
· Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge Trail Enhancement – Alabama
· Seagrass Recovery Project at Gulf Islands National Seashore – Florida
District
· Bike and Pedestrian Use Enhancements at Davis Bayou, Gulf Islands
National Seashore – Mississippi District
· Restoring Living Shorelines and Reefs in Mississippi Estuaries –
Coastal Mississippi
· Texas Bird Rookery Islands Project – Galveston Bay and East Matagorda
Bay, Texas
· Sea Turtle Early Restoration Project – Gulf of Mexico
· Pelagic Longline Bycatch Reduction Project – Gulf of Mexico
Early restoration allows the Trustees to jump-start restoration using up to
$1 billion BP has agreed to make available for projects jointly agreed to
by BP and the Trustees. In return, BP's liability is reduced.
The Trustees anticipate including these 10 projects in a draft Phase IV
Early Restoration Plan that will be made available for public review and
comment. Thus far, the Trustees have approved three phases of early
restoration, with a combined total of 54 projects and an estimated cost of
$698 million. If the latest round of identified projects are approved and
funded, approximately $832 million of the $1 billion will be obligated.
More information about the first three phases of early restoration can be
found at www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.
Notification about a draft plan, the public comment period, and public
meeting dates and locations will also be posted when the information
becomes available.
Early restoration is not intended to provide the full extent of restoration
needed to satisfy the Trustees' claims against BP. The Deepwater Horizon
oil spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment and restoration will continue
until the public is fully compensated for the natural resources and
services that were lost as a result of the spill.
The proposed projects are described below:
Osprey Restoration Project in Coastal Alabama – Baldwin and Mobile
Counties, Alabama
The proposed Osprey Restoration in Coastal Alabama project would improve
osprey nesting success by establishing five osprey nesting platforms, with
predator guards on each. The specific locations and design of these nesting
platforms would be developed to maximize project success and meet
regulatory requirements. Five general areas have been identified for the
location of these platforms: the vicinities of Portersville Bay, Dauphin
Island, Fort Morgan, the Little Lagoon area in Gulf Shores and in Gulf
State Park. The estimated cost for this project is $45,000.
Point aux Pins Living Shoreline – Mobile County, Alabama
The proposed Point aux Pins Living Shoreline project would reduce shoreline
erosion, promote colonization of marsh vegetation, and create habitat for
oysters, shrimp, crabs, fish, and other marine animals in coastal Alabama.
The living shoreline would be constructed by placing structures designed to
reduce wave energy parallel to the shore near Bayou la Batre, at Point aux
Pins. The living shoreline would be located adjacent to an existing living
shoreline project implemented by the Alabama Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources. The estimated cost for this project is $2,300,000.
Shell Belt and Coden Belt Roads Living Shoreline – Mobile County, Alabama
The proposed Shell Belt and Coden Belt Roads Living Shoreline project would
promote colonization of marsh vegetation and create habitat for oysters,
shrimp, crabs, fish, and other marine animals in coastal Alabama. The
living shoreline would be constructed by placing structures designed to
reduce wave energy parallel to shore near Shell Belt and Coden Belt roads
in south Mobile County. Marsh grasses would be planted between the
constructed breakwaters and the shoreline. The breakwaters, while providing
habitat themselves, would also reduce wave energy and support the
establishment of the planted grasses. The estimated cost for this project
is $8,050,000.
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge Trail Enhancement Project – Alabama
The proposed Jeff Friend Trail renovation project at Bon Secour National
Wildlife Refuge would address lost recreational use on Department of
Interior lands in Alabama. This trail has been a popular destination with
winter visitors and local schools since it was built 10 years ago. The
project would rebuild the rapidly-aging boardwalk and gravel trail and
improve access from the existing parking area. The trail provides
convenient access to mature maritime forest and the shores of Little
Lagoon. The estimated cost for this project is $545,110.
Seagrass Recovery Project at Gulf Islands National Seashore – Florida
District
The proposed seagrass recovery project at Gulf Islands National Seashore�
��s
Florida District would restore shallow seagrass beds in the Florida
panhandle. It would restore .02 acres of propeller scars and/or blow holes,
primarily in turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) habitats. Seagrass
communities are essential breeding, rearing, and feeding grounds for many
important recreational and commercial fisheries as well as wildlife,
including the endangered West Indian manatee and various species of sea
turtles. The project would be located on the southside of the Naval Live
Oaks Preserve in Santa Rosa Sound, Santa Rosa County. The estimated cost
for this project is $136,700.
Bike and Pedestrian Use Enhancements at Davis Bayou, Gulf Islands National
Seashore – Mississippi District
This proposed project would address lost recreational use on Department of
Interior lands in Mississippi by enhancing visitor recreational experiences
at Davis Bayou Unit of the National Park Service's Gulf Island National
Seashore in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. This park has been surrounded by
residential development for decades, and its interior road system is used
daily as a shortcut by neighboring residents. There is limited space along
the park's roadway for use by pedestrians, joggers, and bicyclists. The
roadway would be enhanced for such use within the park. The estimated cost
for this project is $6,967,000.
Restoring Living Shorelines and Reefs in Mississippi Estuaries – Coastal
Mississippi
The proposed Restoring Living Shorelines and Reefs in Mississippi Estuaries
project would restore intertidal and subtidal reefs and use living
shoreline techniques in four bays. Projects are proposed in Grand Bay,
Graveline Bay, Back Bay of Biloxi and vicinity, and St. Louis Bay, all
located in Jackson, Harrison, and Hancock counties.
The proposed project would provide for the construction of more than four
miles of breakwaters, five acres of intertidal reef habitat and 267 acres
of subtidal reef habitat at eight locations across the Mississippi Gulf
Coast. The estimated cost for this project is $30,000,000.
Texas Bird Rookery Islands Project – Galveston Bay and East Matagorda Bay,
Texas
The proposed Texas Rookery Islands project would restore and protect three
islands in Galveston Bay and one island in East Matagorda Bay within Big
Boggy National Wildlife Refuge using coastal engineering techniques to
construct protective features like rock breakwaters or armoring, which
would increase nesting habitat on the islands. The goal is to enhance
nesting of colonial waterbirds by increasing the quantity, quality, and
longevity of available nesting habitat. This would benefit brown pelicans,
gulls, royal and sandwich terns, and wading birds such as great blue
herons, roseate spoonbills, reddish egrets, great egrets, snowy egrets,
tricolored herons, and black-crowned night herons. The estimated cost for
this project is $20,603,770.
Sea Turtle Early Restoration Project – Gulf of Mexico
This proposed 10-year project includes: increasing Kemp's ridley sea turtle
nest detection and nesting success through additional staff, training, and
equipment in Texas and Mexico; adding two cabins and two nesting corrals at
the National Park Service's Padre Island National Seashore; enhancing the
Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network and developing a formal Emergency
Response Program; expanding Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawl bycatch reduction
efforts by adding observer sea-days to increase monitoring of sea turtle
bycatch in commercial shrimp trawls and expanding education and outreach
efforts to encourage fisher compliance with existing federal turtle
excluder device regulations; and enhancing Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department fisheries bycatch enforcement in Texas state waters during the
Gulf shrimp season. The total estimated cost for this project is
$45,000,000.
Pelagic Longline Bycatch Reduction Project – Gulf of Mexico
The goal of the proposed Pelagic Longline Bycatch Reduction Project is to
restore open-ocean (pelagic) fish that were affected by the spill. The Gulf
pelagic longline (PLL) fishery primarily targets yellowfin tuna and
swordfish, but incidental catches and discards of other fish, including
marlin, sharks, bluefin tuna, and smaller individuals of the target
species. The project aims to reduce the number of fish accidentally caught
and killed in fishing gear by compensating PLL fishermen who agree to
voluntarily refrain from PLL fishing in the Gulf during an annual six-
month repose period that coincides with the bluefin tuna spawning season.
The project would also provide participating fishermen with two alternative
gear types to allow for the continued harvest of yellowfin tuna and
swordfish during the repose period when PLL gear is not used. The estimated
cost for this project is $20,000,000.
(Embedded image moved to file: pic11478.jpg)
Southern Miss maintains vigorous research five years after BP oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion that occurred on April 20, 2010 not
only triggered an unprecedented contamination of the northern Gulf of
Mexico, but also yielded an unparalleled research effort to gauge the
effects of the massive oil spill.
Five years after the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history,
scientists at The University of Southern Mississippi continue to lead the
way in mapping and analyzing the oil spill's effects on the Gulf waters'
fragile ecosystem.
"I don't think anyone involved in the aftermath of this disaster really
understood the magnitude of what took place. It wasn't the sort of thing
you could imagine happening," said Dr. Monty Graham, chair of the
Department of Marine Science at Southern Miss. "Nobody has completely
wrapped his or her arms around everything associated with the oil spill.
Five years later we are still making new discoveries tied to the spill, and
this will most likely continue for decades to come."
The British Petroleum-leased Deepwater Horizon platform was drilling
approximately 50 miles southeast of the Louisiana coast when an explosion
and subsequent fire destroyed the rig. Eleven people died in the blast and
17 others were injured. The explosion ruptured a well beneath the water's
surface, creating an oil leak that lasted 87 days. More than 200 million
gallons of crude oil was pumped into the Gulf of Mexico, affecting 16,000
total miles of coastline from Florida to Texas.
Almost immediately USM scientists from the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
(GCRL) and Stennis Space Center began investigating and processing the
damage caused by the spill. Less than two weeks after the disaster, the
University assembled an Oil Spill Response Team to coordinate the
University's efforts in monitoring the spill's repercussions.
"USM has been at the forefront of the oil spill research almost since day
one," said Dr. Read Hendon, director of the Center for Fisheries Research
and Development at GCRL. "Having the northern Gulf of Mexico quite
literally in our own backyard positioned us strategically and practically
to be a lead institution in studying the spill.
"That, coupled with USM's diverse range of expertise in marine and coastal
sciences, has allowed the University to serve a prominent role in this
process over the last five years. That role will continue, and likely
expand, in the coming years as we strengthen our scientific capacity along
the Mississippi Gulf Coast."
Hendon points out that Southern Miss scientists have secured funding to
study the spill's effects from a variety of sources, including: the
National Science Foundation Rapid Response Program, the Gulf of Mexico
Research Initiative, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Gulf
Environmental Benefit Fund, and the Natural Resources Damage Assessment �
��
at both the state and federal levels.
Southern Miss faculty members have published dozens of peer-reviewed papers
related to the oil spill and many of those have been cited numerous times.
A paper submitted by Dr. Arne Diercks, assistant research professor in the
Department of Marine Science, (Diercks, A.R., R.C. Highsmith, V.L. Asper,
D. Joung, Z. Zhou, L. Guo, A.M. Shiller, S.B. Joye, A.P. Teske, N.
Guinasso, T.L. Wade, and S.E. Lohrenz, 2010. Characterization of subsurface
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at the Deepwater Horizon site. Geophysical
Research Letters 37: L20602, doi:10.1029/2010GL045046.) was the first to
document the submerged plume of oil/gas deep beneath the ocean surface. The
Diercks et al. paper has been cited more than 90 times in the past five
years.
"There has been considerable USM research that examined the fate of the
oil/gas that was dispersed," said Dr. Alan Shiller, director of the Center
for Trace Analysis in the Department of Marine Science. "This included
papers examining the microbial bloom which consumed the submerged gas
plume, nutrient distributions that may have controlled the microbial bloom,
and carbon isotopes in plants and animals as indicators of what became of
the hydrocarbons that were metabolized."
Continued monitoring and research of the spill led to the formation of the
Center for Gulf Studies (CGS) in 2013. The Center serves as a focal point
for new, long-term research and socioeconomic initiatives along the
northern Gulf of Mexico.
Dr. Jessie Kastler, coordinator of program development at GCRL's Marine
Education Center, notes that multiple types of research are continuing.
Among those:
Lab and field and modeling studiesOrganism life histories and molecular
responses to oilWater movement on both large scales across the Gulf and
small scales of water drops at the sea surfaceDispersant interactions with
oil and waterDevelopment of safer materials to disperse oil in future
spills"In addition to learning much about oil behavior as a result of
physical ocean processes and impacts on organisms from the tiniest plankton
through the largest fish and mammals, researchers are constantly developing
new tools and techniques to study those impacts," said Kastler. �
��These
studies will continue for years to learn specific pieces of information
that will be joined to draw a complete picture of how the Gulf and its
organisms responded to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill."
The University added a significant tool to its Gulf research arsenal
earlier this year with the purchase of the Point Sur Research Vessel from
San Jose State University. The 135-foot Point Sur Vessel was built in 1980.
It can accommodate 13 researchers and technicians, and a crew of eight. For
day cruises, it has a capacity of 40 researchers. The main deck covers
1,100 square feet and includes a primary laboratory and wet laboratory. It
reached the Port of Gulfport last month and will be permanently docked
there.
"I can tell you that we would not have been able to obtain a research
vessel of this stature if the BP oil spill had not occurred," said Graham.
"Because more attention was being paid to the Gulf, additional resources
became available and we were able to get the Point Sur here. The research
capability of this vessel and possibilities for exploration are truly
endless. Having the Point Sur at our disposal expands the reach of our oil
spill study and further elevates the University as a research leader.�
�
No one could have accurately predicted the devastating oil spill that
saturated the northern Gulf of Mexico five years ago. Just as no scientist
or researcher can succinctly predict the ultimate outcome for life affected
above and below the Gulf waters.
"I think the real lesson that most have learned from this disaster is that
there is so much basic information about our coastal and marine ecosystems
that we still do not know," said Hendon.
Echoed Graham: "The oil spill was a watershed moment for the University. It
has provided the most extraordinary teaching and learning opportunity that
you can imagine. The oil spill – better than anything – connected people to
the northern Gulf. Lives are still being impacted by the spill, and we
remain committed to studying those impacts as the recognized leader in Gulf
Coast marine science."
