and GOMRIPARTNERSHIP The mission of Sea Grant is to enhance the practical use and conservation of coastal marine and Great Lakes resources in order to create a sustainable economy and university150bas ID: 895323
Download Pdf The PPT/PDF document "THE SEA GRANT" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
1 THE SEA GRANT and G O MRI PARTNERSH
THE SEA GRANT and G O MRI PARTNERSHIP The mission of Sea Grant is to enhance the practical use and conservation of coastal, marine, and Great Lakes resources in order to create a sustainable economy and university–based Sea Grant programs throughout the coastal U.S. These programs are primarily supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the states in which the programs are located. In the immediate aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon spill, BP committed $500
2 million over a 10–year period to c
million over a 10–year period to create the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, or GoMRI. It is an independent research program that studies the effect of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as develops improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization, GoMRI is led by an independent and academic 20–member research board. The Sea Grant oil spill science outreach team identifies the best available science from projects funded by GoMRI and others,
3 and only shares peer- reviewed research
and only shares peer- reviewed research results. gulfseagrant.org DEEPWATER HORIZON: WHERE DID THE OIL GO? Monica Wilson, Larissa Graham, Christine Hale, Emily Maung-Douglass, Stephen Sempier, Tara Skelton, and LaDon Swann During the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, approximately 200 million responders recovered 17 percent directly from the wellhead, releasing 172 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Due to the size and scope of the spill, people wanted to know where the oil would travel.
4 Some oil accumulated at the shoreline,
Some oil accumulated at the shoreline, on the ocean’s surface, and in an underwater plume. Unexpectedly, a portion of the oil also found its way to the seafloor. and its potential impacts on the marine environment. In 2010, a group of scientists developed an oil budget calculator to estimate what happened to the oil and to provide a status update to the Incident Command. Scientists who developed the tool established seven categories to describe the fate of the spilled oil (Figure 1). 1 Texas &#
5 149; Louisiana • Florida Mississipp
149; Louisiana • Florida Mississippi-Alabama For example, responders burned or skimmed some surface oil immediately, but other oil lingered in the environment. The Sea Grant publication Top 5 Frequently Asked Questions about the Deepwater Oil from Deepwater Horizon washes ashore. (NOAA, Dari Knight) Horizon Oil Spill details the following categories: • recovered at the wellhead, • skimmed, • burned, • chemically dispersed, • naturally dispersed, • evaporated or dissol
6 ved, or • unaccounted for. 2 A few
ved, or • unaccounted for. 2 A few points not covered in the original study include the amount of weathering of surface oil. 3 Over time, oil weathers as it interacts with the surrounding environment. It can evaporate, emulsify , naturally disperse, dissolve, or be broken down by microbes (called biodegradation) or the sun. 4,5 The study also did not calculate the amount of oil recovered by the Vessels- of-Opportunity program and the amount that sank to the bottom. 3 OIL AT THE WAT
7 ER’S SURFACE Because oil is less de
ER’S SURFACE Because oil is less dense than water, most spilled oil floats on the water’s surface. Currents, tides, river discharge, waves, and wind can move this surface oil, affecting where it winds up. 8 Scientists use computer models to track the movement of oil at the water’s surface and predict its path. 2 FIGURE 1. Scientists have estimated approximately 11 to 25 percent of the 200 million gallons of oil from Deepwater Horizon is unaccounted for. 1 Recent studies show that thre
8 e to five percent of the total oil made
e to five percent of the total oil made its way onto the seafloor. 20 (Florida Sea Grant/ Anna Hinkeldey) BIODEGRADATION Oil seeps occur naturally in the marine environment, so microorganisms in the ocean have evolved to be able to consume, or eat, oil. In the Gulf of Mexico hundreds of species of microbes such as bacteria, archaea, and fungi degrade oil. This is known as biodegradation. Microbes play a key role in the biodegradation of oil in the ocean and can reduce the overall environmental impa