Article
Environmental Sciences
Robyn N. Conmy, Alexander Hall, Devi Sundaravadivelu, Blake A. Schaeffer, Andrew R. Murray
Summary: Tracking the subsea oil plume during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was conducted using both in situ fluorescence and discrete sample chemical analyses. Discrete samples provided a coarse picture of the oil plume footprint, while in situ fluorescence data improved the resolution. Through analysis of millions of continuous data points, fluorescence was found to serve as a proxy for BTEX concentration.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
C. H. Ainsworth, E. P. Chassignet, D. French-McCay, C. J. Beegle-Krause, I. Berenshtein, J. Englehardt, T. Fiddaman, H. Huang, M. Huettel, D. Justic, V. H. Kourafalou, Y. Liu, C. Mauritzen, S. Murawski, S. Morey, T. Ozgokmen, C. B. Paris, J. Ruzicka, S. Saul, J. Shepherd, S. Socolofsky, H. Solo Gabriele, T. Sutton, R. H. Weisberg, C. Wilson, L. Zheng, Y. Zheng
Summary: The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GOMRI) has conducted in-depth studies on the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill from various perspectives and recently assessed the program's accomplishments. By compiling 330 published applications and focusing on modeling efforts, GOMRI has made significant advancements in integrating diverse disciplines and domains. Various modeling tools have been utilized, with a focus on circulation models coupled with other environmental factors to track the fate of oil and its impact on ecosystems and human health.
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kendra L. Daly, Andrew Remsen, Dawn M. Outram, Heather Broadbent, Kurt Kramer, Kate Dubickas
Summary: This study evaluated the resilience of the zooplankton community to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the northeast Gulf of Mexico and found that there was no long-term impact from the oil spill. Instead, environmental variability and riverine processes strongly influenced zooplankton community dynamics.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Uta Passow, Edward B. Overton
Summary: The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the largest and deepest oil accident in US waters, with significant impacts on the marine ecosystem. The released oil underwent various mechanisms, including biodegradation, to transform and disperse, with some sedimenting onto the seafloor. Further research efforts have greatly increased our understanding of the fate of spilled oil, focusing on factors such as photooxidation, microbial communities, and marine oil snow formation.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE, VOL 13, 2021
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Scott Zengel, Nicolle Rutherford, Brittany M. Bernik, Jennifer Weaver, Mengni Zhang, Zachary Nixon, Jacqueline Michel
Summary: The study found that mechanical treatment coupled with vegetation planting in heavily oiled salt marshes showed the most improvement in oiling conditions and vegetation recovery compared to untreated areas or those with mechanical treatment only. This approach was most effective in re-establishing vegetation cover and dominant plant species composition approaching reference conditions.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Deborah P. French-McCay, Malcolm L. Spaulding, Deborah Crowley, Daniel Mendelsohn, Jeremy Fontenault, Matthew Horn
Summary: Modeling was used to analyze the trajectory and fate of oil released during the Deepwater Horizon blowout, with results closely matching estimates from remote sensing data, indicating reliability in evaluating environmental exposure in the water column and at the water surface.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Deborah P. French-McCay, Hilary Robinson, Michael Bock, Deborah Crowley, Paul Schuler, Jill J. Rowe
Summary: This study examines the effectiveness of subsea dispersant injection (SSDI) during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and evaluates the potential alternatives if dispersants were not used or used more aggressively. The results show that the actual use of SSDI reduced risk to varying degrees, but more effective use of dispersants could have significantly reduced exposures and relative risks across the ecosystem.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Edward B. Overton, Puspa L. Adhikari, Jagos R. Radovic, Uta Passow
Summary: The initial bulk and compound specific composition of the liquid oil spilled during the Deepwater Horizon disaster and the changes in its composition due to weathering are described in this paper. The study highlights the different types of hydrocarbon compounds and their levels of degradation in various environmental compartments.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hristina Denic-Roberts, Nicole Rowley, Mark C. Haigney, Kate Christenbury, John Barrett, Dana L. Thomas, Lawrence S. Engel, Jennifer A. Rusiecki
Summary: The study found that USCG responders involved in oil spill clean-up were at higher risk for acute and longer-term cardiovascular symptoms/conditions, with greater risks associated with exposure to crude oil and oil dispersants.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Larissa Montas, Alesia C. Ferguson, Kristina D. Mena, Helena M. Solo-Gabriele, Claire B. Paris
Summary: This study estimated the age-at-sea of weathered oil slicks using a modeling system and used this information to interpret PAH concentration measurements. The study found that the mean percent depletion of PAHs increased with estimated age-at-sea. Alkylated PAHs showed less depletion compared to parent PAHs.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Brandi S. Echols
Summary: This study aimed to quantitatively determine the toxicity of oil remaining in sediment from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and found that less than 13% of toxicity tests on benthic species showed toxicity. There was no clear relationship between toxicity test results, oiling category, or measured total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Scott Zengel, Jennifer Weaver, Irving A. Mendelssohn, Sean A. Graham, Qianxin Lin, Mark W. Hester, Jonathan M. Willis, Brian R. Silliman, John W. Fleeger, Giovanna McClenachan, Nancy N. Rabalais, R. Eugene Turner, A. Randall Hughes, Just Cebrian, Donald R. Deis, Nicolle Rutherford, Brian J. Roberts
Summary: The Deepwater Horizon oil spill had multiyear impacts on salt marsh vegetation, with most plant metrics showing significant reductions and requiring three years or longer for recovery. Concerningly, belowground biomass declined over time and may have long-term impacts on ecosystem processes and associated species. Full recovery is likely to exceed 10 years, particularly in heavily oiled marshes.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cynthia R. Smith, Teresa K. Rowles, Forrest M. Gomez, Marina Ivancic, Kathleen M. Colegrove, Ryan Takeshita, Forrest I. Townsend, Eric S. Zolman, Jeanine S. Morey, Veronica Cendejas, Jennifer M. Meegan, Whitney Musser, Todd R. Speakman, Ashley Barratclough, Randall S. Wells, Lori H. Schwacke
Summary: The Deepwater Horizon disaster had a significant impact on the lung health of common bottlenose dolphins in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The dolphins living within the oil spill footprint showed a higher prevalence of moderate to severe lung disease compared to the dolphins in the uncontaminated area. The presence of lung disease remained persistent and potentially worsened over the years after the spill.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jesse A. Fallon, Christopher Goodchild, Sarah E. DuRant, Thomas Cecere, D. Phillip Sponenberg, William A. Hopkins
Summary: Exposure to crude oil can cause various pathological effects in birds, but not all species develop Heinz bodies or anemia. In a study on zebra finches, high doses of oil led to increased reticulocyte percentage and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, as well as inflammation and lymphocyte proliferation, but no Heinz bodies were found. Further research is needed to understand factors contributing to anemia resulting from oil exposure in birds.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marieh Arekhi, Leigh G. Terry, Gerald F. John, T. Prabhakar Clement
Summary: This study investigated the long-term fate of three groups of petroleum biomarker compounds in Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill residues collected from Alabama beaches over a 10-year period. The results showed that some compounds degraded over time, while others remained recalcitrant. Despite some degradation, the relative diagnostic ratios of the biomarkers remained stable over the 10-year period, providing valuable insights for future studies on the long-term environmental impacts of oil spill residues.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
