Project: RAPID Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Deep pelagic and benthic impacts of the oil spill

During late spring and summer of 2010, the Northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) was exposed to an oil spill different in magnitude and scope from any previous spill. The Deepwater Horizon, an ultra-deep, offshore drilling platform, began working GoM oil fields in 2001. While working a well in Mississippi Canyon on April 20, 2010, a bolus of methane gas ascended the drill pipe and exploded at the surface. Two days later the platform sank and since then, substantial quantities of oil and gas have leaked from the damaged wellhead. This work addressed the offshore oceanic impacts of the BP spill.

Sediment microbial mediated processes are capable of oxidizing oil and methane in the environment. The PI's examined the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on microbially mediated processes in the deep waters and sediments in the vicinity of the spill site. The work complemented several funded or planned geochemical and microbiological sampling programs focused on the oil spill response. PI's evaluated rates of water column methane oxidation and sediment sulfate reduction and methanogenesis at multiple sites around the spill site. Additional experiments quantified the impact of nutrients, oxygen and substrate concentrations on these important microbially mediated processes.

The Joye group participated in six research cruises during 2010 and received samples from another six cruises from the study area. On all cruises, water samples were collected using a CTD rosette and Niskin or Go-Flo bottles. Sediment samples were obtained by box coring, multi-coring, or using the manned submersible ALVIN.

The PI's extended the monitoring/assessment program that was initiated through the NOAA National Institute of Undersea Science and Technology (NIUST) funded cruise and further leveraged by NOAA/NIUST (cruises in July 2010, October 2010) by conducting three major expeditions in 2010. This RAPID project directly supported the PI's efforts for cruises in May/June 2010 (NSF Joye chief scientist); August 2010 (NSF Montoya, chief scientist); November/December 2010 (NSF Joye chief scientist); and July 2011 (NSF Montoya, chief scientist)