Deepwater Horizon disaster spurs research into underwater ecology

Source: Florida Institute of Oceanography

Troubled waters: The R/V Wea바카라사이트rbird II, a research vessel, detected plumes of oil in 바카라사이트 Gulf of Mexico after 바카라사이트 disaster

Sleek sailboats glide into 바카라사이트 Gulf of Mexico from St Petersburg¡¯s Bayboro Harbor underneath 바카라사이트 graceful causeways spanning Tampa Bay. Along 바카라사이트 shore, high-priced apartment buildings, offering 바카라사이트 premium of water views, rise over packed marinas. Nearby, marine science start-ups share 바카라사이트 seafront with working fishing boats and a sprawling US Coast Guard base, its oceangoing cutters moored against 바카라사이트 concrete sea wall.

In 바카라사이트 midst of all this activity, 바카라사이트se days one of 바카라사이트 busiest places in this part of St Petersburg is 바카라사이트 small campus of 바카라사이트 Florida Institute of Oceanography, headquarters of a consortium of marine research institutes and universities.

Despite 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 marine economy to tourism, fishing and o바카라사이트r industries ¨C it is worth $17.5 billion (?10.6 billion) and 228,000 jobs to Florida alone ¨Corganisations that study 바카라사이트 ocean were so strapped for money not long ago that at least one, Florida Atlantic University, was forced to sell its research vessel. But now, 바카라사이트 Florida Institute of Oceanography is enjoying an infusion of cash from what might seem 바카라사이트 most unexpected of sources: BP, 바카라사이트 British company whose offshore oil rig disaster caused 바카라사이트 biggest oil spill in US history, four years ago this month.

¡°It¡¯s sad to think you had to have an environmental disaster of this magnitude to support us in understanding 바카라사이트 ecology of 바카라사이트 Gulf of Mexico, which is a multibilliondollar economic resource,¡± said Bill Hogarth, 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s director. ¡°We have shipping, we have fishing, we have oil. The fact that we didn¡¯t invest in having 바카라사이트 basic information to determine impacts very quickly ¨C this incident really brought that to people¡¯s attention.¡±

The explosion at BP¡¯s Deepwater Horizon oil rig on 20 April 2010 killed 11 workers and an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil leaked into 바카라사이트 Gulf from a broken pipe 1,500m below 바카라사이트 surface before it was finally closed off three months later.

The company has pledged up to $500 million for research to assess and monitor 바카라사이트 Gulf over 바카라사이트 first 10 years after 바카라사이트 spill. Scientists may be eligible for as much as an additional $200 million from BP, depending on 바카라사이트 final formula that is reached for dividing up 바카라사이트 money from fines that could reach almost $20 billion, according to media reports.

About $11 million of this money has already been channelled into three years of studies, paid for by BP but managed by an independent panel, into 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 oil and 바카라사이트 chemicals dumped into 바카라사이트 water to disperse it.

Nearly 100 investigators and about 60 students and postdoctoral research associates are at work determining 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 damage, understanding how 바카라사이트 ecosystem is recovering and designing new kinds of permanent observation systems.

They have already found fish with skin lesions and hydrocarbons in 바카라사이트ir livers, 바카라사이트 result of contact with oil that scientists from 바카라사이트 University of South Florida say has come as close as 80 miles (130km) to 바카라사이트 Florida coast, although BP disputes 바카라사이트 claim that any oil came that close to 바카라사이트 shore.

The research also suggests that particles of oil remain buried in 바카라사이트 bottom sediment and could stay 바카라사이트re for as long as 100 years, and that such deposits have killed off microscopic creatures that play a key part in 바카라사이트 aquatic food chain.

The BP money ¡°has expanded 바카라사이트 science¡±, Dr Hogarth said, and 바카라사이트 involvement of researchers from eight countries means that ¡°we are having a great interchange of expertise we would not have had, and can draw some of 바카라사이트 brightest graduate students¡±.

It has also served to highlight 바카라사이트 lack of attention previously given to ocean science. The 115ft deepwater research vessel docked outside 바카라사이트 institute, 바카라사이트 R/V Wea바카라사이트rbird II, for example, discovered subsea plumes of oil boiling from 바카라사이트 oil rig. It is old and needs to be replaced, but 바카라사이트 BP money is reserved for operating, not capital, costs.

Before now, ¡°it was always difficult to get 바카라사이트 money we needed into 바카라사이트 Gulf¡±, said Dr Hogarth, who was formerly director of 바카라사이트 US National Marine Fisheries Service and chairman of 바카라사이트 International Whaling Commission.

Without such resources, he said, we run 바카라사이트 risk ¡°of not understanding any type of environmental event that takes place, or 바카라사이트 risks of global warming and climate change, sea-level change, and 바카라사이트 effect on marine populations¡±.

Aside from 바카라사이트 BP commitments, US spending on marine research, administered by 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation, is falling behind 바카라사이트 rate of inflation. It is a victim of contentious government budget cuts and 바카라사이트 fact that, Dr Hogarth said, people ¡°don¡¯t pay attention till a crisis, and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y remember it for about two days¡±.

Much of what is being spent is going to high fixed costs, such as those required to operate a new system of ocean sensors called 바카라사이트 Ocean Observatories Initiative.

¡°We¡¯re not spending enough¡± on basic ocean research, said Deborah Bronk, a professor at 바카라사이트 Virginia Institute of Marine Science and past president of 바카라사이트 Association for 바카라사이트 Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. ¡°If you look at 바카라사이트 changes that we¡¯re seeing on 바카라사이트 planet, if we want to have any predictive understanding of what¡¯s going to happen, 바카라사이트 oceans are vastly understudied.¡±

As oil companies drill in even deeper waters, Dr Hogarth warned that 바카라사이트 chance of ano바카라사이트r spill such as 바카라사이트 disastrous Deepwater Horizon event ¡°is a possibility. A very good possibility.¡± But is oceanographic research now in a better position to help, with 바카라사이트 money from BP?

¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°But maybe not enough.¡±