Charlie Main will be giving a practice talk for her upcoming presentation as part of the NOC Marine Life Talk lecutre series
Ecosystem effects of
deep-water oil well blowouts
Deep-water oil well
blowouts can bring large quantities of hydrocarbons into contact with the
seabed and hence the deep-sea ecosystem. Scientists saw this when substantial
quantities of oil were observed on the deep seafloor and also measured in the
water following the Deepwater Horizon spill (Gulf of Mexico). Such events
result in unknown impacts on the way deep-sea organisms interact with
their environment, in other words, on ecosystem function. Estimating and
quantifying impacts of large-scale environmental disturbances is necessary to
fully resolve our understanding of pollution effects on processes in the
deep-sea.
How can we predict
potential effects of large, deep-sea oil spills in other areas of concern where
deep-water drilling is happening? This talk will describe some interesting
findings from the Gulf of Mexico spill that are shaping my PhD research here at
the NOC. My own work is aimed at producing quantified estimates of the effects
of oil on deep-sea ecosystem function. My methods include measuring oxygen usage (and hence carbon transfer) by living organisms in lab experiments
and in the field. This is
complemented by novel applications of existing computer models to aid
prediction.
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