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Background: Coral-associated microbiomes vary greatly between colonies and localities with functional consequences on the host. However, the full extent of variability across the ranges of most coral species remains unknown, especially for corals living in deep waters which span greater ranges. Here, we characterized the microbiomes of four octocoral species from mesophotic and bathyal deep-sea habitats in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Muricea pendula, Swiftia exserta, Callogorgia delta, and Paramuricea biscaya, using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. We sampled extensively across their ranges to test for microbiome differentiation between and within species, examining the influence of environmental factors that vary with depth (53–2224 m) and geographic location (over 680 m) as well as the host coral's genotype using RAD-sequencing. Results: Coral microbiomes were often dominated by amplicon sequence variants whose abundances varied across their hosts' ranges, including symbiotic taxa: corallicolids, Endozoicomonas, members of the Mollicutes, and the BD1-7 clade. Coral species, depth, and geographic location significantly affected diversity, microbial community composition, and the relative abundance of individual microbes. Depth was the strongest environmental factor determining microbiome structure within species, which influenced the abundance of most dominant symbiotic taxa. Differences in host genotype, bottom temperature, and surface primary productivity could explain a significant part of the microbiome variation associated with depth and geographic location. Conclusions: Altogether, this work demonstrates that the microbiomes of corals in deep waters vary substantially across their ranges in accordance with depth and other environmental conditions. It reveals that the influence of depth on the ecology of mesophotic and deep-sea corals extends to its effects on their microbiomes which may have functional consequences. This work also identifies the distributions of microbes including potential parasites which can be used to inform restoration plans in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Target lipid model (TLM) and toxic unit (TU) approaches were applied to ecotoxicity and chemistry data from low-energy WAFs (LE-WAFs) of source and weathered crude oils originating from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The weathered oils included artificially weathered oils and naturally weathered samples collected in the Gulf of Mexico after the spill. Oil weathering greatly reduced the concentrations of identified LE-WAF components, however, the mass of uncharacterized polar material (UPC) in the LE-WAFs remained largely unchanged during the weathering process. While the TLM-derived calculations displayed a significant decrease in toxicity (TUs) for the heavily weathered oils, copepod toxicity, expressed as LC10-based TUs, were comparable between LE-WAFs of fresh and weathered oils. The discrepancy between observed and predicted toxicity for the LE-WAFs of artificially weathered oils may be related to limitations by the chemical analyses or increased toxicity due to generation of new unknown compounds during the weathering process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we characterize the exopolymer produced by Halomonas sp. strain TGOS-10 –one of the organisms found enriched in sea surface oil slicks during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The polymer was produced during the early stationary phase of growth in Zobell's 2216 marine medium amended with glucose. Chemical and proton NMR analysis showed it to be a relatively monodisperse, high-molecular-mass (6,440,000 g/mol) glycoprotein composed largely of protein (46.6% of total dry weight of polymer). The monosaccharide composition of the polymer is typical to that of other marine bacterial exopolymers which are generally rich in hexoses, with the notable exception that it contained mannose (commonly found in yeast) as a major monosaccharide. The polymer was found to act as an oil dispersant based on its ability to effectively emulsify pure and complex oils into stable oil emulsions—a function we suspect to be conferred by the high protein content and high ratio of total hydrophobic nonpolar to polar amino acids (52.7:11.2) of the polymer. The polymer's chemical composition, which is akin to that of other marine exopolymers also having a high protein-to-carbohydrate (P/C) content, and which have been shown to effect the rapid and non-ionic aggregation of marine gels, appears indicative of effecting marine oil snow (MOS) formation. We previously reported the strain capable of utilising aromatic hydrocarbons when supplied as single carbon sources. However, here we did not detect biodegradation of these chemicals within a complex (surrogate Macondo) oil, suggesting that the observed enrichment of this organism during the Deepwater Horizon spill may be explained by factors related to substrate availability and competition within the complex and dynamic microbial communities that were continuously evolving during that spill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Urban Rehabilitation of Post-Disaster Scapes" is a book that examines the use of urbanscapes during the disaster process, focusing on the pre-disaster, disaster event, and post-disaster phases. The book includes 18 case studies of natural and man-made disasters from 1991 to 2022, covering various types of disasters such as floods, storms, earthquakes, wildfires, and sociological and technological disasters. The authors analyze the role of the urbanscape in each phase of the disaster process and discuss urban rehabilitation strategies. While the book provides a comprehensive discourse on disaster resilience and green growth approaches, it lacks case studies from the African continent. Overall, the book is recommended for researchers, students, and professionals in academia, disaster management, urban planning, and architecture. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: Environmental factors, maternal inheritance, and feeding success are influential factors in fish growth, especially during the larval stage, encompassing their early days of life. Growth rates play a crucial role in larval survival, particularly in species with high energy requirements such as the Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT). Our analyses of two patches of ABFT larvae collected in the Gulf of Mexico's spawning region during different years reveal variable larval growth, depending on prey availability. Larval growth also shows a direct relationship to maternal feeding. Estimates of larval trophic positions are primarily influenced by food web length and energy transmission efficiency, leading to differences in larval growth and underscoring the importance of considering trophic dynamics in interpreting results. These findings offer novel insights into how these factors affect ABFT larval growth, potentially informing conservation efforts and fisheries management strategies by governmental institutions. Two cohorts of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) larvae were sampled in 2017 and 2018 during the peak of spawning in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). We examined environmental variables, daily growth, otolith biometry and stable isotopes and found that the GOM18 cohort grew at faster rates, with larger and wider otoliths. Inter and intra-population analyses (deficient vs. optimal growth groups) were carried out for pre- and post-flexion developmental stages to determine maternal and trophodynamic influences on larval growth variability based on larval isotopic signatures, trophic niche sizes and their overlaps. For the pre-flexion stages in both years, the optimal growth groups had significantly lower δ15N, implying a direct relationship between growth potential and maternal inheritance. Optimal growth groups and stages for both years showed lower C:N ratios, reflecting a greater energy investment in growth. The results of this study illustrate the interannual transgenerational trophic plasticity of a spawning stock and its linkages to growth potential of their offsprings in the GOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill caused catastrophic damage to marine and terrestrial environments in and along the Gulf of Mexico. The DWH Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) estimated that 56,141-102,399 birds across 93 species were directly or indirectly injured, and breeding and foraging habitats suffered substantial damage. The 2016 DWH civil settlement allocated NRDA funds to Florida to replenish and protect DWH-injured bird species. Additional NRDA restoration funds were allocated Regionwide (i.e., all Gulf states) and to Open Ocean Restoration Areas. In addition, Florida was allocated funds through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (GEBF) to address DWH-injured living resources and habitats. NRDA and GEBF funds for bird restoration must be used in areas impacted by the DWH oil spill or in locations with clear connections to DWH-injured bird populations. We compiled and summarized literature and unpublished data to illustrate the coastal connectivity of 17 focal waterbird species between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast. We documented coastal connectivity for 13 of the 17 (76%) focal species. Rates of coastal connectivity derived from United States Geological Survey Bird Banding Lab data for populations anywhere on the United States Atlantic or Gulf coasts ranged by species from 0-22% of resighted individuals being observed on both coasts and ranged from 0-30% when restricted to coasts within Florida. The connectivity between the majority of Atlantic and Gulf coast focal populations is substantial, and the consideration of restoration projects on the Atlantic Coast should be determined on a case-by-case basis. Restoring living resources and breeding and foraging habitats along Florida's coastlines for the benefit of avian species that exhibit coastal connectivity will help create more resilient habitats for the benefit of at-risk species in the face of future catastrophes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The storage potential of hydrocarbon reservoirs in the central Gulf of Mexico (GOM) makes future development of CO2 storage projects in those areas promising for secure, large-scale, and long-term storage purposes. Focusing on the producing and depleted hydrocarbon fields in the continental slope of the central GOM, this paper analyzed, assessed, and screened the producing sands and evaluated their CO2 storage potential. A live interactive CO2 storage site screening system was built in the SAS® Viya system with a broad range of screening criteria combined from published studies. This offers the users a real-time assessment of the storage sites and enables them to adjust the filters and visualize the results to determine the most suitable filter range. The CO2 storage resources of the sands were estimated using a volumetric equation and the correlation developed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The results of this study indicate that 1.05 gigatons of CO2 storage resources are available in the developed reservoirs at the upper slope area of the central GOM. The Mississippi Canyon and Green Canyon protraction areas contain the fields with the largest storage resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potter, C. and Sukanna, T., 2024. Remote sensing of damage inflicted on coastal wetlands of southern Louisiana from tropical storms. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(2), 235–245. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Shoreline and wetland loss in Louisiana threatens the future of the state's economy, which is heavily dependent on coastal activities. This study builds on previous satellite remote sensing studies over the Mississippi Delta region to make increasingly detailed assessments of damage inflicted on coastal wetlands of southern Louisiana from tropical storms of different categories. To begin to identify and characterize coastal wetland damage from Hurricanes Katrina (Category 5 in 2005) and Gustav (Category 2 in 2008), Potter and Amer (2020) used a multiband-subtraction methodology developed by Amer, Kolker, and Muscietta (2017) that calculates a Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) from Landsat Operational Land Imager images. Analysis of biweekly Landsat NDWI images between the years 2000 and 2011 for the Mississippi River Delta study region suggested that there have been increases in water coverage (and corresponding losses of wetland coverage) over most of the marsh shorelines facing the Gulf of Mexico across the Barataria Basin. The extensive erosion of marshland edges in northern Barataria Bay has continued from 2013 to 2022. Oiling from the Deepwater Horizon spill event in 2010 has contributed to high erosion rates observed after recent tropical storms in Barataria Bay. The combination of Landsat NDWI trend mapping with high-resolution image segmentation of marshland edges and interior features indicates that different types of biophysical damage inflicted on coastal wetlands of southeastern Louisiana from tropical storms can be characterized using this combination of satellite and aerial remote sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arid and semiarid zones, including the southern Mediterranean countries, are among the world's most affected by water scarcity. Unconventional water resources, such as submarine fresh groundwater, may be key contributors to mitigate ongoing and future water crises for coastal regions and islands. In the Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia, several deep confined aquifers have been identified and the parts that are onshore have been well characterized. However, the offshore extension of these aquifers has been unexplored to date, except beneath Kerkenah and Djerba islands, where a number of exploitation wells are operating. In this work, the existing, but fragmented, geological, geophysical and hydrogeological data from both the marine and terrestrial sides of the Gulf of Gabes are synthesized for the first time in order to map the offshore extension of the deep aquifers and identify the quality of their groundwaters. Geological data confirmed the offshore continuity of the deep aquifers contained in the Miocene siliciclastic formations, particularly the Serravallian-Tortonian (ST) water-bearing horizon, on which the present research focuses more specifically, because of its wide extension and potential. In the study region, the ST aquifer is present onshore and is currently exploited in Kerkenah and Djerba islands. Offshore, the average thickness of the ST aquifer is ~200 m. Wireline log data suggest total porosity and salinity ranges of 30–36% and 5.5–7.5 g/L, respectively. These conditions make the offshore water-bearing horizon of potential interest for agriculture, industry and domestic purposes, including after adequate treatments such as desalination or dilution with freshwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Deepwater Horizon disaster of April 2010 was the largest oil spill in U.S. history and exerted catastrophic effects on several ecologically important fish species in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Within fish, the microbiome plays a key symbiotic role in maintaining host health and aids in acquiring nutrients, supporting immune function, and modulating behavior. The aim of this study was to examine if exposure to weathered oil might produce significant shifts in fish gut-associated microbial communities as determined from taxa and genes known for hydrocarbon degradation, and whether foraging behavior was affected. The gut microbiome (16S rRNA and shotgun metagenomics) of sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) was characterized after fish were exposed to oil in High Energy Water Accommodated Fractions (HEWAF; tPAH = 81.1 ± 12.4 µg/L) for 7 days. A foraging behavioral assay was used to determine feeding efficiency before and after oil exposure. The fish gut microbiome was not significantly altered in alpha or beta diversity. None of the most abundant taxa produced any significant shifts as a result of oil exposure, with only rare taxa showing significant shifts in abundance between treatments. However, several bioindicator taxa known for hydrocarbon degradation were detected in the oil treatment, primarily Sphingomonas and Acinetobacter. Notably, the genus Stenotrophomonas was detected in high abundance in 16S data, which previously was not described as a core member of fish gut microbiomes. Data also demonstrated that behavior was not significantly affected by oil exposure. Potential low bioavailability of the oil may have been a factor in our observation of minor shifts in taxa and no behavioral effects. This study lays a foundation for understanding the microbiome of captive sheepshead minnows and indicates the need for further research to elucidate the responses of the fish gut-microbiome under oil spill conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reef fishes have been utilized as food fish throughout the U.S. Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico waters for centuries, with increasing fishing effort in recent decades. As a result, many species have experienced declines in landings, including deepwater snappers such as queen snapper Etelis oculatus and blackfin snapper Lutjanus buccanella. However, little to no peer-reviewed published research exists on basic life history parameters for either species. Confirming the accuracy of an age estimation method for a fish species is essential for ensuring sustainable fisheries management. This is because in the assessment of fisheries species population age-based parameters, including longevity, age at sexual maturity, growth rate, mortality, age-specific reproductive output, and lifetime reproductive output, are important in understanding overall life history strategies of managed stocks. The past stock assessment on U.S. Caribbean queen snapper utilized an estimated longevity of 8 y, derived from length frequencies for fish from St. Lucia. Blackfin snapper has an estimated longevity of 27 y based on a relatively small study from offshore waters of the southeastern U.S. The focus of our investigation was to estimate maximum longevity of two data-poor species in the U.S. Caribbean. The accuracy of ageing methods was tested via bomb radiocarbon age estimation validation and effects of depth on Δ14C in otolith cores and eye lens core values were examined. Results from our work indicate a maximum validated age of 45 y for queen snapper, and 43 y for blackfin snapper. Our findings indicate queen snapper and blackfin snapper are long-lived (> 40 y). The resulting Δ14C comparison between eye lens cores and otolith cores has important implications for the study of age validation, specifically when deepwater species are involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analytical techniques for chemical analysis of oil, oil photochemical and biological transformation products, and dispersants and their biodegradation products benefited significantly from research following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster. Crude oil and weathered-oil matrix reference materials were developed based on the Macondo well oil and characterized for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, hopanes, and steranes for use to assure and improve the quality of analytical measurements in oil spill research. Advanced gas chromatography (GC) techniques such as comprehensive two-dimensional GC (GC × GC), pyrolysis GC with mass spectrometry (MS), and GC with tandem MS (GC-MS/MS) provide a greater understanding at the molecular level of composition and complexity of oil and weathering changes. The capabilities of high-resolution MS (HRMS) were utilized to extend the analytical characterization window beyond conventional GC-based methods to include polar and high molecular mass components (>400 Da) and to provide new opportunities for discovery, characterization, and investigation of photooxidation and biotransformation products. Novel separation approaches to reduce the complexity of the oil and weathered oil prior to high-resolution MS and advanced fluorescence spectrometry have increased the information available on spilled oil and transformation products. HRMS methods were developed to achieve the required precision and sensitivity for detection of dispersants and to provide molecular-level characterization of the complex surfactants. Overall, research funding following the DWH oil spill significantly advanced and expanded the use of analytical techniques for chemical analysis to support petroleum and dispersant characterization and investigations of fate and effects of not only the DWH oil spill but future spills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article profiles three individuals who have found success in various roles within the Sea Grant program. Louis Heyward, Kayj Morrill-McClure, and Monica Wilson each share their unique career paths and the importance of networking and continuous learning. The article also offers advice to new graduates, encouraging them to explore different fields and make personal connections to increase their chances of finding employment. The author shares their own experience of the value of personal connections in securing a job. [Extracted from the article]

Synthetic-based drilling muds (SBMs) are complex mixtures of man-made fluids used during the drilling of oil and gas wells. SBM-derived chemicals can enter the environment through failed wells and routine or poor disposal practices, where they can persist and thereby warrant measurement. SBMs are commonly formulated with linear and methyl branched α- and internal-olefins mostly in the C14 to C20 carbon range, which are not native to crude oils. Thus, SBM-derived olefins can provide a basis to recognize the impact of these drilling wastes in the environment. However, the presence of abundant native hydrocarbons in oils and sediments can hinder the detection of trace level SBM-derived olefins by conventional organic sample preparation and analytical methods. Silver ion chromatography using silver nitrate (AgNO3) impregnated silica gel can serve to physically separate olefins from saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons native in crude oils, which can subsequently be analyzed and measured by conventional one-dimensional gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). In this study, SBM-derived olefins are measured in crude oils from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and in their laboratory mixtures to a detection limit of approximately 5000 µg/g (0.5 wt%). In oiled sediment, SBM-derived olefins were reliably detected at concentrations as low as 1 µg/g-dry. An application of this method is demonstrated through analysis of crude oils and oil-contaminated seafloor sediment from the Taylor Energy oil spill site in the northern Gulf of Mexico where SBM was historically used and discharged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental perturbations shape the structure and function of microbial communities. Oil spills are a major perturbation and resolving spills often requires active measures like dispersant application that can exacerbate the initial disturbance. Species-specific responses of microorganisms to oil and dispersant exposure during such perturbations remain largely unknown. We merged metatranscriptomic libraries with pangenomes to generate Core-Accessory Metatranscriptomes (CA-Metatranscriptomes) for two microbial hydrocarbon degraders that played important roles in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Colwellia CA-Metatranscriptome illustrated pronounced dispersant-driven acceleration of core (~41%) and accessory gene (~59%) transcription, suggesting an opportunistic strategy. Marinobacter responded to oil exposure by expressing mainly accessory genes (~93%), suggesting an effective hydrocarbon-degrading lifestyle. The CA-Metatranscriptome approach offers a robust way to identify the underlying mechanisms of key microbial functions and highlights differences of specialist-vs-opportunistic responses to environmental disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an infographic Red Thread helped to create and popularize explained, that oil spill cost 239 times Exxon's insurance and 73 times Guyana's national budget - a recipe to "bankrupt Guyana", as the graphic put it. Aggressive actions by Suriname (towing away a jackup rig from Guyana's territorial waters in 2000) and Venezuela (claiming two-thirds of Guyana's territory, among other things) led ExxonMobil to declare I force majeure i from 2000 until 2008. Guyana's Oil Dorado: As the fossil fuel consensus grows ever more untenable, an oil bonanza heats up offshore Guyana. In the face of constant announcements of massive infrastructural investments, government handouts, and Exxon's corporate sponsorship and branding of institutions and sports and cultural events, contesting this narrative of potential plenitude and addressing the environmental risks and costs of oil drilling are Herculean tasks. [Extracted from the article]

Data table headers: Weathered oil and tar sampling data for BP oil spill/Deepwater Horizon: https://tinyurl.com/md7×8ns4 Table 2. 5E timeline of learning activities: https://tinyurl.com/553vdueu Table 3. Problem-based learning is an important pathway for students when trying to develop conceptual understanding, build skills, and master content knowledge. Working in collaborative groups of three to four students with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, various sources of information and media help students make sense of oil spill disasters. Management tasks/responsibilities Materials and time keeper Photographer Technician Recorder/Scribe Academic tasks/research responsibilities Vocabulary checker Fact checker Calculator Researcher All students in the lab group contribute to a shared document that is monitored for activity and graded based on contributions by each group member. [Extracted from the article]

When land has been developed in irreversible ways and thus full restitution is not possible, this goal is only aspirational or symbolic: Monetary payments alone cannot fully offset losses experienced by an affected community over many decades. Respect community practices Many changes in cultural and social practices are more accurately valued from a collective perspective because resources are shared and traded among community members. Second, when compared with populations that are reliant on conventional market-based transactions, intangible social and cultural losses more profoundly influence the ability of Indigenous communities to sustain their cultural identity and livelihood. [Extracted from the article]

This study investigated the bacteriological and physicochemical quality of seawater and sediment samples collected from four sampling sites in the Gulf of Annaba (Northeastern Algeria) over a one-year period. Culture-based techniques were used to quantify and assess Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB) and potentially pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, various physicochemical parameters including temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and suspended solids were measured. The results revealed seasonal variations in the physicochemical variables, reflecting the influence of environmental conditions in the research area. The highest concentrations of FIB were observed in samples obtained from Sidi Salem and Rezgui Rachid, indicating a possible association with sewage contamination. Furthermore, the sediments collected from all sites exhibited higher levels of FIB and potentially pathogenic bacteria compared to the seawater samples, particularly during the summer and fall seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many bird species exhibit both social monogamy and genetic polygamy. Rates of genetic polygamy (often reported as the proportion of nests containing extra-pair young) in socially monogamous species vary widely, stimulating much research into the potentially adaptive value of these behaviors. Similarly, adult and nestling sex ratios of bird populations are not infrequently male-biased, leading to questions of the adaptive value of a female's ability to influence sex ratios within her nest. Empirical data on both aspects of reproductive behavior, however, are still scarce for a majority of species even within relatively well-studied bird communities. We sampled DNA from nestling (n = 153) and adult (n = 121) Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza maritima) at 58 nests in southeastern Louisiana from 2012 to 2017. We used microsatellite genotype analyses to discover that (1) ∼32% of nests contained broods with mixed paternity, and (2) ∼4% of broods contained evidence of mixed maternity. We sexed all birds via PCR and found a significant male bias among nestlings (62% of all nestlings were males). Prevalence of mixed paternity and male bias among nestlings did not appear to be related to site oiling status following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, site context, timing within breeding season, or density of adult Seaside Sparrows or nests. Nonetheless, these results indicate a need for further work to understand the breeding biology of Seaside Sparrows. Muchas especies de aves muestran tanto monogamia social como poligamia genética. Las tasas de poligamia genética (muchas veces reportadas como la proporción de nidos que contienen un polluelo fuera de la pareja) en especies monógamas sociales es muy variable, lo que favorece la investigación en el potencial valor adaptativo de estos comportamientos. De la misma manera, las proporciones de sexo de adultos y de polluelos de las poblaciones de aves no son infrecuentemente sesgadas hacia los machos, lo que lleva a preguntarse sobre el valor adaptativo de la habilidad de la hembra en influir en las proporciones sexuales dentro de su nido. Datos empíricos en ambos aspectos de comportamiento reproductivo, sin embargo, son todavía escasos en la mayoría de especies aún dentro de comunidades de aves relativamente bien estudiadas. Muestreamos ADN de nidadas (n = 153) y adultos (n = 121) de chingolos Ammospiza maritima de 58 nidos del sudeste de Louisiana de 2021 al 2017. Utilizamos análisis genotípicos satelitales para descubrir que (1) ∼32% de los nidos contenían nidadas con paternidad mixta, y alrededor de (2) ∼4% de las nidadas contenían evidencia de maternidad mixta. Determinamos el sexo de todas las aves por medio de PCR y encontramos un sesgo masculino significativo en todas las nidadas (62% de todas las nidadas eran machos). La prevalencia de la paternidad mixta y el sesgo masculino entre las nidadas no parece estar relacionado con el estatus de contaminación del sitio después del derrame de petróleo del Deepwater Horizon, contexto del sitio, temporalidad al interior de la temporada reproductiva o densidad del adulto de chingolos Ammospiza maritima o de nidos. Sin embargo, estos resultados indican una necesidad de estudios posteriores para entender la biología reproductiva de los chingolos Ammospiza marítima. Palabras clave: pantano, Passerellidae, producción fuera de la pareja, reproducción fuera de la pareja, sesgo reproductivo, sistema reproductivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northern Gulf of Mexico has been the focus of many coastal habitat restoration projects in the wake of new funding streams stemming from the settlement of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill litigation. One such project was the creation of New Round Island (RNDI) in Mississippi, a 86 ha island created using dredge material in 2017. The island design incorporated a novel U‐shaped sand berm with multiple interconnected containment sells. In this study we sought to document changes in relative abundance of various coastal bird species. We conducted surveys for breeding and nonbreeding birds from June 2017 to May 2021, and we conducted nonbreeding surveys at two reference sites for comparison. Breeding bird numbers were dominated by colonial nesting species in years 1 and 2, which subsequently declined as vegetation cover increased. Solitary nesting species increased over time, with Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) nest count increasing from zero in year 1 to 29 in year 5. Nonbreeding shorebird counts peaked in years 1–2 and subsequently declined, although shorebird counts also decreased at the reference sites. Relative abundance of waders (Ardeidae), rallids (Rallidae), and passerines (Passeriformes and allies) increased in comparison to reference sites. This study demonstrates the short‐term benefits of this U‐shaped island design to early‐succession breeding species and nonbreeding shorebirds shortly after construction, with longer‐term benefits to breeding Wilson's Plover and to marsh birds as vegetation fills in. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dr. Calvin (Herb) Ward, a pioneer in the fields of environmental chemistry, engineering, and wastewater science, passed away at the age of 90 on December 28, 2023. He was one of the original founders of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) and served as the editor-in-chief of the society's journal, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, for 30 years. Dr. Ward had an extraordinary academic career at Rice University, where he founded the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering and played a pivotal role in establishing several academic programs in environmental science and engineering. He received numerous awards and recognitions for his contributions to the field and authored over 200 publications. Dr. Ward's legacy will continue to guide the field of environmental science and engineering for years to come. [Extracted from the article]

Numerical mixing, the spurious mixing primarily generated by the discretization of advection, is often significant in estuarine and coastal models due to sharp, energetic fronts. We compare on‐ and offline estimates of numerical mixing in a submesoscale‐resolving realistic simulation of the ocean state over the Texas‐Louisiana continental shelf. While offline estimates of numerical mixing differ from online estimates, offline methods may be the only analysis available. We use two methods to estimate numerical mixing offline based on the residuals of the salinity squared s2 and volume‐mean salinity variance s′2 ${s}^{{\prime }^{2}}$ budgets. The s′2 ${s}^{{\prime }^{2}}$ budget overestimates the time‐averaged online numerical mixing by 60% at hourly output. The s2 budget compares poorly due to large truncation errors associated with the tendency and advection terms. The residual of the s2 budget starts to converge to the s′2 ${s}^{{\prime }^{2}}$ budget as output frequency increases to 10 min—an unrealistic frequency for long‐term coastal ocean simulations—but neither method unconditionally converges to the online method and therefore cannot be recommended for generic analysis of numerical mixing. We also investigate the effects of horizontal resolution on numerical mixing using a two‐way nested grid with the online method. The volume‐integrated numerical mixing constitutes 57% of the bulk physical mixing—the mixing prescribed by the turbulence closure scheme—in the coarse model and may exceed the physical mixing by half an order of magnitude. We find numerical mixing is reduced by 35% on average in the nested model, likely due to new dynamical processes that emerge in the nested simulation. Plain Language Summary: Numerical models are powerful tools for studying the general circulation of the ocean, allowing us to examine the ocean's complex relationship with Earth's weather and climate in greater detail than observations allow. However, numerical ocean models are prone to several types of numerical errors because they represent physical processes with discrete approximations. One of these errors is numerical mixing, a process by which the discretized transport of tracers by currents generates spurious mixing. Recent studies suggest numerical mixing can be as large as the physical mixing prescribed by a parameterization, especially in regions with strong tracer gradients, such as in estuaries or the coastal ocean. In this study, we examine numerical salinity mixing using a combination of on‐ and offline methods in a model of the ocean state over the Texas‐Louisiana continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. Offline methods rely on existing model output and are often easier to implement than online methods. However, offline methods trade numerical accuracy for convenience because online methods require modifying a model's source code and re‐running it. We find offline estimates of numerical mixing should not be used because they may be inaccurate even at impractically high resolution. Key Points: We use offline salinity variance budgets to quantify numerical mixing due to the discretization of advection in a coastal ocean modelNumerical mixing estimated from s2 and s′2 ${s}^{{\prime }^{2}}$ budgets does not converge to the online method at high model output frequenciesOnline analysis indicates the volume‐integrated numerical mixing exceeds the physical mixing for a significant portion of the simulation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For example, while the search for meaning was found to be negatively related to the presence of meaning among U.S. participants, it was positively related to the presence of meaning among Japanese individuals (Steger et al., [25]) and Israelis (e.g., Abu-Raiya et al., [1]; Russo-Netzer, [19]). The new meaning of meaning To understand the new meaning that emerged at this conference, it is important to understand the philosophy behind the conference and the organization itself. Meaning is essential to human health, well-being, and valued living, in general and related to disaster mental health (Finkelstein-Fox et al., [12]; Melton & Schulenberg, [17]; Pavlacic et al., [18]; Schulenberg, [20], [21]; Schulenberg et al., [22]; Weathers et al., [20]). Keywords: Meaning; existentialism; Viktor Frankl; sociology; social justice EN Meaning existentialism Viktor Frankl sociology social justice 129 137 9 04/03/23 20230401 NES 230401 Meaning in crisis The world is in crisis!. [Extracted from the article]

Among the various remote sensing technologies that have been applied to monitor oil spills on the sea surface, passive ultraviolet (UV) imaging is a controversial one that has raised some disputes in the community of oil spill remote sensing. As a result, the research and applications of oil spill detection using passive UV imaging have not been as developed as other methods. In order to clarify some existing questions on oil spill detection using passive UV remote sensing technology, this paper discusses the needs of thin oil film detection, examines the feasibility of thin oil film detection using passive UV imaging through field experiments under controlled conditions and validates it with the UV imagery derived from the airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS) observation of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Two types of fully automatic models are designed to extract the thin oil films on the water surface: (1) a binary classification model based on an adaptive threshold; (2) an unsupervised image segmentation model based on image clustering and greyscale histogram analysis. The two models are tested on the UV imagery obtained through both field experiments and AVIRIS observations. The results indicate that the binary classification model can extract the thin oil films with reasonable accuracy under stable imaging conditions, while the unsupervised image clustering model can robustly detect the thin oil films at the cost of higher computational complexity. These results infer that passive UV imaging is an effective way to detect thin oil films and could be applied to provide early warning at the beginning stage of oil spills and reduce further damage. It may also be applied as a supplementary method for oil spill detection to achieve comprehensive oil spill monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common snook, Centropomus undecimalis (Bloch, 1792), with barnacle patch above gill plate caught by Captain Brook Wallace and photographed by Pete Mersch, 83.8 cm (33 in) long. Further, we have found similar photos of acorn barnacles on "red drum", I Sciaenops ocellatus i (Linnaeus, 1766) (fig. 2); a "gag grouper", I Mycteroperca microlepis i Goode & Bean, 1879 (figs. Sheepsheads eat acorn barnacles, to the extent that these barnacles are used as bait for this fish. Wild-caught sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus (Walbaum, 1792), with acorn barnacles attached (Ace Fishing, 2018). [Extracted from the article]

Accidental oil spills can result in catastrophic ecological insults and therefore require rapid intervention to mitigate the potential impacts to aquatic ecosystems. One of the largest oil spills, known as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, occurred in the Spring of 2010 near the coast of Louisiana (USA) due to an explosion during oil drilling activities. Millions of gallons of oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico, impacting thousands of ocean miles and coastal areas linked to the gulf. Among the actions taken during the remediation efforts was the unprecedented large use of Corexit dispersants, including at the subsurface to prevent oil from reaching the surface. While there is evidence that dispersants can accelerate the biodegradation of oil, reports on their potential toxicity to aquatic biota and to microbial functions have also been documented. In this review, we will examine the most recent literature on the impact of dispersants on microbial communities implicated in oil degradation and overall ecological networks. The primary focus will be on studies using Corexit but other dispersants will be discussed if data are available. We will share the literature gaps identified and discuss future work that is needed to reconcile some of the discrepancies found on the effectiveness of dispersants on oil degradation and their potential toxicity. Key points: • Chemical dispersants have been applied as a chemical response measure for oil spills. • The effects of chemical dispersants on microbial communities have been the subject of substantial research. • This work seeks to review recent work on the impact of chemical dispersants on oil biodegradation, microbial communities, and ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐use plastics (SUPs) are increasingly polluting terrestrial, coastal, and marine habits, contributing to the creeping "plastic crisis." The COVID‐19 pandemic provided a window of opportunity for decision makers to change the degree of urgency and responsiveness to this crisis and for policy entrepreneurs and industry who are against reducing plastic consumption to influence decision makers to change their position on various plastic‐related issues. Hygiene/health concerns have been used as a justification by governments and industry to increase the use of SUPs resulting in a reversal in, or a reprioritization of, policy decisions. Through the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF), I examine how creeping crises become secondary to urgent crises through agenda setting that is influenced and leveraged by policy entrepreneurs. I explore examples of such plastic policy decisions finding that they have been politically driven and influenced by entrepreneurs and industry rather than being primarily based on health concerns. Related Articles: Diaz‐Kope, Luisa, and John C. Morris. 2022. "Why Collaborate? Exploring the Role of Organizational Motivations in Cross‐sector Watershed Collaboration." Politics & Policy 50(3): 516–39. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12470. Gerlach, John David, Laron K. Williams, and Colleen E. Forcina. 2013. "The Science‐Natural Resource Policy Relationship: How Aspects of Diffusion Theory Explain Data Selection for Making Biodiversity Management Decisions." Politics & Policy 41(3): 326–54. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12017. Neill, Katharine A., and John C. Morris. 2012. "A Tangled Web of Principals and Agents: Examining the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill through a Principal–Agent Lens." Politics & Policy 40(4): 629–56. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2012.00371.x. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropology can be broadly characterised as an optimistic discipline. Exploring the ways in which different groups confront particular ends and end-time scenarios, whether through rituals and ceremonies, myths and legends, or through local manners of coping with the aftermath of political and ecological ends, anthropologists have been particularly inventive and productive in thinking through ends and endings. Examining different narratives of ends and endings, they also shed light on the future, which, as Vidal and Dias explain, 'is imagined less as a continuation of the present than as a time in which the present ... will no longer be' ([54]: 5). Encounters with Millenarian movements, particularly in Papua New Guinea and Melanesia (Roscoe [46]; Robbins [42]; Stephen [49]) but also elsewhere (Stewart & Harding [50]; Pessar [37]), have led anthropologists to consider the ways in which doomsday scenarios shape everyday lives. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Long-term neurological health risks associated with oil spill cleanup exposures are largely unknown. We aimed to investigate risks of longer-term neurological conditions among U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) responders to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. Methods: We used data from active duty members of the DWH Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort Study (N=45224). Self-reported oil spill exposures were ascertained from post-deployment surveys. Incident neurological outcomes were classified using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, codes from military health encounter records up to 5.5 years post-DWH. We used Cox Proportional Hazards regression to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for various incident neurological diagnoses (2010–2015). Oil spill responder (n=5964) vs. non-responder (n= 39260) comparisons were adjusted for age, sex, and race, while within-responder comparisons were additionally adjusted for smoking. Results: Compared to those not responding to the spill, spill responders had reduced risks for headache (aHR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.74-0.96), syncope and collapse (aHR=0.74, 95% CI: 0.56-0.97), and disturbance of skin sensation (aHR=0.81, 95% CI: 0.68-0.96). Responders reporting ever (n=1068) vs. never (n=2424) crude oil inhalation exposure were at increased risk for several individual and grouped outcomes related to headaches and migraines (aHR range: 1.39-1.83). Crude oil inhalation exposure was also associated with elevated risks for an inflammatory nerve condition, mononeuritis of upper limb and mononeuritis multiplex (aHR=1.71, 95% CI: 1.04-2.83), and tinnitus (aHR=1.91, 95% CI: 1.23-2.96), a condition defined by ringing in one or both ears. Risk estimates for those neurological conditions were higher in magnitude among responders reporting exposure to both crude oil and oil dispersants than among those reporting crude oil only. Conclusion: In this large study of active duty USCG responders to the DWH disaster, self-reported spill cleanup exposures were associated with elevated risks for longer-term neurological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by the problematic integration theory, the purpose of this study was to determine what probabilistic and evaluative orientations were formed during post-disaster decision-making following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the 2011 Tuscaloosa Tornado, the 2011 Mississippi Delta flooding, and a pair of tornados in Hattiesburg Mississippi in 2013 and 2017. A series of focus groups were conducted in communities impacted by these disasters. Five different themes emerged when coding the focus group data for probabilistic and evaluative orientations formed: (1) Distrust, (2) Disorientation, (3) Desperation, (4) Disparity, and (5) Disconnection. The broader implications of this study shed light on how people handle personal uncertainty, especially in situations where their lives have been dramatically shifted in a negative way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS PubMed WorldCat 14 Blanquart F, Gandon S, Nuismer SL. 2012. Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS PubMed WorldCat 10 Bensch S, Andrén H, Hansson B, Pedersen HC, Sand H, Sejberg D, Wabakken P, Åkesson M, Liberg O. 2006. Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS Google Preview WorldCat COPAC 113 Poo S, Whitfield SM, Shepack A, Watkins-Colwell GJ, Nelson G, Goodwin J, Bogisich A, Brennan PL, D'Agostino J, Koo MS et al. 2022. Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS PubMed WorldCat 13 Bi K, Linderoth T, Vanderpool D, Good JM, Nielsen R, Moritz C. 2013. Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS PubMed WorldCat 15 Bradburd GS, Ralph PL, Coop GM. 2013. [Extracted from the article]

Pattern recognition methodology was developed for the automated detection of marine oil spills in passive infrared multispectral remote sensing images. The images employed in this work were collected from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill accident in 2010. The imaging instrument for data collection was a downward-looking infrared line scanner equipped with eight optical bandpass filters in the spectral range of 8–12 μm on a fixed-wing aircraft. Oil slicks may show either positive or negative thermal contrast against the surrounding sea water, depending on the sun glint conditions or the oil thickness. Classifiers were developed separately to detect oil with different contrasts by the application of backpropagation neural networks to the preprocessed radiances. Preprocessing strategies included: (1) assembly of training data through k-means clustering analysis; (2) elimination of variation in radiance magnitudes by a customized temperature correction method; (3) removal of sun glint artifacts in images by polynomial correction; and (4) extraction of the most representative features as inputs for the neural networks by a subset selection approach. The classifiers designed to detect oil with positive and negative thermal contrast relative to water achieved overall classification accuracies of 88.7 and 92.2%, respectively. Composite classification images were generated by integrating classification scores produced by the two classifiers. The prediction performance of the classification system was demonstrated through its application to images not involved during the training of the networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes an interaction between two cetacean species such as the sperm whale and the short-finned pilot whale. Topics include examines the event occurred on June 6, 2021 during a research survey and considered the crew of Pelagic Life, AC and the Marine Mammal Laboratory at Universidad Veracruzana was surveying the Continental Slope off the Veracruz coast in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico when a mother–calf sperm whale pair was observed.

The article focuses on large whale stranding responses which present unique logistical challenges, particularly when the whale strands alive. Topics include examines several case reports exist that share successful approaches to the many phases of response and for live large whale strandings, response efforts need to consider animal welfare, human safety and the ability to collect, archive and share meaningful diagnostic information.

The article discusses coastal and marine pollution in the Anthropocene, focusing on the various pollutants that are present in these ecosystems. Land-based activities, maritime traffic, accidental spills, and offshore mining contribute to the pollution, which includes metals, persistent organic pollutants, pharmaceuticals, nanomaterials, microplastics, and other emerging contaminants. The occurrence, fate, and biological impact of these pollutants depend on environmental and oceanographic variables influenced by global change patterns. The article emphasizes the importance of research on emerging issues, monitoring, long-term trends, and risk assessment to support environmental policy makers and managers. It also highlights the need for international cooperation, standardized methodologies, and a better understanding of the transport, life cycle, distribution, and ecotoxicology of microplastics. The article concludes by mentioning the potential future topics that will be covered in the journal Anthropocene Coasts, including ecosystem and human health, sustainability, and other threats related to coastal and marine pollution. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses a program called "Return 'Em Right" that combines science with business principles to promote lasting ocean resource conservation. Led by the NOAA Restoration Center, in collaboration with Florida Sea Grant and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, the program focuses on sustainable catch and release practices among recreational fishers in the Gulf of Mexico. It provides practical information to anglers through traditional science, outreach, and communications, as well as online learning and the distribution of free fish-descending devices. The program's success is attributed to its neutral, relatable, personal, and credible approach, and efforts are being made to maintain engagement with anglers and expand the program to other regions. [Extracted from the article]