Gulf of Mexico Archives - Mission Blue

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Restoring Coral Ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico Hope Spot

by Courtney Mattison

Two new studies provide evidence that the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster has harmed coral ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico’s mesophotic or “twilight” zone along a series of deep-water rocky reefs known as the Pinnacle Trend. Located approximately 200-300 feet below the surface at the edge of the continental shelf of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, this region’s mesophotic (or “middle light”) zone supports vibrant fish, coral and sponge communities in the Gulf. 
In their latest study published last month in the journal Coral Reefs, researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Florida State University, and JHT Inc. compared the health of corals on hard-bottom mesophotic reefs before and after the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster using video footage and images taken by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).…

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The Deepwater Horizon Catastrophe 5 Years On

No one missed the Deepwater Horizon disaster. People missed the recent oil spill in Bangladesh. But the world witnessed Deepwater Horizon. Millions of gallons of oil flooded the Gulf of Mexico everyday — for 87 days. The biggest accidental oil spill ever. Five years later the effects of the Deepwater Horizon blowout still endure. A new study confirms a massive undersea oil mat near the unlucky oil well — Macondo 252 — that blew on April 20th, 2010. Considering this tar mat is the size of Rhode Island, the Gulf is clearly still feeling the affects of the catastrophe five years on. Gulf sea turtles stranding more frequently, dolphins killed, observed oil slicks hundreds of kilometers in length after the well was “capped” — a depressing list of unknown length.…

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Gulf of Mexico Brine Pools with Megan Cook

Have you ever met a little kid who refuses to go to bed, because they know the minute they lay their head down, something amazing and unexpected will happen? No matter how strong the onset of the Sleepies, this child will valiantly fight them back until wee-hours just to ensure the impending night’s biggest excitement won’t slip by. Over the last few weeks out at sea, I’ve been the adult-reincarnate of that child! 
Aboard the E/V Nautilus we are exploring the Gulf of Mexico seafloor using deep diving ROVs around the clock 24 hours a day.  Capable of diving to 13,000 feet, mapping the seafloor and bringing up a suite of water, sediment, chemical, or biologic samples the vehicles can produce never-ending possibilities for what lies just beyond the edge of the ROV lights.…

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Exploring the Gulf of Mexico Deep Reefs with Megan Cook

By Megan Cook, Mission Blue Young Explorer
Megan will rejoin the E/V Nautilus in the Gulf of Mexico in late July further exploring hydrocarbon influx sites.  Participate as the team explores the Gulf of Mexico Deep Reefs Hope Spot by sending in questions to www.NautilusLive.org or by following on Twitter or Facebook. ~ Ed.
Where is your favorite coral reef? I’m willing to bet you answered somewhere tropical and warm, where the sunshine glitters into clear, shallow water bathing polyps and divers alike.  Nearby there might be a beach scene where drink umbrellas wouldn’t be out of place. That would have been my answer too, until last month… 
Descending to the seafloor took the ROV Hercules over an hour. From the control van of the E/V Nautilus, I sat with my watch team from the Corps of Exploration as HD video poured in from the ROV Hercules.…

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Megan Cook Selected for Dr. Robert Ballard’s Nautilus Exploration Program

“All of us are born explorers.  If we find ourselves in a room that has a door, the first thing we will do is open the door to see what is on the other side.” Dr. Robert Ballard
Over 95% of our ocean is still unexplored. Nearly all of this falls far below the sun-streaked scuba depths and into the deep sea- the great frontier left on our planet. Come along this summer as Mission Blue Young Explorer Megan Cook joins the Nautilus Exploration Program to take you into depths of our blue planet never seen before. 
The Nautilus Exploration Program was founded in 2008 by Dr. Robert Ballard, the discoverer of the Titanic and a great ocean explorer. The international exploration program centers on scientific exploration of the seafloor launched from aboard the Exploration Vessel Nautilus, a 211-foot research vessel equipped with state-of-the-art exploration and telepresence technology.…

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Oceanographer Sylvia Earle’s warnings about Gulf deserve prime-time attention

By now most of us have seen those feel-good television spots featuring a Louisianan, an Alabaman, a Mississippian and a Floridian, all smiling and boasting good-naturedly about the relative advantages of their home state as a tourist destination. With a clear emphasis on the many pleasures of the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico shared by all.
The object is to draw visitors to spotless beaches and crystal waters, along with historical attractions, golf courses and, of course, food! Endless buffets of mouth-watering dishes served fresh from the bounty of the Gulf.
The message to prospective tourists is that the widely publicized miseries brought by the April 2010 BP spill are a thing of the distant past. A homegrown BP spokesman proclaims that things are better than ever, and urges one and all to come on down!…

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Photo of the Day ~ Deepwater Horizon Disaster 2010

Today’s Photo of the Day serves as a stark reminder of the largest scale environmental disaster that has yet to befall the United States, the Deepwater Horizon Disaster.  Now, at the third anniversary of the disaster, how much have we learned? And how far have we come in terms of avoiding future disasters?
Skimmer ships, floating containment booms, anchored barriers, sand-filled barricades along shorelines and dispersants were used in an attempt to protect hundreds of miles of beaches, wetlands, and estuaries from the spreading oil from the Deepwater Horizon.
Photo (c) Daniel Beltra
Daniel Beltra Photography…

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