Oil & Energy

Right now, dozens of scientists are out in the Gulf doing what they do best – working on our behalf, gathering information, trying to estimate and mitigate the environmental impact of the spill.

So who is out there? What are they doing? And why should we be grateful they’re there?
What Scientists Are Saying About Oil Impacts On Gulf Species and Ecosystems

From plankton and crab larvae to bluefin tuna and seaweed, scientists from the Gulf states, and from as far away as Indiana, are currently tracking the impact of oil as it makes its way through the Gulf’s food web. No one has yet compiled the results into a comprehensive picture, but more than two months of data suggests that its not just individual species, but entire ecosystems that are feeling the stress.

Scientists are racing to protect those species and ecosystems by directing the laying of booms and other barriers and by supervising the transport of endangered species like turtles, out of harm’s way. But other key ecosystems like Sargassum, a type of floating seaweed, can’t be protected.

“We’re not seeing a lot of Sargassum anymore. We are seeing a lot of oil.” Sean Powers, an expert from the University of South Alabama, told a Science/AAAS reporter. “Because there are no apparent changes in gulf currents or temperature, the disappearance of the algae could be due to the oil spill.”

So why is that important? According to Powers, Sargassum “represents the only natural surface structure in the ocean. Little fish hide from predators in it; big fish come to find the little fish in it.” Sargussum is also a prime habitat for five species of sea turtles when they’re small, providing them with coverage from predators.

Given that it is currently sea turtle breeding season, Powers’ information about the absence of Sargassum may becritical to turtle rescue efforts.
What Scientists are Saying About Oil Impacts on the Chemistry of the Gulf

But marine biologists are not the only scientists in the Gulf. Physical and chemical oceanographers are also on the scene, tracking underwater methane and oil plumes and trying to measure the actual size of the spill, in an effort gauge its impact on the ocean’s most basic medium of life – seawater.

Scientists like John Kessler, David Valentine and Samantha Joye have been studying methane levels and have discovered that methane released by the spill is having a negative impact on ocean oxygen levels. Kessler and Valentine are also using methane to try and estimate the actual size of the spill. They hope to make their preliminary results public in the first week of July.

Other scientists are using amazing new technologies, like a self-powered, robotic glider, to monitor seawater chemistry and the movement of subsurface plumes. Scientists at NOAA and NASA have been tracking the movements of the Loop Current to try and forecast the possible flow of oil along the Florida coast. And other scientists, from engineers to physicists, are spending countless hours trying to figure out better ways to control or stop the flow of oil.

So perhaps it is time to stop and thank these scientists, especially those like Ira Leifer and Stephen Wereley, who went public in May and June to challenge BP’s spill size estimates. Without their continuing presence, and that of other scientists in the Gulf, we might never get a true and accurate picture of the scope and impact of this catastrophic spill.

Sources:

“The Science of the Spill,” A series of special reports by Science/AAAS News, May-July, 2010

Read more at Suite101: Science and The Gulf Spill – Scientists Gauge The Impact of Oil http://marine-conservation.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-role-of-science-in-the-gulf-oil-spill—telling-the-truth#ixzz0taUnvtIn