RAPID: Resolving higher trophic-level change within the northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem as a consequence of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

智力功绩：2010年4月22日，半潜式钻井平台深水地平线号在墨西哥湾北方沉没在近1,200米深的水中。在几次试图关闭一个失败的防喷器阀后，很明显每天都有大量的石油被释放出来。未经披露的化学分散剂的预先批准是根据对在有限区域和有限时间内在海面上使用分散剂的了解作出的。在地面和通过直接注入1，200米深处的井口泄漏处使用了前所未有的分散剂。其结果是释放大量但无法量化的可用于微生物降解的有机碳。到目前为止，没有计划了解功能生态系统的基线偏移作为一个结果，这种规模的应用程序的分散剂或石油或释放的化合物的重新分布在水体中的column.Scientists提出的问题：这些基线偏移资源（异养微生物与自养浮游植物）渗透通过经典的食物网或主要保持在微生物网？如果物质进入经典的食物网，它是有利于鱼类还是凝胶状浮游动物？从短期和长期来看，理解这一点至关重要，因为次级生产者代表了初级生产和更高营养水平之间的主要联系（例如，Monty Graham博士将与同事一起开展一个旨在描述墨西哥湾北方中上层系统生态系统水平变化的项目。这项工作将具体地为单独供资的空间部分提供时间部分。该小组将利用中上层滤食性无脊椎动物（水母）和脊椎动物（食鱼性鱼类）的肠道内容物和碳/氮稳定同位素比率进行营养评估。这些将与过去两年在密西西比河东部和西部受泄漏影响地区收集的SI和肠道内容物信息进行比较。更广泛的影响多芬岛海洋实验室的组织独特，提供从幼儿园（探索厅项目）到博士学位的教育经验。（大学课程）。这个快速将提供一个直接的教育效益，以现有的博士学位。学生Isabella D 'Ambra女士（南亚拉巴马大学海洋科学系）世卫组织目前正在利用碳和氮的稳定同位素研究近岸水层群落的营养结构。此外，一位新科学家罗布·康登博士将于6月开始就业，专门研究微生物/碎屑组分与上层食物链生物之间的营养交换。此外，这项研究将对重大、慢性石油泄漏的更广泛的食物链影响产生影响，而不仅仅是对生态系统的简单急性损害。

Intellectual Merit:On April 22, 2010, the semi-submersible drill platform Deepwater Horizon sank in nearly 1,200 m of water in the northern Gulf of Mexico. After several attempts to close a failed blowout preventer valve, it became clear that tremendous amount of oil was being released each day. Pre-approval of undisclosed chemical dispersants was made based on knowledge of the dispersant application over limited areas and for limited time at the sea surface. An unprecedented volume of dispersant has been applied both at the surface and through direct injection into the wellhead leak at 1,200 m depth. The result is the release of large, but unquantified concentrations of organic carbon available for microbial degradation. To date, there is no plan for understanding functional ecosystem baseline shifts as a consequence of this magnitude of application of dispersants or the resulting re-distribution of oil or released compounds within the water column.Scientists posed the questions: Do these baseline shifts in resource (heterotrophic microbes versus autotrophic phytoplankton) permeate through the classical food web or remain largely within the microbial web? If material enters the classical food web, does it favor fish or gelatinous zooplankton? It is vital to understand in this in both the short- and long-term because secondary producers represent the major link between primary production and higher trophic levels (e.g., piscivorous fish) by which energy (and contaminants) are incorporated into grazer food webs.Dr. Monty Graham will work with colleagues on a project aimed to characterizing ecosystem-level changes to the pelagic system of the northern Gulf of Mexico. This effort will specifically contribute a temporal component to a separately funded spatial component. The group will employ a trophic assessment using both gut contents and Carbon/Nitrogen stable isotope ratios of pelagic filter-feeding invertebrates (jellyfish) and vertebrates (planktivorous fish). These will be compared to SI and gut content information collected over the previous two years in the spill-impacted area east and west of the Mississippi River.Broader impacts The Dauphin Island Sea Lab is uniquely organized to provide educational experiences from kindergarten (Discovery Hall Programs) through Ph.D. (University Programs). This RAPID will provide an immediate educational benefit to an existing Ph.D. student, Ms. Isabella D'Ambra (University of South Alabama, Marine Sciences Dept.) who is currently working on the trophic structure of nearshore pelagic communities using stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen. In addition, one new scientist, Dr. Rob Condon will begin employment in June specifically to address trophic exchanges between microbial/detritus fractions to upper food-chain organisms. Moreover, this study will have an impact on the wider food-chain impacts of a major, chronic oil spill beyond what is noted by the simple acute damage to ecosystems.