RAPID: Assessing the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the West Florida Shelf and Slope

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This is a RAPID response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. The PIs will assess the impact of Deepwater Horizon oil and dispersants on sediments and benthic communities of the West Florida Shelf and Slope. In particular, assessing sub-surface oil and dispersants will gauge the effects on benthic habitat critical to nearby fisheries and marine protected areas. They will acquire a MC-800 multicorer system to sample the sediments along three depth transects, one where subsurface oil is suspected and two transects where the areas are not yet affected by the spill. Samples will be collected on an 8-day cruise aboard R/V Wetherbird II. Core samples will be dated by radioisotopes and chemically analyzed for oil and dispersants.Broader impacts: Assessing the impact of the oil spill from Deepwater Horizon and the subsequent use of dispersants on the West Florida slope and shelf is an important component of the regions disaster assessment program. The study will also provide a pre-impact baseline for future monitoring. A graduate student will be involved in outreach at the 9th grade level by conducting hands-on exercises to assess the impacts of oil spill. Results will also be used in marine science courses.