Marine Heat Waves in the Gulf of Mexico, Emerging Offshore Wind Energy Data Opportunities Take Center Stage at GCOOS Fall Meeting

The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) recently hosted its annual Fall Meeting, focusing discussions on emerging issues related to long-term climate change, including marine heat waves and the development of renewable wind energy platforms in the Gulf.

Research Finds Water Quality in Gulf of Mexico Improves When Adding Social Costs to Carbon Emissions

Research led by the University of New Hampshire took a closer look at what would happen to agriculture if there was an extra cost, or so-called social cost, added to fossil fuels, which are essential for making fertilizer used in farming.

FAU Developed AUTOHOLO Shows Potential as Red Tide Warning System

Current methods to monitor red tide are limited. Using AUTOHOLO, a new autonomous, submersible, 3D holographic microscope and imaging system, a study is the first to characterize red tide in the field and breaks new ground for monitoring harmful algal blooms.

Oil Spill Effects on Mahi-mahi Go Far Beyond Initial Survival

New research into oil spills’ effects finds surviving the initial event does not guarantee success for the popular sport fish mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus). Exposed fish faced temporary increased predation and did not spawn for the entire observation time.

FAU Hurricane Evacuation Expert Available to Discuss Hurricane Ian

Florida Atlantic University’s John Renne, Ph.D., is available to discuss evacuation and other hurricane-related issues with the media. Renne is a professor and director of the Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions. He recently published a first-of-its-kind study, “What Has…

FAU Hurricane Evacuation Expert Available to Discuss Tropical Depression Nine/Hurricane Hermine

Florida Atlantic University’s John Renne, Ph.D., is available to discuss evacuation and other hurricane-related issues with the media. Renne is a professor and director of the Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions. He recently published a first-of-its-kind study, “What Has…

Climate Warming, Water Management Impacts on West Florida’s Continental Shelf

FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and collaborator conducted a study that provides an assessment of the potential effects of climate warming and water management of the West Florida Shelf dynamics during two particular events that affect its hydrology through the lens of a very high-resolution model.

Uncrewed Systems are Revolutionizing Hurricane Forecasting

A paper published in the peer review magazine Oceanography shows that robotic ocean observing platforms can improve intensity forecasts for hurricanes and tropical storms and should be supported as a crucial component of the ocean infrastructure designed to protect the lives of coastal residents and mitigate the economic impact from storms.

Louisiana Gov. Edwards welcomes participants to Gulf of Mexico Conference (GOMCON)

More than 800 coastal scientists, managers, and professionals from federal and state agencies, academia, non-profits and industry have come together this week in Baton Rouge to network, collaborate and discuss coastal research and management in the Gulf of Mexico as part of the first-ever in-person Gulf of Mexico Conference (#GOMCON).

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards welcomed guests to the state Tuesday, during the opening plenary.

Coastal experts get chance to explore new Gulf-wide research tools and information

Over 800 coastal researchers and managers will get the chance to explore more than 25 regional tools on display April 26 at the Gulf of Mexico Conference (#GOMCON) in Baton Rouge, La. The Tools Café gives participants a unique opportunity to access some of the newest and best tools for coastal resilience, data management, and conservation while learning about these resources directly from developers who created each tool.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution-led team awarded $7.6M to support Gulf of Mexico Loop Current research

A Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution-led research team has been awarded $7.6 million from the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). The project, “An Operational System Using Real-time Subsurface Observations to Improve Loop Current Forecasts”, is one of three consortia that will undertake the third phase of the Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems (UGOS) program (UGOS-3), helping address forecasts of important currents of the Gulf of Mexico.

Gulf of Mexico Alliance Releases Governors’ Action Plan IV for Healthy and Resilient Coasts

The Gulf of Mexico Alliance has released the Governors’ Action Plan IV for Healthy and Resilient Coasts, signed by the governors of all five Gulf states: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. This is the fourth in a series of collaborative work plans that identifies priority issues, focus areas, and actions to enhance the environmental and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico.

FAU Lands $736,000 from NASA to Study the Coastal Carbon Budget from Space

If successful, this research in the Gulf of Mexico’s hypoxia region off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana may demonstrate not just the ability, but also the utility, of remote sensing as an observational technique for characterizing potentially critical but often neglected carbon cycle processes related to marine sediments. Researchers will use satellite images, hydrodynamic modeling and field work in seeking a better understanding of the ocean’s role in the Earth system.

Gulf of Mexico Alliance Encourages Residents to Get Ready for Hurricane Season Using Disaster Preparedness Resources

In support of National Hurricane Preparedness Week, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance encourages all Gulf Coast residents to get ready for the upcoming hurricane season. Individuals, families, and communities all have a role to play in reducing their risk from hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Over 1,200 Coastal Scientists and Managers Engage During Virtual Gulf of Mexico Conference

Today, over 1,200 coastal scientists, managers, and professionals from federal and state agencies, academia, non-profits, and industry came together for a virtual event launching the new Gulf of Mexico Conference (GoMCon). The Gulf of Mexico Alliance hosted this event in partnership with the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative and Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies.

Drifter or Homebody? Study First to Show Where Whitespotted Eagle Rays Roam

It’s made for long-distance travel, yet movement patterns of the whitespotted eagle ray remain a mystery. Between 2016 and 2018, scientists fitted 54 rays with acoustic transmitters and tracked them along both the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts of Florida, which differ in environmental characteristics. Results of the study reveal striking differences in travel patterns on the Atlantic coast compared to the Gulf coast. Findings have significant conservation and adaptive management implications for this protected species.

The Gulf of Mexico Alliance Continues to “Embrace the Gulf” Through Action in 2021

Building on the success of the “Embrace the Gulf” 2020 campaign, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance is continuing the initiative this year with a new focus on improving the health of the Gulf. This year’s goal is to turn awareness into action through easy steps that make a difference in coastal communities, habitats, and wildlife.

Restoring wetlands near farms would dramatically reduce water pollution

Study examines the positive effects of wetlands on water quality and the potential for using wetland restoration as a key strategy for improving water quality, particularly in the Mississippi River Basin and Gulf of Mexico regions

Gulf of Mexico Mission: ‘Ocean Blue Holes Are Not Created Equal’

Scientists recently got a unique glimpse into the “Green Banana” Blue Hole thanks to gutsy divers and a 500-pound autonomous, benthic lander. Together with hand-picked, elite scuba divers, the research team is unraveling the structure and behavior of these marine environments by examining geochemistry, hydrodynamics, and biology. Findings from this exploration also may have important implications for phytoplankton in the Gulf of Mexico, including blooms of the Florida Red-tide species Karenia brevis.

Heavy rainfall drives a third of nitrogen runoff, according to new study

Extreme rain events that occur on nine days a year drive around a third of all nitrogen yields on farmland in the Mississippi River basin, according to a new study. The research could inform how and when farmers apply nitrogen fertilizer to their fields and has environmental implications for the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

FSU researchers track nutrient transport in the Gulf of Mexico

Researchers from Florida State University found no evidence that nitrate from the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River System is mixing across the Northern Gulf shelf into the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The findings are consistent with recent modeling work by fellow scientists that indicates 90 percent of Mississippi River nutrients are retained in the near-shore ecosystem, which implies that nutrients from the Mississippi River do not leave the Gulf.

Study First to Show Tiger Sharks’ Travels and Desired Hangouts in the Gulf of Mexico

Using sophisticated satellite telemetry, a study is the first to provide unique insights into how tiger sharks move and use habitats in the Gulf of Mexico across life-stages. Data provide an important baseline for comparison against, and/or predicting their vulnerability to future environmental change such as climate variability or oil spills.

A New Look at Deep-Sea Microbes

Microbes found deeper in the ocean are believed to have slow population turnover rates and low amounts of available energy. But microbial communities found deeper in seafloor sediments and around hydrocarbon seepage sites have now been found to have more energy available and a higher population turnover. Deeper sediments in the seepages are most likely heavily impacted by the material coming up from the bottom, which means that the seep could be supporting a larger amount of biomass than previously thought.

Crist Introduces Regional Ocean Partnership Bill, Addresses Gulf of Mexico and Coastal Concerns

U.S. Representative Charlie Crist (D-FL), along with Representatives Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), and Chris Smith (R-NJ), introduced the Regional Ocean Partnership Act (H.R. 5390). The bill would authorize Regional Ocean Partnerships as partners with the federal government to address ocean and coastal concerns. It will provide with more consistent funding to help perform the critical mission of supporting ocean and coastal health, sustainability, and resiliency.