Impact of the Gulf Oil Crisis on the Sea Floor

Saturday, February 16, 2013
Room 310 (Hynes Convention Center)
Samantha B. Joye, Ph.D. , University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Field studies indicate significant sedimentation of weathered oil-containing material on the seafloor substantial distances from the wellhead, which has altered microbial metabolism and abundance and has had lethal affects on benthic infaunal communities. This presentation will present data regarding the impact of the oil and dispersants on benthic animals and on the sea floor.