Abstract:

Large mucus rich marine snow floating at the sea surface in association with a visible oil layer from the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill was collected in May 2010 and characterized: Sizes, sinking velocities and solid hydrated density of component particles were determined in the laboratory and excess density and porosity of marine snow aggregates calculated. Furthermore exploratory marine snow formation experiments in the presence of oil were conducted using source water collected during three DwH oil spill response cruises between May 2010 and August 2010 in the vicinity of the spill and at a control station outside of the spill area. Experiments were conducted with marine snow free surface water, enriched or unenriched with natural Trichodesmium populations and with deep plume water. Marine snow formation was followed over time comparing treatments with or without oil different oils and different source waters. Experiments suggest that the marine snow appearing at the surface after the oil spill was formed through the interaction of three mechanisms: (1) Production of mucous webs through activities of bacterial oil-degraders associated with the floating oil layer. (2) Interactions of oil components with suspended matter and their coagulation, and (3) coagulation of phytoplankton with oil droplets incorporated into aggregates. Some of the formed marine snow sank, whereas some was positively buoyant.

Suggested Citation:

Passow, Uta. 2016. Marine snow formation in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, May 5, 2010 to September 8, 2010. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N75H7D9S

Publications:

Passow, U., Ziervogel, K., Asper, V., & Diercks, A. (2012). Marine snow formation in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Environmental Research Letters, 7(3), 035301. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/035301

Purpose:

This data is from the first set of laboratory experiments investigating the formation of mucus rich marine snow due to the presence of oil after the DwH spill and looks at sinking velocities of natural oil snow. Samples for experiments were collected on RV Pelican May 2010, RV Walton Smith May-June 2010, RV Oceanus Aug-Sept. 2010

Data Parameters and Units:

sinking velocity: Sample, Latitude and Longitude of sample collection for experiments (degrees minutes seconds), date (MM/DD/YYYY), length (mm), width (mm), time (sec), distance (mm), sinking velocity (m/d), ESD = equivalent spherical diameter (mm). Density: marine snow particle #, division, # mL, observations, estimated # of aggregates, density, estimated # of aggregates/mL. Mar. snow. experiments: experiment number, vessel name, sample collection start date (MM/DD/YYYY), sample collection end date (MM/DD/YYYY), sample collection latitude (degrees minutes), sample collection longitude (degrees minutes), source water, min. depth (m), max dept (m), sterilized (yes/no), trichodesmium added (yes/no), beads added (#/L) , oil type added, oil added v/v (%), treatment name, incubation time (hrs), size of marine snow (mm), time of first appearance of aggregates (hours), sinking velocity of aggregates (meter per day) excess density of aggregates (g per cm^3)

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