Improved Understanding of the Northern Gulf of Mexico Pelagic Ecosystem: Integration, Synthesis and Modeling of High-Resolution Zooplankton and Fish Data

Description: Zooplankton and small fish provide the foundation for commercially and recreationally important fish species in the Gulf of Mexico, but their limited mobility makes them particularly vulnerable to impaired environmental conditions. Project researchers will build upon a variety of models to assess potential responses of zooplankton and fish to stressors such as oil spills and events limiting oxygen supply in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The synthesis of historic data with a broad range of new information will identify new, cost-effective ways of monitoring critical living marine resources in the Gulf.

Funding Cycle: Healthy Ecosystems 2
Funding Organization: National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine: Gulf Research Program

Integrating Visual and Acoustic Data on Cetacean Abundance and Habitat in the Deep Water Gulf of Mexico

Description: Protected species in the deep ocean, such as dolphins and whales, require monitoring for management and conservation purposes. In response to the need for improved monitoring, the project team will integrate temporally rich acoustic survey data and spatially rich visual survey data of whales and dolphins from the Gulf of Mexico and develop habitat models. These models could inform the development of new conservation and management strategies — particularly after events such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Funding Cycle: Healthy Ecosystems 2
Funding Organization: National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine: Gulf Research Program

Living Shorelines: Synthesizing the Results of a Decade of Implementation in Coastal Alabama

Description: Restoration of coastal habitats has proceeded rapidly over the last two decades and will likely accelerate in light of the civil settlement stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. With opportune timing, the project research team plans to synthesize data that capture biological and physical effects of living shorelines with data from companion socio-economic studies to fully evaluate the benefits of living shoreline projects across coastal Alabama. The research is expected to contribute insights into the performance and efficacy of the different environmental restoration strategies being applied across the Gulf region.

Funding Cycle: Healthy Ecosystems 2
Funding Organization: National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine: Gulf Research Program

Quantifying Environmental and Anthropogenic Drivers of Sea Turtle Distribution and Abundance in the Gulf of Mexico

Description: Biological connectivity can facilitate the propagation of impacts due to environmental and anthropogenic stressors from local to regional scales, posing significant challenges for ecosystem management and protection of species. To address these challenges and to help guide the management and protection of sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, the project research team plans to synthesize sea turtle distribution and abundance data with key oceanographic data to advance our understanding of how human activities influence the distribution and abundance of mobile marine species.

Funding Cycle: Healthy Ecosystems 2
Funding Organization: National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine: Gulf Research Program

Synthesis of Historical Observations Using Novel Model Approaches to Improve Understanding and Predictability of Deep Gulf of Mexico Circulation

Description: Understanding of the physical processes that control the deep circulation in the Gulf of Mexico is a fundamental goal for improving the characterization and prediction of the deep water environment. Project researchers will synthesize a mix of historical observations with new models to better understand the unique currents that flow through the deep Gulf of Mexico. Findings are expected to improve forecasting methodologies critical for safe design and operation of offshore oil and gas infrastructure, as well as improve our predictive capabilities for the transport of deep water organisms and contaminants.

Funding Cycle: Healthy Ecosystems 2
Funding Organization: National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine: Gulf Research Program

Synthesizing Spatial Dynamics of Recreational Fish and Fisheries to Inform Restoration Strategies: Red Drum in the Gulf of Mexico

Description: Healthy recreational fisheries in the Gulf are important economic and environmental indicators of coastal communities’ well-being, but these fisheries are vulnerable to disturbances such as oil spills. The project team plans to synthesize diverse data sets from monitoring programs and research projects in an effort to develop an integrated, social-ecological systems model for the red drum fishery that can be applied to potential restoration strategies. The team's work could advance management strategies applied to other coastal recreational fisheries across the nation.

Funding Cycle: Healthy Ecosystems 2
Funding Organization: National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine: Gulf Research Program

The Transport of Oil to the Coast in the Top Centimeter of the Water Column

Description: Without a reliable estimate of surface-level flow, predictions of the movement of oil floating in the Gulf of Mexico and where and when it will reach the coast are inaccurate. Theory suggests that the surface flow can differ considerably from the flow at even half a meter depth. This project will use drift card data collected by the Gulf Integrated Spill Response Consortium during 2013 and 2014, together with measurements of winds, waves, and state-of-the-art numerical models, to improve the reliability of surface-flow estimates and advance understanding of the connectivity between the deep Gulf and coastal waters.

Funding Cycle: Healthy Ecosystems 2
Funding Organization: National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine: Gulf Research Program

Understanding the Trajectory of Coastal Salt Marsh Structure, Function, and Processes in the Face of Sea Level Rise: a Synthesis from Historical Imagery, Biophysical Processes, and Hierarchical Modeling

Description: Coastal wetlands in the northern Gulf of Mexico are vulnerable to degradation by natural and human-induced environmental changes. The project researchers plan to combine historical aerial photography and satellite imagery with analyses of wetland fragmentation and other biophysical and biogeochemical data to improve predictions of the health and productivity of coastal wetlands. The products of this research are expected to inform plans for marsh preservation, restoration, and the future viability of the ecosystem services provided by coastal marshes to human communities.

Funding Cycle: Healthy Ecosystems 2
Funding Organization: National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine: Gulf Research Program

Utilizing Secondary Data to Assess the Health and Health System Impacts of Natural and Technological Disasters in the Gulf

Description: Socially vulnerable groups who live in hazard-prone coastal areas such as the Gulf Coast are disproportionally at risk from both natural and technological disasters such as oil spills. The project researchers plan to integrate publicly available federal data and individual medical claims data in order to conduct a large-scale evaluation of the effects of disasters on the health status and health system utilization of Medicare beneficiaries living in coastal Gulf communities. Such efforts could help policymakers anticipate risks posed by future disasters and help enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities.

Funding Cycle: Healthy Ecosystems 2
Funding Organization: National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine: Gulf Research Program

Gulf of Mexico Ocean Reanalysis from Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) 4D-Var for 2011

Project: NGOMEX - Living Marine Resources of the Northern Gulf of Mexico