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Sample records for program deep gulf

  1. Economic considerations for deep water Gulf of Mexico development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, R.; O'Sullivan, J.; Bayazitoglu, Y.O.

    1994-01-01

    This paper examines the economic drivers behind deep water development in the Gulf of Mexico. Capital costs are also examined versus water depth and required system. Cost categories are compared. The cost analysis was carried out by using the SEAPLAN computer program. The program is an expert system that identifies, conceptually defines, and economically compares technically feasible approaches for developing offshore oil and gas fields. The program's sizing logic and cost data base create physical and cost descriptions of systems representative of developments being planned in the deep water GOM. The examination was done separately for oil and gas developments. The material presented here is for only oil, it serves as a useful framework for viewing development economics and technology trends

  2. Deep-water northern Gulf of Mexico hydrocarbon plays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peterson, R.H.; Cooke, D.W.

    1995-01-01

    The geologic setting in the deep-water (depths greater than 1,500 feet) Gulf of Mexico is very favorable for the existence of large, commercial hydrocarbon accumulations. These areas have active salt tectonics that create abundant traps, underlying mature Mesozoic source rocks that can be observed expelling oil and gas to the ocean surface, and good quality reservoirs provided by turbidite sand deposits. Despite the limited amount of drilling in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico, 11 deep-water accumulations have been discovered which, when developed, will rank in the top 100 largest fields in the Gulf of Mexico. Proved field discoveries (those with announced development plans) have added over 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent to Gulf of Mexico reserves, and unproved field discoveries may add to additional billion barrels of oil equivalent. The Minerals Management Service, United States Department of the Interior, has completed a gulf-wide review of over 1,086 oil and gas fields and placed every pay sand in each field into a hydrocarbon play (plays are defined by chronostratigraphy, lithostratigraph, structure, and production). Seven productive hydrocarbon plays were identified in the deep-water northern Gulf of Mexico. Regional maps illustrate the productive limits of each play. In addition, field data, dry holes, and wells with sub-economic pay were added to define the facies and structural limits for each play. Areas for exploration potential are identified for each hydrocarbon play. A type field for each play is chosen to demonstrate the play's characteristics

  3. Gulf of Mexico Deep-Sea Coral Ecosystem Studies, 2008-2011

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kellogg, Christina A.

    2009-01-01

    Most people are familiar with tropical coral reefs, located in warm, well-illuminated, shallow waters. However, corals also exist hundreds and even thousands of meters below the ocean surface, where it is cold and completely dark. These deep-sea corals, also known as cold-water corals, have become a topic of interest due to conservation concerns over the impacts of trawling, exploration for oil and gas, and climate change. Although the existence of these corals has been known since the 1800s, our understanding of their distribution, ecology, and biology is limited due to the technical difficulties of conducting deep-sea research. DISCOVRE (DIversity, Systematics, and COnnectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems) is a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) program focused on deep-water coral ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico. This integrated, multidisciplinary, international effort investigates a variety of topics related to unique and fragile deep-sea coral ecosystems from the microscopic level to the ecosystem level, including components of microbiology, population genetics, paleoecology, food webs, taxonomy, community ecology, physical oceanography, and mapping.

  4. Deep-sea coral research and technology program: Alaska deep-sea coral and sponge initiative final report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rooper, Chris; Stone, Robert P.; Etnoyer, Peter; Conrath, Christina; Reynolds, Jennifer; Greene, H. Gary; Williams, Branwen; Salgado, Enrique; Morrison, Cheryl L.; Waller, Rhian G.; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.

    2017-01-01

    Deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems are widespread throughout most of Alaska’s marine waters. In some places, such as the central and western Aleutian Islands, deep-sea coral and sponge resources can be extremely diverse and may rank among the most abundant deep-sea coral and sponge communities in the world. Many different species of fishes and invertebrates are associated with deep-sea coral and sponge communities in Alaska. Because of their biology, these benthic invertebrates are potentially impacted by climate change and ocean acidification. Deepsea coral and sponge ecosystems are also vulnerable to the effects of commercial fishing activities. Because of the size and scope of Alaska’s continental shelf and slope, the vast majority of the area has not been visually surveyed for deep-sea corals and sponges. NOAA’s Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSCRTP) sponsored a field research program in the Alaska region between 2012–2015, referred to hereafter as the Alaska Initiative. The priorities for Alaska were derived from ongoing data needs and objectives identified by the DSCRTP, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC), and Essential Fish Habitat-Environmental Impact Statement (EFH-EIS) process.This report presents the results of 15 projects conducted using DSCRTP funds from 2012-2015. Three of the projects conducted as part of the Alaska deep-sea coral and sponge initiative included dedicated at-sea cruises and fieldwork spread across multiple years. These projects were the eastern Gulf of Alaska Primnoa pacifica study, the Aleutian Islands mapping study, and the Gulf of Alaska fish productivity study. In all, there were nine separate research cruises carried out with a total of 109 at-sea days conducting research. The remaining projects either used data and samples collected by the three major fieldwork projects or were piggy-backed onto existing research programs at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC).

  5. Deepwater Program: Lophelia II, continuing ecological research on deep-sea corals and deep-reef habitats in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Ross, Steve W.; Kellogg, Christina A.; Morrison, Cheryl L.; Nizinski, Martha S.; Prouty, Nancy G.; Bourque, Jill R.; Galkiewicz, Julie P.; Gray, Michael A.; Springmann, Marcus J.; Coykendall, D. Katharine; Miller, Andrew; Rhode, Mike; Quattrini, Andrea; Ames, Cheryl L.; Brooke, Sandra D.; McClain Counts, Jennifer; Roark, E. Brendan; Buster, Noreen A.; Phillips, Ryan M.; Frometa, Janessy

    2017-12-11

    The deep sea is a rich environment composed of diverse habitat types. While deep-sea coral habitats have been discovered within each ocean basin, knowledge about the ecology of these habitats and associated inhabitants continues to grow. This report presents information and results from the Lophelia II project that examined deep-sea coral habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. The Lophelia II project focused on Lophelia pertusa habitats along the continental slope, at depths ranging from 300 to 1,000 meters. The chapters are authored by several scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Florida State University who examined the community ecology (from microbes to fishes), deep-sea coral age, growth, and reproduction, and population connectivity of deep-sea corals and inhabitants. Data from these studies are presented in the chapters and appendixes of the report as well as in journal publications. This study was conducted by the Ecosystems Mission Area of the U.S. Geological Survey to meet information needs identified by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

  6. Deepwater Program: Studies of Gulf of Mexico lower continental slope communities related to chemosynthetic and hard substrate habitats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, Steve W.; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Kellogg, Christina A.; Morrison, Cheryl L.; Nizinski, Martha S.; Ames, Cheryl L.; Casazza, Tara L.; Gualtieri, Daniel; Kovacs, Kaitlin; McClain, Jennifer P.; Quattrini, Andrea M.; Roa-Varon, Adela Y.; Thaler, Andrew D.

    2012-01-01

    This report summarizes research funded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) on the ecology of deep chemosynthetic communities in the Gulf of Mexico. The research was conducted at the request of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE; formerly Minerals Management Service) to complement a BOEMRE-funded project titled "Deepwater Program: Investigations of Chemosynthetic Communities on the Lower Continental Slope of the Gulf of Mexico." The overall research partnership, known as "Chemo III," was initiated to increase understanding of the distribution, structure, function, and vulnerabilities of these poorly known associations of animals and microbes for water depths greater than 1,000 meters (m) in the Gulf of Mexico. Chemosynthetic communities rely on carbon sources that are largely independent of sunlight and photosynthetic food webs. Despite recent research directed toward chemosynthetic and deep coral (for example, Lophelia pertusa) based ecosystems, these habitats are still poorly studied, especially at depths greater than 1,000 m. With the progression into deeper waters by fishing and energy industries, developing sufficient knowledge to manage these deep ecosystems is essential. Increased understanding of deep-sea communities will enable sound evaluations of potential impacts and appropriate mitigations.

  7. Analysis of a deep nucleus of Tehuantepec Gulf

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ordonez R, E.; Lopez M, J.; Ramirez T, J. J.; Machain C, M. L.

    2009-10-01

    A nucleus of sediments obtained in the deep of Tehuantepec Gulf is analyzed; this nucleus has the particularity of to be a sampling of longitude of 18.3 m that include the total of last period glacial, few times obtained in our country. The physical chemistry composition of 10 selected fractions are analyzed with the purpose of to understand the formation processes of deep ocean along the period of 120 000 years, that includes the extracted fraction. Crystallography analysis, morphology, physical chemistry characterization and activity gamma were made. Finding that the content of organic matter falls as the superficial area increases, also was found the presence of natural uranium in similar concentration and balance with its radiogenic descendants along the nucleus profile what suggests the uranium migration to interior of mineral grains. (Author)

  8. Short-chain alkane cycling in deep Gulf of Mexico cold-seep sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibert, R.; Joye, S. B.; Hunter, K.

    2015-12-01

    Mixtures of light hydrocarbon gases are common in deep Gulf of Mexico cold-seep sediments, and are typically dissolved in pore fluids, adsorbed to sediment particles, trapped in methane ice, or as free gas. The dominant component in these natural gas mixtures is usually methane (>80% C1), but ethane (C2) and propane (C3) are nearly always present in trace amounts (95% of the methane produced at depth never reaches the water column. Production of C1 and C2 in deep-sea sediments has been historically attributed only to thermocatalytic processes, though limited data suggests production of C2/C3 compounds through the activity of archaea at depth. Furthermore, carbon isotopic data on ethane and propane from deep cores of Gulf of Mexico sediments suggest alkanogenesis at >3 m depth in the sediment column and alkane oxidation in uppermost oxidant-rich sediments. Additional studies have also isolated microorganisms capable of oxidizing ethane and propane in the laboratory, but field studies of microbial-driven dynamics of C2/C3 gases in cold-seep sediments are rare. Here, we present the results of a series of incubation experiments using sediment slurries culled from surface sediments from one of the most prolific natural oil and gas seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. Rates of alkane oxidation were measured under a variety of conditions to assess the surface-driven microbial controls on C2/C3 cycling in cold-seep environments. Such microbial processes are important in terms of the possible 'oxidative overprinting' of alkane isotopic signatures produced at depth, possibly obscuring typical microbial isotopic signals.

  9. 30 CFR 203.60 - Who may apply for royalty relief on a case-by-case basis in deep water in the Gulf of Mexico or...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ...-case basis in deep water in the Gulf of Mexico or offshore of Alaska? 203.60 Section 203.60 Mineral... basis in deep water in the Gulf of Mexico or offshore of Alaska? You may apply for royalty relief under... REDUCTION IN ROYALTY RATES OCS Oil, Gas, and Sulfur General Royalty Relief for Pre-Act Deep Water Leases and...

  10. Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Permit Program

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The North Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted the Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program (Rockfish Program) on June 14, 2010, to replace the expiring Pilot...

  11. STIMULATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR DEEP WELL COMPLETIONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stephen Wolhart

    2003-06-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) is sponsoring a Deep Trek Program targeted at improving the economics of drilling and completing deep gas wells. Under the DOE program, Pinnacle Technologies is conducting a project to evaluate the stimulation of deep wells. The objective of the project is to assess U.S. deep well drilling & stimulation activity, review rock mechanics & fracture growth in deep, high pressure/temperature wells and evaluate stimulation technology in several key deep plays. Phase 1 was recently completed and consisted of assessing deep gas well drilling activity (1995-2007) and an industry survey on deep gas well stimulation practices by region. Of the 29,000 oil, gas and dry holes drilled in 2002, about 300 were drilled in the deep well; 25% were dry, 50% were high temperature/high pressure completions and 25% were simply deep completions. South Texas has about 30% of these wells, Oklahoma 20%, Gulf of Mexico Shelf 15% and the Gulf Coast about 15%. The Rockies represent only 2% of deep drilling. Of the 60 operators who drill deep and HTHP wells, the top 20 drill almost 80% of the wells. Six operators drill half the U.S. deep wells. Deep drilling peaked at 425 wells in 1998 and fell to 250 in 1999. Drilling is expected to rise through 2004 after which drilling should cycle down as overall drilling declines.

  12. Characterizing Natural Gas Hydrates in the Deep Water Gulf of Mexico: Applications for Safe Exploration and Production Activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bent, Jimmy

    2014-05-31

    In 2000 Chevron began a project to learn how to characterize the natural gas hydrate deposits in the deep water portion of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Chevron is an active explorer and operator in the Gulf of Mexico and is aware that natural gas hydrates need to be understood to operate safely in deep water. In August 2000 Chevron worked closely with the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and held a workshop in Houston, Texas to define issues concerning the characterization of natural gas hydrate deposits. Specifically, the workshop was meant to clearly show where research, the development of new technologies, and new information sources would be of benefit to the DOE and to the oil and gas industry in defining issues and solving gas hydrate problems in deep water.

  13. Meddy Interaction With A Deep Cyclone In The Gulf of Cadiz

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carton, Xavier; Cherubin, Laurent

    Hydrological measurements made in July 1999 in the Gulf of Cadiz reveal the presence of two meddies, one south of Cape Saint Vincent, the other one near the Moroccan shelf and their interaction with a deep cyclone. The thermohaline anomalies of the meddies reach 60-70 km diameter, and are concentrated between 750 and 1500m depths; they reach 2C and 0.5 in salinity. The cyclone is shallower (between 600 and 1300m) with a weaker signature of Mediterranean water (12C at 800m, 36.2 in salinity between 800 and 1200m). This cyclone is coupled with one of the meddies as a baroclinic dipole. This dipole tears a long warm and salty filament away from the other meddy at 1200m. The long term evolution of these eddies is described by means of deep-drogued drifting buoy trajectories: the isolated meddy drifts southwestward, the dipole remains coherent while moving along the continental shelf until it reaches Cape Saint Vincent where it splits. A three-layer quasi-geostrophic model is used to evaluate the possible origin of the meddy and cyclone near the Portuguese coast, and to assess if their interactions, both mutual, with the domain boundaries, and with bottom topography, can account for their motion and deformation. L. Cherubin, X. Carton, J. Paillet, Y. Morel, A. Serpette, 2000: "Instability of the Mediterranean water undercurrents southwest of Portugal: effects of baroclinicity and of topography", Oceanologica Acta, 23, 551-573. X. Carton, L. Cherubin, J. Paillet, Y. Morel, A. Serpette, B. Le Cann, 2002: "Meddy coupling with a deep cyclone in the Gulf of Cadiz ". To appear in J. Mar. Syst.

  14. Growth rate and age distribution of deep-sea black corals in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prouty, N.G.; Roark, E.B.; Buster, N.A.; Ross, Steve W.

    2011-01-01

    Black corals (order Antipatharia) are important long-lived, habitat-forming, sessile, benthic suspension feeders that are found in all oceans and are usually found in water depths greater than 30 m. Deep-water black corals are some of the slowest-growing, longest-lived deep-sea corals known. Previous age dating of a limited number of black coral samples in the Gulf of Mexico focused on extrapolated ages and growth rates based on skeletal 210Pb dating. Our results greatly expand the age and growth rate data of black corals from the Gulf of Mexico. Radiocarbon analysis of the oldest Leiopathes sp. specimen from the upper De Soto Slope at 300 m water depth indicates that these animals have been growing continuously for at least the last 2 millennia, with growth rates ranging from 8 to 22 µm yr–1. Visual growth ring counts based on scanning electron microscopy images were in good agreement with the 14C-derived ages, suggestive of annual ring formation. The presence of bomb-derived 14C in the outermost samples confirms sinking particulate organic matter as the dominant carbon source and suggests a link between the deep-sea and surface ocean. There was a high degree of reproducibility found between multiple discs cut from the base of each specimen, as well as within duplicate subsamples. Robust 14C-derived chronologies and known surface ocean 14C reservoir age constraints in the Gulf of Mexico provided reliable calendar ages with future application to the development of proxy records.

  15. Gulf of Mexico deep-water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ott, G.L.

    1998-01-01

    The deepwater Gulf of Mexico, an emerging basin with 20 BBOE resource potential, was discussed. Technologies are advancing and development options are increasing within the Gulf of Mexico deepwater environment. Deepwater offers significant rate potentials leading to strong cash flows. The projected steep rate of resources captured in the next five years show that there is a short window of opportunity to establish a business position. The major production variables are development costs and cycle time. There is a definite market for Gulf of Mexico products because U.S. energy demand is expected to outstrip U.S. supply. Present infrastructure is capable of moving large volumes of gas into major U.S. markets, but with the large number of projects currently underway, especially in the United States, supply could exceed capacity. 1 tab., 16 figs

  16. Long-Term Observations of Epibenthic Fish Zonation in the Deep Northern Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Chih-Lin; Rowe, Gilbert T.; Haedrich, Richard L.; Boland, Gregory S.

    2012-01-01

    A total of 172 bottom trawl/skimmer samples (183 to 3655-m depth) from three deep-sea studies, R/V Alaminos cruises (1964–1973), Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope (NGoMCS) study (1983–1985) and Deep Gulf of Mexico Benthos (DGoMB) program (2000 to 2002), were compiled to examine temporal and large-scale changes in epibenthic fish species composition. Based on percent species shared among samples, faunal groups (≥10% species shared) consistently reoccurred over time on the shelf-break (ca. 200 m), upper-slope (ca. 300 to 500 m) and upper-to-mid slope (ca. 500 to 1500 m) depths. These similar depth groups also merged when the three studies were pooled together, suggesting that there has been no large-scale temporal change in depth zonation on the upper section of the continental margin. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) also detected no significant species changes on the limited sites and areas that have been revisited across the studies (P>0.05). Based on the ordination of the species shared among samples, species replacement was a continuum along a depth or macrobenthos biomass gradient. Despite the well-known, close, negative relationship between water depth and macrofaunal biomass, the fish species changed more rapidly at depth shallower than 1,000 m, but the rate of change was surprisingly slow at the highest macrofaunal biomass (>100 mg C m−2), suggesting that the composition of epibenthic fishes was not altered in response to the extremely high macrofaunal biomass in the upper Mississippi and De Soto Submarine Canyons. An alternative is that the pattern of fish species turnover is related to the decline in macrofaunal biomass, the presumptive prey of the fish, along the depth gradient. PMID:23056412

  17. Long-term observations of epibenthic fish zonation in the deep northern Gulf of Mexico.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chih-Lin Wei

    Full Text Available A total of 172 bottom trawl/skimmer samples (183 to 3655-m depth from three deep-sea studies, R/V Alaminos cruises (1964-1973, Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope (NGoMCS study (1983-1985 and Deep Gulf of Mexico Benthos (DGoMB program (2000 to 2002, were compiled to examine temporal and large-scale changes in epibenthic fish species composition. Based on percent species shared among samples, faunal groups (≥10% species shared consistently reoccurred over time on the shelf-break (ca. 200 m, upper-slope (ca. 300 to 500 m and upper-to-mid slope (ca. 500 to 1500 m depths. These similar depth groups also merged when the three studies were pooled together, suggesting that there has been no large-scale temporal change in depth zonation on the upper section of the continental margin. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA also detected no significant species changes on the limited sites and areas that have been revisited across the studies (P>0.05. Based on the ordination of the species shared among samples, species replacement was a continuum along a depth or macrobenthos biomass gradient. Despite the well-known, close, negative relationship between water depth and macrofaunal biomass, the fish species changed more rapidly at depth shallower than 1,000 m, but the rate of change was surprisingly slow at the highest macrofaunal biomass (>100 mg C m(-2, suggesting that the composition of epibenthic fishes was not altered in response to the extremely high macrofaunal biomass in the upper Mississippi and De Soto Submarine Canyons. An alternative is that the pattern of fish species turnover is related to the decline in macrofaunal biomass, the presumptive prey of the fish, along the depth gradient.

  18. Long-term observations of epibenthic fish zonation in the deep northern Gulf of Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Chih-Lin; Rowe, Gilbert T; Haedrich, Richard L; Boland, Gregory S

    2012-01-01

    A total of 172 bottom trawl/skimmer samples (183 to 3655-m depth) from three deep-sea studies, R/V Alaminos cruises (1964-1973), Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope (NGoMCS) study (1983-1985) and Deep Gulf of Mexico Benthos (DGoMB) program (2000 to 2002), were compiled to examine temporal and large-scale changes in epibenthic fish species composition. Based on percent species shared among samples, faunal groups (≥10% species shared) consistently reoccurred over time on the shelf-break (ca. 200 m), upper-slope (ca. 300 to 500 m) and upper-to-mid slope (ca. 500 to 1500 m) depths. These similar depth groups also merged when the three studies were pooled together, suggesting that there has been no large-scale temporal change in depth zonation on the upper section of the continental margin. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) also detected no significant species changes on the limited sites and areas that have been revisited across the studies (P>0.05). Based on the ordination of the species shared among samples, species replacement was a continuum along a depth or macrobenthos biomass gradient. Despite the well-known, close, negative relationship between water depth and macrofaunal biomass, the fish species changed more rapidly at depth shallower than 1,000 m, but the rate of change was surprisingly slow at the highest macrofaunal biomass (>100 mg C m(-2)), suggesting that the composition of epibenthic fishes was not altered in response to the extremely high macrofaunal biomass in the upper Mississippi and De Soto Submarine Canyons. An alternative is that the pattern of fish species turnover is related to the decline in macrofaunal biomass, the presumptive prey of the fish, along the depth gradient.

  19. [Taxonomic composition and zoogeographical aspects of deep sea fishes (90-540m) from the Gulf of California, Mexico].

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Martínez, Juana; Acevedo-Cervantes, Alejandro; Herrera-Valdivia, Eloisa; Rodríguez-Romero, Jesús; Palacios-Salgado, Deivis S

    2012-03-01

    The Gulf of California has a high variety of ecosystems that allow different services and the fishery resources play a prominent role in its ecology, evolution and economics. Fish coastal species have been previously reported for most coastal areas, especially those species that are subject to fishing, however, little is known on the species from deep sea zones, due to sampling difficulties. We studied the deep sea fishes collected with trawl nets during three research surveys in the Gulf of California, Mexico in 2004-2005. We provide a systematic checklist and some notes on biogeographical aspects. For this, 74 fishing hauls were done, and a total of 9 898 fishes were captured, belonging to two classes, 15 orders, 35 families, 53 genera and 70 species. The best represented families in number of species were: Paralichthyidae (eight), Serranidae (six), and Scorpaenidae and Triglidae with five species each one. The typical families from deep waters were: Ophidiidae, Moridae, Lophiidae, Scorpaenidae, Triglidae, Paralichthydae, Pleuronectidae and Cynoglossidae. Size range varied from 13cm for the Splinose searobin (Bellator xenisma) to 234cm in the Pacific Cutlassfish (Trichiurus nitens). The biogeographical affinity showed that species with affinity to the East Tropical Pacific (ETP) dominated, followed by species from San Diego-Panamic, San Diego-Panamic-Peruvian-Chilean and Oregonian-Cortes provinces, respectively. A biogeographic overlap was found in the fauna, which reflects the Gulf of California's geographical position, with distribution limits of species from temperate, tropical and warm-temperature transition affinities, divisions that characterize the Gulf of California. Taxonomic status of fish with a focus on composition, location, characterization and zoogeography are fundamental to any subject of biodiversity and fisheries management actions.

  20. Structural setting and evolution of the Mensa and Thunder Horse intraslope basins, northern deep-water Gulf of Mexico: A case study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Weimer, P.; Bouroullec, R.; Berg, A.A. van den; Lapinski, T.G.; Roesink, J.G.; Adson, J.

    2017-01-01

    The Mensa and Thunder Horse intraslope minibasins in southcentralMississippi Canyon, northern deep-water Gulf ofMexico, had a linked structural evolution from the Early Cretaceous through the late Miocene. Analysis of the two minibasins illustrates the complexities of deep-water sedimentation and

  1. Deep-water oilfield development cost analysis and forecasting —— Take gulf of mexico for example

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Mingyu; Wang, Jianjun; Yi, Chenggao; Bai, Jianhui; Wang, Jing

    2017-11-01

    Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is the earliest offshore oilfield which has ever been developed. It tends to breed increasingly value of efficient, secure and cheap key technology of deep-water development. Thus, the analyze of development expenditure in this area is significantly important the evaluation concept of deep-water oilfield all over the world. This article emphasizes on deep-water development concept and EPC contract value in GoM in recent 10 years in case of comparison and selection to the economic efficiency. Besides, the QUETOR has been put into use in this research processes the largest upstream cost database to simulate and calculate the calculating examples’ expenditure. By analyzing and forecasting the deep-water oilfield development expenditure, this article explores the relevance between expenditure index and oil price.

  2. The Gulf of Mexico research initiative: It takes a village

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colwell, Rita R.

    2016-07-01

    The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) was established at the time of one of the most significant ecological events in recent memory, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Defined by the discharge of over 150 million gallons of crude oil and the introduction of over 1.8 million gallons of chemical dispersants into the Gulf system, the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon disaster reached the Gulf Coast's wetlands and beaches and impacted the surface and deep ocean. The ecological story of the event reveals a strong linkage between the deep sea research community and research priorities in the Gulf of Mexico (coastal processes, human health, etc.). Deep Sea research efforts have revealed critical parts of the story, providing information on transport, fate, and effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil release and subsequent recovery of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystems.

  3. Time series current meter data from buoys in the North Atlantic as part of the Deep Circulation in the Gulf of Maine Field Program from platforms GYRE and MARY LOUISE between July 25th, 1985 and August 2nd, 1987 (NODC Accession 0053940)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — A two-year field study to investigate the deep flow between the major basins in the Gulf of Maine. This deep flow of warm-salty Slope water is an important driving...

  4. Local and regional species diversity of benthic Isopoda (Crustacea) in the deep Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, George D. F.

    2008-12-01

    Recent studies of deep-sea faunas considered the influence of mid-domain models in the distribution of species diversity and richness with depth. In this paper, I show that separating local diversity from regional species richness in benthic isopods clarifies mid-domain effects in the distribution of isopods in the Gulf of Mexico. Deviations from the randomised implied species ranges can be informative to understanding general patterns within the Gulf of Mexico. The isopods from the GoMB study contained 135 species, with a total of 156 species including those from an earlier study. More than 60 species may be new to science. Most families of deep-sea isopods (suborder Asellota) were present, although some were extremely rare. The isopod family Desmosomatidae dominated the samples, and one species of Macrostylis (Macrostylidae) was found in many samples. Species richness for samples pooled within sites ranged from 1 to 52 species. Because species in pooled samples were highly correlated with individuals, species diversity was compared across sites using the expected species estimator ( n=15 individuals, ES 15). Six depth transects had idiosyncratic patterns of ES 15, and transects with the greatest short-range variation in topography, such as basins and canyons, had the greatest short-range disparity. Basins on the deep slope did not have a consistent influence (i.e., relatively higher or lower than surrounding areas) on the comparative species diversity. ES 15 of all transects together showed a weak mid-domain effect, peaking around 1200-1500 m, with low values at the shallowest and deepest samples (Sigsbee Abyssal Plain); no longitudinal (east-west) pattern was found. The regional species pool was analyzed by summing the implied ranges of all species. The species ranges in aggregate did not have significant patterns across longitudes, and many species had broad depth ranges, suggesting that the isopod fauna of the Gulf of Mexico is well dispersed. The summed

  5. Building Program Vector Representations for Deep Learning

    OpenAIRE

    Mou, Lili; Li, Ge; Liu, Yuxuan; Peng, Hao; Jin, Zhi; Xu, Yan; Zhang, Lu

    2014-01-01

    Deep learning has made significant breakthroughs in various fields of artificial intelligence. Advantages of deep learning include the ability to capture highly complicated features, weak involvement of human engineering, etc. However, it is still virtually impossible to use deep learning to analyze programs since deep architectures cannot be trained effectively with pure back propagation. In this pioneering paper, we propose the "coding criterion" to build program vector representations, whi...

  6. Deep foundation rebound instrumentation at the Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blendy, M.M.; Boisen, B.P.

    1978-01-01

    Removing an extensive amount of overburden can initiate adjustments in the foundation mass. Rebound adjustments induced by this removal include, in addition to elastic response, elements of visco-elastic and plastic response which have to be taken into account when the foundation is loaded by subsequent construction. The accurate measurement of foundation response can be important in the design and construction of deep foundations and can be essential in the construction of very deep foundations. In 1974, a large foundation excavation was undertaken for the two unit Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. Overburden removal ranged in depth from 65 feet in the turbine area to 110 feet in the containment area. Very long, rod-type Multiple Position Borehole Extensometers measured the rebound. The design of the extensometers, and the dimensions of the installed instruments, are discussed. Graphs are included which show the adjustments measured by each extensometer during the deepening of the excavation. The measured rebound for each transducer package of each extensometer is summarized. The data are compared to predicted values based on a mathematical model developed using laboratory test results and empirical methods. The resulting information forms part of the permanent record of construction for the nuclear power station

  7. Plutonium in the Gulf of Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scott, M.R.; Salter, P.F.

    The geochemistry of fallout plutonium in the sediments of the Gulf of Mexico was studied. A series of sediment cores was collected in a traverse from the deep Gulf of Mexico to the Mississippi Delta. The cores were sliced into 1 cm intervals and analyzed for plutonium. Explanations for the variations in concentration are presented

  8. Mega Scale Constructions and Art on Deep Gulf of Mexico Sonar Images Reveal Extensive Very Ancient Civilizations. Radical Holocene Climate Changes May Relate to Large Shifts in Gulf Surface Areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, R. L.

    2017-12-01

    Enhanced images from subsea sonar scanning of the Western Gulf of Mexico have revealed quite large temples (4 km. in length), ruins of cities (14 km. by 11 km.), pyramids, amphitheaters, and many other structures. Some human faces have beards implying much earlier migrations of Europeans or North Africans. Several temples have paleo astronomy alignments and similarities to Stone Henge. Southern and Southwestern USA satellite land images display characteristics in common with several subsea designs. Water depths indicate that many structures go back about as far as the late Ice Age and are likely to be over ten thousand years old. Chronologies of civilizations, especially in North America will need to be seriously reconsidered. Greatly rising sea levels and radical climate changes must have helped to destroy relatively advanced cultures. Suprisingly deep water depths of many architectures provide evidence for closures within the Gulf of Mexico to open seas. Closures and openings may have influenced ancient radical climate swings between warmth and cooling as Gulf contributions to water temperatures contracted or expanded. These creations of very old and surprisingly advanced civilizations need protection.

  9. Metagenomic analysis and metabolite profiling of deep-sea sediments from the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikole Elizabeth Kimes

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Marine subsurface environments, such as deep-sea sediments, house abundant and diverse microbial communities that are believed to influence large-scale geochemical processes. These processes include the biotransformation and mineralization of numerous petroleum constituents. Thus, microbial communities in the Gulf of Mexico are thought to be responsible for the intrinsic bioremediation of crude oil released by the Deepwater Horizon (DWH oil spill. While hydrocarbon contamination is known to enrich for aerobic, oil-degrading bacteria in deep-seawater habitats, relatively little is known about the response of communities in deep-sea sediments, where low oxygen levels may hinder such a response. Here, we examined the hypothesis that increased hydrocarbon exposure results in an altered sediment microbial community structure that reflects the prospects for oil biodegradation under the prevailing conditions. We explore this hypothesis using metagenomic analysis and metabolite profiling of deep-sea sediment samples following the DWH oil spill. The presence of aerobic microbial communities and associated functional genes was consistent among all samples, whereas, a greater number of Deltaproteobacteria and anaerobic functional genes were found in sediments closest to the DWH blowout site. Metabolite profiling also revealed a greater number of putative metabolites in sediments surrounding the blowout zone relative to a background site located 127 km away. The mass spectral analysis of the putative metabolites revealed that alkylsuccinates remained below detection levels, but a homologous series of benzylsuccinates (with carbon chain lengths from 5 to 10 could be detected. Our findings suggest that increased exposure to hydrocarbons enriches for Deltaproteobacteria, which are known to be capable of anaerobic hydrocarbon metabolism. We also provide evidence for an active microbial community metabolizing aromatic hydrocarbons in deep-sea sediments of the

  10. Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Research Program Data Report 2002-2007

    Science.gov (United States)

    The work described in this report summarizes the data collected during 12 oceanographic cruises conducted from 2002-2007. The project was supported by the US EPA Office of Research and Development, in partnership with the US EPA Gulf of Mexico Program Office, the Office of Water,...

  11. 75 FR 63780 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-18

    ... shallow water grouper (SWG) species, and require vessels with valid commercial Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) reef... that the stock continues to be neither overfished nor undergoing overfishing. However, this update... migratory species (HMS) species and relatively less dependent on landings of deep-water grouper species. On...

  12. 2015 Gulf Guardian Awards

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Gulf of Mexico Program Partnership developed the Gulf Guardian awards as a way to recognize and honor the businesses, community groups, individuals, and agencies that are taking positive steps to keep the Gulf healthy, beautiful and productive.

  13. Hydrocarbon-Based Communities in the Ultra-Deep Gulf of Mexico: Protecting the Asphalt Ecosystem

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacDonald, I. R.; Sahling, H.

    2016-02-01

    The term `asphalt volcanism' was coined to describe marine sites where extrusions of highly degraded oil form large expanses of hard substratum, which is then colonized by chemosynthetic fauna and sessile invertebrates. A site named `Chapopote', a knoll at 3200m in the southern Gulf of Mexico, was described as the type specimen of asphalt volcanism in 2003. A joint German-Mexican-U.S. expedition on the German ship F/S METEOR returned to the region in February and March, 2015 to quantify the extent and characteristics of Chapopote and other asphalt-hosting knolls using the SEAL AUV, QUEST ROV, shipborne acoustics, and autonomous instrument landers. Preliminary findings have greatly expanded the number of confirmed asphalt volcanoes, as well as sites where seepage was detected as gas flares in the water column. The morphology of asphalt flows, which was investigated using large-scale photo-mosaicking techniques, indicated that they form with a complex interplay of gravity flows, buoyant uplift, and chemical weathering. An unexpected finding was the occurrence of gas hydrate mounds, some exceeding 1000 m2 in area and 10 m in relief. Gas hydrate forms almost instantly at ambient depths and temperatures and there was evidence that large plugs of hydrate that can rapidly breach the seafloor. Older mounds are colonized by massive tubeworm aggregations that may serve to stabilize the hydrate. Mexico recently announced the first energy production lease sales in their `ultra-deep' offshore. In contrast to the U.S. Gulf, where extensive safeguards for chemosynthetic communities have been in place for over 25 years, few existing protocols protect the Mexican deep-sea asphalt ecosystem. The combination of extensive asphalt pavements and exposed gas hydrate also pose unusual hazards for exploration piston coring or drilling operations. The time is ripe to consider what conservation model would best serve the region.

  14. The influence of Congo River discharges in the surface and deep layers of the Gulf of Guinea

    OpenAIRE

    Vangriesheim, A.; Pierre, C.; Aminot, A.; Metzl, N.; Baurand, François; Caprais, J. C.

    2009-01-01

    The main feature of the Congo-Angola margin in the Gulf of Guinea is the Congo (ex-Zaire) deep-sea fan composed of a submarine canyon directly connected to the Congo River, a channel and a [sediment] lobe area. During the multi-disciplinary programme called BIOZAIRE conducted by Ifremer from 2000 to 2005, two CTD-O2 sections with discrete water column samples were performed (BIOZAIRE3 cruise: 2003-2004) to study the influence of the Congo River discharges, both in the surface layer and in the...

  15. Polychaete Annelid (segmented worms) Species Composition in the Deep Gulf of Mexico following the Deep Water Horizon (DWH) Oil Spill

    Science.gov (United States)

    QU, F.; Rowe, G.

    2012-12-01

    Sediments 5 to 9 km from the Deep Water Horizon (DWH) Oil Spill site were sampled using a 0.2 m2 box corer 5 months after the event to assess the effects of the oil spill on polychaete annelid (segmented worms) community structure. Numbers of species, abundance, and biodiversity indices were all significantly lower than pre-spill values from similar depths in the eastern Gulf of Mexico (GoM). All of the five dominant species were different. Non-selective deposit feeders and selective deposit feeders were still the most frequent feeding guilds, but their abundances decreased significantly after the event. A large number of carnivorous Sigalionidae may be a response to an accumulation of PAHs on the sediment. Multivariate analyses (CLUSTER and multidimensional scaling (MDS)) illustrate the differences between assemblages near the DWH and those from prior studies in similar deep GoM habitats. In sum, the polychaete populations appeared to be at an early stage of succession in the recovery from the spill or they could be a resident assemblage that is the natural characteristic infauna in or adjacent to natural seeps of fossil hydrocarbons.

  16. Deep currents in the Gulf of Guinea: along slope propagation of intraseasonal waves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Guiavarc'h

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available In the Gulf of Guinea, intraseasonal variability is large at the equator and along the coast. Current data on the continental slope near 7.5° S show very energetic biweekly oscillations at 1300 m depth. A high resolution primitive equation numerical model demonstrates that this deep variability is forced by equatorial winds, through the generation of equatorial Yanai waves that propagate eastward and at depth, and then poleward as coastally-trapped waves upon reaching the coast of Africa. Intraseasonal variability is intensified along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, especially in the 10–20 day period range and at depths between 500 and 1500 m. The kinetic energy distribution is well explained at first order by linear theory. Along the equator, eastward intensification of energy and bottom intensification are in qualitative agreement with vertically propagating Yanai waves, although the signal is influenced by the details of the bathymetry. Along the coast, baroclinic modes 3 to 5 are important close to the equator, and the signal is dominated by lower vertical modes farther south. Additional current meter data on the continental slope near 3° N display an energy profile in the 10–20 day period band that is strikingly different from the one at 7.5° S, with surface intensification rather than bottom intensification and a secondary maximum near 800 m. The model reproduces these features and explains them: the surface intensification in the north is due to the regional wind forcing, and the north-south asymmetry of the deep signal is due to the presence of the zonal African coast near 5° N. A 4 years time series of current measurements at 7.5° S shows that the biweekly oscillations are intermittent and vary from year to year. This intermittency is not well correlated with fluctuations of the equatorial winds and does not seem to be a simple linear response to the wind forcing.

  17. Grain Size Data from the Brine Disposal Program, Gulf of Mexico

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — These data are part of the Brine Disposal Program funded by NOAA in the US Gulf of Mexico, compiled by NOAA/CEAS and partially conducted by R. W. Hann of Texas A and...

  18. 76 FR 60960 - Gulf Opportunity Pilot Loan Program (GO Loan Pilot)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-30

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Gulf Opportunity Pilot Loan Program (GO Loan Pilot) AGENCY: U.S.... SUMMARY: This notice announces the extension of SBA's GO Loan Pilot, with modifications, until December 31... processing available through the GO Loan Pilot to small businesses in the eligible parishes/counties through...

  19. The outer Gulf of Mexico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henery, D. [Shell Internationale Petroleum Maatschappij BV, Den Haag (Netherlands)

    1996-12-31

    This paper deals with the offshore activity in the Gulf of Mexico. Up to the end of 1995 there have been close to 300 exploratory wells drilled in water depths beyond 450 metres, and over 50 development wells. In addition approximately 1.500 leases have been awarded in the deep water. Themes discussed are deep water discoveries, average well rates, and key learnings points

  20. 2015 Gulf Guardian Award Winners

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Gulf of Mexico Program Partnership developed the Gulf Guardian awards as a way to recognize and honor the businesses, community groups, individuals, and agencies that are taking positive steps to keep the Gulf healthy, beautiful and productive.

  1. 2017 Gulf Guardian Award Winners

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Gulf of Mexico Program Partnership developed the Gulf Guardian awards as a way to recognize and honor the businesses, community groups, individuals, and agencies that are taking positive steps to keep the Gulf healthy, beautiful and productive.

  2. 75 FR 53007 - Gulf Opportunity Pilot Loan Program (GO Loan Pilot)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-30

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Gulf Opportunity Pilot Loan Program (GO Loan Pilot) AGENCY: U.S...'s GO Loan Pilot until September 30, 2011. Due to the scope and magnitude of the devastation to... streamlined and centralized loan processing available through the GO Loan Pilot to small businesses in the...

  3. Deep-towed CSEM survey of gas hydrates in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kannberg, P.; Constable, S.

    2017-12-01

    Controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) surveys are increasingly being used to remotely detect hydrate deposits in seafloor sediments. CSEM methods are sensitive to sediment pore space resistivity, such as when electrically resistive hydrate displaces the electrically conductive pore fluid, increasing the bulk resistivity of the sediment. In July 2017, a two-week research cruise using an upgraded and expanded "Vulcan" towed receiver system collected over 250 line km of data at four sites in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) thought to have hydrate bearing sediments. Hydrate bearing horizons at the survey sites ranged from 400-700 m below seafloor. Modeling suggested an array with source receiver offsets of up to 1600 m would be needed to properly image the deep hydrate. A deep towed electromagnetic transmitter outputting 270 Amps was towed 100 m above seafloor. Six Vulcan receivers, each recording three-axis electric field data, were towed at 200 m intervals from 600-1600 m behind the transmitter. The four sites surveyed, Walker Ridge 313, Orca Basin, Mad Dog, and Green Canyon 955, are associated with the upcoming GOM^2 coring operation scheduled for 2020. Wells at WR313 and GC955 were logged as part of a joint industry drilling project in 2009 and will be used to ground truth our inversion results. In 2008, WR313 and GC955 were surveyed using traditional CSEM seafloor receivers, accompanied by a single prototype Vulcan towed receiver. This prior survey will allow comparison of results from a seafloor receiver survey with those from a towed receiver survey. Seismic data has been collected at all the sites, which will be used to constrain inversions. In addition to the four hydrate sites surveyed, two lines were towed over Green Knoll, a deep-water salt dome located between Mad Dog and GC955. Presented here are initial results from our recent cruise.

  4. Characterization of sea floor in Gulf of Mexico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McGregor, B.A.; Kenyon, N.H.; Schlee, J.S.; Mattick, R.e.; Twichell, D.C.

    1986-05-01

    In 1985, the US Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a mapping program in the Gulf of Mexico. Using the GLORIA (Geologic Long-Range Inclined Asdic) side-scan sonar system of the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, USGS mapped approximately 90,000 nmi/sup 2/ of sea floor in the central and western Gulf of Mexico, seaward of the shelf edge. The Sigsbee Escarpment, the seaward edge of a salt front that extends from the western gulf to just west of the Mississippi Canyon, is marked by piles of debris along its base, and is breached by several submarine channels. One such meandering channel can be traced from the shelf edge, through the maze of diapirs on the slope, and out across the Sigsbee Abyssal Plain. This continuous transport pathway indicates the interaction of salt tectonics on sediment pathways and distribution. Numerous bed forms seaward of the Sigsbee Escarpment suggest that strong bottom currents are present. The northern gulf has three major submarine fans, each with different surface morphologies. The Rio Grande Fan has a braided channel system. The Mississippi Fan has a main channel that can be traced for approximately 100 km across the midfan, but most of the surface of the upper and midfan as well as the channel are buried by submarine slides or debris flows. Desoto Canyon Fan also has a continuous channel that has been filled or overrun in places by massive debris flows. Based on the sonographs, mass wasting appears to be an important process in distributing sediments in the deep water of the central gulf.

  5. 77 FR 56168 - Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Gulf of Mexico Individual Fishing Quota Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-12

    .... 090206140-91081-03] RIN 0648-XC227 Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Gulf of Mexico Individual... red snapper and grouper/tilefish components of the reef fish fishery in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), the... INFORMATION: The reef fish fishery of the Gulf of Mexico is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for Reef...

  6. Exploration and Discovery of Hydrocarbon Seeps, Coral Ecosystems, and Shipwrecks in the Deep Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shank, T. M.; Hsing, P.; Carney, R. S.; Herrera, S.; Heyl, T.; Munro, C.; Bors, E.; Kiene, W.; Vecchione, M.; Evans, A.; Irion, J.; Warren, D.; Malik, M.; Lobecker, M.; Potter, J.

    2012-12-01

    Between March 20 and April 6, 2012, the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer served as a platform for ship-board and shore-side scientists to explore the deep Gulf of Mexico, targeting the northern West Florida Escarpment, DeSoto Canyon, the vicinity (within 11km) of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) well, and deepwater shipwrecks. We systematically explored and discovered natural hydrocarbon seeps, diverse coral ecosystems, wooden and iron-hulled shipwrecks more than 100 years old colonized by coral communities, and sperm whale habitat between 600 and 1200m. A total of sixteen dives took advantage of new and recent maps to explore and groundtruth both hard and soft-bottom habitats, from cretaceous carbonates to mounds of coral rubble. The final ROV dive successfully groundtruthed expected methane-release areas imaged by the ship's mapping systems up to 1150m above the seafloor. The source of the mapping imagery was a stream of bubbles issuing from beneath thriving seep mussel communities. We visited five sites in the Mississippi Canyon (MC) area (lease blocks MC294, MC297, MC388, MC255, and MC036; the DWH incident took place in MC252). These sites were 11.3 km SW, 6.8 km SW, 7.6 km SW, 25.7 km E, and 27.4 km to the NE of the DWH, respectively. We used high-definition imaging systems on the Little Hercules ROV and Seirios camera platform to document more than 130 coral colonies and over 400 associated individual animals to continue to assessing the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. All of these efforts were conducted to provide fundamental knowledge of unknown and poorly known regions, ecosystems, and items of historical significance in the deep Gulf of Mexico.

  7. Assessing Oil Spill Impacts to Cold-Water Corals of the Deep Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeLeo, D. M.; Lengyel, S. D.; Cordes, E. E.

    2016-02-01

    The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster and subsequent cleanup efforts resulted in the release of an unprecedented amount of oil and chemical dispersants in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Over the years, numerous detrimental effects have been documented including impacts to cold-water coral ecosystems. Assessing and quantifying these effects is crucial to understanding the long-term consequences to affected coral populations as well as their resilience. We conducted live exposure experiments to investigate the toxicity of oil and dispersants on two deep-sea corals, Callogorgia delta and Paramuricea type B3. For both species, the treatments containing dispersants had a more pronounced effect than oil treatments alone. In addition, RNA from unexposed and DWH spill-impacted Paramuricea biscaya was extracted and sequenced using Illumina technology. A de novo reference transcriptome was produced and used to explore stress-induced variations in gene expression. Current findings show overexpression of genes coding for Cytochrome p450 (CYP1A1), Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factors (TRAFs), Peroxidasin and additional genes involved in innate immunity and apoptotic pathways. CYP1A1 is involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics and has been previously used as a diagnostic tool for aquatic pollution. TRAFs are responsible for regulating pathways involved in immune and inflammatory responses and were likewise overexpressed in thermally stressed shallow-water corals. Ribosomal proteins were also significantly underexpressed. These genes among others found in our expression data serve as useful biomarker candidates for assessing and monitoring future spill impacts as resource extraction continues in the deep waters of the GoM. Our results also provide insights into the responses of deep-sea corals to toxin exposure, implications of applying dispersants to oil spills and a novel reference assembly for a relatively under-studied group of cold-water corals.

  8. Deep-water polychaetes (Annelida from the southeastern Gulf of California, Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuria Méndez

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available Polychaetes inhabiting deep-sea soft bottoms from the southeastern Gulf of California were collected during four oceanographic cruises during 2000 and 2001. Sampling of benthic organisms was performed with a benthic sledge to collect epifauna and a Karling dredge for epifauna and infauna, in a depth range from 732 to 2 250 m. A list of the polychaetes that were collected and their distribution are presented here. A total of 73 species (distributed among 33 families were identified. Moreover, 11 species were identified only to genus level and 20 species only to family level. With the exception of Ancistrosyllis hartmanae and Melinnampharete eoa, all identified species have been previously reported in soft bottoms of the Gulf of California or in adjacent areas. Additional previously unreported information is provided herein regarding depth ranges, geographical distribution, morphology and tubes inhabited by the organisms. The morphology of the ampharetids Amage sp. and Samytha sp. does not coincide with that of other species in these genera reported for the Gulf of California, which suggests that they are probably undescribed species. Rev. Biol. Trop. 54 (3: 773-785. Epub 2006 Sept. 29.Se recolectaron anélidos poliquetos de fondos profundos del SE del golfo de California durante cuatro campañas oceanográficas entre 2000 y 2001. El muestreo de organismos bentónicos se llevó a cabo mediante una draga de arrastre bentónica para recolectar epifauna y una draga tipo Karling para epifauna y endofauna, en un intervalo de profundidad de 732 a 2 250 m. Se presenta un listado de poliquetos con su distribución dentro del área de estudio. En total se identificaron 73 especies (distribuidas en 33 familias. Además, 11 especies fueron identificadas a nivel genérico y 20 a nivel de familia. Con excepción de Ancistrosyllis hartmanae y Melinnampharete eoa, todas las especies habían sido registradas en fondos blandos del golfo de California o zonas

  9. Impact of open-ocean convection on particle fluxes and sediment dynamics in the deep margin of the Gulf of Lions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Stabholz

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The deep outer margin of the Gulf of Lions and the adjacent basin, in the western Mediterranean Sea, are regularly impacted by open-ocean convection, a major hydrodynamic event responsible for the ventilation of the deep water in the western Mediterranean Basin. However, the impact of open-ocean convection on the flux and transport of particulate matter remains poorly understood. The variability of water mass properties (i.e., temperature and salinity, currents, and particle fluxes were monitored between September 2007 and April 2009 at five instrumented mooring lines deployed between 2050 and 2350-m depth in the deepest continental margin and adjacent basin. Four of the lines followed a NW–SE transect, while the fifth one was located on a sediment wave field to the west. The results of the main, central line SC2350 ("LION" located at 42°02.5′ N, 4°41′ E, at 2350-m depth, show that open-ocean convection reached mid-water depth (≈ 1000-m depth during winter 2007–2008, and reached the seabed (≈ 2350-m depth during winter 2008–2009. Horizontal currents were unusually strong with speeds up to 39 cm s−1 during winter 2008–2009. The measurements at all 5 different locations indicate that mid-depth and near-bottom currents and particle fluxes gave relatively consistent values of similar magnitude across the study area except during winter 2008–2009, when near-bottom fluxes abruptly increased by one to two orders of magnitude. Particulate organic carbon contents, which generally vary between 3 and 5%, were abnormally low (≤ 1% during winter 2008–2009 and approached those observed in surface sediments (≈ 0.6%. Turbidity profiles made in the region demonstrated the existence of a bottom nepheloid layer, several hundred meters thick, and related to the resuspension of bottom sediments. These observations support the view that open-ocean deep convection events in the Gulf of Lions can cause significant remobilization

  10. S.83: A Bill to ensure the preservation of the Gulf of Mexico by establishing within the Environmental Protection Agency a Gulf of Mexico Program. Introduced in the Senate of the United States, One Hundred Third Congress, First Session, January 21, 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1993-01-01

    S. 83 may be cited as the open-quotes Gulf of Mexico Preservation Act of 1993.close quotes This Bill discusses findings pertaining to resources in the Gulf of Mexico, describes the establishment of the Gulf of Mexico Program, defines the establishment and duties of the Gulf of Mexico Program Office, and proposes a study of international issues. This Bill also includes an assessment to be prepared by the Administrator, a monitoring, management, protection and restoration plan, a grant program, authorization of appropriations, administrative provisions, and the relationship of the Bill to existing federal and state laws and international treaties

  11. Bioinformatics in Middle East Program Curricula--A Focus on the Arabian Gulf

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loucif, Samia

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to investigate the inclusion of bioinformatics in program curricula in the Middle East, focusing on educational institutions in the Arabian Gulf. Bioinformatics is a multidisciplinary field which has emerged in response to the need for efficient data storage and retrieval, and accurate and fast computational and…

  12. Impact of protists on a hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial community from deep-sea Gulf of Mexico sediments: A microcosm study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaudoin, David J.; Carmichael, Catherine A.; Nelson, Robert K.; Reddy, Christopher M.; Teske, Andreas P.; Edgcomb, Virginia P.

    2016-07-01

    In spite of significant advancements towards understanding the dynamics of petroleum hydrocarbon degrading microbial consortia, the impacts (direct or indirect via grazing activities) of bacterivorous protists remain largely unknown. Microcosm experiments were used to examine whether protistan grazing affects the petroleum hydrocarbon degradation capacity of a deep-sea sediment microbial community from an active Gulf of Mexico cold seep. Differences in n-alkane content between native sediment microcosms and those treated with inhibitors of eukaryotes were assessed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography following 30-90 day incubations and analysis of shifts in microbial community composition using small subunit ribosomal RNA gene clone libraries. More biodegradation was observed in microcosms supplemented with eukaryotic inhibitors. SSU rRNA gene clone libraries from oil-amended treatments revealed an increase in the number of proteobacterial clones (particularly γ-proteobacteria) after spiking sediments with diesel oil. Bacterial community composition shifted, and degradation rates increased, in treatments where protists were inhibited, suggesting protists affect the hydrocarbon degrading capacity of microbial communities in sediments collected at this Gulf of Mexico site.

  13. Calculating in situ degradation rates of hydrocarbon compounds in deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thessen, Anne E; North, Elizabeth W

    2017-09-15

    Biodegradation is an important process for hydrocarbon weathering that influences its fate and transport, yet little is known about in situ biodegradation rates of specific hydrocarbon compounds in the deep ocean. Using data collected in the Gulf of Mexico below 700m during and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, we calculated first-order degradation rate constants for 49 hydrocarbons and inferred degradation rate constants for an additional 5 data-deficient hydrocarbons. Resulting calculated (not inferred) half-lives of the hydrocarbons ranged from 0.4 to 36.5days. The fastest degrading hydrocarbons were toluene (k=-1.716), methylcyclohexane (k=-1.538), benzene (k=-1.333), and C1-naphthalene (k=-1.305). The slowest degrading hydrocarbons were the large straight-chain alkanes, C-26 through C-33 (k=-0.0494 through k=-0.007). Ratios of C-18 to phytane supported the hypothesis that the primary means of degradation in the subsurface was microbial biodegradation. These degradation rate constants can be used to improve models describing the fate and transport of hydrocarbons in the event of an accidental deep ocean oil spill. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Data collected by the R/V Gyre in the Gulf of Mexico to support the Stability and Change in the Gulf of Mexico Chemosynthetic Communities Program, 1996 - 2002 (NODC Accession 0000788)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — A multidisciplinary team of marine scientists has completed a program entitled Stability and Change in Gulf of Mexico Chemosynthetic Communities. The program was...

  15. Dance Educator Enrichment Program (DEEP): A Model for Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sofras, Pamela Anderson; Emory-Maier, Ambre

    2005-01-01

    In 2001, North Carolina Dance Theatre, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system joined forces to create a multidimensional, professional development program for dance professionals (teachers and artists) in the public schools called, The Dance Educator Enrichment Program (DEEP). DEEP was designed…

  16. Acute survivorship of the deep-sea coral Lophelia pertusa from the Gulf of Mexico under acidification, warming, and deoxygenation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lunden, Jay J.; McNicholl, Conall G.; Sears, Christopher R.; Morrison, Cheryl L.; Cordes, Erik E.

    2014-01-01

    Changing global climate due to anthropogenic emissions of CO2 are driving rapid changes in the physical and chemical environment of the oceans via warming, deoxygenation, and acidification. These changes may threaten the persistence of species and populations across a range of latitudes and depths, including species that support diverse biological communities that in turn provide ecological stability and support commercial interests. Worldwide, but particularly in the North Atlantic and deep Gulf of Mexico, Lophelia pertusa forms expansive reefs that support biological communities whose diversity rivals that of tropical coral reefs. In this study, L. pertusa colonies were collected from the Viosca Knoll region in the Gulf of Mexico (390 to 450 m depth), genotyped using microsatellite markers, and exposed to a series of treatments testing survivorship responses to acidification, warming, and deoxygenation. All coral nubbins survived the acidification scenarios tested, between pH of 7.67 and 7.90 and aragonite saturation states of 0.92 and 1.47. However, net calcification generally declined with respect to pH, though a disparate response was evident where select individuals net calcified and others exhibited net dissolution near a saturation state of 1. Warming and deoxygenation both had negative effects on survivorship, with up to 100% mortality observed at temperatures above 14°C and oxygen concentrations of approximately 1.5 ml· l−1. These results suggest that, over the short-term, climate change and OA may negatively impact L. pertusa in the Gulf of Mexico, though the potential for acclimation and the effects of genetic background should be considered in future research.

  17. Reproductive traits of tropical deep-water pandalid shrimps ( Heterocarpus ensifer) from the SW Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briones-Fourzán, Patricia; Barradas-Ortíz, Cecilia; Negrete-Soto, Fernando; Lozano-Álvarez, Enrique

    2010-08-01

    Heterocarpus ensifer is a tropical deep-water pandalid shrimp whose reproductive features are poorly known. We examined reproductive traits of a population of H. ensifer inhabiting the continental slope (311-715 m in depth) off the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (SW Gulf of Mexico). Size range of the total sample ( n=816) was 10.4-38.9 mm carapace length. Females grow larger than males, but both sexes mature at 57% of their maximum theoretical size and at ˜30% of their total lifespan. Among adult females, the proportion of ovigerous females was high in all seasons, indicating year-round reproduction. Most females carrying embryos in advanced stages of development had ovaries in advanced stages of maturation, indicating production of successive spawns. In the autumn, however, the proportion of ovigerous females and the condition index of these females were lower compared to other seasons. This pattern potentially reflects a reduction in food resources following the summer minimum in particulate organic carbon flux to the deep benthos, as reported in previous studies. Spawns consisting of large numbers (16024±5644, mean±SD) of small eggs (0.045±0.009 mm 3) are consistent with extended planktotrophic larval development, an uncommon feature in deep-water carideans. Egg number increased as a power function of female size but with substantial variability, and egg size varied widely within and between females. There was no apparent trade-off between egg number and egg size and neither of these two variables was influenced by female condition. These results indicate iteroparity and a high and variable reproductive effort, reflecting a reproductive strategy developed to compensate for high larval mortality. The present study provides a baseline to compare reproductive traits between Atlantic populations of this tropical deep-water pandalid.

  18. Reprint of - Deep-sea coral and hardbottom habitats on the west Florida slope, eastern Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, Steve W.; Rhode, Mike; Brooke, Sandra

    2017-09-01

    Until recently, benthic habitats dominated by deep-sea corals (DSC) appeared to be less extensive on the slope of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) than in the northeast Atlantic Ocean or off the southeastern US. There are relatively few bioherms (i.e., coral-built mounds) in the northern GOM, and most DSCs are attached to existing hard substrata (e.g., authigenically formed carbonate). The primary structure-forming, DSC in the GOM is Lophelia pertusa, but structure is also provided by other living and dead scleractinians, antipatharians (black corals), octocorals (gorgonians, soft corals), hydrocorals and sponges, as well as abundant rocky substrata. The best development of DSCs in the GOM was previously documented within Viosca Knoll oil and gas lease blocks 826 and 862/906 (north-central GOM) and on the Campeche Bank (southern GOM in Mexican waters). This paper documents extensive deep reef ecosystems composed of DSC and rocky hard-bottom recently surveyed on the West Florida Slope (WFS, eastern GOM) during six research cruises (2008-2012). Using multibeam sonar, CTD casts, and video from underwater vehicles, we describe the physical and oceanographic characteristics of these deep reefs and provide size or area estimates of deep coral and hardground habitats. The multibeam sonar analyses revealed hundreds of mounds and ridges, some of which were subsequently surveyed using underwater vehicles. Mounds and ridges in <525 m depths were usually capped with living coral colonies, dominated by L. pertusa. An extensive rocky scarp, running roughly north-south for at least 229 km, supported lower abundances of scleractinian corals than the mounds and ridges, despite an abundance of settlement substrata. Areal comparisons suggested that the WFS may exceed other parts of the GOM slope in extent of living deep coral coverage and other deep-reef habitat (dead coral and rock). The complex WFS region warrants additional studies to better understand the influences of oceanography and

  19. A recent perspective of the Circulation in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Candela, J.; Ochoa-de-La-Torre, J. L.; Sheinbaum, J.; Perez-Brunius, P.; Pallas-Sanz, E.; Kolodziejczyk, N.

    2013-05-01

    The flow through the Gulf of Mexico is an integral part of the North Atlantic Ocean Subtropical Gyre Circulation, known to be forced by the wind over the North Atlantic and by an equivalent contribution from the inter-hemispheric Meridional Overturning Cell. To the North Atlantic Circulation, the Gulf represents an important energy and vorticity sink through the particular behavior of the Loop Current within. Comprehending the structure and dynamics of the Loop Current System (which includes the Yucatan Current (YC), Loop Current (LC), the shedding of anticyclonic Loop Current Eddies (LCE) and peripheral cyclonic gyres) is fundamental for understanding the circulation in the entire Gulf. Within the Gulf, the eastern Loop Current and the western Campeche Bay (CB) regions are characterized by persistent eddy structures, with less structured eddy fields in between. Of these later ones, the northwestern Gulf is a geostrophic turbulence area, constantly perturbed by LCE, which represents, at the same time, an important dissipation and circulation forcing region for the Western Gulf. Important processes recently investigated that will be discussed: 1) The generation and maintenance of the Geostrophic Turbulence field in the north western Gulf. 2) The circulation in deep water induced by the surface geostrophic turbulence field. 3) The generation of intensive jets at depth by interaction of +/- gyres. 4) The generation of coastal trap waves by the interaction of LCEs with the western shelf. 5) The generation of deep topographic Roosby waves by topographic interactions of the LCEs with topography. 5) The characteristics of the Bay of Campeche Circulation, The Campeche Gyre and its interaction with LCEs. 6) The Gulf's response to the passage of hurricanes. 7) The trapping of inertial waves by the LCEs and the related enhanced mixing.

  20. Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force---Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Science Assessment and Needs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Shelby; Dausman, Alyssa M.; Lavoie, Dawn L.

    2012-01-01

    The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force (GCERTF) was established by Executive Order 13554 as a result of recommendations from “America’s Gulf Coast: A Long-term Recovery Plan after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill” by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus (Mabus Report). The GCERTF consists of members from 11 Federal agencies and representatives from each State bordering the Gulf of Mexico. The GCERTF was charged to develop a holistic, long-term, science-based Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy for the Gulf of Mexico. Federal and State agencies staffed the GCERTF with experts in fields such as policy, budgeting, and science to help develop the Strategy. The Strategy was built on existing authorities and resources and represents enhanced collaboration and a recognition of the shared responsibility among Federal and State governments to restore the Gulf Coast ecosystem. In this time of severe fiscal constraints, Task Force member agencies and States are committed to establishing shared priorities and working together to achieve them.As part of this effort, three staffers, one National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientist and two U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists, created and led a Science Coordination Team (SCT) to guide scientific input into the development of the Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy. The SCT leads from the GCERTF coordinated more than 70 scientists from the Federal and State Task Force member agencies to participate in development of a restoration-oriented science document focused on the entire Gulf of Mexico, from inland watersheds to the deep blue waters. The SCT leads and scientists were organized into six different working groups based on expanded goals from the Mabus Report: Coastal habitats are healthy and resilient.Living coastal and marine resources are healthy, diverse, and sustainable.Coastal communities are adaptive and resilient.Storm buffers are sustainable.Inland habitats and

  1. Countermeasure Study on Deep-sea Oil Exploitation in the South China Sea——A Comparison between Deep-sea Oil Exploitation in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Hui; Qiu, Weiting; Qu, Weilu

    2018-02-01

    The unpromising situation of terrestrial oil resources makes the deep-sea oil industry become an important development strategy. The South China Sea has a vast sea area with a wide distribution of oil and gas resources, but there is a phenomenon that exploration and census rates and oil exploitation are low. In order to solve the above problems, this article analyzes the geology, oil and gas exploration and exploration equipment in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Comparing the political environment of China and the United States energy industry and the economic environment of oil companies, this article points out China’s deep-sea oil exploration and mining problems that may exist. Finally, the feasibility of oil exploration and exploitation in the South China Sea is put forward, which will provide reference to improve the conditions of oil exploration in the South China Sea and promoting the stable development of China’s oil industry.

  2. Apristurus breviventralis, a new species of deep-water catshark (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) from the Gulf of Aden.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawauchi, Junro; Weigmann, Simon; Nakaya, Kazuhiro

    2014-11-03

    A new deep-water catshark of the genus Apristurus Garman, 1913 is described based on nine specimens from the Gulf of Aden in the northwestern Indian Ocean. Apristurus breviventralis sp. nov. belongs to the 'brunneus group' of the genus and is characterized by having pectoral-fin tips reaching beyond the midpoint between the paired fin bases, a much shorter pectoral-pelvic space than the anal-fin base, a low and long-based anal fin, and a first dorsal fin located behind pelvic-fin insertion. The new species most closely resembles the western Atlantic species Apristurus canutus, but is distinguishable in having greater nostril length than internarial width and longer claspers in adult males. Apristurus breviventralis sp. nov. represents the sixth species of Apristurus from the western Indian Ocean and the 38th species globally. 

  3. Biodiversity and community composition of sediment macrofauna associated with deep-sea Lophelia pertusa habitats in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Bourque, Jill R.; Frometa, Janessy

    2014-01-01

    Scleractinian corals create three-dimensional reefs that provide sheltered refuges, facilitate sediment accumulation, and enhance colonization of encrusting fauna. While heterogeneous coral habitats can harbor high levels of biodiversity, their effect on the community composition within nearby sediments remains unclear, particularly in the deep sea. Sediment macrofauna from deep-sea coral habitats (Lophelia pertusa) and non-coral, background sediments were examined at three sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico (VK826, VK906, MC751, 350–500 m depth) to determine whether macrofaunal abundance, diversity, and community composition near corals differed from background soft-sediments. Macrofaunal densities ranged from 26 to 125 individuals 32 cm−2 and were significantly greater near coral versus background sediments only at VK826. Of the 86 benthic invertebrate taxa identified, 16 were exclusive to near-coral habitats, while 14 were found only in background sediments. Diversity (Fisher’s α) and evenness were significantly higher within near-coral sediments only at MC751 while taxon richness was similar among all habitats. Community composition was significantly different both between near-coral and background sediments and among the three primary sites. Polychaetes numerically dominated all samples, accounting for up to 70% of the total individuals near coral, whereas peracarid crustaceans were proportionally more abundant in background sediments (18%) than in those near coral (10%). The reef effect differed among sites, with community patterns potentially influenced by the size of reef habitat. Taxon turnover occurred with distance from the reef, suggesting that reef extent may represent an important factor in structuring sediment communities near L. pertusa. Polychaete communities in both habitats differed from other Gulf of Mexico (GOM) soft sediments based on data from previous studies, and we hypothesize that local environmental conditions found near L

  4. Biodiversity and community composition of sediment macrofauna associated with deep-sea Lophelia pertusa habitats in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demopoulos, Amanda W. J.; Bourque, Jill R.; Frometa, Janessy

    2014-11-01

    Scleractinian corals create three-dimensional reefs that provide sheltered refuges, facilitate sediment accumulation, and enhance colonization of encrusting fauna. While heterogeneous coral habitats can harbor high levels of biodiversity, their effect on the community composition within nearby sediments remains unclear, particularly in the deep sea. Sediment macrofauna from deep-sea coral habitats (Lophelia pertusa) and non-coral, background sediments were examined at three sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico (VK826, VK906, MC751, 350-500 m depth) to determine whether macrofaunal abundance, diversity, and community composition near corals differed from background soft-sediments. Macrofaunal densities ranged from 26 to 125 individuals 32 cm-2 and were significantly greater near coral versus background sediments only at VK826. Of the 86 benthic invertebrate taxa identified, 16 were exclusive to near-coral habitats, while 14 were found only in background sediments. Diversity (Fisher's α) and evenness were significantly higher within near-coral sediments only at MC751 while taxon richness was similar among all habitats. Community composition was significantly different both between near-coral and background sediments and among the three primary sites. Polychaetes numerically dominated all samples, accounting for up to 70% of the total individuals near coral, whereas peracarid crustaceans were proportionally more abundant in background sediments (18%) than in those near coral (10%). The reef effect differed among sites, with community patterns potentially influenced by the size of reef habitat. Taxon turnover occurred with distance from the reef, suggesting that reef extent may represent an important factor in structuring sediment communities near L. pertusa. Polychaete communities in both habitats differed from other Gulf of Mexico (GOM) soft sediments based on data from previous studies, and we hypothesize that local environmental conditions found near L. pertusa

  5. Acute survivorship of the deep-sea coral Lophelia pertusa from the Gulf of Mexico under acidification, warming, and deoxygenation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jay J Lunden

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Changing global climate due to anthropogenic emissions of CO2 are driving rapid changes in the physical and chemical environment of the oceans via warming, deoxygenation, and acidification. These changes may threaten the persistence of species and populations across a range of latitudes and depths, including species that support diverse biological communities that in turn provide ecological stability and support commercial interests. Worldwide, but particularly in the North Atlantic and deep Gulf of Mexico, Lophelia pertusa forms expansive reefs that support biological communities whose diversity rivals that of tropical coral reefs. In this study, L. pertusa colonies were collected from the Viosca Knoll region in the Gulf of Mexico (390 to 450 m depth, genotyped using microsatellite markers, and exposed to a series of treatments testing survivorship responses to acidification, warming, and deoxygenation. All coral nubbins survived the acidification scenarios tested, between pH of 7.67 and 7.90 and aragonite saturation states of 0.92 and 1.47. However, calcification generally declined with respect to pH, though a disparate response was evident where select individuals net calcified and others exhibited net dissolution near a saturation state of 1. Warming and deoxygenation both had negative effects on survivorship, with up to 100% mortality observed at temperatures above 14ºC and oxygen concentrations of approximately 1.5 ml·l-1. These results suggest that, over the short-term, climate change and OA may negatively impact L. pertusa in the Gulf of Mexico, though the potential for acclimation and the effects of genetic background should be considered in future research.

  6. A Modeling Study of Deep Water Renewal in the Red Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, F.; Hoteit, I.

    2016-02-01

    Deep water renewal processes in the Red Sea are examined in this study using a 50-year numerical simulation from 1952-2001. The deep water in the Red Sea below the thermocline ( 200 m) exhibits a near-uniform vertical structure in temperature and salinity, but geochemical tracer distributions, such as 14C and 3He, and dissolved oxygen concentrations indicate that the deep water is renewed on time scales as short as 36 years. The renewal process is accomplished through a deep overturning cell that consists of a southward bottom current and a northward returning current at depths of 400-600 m. Three sources regions are proposed for the formation of the deep water, including two deep outflows from the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez and winter deep convections in the northern Red Sea. The MITgcm (MIT general circulation model), which has been used to simulate the shallow overturning circulations in the Red Sea, is configured in this study with increased resolutions in the deep water. During the 50 years of simulation, artificial passive tracers added in the model indicate that the deep water in the Red Sea was only episodically renewed during some anomalously cold years; two significant episodes of deep water renewal are reproduced in the winters of 1983 and 1992, in accordance with reported historical hydrographic observations. During these renewal events, deep convections reaching the bottom of the basin occurred, which further facilitated deep sinking of the outflows from the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez. Ensuing spreading of the newly formed deep water along the bottom caused upward displacements of thermocline, which may have profound effects on the water exchanges in the Strait of Bab el Mandeb between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and the functioning of the ecosystem in the Red Sea by changing the vertical distributions of nutrients.

  7. Paraffin dispersant application for cleaning subsea flow lines in the deep water Gulf of Mexico cottonwood development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jennings, David; White, Jake; Pogoson, Oje [Baker Hughes Inc., Houston, TX (United States); Barros, Dalmo; Ramachandran, Kartik; Bonin, George; Waltrich, Paulo; Shecaira, Farid [PETROBRAS America, Houston, TX (United States); Ziglio, Claudio [Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (CENPES/PETROBRAS), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento

    2012-07-01

    This paper discusses a paraffin dispersant (in seawater) application to clean paraffin deposition from a severely restricted 17.4-mile dual subsea flow line system in the Gulf of Mexico Cottonwood development. In principle, dispersant treatments are simple processes requiring effective dispersant packages and agitation to break-up and disperse deposition. Dispersants have been used onshore for treating wax deposition for decades. Implementation of a treatment in a long deep water production system, however, poses numerous challenges. The Cottonwood application was one of the first ever deep water dispersant applications. The application was designed in four separate phases: pre-treatment displacement for hydrate protection, dispersant treatment for paraffin deposition removal, pigging sequence for final flow line cleaning, and post-treatment displacement for hydrate protection. In addition, considerable job planning was performed to ensure the application was executed in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Two dynamically positioned marine vessels were used for pumping fluids and capturing returns. The application was extremely successful in restoring the deep water flow lines back to near pre-production state. Final pigging operations confirmed the flow lines were cleaned of all restrictions. Significant paraffin deposition was removed in the application. Approximately 900 bbls of paraffin sludge was recovered from the 4000 bbl internal volume flow line loop. Furthermore, the application was completed with zero discharge of fluids. The application provided significant value for the Cottonwood development. It allowed production from wells to be brought on-line at a higher capacity, thereby generating increased revenue. It also allowed resumption of routine pigging operations. As such, the Cottonwood dispersant application illustrates that with proper planning and execution, paraffin dispersant treatments can be highly effective solutions for cleaning

  8. An unusual new species of paguroid (Crustacea, Anomura, Paguridae) from deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemaitre, Rafael; Vázquez-Bader, Ana Rosa; Gracia, Adolfo

    2014-01-01

    Abstract A new hermit crab species of the family Paguridae, Tomopaguropsis ahkinpechensis sp. n., is described from deep waters (780–827 m) of the Gulf of Mexico. This is the second species of Tomopaguropsis known from the western Atlantic, and the fifth worldwide. The new species is morphologically most similar to a species from Indonesia, Tomopaguropsis crinita McLaughlin, 1997, the two having ocular peduncles that diminish in width distally, reduced corneas, dense cheliped setation, and males lacking paired pleopods 1. The calcified figs on the branchiostegite and anterodorsally on the posterior carapace, and the calcified first pleonal somite that is not fused to the last thoracic somite, are unusual paguroid characters. A discussion of the affinities and characters that define this new species is included, along with a key to all five species of Tomopaguropsis. PMID:25408613

  9. Temperature of the Gulf Stream

    Science.gov (United States)

    2002-01-01

    The Gulf Stream is one of the strong ocean currents that carries warm water from the sunny tropics to higher latitudes. The current stretches from the Gulf of Mexico up the East Coast of the United States, departs from North America south of the Chesapeake Bay, and heads across the Atlantic to the British Isles. The water within the Gulf Stream moves at the stately pace of 4 miles per hour. Even though the current cools as the water travels thousands of miles, it remains strong enough to moderate the Northern European climate. The image above was derived from the infrared measurements of the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on a nearly cloud-free day over the east coast of the United States. The coldest waters are shown as purple, with blue, green, yellow, and red representing progressively warmer water. Temperatures range from about 7 to 22 degrees Celsius. The core of the Gulf Stream is very apparent as the warmest water, dark red. It departs from the coast at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The cool, shelf water from the north entrains the warmer outflows from the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. The north wall of the Gulf Stream reveals very complex structure associated with frontal instabilities that lead to exchanges between the Gulf Stream and inshore waters. Several clockwise-rotating warm core eddies are evident north of the core of the Gulf Stream, which enhance the exchange of heat and water between the coastal and deep ocean. Cold core eddies, which rotate counter clockwise, are seen south of the Gulf Stream. The one closest to Cape Hatteras is entraining very warm Gulf Stream waters on its northwest circumference. Near the coast, shallower waters have warmed due to solar heating, while the deeper waters offshore are markedly cooler (dark blue). MODIS made this observation on May 8, 2000, at 11:45 a.m. EDT. For more information, see the MODIS-Ocean web page. The sea surface temperature image was created at the University of Miami using

  10. 76 FR 65321 - Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-20

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force AGENCY: Department of... Veterans Affairs (VA) established the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force (GWVI-TF) in August 2009 to conduct a comprehensive review of VA's approach to and programs addressing 1990-1991 Gulf War Veterans...

  11. 78 FR 28292 - Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-14

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force AGENCY: Department of... Veterans Affairs (VA) established the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force (GWVI-TF) in August 2009 to conduct a comprehensive review of VA's approach to and programs addressing 1990-1991 Gulf War Veterans...

  12. 75 FR 16577 - Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force AGENCY: Department of... Veterans Affairs (VA) established the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force (GWVI-TF) in August 2009 to conduct a comprehensive review of VA's approach to and programs addressing 1990-1991 Gulf War Veterans...

  13. Ocean Observing Public-Private Collaboration to Improve Tropical Storm and Hurricane Predictions in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, R.; Leung, P.; McCall, W.; Martin, K. M.; Howden, S. D.; Vandermeulen, R. A.; Kim, H. S. S.; Kirkpatrick, B. A.; Watson, S.; Smith, W.

    2016-02-01

    In 2008, Shell partnered with NOAA to explore opportunities for improving storm predictions in the Gulf of Mexico. Since, the collaboration has grown to include partners from Shell, NOAA National Data Buoy Center and National Center for Environmental Information, National Center for Environmental Prediction, University of Southern Mississippi, and the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System. The partnership leverages complementary strengths of each collaborator to build a comprehensive and sustainable monitoring and data program to expand observing capacity and protect offshore assets and Gulf communities from storms and hurricanes. The program combines in situ and autonomous platforms with remote sensing and numerical modeling. Here we focus on profiling gliders and the benefits of a public-private partnership model for expanding regional ocean observing capacity. Shallow and deep gliders measure ocean temperature to derive ocean heat content (OHC), along with salinity, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence, and CDOM, in the central and eastern Gulf shelf and offshore. Since 2012, gliders have collected 4500+ vertical profiles and surveyed 5000+ nautical miles. Adaptive sampling and mission coordination with NCEP modelers provides specific datasets to assimilate into EMC's coupled HYCOM-HWRF model and 'connect-the-dots' between well-established Eulerian metocean measurements by obtaining (and validating) data between fixed stations (e.g. platform and buoy ADCPs) . Adaptive sampling combined with remote sensing provides satellite-derived OHC validation and the ability to sample productive coastal waters advected offshore by the Loop Current. Tracking coastal waters with remote sensing provides another verification of estimate Loop Current and eddy boundaries, as well as quantifying productivity and analyzing water quality on the Gulf coast, shelf break and offshore. Incorporating gliders demonstrates their value as tools to better protect offshore oil and gas assets

  14. GULF OF MEXICO AQUATIC MORTALITY NETWORK (GMNET)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Five U.S. states share the northern coast of the Gulf, and each has a program to monitor mortalities of aquatic organisms (fish, shellfish, birds). However, each state has different standards, procedures, and documentation of mortality events. The Gulf of Mexico Aquatic Mortality...

  15. Persistence profile of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in shallow and deep Gulf waters and sediments: Effect of water temperature and sediment–water partitioning characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tansel, B.; Fuentes, C.; Sanchez, M.; Predoi, K.; Acevedo, M.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: ► The half-lives of PAHs in the deep waters (over 1000 m) are about twice longer than the shallow areas (100–150 m). ► In the water column, anthracene levels can decrease by 50% within 1–2 days. ► The half-lives of the PAHs in the sediments are significantly longer than those in the water column. ► The half-life of pyrene in the shallow and deep sediments is 9 and 16 years, respectively. - Abstract: Persistence profiles of selected polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed depending on temperature variations in the water column and water–sediment interactions in the Gulf of Mexico. The PAHs studied include anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, and chrysene. The half-lives of PAHs in the deep waters (over 1000 m) are about twice as long as those in the shallow areas (100–150 m), and almost 2.5 times as long as those in the top layer (0–10 m) of the water column. The half-lives of the PAHs in the sediments are significantly longer. Among the PAHs studied, chrysene is the most persistent in the water column, and pyrene is the most persistent in the sediments. The half-life of chrysene in the shallow and deep waters is over 2.5 and about 5 years, respectively. For pyrene, the half-life in the shallow and deep sediments is about 9 and 16 years, respectively.

  16. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Ecogenomics of the Deep-Sea Plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazen, T. C.

    2012-12-01

    The explosion on April 20, 2010 at the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, resulted in oil and gas rising to the surface and the oil coming ashore in many parts of the Gulf, it also resulted in the dispersment of an immense oil plume 4,000 feet below the surface of the water. Despite spanning more than 600 feet in the water column and extending more than 10 miles from the wellhead, the dispersed oil plume was gone within weeks after the wellhead was capped - degraded and diluted to undetectable levels. Furthermore, this degradation took place without significant oxygen depletion. Ecogenomics enabled discovery of new and unclassified species of oil-eating bacteria that apparently lives in the deep Gulf where oil seeps are common. Using 16s microarrays, functional gene arrays, clone libraries, lipid analysis and a variety of hydrocarbon and micronutrient analyses we were able to characterize the oil degraders. Metagenomic sequence data was obtained for the deep-water samples using the Illumina platform. In addition, single cells were sorted and sequenced for the some of the most dominant bacteria that were represented in the oil plume; namely uncultivated representatives of Colwellia and Oceanospirillum. In addition, we performed laboratory microcosm experiments using uncontaminated water collected from The Gulf at the depth of the oil plume to which we added oil and COREXIT. These samples were characterized by 454 pyrotag. The results provide information about the key players and processes involved in degradation of oil, with and without COREXIT, in different impacted environments in The Gulf of Mexico. We are also extending these studies to explore dozens of deep sediment samples that were also collected after the oil spill around the wellhead. This data suggests that a great potential for intrinsic bioremediation of oil plumes exists in the deep-sea and other environs in the Gulf of Mexico.

  17. Curcumin Nanoparticle Therapy for Gulf War Illness

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-16-1-0480 TITLE: Curcumin Nanoparticle Therapy for Gulf War Illness PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Ashok K. Shetty, Ph.D...Nanoparticle Therapy for Gulf War Illness 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-16-1-0480 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Ashok K...biodegradable polymer nanosystems (nCUR) for alleviating cognitive, memory and mood impairments in a rat model of gulf war illness (GWI). Specific

  18. Deepwater extended well testing in the Gulf of Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cribbs, M.E. Jr.; Voss, J.D.; DeCarlo, L.J.

    1993-01-01

    This paper examines deepwater Gulf of Mexico well testing and the need for extended well testing from the oil company's perspective. Well test objectives together with possible facility arrangements are examined as they integrate with the DeepStar project's modular field development facility arrangement

  19. 77 FR 18307 - Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-27

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force Report AGENCY: Department...) established the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force (GWVI-TF) in August 2009 to conduct a comprehensive review of VA policies and programs addressing 1990-1991 Gulf War Veterans' illnesses. The GWVI-TF...

  20. Probiotic (VSL 3) for Gulf War Illness

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-10-01

    Award Number: W81XWH-10-1-0593 TITLE: Probiotic (VSL#3) for Gulf War Illness. PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Ashok Tuteja, M.D. M.P.H. CONTRACTING...NUMBER Probiotic (VSL#3) for Gulf War Illness. 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-10-1-0593 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6 . AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER Ashok...intestinal symptoms (fatigue, joint pain, insomnia, general stiffness and headache) associated with IBS. All of these symptoms are part of the Gulf War

  1. Oceanographic data collected during the Gulf of Alaska 2004 Expedition (alaska2004) on RV Atlantis in Gulf of Alaska from July 30, 2004 - August 23, 2004 (NODC Accession 0072310)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The 2004 Gulf of Alaska Seamount Expedition will use the deep submergence vehicle (DSV) Alvin to explore five large seamounts. Giacomini, Pratt, Welker, Denson, and...

  2. Last millennium sedimentation in the Gulf of Cariaco (NE Venezuela): Evidence for morphological changes of gulf entrance and possible relations with large earthquakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar, Iliana; Beck, Christian; Audemard, Franck; Develle, Anne-Lise; Boussafir, Mohammed; Campos, Corina; Crouzet, Christian

    2016-01-01

    The Cariaco Basin and the Gulf of Cariaco in Venezuela are two major basins along the seismogenic El Pilar right lateral fault, among which the Cariaco Basin is a pull-apart. Both basins are sites of anoxia and organic-rich deposits. To examine whether the sediments in the Gulf of Cariaco have recorded traces of historical or prehistorical earthquakes, we extracted and analyzed twelve 1 m-long gravity cores, sampling the last millennium sedimentation. We focused on analyzing the sediment sources with different techniques (particle size analysis, XRF, loss on ignition tests, magnetic properties, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, 14C dating). The results confirm that major upwelling occurs at the western gulf entrance and makes deep water flowing from the Cariaco Basin into the Gulf of Cariaco. These flows carry an organic-rich suspended load. Furthermore, we found evidence of a particular, widespread fine-grained siliciclastic deposit (named SiCL3) within the gulf, whose age suggests that it likely formed during the large 1853 AD earthquake that stroke the Cumaná city. We suggest that the earthquake-induced large submarine landslides that modified the topography of the gulf's entrance, which in turn promoted upwelling and open marine water flows from the Cariaco Basin. The layer SiCL3 would be the sediment load remobilized during this chain of events.

  3. Angola. Petroleum discovery by Elf on the block number 17 in deep water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1996-01-01

    This article describes the petroleum discovery in deep water in Angola. The drilling was executed by 1365 meters deep and gave a petroleum of good quality. The Elf company emphasizes that it is its third discovery in deep water in the Guinea gulf after Nkossa and Moho in Congo. (N.C.)

  4. Deep Water Horizon (HB1006, EK60)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Monitor and measure the biological, chemical, and physical environment in the area of the oil spill from the deep water horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. A wide...

  5. Autonomous Gliders Observed Physical and Biogeochemical Interplay at Submesoscale during Deep Convection in the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosse, A.; Testor, P.; Damien, P.; D'Ortenzio, F.; Prieur, L. M.; Estournel, C.; Marsaleix, P.; Mortier, L.

    2016-02-01

    Since 2010, sustained observations of the circulation and water properties of the NW Mediterranean Sea have been carried out by gliders in the framework of the MOOSE observatory (Mediterranean Ocean Observatory System for the Environment: http://www.moose-network.fr/). They regularly sampled the wintertime Northern Current (NC), the deep convection zone as well as the North Balearic Front (NBF) collecting a great amount of physical and biogeochemical measurements.During periods of deep convection, the offshore mixed layer can reach great depths (>2300 m) in the Gulf of Lions. Baroclinic fronts then become very intense and reveal a lot of variability at submesoscale in the upper 500 m or so. In terms of process, symmetric instability has been evidenced to occurr during strong wind events by gliders measurements. Complementary analysis performed with the help of a high-resolution regional model (dx,dy=1 km) highlight the prominent role of downfront winds in triggering this instability. Important vertical exchanges of oceanic tracers at the front approximately aligned with isopycnals of magnitude O(100m/day) occur in response to this strong atmospheric forcing. Finally, gliders measurements of Chl-a fluorescence show how this frontal instability seems to stimulate phytoplankton growth in frontal regions during harsh wintertime conditions.

  6. Comparative genomic analysis of oil spill impacts on deep water shipwreck microbiomes in the northern Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamdan, L. J.; Damour, M.; McGown, C.; Figan, C.; Kassahun, Z.; Blackwell, K.; Horrell, C.; Gillevet, P.

    2014-12-01

    Shipwrecks serve as artificial reefs in the deep ocean. Because of their inherent diversity compared to their surrounding environment and their random distribution, shipwrecks are ideal ecosystems to study pollution impacts and microbial distribution patterns in the deep biosphere. This study provides a comparative assessment of Deepwater Horizon spill impacts on shipwreck and local sedimentary microbiomes and the synergistic effects of contaminants on these communities and the physical structures that support them. For this study, microbiomes associated with wooden 19th century shipwrecks and World War II era steel shipwrecks in the northern Gulf of Mexico were investigated using next generation sequencing. Samples derived from in situ biofilm monitoring platforms deployed adjacent to 5 shipwrecks for 4 months, and sediment collected from distances ranging from 2-200m from each shipwreck were evaluated for shifts in microbiome structure and gene function relative to proximity to the spill, and oil spill related contaminants in the local environment. The goals of the investigation are to determine impacts to recruitment and community structure at sites located within and outside of areas impacted by the spill. Taxonomic classification of dominant and rare members of shipwreck microbiomes and metabolic information extracted from sequence data yield new understanding of microbial processes associated with site formation. The study provides information on the identity of microbial inhabitants of shipwrecks, their role in site preservation, and impacts of the Deepwater Horizon spill on the primary colonizers of artificial reefs in the deep ocean. This approach could inform about the role of microorganisms in establishment and maintenance of the artificial reef environment, while providing information about ecosystem feedbacks resulting from spills.

  7. A deep cut ellipsoid algorithm for convex programming : Theory and applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J.B.G. Frenk (Hans); J.A.S. Gromicho (Joaquim); S. Zhang (Shuzhong)

    1994-01-01

    textabstractThis paper proposes a deep cut version of the ellipsoid algorithm for solving a general class of continuous convex programming problems. In each step the algorithm does not require more computational effort to construct these deep cuts than its corresponding central cut version. Rules

  8. Hypoxia in the central Arabian Gulf Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Qatar during summer season

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Ansari, Ebrahim M. A. S.; Rowe, G.; Abdel-Moati, M. A. R.; Yigiterhan, O.; Al-Maslamani, I.; Al-Yafei, M. A.; Al-Shaikh, I.; Upstill-Goddard, R.

    2015-06-01

    One of the most fascinating and unexpected discoveries during the Qatar University Marine Expeditions to the marine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Qatar in 2000-2001, was the detection of a hypoxic water layer in the central region of the Arabian Gulf in waters deeper than 50 m. Hypoxia was defined as the region where the concentration of dissolved oxygen was less than 2 mg L-1. This article presents the discovery of hypoxia in the Arabian Gulf, based on samples collected (mainly during evening or night time) from vertical profiles along transects of the EEZ of Qatar and analyzed for physico-chemical properties, nutrients and chlorophyll-a. Hypoxia occurred in the summer months caused by an interaction between physical stratification of the water column that prevents oxygen replenishment, and biological respiration that consumes oxygen. Strong south-westerly winds (the SW monsoon) from June to September drive the relatively low-salinity nutrient-rich surface water from the Arabian Sea/Arabian Gulf (Sea of Oman) through the Strait of Hormuz into the central-Arabian Gulf, and this surface current penetration fertilizes the deep central-Arabian Gulf during the summer period. A strong seasonal pycnocline is formed between deeper waters at an ambient temperature of 20.9 °C and surface waters at 31.9 °C. This prevents the mixing of supersaturated O2 (>100-130%) water from the upper layer that would otherwise raise concentrations of dissolved oxygen below the thermocline, thus resulting in deep water hypoxia, i.e. dissolved oxygen levels of less than 0.86 ml L-1 at 17.3% saturation. These are the lowest values ever recorded for the Arabian Gulf. The calculated area of hypoxia is around 7220 square kilometers, and occurs in a layer about ≥15 m thick above the sea floor which extends toward the deep part of the Qatar Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The biological consequences of this hypoxia on the sea floor are yet to be investigated.

  9. Deep Water Coral (HB1402, EK60)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The cruise will survey and collect samples of deep-sea corals and related marine life in the canyons in the northern Gulf of Maine in U.S. and Canadian waters. The...

  10. Deep-sea environment and biodiversity of the West African Equatorial margin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibuet, Myriam; Vangriesheim, Annick

    2009-12-01

    The long-term BIOZAIRE multidisciplinary deep-sea environmental program on the West Equatorial African margin organized in partnership between Ifremer and TOTAL aimed at characterizing the benthic community structure in relation with physical and chemical processes in a region of oil and gas interest. The morphology of the deep Congo submarine channel and the sedimentological structures of the deep-sea fan were established during the geological ZAIANGO project and helped to select study sites ranging from 350 to 4800 m water depth inside or near the channel and away from its influence. Ifremer conducted eight deep-sea cruises on board research vessels between 2000 and 2005. Standardized methods of sampling together with new technologies such as the ROV Victor 6000 and its associated instrumentation were used to investigate this poorly known continental margin. In addition to the study of sedimentary environments more or less influenced by turbidity events, the discovery of one of the largest cold seeps near the Congo channel and deep coral reefs extends our knowledge of the different habitats of this margin. This paper presents the background, objectives and major results of the BIOZAIRE Program. It highlights the work achieved in the 16 papers in this special issue. This synthesis paper describes the knowledge acquired at a regional and local scale of the Equatorial East Atlantic margin, and tackles new interdisciplinary questions to be answered in the various domains of physics, chemistry, taxonomy and ecology to better understand the deep-sea environment in the Gulf of Guinea.

  11. Large-scale deposition of weathered oil in the Gulf of Mexico following a deep-water oil spill.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero, Isabel C; Toro-Farmer, Gerardo; Diercks, Arne-R; Schwing, Patrick; Muller-Karger, Frank; Murawski, Steven; Hollander, David J

    2017-09-01

    The blowout of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) drilling rig in 2010 released an unprecedented amount of oil at depth (1,500 m) into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Sedimentary geochemical data from an extensive area (∼194,000 km 2 ) was used to characterize the amount, chemical signature, distribution, and extent of the DWH oil deposited on the seafloor in 2010-2011 from coastal to deep-sea areas in the GoM. The analysis of numerous hydrocarbon compounds (N = 158) and sediment cores (N = 2,613) suggests that, 1.9 ± 0.9 × 10 4 metric tons of hydrocarbons (>C9 saturated and aromatic fractions) were deposited in 56% of the studied area, containing 21± 10% (up to 47%) of the total amount of oil discharged and not recovered from the DWH spill. Examination of the spatial trends and chemical diagnostic ratios indicate large deposition of weathered DWH oil in coastal and deep-sea areas and negligible deposition on the continental shelf (behaving as a transition zone in the northern GoM). The large-scale analysis of deposited hydrocarbons following the DWH spill helps understanding the possible long-term fate of the released oil in 2010, including sedimentary transformation processes, redistribution of deposited hydrocarbons, and persistence in the environment as recycled petrocarbon. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  12. Importance of the Gulf of Aqaba for the formation of bottom water in the Red Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plähn, Olaf; Baschek, Burkard; Badewien, Thomas H.; Walter, Maren; Rhein, Monika

    2002-08-01

    Conductivity-temperature-depth tracer and direct current measurements collected in the northern Red Sea in February and March 1999 are used to study the formation of deep and bottom water in that region. Historical data showed that open ocean convection in the Red Sea can contribute to the renewal of intermediate or deep water but cannot ventilate the bottom water. The observations in 1999 showed no evidence for open ocean convection in the Red Sea during the winter 1998/1999. The overflow water from the Gulf of Aqaba was found to be the densest water mass in the northern Red Sea. An anomaly of the chlorofluorocarbon component CFC-12 observed in the Gulf of Aqaba and at the bottom of the Red Sea suggests a strong contribution of this water mass to the renewal of bottom water in the Red Sea. The CFC data obtained during this cruise are the first available for this region. Because of the new signal, it is possible for the first time to subdivide the deep water column into deep and bottom water in the northern Red Sea. The available data set also shows that the outflow water from the Gulf of Suez is not dense enough to reach down to the bottom of the Red Sea but was found about 250 m above the bottom.

  13. A DEEP CUT ELLIPSOID ALGORITHM FOR CONVEX-PROGRAMMING - THEORY AND APPLICATIONS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    FRENK, JBG; GROMICHO, J; ZHANG, S

    1994-01-01

    This paper proposes a deep cut version of the ellipsoid algorithm for solving a general class of continuous convex programming problems. In each step the algorithm does not require more computational effort to construct these deep cuts than its corresponding central cut version. Rules that prevent

  14. A Deep Cut Ellipsoid Algorithm for convex Programming: theory and Applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frenk, J.B.G.; Gromicho Dos Santos, J.A.; Zhang, S.

    1994-01-01

    This paper proposes a deep cut version of the ellipsoid algorithm for solving a general class of continuous convex programming problems. In each step the algorithm does not require more computational effort to construct these deep cuts than its corresponding central cut version. Rules that prevent

  15. Carbon Composition of Particulate Organic Carbon in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, K.; Montoya, J. P.; Weber, S.; Bosman, S.; Chanton, J.

    2016-02-01

    The Deepwater Horizon blowout released 5.0x1011 g C from gaseous hydrocarbons and up to 6.0x1011g C from oil into the water column. Another carbon source, adding daily to the water column, leaks from the natural hydrocarbon seeps that pepper the seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico. How much of this carbon from the DWH and natural seeps is assimilated into particulate organic carbon (POC) in the water column? We filtered seawater collected in 2010, 2012, and 2013 from seep and non-seep sites, collecting POC on 0.7µm glass microfiber filters and analyzing the POC for stable and radiocarbon isotopes. Mixing models based on carbon isotopic endmembers of methane, oil, and modern production were used to estimate the percentage of hydrocarbon incorporated into POC. Significant differences were seen between POC from shallow and deep waters and between POC collected from seep, non-seep, and blowout sites; however yearly differences were not as evident suggesting the GOM has a consistent supply of depleted carbon. Stable carbon isotopes signatures of POC in the Gulf averaged -23.7±2.5‰ for shallow samples and -26.65±2.9‰ for deep POC samples, while radiocarbon signatures averaged -100.4±146.1‰ for shallow and -394.6±197‰ for deep samples. POC in the northern Gulf are composed of 23-91% modern carbon, 2-21% methane, and 0-71% oil. Oil plays a major role in the POC composition of the GOM, especially at the natural seep GC600.

  16. Dolphins in a Scaled-Down Mediterranean: The Gulf of Corinth's Odontocetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bearzi, G; Bonizzoni, S; Santostasi, N L; Furey, N B; Eddy, L; Valavanis, V D; Gimenez, O

    The Gulf of Corinth is a 2400-km 2 semi-enclosed inland system (a mediterraneus) in central Greece. Its continental shelf areas, steep bottom relief, and waters up to 500-900m deep offer suitable habitat to neritic and pelagic species. We used photographic capture-recapture, distribution modelling, and direct observations to investigate the abundance, status, habitat preferences, movements, and group size of four odontocete species regularly observed in the Gulf, based on five years (2011-2015) of survey effort from small boats. Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) are more abundant (1324 individuals, 95%CI 1158-1515) than was determined from previous estimates. Striped dolphins appear to be confined to the Gulf, where they favour deep and oligotrophic waters, and were encountered in single-species and mixed-species groups. Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) (22 individuals, 95%CI 16-31), individuals with intermediate pigmentation (possibly striped/common dolphin hybrids) (55, 95%CI 36-83), and a single Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) were only encountered in mixed-species groups with striped dolphins. Short-beaked common dolphins constitute a discrete conservation unit (subpopulation), and based on the current estimate, would qualify as Critically Endangered according to International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria. Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) (39 animals, 95%CI 33-47) occur in single-species groups; they prefer continental shelf waters and areas near fish farms in the northern sector, and several animals appear to move into and out of the Gulf. Additionally, we contribute records of marine fauna and an assessment of the fishing fleet operating in the Gulf. Our study shows that the importance of this vulnerable marine environment has been underestimated, and management action must be taken to mitigate human impact and ensure long-term protection. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

  17. Chinese expert consensus on programming deep brain stimulation for patients with Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Shengdi; Gao, Guodong; Feng, Tao; Zhang, Jianguo

    2018-01-01

    Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease (PD) is now a well-established option for some patients. Postoperative standardized programming processes can improve the level of postoperative management and programming, relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. In order to improve the quality of the programming, the experts on DBS and PD in neurology and neurosurgery in China reviewed the relevant literatures and combined their own experiences and developed this expert consensus on the programming of deep brain stimulation in patients with PD in China. This Chinese expert consensus on postoperative programming can standardize and improve postoperative management and programming of DBS for PD.

  18. 75 FR 8789 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-25

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee will review VA program activities related to Gulf...

  19. Thermocline Regulated Seasonal Evolution of Surface Chlorophyll in the Gulf of Aden

    KAUST Repository

    Hoteit, Ibrahim

    2015-04-01

    The Gulf of Aden, although subject to seasonally reversing monsoonal winds, has been previously reported as an oligotrophic basin during summer, with elevated chlorophyll concentrations only occurring during winter due to convective mixing. However, the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) ocean color data reveal that the Gulf of Aden also exhibits a prominent summer chlorophyll bloom and sustains elevated chlorophyll concentrations throughout the fall, and is a biophysical province distinct from the adjacent Arabian Sea. Climatological hydrographic data suggest that the thermocline, hence the nutricline, in the entire gulf is markedly shoaled by the southwest monsoon during summer and fall. Under this condition, cyclonic eddies in the gulf can effectively pump deep nutrients to the surface layer and lead to the chlorophyll bloom in late summer, and, after the transition to the northeast monsoon in fall, coastal upwelling driven by the northeasterly winds produces a pronounced increase in surface chlorophyll concentrations along the Somali coast.

  20. Thermocline Regulated Seasonal Evolution of Surface Chlorophyll in the Gulf of Aden

    KAUST Repository

    Yao, Fengchao

    2015-03-19

    The Gulf of Aden, although subject to seasonally reversing monsoonal winds, has been previously reported as an oligotrophic basin during summer, with elevated chlorophyll concentrations only occurring during winter due to convective mixing. However, the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) ocean color data reveal that the Gulf of Aden also exhibits a prominent summer chlorophyll bloom and sustains elevated chlorophyll concentrations throughout the fall, and is a biophysical province distinct from the adjacent Arabian Sea. Climatological hydrographic data suggest that the thermocline, hence the nutricline, in the entire gulf is markedly shoaled by the southwest monsoon during summer and fall. Under this condition, cyclonic eddies in the gulf can effectively pump deep nutrients to the surface layer and lead to the chlorophyll bloom in late summer, and, after the transition to the northeast monsoon in fall, coastal upwelling driven by the northeasterly winds produces a pronounced increase in surface chlorophyll concentrations along the Somali coast. © 2015 Yao, Hoteit.

  1. 78 FR 40435 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Gulf of Alaska Trawl Fishery, Rationalization...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-05

    ... Collection; Comment Request; Gulf of Alaska Trawl Fishery, Rationalization Sociocultural Study AGENCY... management actions requiring equivalent information. Fisheries rationalization programs have an impact on... the implementation of a new, yet to be defined, rationalization program for the Gulf of Alaska trawl...

  2. Deep Impact's EPO Program: Final Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    McFadden, Lucy-Ann A.; Warner, E. M.; McLaughlin, S.; Behne, J.; Ristvey, J.; Rountree-Brown, M.

    2006-09-01

    NASA's Deep Impact mission sent an impactor spacecraft into the path of periodic comet 9P/Tempel 1 on July 4, 2005. The Education and Public Outreach goals of the mission were to effectively communicate the mission to target audiences, particularly educators and students with an emphasis on critical thinking using science, math and engineering concepts. A second goal was to invite audiences to participate throughout the mission using products and interactive programs. In the six-years of the mission, we built a community of scientists, educators, students, and both amateur and technically proficient astronomers, who brought the excitement of the mission to their own community. The web site was the focus of the program (http://deepimpact.umd.edu or deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov). A monthly electronic newsletter sent to an ever- growing distribution list kept subscribers up to date on mission activities. A program to send your name to the comet engaged the public. Curriculum enhancements covering the physics of crater formation, nature of comets and a case study in optimized decision-making designed for students are available (http://deepimpact.umd.edu/educ/index.html). Mathematical (http://deepimpact.umd.edu/disczone/challenge.html) and conceptual questions of a technical nature (http://deepimpact.umd.edu/disczone/braintwist.html) are posed and solved in Mission Challenges and Brain Twisters. Materials provided for students and amateur astronomers to acquire comet observing skills are available (http://deepimpact.umd.edu/amateur/index.shtml).The Small Telescope Science Program was a successful pro-amateur collaboration providing information on brightness variations of the comet both before and after impact (http://deepimpact.umd.edu/stsp/). The night, of impact, events were held at public venues around the world where the excitement of a successful mission exploring the inside of a comet was felt. Results are at http://deepimpact.umd.edu/results/index.html. The mission is

  3. NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research'sOkeanos Explorer Program 2014 Discoveries - U.S. Atlantic Continental Margin and Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lobecker, E.; McKenna, L.; Sowers, D.; Elliott, K.; Kennedy, B.

    2014-12-01

    NOAA ShipOkeanos Explorer, the only U.S. federal vessel dedicated to global ocean exploration, made several important discoveries in U.S. waters of the North Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico during the 2014 field season. Based on input received from a broad group ofmarine scientists and resource managers, over 100,000 square kilometers of seafloor and associated water column were systematically explored using advanced mapping sonars. 39 ROV diveswere conducted, leading to new discoveries that will further ourunderstanding of biologic, geologic, and underwater-cultural heritage secrets hidden withinthe oceans. In the Atlantic, season highlights include completion of a multi-year submarine canyons mapping effort of the continental shelf break from North Carolina to the U.S.-Canada maritime border;new information on the ephemerality of recently discovered and geographically extensive cold water seeps; and continued exploration of the New England Seamount chain; and mapping of two potential historically significant World War II wreck sites. In the Gulf of Mexico, season highlights includecompletion of a multi-year mapping effort of the West Florida Escarpment providing new insight into submarine landslides and detachment zones;the discovery of at least two asphalt volcanoes, or 'tar lilies'; range extensions of deep-sea corals; discovery of two potential new species of crinoids; identification of at least 300 potential cold water seeps; and ROV exploration of three historically significant19th century shipwrecks. In both regions, high-resolution mapping led to new insight into the geological context in which deep sea corals develop,while ROV dives provided valuable observations of deep sea coral habitats and their associated organisms, and chemosynthetic habitats. All mapping and ROV data is freely available to the public in usable data formats and maintained in national geophysical and oceanographic data archives.

  4. Investigating Deep-Marine Sediment Waves in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Using 3D Seismic Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Z.; Gani, M. R.

    2016-12-01

    Deep-water depositional elements have been studied for decades using outcrop, flume tank, sidescan sonar, and seismic data. Even though they have been well recognized by researchers, the improvements in the quality of 3D seismic data with increasingly larger dimension allow detailed analysis of deep-water depositional elements with new insights. This study focuses on the deep-marine sediment waves in the northern Gulf of Mexico. By interpreting a 3D seismic dataset covering 635 km2 at Mississippi Canyon and Viosca Knoll areas, large sediment waves, generated by sediment gravity flows, were mapped and analyzed with various seismic attributes. A succession of sediment waves, approximately 100 m in thickness, is observed on the marine slope that tapers out at the toe of the slope. The individual sediment wave exhibits up to 500 m in wavelength and up to 20 m in height. The wave crests oriented northeast-southwest are broadly aligned parallel to the regional slope-strike, indicating their sediment gravity flow origin. The crestlines are straight or slightly sinuous, with sinuosity increasing downslope. Their anti-dune patterns likely imply the presence of supercritical flows. The sediment waves have a retrogradational stacking pattern. Seismic amplitude maps of each sediment wave revealed that after depositing the majority of sheet-like sands on the upper slope, sediment gravity flows started to form large sediment waves on the lower slope. The steep and narrow upcurrent flanks of the sediment waves always display higher amplitudes than the gentle and wide downcurrent flanks, indicating that the sands were likely preferentially trapped along the upcurrent flanks, whereas the muds spread along the downcurrent flanks. The formation of sediment waves likely requires a moderate sand-mud ratio, as suggested by these observations: (1) absence of sediment waves on the upper slope where the sands were mainly deposited as unconfined sheets with a high sand-mud ratio; (2

  5. 77 FR 31071 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, Notice of Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-24

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee will review VA program activities related...

  6. 75 FR 28686 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee will review VA program activities related...

  7. 76 FR 9407 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-02-17

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee will review VA program activities...

  8. 75 FR 65405 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-22

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee will review VA program activities related...

  9. Coated Particle Fuel and Deep Burn Program Monthly Highlights May 2011

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Snead, Lance Lewis; Bell, Gary L.; Besmann, Theodore M.

    2011-01-01

    During FY 2011 the CP and DB Program will report Highlights on a monthly basis, but will no longer produce Quarterly Progress Reports. Technical details that were previously included in the quarterly reports will be included in the appropriate Milestone Reports that are submitted to FCRD Program Management. These reports will also be uploaded to the Deep Burn website. The Monthly Highlights report for April 2011, ORNL/TM-2011/125, was distributed to program participants on May 10, 2011. As reported previously, the final Quarterly for FY 2010, Deep Burn Program Quarterly Report for July - September 2010, ORNL/TM-2010/301, was announced to program participants and posted to the website on December 28, 2010. This report discusses the following: (1) Fuel Performance Modeling - Fuel Performance Analysis; (2) Thermochemical Data and Model Development - (a) Thermochemical Modeling, (b) Thermomechanical Modeling, (c) Actinide and Fission Product Transport; (3) TRU (transuranic elements) TRISO (tri-structural isotropic) Development - (a) TRU Kernel Development, (b) Coating Development; and (4) LWR Fully Ceramic Fuel - (a) FCM Fabrication Development, (b) FCM Irradiation Testing.

  10. Coated Particle Fuel and Deep Burn Program Monthly Highlights June 2011

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Snead, Lance Lewis; Bell, Gary L.; Besmann, Theodore M.

    2011-01-01

    During FY 2011 the CP and DB Program will report Highlights on a monthly basis, but will no longer produce Quarterly Progress Reports. Technical details that were previously included in the quarterly reports will be included in the appropriate Milestone Reports that are submitted to FCRD Program Management. These reports will also be uploaded to the Deep Burn website. The Monthly Highlights report for May 2011, ORNL/TM-2011/126, was distributed to program participants on June 9, 2011. As reported previously, the final Quarterly for FY 2010, Deep Burn Program Quarterly Report for July - September 2010, ORNL/TM-2010/301, was announced to program participants and posted to the website on December 28, 2010. This report discusses the following: (1) Fuel Performance Modeling - Fuel Performance Analysis; (2) Thermochemical Data and Model Development - (a) Thermochemical Behavior, (b) Thermomechanical Modeling, (c) Actinide and Fission Product Transport; (3) TRU (transuranic elements) TRISO (tri-structural isotropic) Development - (a) TRU Kernel Development, (b) Coating Development; and (4) LWR Fully Ceramic Fuel - (a) FCM Fabrication Development, (b) FCM Irradiation Testing.

  11. Why is Coastal Community Resilience Important in the Gulf of Mexico Region?

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Gulf of Mexico Program supports the regional collaborative approach and efforts of the Coastal Community Resilience Priority Issue Team of the Gulf of Mexico Governors’ Alliance and its broad spectrum of partners and stakeholders.

  12. Hydrocarbons in Deep-Sea Sediments following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Blowout in the Northeast Gulf of Mexico.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabel C Romero

    Full Text Available The Deepwater Horizon (DWH spill released 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM over 87 days. Sediment and water sampling efforts were concentrated SW of the DWH and in coastal areas. Here we present geochemistry data from sediment cores collected in the aftermath of the DWH event from 1000-1500 m water depth in the DeSoto Canyon, NE of the DWH wellhead. Cores were analyzed at high-resolution (at 2 mm and 5 mm intervals in order to evaluate the concentration, composition and input of hydrocarbons to the seafloor. Specifically, we analyzed total organic carbon (TOC, aliphatic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs, and biomarker (hopanes, steranes, diasteranes compounds to elucidate possible sources and transport pathways for deposition of hydrocarbons. Results showed higher hydrocarbon concentrations during 2010-2011 compared to years prior to 2010. Hydrocarbon inputs in 2010-2011 were composed of a mixture of sources including terrestrial, planktonic, and weathered oil. Our results suggest that after the DWH event, both soluble and highly insoluble hydrocarbons were deposited at enhanced rates in the deep-sea. We proposed two distinct transport pathways of hydrocarbon deposition: 1 sinking of oil-particle aggregates (hydrocarbon-contaminated marine snow and/or suspended particulate material, and 2 advective transport and direct contact of the deep plume with the continental slope surface sediments between 1000-1200 m. Our findings underline the complexity of the depositional event observed in the aftermath of the DWH event in terms of multiple sources, variable concentrations, and spatial (depth-related variability in the DeSoto Canyon, NE of the DWH wellhead.

  13. U.S. Geological Survey program of offshore resource and geoenvironmental studies, Atlantic-Gulf of Mexico region, from September 1, 1976, to December 31, 1978

    Science.gov (United States)

    Folger, David W.; Needell, Sally W.

    1983-01-01

    acromagnetic data, and 39,000 km of gravity data, plus 10,000 samples and logs obtained from U.S. Geological Survey and industry drilling (for example, coreholes of the Atlantic Slope Program, Joint Oceanographic Institutions Deep Earth Sampling, Continental Offshore Stratigraphic Tests, and the Atlantic Margin Coring Program). A sedimentary section of Jurassic and Cretaceous age grades from terrigenous clastic rocks nearshore to carbonate rocks offshore; this section is part of an extensive buried bank-platform complex that could contain large reserves of natural gas and oil. The volume of sediment deposited offshore far exceeds the volume deposited onshore where extensive accumulations of oil, gas, and minerals have been found. Commercial exploratory drilling offshore thus far has been limited to the Baltimore Canyon Trough area off New Jersey, where at least two holes have found gas; leasing has taken place in the Southeast Georgia Embayment, where drilling was scheduled to begin in 1979, and is imminent in the Georges Bank area off New England. In addition, hydrogeologic and hydrochemical data obtained from the drilling studies have delineated freshwater-bearing submarine extensions of land aquifers that are important coastal ground-water resources. Hazards in the Georges Bank area include sand mobility associated with strong currents and storm-driven waves; high concentrations of suspended sediment in the water column that, when mixed with spilled oil, may sink to the bottom; and slumping along the upper slope. In the Baltimore Canyon, high sediment mobility accompanies major winter storms, and slumped material may cover as much as 20 percent of the upper slope. Potentially unstable slope areas are being studied in great detail to provide data on timing, triggering mechanisms, and rates of sediment movement. In the Southeast Georgia Embayment and Blake Plateau Basin, strong Gulf Stream flow poses a major problem to all offshore operations. In the Gulf o

  14. Late Glacial and Holocene gravity deposits in the Gulf of Lions deep basin, Western Mediterranean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dennielou, B.; Bonnel, C.; Sultan, N.; Voisset, M.; Berné, S.; Beaudouin, C.; Guichard, F.; Melki, T.; Méar, Y.; Droz, L.

    2003-04-01

    Recent investigations in the Gulf of Lions have shown that complex gravity processes and deposits occurred in the deep basin since the last Glacial period. Besides the largest western Mediterranean turbiditic system, Petit-Rhône deep-sea fan (PRDSF), whose built-up started at the end of Pliocene, several sedimentary bodies can be distinguished: (1) The turbiditic Pyreneo-Languedocian ridge (PLR), at the outlet of the Sète canyon network, whose activity is strongly connected to the sea level and the connection of the canyons with the rivers. It surface shows long wave-length sediment waves, probably in relation with the turbiditic overspill. (2) An acoustically chaotic unit, filling the topographic low between the PRDSF and the PLR, the Lower Interlobe Unit. Possible source areas are the Sète canyon and/or the Marti Canyon. (3) An acoustically transparent unit, below the neofan, filling the same topographic low, the Western Transparent Unit, interpreted as a debris-flow. Recent sediment cores have shown that this sedimentary is composed of folded, laminated mud, both in its northern and southern fringes. (4) The Petit-Rhône neofan, a channelized turbiditic lobe resulting from the last avulsion of the Petit-Rhône turbiditic channel and composed of two units. The lower, acoustically chaotic facies unit, corresponding to an initial stage of the avulsion, similar to the HARP facies found on the Amazon fan. The upper, transparent, slightly bedded, channel-levee shaped unit, corresponding to the channelized stage of the avulsion. (5) Up to ten, Deglacial to Holocene, thin, fine sand layers, probably originating from shelf-break sand accumulations, through the Sète canyon network. (6) Giant scours, in the southern, distal part of the neofan, possibly linked to turbiditic overflow from the neo-channel, probably corresponding to channel-lobe transition zone features (Wynn et al. 2002). Recent investigations have shown no evidence of bottom current features.

  15. Ship Track for Deep Sea Medicines 2003 - Office of Ocean Exploration

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Ship track of the Ronald H. Brown during the "Deep Sea Medicines 2003: Exploring the Gulf of Mexico" expedition sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

  16. Deep-sea coral record of human impact on watershed quality in the Mississippi River Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prouty, N.; Roark, B.; Koenig, A.; Batista, F. C.; Kocar, B. D.; Selby, D. S.; Mccarthy, M. D.; Mienis, F.; Ross, S. W.; Demopoulos, A. W.

    2015-12-01

    One of the greatest drivers of historical nutrient and sediment transport into the Gulf of Mexico is the unprecedented scale and intensity of land use change in the Mississippi River Basin. These landscape changes are linked to enhanced fluxes of carbon and nitrogen pollution from the Mississippi River, and persistent eutrophication and hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Increased terrestrial runoff is one hypothesis for recent enrichment in bulk nitrogen isotope (δ15N) values, a tracer for nutrient source, observed in a Gulf of Mexico deep-sea coral record. However, unambiguously linking anthropogenic land use change to whole scale shifts in downstream Gulf of Mexico biogeochemical cycles is difficult. Here we present a novel approach, coupling a new tracer of agro-industrialization to a multiproxy record of nutrient loading in long-lived deep-sea corals collected in the Gulf of Mexico. We found that coral bulk δ15N values are enriched over the last 150-200 years relative to the last millennia, and compound-specific amino acid δ15N data indicate a strong increase in baseline δ15N of nitrate as the primary cause. Coral rhenium (Re) values are also strongly elevated during this period, suggesting that 34% of Re is of anthropogenic origin, consistent with Re enrichment in major world rivers. However, there are no pre-anthropogenic measurements of Re to confirm this observation. For the first time, an unprecedented record of natural and anthropogenic Re variability is documented through coral Re records. Taken together, these novel proxies link upstream changes in water quality to impacts on the deep-sea coral ecosystem.

  17. Deep-sea coral record of human impact on watershed quality in the Mississippi River Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prouty, Nancy G.; Roark, E. Brendan; Koenig, Alan E.; Demopoulos, Amanda W. J.; Batista, Fabian C.; Kocar, Benjamin D.; Selby, David; McCarthy, Matthew D.; Mienis, Furu

    2014-01-01

    One of the greatest drivers of historical nutrient and sediment transport into the Gulf of Mexico is the unprecedented scale and intensity of land use change in the Mississippi River Basin. These landscape changes are linked to enhanced fluxes of carbon and nitrogen pollution from the Mississippi River, and persistent eutrophication and hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Increased terrestrial runoff is one hypothesis for recent enrichment in bulk nitrogen isotope (δ15N) values, a tracer for nutrient source, observed in a Gulf of Mexico deep-sea coral record. However, unambiguously linking anthropogenic land use change to whole scale shifts in downstream Gulf of Mexico biogeochemical cycles is difficult. Here we present a novel approach, coupling a new tracer of agro-industrialization to a multiproxy record of nutrient loading in long-lived deep-sea corals collected in the Gulf of Mexico. We found that coral bulk δ15N values are enriched over the last 150–200 years relative to the last millennia, and compound-specific amino acid δ15N data indicate a strong increase in baseline δ15N of nitrate as the primary cause. Coral rhenium (Re) values are also strongly elevated during this period, suggesting that 34% of Re is of anthropogenic origin, consistent with Re enrichment in major world rivers. However, there are no pre-anthropogenic measurements of Re to confirm this observation. For the first time, an unprecedented record of natural and anthropogenic Re variability is documented through coral Re records. Taken together, these novel proxies link upstream changes in water quality to impacts on the deep-sea coral ecosystem.

  18. Effect of Diet on Gulf War Illness: A Pilot Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    Award Number: W81XWH-15-1-0636 TITLE: Effect of Diet on Gulf War Illness: A Pilot Study PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Ashok Tuteja, M.D. M.P.H...CONTRACT NUMBER Effect of Diet on Gulf War Illness 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-15-1-0636 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6 . AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER...headache) in Veterans with Gulf War Illness. We will also determine if the change in gut flora is a mechanism for improvement in symptoms of IBS and GW

  19. Patterns of Illness and Care Before Deployment to the Persian Gulf War

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Miller, Richard

    2001-01-01

    ...) Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Program (CCEP) upon returning from the Persian Gulf War have patterns of illness and medical care seeking during the year prior to deployment to the Persian Gulf that differ from those of comparison groups of Army...

  20. Patterns of Illness and Care Before Deployment to the Persian Gulf War

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Miller, Richard

    2002-01-01

    ...) Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Program (CCEP) upon returning from the Persian Gulf War have patterns of illness and medical care seeking during the year prior to deployment to the Persian Gulf that differ from those of comparison groups of Army...

  1. GIS of selected geophysical and core data in the northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope collected by the U.S. Geological Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Twichell, David C.; Cross, VeeAnn A.; Paskevich, Valerie F.; Hutchinson, Deborah R.; Winters, William J.; Hart, Patrick E.

    2006-01-01

    Since 1982 the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) has collected a large amount of surficial and shallow subsurface geologic information in the deep-water parts of the US EEZ in the northern Gulf of Mexico. These data include digital sidescan sonar imagery, digital seismic-reflection data, and descriptions and analyses of piston and gravity cores. The data were collected during several different projects that addressed surficial and shallow subsurface geologic processes. Some of these datasets have already been published, but the growing interest in the occurrence and distribution of gas hydrates in the Gulf of Mexico warrants integrating these existing USGS datasets and associated interpretations into a Geographic Information System (GIS) to provide regional background information for ongoing and future gas hydrate research. This GIS is organized into five different components that contain (1) information needed to develop an assessment of gas hydrates, (2) background information for the Gulf of Mexico, (3) cores collected by the USGS, (4) seismic surveys conducted by the USGS, and (5) sidescan sonar surveys conducted by the USGS. A brief summary of the goals and findings of the USGS field programs in the Gulf of Mexico is given in the Geologic Findings section, and then the contents of each of the five data categories are described in greater detail in the GIS Data Catalog section.

  2. Why is Improving Water Quality in the Gulf of Mexico so Critical?

    Science.gov (United States)

    The EPA regional offices and the Gulf of Mexico Program work with Gulf States to continue to maximize the efficiency and utility of water quality monitoring efforts for local managers by coordinating and standardizing state and federal water quality data

  3. Binational collaboration to study Gulf of Mexico's harmful algae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soto, Inia; Hu, Chuanmin; Steidinger, Karen; Muller-Karger, Frank; Cannizzaro, Jennifer; Wolny, Jennifer; Cerdeira-Estrada, Sergio; Santamaria-del-Angel, Eduardo; Tafoya-del-Angel, Fausto; Alvarez-Torres, Porfirio; Herrera Silveira, Jorge; Allen, Jeanne

    2012-01-01

    Blooms of the toxic marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis cause massive fish kills and other public health and economic problems in coastal waters throughout the Gulf of Mexico [Steidinger, 2009]. These harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a gulf-wide problem that require a synoptic observing system for better serving decision-making needs. The major nutrient sources that initiate and maintain these HABs and the possible connectivity of blooms in different locations are important questions being addressed through new collaborations between Mexican and U.S. researchers and government institutions. These efforts were originally organized under the U.S./Mexico binational partnership for the HABs Observing System (HABSOS), led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Gulf of Mexico Program (EPAGMP) and several agencies in Veracruz, Mexico, since 2006. In 2010 these efforts were expanded to include other Mexican states and institutions with the integrated assessment and management of the Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem (GoMLME) program sponsored by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

  4. Estuarine circulation reversals and related rapid changes in winter near-bottom oxygen conditions in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Liblik

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The reversal of estuarine circulation caused by southwesterly wind forcing may lead to vanishing of stratification and subsequently to oxygenation of deep layers during the winter in the Gulf of Finland. Six conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD+oxygen transects (130 km long, 10 stations were conducted along the thalweg from the western boundary to the central gulf (21 December 2011–8 May 2012. Two bottom-mounted ADCP were installed, one near the western border and the second in the central gulf. A CTD with a dissolved oxygen sensor was deployed close to the western ADCP. Periods of typical estuarine circulation were characterized by strong stratification, high salinity, hypoxic conditions and inflow to the gulf in the near-bottom layer. Two circulation reversals were observed: one in December–January and one in February. The first reversal event was well developed; it caused the disappearance of the stratification and an increase in the oxygen concentration from hypoxic values to 270 μmol L−1 (to 6 mL L−1 throughout the water column along the thalweg and lasted approximately 1.5 months. Shifts from estuarine circulation to reversed circulation and vice versa were both associated with strong longitudinal (east–west gulf currents (up to 40 cm s−1 in the deep layer. The change from oxygenated to hypoxic conditions in the western near-entrance area of the gulf occurred very rapidly, within less than a day, due to the intrusion of the hypoxic salt wedge from the NE Baltic Proper. In the eastern part of the gulf, good oxygen conditions caused by reversals remained for a few months.

  5. Ship Sensor Observations for Deep Sea Medicines 2003 - Office of Ocean Exploration

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown during the "Deep Sea Medicines 2003: Exploration of the Gulf of Mexico" expedition...

  6. Working program for deep borehole investigations. HDB-6,7,8, borehole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hama, Katsuhiro; Takahashi, Kazuharu; Ishii, Eiichi; Takeuchi, Ryuji; Sasaki, Manabu; Kunimaru, Takanori; Eki, Nobuhiro; Matsui, Hiroya

    2003-08-01

    optimized program for deep borehole (HDB-6, 7, 8) investigations has been drawn-up. This program addresses the general issues and provides input to the subsequent investigation programs and design for the shaft and experimental drifts. This document mainly describes the planned working program for the HDB-6, 7, 8 borehole investigations including associated laboratory programs during and after drilling. The working program is divided into the following investigation fields: borehole drilling geology, geophysics, hydrogeology, hydrochemistry, rock mechanics and long-term monitoring. Post-HDB borehole investigations; a VSP (Vertical Seismic Profiling) survey are planned in the surface-based investigations phase. (author)

  7. Case Study: Using Microbe Molecular Biology for Gulf Oil Spill Clean Up

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Daniel R.

    2011-01-01

    This case has the student actively investigate the regulation of expression of a novel bacterial gene in the context of attempts to solve a real world problem, clean up of the April 2010 Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Although the case is fictitious, it is based on factual gene regulatory characteristics of oil-degrading…

  8. Variability in north tropical atlantic over the last 20 000 years and holocene gulf stream activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cleroux, C.

    2007-10-01

    Modern oceanographical studies shown that most of the ocean heat content in the North Atlantic Western Boundary Current region is stored in the upper 400 meters. To study past heat content and Gulf Stream activity, we performed coupled analyses of oxygen isotopic and trace elemental composition on several foraminifera species to reconstruct upper water column temperature and salinity. Calcification depths of Globorotalia inflata, Globorotalia truncatulinoides and Pulleniatina obliquiloculata have been constrain by correlating modern hydrographic data to oxygen isotopic measurement of North Atlantic core-top samples. We found that the three deep-dwelling foraminifera species have a preferred habitat at the base of the seasonal thermocline (Cleroux et al, 2007). The same set of North Atlantic core-tops has been used to define relationships between trace elemental compositions and temperature. We established calibrations between Mg/Ca ratio or Sr/Ca ratio and temperature for the three deep-dwelling foraminifera (Cleroux et al, submitted). We apply this strategy on the core MD99-2203 located off Cape Hatteras where the Gulf Stream separate from the United States coast. High-resolution surface reconstructions over the Holocene show low amplitude periodic temperature and salinity changes that could be related to NAO type mechanisms. Large hydrological changes in sub-surface reflect variations of Labrador current and Mode Water influences. Using recent studies on Mode Water formation and Gulf Stream heat advection, we interpret our results in term of ocean heat content and Gulf Stream activity. (author)

  9. Gulf Coast Clean Energy Application Center

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dillingham, Gavin [Houston Advanced Research Center, TX (United States)

    2013-09-30

    The Gulf Coast Clean Energy Application Center was initiated to significantly improve market and regulatory conditions for the implementation of combined heat and power technologies. The GC CEAC was responsible for the development of CHP in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. Through this program we employed a variety of outreach and education techniques, developed and deployed assessment tools and conducted market assessments. These efforts resulted in the growth of the combined heat and power market in the Gulf Coast region with a realization of more efficient energy generation, reduced emissions and a more resilient infrastructure. Specific t research, we did not formally investigate any techniques with any formal research design or methodology.

  10. A Fortran Program for Deep Space Sensor Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-12-14

    used to help p maintain currency to the deep space satellite catelog? Research Question Can a Fortran program be designed to evaluate the effectiveness ...Range ( AFETR ) Range p Measurements Laboratory (RML) is located in Malibar, .- Florida. Like GEODSS, Malibar uses a 48 inch telescope with a...phased out. This mode will evaluate the effect of the loss of the 3 Baker-Nunn sites to mode 3 Mode 5 through Mode 8 Modes 5 through 8 are identical to

  11. Time-domain incomplete Gauss-Newton full-waveform inversion of Gulf of Mexico data

    KAUST Repository

    AlTheyab, Abdullah

    2013-09-22

    We apply the incomplete Gauss-Newton full-waveform inversion (TDIGN-FWI) to Gulf of Mexico (GOM) data in the space-time domain. In our application, iterative least-squares reverse-time migration (LSRTM) is used to estimate the model update at each non-linear iteration, and the number of LSRTM iterations is progressively increased after each non-linear iteration. With this method, model updating along deep reflection wavepaths are automatically enhanced, which in turn improves imaging below the reach of diving-waves. The forward and adjoint operators are implemented in the space-time domain to simultaneously invert the data over a range of frequencies. A multiscale approach is used where higher frequencies are down-weighted significantly at early iterations, and gradually included in the inversion. Synthetic data results demonstrate the effectiveness of reconstructing both the high- and low-wavenumber features in the model without relying on diving waves in the inversion. Results with Gulf of Mexico field data show a significantly improved migration image in both the shallow and deep sections.

  12. Student Deep Learning in Bachelor English Programs within Pakistani Universities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tahir, Khazima

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to contrast undergraduate students' descriptions about transformational teaching practices, and student deep learning in bachelor English programs in selected universities within Pakistan. This study utilized a survey to gather responses from five hundred and twenty three students. A paired sample t test was utilized…

  13. The cost and performance of utility commercial lighting programs. A report from the Database on Energy Efficiency Programs (DEEP) project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eto, J.; Vine, E.; Shown, L.; Sonnenblick, R.; Payne, C. [Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States). Energy and Environment Div.

    1994-05-01

    The objective of the Database on Energy Efficiency Programs (DEEP) is to document the measured cost and performance of utility-sponsored, energy-efficiency, demand-side management (DSM) programs. Consistent documentation of DSM programs is a challenging goal because of problems with data consistency, evaluation methodologies, and data reporting formats that continue to limit the usefulness and comparability of individual program results. This first DEEP report investigates the results of 20 recent commercial lighting DSM programs. The report, unlike previous reports of its kind, compares the DSM definitions and methodologies that each utility uses to compute costs and energy savings and then makes adjustments to standardize reported program results. All 20 programs were judged cost-effective when compared to avoided costs in their local areas. At an average cost of 3.9{cents}/kWh, however, utility-sponsored energy efficiency programs are not ``too cheap to meter.`` While it is generally agreed upon that utilities must take active measures to minimize the costs and rate impacts of DSM programs, the authors believe that these activities will be facilitated by industry adoption of standard definitions and reporting formats, so that the best program designs can be readily identified and adopted.

  14. Natural Sunlight Shapes Crude Oil-Degrading Bacterial Communities in Northern Gulf of Mexico Surface Waters

    OpenAIRE

    Bacosa, Hernando P.; Liu, Zhanfei; Erdner, Deana L.

    2015-01-01

    Following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill in 2010, an enormous amount of oil was observed in the deep and surface waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Surface waters are characterized by intense sunlight and high temperature during summer. While the oil-degrading bacterial communities in the deep-sea plume have been widely investigated, the effect of natural sunlight on those in oil polluted surface waters remains unexplored to date. In this study, we incubated surface water from the DWH ...

  15. Prevalence of Gulf war veterans who believe they have Gulf war syndrome: questionnaire study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalder, T; Hotopf, M; Unwin, C; Hull, L; Ismail, K; David, A; Wessely, S

    2001-01-01

    Objectives To determine how many veterans in a random sample of British veterans who served in the Gulf war believe they have “Gulf war syndrome,” to examine factors associated with the presence of this belief, and to compare the health status of those who believe they have Gulf war syndrome with those who do not. Design Questionnaire study asking British Gulf war veterans whether they believe they have Gulf war syndrome and about symptoms, fatigue, psychological distress, post-traumatic stress, physical functioning, and their perception of health. Participants 2961 respondents to questionnaires sent out to a random sample of 4250 Gulf war veterans (69.7%). Main outcome measure The proportion of veterans who believe they have Gulf war syndrome. Results Overall, 17.3% (95% confidence interval 15.9 to 18.7) of the respondents believed they had Gulf war syndrome. The belief was associated with the veteran having poor health, not serving in the army when responding to the questionnaire, and having received a high number of vaccinations before deployment to the Gulf. The strongest association was knowing another person who also thought they had Gulf war syndrome. Conclusions Substantial numbers of British Gulf war veterans believe they have Gulf war syndrome, which is associated with psychological distress, a high number of symptoms, and some reduction in activity levels. A combination of biological, psychological, and sociological factors are associated with the belief, and these factors should be addressed in clinical practice. What is already known on this topicThe term Gulf war syndrome has been used to describe illnesses and symptoms experienced by veterans of the 1991 Gulf warConcerns exist over the validity of Gulf war syndrome as a unique entityWhat this study adds17% of Gulf war veterans believe they have Gulf war syndromeHolding the belief is associated with worse health outcomesKnowing someone else who believes they have Gulf war syndrome and receiving

  16. A Weighted Goal Programming model for planning sustainable development applied to Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jayaraman, Raja; Colapinto, Cinzia; La Torre, Davide; Malik, Tufail

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Application of multi-criteria optimization model for sustainable development. • GHG emissions targets cannot be attainable due to reliance on hydrocarbon sources. • Provides quantitative evidence for future investments in green energy. • Application to Gulf Cooperation Countries. - Abstract: The United Nations agenda for sustainable development by the year 2030 proposes 17 sustainable development goals which include access to affordable, reliable and clean energy, sustained economic growth with full productive employment and, urgent action to mitigate environmental degradation. Planning for sustainable development requires integrating conflicting criteria on economy, energy, environment and social aspects. In this paper, we introduce a Weighted Goal Programming model involving criteria on the economic development (GDP), the electricity consumption, the greenhouse gas emissions, and the total number of employees to determine optimal labor allocation across various economic sectors. The proposed model is validated with data from the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates). The results of the model aim to provide empirical evidence and insights to decision makers and policy analysts in developing optimal strategies able to simultaneously satisfy energy demand, economic growth, labor development and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to achieve sustainability targets by the year 2030.

  17. Desalination Economic Evaluation Program (DEEP-3.0). User's manual

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-01-01

    DEEP is a Desalination Economic Evaluation Program developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and made freely available for download, under a license agreement (www.iaea.org/nucleardesalination). The program is based on linked Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and can be useful for evaluating desalination strategies by calculating estimates of technical performance and costs for various alternative energy and desalination technology configurations. Desalination technology options modelled, include multi-stage flashing (MSF), multi-effect distillation (MED), reverse osmosis (RO) and hybrid options (RO-MSF, RO-MED) while energy source options include nuclear, fossil, renewables and grid electricity (stand-alone RO). Version 3 of DEEP (DEEP 3.0) features important changes from previous versions, including upgrades in thermal and membrane performance and costing models, the coupling configuration matrix and the user interface. Changes in the thermal performance model include a revision of the gain output ratio (GOR) calculation and its generalization to include thermal vapour compression effects. Since energy costs continue to represent an important fraction of seawater desalination costs, the lost shaft work model has been generalized to properly account for both backpressure and extraction systems. For RO systems, changes include improved modelling of system recovery, feed pressure and permeate salinity, taking into account temperature, feed salinity and fouling correction factors. The upgrade to the coupling technology configuration matrix includes a re-categorization of the energy sources to follow turbine design (steam vs. gas) and cogeneration features (dual-purpose vs. heat-only). In addition, cost data has also been updated to reflect current practice and the user interface has been refurbished and made user-friendlier

  18. Geomorphology of the Southern Gulf of California Seafloor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eakins, B. W.; Lonsdale, P. F.; Fletcher, J. M.; Ledesma, J. V.

    2004-12-01

    A Spring 2004 multibeam sonar survey defined the seafloor geomorphology of the southern part of Gulf of California and the intersection of the East Pacific Rise with the North American continent. Survey goals included mapping structural patterns formed during the rifting that opened the Gulf and identifying the spatial transition from continental rifting to seafloor spreading. Multibeam sonar imagery, augmented with archival data and a subaerial DEM of Mexico, illuminates the principal features of this boundary zone between obliquely diverging plates: (i) active and inactive oceanic risecrests within young oceanic basins that are rich in evidence for off-axis magmatic eruption and intrusion; (ii) transforms with pull-apart basins and transpressive ridges along shearing continental margins and within oceanic crust; (iii) orphaned blocks of continental crust detached from sheared and rifted continental margins; and (iv) young, still-extending continental margins dissected by submarine canyons that in many cases are deeply drowned river valleys. Many of the canyons are conduits for turbidity currents that feed deep-sea fans on oceanic and subsided continental crust, and channel sediment to spreading axes, thereby modifying the crustal accretion process. We present a series of detailed bathymetric and seafloor reflectivity maps of this MARGINS Rupturing Continental Lithosphere focus site illustrating geomorphologic features of the southern part of the Gulf, from Guaymas Basin to the Maria Magdalena Rise.

  19. Tropical cyclone disasters in the Gulf of Thailand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suphat Vongvisessomjai

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available The origin of tropical cyclones in the South China Sea is over a vast deep sea, southeast of the Philippines. The severetropical cyclones in summer with northerly tracks attack the Philippines, China, Korea and Japan, while the moderate ones inthe rainy season with northwesterly tracks pass Vietnam, Laos and northern Thailand. In October, November and December, the tropical cyclones are weakened and tracks shift to a lower latitude passing the Gulf of Thailand. Tropical cyclone disasters in the Gulf of Thailand due to strong winds causing storm surges and big waves or heavy rainfall over high mountains in causing floods and land slides result in moderate damages and casualties. Analyses are made of six decades of data of tropical cyclones from 1951-2006 having averaged numbers of 3 and 13 in Thailand and the South China Sea respectively. Detailed calculation of surges and wave heights of the 5 disastrous tropical cyclones in the Gulf of Thailand reveal that the Upper Gulf of Thailand with a limited fetch length of about 100 km in north/south direction and about 100 km width in the east/west direction, resulted in a limited maximum wave height of 2.3-2.5 m and maximum storm surge height of 1.2 m generated by Typhoon Vae (1952, while the east coast, with longer fetch lengthbut still limited by the existence of its shoreline, resulted in an increased maximum wave height of 4 m and maximum storm surge height of 0.6 m in the Upper Gulf of Thailand generated by Typhoon Linda (1997. These are the Probable Maximum Cyclones here.The southern shoreline, with unlimited fetch length on the east by tropical cyclones approaching from the South China Sea, generated maximum wave height of 6-11 m by Typhoon Gay (1989, resulting in more casualties and damages. Note that storm surges on the southern shorelines with steep slopes are small due to the short distance of shallow shorelines in receiving wind stresses for piling up sea levels. These disasters can be

  20. Alternative response technology program for the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico - an overview

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cortez, Michael J.; Rowe, Hunter G.

    2011-01-01

    The innovative approach utilized by the Alternative Response Technology (ART) Program for the MC252 Deepwater Horizon response in the Gulf of Mexico during 2010 was presented in this paper. The ART program is authorized by the Unified Area Command. This paper focuses on the spill response technologies that were implemented offshore, near shore and on-shore, and covers technologies related to booming, skimming, separation, sand cleaning, surveillance and detection. A process was designed and implemented for capturing ideas real time, which leveraged the public's ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit. About 120,000 individual ideas were submitted by the public globally from more than 100 countries. About 40,000 of these ideas were related to addressing the spill response. There are about 100 new technologies related to spill response that were formally evaluated and/or field tested, and approximately 25 of those tested were successfully implemented across the spill response area.

  1. Application of the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard to ROV Video Data for Enhanced Analysis of Deep-Sea Habitats in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruby, C.; Skarke, A. D.; Mesick, S.

    2016-02-01

    The Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) is a network of common nomenclature that provides a comprehensive framework for organizing physical, biological, and chemical information about marine ecosystems. It was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center, in collaboration with other feral agencies and academic institutions, as a means for scientists to more easily access, compare, and integrate marine environmental data from a wide range of sources and time frames. CMECS has been endorsed by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) as a national metadata standard. The research presented here is focused on the application of CMECS to deep-sea video and environmental data collected by the NOAA ROV Deep Discoverer and the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in the Gulf of Mexico in 2011-2014. Specifically, a spatiotemporal index of the physical, chemical, biological, and geological features observed in ROV video records was developed in order to allow scientist, otherwise unfamiliar with the specific content of existing video data, to rapidly determine the abundance and distribution of features of interest, and thus evaluate the applicability of those video data to their research. CMECS units (setting, component, or modifier) for seafloor images extracted from high-definition ROV video data were established based upon visual assessment as well as analysis of coincident environmental sensor (temperature, conductivity), navigation (ROV position, depth, attitude), and log (narrative dive summary) data. The resulting classification units were integrated into easily searchable textual and geo-databases as well as an interactive web map. The spatial distribution and associations of deep-sea habitats as indicated by CMECS classifications are described and optimized methodological approaches for application of CMECS to deep-sea video and environmental data are presented.

  2. Programming Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease: The Toronto Western Hospital Algorithms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Picillo, Marina; Lozano, Andres M; Kou, Nancy; Puppi Munhoz, Renato; Fasano, Alfonso

    2016-01-01

    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established and effective treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). After surgery, a number of extensive programming sessions are performed to define the most optimal stimulation parameters. Programming sessions mainly rely only on neurologist's experience. As a result, patients often undergo inconsistent and inefficient stimulation changes, as well as unnecessary visits. We reviewed the literature on initial and follow-up DBS programming procedures and integrated our current practice at Toronto Western Hospital (TWH) to develop standardized DBS programming protocols. We propose four algorithms including the initial programming and specific algorithms tailored to symptoms experienced by patients following DBS: speech disturbances, stimulation-induced dyskinesia and gait impairment. We conducted a literature search of PubMed from inception to July 2014 with the keywords "deep brain stimulation", "festination", "freezing", "initial programming", "Parkinson's disease", "postural instability", "speech disturbances", and "stimulation induced dyskinesia". Seventy papers were considered for this review. Based on the literature review and our experience at TWH, we refined four algorithms for: (1) the initial programming stage, and management of symptoms following DBS, particularly addressing (2) speech disturbances, (3) stimulation-induced dyskinesia, and (4) gait impairment. We propose four algorithms tailored to an individualized approach to managing symptoms associated with DBS and disease progression in patients with PD. We encourage established as well as new DBS centers to test the clinical usefulness of these algorithms in supplementing the current standards of care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. The Gulf War on Computer: A Review of "Iraq Stack."

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rattan, Dick

    1993-01-01

    Reviews a HyperCard stack designed for use in schools and at home. Describes the program as primarily a database of information on Iraq, Kuwait, and the Gulf War. Contends that the program is pedagogically weak and of marginal use in the classroom. (CFR)

  4. Temperature, salinity, nutrients, freons, oxygen, currents (ADCP), underway and other measurements collected in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic as part of the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast Carbon Cruise (GOMECC) 2007 (NODC Accession 0066603)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — GOMECC Gulf of Mexico and East Coast Carbon Cruise(RB 07-05). North American Carbon Program (NACP) Gulf of Mexico and East Coast Carbon (GOMECC) Cruise on board NOAA...

  5. Deep Space Network Radiometric Remote Sensing Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, Steven J.

    1994-01-01

    Planetary spacecraft are viewed through a troposphere that absorbs and delays radio signals propagating through it. Tropospheric water, in the form of vapor, cloud liquid, and precipitation, emits radio noise which limits satellite telemetry communication link performance. Even at X-band, rain storms have severely affected several satellite experiments including a planetary encounter. The problem will worsen with DSN implementation of Ka-band because communication link budgets will be dominated by tropospheric conditions. Troposphere-induced propagation delays currently limit VLBI accuracy and are significant sources of error for Doppler tracking. Additionally, the success of radio science programs such as satellite gravity wave experiments and atmospheric occultation experiments depends on minimizing the effect of water vapor-induced propagation delays. In order to overcome limitations imposed by the troposphere, the Deep Space Network has supported a program of radiometric remote sensing. Currently, water vapor radiometers (WVRs) and microwave temperature profilers (MTPs) support many aspects of the Deep Space Network operations and research and development programs. Their capability to sense atmospheric water, microwave sky brightness, and atmospheric temperature is critical to development of Ka-band telemetry systems, communication link models, VLBI, satellite gravity wave experiments, and radio science missions. During 1993, WVRs provided data for propagation model development, supported planetary missions, and demonstrated advanced tracking capability. Collection of atmospheric statistics is necessary to model and predict performance of Ka-band telemetry links, antenna arrays, and radio science experiments. Since the spectrum of weather variations has power at very long time scales, atmospheric measurements have been requested for periods ranging from one year to a decade at each DSN site. The resulting database would provide reliable statistics on daily

  6. Factors controlling the evolution of the Perdido Fold Belt, northwestern Gulf of Mexico, determined from numerical models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gradmann, Sofie; Beaumont, Christopher; Albertz, Markus

    2009-04-01

    The Perdido Fold Belt (PFB) is a prominent salt-cored deep water structure in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. It is characterized by symmetric, kink-banded folds of a ˜4.5 km thick prekinematic layer and its vicinity to the extensive Sigsbee Salt Canopy. We use 2-D finite element numerical models to study the evolution of the PFB as a gravity-driven fold belt both in a local context and in the context of the larger-scale passive margin, influenced by adjacent allochthonous salt structures. We show that parameters such as overburden strength, salt geometry, or salt viscosity determine timing, extent, and location of the modeled fold belt. Simplified models of the Gulf of Mexico show that toe-of-slope folding is a viable mechanism to develop diapirs in the deep salt basin and to delay folding of the distal overburden. In this scenario, the PFB likely represents the terminal folding of a much larger, diachronously formed fold belt system.

  7. Geometry of sandy deposits at the distal edge of the Mississippi Fan, Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Twichell, D.C.; Schwab, W.C.; Kenyon, Neil H.

    1995-01-01

    Sidescan sonar provides a map of the seafloor that has greatly improved the understanding of depositional processes on modern deep-sea fans (e.g. Mutti and Normark 1991). Here, we present a sidescan-sonar mosaic from the eastern Gulf of Mexico that images the distal reaches of a channel on the Mississippi Fan and the deposits associated with it (Fig. 41.1). This area is one of several deep-sea fan systems that had not previously been imaged by high-resolution sidescan systems. The mosaic highlights the complexity of the spatial relationships of channels and deposits at ends of channels on this large, modern, passive-margin deep-sea fan (Figs 41.2 and 41.3).

  8. Alternative response technology program for the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico - an overview

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cortez, Michael J.; Rowe, Hunter G. [BP - Gulf Coast Restoration (United States)], email: michael.cortez@bp.com

    2011-07-01

    The innovative approach utilized by the Alternative Response Technology (ART) Program for the MC252 Deepwater Horizon response in the Gulf of Mexico during 2010 was presented in this paper. The ART program is authorized by the Unified Area Command. This paper focuses on the spill response technologies that were implemented offshore, near shore and on-shore, and covers technologies related to booming, skimming, separation, sand cleaning, surveillance and detection. A process was designed and implemented for capturing ideas real time, which leveraged the public's ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit. About 120,000 individual ideas were submitted by the public globally from more than 100 countries. About 40,000 of these ideas were related to addressing the spill response. There are about 100 new technologies related to spill response that were formally evaluated and/or field tested, and approximately 25 of those tested were successfully implemented across the spill response area.

  9. GRIIDC: A Data Repository for Gulf of Mexico Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, S.; Gibeaut, J. C.

    2017-12-01

    The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information & Data Cooperative (GRIIDC) system is a data management solution appropriate for any researcher sharing Gulf of Mexico and oil spill science data. Our mission is to ensure a data and information legacy that promotes continual scientific discovery and public awareness of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. GRIIDC developed an open-source software solution to manage data from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI). The GoMRI program has over 2500 researchers from diverse fields of study with a variety of attitudes, experiences, and capacities for data sharing. The success of this solution is apparent through new partnerships to share data generated by RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Programs, the National Academies of Science, and others. The GRIIDC data management system integrates dataset management planning, metadata creation, persistent identification, and data discoverability into an easy-to-use web application. No specialized software or program installations are required to support dataset submission or discovery. Furthermore, no data transformations are needed to submit data to GRIIDC; common file formats such as Excel, csv, and text are all acceptable for submissions. To ensure data are properly documented using the GRIIDC implementation of the ISO 19115-2 metadata standard, researchers submit detailed descriptive information through a series of interactive forms and no knowledge of metadata or xml formats are required. Once a dataset is documented and submitted the GRIIDC team performs a review of the dataset package. This review ensures that files can be opened and contain data, and that data are completely and accurately described. This review does not include performing quality assurance or control of data points, as GRIIDC expects scientists to perform these steps during the course of their work. Once approved, data are made public and searchable through the GRIIDC data discovery portal and the Data

  10. Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaborative Final Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Judd, Kathleen S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Judd, Chaeli [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Engel-Cox, Jill A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Gulbransen, Thomas [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Anderson, Michael G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Woodruff, Dana L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Thom, Ronald M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Guzy, Michael [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hardin, Danny [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Estes, Maury [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2007-12-01

    This report presents the results of the Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaborative (GoMRC), a year-long project funded by NASA. The GoMRC project was organized around end user outreach activities, a science applications team, and a team for information technology (IT) development. Key outcomes are summarized below for each of these areas. End User Outreach; Successfully engaged federal and state end users in project planning and feedback; With end user input, defined needs and system functional requirements; Conducted demonstration to End User Advisory Committee on July 9, 2007 and presented at Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) meeting of Habitat Identification committee; Conducted significant engagement of other end user groups, such as the National Estuary Programs (NEP), in the Fall of 2007; Established partnership with SERVIR and Harmful Algal Blooms Observing System (HABSOS) programs and initiated plan to extend HABs monitoring and prediction capabilities to the southern Gulf; Established a science and technology working group with Mexican institutions centered in the State of Veracruz. Key team members include the Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS), the Ecological Institute (INECOL) a unit of the National Council for science and technology (CONACYT), the Veracruz Aquarium (NOAA’s first international Coastal Ecology Learning Center) and the State of Veracruz. The Mexican Navy (critical to coastal studies in the Southern Gulf) and other national and regional entities have also been engaged; and Training on use of SERVIR portal planned for Fall 2007 in Veracruz, Mexico Science Applications; Worked with regional scientists to produce conceptual models of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) ecosystems; Built a logical framework and tool for ontological modeling of SAV and HABs; Created online guidance for SAV restoration planning; Created model runs which link potential future land use trends, runoff and SAV viability; Analyzed SAV

  11. Trial of Naltrexone and Dextromethorphan for Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-07-01

    09-2-0065 TITLE: Trial of Naltrexone and Dextromethorphan for Gulf War Veterans Illnesses PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: William J. Meggs, MD, PhD... Dextromethorphan and Naltrexone for Gulf War Veterens’ Illness 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-09-2-0065 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR...neuron-inflammation, which can be down regulated, by Naltrexone and Dextromethorphan . This is untested but potentially ground breaking concept that

  12. Survey to assess Persian Gulf spill effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that an international group is poised for an extensive survey of the Persian Gulf, including an assessment of the long term effects of last year's oil spill, a legacy of the Persian Gulf war. Saudi Arabia plans a $450 million cleanup program on beaches fouled by the massive spill. Plans for the survey were disclosed by the United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco). It is to be carried out under the auspices of the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (Ropme), Unesco's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Ropme member countries are Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates

  13. Survey and analysis of deep water mineral deposits using nuclear methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Staehle, C.M.; Noakes, J.E.; Spaulding, J.

    1991-01-01

    Present knowledge of the location, quality, quantity and recoverability of sea floor minerals is severely limited, particularly in the abyssal depths and deep water within the 200 mile Exclusion Economic Zone (EEZ) surrounding the U.S. Pacific Islands. To improve this understanding and permit exploitation of these mineral reserves much additional data is needed. This paper will discuss a sponsored program for extending existing proven nuclear survey methods currently used on the shallow continental margins of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico into the deeper waters of the Pacific. This nuclear technology can be readily integrated and extended to depths of 2000 m using the existing RCV-150 remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and the PISCESE V manned deep submersible vehicle (DSV) operated by The University of Hawaii's, Hawaii Underseas Research Laboratory (HURL). Previous papers by the authors have also proposed incorporating these nuclear analytical methods for survey of the deep ocean through the use of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUX). Such a vehicle could extend the use of passive nuclear instrument operation, in addition to conventional analytical methods, into the abyssal depths and do so with speed and economy not otherwise possible. The natural radioactivity associated with manganese nodules and crustal deposits is sufficiently above normal background levels to allow discrimination and quantification in near real time

  14. Sea Snake Harvest in the Gulf of Thailand

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Van Cao, Nguyen; Thien Tao, Nguyen; Moore, Amelia

    2014-01-01

    Abstract: Conservation of sea snakes is virtually nonexistent in Asia, and its role in human–snake interactions in terms of catch, trade, and snakebites as an occupational hazard is mostly unexplored. We collected data on sea snake landings from the Gulf of Thailand, a hotspot for sea snake harvest...... years), and the treatment of sea snake bites with rhinoceros horn. Emerging markets in Southeast Asia drive the harvest of venomous sea snakes in the Gulf of Thailand and sea snake bites present a potentially lethal occupational hazard. We call for implementation of monitoring programs to further...... address the conservation implications of this large-scale marine reptile exploitation....

  15. Spatial and temporal ecological variability in the northern Gulf of Alaska: What have we learned since the Exxon Valdez oil spill?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aderhold, Donna G. R.; Lindeberg, Mandy R.; Holderied, Kris; Pegau, W. Scott

    2018-01-01

    This special issue examines oceanographic and biological variability in the northern Gulf of Alaska region with an emphasis on recent monitoring efforts of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) and Herring Research and Monitoring (HRM) programs funded by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (EVOSTC). These programs are designed to improve our understanding of how changing environmental conditions affect Gulf of Alaska ecosystems and the long-term status of resources injured by the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

  16. Trial of Naltrexone and Dextromethorphan for Gulf War Veterans’ Illness

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-07-01

    1 Award Number: W81XWH-09-2-0065 TITLE: Trial of Naltrexone and Dextromethorphan for Gulf War Veterans’ Illness PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: William J... Dextromethorphan for Gulf War Veterans’ Illness 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER W81XWH-09-2-0065 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) William...is related to low grade neuron-inflammation, which can be down regulated, by Naltrexone and Dextromethorphan . This is untested but potentially

  17. [Efficacy of the program "Testas's (mis)adventures" to promote the deep approach to learning].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosário, Pedro; González-Pienda, Julio Antonio; Cerezo, Rebeca; Pinto, Ricardo; Ferreira, Pedro; Abilio, Lourenço; Paiva, Olimpia

    2010-11-01

    This paper provides information about the efficacy of a tutorial training program intended to enhance elementary fifth graders' study processes and foster their deep approaches to learning. The program "Testas's (mis)adventures" consists of a set of books in which Testas, a typical student, reveals and reflects upon his life experiences during school years. These life stories are nothing but an opportunity to present and train a wide range of learning strategies and self-regulatory processes, designed to insure students' deeper preparation for present and future learning challenges. The program has been developed along a school year, in a one hour weekly tutorial sessions. The training program had a semi-experimental design, included an experimental group (n=50) and a control one (n=50), and used pre- and posttest measures (learning strategies' declarative knowledge, learning approaches and academic achievement). Data suggest that the students enrolled in the training program, comparing with students in the control group, showed a significant improvement in their declarative knowledge of learning strategies and in their deep approach to learning, consequently lowering their use of a surface approach. In spite of this, in what concerns to academic achievement, no statistically significant differences have been found.

  18. Hurricane shuts down gulf activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koen, A.D.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that producers in the Gulf of Mexico and plant operators in South Louisiana last week were checking for damage wrought by Hurricane Andrew. In its wake Andrew left evacuated rigs and platforms in the gulf and shuttered plants across a wide swath of the Gulf Coast. Operations were beginning to return to normal late last week. Not all gulf operators, especially in the central gulf, expected to return to offshore facilities. And even producers able to book helicopters did not expect to be able to fully assess damage to all offshore installations before the weekend. MMS officials in Washington estimated that 37,500 offshore workers were evacuated from 700 oil and gas installations on the gulf's Outer Continental Shelf. Gulf oil and gas wells account for about 800,000 b/d of oil and one fourth of total U.S. gas production. MMS was awaiting an assessment of hurricane damage before estimating how soon and how much gulf oil and gas production would be restored

  19. Diverse, rare microbial taxa responded to the Deepwater Horizon deep-sea hydrocarbon plume.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleindienst, Sara; Grim, Sharon; Sogin, Mitchell; Bracco, Annalisa; Crespo-Medina, Melitza; Joye, Samantha B

    2016-02-01

    The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil well blowout generated an enormous plume of dispersed hydrocarbons that substantially altered the Gulf of Mexico's deep-sea microbial community. A significant enrichment of distinct microbial populations was observed, yet, little is known about the abundance and richness of specific microbial ecotypes involved in gas, oil and dispersant biodegradation in the wake of oil spills. Here, we document a previously unrecognized diversity of closely related taxa affiliating with Cycloclasticus, Colwellia and Oceanospirillaceae and describe their spatio-temporal distribution in the Gulf's deepwater, in close proximity to the discharge site and at increasing distance from it, before, during and after the discharge. A highly sensitive, computational method (oligotyping) applied to a data set generated from 454-tag pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene V4-V6 regions, enabled the detection of population dynamics at the sub-operational taxonomic unit level (0.2% sequence similarity). The biogeochemical signature of the deep-sea samples was assessed via total cell counts, concentrations of short-chain alkanes (C1-C5), nutrients, (colored) dissolved organic and inorganic carbon, as well as methane oxidation rates. Statistical analysis elucidated environmental factors that shaped ecologically relevant dynamics of oligotypes, which likely represent distinct ecotypes. Major hydrocarbon degraders, adapted to the slow-diffusive natural hydrocarbon seepage in the Gulf of Mexico, appeared unable to cope with the conditions encountered during the DWH spill or were outcompeted. In contrast, diverse, rare taxa increased rapidly in abundance, underscoring the importance of specialized sub-populations and potential ecotypes during massive deep-sea oil discharges and perhaps other large-scale perturbations.

  20. 76 FR 54375 - Safety Zone; Thunder on the Gulf, Gulf of Mexico, Orange Beach, AL

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-01

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; Thunder on the Gulf, Gulf of Mexico, Orange Beach, AL AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... portion of the Gulf of Mexico for the waters off Orange Beach, Alabama. This action is necessary for the... conduct a high speed boat race on the Gulf of Mexico, south of Orange Beach, Alabama to occur from October...

  1. Environmental emergency in Persian Gulf

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zanini, G.

    1991-01-01

    This paper gives an environmental damage report for the Kuwait-Persian Gulf area that has been affected by the Gulf War oil well fires and the release of oil into the sea. The report was prepared by members of an ENEA (Italian Commission for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment)/Friends of the Earth scientific mission whose aim was to assess the damage to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and to develop short and long terms programs of damage containment and environmental restoration. With regard to shore-line clean-up operations, the mission noted the scarce use of manpower, 500 versus 11,000 for the Exxon Valdez spill. Seventy-five per cent of the surface of Kuwait has been covered with a fine spray of petroleum and ashes borne by turbulent winds. Efforts are being made to establish a climate model, which would take into account the effects of the altered environmental conditions, to forecast the local transport of the pollutants

  2. The Future of the Arab Gulf Monarchies in the Age of Uncertainties

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-01

    to any deep integra- tion among Arab Gulf countries only reinforces these fears. In July 2007, Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor of Kayhan, a daily ...toward Iran, at least since the 1979 Islamic revolutions, when the late Aya - tollah Khomeini had been hostile toward the Saudi ruling family...the Winter.,” Iran Daily , May 16, 2012, available from www.iran-daily.com/1391/2/27/MainPaper/4234/Page/2/Main Paper_4234_2.pdf. 53. Nasser Krimi

  3. Islands in the Stream 2001 on NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico between 20010510 and 20011004

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Islands in the Stream expedition explored protected and unprotected deep water coral reefs and hard-bottom communities throughout the Gulf of Mexico and South...

  4. Gulf of Mexico soundscapes as indicators of ecological stressors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sidorovskaia, N.; Li, K.; Tiemann, C.; Ackleh, A. S.; Tang, T.; Risbourg, J. H.

    2016-12-01

    Soundscapes in the Northern Gulf of Mexico are complex and represent a combination of anthropogenic noise (oil exploration and production, shipping, rig construction, etc.), bio-soundscapes (sound of marine mammals and fish), and geo-soundscapes (weather events, submarine landslides, distant earthquakes, natural gas seeps). We will discuss how Passive Acoustic Monitoring in the deep Gulf has been utilized during the past decade to study the soundscape variability on daily, monthly, and yearly timescales and what environmental information can be extracted from this variability. Isolation of bio-soundscapes, identification of their sources, and abundance estimates based on acoustic cues are used to track the recovery of marine mammal species after major ecological disasters, such as the recent 2010 oil spill. Association of acoustic activity of marine species with anthropogenic noise levels and other environmental variables can provide base data that can be used to build ecological models of habitat preferences for different marine species. Understanding how the variability of anthropogenic soundscapes correlates with marine species distributions is critically important for regional conservation and mitigation strategies. Such studies can also assist in forecasting the long-term ecosystem health status and ecosystem response to disturbances of different spatial and temporal extent, including slow variations associated with climate change. [This research was made possible in part by a grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and in part by funding provided by ONR and The Joint Industry Programme.

  5. AFSC/ABL: Deep-Water Longline Survey for Giant Grenadier and Sablefish in the Western Gulf of Alaska

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — An experimental bottom longline survey was conducted at depths >1,000 m in the western Gulf of Alaska in August 2008. The objective was to investigate the...

  6. (abstract) Deep Space Network Radiometric Remote Sensing Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, Steven J.

    1994-01-01

    Planetary spacecraft are viewed through a troposphere that absorbs and delays radio signals propagating through it. Tropospheric water, in the form of vapor, cloud liquid,and precipitation , emits radio noise which limits satellite telemetry communication link performance. Even at X-band, rain storms have severely affected several satellite experiments including a planetary encounter. The problem will worsen with DSN implementation of Ka-band becausecommunication link budgets will be dominated by tropospheric conditions. Troposphere-induced propagation delays currently limit VLBI accuracy and are significant sources of error for Doppler tracking. Additionally, the success of radio science programs such as satellite gravity wave experiments and atmospheric occultation experiments depends on minimizing the effect of watervapor-induced prop agation delays. In order to overcome limitations imposed by the troposphere, the Deep Space Network has supported a program of radiometric remote sensing. Currently, water vapor radiometers (WVRs) and microwave temperature profilers (MTPs) support many aspects of the Deep Space Network operations and research and development programs. Their capability to sense atmospheric water, microwave sky brightness, and atmospheric temperature is critical to development of Ka-band telemetry systems, communication link models, VLBI, satellite gravity waveexperiments, and r adio science missions. During 1993, WVRs provided data for propagation mode development, supp orted planetary missions, and demonstrated advanced tracking capability. Collection of atmospheric statistics is necessary to model and predict performance of Ka-band telemetry links, antenna arrays, and radio science experiments. Since the spectrum of weather variations has power at very long time scales, atmospheric measurements have been requested for periods ranging from one year to a decade at each DSN site. The resulting database would provide reliable statistics on daily

  7. No evidence for altered cellular immune functions in personnel deployed in the Persian Gulf during and after the Gulf War--The Danish Gulf War study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bregenholt, S; Ishøy, T; Skovgaard, L T

    2001-01-01

    Veterans who have participated in the Gulf War suffer from a number of symptoms, collectively referred to as the Gulf War Syndrome. It has been hypothesized that a change in the systemic cytokine balance or other changes in immunological parameters could be responsible for some of the symptoms. We...... analyzed the peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cell activity of 686 Gulf War personnel who had been present in the Persian Gulf area during and immediately after the Gulf War as well as 231 gender and age-matched controls. The test material included individual samples of frozen peripheral blood...

  8. Factors governing the deep ventilation of the Red Sea

    KAUST Repository

    Papadopoulos, Vassilis P.

    2015-11-19

    A variety of data based on hydrographic measurements, satellite observations, reanalysis databases, and meteorological observations are used to explore the interannual variability and factors governing the deep water formation in the northern Red Sea. Historical and recent hydrographic data consistently indicate that the ventilation of the near-bottom layer in the Red Sea is a robust feature of the thermohaline circulation. Dense water capable to reach the bottom layers of the Red Sea can be regularly produced mostly inside the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez. Occasionally, during colder than usual winters, deep water formation may also take place over coastal areas in the northernmost end of the open Red Sea just outside the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez. However, the origin as well as the amount of deep waters exhibit considerable interannual variability depending not only on atmospheric forcing but also on the water circulation over the northern Red Sea. Analysis of several recent winters shows that the strength of the cyclonic gyre prevailing in the northernmost part of the basin can effectively influence the sea surface temperature (SST) and intensify or moderate the winter surface cooling. Upwelling associated with periods of persistent gyre circulation lowers the SST over the northernmost part of the Red Sea and can produce colder than normal winter SST even without extreme heat loss by the sea surface. In addition, the occasional persistence of the cyclonic gyre feeds the surface layers of the northern Red Sea with nutrients, considerably increasing the phytoplankton biomass.

  9. Numerical Modeling Study of the Gulf of Mexico Basin: Skill Assessment

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Kirwan, A

    1997-01-01

    This report contains the results of an assessment of a three dimensional primitive equation model simulation of the Gulf of Mexico, using surface drifter observations collected as part of the Sculp program...

  10. Challenging oil bioremediation at deep-sea hydrostatic pressure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Scoma

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The Deepwater Horizon (DWH accident has brought oil contamination of deep-sea environments to worldwide attention. The risk for new deep-sea spills is not expected to decrease in the future, as political pressure mounts to access deep-water fossil reserves, and poorly tested technologies are used to access oil. This also applies to the response to oil-contamination events, with bioremediation the only (biotechnology presently available to combat deep-sea spills. Many questions about the fate of petroleum-hydrocarbons at deep-sea remain unanswered, as much as the main constraints limiting bioremediation under increased hydrostatic pressures and low temperatures. The microbial pathways fueling oil take up are unclear, and the mild upregulation observed for beta-oxidation-related genes in both water and sediments contrasts with the high amount of alkanes present in the spilled-oil. The fate of solid alkanes (tar and that of hydrocarbons degradation rates was largely overlooked, as the reason why the most predominant hydrocarbonoclastic genera were not enriched at deep-sea, despite being present at hydrocarbon seeps at the Gulf of Mexico. This mini-review aims at highlighting the missing information in the field, proposing a holistic approach where in situ and ex situ studies are integrated to reveal the principal mechanisms accounting for deep-sea oil bioremediation.

  11. Stimulation Technologies for Deep Well Completions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stephen Wolhart

    2005-06-30

    The Department of Energy (DOE) is sponsoring the Deep Trek Program targeted at improving the economics of drilling and completing deep gas wells. Under the DOE program, Pinnacle Technologies conducted a study to evaluate the stimulation of deep wells. The objective of the project was to review U.S. deep well drilling and stimulation activity, review rock mechanics and fracture growth in deep, high-pressure/temperature wells and evaluate stimulation technology in several key deep plays. This report documents results from this project.

  12. Implementing the shoreline cleanup assessment team process in the Gulf of Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Debusschere, K.; Penland, S.; Ramsey, K.E.; Lindstedt, D.; Westphal, K.A.; Seal, R.; McBride, R.A.; Byrnes, M.R.; Owens, E.

    1993-01-01

    Louisiana State University (LSU) and Woodward-Clyde Consultants are working with state and federal agencies and industry through the LSU Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Research and Response Program to establish a shoreline cleanup assessment team program (SCAT) in the Gulf of Mexico. Each SCAT team consists of a coastal geomorphologist and ecologist (and archaeologist when appropriate), as well as representatives from the responsible federal, state, and private agencies. This cooperative effort is aimed at identifying oil spill impact and interagency coastal resource concerns and recommendations, and developing a cleanup strategy based on interagency cooperation and concurrence within a systematic and standardized framework. The SCAT program provides interagency coordination, SCAT preparedness, spill drill participation, interagency training, geographic information systems services, monitoring, and routine aerial videotape surveys. It also offers technical support to the decision-making process within spill response operations

  13. Bacterial Sulfate Reduction Above 100-Degrees-C in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Sediments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    JØRGENSEN, BB; ISAKSEN, MF; JANNASCH, HW

    1992-01-01

    -reducing bacteria was done in hot deep-sea sediments at the hydrothermal vents of the Guaymas Basin tectonic spreading center in the Gulf of California. Radiotracer studies revealed that sulfate reduction can occur at temperatures up to 110-degrees-C, with an optimum rate at 103-degrees to 106-degrees......-C. This observation expands the upper temperature limit of this process in deep-ocean sediments by 20-degrees-C and indicates the existence of an unknown groUp of hyperthermophilic bacteria with a potential importance for the biogeochemistry of sulfur above 100-degrees-C....

  14. Overview of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission collaborative research program to assess tsunami hazard for nuclear power plants on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kammerer, A.M.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Titov, V.V.

    2017-01-01

    In response to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC) initiated a long-term research program to improve understanding of tsunami hazard levels for nuclear facilities in the United States. For this effort, the US NRC organized a collaborative research program with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with a goal of assessing tsunami hazard on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. Necessarily, the US NRC research program includes both seismic- and landslide-based tsunamigenic sources in both the near and the far fields. The inclusion of tsunamigenic landslides, an important category of sources that impact tsunami hazard levels for the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts is a key difference between this program and most other tsunami hazard assessment programs. The initial phase of this work consisted of collection, interpretation, and analysis of available offshore data, with significant effort focused on characterizing offshore near-field landslides and analyzing their tsunamigenic potential and properties. In the next phase of research, additional field investigations will be conducted in key locations of interest and additional analysis will be undertaken. Simultaneously, the MOST tsunami generation and propagation model used by NOAA will first be enhanced to include landslide-based initiation mechanisms and then will be used to investigate the impact of the tsunamigenic sources identified and characterized by the USGS. The potential for probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment will also be explore in the final phases of the program.

  15. 78 FR 14983 - Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico; Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-08

    ... the Gulf of Mexico; Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting AGENCY: National Marine... of Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Spanish Mackerel and Cobia Stock Assessment Review Workshop. SUMMARY: Independent peer review of Gulf of Mexico Spanish Mackerel and Cobia stocks will be...

  16. The Iranian century: the tension between Iran and the Gulf States

    OpenAIRE

    Al Kaabi, Yousef H.; Al Kaabi, Khaled M.

    2011-01-01

    The Arabian Gulf represents a significant part in the world because of its oil wealth. During the last thirty years, three wars have taken place in the region resulting in regional and global instability: the Iran-Iraq war; the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991, and the U.S. led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The fall of Iraq made Iran more powerful in the region, and as a domination strategy, Iran launched its nuclear program. Iran represents a major power in the region; it can destabilize the region...

  17. Recent results on the exchange of physical properties between the Gulf of California and the Pacific.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mascarenhas, A.

    2001-11-01

    The entrance to the Gulf of California, the only evaporative basin on the Pacific, is wide (200 km) and deep (>2.5 km), allowing free exchanges of waters with the Pacific Ocean. Although being comparable to the Mediterranean and Red Seas with respect to evaporation rate (0.61 m/year), the gulf differs from these seas because it actually gains heat at an annual rate of 60 W/m^2. These water loss and heat gain result in modification of water properties, creation of unique water masses, and strong exchanges with the Pacific Ocean. Here the results of the analysis of a recent set of observations is discussed from the point of view of exchange of thermohaline properties and the fluxes of heat, salt and volume. The thermohaline structure at the entrance to the Gulf suggested a thermal (saline) gradient toward Sinaloa (Baja California) shelf. This structure is associated to a cyclonic gyre that is not well defined in the upper layer due to the influence of the wind field. The computed heat flux display an annual cycle with maximum outflow (inflow) during November (May). The salt outflow maximum occurs when the Gulf of California Water is most predominant in the entrance (winter and spring). The volume fluxes appear to have a semiannual signal.

  18. Gulf Coast geopressured-geothermal program summary report compilation. Volume 2-A: Resource description, program history, wells tested, university and company based research, site restoration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    John, C.J.; Maciasz, G.; Harder, B.J.

    1998-06-01

    The US Department of Energy established a geopressured-geothermal energy program in the mid 1970`s as one response to America`s need to develop alternate energy resources in view of the increasing dependence on imported fossil fuel energy. This program continued for 17 years and approximately two hundred million dollars were expended for various types of research and well testing to thoroughly investigate this alternative energy source. This volume describes the following studies: Geopressured-geothermal resource description; Resource origin and sediment type; Gulf Coast resource extent; Resource estimates; Project history; Authorizing legislation; Program objectives; Perceived constraints; Program activities and structure; Well testing; Program management; Program cost summary; Funding history; Resource characterization; Wells of opportunity; Edna Delcambre No. 1 well; Edna Delcambre well recompletion; Fairfax Foster Sutter No. 2 well; Beulah Simon No. 2 well; P.E. Girouard No. 1 well; Prairie Canal No. 1 well; Crown Zellerbach No. 2 well; Alice C. Plantation No. 2 well; Tenneco Fee N No. 1 well; Pauline Kraft No. 1 well; Saldana well No. 2; G.M. Koelemay well No. 1; Willis Hulin No. 1 well; Investigations of other wells of opportunity; Clovis A. Kennedy No. 1 well; Watkins-Miller No. 1 well; Lucien J. Richard et al No. 1 well; and the C and K-Frank A. Godchaux, III, well No. 1.

  19. Programming Deep Brain Stimulation for Tremor and Dystonia: The Toronto Western Hospital Algorithms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Picillo, Marina; Lozano, Andres M; Kou, Nancy; Munhoz, Renato Puppi; Fasano, Alfonso

    2016-01-01

    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for essential tremor (ET) and dystonia. After surgery, a number of extensive programming sessions are performed, mainly relying on neurologist's personal experience as no programming guidelines have been provided so far, with the exception of recommendations provided by groups of experts. Finally, fewer information is available for the management of DBS in ET and dystonia compared with Parkinson's disease. Our aim is to review the literature on initial and follow-up DBS programming procedures for ET and dystonia and integrate the results with our current practice at Toronto Western Hospital (TWH) to develop standardized DBS programming protocols. We conducted a literature search of PubMed from inception to July 2014 with the keywords "balance", "bradykinesia", "deep brain stimulation", "dysarthria", "dystonia", "gait disturbances", "initial programming", "loss of benefit", "micrographia", "speech", "speech difficulties" and "tremor". Seventy-six papers were considered for this review. Based on the literature review and our experience at TWH, we refined three algorithms for management of ET, including: (1) initial programming, (2) management of balance and speech issues and (3) loss of stimulation benefit. We also depicted algorithms for the management of dystonia, including: (1) initial programming and (2) management of stimulation-induced hypokinesia (shuffling gait, micrographia and speech impairment). We propose five algorithms tailored to an individualized approach to managing ET and dystonia patients with DBS. We encourage the application of these algorithms to supplement current standards of care in established as well as new DBS centers to test the clinical usefulness of these algorithms in supplementing the current standards of care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Designing a Successful Acupuncture Treatment Program for Gulf War Illness

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    Acupuncture in the Treatment Of Gulf War Illness W81XWH-09-2-0064) on current symptom levels and use of services to explore the long-term effects of an...of Math and Computer Science, Menoufia University, Shebin EIKom, Egypt g Department of Biostatistics & Bioinfonnatics, Duke University Medical Center...significantly higher levels of au- toantibody reactivity in all proteins examined except S-1 OOB. Fold increase of the cases relative to controls in

  1. On the Relationship Between Satellite-Estimated Bio-Optical and Thermal Properties in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-03-15

    MOODS ). MODAS then assimilates particularly in terms of identifying episodes of potential remotely sensed SST and sea surface height (SSH) data that...of the seasonal (or onto a two-dimensional grid. Departure from the subsurface background) bio-thermal patterns of the deep Gulf, and then MOODS long...circulation. In contrast, isotherms oxidation of CDOM to dissolved inorganic carbon, the are uplifted within divergent, cyclonic circulation features

  2. Opportunities and constraints of deep water projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1995-01-01

    While oil output from deep water areas still is scarce, it however has become a reality in water depths over 300 m. Specific constraints linked to these developments lead to the selection of appropriate concepts for production supports. First deep water developments occurred off Brazil (see other articles in this issue) and the Gulf of Mexico and now expand to other areas worldwide, such as the West of Shetland discoveries, the Northern part of the Norwegian waters and potentially West Africa, the Barents sea and South-East Asia. Fixed platforms and compliant towers have shown their limits (in terms of water depth capacity) and new deep water projects mainly rely on tension leg platforms (TLP) and floaters, either FPSOs or semi-sub based. Research is at work on alternative materials for lighter flexible risers and mooring systems. Operators and manufacturers are eager to develop for the 300 m range systems and equipments that could be used with little modification for oil fields located in deeper waters. (author). 1 fig., 1 tab

  3. Geochemical Tracers and Rates of Short-Chain Alkane Production in Gulf of Mexico Cold Seep Sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibert, R.; Bernard, B. B.; Brooks, J. M.; Hunter, K.; Joye, S. B.

    2014-12-01

    The organic-rich cold seep sediments in the deep Gulf of Mexico commonly contain mixtures of light hydrocarbon gases either dissolved in pore fluids, adsorbed to sediment particles, trapped in methane ice, or as free gas. The dominant component in these natural gas mixtures is typically methane (C1), but ethane (C2) and propane (C3) are nearly always present in trace or major amounts. The ratio of C1:C2:C3 varies but C2 and C3 are typically present at single digit percent levels, whereas methane usually dominates at >80%. Methane production proceeds by at least two well-studied mechanisms: either 1) by thermocatalytic cracking of fossil organic matter, or 2) as a direct product of microbial metabolism, methanogenesis. In contrast, ethane and propane production in deep-sea sediments has been historically attributed only to thermocatalytic processes. However, limited data suggests production of C2/C3 compounds through the activity of archaea. Such studies of microbial- driven dynamics of C2/C3 gases (i.e. 'alkanogenesis') in cold seep sediments are rare. Furthermore, the identities of potential substrates are poorly constrained and no attempt has been made to quantify production rates of C2/C3 gases. However, carbon isotopic data on ethane and propane from deep cores from the Gulf of Mexico suggest alkanogenesis at depth in the sediment column and alkane oxidation in uppermost oxidant-rich sediments. Here, we present the results of a series of incubation experiments using sediment slurries culled from GC600, one of the most prolific natural oil and gas seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. Rates of both alkane production and oxidation were measured under a variety of conditions to assess the net rates of alkane production and elucidate the driving microbiological mechanisms and controls on the central processes of >C1 alkane cycling in cold seep sediments. Microbial processes are important both in terms of alkane production and oxidation, raising many questions as to the

  4. 75 FR 54445 - Proposed Information Collection (Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-07

    ... Collection (Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era Veterans) Activity: Comment Request... assist in VA's efforts to address the health concerns and problems of Gulf War Veterans. DATES: Written... of Gulf War and Gulf Era Veterans, VA Form 10-0488, and Consent Form for Release of Medical Records...

  5. 76 FR 64248 - Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery; Closure of the 2011 Gulf of Mexico Commercial Sector for...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-18

    .... 040205043-4043-01] RIN 0648-XA766 Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery; Closure of the 2011 Gulf of Mexico... the commercial sector for greater amberjack in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico... Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP). The FMP was prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery...

  6. 75 FR 70365 - Agency Information Collection (Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-17

    ... (Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era Veterans) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY...).'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Titles: Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era Veterans, VA..., will help VA to assess the health of Gulf War veterans who were exposed to a variety of environmental...

  7. Designing a Successful Acupuncture Treatment Program for Gulf War Illness

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-10-01

    recruit for, and subjects are often challenged to adhere for lengthy behavioral trials (ours was a 6 month-treatment trial). Books or other non ...to be current smokers 1. In 2013, our study team competed the Army funded project “The Effectiveness of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Gulf...with three subscales (Task, Goal, and Bond). Each item is scored on a 7-point scale ranging from 1 ( never ) to 7 (always). The WAI has strong

  8. Trends in marine debris in the U.S. Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, 1996-2003

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ribic, Christine; Seba B. Sheavly,; Rugg, David J.

    2011-01-01

    Marine debris is a widespread and globally recognized problem. Sound information is necessary to understand the extent of the problem and to inform resource managers and policy makers about potential mitigation strategies. Although there are many short-term studies on marine debris, a longer-term perspective and the ability to compare among regions has heretofore been missing in the U.S. Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. We used data from a national beach monitoring program to evaluate and compare amounts, composition, and trends of indicator marine debris in the U.S. Caribbean (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and the Gulf of Mexico from 1996 to 2003. Indicator items provided a standardized set that all surveys collected; each was assigned a probable source: ocean-based, land-based, or general-source. Probable ocean-based debris was related to activities such as recreational boating/fishing, commercial fishing and activities on oil/gas platforms. Probable land-based debris was related to land-based recreation and sewer systems. General-source debris represented plastic items that can come from either ocean- or land-based sources; these items were plastic bags, strapping bands, and plastic bottles (excluding motor oil containers). Debris loads were similar between the U.S. Caribbean and the western Gulf of Mexico; however, debris composition on U.S. Caribbean beaches was dominated by land-based indicators while the western Gulf of Mexico was dominated by ocean-based indicators. Beaches along the eastern Gulf of Mexico had the lowest counts of debris; composition was dominated by land-based indicators, similar to that found for the U.S. Caribbean. Debris loads on beaches in the Gulf of Mexico are likely affected by Gulf circulation patterns, reducing loads in the eastern Gulf and increasing loads in the western Gulf. Over the seven years of monitoring, we found a large linear decrease in total indicator debris, as well as all source categories, for the U

  9. Deep-sea benthic footprint of the deepwater horizon blowout.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul A Montagna

    Full Text Available The Deepwater Horizon (DWH accident in the northern Gulf of Mexico occurred on April 20, 2010 at a water depth of 1525 meters, and a deep-sea plume was detected within one month. Oil contacted and persisted in parts of the bottom of the deep-sea in the Gulf of Mexico. As part of the response to the accident, monitoring cruises were deployed in fall 2010 to measure potential impacts on the two main soft-bottom benthic invertebrate groups: macrofauna and meiofauna. Sediment was collected using a multicorer so that samples for chemical, physical and biological analyses could be taken simultaneously and analyzed using multivariate methods. The footprint of the oil spill was identified by creating a new variable with principal components analysis where the first factor was indicative of the oil spill impacts and this new variable mapped in a geographic information system to identify the area of the oil spill footprint. The most severe relative reduction of faunal abundance and diversity extended to 3 km from the wellhead in all directions covering an area about 24 km(2. Moderate impacts were observed up to 17 km towards the southwest and 8.5 km towards the northeast of the wellhead, covering an area 148 km(2. Benthic effects were correlated to total petroleum hydrocarbon, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and barium concentrations, and distance to the wellhead; but not distance to hydrocarbon seeps. Thus, benthic effects are more likely due to the oil spill, and not natural hydrocarbon seepage. Recovery rates in the deep sea are likely to be slow, on the order of decades or longer.

  10. 77 FR 66580 - Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Gulf Coast Pipeline Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-06

    ... subordinate its rights, acquired under the Wetland Reserve Program, to allow the Gulf Coast Segment (Gulf.... Department of State (DOS) to build and operate the Keystone XL Project. In the original application, Trans... built in three segments: The approximately 850-mile long ``Steele City'' segment from the U.S. border to...

  11. Storm-induced transfer of particulate trace metals to the deep-sea in the Gulf of Lion (NW Mediterranean Sea).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumas, C; Aubert, D; Durrieu de Madron, X; Ludwig, W; Heussner, S; Delsaut, N; Menniti, C; Sotin, C; Buscail, R

    2014-10-01

    In order to calculate budgets of particulate matter and sediment-bound contaminants leaving the continental shelf of the Gulf of Lion (GoL), settling particles were collected in March 2011 during a major storm, using sediment traps. The collecting devices were deployed in the Cap de Creus submarine canyon, which represents the main export route. Particulate matter samples were analyzed to obtain mass fluxes and contents in organic carbon, Al, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and La, Nd and Sm. The natural or anthropogenic origin of trace metals was assessed using enrichment factors (EFs). Results are that Zn, Cu and Pb appeared to be of anthropogenic origin, whereas Ni, Co and Cr appeared to be strictly natural. The anthropogenic contribution of all elements (except Cd) was refined by acid-leaching (HCl 1 N) techniques, confirming that Zn, Cu and Pb are the elements that are the most enriched. However, although those elements are highly labile (59-77%), they do not reflect severe enrichment (EFs rare earth elements ratios and concentrations of acid-leaching residual trace metals. Our results hence indicate that even in this western extremity of the GoL, storm events mainly export Rhone-derived particles via the Cap de Creus submarine canyons to the deep-sea environments. This export of material is significant as it represents about a third of the annual PTM input from the Rhone River.

  12. Impacts from oil and gas produced water discharges on the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parker, M.E.; Satterlee, K.; Veil, J.A.

    2006-01-01

    Shallow water areas of the Gulf of Mexico continental shelf experience low dissolved oxygen (hypoxia) each summer. The hypoxic zone is primarily caused by input of nutrients from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. The nutrients stimulate the growth of phytoplankton, which leads to reduction of the oxygen concentration near the sea floor. During the renewal of an offshore discharge permit used by the oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified the need to assess the potential contribution from produced water discharges to the occurrence of hypoxia. The EPA permit required either that all platforms in the hypoxic zone submit produced water samples, or that industry perform a coordinated sampling program. This paper, based on a report submitted to EPA in August 2005 (1), describes the results of the joint industry sampling program and the use of those results to quantify the relative significance of produced water discharges in the context of other sources on the occurrence of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. In the sampling program, 16 facilities were selected for multiple sampling - three times each at one month intervals-- and another 34 sites for onetime sampling. The goal of the sampling program was to quantify the sources and amount of oxygen demand associated with a variety of Gulf of Mexico produced waters. Data collected included direct oxygen demand measured by BOD5 (5-day biochemical oxygen demand) and TOC (total organic carbon) and indirect oxygen demand measured by nitrogen compounds (ammonia, nitrate, nitrate, and TKN (total Kjeldahl nitrogen)) and phosphorus (total phosphorus and orthophosphate). These data will serve as inputs to several available computer models currently in use for forecasting the occurrence of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. The output of each model will be compared for consistency in their predictions and then a semi-quantitative estimate of the relative significance of

  13. Species distribution and population connectivity of deep-sea mussels at hydrocarbon seeps in the Gulf of Mexico.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baptiste Faure

    Full Text Available Hydrocarbon seepage is widespread and patchy in the Gulf of Mexico, and six species of symbiont containing bathymodiolin mussels are found on active seeps over wide and overlapping depth and geographic ranges. We use mitochondrial genes to discriminate among the previously known and a newly discovered species and to assess the connectivity among populations of the same species in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM. Our results generally validate the morphologically based distribution of the three previously known GoM species of Bathymodiolus, although we found that approximately 10% of the morphologically based identifications were incorrect and this resulted in some inaccuracies with respect to their previously assigned depth and geographical distribution patterns. These data allowed us to confirm that sympatry of two species of Bathymodiolus within a single patch of mussels is common. A new species of bathymodiolin, Bathymodiolus sp. nov., closely related to B. heckerae was also discovered. The two species live at the same depths but have not been found in sympatry and both have small effective population sizes. We found evidence for genetic structure within populations of the three species of Bathymodiolinae for which we had samples from multiple sites and suggest limited connectivity for populations at some sites. Despite relatively small sample sizes, genetic diversity indices suggest the largest population sizes for B. childressi and Tamu fisheri and the smallest for B. heckerae and B. sp. nov. among the GoM bathymodiolins. Moreover, we detected an excess of rare variants indicating recent demographic changes and population expansions for the four species of bathymodiolins from the Gulf of Mexico.

  14. Final report on decommissioning boreholes and wellsite restoration, Gulf Coast Interior Salt Domes of Mississippi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-04-01

    In 1978, eight salt domes in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi were identified for study as potential locations for a nuclear waste repository as part of the National Waste Terminal Storage (NWTS) program. Three domes were selected in Mississippi for ''area characterization'' phase study as follows: Lampton Dome near Columbia, Cypress Creek Dome near New Augusta, and Richton Dome near Richton. The purpose of the studies was to acquire geologic and geohydrologic information from shallow and deep drilling investigations to enable selection of sites suitable for more intensive study. Eleven deep well sites were selected for multiple-well installations to acquire information on the lithologic and hydraulic properties of regional aquifers. In 1986, the Gulf Coast salt domes were eliminated from further consideration for repository development by the selection of three candidate sites in other regions of the country. In 1987, well plugging and restoration of these deferred sites became a closeout activity. The primary objectives of this activity are to plug and abandon all wells and boreholes in accordance with state regulations, restore all drilling sites to as near original condition as feasible, and convey to landowners any wells on their property that they choose to maintain. This report describes the activities undertaken to accomplish these objectives, as outlines in Activity Plan 1--2, ''Activity Plan for Well Plugging and Site Restoration of Test Hole Sites in Mississippi.''

  15. Re-processing of Shallow and Deep Crustal Reflection Seismic Data along BABEL Line 7, Central Sweden

    OpenAIRE

    Shahrokhi, Hanieh

    2012-01-01

    The BABEL project (Baltic And Bothnian Echoes from the Lithosphere) was a collaboration among British, Danish, Finnish, German and Swedish geoscientists to acquire deep-crustal reflection and wide-angle refraction data in the Baltic Shield and Gulf of Bothnia. In 1989, the collection of 2,268 km of deep marine reflection seismic data was carried out. BABEL line 7, one of several BABEL profiles, is the focus of this study and runs north of the Åland islands, in an E-W direction in the Bothnian...

  16. Long Term Geoelectrical Monitoring of Deep-water Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf Coast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heenan, J. W.; Ntarlagiannis, D.; Slater, L. D.; Atekwana, E. A.; Ross, C.; Nolan, J. T.; Atekwana, E. A.

    2011-12-01

    In the aftermath of the catastrophic Deep-water Horizon (DWH) spill in the Gulf Coast, opportunities exist to study the evolution of fresh crude oil contamination in beach sediments and marshes. Grand Terre 1 Island, off the coast of Grand Isle in southern Louisiana, is an uninhabited barrier island, heavily impacted by the DWH spill, and ideal for undisturbed long term monitoring of crude oil degradation processes. A 10 channel Syscal-Pro resistivity / IP instrument (IRIS Instruments, France) is the heart of the fully autonomous geoelectrical monitoring system; the system, which is housed in a weatherproof container, relies solely on solar power, is controlled by an energy efficient PC and can be accessed remotely via web tools. The monitoring scheme involves collecting bi-daily resistivity measurements from surface and shallow boreholes, ranging from January 2011 to the present; environmental parameters, such as T, are continuously recorded at several depths. During regular field trips we perform larger scale geophysical surveys, and geochemical measurements (pH, DO, T, fluid C) to support the continuous geophysical monitoring. The contaminated layer on site is a visually distinctive layer of crude oil, isolated by cleaner sands above and below which is identified by a clear and obvious resistive anomaly in preliminary surveys. Early results show a decrease in average of the resistance values of each dataset over time. Further processing of the data yields a linearly shaped resistive anomaly, which coincides with the location of the oil layer. The changes in subsurface resistivity appear to be focused within this anomaly. Time filtering of the data by the time that they were collected, morning or evening, reveals a diurnal variation. While both time frames follow the same overall trend, the measurements in the morning are slightly more resistive than those in the evening. This indicates that there are environmental factors, such as temperature, that need to be

  17. Mobility and Fate of Pollutants in the Aquifer System of the Northwestern Suez Gulf, Egypt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snousy, Moustafa Gamal; Zawrah, M F; Abdel-Moghny, Th; Ebiad, M A; Rashad, A M; Khalil, Mahmoud M; Abu El Ella, E M; El-Sayed, E; Tantawy, M A

    The northwestern part of Suez Gulf region is a strategic area in Egypt. It includes important sources of national income. To achieve the development goals, the government has established huge projects in this area (e.g. establishment and expanding of a large commercial port at Ain Sokhna, many industrial zones as well as tourism projects). The utilization of the Suez Gulf resources and their continuing development mainly depend on the creation of actual pollution control programs. The environmental quality control and pollution reduction activities are important ingredients of any economic development program. These different activities in this area depend mainly on the groundwater that is pumped intensively from different water bearing formations or aquifers. The main objective of the present work is compiling the previous studies from the 1980s up to 2015. These studies are concerned with estimating the concentrations of different pollutants in various ecosystems in the northwestern Suez Gulf region. Also, to provide an explanation for the movement of different pollutants such as organic and heavy metals from contaminated land to ground and surface (Gulf) waters. This issue has not been extensively surveyed before, and this review, gives specific directions for future monitoring and remediation strategies in this region.

  18. Desalination Economic Evaluation Program (DEEP). User's manual

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-01-01

    DEEP (formerly named ''Co-generation and Desalination Economic Evaluation'' Spreadsheet, CDEE) has been developed originally by General Atomics under contract, and has been used in the IAEA's feasibility studies. For further confidence in the software, it was validated in March 1998. After that, a user friendly version has been issued under the name of DEEP at the end of 1998. DEEP output includes the levelised cost of water and power, a breakdown of cost components, energy consumption and net saleable power for each selected option. Specific power plants can be modelled by adjustment of input data including design power, power cycle parameters and costs

  19. The Swedish Deep Drilling Program - an emerging scientific drilling program and new infrastructure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorenz, Henning; Juhlin, Christopher

    2010-05-01

    Scientific drilling projects imply numerous aspects that are difficult to handle for individual research groups. Therefore, about three years ago a joint effort was launched in the Swedish geoscientific community to establish a national program for scientific drilling, the Swedish Deep Drilling Program (SDDP). Soon afterwards, several working groups established drilling proposals with Nordic and, also, international participation. With this serious interest in scientific drilling SDDP was able to successfully promote the Swedish membership in ICDP which commenced in 2008. Two SDDP projects achieved workshop grants from the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) in 2009. In the same year the Swedish Research Council decided to support an application for a truck-mounted drill rig - a big success for the SDDP working group. Scientific Drilling infrastructure: SDDP envisages a mobile platform that is capable of core drilling to at least 2500 m depth. The procurement will be made during 2010 and first operations are planned for 2011. This drill rig is primarily intended for use in the SDDP drilling projects, but will be rented out to other scientific drilling projects or even commercial enterprises in the remaining time to cover maintenance and future upgrade costs. SDDP's drill rig will be unique in Europe and complementary to the deep drilling InnovaRig of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. Until now, drilling to 2000 - 3000 m implied the use of a full-sized drill rig like the InnovaRig or the mobilization of a core drill rig from another continent. This gap will now be filled by Sweden's upcoming scientific drilling infrastructure. Drilling projects and proposals: Presently, SDDP serves six projects: "Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides" (COSC; ICDP workshop spring 2010), the "Postglacial Fault Drilling Project" (PFDP; ICDP workshop autumn 2010), a "Deep Rock Laboratory" (DRL), "Palaeoproterozoic Mineralized Volcanic

  20. Stimulation Technologies for Deep Well Completions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2003-09-30

    The Department of Energy (DOE) is sponsoring the Deep Trek Program targeted at improving the economics of drilling and completing deep gas wells. Under the DOE program, Pinnacle Technologies is conducting a study to evaluate the stimulation of deep wells. The objective of the project is to assess U.S. deep well drilling & stimulation activity, review rock mechanics & fracture growth in deep, high pressure/temperature wells and evaluate stimulation technology in several key deep plays. An assessment of historical deep gas well drilling activity and forecast of future trends was completed during the first six months of the project; this segment of the project was covered in Technical Project Report No. 1. The second progress report covers the next six months of the project during which efforts were primarily split between summarizing rock mechanics and fracture growth in deep reservoirs and contacting operators about case studies of deep gas well stimulation.

  1. Tides and seiches in gulfs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pierini, S.

    1981-01-01

    In this paper Garrett's theory of tides in gulfs is extended so that its formalism includes the free oscillations (seiches) of the gulf. The elevation of the free surface zeta and the velocity field u are obtained in a rectangular, one-dimensional gulf opening into an infinite ocean. An application of the results to the Adriatic sea can explain qualitatively the long life of the uninodal seiche of that basin. (author)

  2. 75 FR 54965 - Proposed Information Collection (Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-09

    ... Collection (Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era Veterans) Activity: Comment Request... needed to assist in VA's efforts to address the health concerns and problems of Gulf War Veterans. DATES... use of other forms of information technology. Titles: Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War...

  3. Influence of Subtropical Jetstream on Arabian Gulf Precipitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandeep, S.; Pauluis, O.; Ravindran, A. M.; TP, S.

    2017-12-01

    The Arabian Gulf and surrounding regions are predominantly arid. However, this region hosts a large population due to the intense economic activity that is centered on the exploration of natural resources in and around the Arabian Gulf. Thus, few precipitation events that occur during boreal winter are important for society and ecology of this region. The mechanisms of winter precipitation over the Gulf are not well understood, partly due to a lack of long term meteorological observation. Here we explore the dynamics of Arabian Gulf winter precipitation events using available observations and a high resolution atmospheric model simulation. Our analyses show that the northern Gulf receives about six times more precipitation than the southern Gulf. Often, the southern Gulf precipitation forms as a result of downstream development of northern Gulf disturbance. The southward movement of northern Gulf disturbances is influenced by the location of subtropical jet. The probability of a northern Gulf precipitating weather system to move south is higher when the subtropical jet is located equatorward of 30°N. The equatorward position of jet favors the penetration of mid-latitude weather systems over the Arabian Peninsula, which in turn pushes the Arabian anticyclone eastward and triggers moisture transport from the Arabian Sea that is essential for southern Gulf precipitation events.

  4. Microbial gene functions enriched in the Deepwater Horizon deep-sea oil plume

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, Z.; Deng, Y.; Nostrand, J.D. Van; He, Z.; Voordeckers, J.; Zhou, A.; Lee, Y.-J.; Mason, O.U.; Dubinsky, E.; Chavarria, K.; Tom, L.; Fortney, J.; Lamendella, R.; Jansson, J.K.; D?haeseleer, P.; Hazen, T.C.; Zhou, J.

    2011-06-15

    The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is the deepest and largest offshore spill in U.S. history and its impacts on marine ecosystems are largely unknown. Here, we showed that the microbial community functional composition and structure were dramatically altered in a deep-sea oil plume resulting from the spill. A variety of metabolic genes involved in both aerobic and anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation were highly enriched in the plume compared to outside the plume, indicating a great potential for intrinsic bioremediation or natural attenuation in the deep-sea. Various other microbial functional genes relevant to carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and iron cycling, metal resistance, and bacteriophage replication were also enriched in the plume. Together, these results suggest that the indigenous marine microbial communities could play a significant role in biodegradation of oil spills in deep-sea environments.

  5. EXTENDING THE DEEP PACKET INSPECTION MODEL TO THE GCC/MENA REGION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfred H. Miller

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This study seeks to explore extending the technology acceptance model (DPAM from a 2011 quantitative study—Modeling Intention to Use Deep Packet Inspection Technology in the United Arab Emirates, to the cyber security practitioner community of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC and greater Middle East North Africa (MENA Region. Analysis of regression between independent variable model factors of computer self efficacy, attitude toward ICT, perceived usefulness of ecommerce, intention to use ecommerce, societal trust and Internet filtration toward the dependent variable intention to use deep packet inspection, to determine parsimony, using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA, multinomial regression to assess correlation of independent and dependent variables, and assessment of the cross-suitability of DPAM across the MENA/GCC states through a MANOVA assessment. A qualitative component of the instrument enables collection of data about specific hardware and software deployed for deep packet inspection and cyber security systems.

  6. Gulf operations still recovering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koen, A.D.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that reports of damage caused by Hurricane Andrew were leveling off last week at the U.S. Minerals Management Service as Gulf of Mexico operators pressed ahead with repairs. The hurricane struck South Florida Aug. 4, churned west into the gulf, then swung north and hit the South Louisiana coast Aug. 5. By the close of business Sept. 8 MMS had received damage reports covering 83 pipeline segments and 193 platforms and satellite installations. MMS last week estimated about 500 MMcfd of gas production had been restored in the gulf and 100,000-150,000 b/d of oil. Production still lost as a result of Andrew was estimated at 2-2.5 bcfd of gas and 90,000-120 b/d of oil. MMS estimates Gulf of Mexico wells before the storm were producing about 12.5-13 bcfd of gas and 750,000 b/d of oil

  7. Variability in north tropical atlantic over the last 20 000 years and holocene gulf stream activity; Variabilite au cours des derniers 20 000 ans de l'hydrologie de l'atlantique tropical nord et de l'activite du gulf stream a partir de la composition isotopique de l'oxygene et de la composition en elements trace des foraminferes planctoniques profonds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cleroux, C

    2007-10-15

    Modern oceanographical studies shown that most of the ocean heat content in the North Atlantic Western Boundary Current region is stored in the upper 400 meters. To study past heat content and Gulf Stream activity, we performed coupled analyses of oxygen isotopic and trace elemental composition on several foraminifera species to reconstruct upper water column temperature and salinity. Calcification depths of Globorotalia inflata, Globorotalia truncatulinoides and Pulleniatina obliquiloculata have been constrain by correlating modern hydrographic data to oxygen isotopic measurement of North Atlantic core-top samples. We found that the three deep-dwelling foraminifera species have a preferred habitat at the base of the seasonal thermocline (Cleroux et al, 2007). The same set of North Atlantic core-tops has been used to define relationships between trace elemental compositions and temperature. We established calibrations between Mg/Ca ratio or Sr/Ca ratio and temperature for the three deep-dwelling foraminifera (Cleroux et al, submitted). We apply this strategy on the core MD99-2203 located off Cape Hatteras where the Gulf Stream separate from the United States coast. High-resolution surface reconstructions over the Holocene show low amplitude periodic temperature and salinity changes that could be related to NAO type mechanisms. Large hydrological changes in sub-surface reflect variations of Labrador current and Mode Water influences. Using recent studies on Mode Water formation and Gulf Stream heat advection, we interpret our results in term of ocean heat content and Gulf Stream activity. (author)

  8. Thermohaline circulation in the Gulf of California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bray, N. A.

    1988-05-01

    The Gulf of California, a narrow, semienclosed sea, is the only evaporative basin of the Pacific Ocean. As a result of evaporative forcing, salinities in the gulf are 1 to 2 ‰ higher than in the adjacent Pacific at the same latitude. This paper examines the thermohaline structure of the gulf and the means by which thermohaline exchange between the Pacific and the gulf occurs, over time scales of months to years. In addition to evaporative forcing, air-sea heat fluxes and momentum fluxes are important to thermohaline circulation in the gulf. From observations presented here, it appears that the gulf gains heat from the atmosphere on an annual average, unlike the Mediterranean and Red seas, which have comparable evaporative forcing. As a result, outflow from the gulf tends to be less dense than inflow from the Pacific. Winds over the gulf change direction with season, blowing northward in summer and southward in winter. This same seasonal pattern appears in near-surface transports averaged across the gulf. The thermohaline circulation, then, consists of outflow mostly between about 50 m and 250 m, inflow mostly between 250 m and 500 m, and a surface layer in which the direction of transport changes with seasonal changes in the large-scale winds. Using hydrographic observations from a section across the central gulf, total transport in or out of the northern gulf is estimated to be 0.9 Sv, heat gain from the atmosphere is estimated to be 20 to 50 W m-2, and evaporation is estimated to be 0.95 m yr-1. These estimates are annual averages, based on cruises from several years. Seasonal variations in thermohaline structure in the gulf are also examined and found to dominate the variance in temperature and density in the top 500 m of the water column. Salinity has little seasonal variability but does exhibit more horizontal variablility than temperature or density. Major year-to-year variations in thermohaline structure may be attributable to El Niño-Southern Oscillation

  9. 76 FR 69136 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-08

    ... interim measures to reduce overfishing of gag in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) implemented by a temporary rule... overfishing of gag in the Gulf by reducing the commercial quota for gag and, thus, the combined commercial... this rule is to reduce overfishing of the gag resource in the Gulf. [[Page 69137

  10. 77 FR 2960 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-20

    ... the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Exempted... and retention. This study, to be conducted in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) off Louisiana, is intended to better document the age structure and life history of fish...

  11. 77 FR 30507 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-23

    ... the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Exempted... and retention. This study, to be conducted in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), is intended to better document the age structure and life history of fish associated with...

  12. A retrospective view of the development of the Gulf of Bothnia ecosystem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuosa, Harri; Fleming-Lehtinen, Vivi; Lehtinen, Sirpa; Lehtiniemi, Maiju; Nygård, Henrik; Raateoja, Mika; Raitaniemi, Jari; Tuimala, Jarno; Uusitalo, Laura; Suikkanen, Sanna

    2017-03-01

    We analysed long-term monitoring data from 1979 to 2012 in the Gulf of Bothnia, the northernmost extension of the Baltic Sea, to examine changes in the summer food web structure, and to reveal the factors causing the observed changes. Of the two sub-basins in the Gulf of Bothnia, the Bothnian Sea is more dynamic in its hydrography and food web structure than the Bothnian Bay, due to the variable influence of the more eutrophic and more saline Baltic Proper. Variation in deep-water intrusion from the main Baltic Proper, and its effect on salinity and stratification, had a clear effect on the phyto- and zooplankton communities in the Bothnian Sea. Probably due to this intrusion, the nutrient status in this basin has also changed in terms of nitrogen limitation, with subsequent class- and genus-level changes in phytoplankton community composition. The migration of cod to the Bothnian Sea during the 1980s had profound effects on the herring population, but cascading effects affecting the basis of the food web were not obvious. In contrast to a more pronounced interplay of both top-down control and bottom-up nutrient limitation of the Bothnian Sea, the Bothnian Bay food web was mostly driven by hydrography and climate, and major changes were observed in the basis of the food web. Community changes were observed in both basins in the Gulf of Bothnia throughout the entire time period. Human influence considerably affects both the basis of the food web and its very top, where man has replaced the natural top predators. Though the eutrophication status of the Gulf has been rather stable, the results indicate that the potential symptoms should be surveyed specifically in the Bothnian Sea, and that management of Baltic herring stocks requires an understanding, and thus monitoring, of the entire food web.

  13. Beyond the Gulf Metropolises

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wippel, Steffen

    2013-01-01

    The extended studies on urbanisation in the Gulf region that came up in the early 2000s concentrated on the main centres with their worldwide-admired mega-projects and branding strategies. Only rather recently did a more general interest arise in the second-tier range of Gulf cities, which also s...

  14. THE ENVIRONMENTAL LEGACY OF THE IXTOC-I OIL SPILL IN CAMPECHE SOUND, SOUTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Arturo Soto

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The southwestern Gulf of Mexico constitutes an important subsystem within a Large Marine Ecosystem. Due to its high biodiversity, living resources and energy resources, this region is strategic in the national plans for social and economic development of Mexico. The discovery of fossil fuel reserves in the seabed of Campeche Sound in the 1970s promoted the rapid expansion of the national oil industry in offshore waters. Unfortunately, the accidental blowout of the most productive well (Ixtoc-I in June of 1979, caused the first–world massive oil spill in a tropical marine environment. More than 3.4 million of barrels of crude oil were liberated in an ecosystem formerly renowned for its pristine conditions. In the aftermath of this dreadful accident, an immediate concern emerged not only for the oil acute effects but also for the long-term environmental consequences derived from the residual hydrocarbon compounds accumulated in coastal environments of the southern Gulf of Mexico. The attempts to assess the magnitude of the environmental damage were strongly precluded by the lack of pre-spill information. Natural variability in the ecosystem and oil weathering-factors contributed to attenuate the acute pollution effects that lasted nine months. However, the post-spill environmental alterations caused by the Ixtoc-I blowout still remain unanswered. The sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform in the deep-waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico, in 2010 rekindled our concern for the great risk involved for human lives and the health of shallow and deep sea habitats. The authors of this contribution offer their views on this environmental riddle from their own perspective as direct witnesses of the Ixtoc-I environmental tragedy.

  15. Tectonoestratigraphic and Thermal Models of the Tiburon and Wagner Basins, northern Gulf of California Rift System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Contreras, J.; Ramirez Zerpa, N. A.; Negrete-Aranda, R.

    2014-12-01

    The northern Gulf of California Rift System consist sofa series faults that accommodate both normal and strike-slip motion. The faults formed a series of half-greens filled with more than 7 km of siliciclastic suc­cessions. Here, we present tectonostratigraphic and heat flow models for the Tiburón basin, in the southern part of the system, and the Wag­ner basin in the north. The models are constrained by two-dimensional seis­mic lines and by two deep boreholes drilled by PEMEX­-PEP. Analysis of the seismic lines and models' results show that: (i) subsidence of the basins is controlled by high-angle normal faults and by flow of the lower crust, (ii) basins share a common history, and (iii) there are significant differences in the way brittle strain was partitioned in the basins, a feature frequently observed in rift basins. On one hand, the bounding faults of the Tiburón basin have a nested geometry and became active following a west-to-east sequence of activation. The Tiburon half-graben was formed by two pulses of fault activity. One took place during the protogulf extensional phase in the Miocene and the other during the opening of Gulf of California in the Pleistocene. On the other hand, the Wagner basin is the result of two fault generations. During the late-to middle Miocene, the west-dipping Cerro Prieto and San Felipe faults formed a domino array. Then, during the Pleistocene the Consag and Wagner faults dissected the hanging-wall of the Cerro Prieto fault forming the modern Wagner basin. Thermal modeling of the deep borehole temperatures suggests that the heat flow in these basins in the order of 110 mW/m2 which is in agreement with superficial heat flow measurements in the northern Gulf of California Rift System.

  16. The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative: Managing a Multidisciplinary Data Explosion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, M. K.; Gibeaut, J. C.; Reed, D.

    2011-12-01

    On April 20, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon drilling unit located in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, experienced a catastrophic wellhead blowout. Roughly 5 billion barrels of oil and 1 million U.S. gallons of dispersant were released near the wellhead over the next three months. Within weeks of the blowout, BP announced the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GRI) and pledged 50M/yr over 10 years for independent scientific research on the spill's impact on the ecosystem. Two months after the blowout three institutions were awarded a total of 25M in fast-track grants (Louisiana State University, Northern Gulf Institute, and Florida Institute of Oceanography). Soon after the Alabama Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium and the National Institutes of Health were awarded 5M and 10M, respectively. These five institutions began to generate data almost immediately. First year grants funded 100's of researchers from nearly 100 research units. Their activities included numerical modeling, field data collection, and laboratory experiments. Measured parameters included those associated with chemical analyses of oil, gas, and dispersants, studies of bacteria, plants and animals -from phytoplankton to marsh grasses, from zooplankton to cetaceans. Studies were conducted from estuaries to the deep Gulf, from atmosphere to sediments. Parameters from physical oceanography, marine meteorology, and biogeochemistry were measured in abundance. Additionally, impact studies on human mental, physical health and businesses were made. Proposals for years 2-4 of the program were to be awarded in August 2011 supporting 4-8 research consortia. Consortia may have up to 20 named researchers. In aggregate, these studies yielded a multidisciplinary data explosion. Following the fast-track awards the GRI Administrative Unit (AU) was established and a data management activity initiated. That activity became the GRI Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC). "Cooperative" emphasizes the

  17. Baroclinic flows, transports, and kinematic properties in a cyclonic-anticyclonic-cyclonic ring triad in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vidal, VíCtor M. V.; Vidal, Francisco V.; HernáNdez, Abel F.; Meza, Eustorgio; PéRez-Molero, José M.

    1994-04-01

    During October-November 1986 the baroclinic circulation of the central and western Gulf of Mexico was dominated by an anticyclonic ring that was being bisected by two north and south flanking cyclonic rings. The baroclinic circulation revealed a well-defined cyclonic-anticyclonic-cyclonic triad system. The anticyclone's collision against the western gulf continental slope at 22.5°N, 97°W originated the north and south flanking cyclonic rings. The weakening of the anticyclone's relative vorticity, during the collision, was compensated by along-shelf north (26 cm s-1) and south (58 cm s-1) jet currents and by the anticyclone's flanking water mass's gain of cyclonic vorticity from lateral shear contributed by east (56 cm s-1) and west (42 cm s-1) current jets with individual mass transports of ˜18 Sv. Within the 0-1000 and 0-500 dbar layers and across 96°W the magnitudes of the colliding westward transports were 17.80 and 8.59 Sv, respectively. These corresponding transports were 85 and 94% balanced by along-shelf jet currents north and south of the anticyclone's collision zone. This indicates that only minor amounts (energy from the upper to the deeper water layers. Our vertical transport estimates through the 1000-m-depth surface revealed a net vertical descending transport of 0.4 Sv for the ring triad system. This mass flux occurred primordially within the south central gulf region and most likely constituted a principal mechanism that propelled the gulf's deep horizontal circulation. The volume renewal time is ˜5 years for the ring triad system within 0-1000 dbar. The volume renewal time for the gulf's deep water layer (2000-3000 dbar), estimated as a function of its horizontal outflowing mass flux (1.96 Sv), is of the same order of magnitude and reveals that the deeper layer of the Gulf of Mexico is as well ventilated as its upper layer (0-1000 dbar). The ring triad's surface kinematic properties were derived from the sea surface baroclinic circulation field

  18. Accurate Natural Trail Detection Using a Combination of a Deep Neural Network and Dynamic Programming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adhikari, Shyam Prasad; Yang, Changju; Slot, Krzysztof; Kim, Hyongsuk

    2018-01-10

    This paper presents a vision sensor-based solution to the challenging problem of detecting and following trails in highly unstructured natural environments like forests, rural areas and mountains, using a combination of a deep neural network and dynamic programming. The deep neural network (DNN) concept has recently emerged as a very effective tool for processing vision sensor signals. A patch-based DNN is trained with supervised data to classify fixed-size image patches into "trail" and "non-trail" categories, and reshaped to a fully convolutional architecture to produce trail segmentation map for arbitrary-sized input images. As trail and non-trail patches do not exhibit clearly defined shapes or forms, the patch-based classifier is prone to misclassification, and produces sub-optimal trail segmentation maps. Dynamic programming is introduced to find an optimal trail on the sub-optimal DNN output map. Experimental results showing accurate trail detection for real-world trail datasets captured with a head mounted vision system are presented.

  19. Meeting the flow assurance challenges of deep water developments - from CAPEX development to field start up

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jordan, M.M.; Feasey, N.D. [National Aluminium Company Ltd. (Nalco), Cheshire (United Kingdom); Afonso, M.; Silva, D. [NALCO Brasil Ltda., Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2008-07-01

    As oil accumulations in easily accessible locations around the world become less available developments in deeper water become a more common target for field development. Deep water projects, particularly sub sea development, present a host of challenges in terms of flow assurance and integrity. In this paper the focus will be on the chemical control of flow assurance challenges in hydrate control, scale control and wax/asphaltene control within deep water (>750 meter) developments. The opportunities for kinetic hydrate control vs. conventional thermodynamic hydrate control will be outlined with examples of where these technologies have been applied and the limitations that still exist. The development of scale control chemical formulations specifically for sub sea application and the challenges of monitoring such control programs will be highlighted with developments in real time and near real time monitoring. Organic deposit control (wax/asphaltene) will focus on the development of new chemicals that have higher activity but lower viscosity than currently used chemicals hence allowing deployment at colder temperatures and over longer distances. The factors that need to be taken into account when selecting chemicals for deep water application will be highlighted. Fluid viscosity, impact of hydrostatic head on injectivity, product stability at low temperature and interaction with other production chemicals will be reviewed as they pertain to effective flow assurance. This paper brings learning from other deep water basins with examples from the Gulf of Mexico, West Africa and Brazil, which will be used to highlight these challenges and some of the solutions currently available along with the technology gaps that exist. (author)

  20. Why every national deep-geological-isolation program needs a long-term science & technology component

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budnitz, R J

    2006-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to set down the rationale for a separate Science & Technology (S&T) Program within every national deep-geological-isolation program. The fundamental rationale for such a Program is to provide a dedicated focus for longer-term science and technology activities that ultimately will benefit the whole repository mission. Such a Program, separately funded and with a dedicated staff (separate from the ''mainline'' activities to develop the repository, the surface facilities, and the transportation system), can devote itself exclusively to the development and management of a long-term science and technology program. Broad experience in governments worldwide has demonstrated that line offices are unlikely to be able to develop and sustain both the appropriate longer-term philosophy and the specialized skills associated with managing longer-term science and technology projects. Accomplishing both of these requires a separate dedicated program office with its own staff

  1. Fluctuations of Mediterranean outflow water circulation in the Gulf of Cadiz during MIS 5 to 7: Evidence from benthic foraminiferal assemblage and stable isotope records

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Singh, A.D.; Rai, A.K.; Tiwari, M.; Naidu, P.D.; Verma, K.; Chaturvedi, M.; Niyogi, A.; Pandey, D.

    the Messinian salinity crisis. Nature, 462, 778-782. doi:10.1038/nature08555. Gonthier, E.G., Faugères, J.C., Stow, D.A.V., 1984. Contourite facies of the Faro Drift, Gulf of Cadiz. In: Stow, D.A.V., Piper, D.J.W. (Eds.), Fine‐ grained sediments: Deep...

  2. Geological and hydrological exploration of Gulf Coast Salt Domes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laughon, R.B.

    1979-01-01

    The geologic exploration program in the Gulf Coast Salt Dome Region is based on a screening process that includes a series of increasingly detailed studies. The screening procedure takes the following steps: (1) determination of regions for further study (in this case, the salt domes of the interior Gulf Coast); (2) regional surveys and the determination of areas within those regions which are thought to be most suitable and which are recommended for further evaluation (in this case, eight specific salt domes); (3) area characterizations and the determination of locations within the areas which are thought to have a high probability of suitability (in this case, two or three of the eight salt domes); (4) location studies and the determination of a potential repository site, which is thought to be suitable and licensable and which is recommended for completion of site characterization studies

  3. A Multimodal Evaluation of the Comparative Efficacy of Yoga versus a Patient Centered Support Group for Treating Chronic Pain in Gulf War Illness

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-10-01

    Treating Chronic Pain in Gulf War Illness PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Peter Bayley, PhD RECIPIENT: Palo Alto Veterens Institute for Research Palo Alto, CA...Centered Support Group for Treating Chronic Pain in Gulf War Illness 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S...with Gulf War Illness (GWI). A secondary objective is to provide veterans with skills in yoga breathing, postures, and meditation that can be used to

  4. Major reproductive health characteristics in male Gulf War Veterans. The Danish Gulf War Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ishøy, T; Andersson, A M; Suadicani, Poul Vilhelm

    2001-01-01

    The male reproductive system could have been affected by various hazardous agents and exposures during and in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War scenario. We tested the hypothesis that, compared to controls, male Danish Gulf War Veterans would have adverse sex hormone levels, decreased fertility...

  5. Distribution and fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs in recent sediments from the Gulf of Gdańsk (SE Baltic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ludwik Lubecki

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs were determined in recent (0-10 cm sediments from the Gulf of Gdańsk during 2003-07 andcorrelated with environmental parameters. Located in the south-eastern part of the Baltic and receiving the waters of the River Wisła(Vistula, this area of negligible tides and strong anthropogenic stress, highly eutrophic as a consequence, is an exceptionalmodel basin for studying the fate of hydrophobic organic contaminants introduced to the sea. Environmental conditions determine thedistribution and composition patterns of parent PAHs in Gulf of Gdańsk sediments. PAHs were associated mainly with fine particlesediments, rich in organic carbon, with hypoxia/anoxia near the bottom. The highest PAH contents were found in the Gdańsk Deep(ca 110 m, where the mean concentration of Σ12PAHs was ~3600 ng g-1, and no distinct temporal trend was observed.Lighter PAHs were found to be depleted in deeper regions. It was estimated that the Wisła discharges ~50% of the total PAH load deposited in recent Gulf sediments.

  6. Population Structure, Abundance and Movement of Whale Sharks in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, David P; Jaidah, Mohammed Y; Bach, Steffen; Lee, Katie; Jabado, Rima W; Rohner, Christoph A; March, Abi; Caprodossi, Simone; Henderson, Aaron C; Mair, James M; Ormond, Rupert; Pierce, Simon J

    2016-01-01

    Data on the occurrence of whale sharks, Rhincodon typus, in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman were collected by dedicated boat surveys and via a public-sightings scheme during the period from 2011 to 2014. A total of 422 individual whale sharks were photo-identified from the Arabian Gulf and the northern Gulf of Oman during that period. The majority of sharks (81%, n = 341) were encountered at the Al Shaheen area of Qatar, 90 km off the coast, with the Musandam region of Oman a secondary area of interest. At Al Shaheen, there were significantly more male sharks (n = 171) than females (n = 78; X2 = 17.52, P 9 m individuals were visually assessed as pregnant. Connectivity among sharks sighted in Qatari, Omani and UAE waters was confirmed by individual spot pattern matches. A total of 13 identified sharks were re-sighted at locations other than that at which they were first sighted, including movements into and out of the Arabian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. Maximum likelihood techniques were used to model an estimated combined population for the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman of 2837 sharks ± 1243.91 S.E. (95% C.I. 1720-6295). The Al Shaheen aggregation is thus the first site described as being dominated by mature males while the free-swimming pregnant females are the first reported from the Indian Ocean.

  7. Danish Gulf War Veterans Revisited

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nissen, Lars Ravnborg; Stoltenberg, Christian; Nielsen, Anni B Sternhagen

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the assumption that postdeployment incidence of sickness and other absence from work are higher among Gulf War Veterans compared with nonveterans. METHODS: A prospective registry study including a cohort of 721 Danish Gulf War Veterans and a control cohort of 3,629 nonveterans...... and nonveterans in the incidence rate of long-term sickness absence. After an initial short period (3 months) with elevated incidence rate of long-term absence from work among veterans, there was no difference between the cohorts. CONCLUSION: Among Danish Gulf War Veterans, no postdeployment increased risk...... outcomes and information on deployment history was studied using time-to-event analysis. The index date was the return date from the last deployment to the Gulf. The follow-up period was the time from index date until April 27, 2014. RESULTS: As the main finding, no difference was found between veterans...

  8. Passive acoustic monitoring of beaked whale densities in the Gulf of Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hildebrand, John A; Baumann-Pickering, Simone; Frasier, Kaitlin E; Trickey, Jennifer S; Merkens, Karlina P; Wiggins, Sean M; McDonald, Mark A; Garrison, Lance P; Harris, Danielle; Marques, Tiago A; Thomas, Len

    2015-11-12

    Beaked whales are deep diving elusive animals, difficult to census with conventional visual surveys. Methods are presented for the density estimation of beaked whales, using passive acoustic monitoring data collected at sites in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) from the period during and following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (2010-2013). Beaked whale species detected include: Gervais' (Mesoplodon europaeus), Cuvier's (Ziphius cavirostris), Blainville's (Mesoplodon densirostris) and an unknown species of Mesoplodon sp. (designated as Beaked Whale Gulf - BWG). For Gervais' and Cuvier's beaked whales, we estimated weekly animal density using two methods, one based on the number of echolocation clicks, and another based on the detection of animal groups during 5 min time-bins. Density estimates derived from these two methods were in good general agreement. At two sites in the western GOM, Gervais' beaked whales were present throughout the monitoring period, but Cuvier's beaked whales were present only seasonally, with periods of low density during the summer and higher density in the winter. At an eastern GOM site, both Gervais' and Cuvier's beaked whales had a high density throughout the monitoring period.

  9. Geologic and Geophysicsal Studies of Natural Hazards and Risks in the Gulf of Peter the Great, Japan Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anokhin, Vladimir; Shcherbakov, Viktor; Motychko, Viktor; Slinchenkov, Vladimir; Sokolov, Georgy; Kotov, Sergey; Kartashov, Sergey

    2013-04-01

    The area of the Gulf of Peter the Great is socially, economically and culturally one of the most important regions for the Russian Far East. At the same time, there have been reported palpable natural hazards, which pose a real threat to local infrastructure. Complex field team of the Gramaberg VNIIOkeangeologia institute carried out geological and geophysical studies of natural hazards in the water area and coastal zone of the gulf in the summer and autumn of 2012. The research program included - geodetic deformation monitoring of the coastal zone by the HDS 3000 Leica tachometer; - echo sounding of the underwater part of the coastal slope by the LCX-37C depth sounder equipped with active external 12-channel GPS Lowrance antenna LGC-3000; - high-frequency acoustic profiling by GeoPulse Subbotom Profilier with oscillator frequency of 12.2 kHz for the study of bottom sediments to a depth of 40 m; - hydromagnetic measurements by SeaSPY Marine Magnetics magnetometer for investigation of deep geological structure; - sonar measurements by GEO SM C-MAX, 325 kHz frequency emitters for studying seafloor features; - studies of the water column (sensing and sampling); - bottom sediment sampling. Analytic work was performed by mass spectrometry, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, gamma spectrometry and included the following. For water - the content of Fe, Mn, Cd, As, Pb, Cu, Co, Ni, Cr, Zn, Hg in solution and in suspension, polycyclic aromatic compounds, organochlorine pesticides, oil, methane. For sediments - grade analysis, mineralogical analysis of sand, determination of Fe, Mn, Cd, As, Pb, Cu, Co, Ni, Cr, Zn, Hg content; identification of petroleum products, polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, the specific activity of Cs-137. As a result, a set of geological maps was composed: maps of pre-Quaternary and Quaternary rocks and deposits, lithological map, geomorphological map, map of engineering

  10. Scientific Diving Training Course. Red Sea & Gulf of Aden Programme (PERSGA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arab Organization for Education and Science, Cairo (Egypt).

    This document presents the scientific diving training course organized by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) for the Program for Environmental Studies, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA). This course of six weeks duration aims to produce a person who is capable of carrying out scientific diving tasks in the…

  11. Deep-sea bioluminescence blooms after dense water formation at the ocean surface.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Tamburini

    Full Text Available The deep ocean is the largest and least known ecosystem on Earth. It hosts numerous pelagic organisms, most of which are able to emit light. Here we present a unique data set consisting of a 2.5-year long record of light emission by deep-sea pelagic organisms, measured from December 2007 to June 2010 at the ANTARES underwater neutrino telescope in the deep NW Mediterranean Sea, jointly with synchronous hydrological records. This is the longest continuous time-series of deep-sea bioluminescence ever recorded. Our record reveals several weeks long, seasonal bioluminescence blooms with light intensity up to two orders of magnitude higher than background values, which correlate to changes in the properties of deep waters. Such changes are triggered by the winter cooling and evaporation experienced by the upper ocean layer in the Gulf of Lion that leads to the formation and subsequent sinking of dense water through a process known as "open-sea convection". It episodically renews the deep water of the study area and conveys fresh organic matter that fuels the deep ecosystems. Luminous bacteria most likely are the main contributors to the observed deep-sea bioluminescence blooms. Our observations demonstrate a consistent and rapid connection between deep open-sea convection and bathypelagic biological activity, as expressed by bioluminescence. In a setting where dense water formation events are likely to decline under global warming scenarios enhancing ocean stratification, in situ observatories become essential as environmental sentinels for the monitoring and understanding of deep-sea ecosystem shifts.

  12. Deep-sea bioluminescence blooms after dense water formation at the ocean surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamburini, Christian; Canals, Miquel; Durrieu de Madron, Xavier; Houpert, Loïc; Lefèvre, Dominique; Martini, Séverine; D'Ortenzio, Fabrizio; Robert, Anne; Testor, Pierre; Aguilar, Juan Antonio; Samarai, Imen Al; Albert, Arnaud; André, Michel; Anghinolfi, Marco; Anton, Gisela; Anvar, Shebli; Ardid, Miguel; Jesus, Ana Carolina Assis; Astraatmadja, Tri L; Aubert, Jean-Jacques; Baret, Bruny; Basa, Stéphane; Bertin, Vincent; Biagi, Simone; Bigi, Armando; Bigongiari, Ciro; Bogazzi, Claudio; Bou-Cabo, Manuel; Bouhou, Boutayeb; Bouwhuis, Mieke C; Brunner, Jurgen; Busto, José; Camarena, Francisco; Capone, Antonio; Cârloganu, Christina; Carminati, Giada; Carr, John; Cecchini, Stefano; Charif, Ziad; Charvis, Philippe; Chiarusi, Tommaso; Circella, Marco; Coniglione, Rosa; Costantini, Heide; Coyle, Paschal; Curtil, Christian; Decowski, Patrick; Dekeyser, Ivan; Deschamps, Anne; Donzaud, Corinne; Dornic, Damien; Dorosti, Hasankiadeh Q; Drouhin, Doriane; Eberl, Thomas; Emanuele, Umberto; Ernenwein, Jean-Pierre; Escoffier, Stéphanie; Fermani, Paolo; Ferri, Marcelino; Flaminio, Vincenzo; Folger, Florian; Fritsch, Ulf; Fuda, Jean-Luc; Galatà, Salvatore; Gay, Pascal; Giacomelli, Giorgio; Giordano, Valentina; Gómez-González, Juan-Pablo; Graf, Kay; Guillard, Goulven; Halladjian, Garadeb; Hallewell, Gregory; van Haren, Hans; Hartman, Joris; Heijboer, Aart J; Hello, Yann; Hernández-Rey, Juan Jose; Herold, Bjoern; Hößl, Jurgen; Hsu, Ching-Cheng; de Jong, Marteen; Kadler, Matthias; Kalekin, Oleg; Kappes, Alexander; Katz, Uli; Kavatsyuk, Oksana; Kooijman, Paul; Kopper, Claudio; Kouchner, Antoine; Kreykenbohm, Ingo; Kulikovskiy, Vladimir; Lahmann, Robert; Lamare, Patrick; Larosa, Giuseppina; Lattuada, Dario; Lim, Gordon; Presti, Domenico Lo; Loehner, Herbert; Loucatos, Sotiris; Mangano, Salvatore; Marcelin, Michel; Margiotta, Annarita; Martinez-Mora, Juan Antonio; Meli, Athina; Montaruli, Teresa; Moscoso, Luciano; Motz, Holger; Neff, Max; Nezri, Emma Nuel; Palioselitis, Dimitris; Păvălaş, Gabriela E; Payet, Kevin; Payre, Patrice; Petrovic, Jelena; Piattelli, Paolo; Picot-Clemente, Nicolas; Popa, Vlad; Pradier, Thierry; Presani, Eleonora; Racca, Chantal; Reed, Corey; Riccobene, Giorgio; Richardt, Carsten; Richter, Roland; Rivière, Colas; Roensch, Kathrin; Rostovtsev, Andrei; Ruiz-Rivas, Joaquin; Rujoiu, Marius; Russo, Valerio G; Salesa, Francisco; Sánchez-Losa, Augustin; Sapienza, Piera; Schöck, Friederike; Schuller, Jean-Pierre; Schussler, Fabian; Shanidze, Rezo; Simeone, Francesco; Spies, Andreas; Spurio, Maurizio; Steijger, Jos J M; Stolarczyk, Thierry; Taiuti, Mauro G F; Toscano, Simona; Vallage, Bertrand; Van Elewyck, Véronique; Vannoni, Giulia; Vecchi, Manuela; Vernin, Pascal; Wijnker, Guus; Wilms, Jorn; de Wolf, Els; Yepes, Harold; Zaborov, Dmitry; De Dios Zornoza, Juan; Zúñiga, Juan

    2013-01-01

    The deep ocean is the largest and least known ecosystem on Earth. It hosts numerous pelagic organisms, most of which are able to emit light. Here we present a unique data set consisting of a 2.5-year long record of light emission by deep-sea pelagic organisms, measured from December 2007 to June 2010 at the ANTARES underwater neutrino telescope in the deep NW Mediterranean Sea, jointly with synchronous hydrological records. This is the longest continuous time-series of deep-sea bioluminescence ever recorded. Our record reveals several weeks long, seasonal bioluminescence blooms with light intensity up to two orders of magnitude higher than background values, which correlate to changes in the properties of deep waters. Such changes are triggered by the winter cooling and evaporation experienced by the upper ocean layer in the Gulf of Lion that leads to the formation and subsequent sinking of dense water through a process known as "open-sea convection". It episodically renews the deep water of the study area and conveys fresh organic matter that fuels the deep ecosystems. Luminous bacteria most likely are the main contributors to the observed deep-sea bioluminescence blooms. Our observations demonstrate a consistent and rapid connection between deep open-sea convection and bathypelagic biological activity, as expressed by bioluminescence. In a setting where dense water formation events are likely to decline under global warming scenarios enhancing ocean stratification, in situ observatories become essential as environmental sentinels for the monitoring and understanding of deep-sea ecosystem shifts.

  13. Intra-annual distribution of Temora longicornis biomass in the Gulf of Gdańsk (the southern Baltic Sea – numerical simulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lidia Dzierzbicka-Głowacka

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available A population model of the copepod Temora longicornis coupled with the ecosystem model 3D CEMBS (Coupled Ecosystem Model of the Baltic Sea was used to determine the intra-annual distribution of the species biomass in the Gdańsk Basin (the southern Baltic Sea. The population model for T. longicornis consists of twelve equations for twelve state variables, six for mass and six for abundance, i.e. two state variables for each of the six model stages of the development: eggs (Egg, non-feeding stage (N1, subsequent nauplii stages (N2–N6, two copepodite stages (C1–C3 and C4–C5 and adults (C6. The empirical validation of the population model was based on in situ data collected in 2010 and 2011 in the Gdańsk Deep and the western part of the Gulf of Gdańsk. The highest values of the model biomass occurred in the period of high water temperatures – in June 2010 and July 2011 in the Gulf of Gdańsk (ca 5200 mg wet weight (w.w. m–2 and 6300 mg w.w. m–2, and for almost the whole summer in the Gdańsk Deep (24 500 mg w.w. m–2 and 27 800 mg w.w. m–2. Temora longicornis produced 4 to 5 generations per year in the Gulf of Gdańsk and Gdańsk Deep, respectively. The population model was satisfactorily verified and the calculated results were consistent with the in situ data. Despite some differences between the field and model data, the developed population model of T. longicornis is the first model for this species in the Baltic Sea and, even though it needs further improvement, it can be a useful tool for determining the population dynamics of the species and ecological relationships in the environment.

  14. Aerial radiometric and magnetic survey: Beeville/Bay City National Topographic Map, Texas Gulf Coast

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1979-01-01

    As part of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation program Geodata International, Inc. of Dallas, Texas, conducted an airborne gamma ray and total magnetic field survey of Beeville/Bay City Quadrangle of the Texas Gulf Coast area. Volume 1 gives the description of the program and results, and volume 2 gives the flight line profile data and statistical analysis results. The Beeville/Bay City Map Sheet shows Tertiary and Quaternary-aged strata which are part of the coastal plain of the Gulf Coast Geosyncline. The Cenozoic sediments overlie Mesozoic, Paleozoic, and Precambrian rocks, and have a relatively gentle homoclinal dip toward the gulf. The Quaternary and Tertiary sediments of the map sheet overlie the western flank of the Houston-East Texas Embayment, the northeastern side of the Rio Grande Embayment, and the San Marcos Arch. Recent and Pleistocene sediments crop-out in the south and east, and are more extensive in the vicinity of the structural embayments. The Pliocene-aged Goliad Formation crops-out extensively to the northwest. Miocene and Eocene strata occur in the northwestern corner of the map sheet. The uranium deposits occur in the Tertiary strata, but are most intensely mined in the Eocene strata immediately to the west of the map sheet area

  15. Coastal sensitivity mapping of Gulf of Kachchh and Gulf of Cambay, India

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    ManiMurali, R.; Boora, P.; Vethamony, P.

    and managers of coastal zones are also useful for identifying sensitive resources before a spill occurs (Jenson, 1998). In this way, protection priorities could be identified and established and cleanup strategies could be designed in advance. To deal... regions to oil spills. This research focuses on improving information about coastal environment mapping from remote sensing and GIS technology to generate maps of environmental sensitivity index for oil spill in Gulf of Kachchh and Gulf of Cambay...

  16. The United States and the Arab Gulf Monarchies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kechichian, J.A.

    1999-01-01

    The United States has enduring strategic interests in the Persian Gulf region. To understand these interests and the Usa policy towards the Arab Gulf Monarchies, the french institute of international relations (IFRI) proposes this document. The following chapters are detailed: the United States and the Arab Gulf Monarchies, overview, Chief Unites States Objective: Access to oil, re-evaluating United States Foreign Policy in the Gulf, the second term (Usa strategy). (A.L.B.)

  17. Oceanographic Data collected during the Islands in the Stream Expedition on NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico between 2001-05-10 to 2001-10-04 (NCEI Accession 0104416)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Islands in the Stream expedition explored protected and unprotected deep water coral reefs and hard-bottom communities throughout the Gulf of Mexico and South...

  18. 77 FR 67303 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-09

    ... interim measures to reduce overfishing of gray triggerfish in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) implemented by a... rule is to reduce overfishing of the gray triggerfish resource in the Gulf while the Council develops... necessary, to reduce overfishing. On April 19, 2012, the Council requested that NMFS implement a temporary...

  19. Behavior and trends for Zn in Saronikos Gulf

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chalkiadakis O.

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The study of Zn in the water column of Saronikos Gulf in Greece during a two year period between 2008 and 2010 added data to the available time series of metal data for this marine area since 1985. The Saronikos Gulf, is directly influenced by the Athens metropolitan area. The operation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant of Athens situated on the small island of Psitalia, in 1995, was considered to be the turning point in the efforts of de-pollution of the gulf. Major sources of pollution for the gulf include also the port of Piraeus, with intensive navigation and shipping activities and the significant industrial activity occurring along the coast of Attica. This study of dissolved and particulate Zn gave results consistent with previous studies of the area such as the prevalence of the dissolved form of Zn and the most affected areas being the smaller most enclosed Gulf of Elefsina and Psitalia Island near the wastewater outfall. However, the concentrations of Zn were below toxic levels for marine aquatic organisms. Furthermore, a clear decrease in the Eastern part of the gulf was exhibited as well as a more subtle decrease in the gulf of Elefsina. The levels of Zn in Saronikos Gulf were found comparable to those of other Greek coastal areas.

  20. Additions to the Tanaidomorpha (Crustacea: Tanaidacea) from mud volcanoes and coral mounds of the Gulf of Cadiz and Horseshoe Continental Rise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esquete, Patricia; Cunha, Marina R

    2018-02-05

    The Tanaidacea collection from various research cruises carried out in the Gulf of Cadiz and Horseshoe Continental Rise between 2004 and 2012 yielded four species new to science that are described herein. Two belong to genera recorded for the first time since the original descriptions of their type species: Cetiopyge, described from the Gulf of Mexico and Gamboa from shallow waters of Macaronesia. The other two belong to the genera Collettea and Paragathotanais, both with a worldwide distribution. Additionally, specimens of Tumidochelia uncinata are described and illustrated to complete previous descriptions. Identification keys to all known genera of Nototanaidae, and the Eastern Atlantic species of Paragathotanais and Collettea are provided. This works raises the number of tanaidacean species known from the deep-sea habitats in the study region to a total of 22.

  1. 75 FR 21512 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-26

    ...: NMFS issues this final rule to implement Amendment 31 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council... operation of the bottom longline component of the reef fish fishery in the eastern Gulf while maintaining...

  2. Assessment of heavy metals pollution in bottom sediments of the Arabian Gulf after the Gulf War oil spill 1991

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nasr, S.M.; Ahmed, M.H.; El-Raey, M.; Frihy, O.E.; Abdel Motti, A.

    1999-01-01

    The major objective of this study was to carry out a sequential geochemical extraction scheme for the partitioning of Fe, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr and Pb in the bottom sediments of the Arabian Gulf to detect any potential pollution impact on the gulf sediments following the 1991 gulf war oil spill, and to differentiate between anthropogenic inputs and natural background of heavy metals

  3. Surface oceanographic fronts influencing deep-sea biological activity: Using fish stable isotopes as ecological tracers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louzao, Maite; Navarro, Joan; Delgado-Huertas, Antonio; de Sola, Luis Gil; Forero, Manuela G.

    2017-06-01

    Ecotones can be described as transition zones between neighbouring ecological systems that can be shaped by environmental gradients over a range of space and time scales. In the marine environment, the detection of ecotones is complex given the highly dynamic nature of marine systems and the paucity of empirical data over ocean-basin scales. One approach to overcome these limitations is to use stable isotopes from animal tissues since they can track spatial oceanographic variability across marine systems and, in turn, can be used as ecological tracers. Here, we analysed stable isotopes of deep-sea fishes to assess the presence of ecological discontinuities across the western Mediterranean. We were specifically interested in exploring the connection between deep-sea biological activity and particular oceanographic features (i.e., surface fronts) occurring in the pelagic domain. We collected samples for three different abundant deep-sea species in May 2004 from an experimental oceanographic trawling cruise (MEDITS): the Mictophydae jewel lanternfish Lampanyctus crocodilus and two species of the Gadidae family, the silvery pout Gadiculus argenteus and the blue whiting Micromesistius poutassou. The experimental survey occurred along the Iberian continental shelf and the upper and middle slopes, from the Strait of Gibraltar in the SW to the Cape Creus in the NE. The three deep-sea species were highly abundant throughout the study area and they showed geographic variation in their isotopic values, with decreasing values from north to south disrupted by an important change point around the Vera Gulf. Isotopic latitudinal gradients were explained by pelagic oceanographic conditions along the study area and confirm the existence of an ecotone at the Vera Gulf. This area could be considered as an oceanographic boundary where waters of Atlantic origin meet Mediterranean surface waters forming important frontal structures such as the Almeria-Oran front. In fact, our results

  4. All-Cause Mortality Among US Veterans of the Persian Gulf War

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Han K.; Bullman, Tim

    2016-01-01

    Objective: We determined cause-specific mortality prevalence and risks of Gulf War deployed and nondeployed veterans to determine if deployed veterans were at greater risk than nondeployed veterans for death overall or because of certain diseases or conditions up to 13 years after conflict subsided. Methods: Follow-up began when the veteran left the Gulf War theater or May 1, 1991, and ended on the date of death or December 31, 2004. We studied 621   901 veterans who served in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War and 746   247 veterans who served but were not deployed during the Gulf War. We used Cox proportional hazard models to calculate rate ratios adjusted for age at entry to follow-up, length of follow-up, race, sex, branch of service, and military unit. We compared the mortality of (1) Gulf War veterans with non–Gulf War veterans and (2) Gulf War army veterans potentially exposed to nerve agents at Khamisiyah in March 1991 with those not exposed. We compared standardized mortality ratios of deployed and nondeployed Gulf War veterans with the US population. Results: Male Gulf War veterans had a lower risk of mortality than male non–Gulf War veterans (adjusted rate ratio [aRR] = 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95-0.99), and female Gulf War veterans had a higher risk of mortality than female non–Gulf War veterans (aRR = 1.15; 95% CI, 1.03-1.28). Khamisiyah-exposed Gulf War army veterans had >3 times the risk of mortality from cirrhosis of the liver than nonexposed army Gulf War veterans (aRR = 3.73; 95% CI, 1.64-8.48). Compared with the US population, female Gulf War veterans had a 60% higher risk of suicide and male Gulf War veterans had a lower risk of suicide (standardized mortality ratio = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.80-0.88). Conclusion: The vital status and mortality risk of Gulf War and non–Gulf War veterans should continue to be investigated. PMID:28123229

  5. 75 FR 74650 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-01

    ... issues this final temporary rule to implement interim measures to reduce overfishing of gag in the Gulf... this final temporary rule is to reduce overfishing of the gag resource in the Gulf. DATES: This rule is... rule is to reduce overfishing of the gag resource in the Gulf. No changes were made to this final rule...

  6. Saudis map $450 million gulf spill cleanup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports on Saudi Arabia which has earmarked about $450 million to clean up Persian Gulf beaches polluted by history's worst oil spills, created during the Persian Gulf crisis. Details of the proposed cleanup measures were outlined by Saudi environmental officials at a seminar on the environment in Dubai, OPEC News Agency reported. The seminar was sponsored by the Gulf Area Oil Companies Mutual Aid Organization, an environmental cooperative agency set up by Persian Gulf governments. Meantime, a Saudi government report has outlined early efforts designed to contain the massive oil spills that hit the Saudi coast before oil could contaminate water intakes at the huge desalination plants serving Riyadh and cooling water facilities at Al Jubail

  7. Clinical Evaluation of a Proposed New Gulf War Syndrome

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Levine, Paul

    2001-01-01

    Thus far, studies on Gulf War veterans have not defined any syndrome specific to deployed Gulf War veterans, but have only suggested that Persian Gulf War veterans have a higher frequency of a number...

  8. Geothermal resources of the northern gulf of Mexico basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, P.H.

    1970-01-01

    Published geothermal gradient maps for the northern Gulf of Mexico basin indicate little or no potential for the development of geothermal resources. Results of deep drilling, from 4000 to 7000 meters or more, during the past decade however, define very sharp increases in geothermal gradient which are associated with the occurrence of abnormally high interstitial fluid pressure (geopressure). Bounded by regional growth faults along the landward margin of the Gulf Basin, the geopressured zone extends some 1300 km from the Rio Grande (at the boundary between the United States and Mexico) to the mouth of the Mississippi river. Gulfward, it extends to an unknown distance across the Continental Shelf. Within geopressured deposits, geothermal gradients range upwards to 100 ??C/km, being greatest within and immediately below the depth interval in which the maximum pressure gradient change occurs. The 120 ??C isogeotherm ranges from about 2500 to 5000 m below sea level, and conforms in a general way with depth of occurrence of the top of the geopressured zone. Measured geostatic ratios range upward to 0.97; the maximum observed temperature is 273 ??C, at a depth of 5859 m. Dehydration of montmorillonite, which comprises 60 to 80 percent of clay deposited in the northern Gulf Basin during the Neogene, occurs at depths where temperature exceeds about 80 ??C, and is generally complete at depths where temperature exceeds 120 ??C. This process converts intracrystalline and bound water to free pore water, the volume produced being roughly equivalent to half the volume of montmorillonite so altered. Produced water is fresh, and has low viscosity and density. Sand-bed aquifers of deltaic, longshore, or marine origin form excellent avenues for drainage of geopressured deposits by wells, each of which may yield 10,000 m3 or more of superheated water per day from reservoirs having pressures up to 1000 bars at depths greater than 5000 m. ?? 1971.

  9. The programmed nursing care for lower extremity deep venous thrombus patients receiving interventional thrombolysis: its effect on living quality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiao Cuiyun; Wang Zhujun; Lan Guiyun; Liang Zhiqiang; Shi Yonmin

    2011-01-01

    Objective: Tu study the effect of comprehensive programmed nursing intervention on the living quality in patients with lower extremity deep venous thrombus who receive interventional thrombolysis therapy. Methods: A total of 60 patients receiving interventional thrombolysis due to lower extremity deep venous thrombus were randomly and equally divided into two groups. Patients in study group (n=30) was treated with comprehensive programmed nursing intervention in addition to the conventional therapy and routine nursing care, while patients in control group (n=30) was treated with the conventional therapy and routine nursing care only. The conventional therapy and routine nursing care included the nursing assessment before the operation, observation of the vital signs and the cooperation psychological care during the operation, the performance of medication according to the doctor's orders after the operation, etc. The comprehensive programmed nursing intervention included the nursing assessment of the patient before operation and the scientifically making of the nursing plan, which mainly referred to the cognitive behavior, the psychological care and the health education. They were systematically carried out during the perioperative period. One month after discharge the patients were asked to pay a return visit. The living quality was evaluated with relevant standards, and the results were compared between the two groups. Results: The score of living quality in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). Conclusion: The comprehensive programmed nursing intervention can significantly improve the living quality of lower extremity deep venous thrombosis patients who receive interventional thrombolysis therapy. (authors)

  10. Final Technical Report. DeepCwind Consortium Research Program. January 15, 2010 - March 31, 2013

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dagher, Habib [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Viselli, Anthony [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Goupee, Andrew [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Thaler, Jeffrey [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Brady, Damian [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Browne, Peter [HDR, Inc., Omaha, NE (United States); Browning, James [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Chung, Jade [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Coulling, Alexander [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Deese, Heather [Island Institute, Rockland, ME (United States); Fowler, Matthew [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Holberton, Rebecca [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Anant, Jain [Intertek, Duluth, GA (United States); Jalbert, Dustin [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Johnson, Theresa [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Jonkman, Jason [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States); Karlson, Benjamin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kimball, Richard [Maine Maritime Academy, Castine, ME (United States); Koo, Bonjun [Technip, Paris (France); Lackner, Matthew [Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States); Lambrakos, Kostas [Technip, Paris (France); Lankowski, Matthew [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Leopold, Adrienne [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Lim, Ho-Joon [Technip, Paris (France); Mangum, Linda [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Martin, Heather [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Masciola, Marco [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States); Maynard, Melissa [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); McCleave, James [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Mizrahi, Robert [New Jersey Audubon Society, Bernardsville, NJ (United States); Molta, Paul [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States); Pershing, Andrew [Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland, ME (United States); Pettigrew, Neal [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Prowell, Ian [MMI Engineering, Oakland, CA (United States); Qua, Andrew [Kleinschmidt Associates, Pittsfield, ME (United States); Sherwood, Graham [Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland, ME (United States); Snape, Thomas [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Steneck, Robert [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Stewart, Gordon [Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States); Stockwell, Jason [Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland, ME (United States); Swift, Andrew H. P. [Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX (United States); Thomas, Dale [Maine Maritime Academy, Castine, ME (United States); Viselli, Elizabeth [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Zydlewski, Gayle [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States)

    2013-06-11

    This is the final technical report for the U.S. Department of Energy-funded program, DE-0002981: DeepCwind Consortium Research Program. The project objective was the partial validation of coupled models and optimization of materials for offshore wind structures. The United States has a great opportunity to harness an indigenous abundant renewable energy resource: offshore wind. In 2010, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimated there to be over 4,000 GW of potential offshore wind energy found within 50 nautical miles of the US coastlines (Musial and Ram, 2010). The US Energy Information Administration reported the total annual US electric energy generation in 2010 was 4,120 billion kilowatt-hours (equivalent to 470 GW) (US EIA, 2011), slightly more than 10% of the potential offshore wind resource. In addition, deep water offshore wind is the dominant US ocean energy resource available comprising 75% of the total assessed ocean energy resource as compared to wave and tidal resources (Musial, 2008). Through these assessments it is clear offshore wind can be a major contributor to US energy supplies. The caveat to capturing offshore wind along many parts of the US coast is deep water. Nearly 60%, or 2,450 GW, of the estimated US offshore wind resource is located in water depths of 60 m or more (Musial and Ram, 2010). At water depths over 60 m building fixed offshore wind turbine foundations, such as those found in Europe, is likely economically infeasible (Musial et al., 2006). Therefore floating wind turbine technology is seen as the best option for extracting a majority of the US offshore wind energy resource. Volume 1 - Test Site; Volume 2 - Coupled Models; and Volume 3 - Composite Materials

  11. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Basins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosworth, William; Huchon, Philippe; McClay, Ken

    2005-10-01

    normal (N60°E) to highly oblique and parallel to the Aqaba-Levant transform (N15°E). North of Suez in Egypt the rift system became emergent, perhaps due to minor compression of the Sinai sub-plate, and the marine connection to the Mediterranean Sea became restricted but not terminated. Red Sea sedimentation changed from predominantly open marine to evaporitic, although deep water persisted in many regions. A third phase of magmatism commenced, locally in Ethiopia but predominantly in western Saudi Arabia and extending north to Harrat Ash Shama and Jebel Druse in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. At ˜10 Ma, the Sheba Ridge rapidly propagated west over 400 km from the central Gulf of Aden to the Shukra al Sheik discontinuity. Oceanic spreading followed in the south-central Red Sea at ˜5 Ma. This corresponded in time to an important unconformity throughout the Red Sea basin and along the margins of the Gulf of Aden, coeval with the Messinian unconformity of the Mediterranean basin. A major phase of pull-apart basin development also occurred along the Aqaba-Levant transform. In the early Pliocene the influx of marine waters through Bab al Mandeb increased and Red Sea sedimentation thereafter returned to predominantly open marine conditions. By ˜3-2 Ma, oceanic spreading moved west of the Shukra al Sheik discontinuity, and the entire Gulf of Aden was an oceanic rift. During the last ˜1 My, the southern Red Sea plate boundary linked to the Aden spreading center through the Gulf of Zula, Danakil Depression, and Gulf of Tadjoura. Presently, the Red Sea spreading center appears to be propagating toward the northern Red Sea to link with the Aqaba-Levant transform. Alkali basaltic volcanism continues within the Younger Harrats of western Saudi Arabia and Yemen and offshore southern Red Sea islands. Most of the Arabian plate is now experiencing N-S upper crustal compression, whereas the maximum horizontal stress is oriented E-W in NE Africa. Arabia and Africa, now on separate plates

  12. Sandwaves of the Gulf of Khambhat

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Vora, K.H.; Gujar, A.R.; Karisiddaiah, S.M.

    In the Gulf of Khambhat (Gujarat, India) the best formed sandwaves are seen in the west close to the Eastern Sand Bank. With increasing clay content and clay cover of the sea bed, the sandwaves become poorly formed. In the southern part of the Gulf...

  13. Gulf of Mexico production still recovering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koen, A.D.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that the extent of damage caused by Hurricane Andrew to Gulf of Mexico oil and gas installations continues coming into focus. A preliminary tally by Minerals Management Service offers a reasonably complete summary of gulf production and pipeline systems damage detectable at the surface. MMS requires Outer Continental Shelf operators to inspect for underwater damage all platforms, pipelines, risers, and other structures within an 85 mile corridor along the path of Andrew's eye as it churned through the gulf. OCS operators have until Oct. 16 to submit plans for the Level II surveys

  14. Using an autonomous passive acoustic observational system to monitor the environmental impact of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on deep-diving marine mammals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sidorovskaia, N.; Ackleh, A.; Ma, B.; Tiemann, C.; Ioup, J. W.; Ioup, G. E.

    2012-12-01

    The Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center (LADC) is a consortium of scientists from four universities and the U.S. Navy, which performs acoustic measurements and analysis in littoral waters. For the present work, six passive autonomous broadband acoustic sensors were deployed by LADC in the vicinity of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill site in the Northern Gulf of Mexico in fall 2010. The objective of the project is to assess long-term impact of the spill on the deep-diving residential population of marine mammals, particularly, sperm and beaked whales. Collected data were processed to detect, extract, and count acoustic signals produced by different types of marine mammals. As a next step, a statistical model which uses acoustic inputs was developed to estimate residential populations of different types of marine mammals at different distances from the spill site. The estimates were compared to population estimates from years prior to the spill, using pre-spill collected data in the area by LADC from 2001, 2002, and 2007. The results indicate different responses from sperm and beaked whales in the first months following the spill. A recently published article by our research group (Ackleh et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 131, 2306-2314) provides a comparison of 2007 and 2010 estimates showing a decrease in acoustic activity and abundance of sperm whales at the 9-mile distant site, whereas acoustic activity and abundance at the 25-mile distant site has clearly increased. This may indicate that some sperm whales have relocated farther away from the spill subject to food source availability. The beaked whale population appears to return to 2007 numbers after the spill even at the closest 9-mile distant site. Several acoustically observed changes in the animals' habitat associated with the spill, such as anthropogenic noise level, prey presence, etc., can be connected with the observed population trends. Preliminary results for interpreting observed population trends will

  15. Actionable Science in the Gulf of Mexico: Connecting Researchers and Resource Managers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lartigue, J.; Parker, F.; Allee, R.; Young, C.

    2017-12-01

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) RESTORE Science Program was established in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to to carry out research, observation, and monitoring to support the long-term sustainability of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, including its fisheries. Administered in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Science Program emphasizes a connection between science and decision-making. This emphasis translated into an engagement process that allowed for resource managers and other users of information about the ecosystem to provide direct input into the science plan for the program. In developing funding opportunities, the Science Program uses structured conversations with resource managers and other decision makers to focus competitions on specific end user needs. When evaluating proposals for funding, the Science Program uses criteria that focus on applicability of a project's findings and products, end user involvement in project planning, and the approach for transferring findings and products to the end user. By including resource managers alongside scientific experts on its review panels, the Science Program ensures that these criteria are assessed from both the researcher and end user perspectives. Once funding decisions are made, the Science Program assigns a technical monitor to each award to assist with identifying and engaging end users. Sharing of best practices among the technical monitors has provided the Science Program insight on how best to bridge the gap between research and resource management and how to build successful scientist-decision maker partnerships. During the presentation, we will share two case studies: 1) design of a cooperative (fisheries scientist, fisheries managers, and fishers), Gulf-wide conservation and monitoring program for fish spawning aggregations and 2) development of habitat-specific ecosystem indicators for use by federal and state resource managers.

  16. Macrofaunal assemblages from mud volcanoes in the Gulf of Cadiz: abundance, biodiversity and diversity partitioning across spatial scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunha, M. R.; Rodrigues, C. F.; Génio, L.; Hilário, A.; Ravara, A.; Pfannkuche, O.

    2013-04-01

    The Gulf of Cadiz is an extensive seepage area in the south Iberian margin (NE Atlantic) encompassing over 40 mud volcanoes (MVs) at depths ranging from 200 to 4000 m. The area has a long geologic history and a central biogeographic location with a complex circulation ensuring oceanographic connectivity with the Mediterranean Sea, equatorial and North Atlantic regions. The geodynamics of the region promotes a notorious diversity in the seep regime despite the relatively low fluxes of hydrocarbon-rich gases. We analyse quantitative samples taken during the cruises TTR14, TTR15 and MSM01-03 in seven mud volcanoes grouped into Shallow MVs (Mercator: 350 m, Kidd: 500 m, Meknès: 700 m) and Deep MVs (Captain Arutyunov: 1300 m, Carlos Ribeiro: 2200 m, Bonjardim: 3000 m, Porto: 3900 m) and two additional Reference sites (ca. 550 m). Macrofauna (retained by a 500 μm sieve) was identified to species level whenever possible. The samples yielded modest abundances (70-1567 individuals per 0.25 m2), but the local and regional number of species is among the highest ever reported for cold seeps. Among the 366 recorded species, 22 were symbiont-hosting bivalves (Thyasiridae, Vesicomyidae, Solemyidae) and tubeworms (Siboglinidae). The multivariate analyses supported the significant differences between Shallow and Deep MVs: The environmental conditions at the Shallow MVs make them highly permeable to the penetration of background fauna leading to high diversity of the attendant assemblages (H': 2.92-3.94; ES(100): 28.3-45.0; J': 0.685-0.881). The Deep MV assemblages showed, in general, contrasting features but were more heterogeneous (H': 1.41-3.06; ES(100): 10.5-30.5; J': 0.340-0.852) and often dominated by one or more siboglinid species. The rarefaction curves confirmed the differences in biodiversity of Deep and Shallow MVs as well as the convergence of the latter to the Reference sites. The Bray-Curtis dissimilarity demonstrated the high β-diversity of the assemblages

  17. Stratigraphy of two conjugate margins (Gulf of Lion and West Sardinia): modeling of vertical movements and sediment budgets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leroux, Estelle; Gorini, Christian; Aslanian, Daniel; Rabineau, Marina; Blanpied, Christian; Rubino, Jean-Loup; Robin, Cécile; Granjeon, Didier; Taillepierre, Rachel

    2016-04-01

    The post-rift (~20-0 Ma) vertical movements of the Provence Basin (West Mediterranean) are quantified on its both conjugate (the Gulf of Lion and the West Sardinia) margins. This work is based on the stratigraphic study of sedimentary markers using a large 3D grid of seismic data, correlations with existing drillings and refraction data. The post-rift subsidence is measured by the direct use of sedimentary geometries analysed in 3D [Gorini et al., 2015; Rabineau et al., 2014] and validated by numerical stratigraphic modelling. Three domains were found: on the platform (1) and slope (2), the subsidence takes the form of a seaward tilting with different amplitudes, whereas the deep basin (3) subsides purely vertically [Leroux et al., 2015a]. These domains correspond to the deeper crustal domains respectively highlighted by wide angle seismic data. The continental crust (1) and the thinned continental crust (2) are tilted, whereas the intermediate crust, identified as lower continental exhumed crust [Moulin et al., 2015, Afhilado et al., 2015] (3) sagged. The post-break-up subsidence re-uses the initial hinge lines of the rifting phase. This striking correlation between surface geologic processes and deep earth dynamic processes emphasizes that the sedimentary record and sedimentary markers is a window into deep geodynamic processes and dynamic topography. Pliocene-Pleistocene seismic markers enabled high resolution quantification of sediment budgets over the past 6 Myr [Leroux et al., in press]. Sediment budget history is here completed on the Miocene interval. Thus, the controlling factors (climate, tectonics and eustasy) are discussed. Afilhado, A., Moulin, M., Aslanian, D., Schnürle, P., Klingelhoefer, F., Nouzé, H., Rabineau, M., Leroux, E. & Beslier, M.-O. (2015). Deep crustal structure across a young 1 passive margin from wide-angle and reflection seismic data (The SARDINIA Experiment) - II. Sardinia's margin. Bull. Soc. géol. France, 186, ILP Spec. issue, 4

  18. 76 FR 20957 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-14

    ... exceeded for Gulf group king mackerel, Gulf group Spanish mackerel, and Gulf group cobia. It also contains... framework procedure, and separate cobia into Atlantic and Gulf migratory groups. Similar measures are being...

  19. Microbial ecology of deep-sea hypersaline anoxic basins

    KAUST Repository

    Merlino, Giuseppe

    2018-05-09

    Deep hypersaline anoxic basins (DHABs) are unique water bodies occurring within fractures at the bottom of the sea, where the dissolution of anciently buried evaporites created dense anoxic brines that are separated by a chemocline/pycnocline from the overlying oxygenated deep-seawater column. DHABs have been described in the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the Red Sea. They are characterized by prolonged historical separation of the brines from the upper water column due to lack of mixing and by extreme conditions of salinity, anoxia, and relatively high hydrostatic pressure and temperatures. Due to these combined selection factors, unique microbial assemblages thrive in these polyextreme ecosystems. The topological localization of the different taxa in the brine-seawater transition zone coupled with the metabolic interactions and niche adaptations determine the metabolic functioning and biogeochemistry of DHABs. In particular, inherent metabolic strategies accompanied by genetic adaptations have provided insights on how prokaryotic communities can adapt to salt-saturated condition. Here, we review the current knowledge on the diversity, genomics, metabolisms and ecology of prokaryotes in DHABs.

  20. C2GT intercepting CERN neutrinos to Gran Sasso in the Gulf of Taranto to measure $\\theta_13$

    CERN Document Server

    Ball, A E; Camilleri, L L; Catinaccio, A; Chelkov, G A; Dydak, F; Elagin, A; Frandsen, Poul Kjaer; Gostkin, M I; Grant, A; Guskov, A; Joram, C; Krumshtein, Z; Müller, H; Postema, H; Price, M; Rovelli, T; Schinzel, D; Séguinot, Jacques; Valenti, G; Voss, R; Wotschack, J; Zhemchugov, A S

    2007-01-01

    Today's greatest challenge in accelerator-based neutrino physics is to measure the mixing angle \\thonethree\\ which is known to be much smaller than the solar mixing angle \\thonetwo\\ and the atmospheric mixing angle \\thtwothree . A non-zero value of the angle \\thonethree\\ is a prerequisite for observing CP violation in neutrino mixing. In this paper, we discuss a deep-sea neutrino experiment with 1.5~Mt fiducial target mass in the Gulf of Taranto with the prime objective of measuring \\thonethree. The detector is exposed to the CERN neutrino beam to Gran Sasso in off-axis geometry. Monochromatic muon-neutrinos of $\\approx 800$~MeV energy are the dominant beam component. Neutrinos are detected through quasi-elastic, charged-current reactions in sea water; electrons and muons are detected in a large-surface, ring-imaging Cherenkov detector. The profile of the seabed in the Gulf of Taranto allows for a moveable experiment at variable distances from CERN, starting at 1100 km. From the oscillatory pattern of the dis...

  1. Natural sunlight shapes crude oil-degradingbacterial communities in northern Gulf of Mexico surface waters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hernando P Bacosa

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH spill in 2010, an enormous amount of oil was observed in the deep and surface waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Surface waters are characterized by intense sunlight and high temperature during summer. While the oil-degrading bacterial communities in the deep-sea plume have been widely investigated, the effect of natural sunlight on those in oil polluted surface waters remains unexplored to date. In this study, we incubated surface water from the DWH site with amendments of crude oil, Corexit dispersant, or both for 36 d under natural sunlight in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The bacterial community was analyzed over time for total abundance, density of alkane and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degraders, and community composition via pyrosequencing. Our results showed that, for treatments with oil and/or Corexit, sunlight significantly reduced bacterial diversity and evenness and was a key driver of shifts in bacterial community structure. In samples containing oil or dispersant, sunlight greatly reduced abundance of the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus but increased the relative abundances of Alteromonas, Marinobacter, Labrenzia, Sandarakinotalea, Bartonella, and Halomonas. Dark samples with oil were represented by members of Thalassobius, Winogradskyella, Alcanivorax, Formosa, Pseudomonas, Eubacterium, Erythrobacter, Natronocella, and Coxiella. Both oil and Corexit inhibited the Candidatus Pelagibacter with or without sunlight exposure. For the first time, we demonstrated the effects of light in structuring microbial communities in water with oil and/or Corexit. Overall, our findings improve understanding of oil pollution in surface water, and provide unequivocal evidence that sunlight is a key factor in determining bacterial community composition and dynamics in oil polluted marine waters.

  2. Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC): Developing a Data Sharing Culture in the Wake of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

    Science.gov (United States)

    Showalter, L. M.; Gibeaut, J. C.

    2016-02-01

    Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, BP committed $500 million (USD) for a research program that investigates the impacts of oil, dispersed oil, and dispersant on the environment and to develop strategies for response to future disasters. This research program, the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), is mandated to make all the data produced available to the public. To fulfill this goal, GoMRI developed the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC). GRIIDC is the vehicle by which GoMRI is addressing the data and information needs of this large and varied community of more than 3,000 scientists. The mission of GRIIDC is to ensure a data and information legacy that promotes continual scientific discovery and public awareness of the Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem. As part of its effort to encourage data sharing among scientists interested in oil-spill related research in the Gulf of Mexico GRIIDC provides tools to researchers to facilitate all aspects of the data management process, from developing data management plans, to creating robust metadata records, to ensuring the data is made discoverable by the public. GRIIDC also provides a service to ensure that GoMRI funded publications have any associated data linked and available. This cradle to grave approach to data management has been extremely effective in developing data management practices that will ensure better data stewardship and preservation of all the data created in the GoMRI research program.

  3. Fisheries-Independent Biological and Environmental Trawl Data from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (1973-2005) as Part of the Comparative Assessment of Gulf Estuarine Systems (CAGES) Database (NODC Accession 0115183)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The CAGES program (Comparative Assessment of Gulf Estuarine Systems) is designed to examine the differences between estuarine ecosystems and investigate why some are...

  4. Challenges and successes in developing a data sharing culture in the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Showalter, L. M.

    2017-12-01

    The Gulf Research Program (GRP) was developed as part of legal settlements with the companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster. The Federal Government asked the National Academy of Sciences to establish a new program to fund and conduct activities to enhance offshore energy system safety and protect human health and the environment in the Gulf of Mexico and other regions along the U.S. outer continental shelf. An important part of the program is a commitment to open data and data sharing among the variety of disciplines it funds. The DWH disaster produced a major influx of funding for the Gulf region and various groups and organizations are collaborating to ensure that the science being conducted via these funding streams is not duplicative. A number of data focused sub groups have formed and are working to leverage existing efforts to strengthen data sharing and collaboration in the region. For its part, the GRP is developing a data program that encourages researchers to share data openly while providing avenues for acknowledgement of data sharing and research collaborations. A main problem with collaborative data sharing is often not the technologies available but instead the human component. The "traditional" path for scientific research has not generally involved making data widely or readily available in a short time frame. It takes a lot of effort to challenge this norm and change the way researchers view data sharing and its value for them and the world at large. The GRP data program aims to build a community of researchers that not only share their data but who also help show the value of this practice to the greater scientific community. To this end, the GRP will support a variety of education and training opportunities to help develop a base of researchers more informed on issues related to open data and data sharing and working to leverage the technology and expertise of others to develop a culture of data sharing in the Gulf of Mexico.

  5. Biological and Archaeological Analysis of Deepwater Shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico: Studying the Artificial Reef Effect of Six World War II Shipwrecks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Church, R. A.; Irion, J. B.; Schroeder, W. W.; Warren, D. J.

    2006-12-01

    In the summer of 2004 researchers from across the United States and Canada partnered together to investigate biological and archaeological questions relating to six World War II era shipwrecks discovered in the Gulf of Mexico. The science team included microbiologists, marine vertebrate and invertebrate zoologists, a molecular biologist, an oceanographer, marine archaeologists, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) technicians, and a professional marine survey crew. The United States Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, and the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration sponsored this multidisciplinary project under the auspices of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. The organizational involvement included six universities, two non-profit organizations, three commercial companies, and three U. S. federal agencies. The depth of the shipwrecks ranged from 87 to 1,964 meters. All six shipwrecks were war casualties, found during the past two decades on oil and gas surveys. These wrecks serve as artificial reefs sunk on well- documented dates, thereby offering biologists a unique opportunity to study the "artificial reef effect" of man- made structures in deep water. Taken together, these sites are an underwater battlefield, and a vital historical resource documenting a little-studied area in a crucial period of world history. They preserve information vital to scholarly and popular understanding of the war's impact in the Gulf of Mexico, on the American home front, and the global conflict. This paper will discuss the field methodology and touch on many of the scientific and technical aspects, and findings of the project.

  6. Effects of a deep-water running program on muscle function and functionality in elderly women community dwelling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daisy Alberti

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract AIMS The aim of the study was to determine the effects of deep-water running on muscle function and functionality in community dwelling old women. METHODS Older women (n=19 were randomly assigned to one of the two groups: deep-water running (DWR: n=09, 64.33±4.24 years, 75.15±12.53 kg, 160.45±7.52 cm; or control group CG: n=10, 64.40±4.22 years, 74.46±12.39 kg, 158.88±5.48 cm. The DWR group carried out 18 weeks of deep-water running, twice/week 50 min sessions. Dynamic isokinetic strength for the lower limb and functionality was assessed before and after intervention. RESULTS DWR group increased peak torque, total work and average power of the knee and hip flexors and extensors. Additionally showed better performance on gait speed, timed up and go test, five-times-sit-to-stand-test repetitions from a chair as well as the six-minute walk test. CONCLUSION The deep-water running program was effective to improve muscle function and functionality.

  7. Gulf of Mexico development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krenz, D.

    1998-01-01

    In recent years, the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) has seen significant deepwater growth. An overview of the GOM deepwater leaseholds by Shell and developments by competing companies is presented. Deepwater GOM developments, total production from the shelf and from deepwater wells, new offshore pipeline capacity and ownership, and processing plant capacity are also discussed. Significant deepwater growth in the Gulf is anticipated. Despite significant economic and technological challenges, the area is judged to be the prime exploration and production opportunity in the lower 48 states of the USA. tabs., figs

  8. Benthic faunal assemblages from the Holocene middle shelf of the South Evoikos Gulf, central Greece, and their palaeoenvironmental implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asimina Louvari, Markella; Tsourou, Theodora; Drinia, Hara; Anastasakis, George

    2013-04-01

    South Evoikos Gulf is an elongate, WNW - ESE trending basin, 60 km long and 15 km wide. Its floor slopes towards the south-east where the basin connects with the Aegean Sea across a 55 m deep sill. The hydrographic network of the area is characterized by Asopos river the small Lilas River and some other ephemeral streams. A sedimentary record spanning the last 13000 calyr BP was recovered at N 38°12'23.1228" E 24°8'14.2404", water depth 70 m, in this gulf. A total of 52 samples from the lower half of the core were quantitatively analyzed for micropalaeontological (benthic foraminifera and ostracods) study in order to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental conditions. This work contributes to the evaluation of the modern environmental problems in South Evoikos Gulf (hypoxia, ecosystem changes, subaquatic vegetation die-off, metal pollution) within the context of the palaeoenvironmental record. In the investigated core, the benthic microfaunal assemblages indicate a marine coastal environment with a gradual transition from a circalittoral to an infralittoral restricted environment. The basal part of the record is characterized by Haynesina depressula Assemblage, which is composed of Haynesina depressula, Textularia agglutinans and Bulimina aculeata.The abundance of Haynesina depressula could be associated with normal marine conditions, but always with periodic brackish water influence. The species composed this assemblage, which are almost all typically infaunal, characterize sediments with a high or medium-high muddy fraction, rich in organic matter available for the organisms that live within the sediment, and low salinity bottom water. Samples from the upper unit of the core indicate a nearshore, inner-shelf facies less than 50 m deep. Common inner-shelf species in these samples include Ammonia beccarii together with Bulimina marginata (Sgarrella & Moncharmont Zei, 1993). The highest abundance of A. beccarii is found between 15 and 20 m water-depth in samples with

  9. Optimized programming algorithm for cylindrical and directional deep brain stimulation electrodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Daria Nesterovich; Osting, Braxton; Vorwerk, Johannes; Dorval, Alan D; Butson, Christopher R

    2018-04-01

    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a growing treatment option for movement and psychiatric disorders. As DBS technology moves toward directional leads with increased numbers of smaller electrode contacts, trial-and-error methods of manual DBS programming are becoming too time-consuming for clinical feasibility. We propose an algorithm to automate DBS programming in near real-time for a wide range of DBS lead designs. Magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging are used to build finite element models that include anisotropic conductivity. The algorithm maximizes activation of target tissue and utilizes the Hessian matrix of the electric potential to approximate activation of neurons in all directions. We demonstrate our algorithm's ability in an example programming case that targets the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for the treatment of Parkinson's disease for three lead designs: the Medtronic 3389 (four cylindrical contacts), the direct STNAcute (two cylindrical contacts, six directional contacts), and the Medtronic-Sapiens lead (40 directional contacts). The optimization algorithm returns patient-specific contact configurations in near real-time-less than 10 s for even the most complex leads. When the lead was placed centrally in the target STN, the directional leads were able to activate over 50% of the region, whereas the Medtronic 3389 could activate only 40%. When the lead was placed 2 mm lateral to the target, the directional leads performed as well as they did in the central position, but the Medtronic 3389 activated only 2.9% of the STN. This DBS programming algorithm can be applied to cylindrical electrodes as well as novel directional leads that are too complex with modern technology to be manually programmed. This algorithm may reduce clinical programming time and encourage the use of directional leads, since they activate a larger volume of the target area than cylindrical electrodes in central and off-target lead placements.

  10. Evidence for late Pliocene deglacial megafloods in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Z.; Gani, M. R.

    2017-12-01

    The paleoclimatic significance of giant sedimentary structures developed under unconfined Froude-supercritical sediment gravity flows in subaqueous settings is considerably under-examined. This research, for the first time, extensively documents >20-km-wide and 200-m-thick Plio-Pleistocene giant sediment waves in the northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope using 3D seismic data, showing waveform morphology in unprecedented detail. Published biostratigraphic data help constraining the geologic age of these deposits. The results of numerical and morphological analyses suggest that such large-scale bedforms were formed under sheet-like unconfined Froude-supercritical turbidity currents as cyclic steps. Paleohydraulic reconstruction (e.g., flow velocity, discharge, and unit flux), in association with other evidence like geologic age, published stable isotope records, and temporal rarity, points out that the responsible Froude-supercritical turbidity currents were most likely triggered by deglacial catastrophic outburst floods during the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene. Laurentide Ice Sheet outburst floods to the Gulf of Mexico have previously been documented based mainly on deep-sea cores during the last several interglacial episodes in the late Pleistocene. Our megaflood events constitute, by far, the oldest record of the glacial outburst floods during the Quaternary Ice Age anywhere in the world. This study suggests that such pervasive occurrence of large-scale sediment waves likely serve as a proxy for extreme events like catastrophic megafloods.

  11. Exploration Of Deep Learning Algorithms Using Openacc Parallel Programming Model

    KAUST Repository

    Hamam, Alwaleed A.

    2017-03-13

    Deep learning is based on a set of algorithms that attempt to model high level abstractions in data. Specifically, RBM is a deep learning algorithm that used in the project to increase it\\'s time performance using some efficient parallel implementation by OpenACC tool with best possible optimizations on RBM to harness the massively parallel power of NVIDIA GPUs. GPUs development in the last few years has contributed to growing the concept of deep learning. OpenACC is a directive based ap-proach for computing where directives provide compiler hints to accelerate code. The traditional Restricted Boltzmann Ma-chine is a stochastic neural network that essentially perform a binary version of factor analysis. RBM is a useful neural net-work basis for larger modern deep learning model, such as Deep Belief Network. RBM parameters are estimated using an efficient training method that called Contrastive Divergence. Parallel implementation of RBM is available using different models such as OpenMP, and CUDA. But this project has been the first attempt to apply OpenACC model on RBM.

  12. Exploration Of Deep Learning Algorithms Using Openacc Parallel Programming Model

    KAUST Repository

    Hamam, Alwaleed A.; Khan, Ayaz H.

    2017-01-01

    Deep learning is based on a set of algorithms that attempt to model high level abstractions in data. Specifically, RBM is a deep learning algorithm that used in the project to increase it's time performance using some efficient parallel implementation by OpenACC tool with best possible optimizations on RBM to harness the massively parallel power of NVIDIA GPUs. GPUs development in the last few years has contributed to growing the concept of deep learning. OpenACC is a directive based ap-proach for computing where directives provide compiler hints to accelerate code. The traditional Restricted Boltzmann Ma-chine is a stochastic neural network that essentially perform a binary version of factor analysis. RBM is a useful neural net-work basis for larger modern deep learning model, such as Deep Belief Network. RBM parameters are estimated using an efficient training method that called Contrastive Divergence. Parallel implementation of RBM is available using different models such as OpenMP, and CUDA. But this project has been the first attempt to apply OpenACC model on RBM.

  13. The distribution of nutrients, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll a in the upper Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica, a tropical estuary

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaime Palter

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available in the Gulf of Nicoya on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, nutrient rich equatorial subsurface water (ESW is upwelled in much of the lower gulf. These offshore waters are often regarded as the major source of nutrients to the gulf. However, for most of the year, the ESW has little influence on the nutrient content of the upper gulf, which has a distinct character from the lower gulf. The upper gulf, extending 40 km north of the restriction between Puntarenas Peninsula and San Lucas island, is bordered primarily by mangrove swamps, is less than 20 m deep, and is less saline than the lower gulf. We surveyed the upper gulf for dissolved inorganic nitrogen, phosphate, silicate, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll in November 2000, January and July 2001. All nutrients are more concentrated in the upper gulf during the rainy and transitional seasons than the dry season, significantly so for phosphate and silicate. Throughout the year, nutrients tend to be much more concentrated in the less saline water of the upper gulf. This trend indicates that discharge from the Tempisque River predominantly controls spatial and temporal nutrient variability in the upper gulf. However, nutrient rich ESW, upwelled offshore and mixed to form a mid-temperature intermediate water, may enter the inner gulf to provide an important secondary source of nutrients during the dry season. Rev. Biol. Trop. 55 (2: 427-436. Epub 2007 June, 29.Las aguas subsuperficiales ecuatoriales (ESW que entran por la parte externa del Golfo de Nicoya de Costa Rica, se consideran una fuente importante de nutrientes para el estuario. Sin embargo, durante la mayoría del año las ESW tiene una influencia pequeña en la parte interna del golfo, que es oceanográfica y biológicamente diferente de la parte externa. La parte interna está ubicada desde la península de Puntarenas hasta la boca del Río Tempisque, 40 km al norte; es un área que se caracteriza por un importante aporte de agua dulce

  14. 50 CFR 226.214 - Critical habitat for Gulf sturgeon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE MARINE MAMMALS DESIGNATED CRITICAL HABITAT § 226.214... Sound or the Gulf of Mexico. The Withlacoochee River main stem from Florida State Road 6, Madison and...) Unit 11: Florida Nearshore Gulf of Mexico Unit in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, and Gulf...

  15. Western Gulf of Mexico lease sale draws weak response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koen, A.D.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that puny participation in the federal lease sale for the western Gulf of Mexico reflected a lack of open acreage on attractive prospects and the crisis sweeping the U.S. offshore oil and gas industry. Thirty-eight companies participating in the Minerals Management Service's Outer Continental Shelf Sale 141 offered 81 bids for 61 tracts in the western gulf planning area. That was the fewest bids offered in a western gulf sale since operators offered 52 bids for 41 tracts at Sale 105 in August 1986. The only Gulf of Mexico minerals sale to attract less bonus money was the MMS sulfur and salt sale in the central gulf in February 1988 in which $20.8 million was exposed

  16. The ecosystem baseline for particle flux in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.L.C. Giering

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Response management and damage assessment during and after environmental disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon (DWH oil spill require an ecological baseline and a solid understanding of the main drivers of the ecosystem. During the DWH event, a large fraction of the spilled oil was transported to depth via sinking marine snow, a routing of spilled oil unexpected to emergency response planners. Because baseline knowledge of particle export in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and how it varies spatially and temporally was limited, we conducted a detailed assessment of the potential drivers of deep (~1400 m depth particle fluxes during 2012–2016 using sediment traps at three contrasting sites in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: near the DWH site, at an active natural oil seep site, and at a site considered typical for background conditions. The DWH site, located ~70 km from the Mississippi River Delta, showed flux patterns that were strongly linked to the Mississippi nitrogen discharge and an annual subsequent surface bloom. Fluxes carried clear signals of combustion products, which likely originated from pyrogenic sources that were transported offshore via the Mississippi plume. The seep and reference sites were more strongly influenced by the open Gulf of Mexico, did not show a clear seasonal flux pattern, and their overall sedimentation rates were lower than those at the DWH site. At the seep site, based on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon data, we observed indications of three different pathways for “natural” oiled-snow sedimentation: scavenging by sinking particles at depth, weathering at the surface before incorporation into sinking particles, and entry into the food web and subsequent sinking in form of detritus. Overall, sedimentation rates at the three sites were markedly different in quality and quantity owing to varying degrees of riverine and oceanic influences, including natural seepage and contamination by combustion products.

  17. The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative: Multidisciplinary data management from the ground up

    Science.gov (United States)

    Showalter, L. M.; Gibeaut, J. C.

    2015-12-01

    As more journals and funding organizations require data to be made available, more and more scientists are being exposed to the world of data science, metadata development, and data standards so they can ensure future funding and publishing success. The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC) is the vehicle by which the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GOMRI) is making all data collected in this program publically available. This varied group of researchers all have different levels of experience with data management standards and protocols, thus GRIIDC has evolved to embrace the cooperative nature of our work and develop a number of tools and training materials to help ensure data managers and researchers in the GoMRI program are submitting high quality data and metadata that will be useful for years to come. GRIIDC began with a group of 8 data managers many of which had only ever managed their own data, who were then expected to manage the data of a large group of geographically distant researchers. As the program continued to evolve these data managers worked with the GRIIDC team to help identify and develop much needed resources for training and communication for themselves and the scientists they represented. This essential cooperation has developed a team of highly motivated scientists, computer programmers and data scientists who are working to ensure a data and information legacy that promotes continual scientific discovery and public awareness of the Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem and beyond.

  18. Paleocene Wilcox cross-shelf channel-belt history and shelf-margin growth: Key to Gulf of Mexico sediment delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jinyu; Steel, Ronald; Ambrose, William

    2017-12-01

    Shelf margins prograde and aggrade by the incremental addition of deltaic sediments supplied from river channel belts and by stored shoreline sediment. This paper documents the shelf-edge trajectory and coeval channel belts for a segment of Paleocene Lower Wilcox Group in the northern Gulf of Mexico based on 400 wireline logs and 300 m of whole cores. By quantitatively analyzing these data and comparing them with global databases, we demonstrate how varying sediment supply impacted the Wilcox shelf-margin growth and deep-water sediment dispersal under greenhouse eustatic conditions. The coastal plain to marine topset and uppermost continental slope succession of the Lower Wilcox shelf-margin sediment prism is divided into eighteen high-frequency ( 300 ky duration) stratigraphic sequences, and further grouped into 5 sequence sets (labeled as A-E from bottom to top). Sequence Set A is dominantly muddy slope deposits. The shelf edge of Sequence Sets B and C prograded rapidly (> 10 km/Ma) and aggraded modestly ( 80 m/Ma) characterizes Sequence Sets D and E, which is associated with smaller (9-10 m thick on average) and isolated channel belts. This stratigraphic trend is likely due to an upward decreasing sediment supply indicated by the shelf-edge progradation rate and channel size, as well as an upward increasing shelf accommodation indicated by the shelf-edge aggradation rate. The rapid shelf-edge progradation and large rivers in Sequence Sets B and C confirm earlier suggestions that it was the early phase of Lower Wilcox dispersal that brought the largest deep-water sediment volumes into the Gulf of Mexico. Key factors in this Lower Wilcox stratigraphic trend are likely to have been a very high initial sediment flux to the Gulf because of the high initial release of sediment from Laramide catchments to the north and northwest, possibly aided by modest eustatic sea-level fall on the Texas shelf, which is suggested by the early, flat shelf-edge trajectory, high

  19. Water masses in the Gulf of Aden

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Al Saafani, M.A.; Shenoi, S.S.C.

    Hydrographic data collected from Gulf of Aden since 1920 have been compiled to identify and refine the definitions of water masses in the Gulf of Aden (GA) and to describe their spatio-temporal variability. Four water masses have been identified...

  20. Fishery potential of the Gulf of Kachchh

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Nair, V.R.; Govindan, K.; Ramaiah, Neelam; Gajbhiye, S.N.

    Fishery potential of the interior Gulf of Kachchh and adjacent creek regions was reported for the first time as baseline data for future ecological assessment. The experimental trawling and gill netting indicated that the inner Gulf (av. 7.8 kg...

  1. A new genus of Cletopsyllidae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida from Gulf of Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyun Woo Bang

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available A new genus and new species of the family Cletopsyllidae Huys & Willems, 1989 from deep-sea sediment in the Gulf of Mexico, are reported and fully described and illustrated. The new genus Pentacletopsyllus (type species: P. montagni sp. n. can be distinguished from the four known genera of the family by antennule segmentation, length ratio of first and second endopodal segments of P1, and armature pattern on P5 exopod. It also differs from its sister genera by the rostrum being bifid at the tip, third segment of the female antennulea smooth posterior margin, the baseoendopod of P5 with biarticulate outer setophore bearing basal seta, and female caudal rami without lobate expansion. A revised key to species of the family Cletopsyllidae Huys & Willems, 1989 is provided.

  2. Testing Nordmøre grids on the target and by-catch species of the commercial bottom trawl fishery in the Gulf of Cadiz

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariángeles Gamaza

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Sorting grids have been tested worldwide in trawl fisheries. Here we report upon the first trials performed using Nordmøre sorting grids with four different bar spacings in the trawl fisheries of the Gulf of Cadiz targeting crustaceans as the main resource. A total of 288 valid hauls and 67 commercial species were caught. Escapement and escape size selectivity were evaluated for the most important target and by-catch species. A decrease in the percentage of biomass escape was recorded with increasing grid spacing for the two target species, deep-water rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris and Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus, from 24% to 8% for the former and from 86 to 9% for the latter, with a 15-mm and 30-mm grid respectively. In general, high escape rates were found for most finfish and cephalopods. For hake (Merluccius merluccius, as the main by-catch species, the results showed an escape rate decreasing from 96% to 71% as the bar spacing increased. Our findings suggest the 30-mm grid would be effective for the deep-water crustacean trawlers but different mitigation measures will be required for other métiers in the multispecies trawl fishery of the Gulf of Cadiz.

  3. Natural Sunlight Shapes Crude Oil-Degrading Bacterial Communities in Northern Gulf of Mexico Surface Waters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacosa, Hernando P; Liu, Zhanfei; Erdner, Deana L

    2015-01-01

    Following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill in 2010, an enormous amount of oil was observed in the deep and surface waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Surface waters are characterized by intense sunlight and high temperature during summer. While the oil-degrading bacterial communities in the deep-sea plume have been widely investigated, the effect of natural sunlight on those in oil polluted surface waters remains unexplored to date. In this study, we incubated surface water from the DWH site with amendments of crude oil, Corexit dispersant, or both for 36 days under natural sunlight in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The bacterial community was analyzed over time for total abundance, density of alkane and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degraders, and community composition via pyrosequencing. Our results showed that, for treatments with oil and/or Corexit, sunlight significantly reduced bacterial diversity and evenness and was a key driver of shifts in bacterial community structure. In samples containing oil or dispersant, sunlight greatly reduced abundance of the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus but increased the relative abundances of Alteromonas, Marinobacter, Labrenzia, Sandarakinotalea, Bartonella, and Halomonas. Dark samples with oil were represented by members of Thalassobius, Winogradskyella, Alcanivorax, Formosa, Pseudomonas, Eubacterium, Erythrobacter, Natronocella, and Coxiella. Both oil and Corexit inhibited the Candidatus Pelagibacter with or without sunlight exposure. For the first time, we demonstrated the effects of light in structuring microbial communities in water with oil and/or Corexit. Overall, our findings improve understanding of oil pollution in surface water, and provide unequivocal evidence that sunlight is a key factor in determining bacterial community composition and dynamics in oil polluted marine waters.

  4. Paleocurrent analysis and physical properties of deep-sea mud cores collected from NW Pacific and Northern Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, T.; Kawamura, K.; Ogawa, Y.; Flemings, P. B.; Behrmann, J. H.; John, C. M.; Hirano, N.; Abe, N.

    2005-12-01

    We collected three m-long piston cores of mud during the Kairei cruise (KR04-08 and KR05-10) of Japan Marine Science and Technology Center in 2004 and 2005 from the NW Pacific between Honshu and Shatsky Rise; aside the Fukahori Knoll and Yukawa Knoll. Another set of mud cores, 234.5 m long, was collected during the JOIDES Resolution cruise (IODP Exp308, site U1322) in 2005 from the Ursa Basin located at the eastern levee of the Mississippi Canyon, northeastern Gulf of Mexico of about 1000 m depth. Our study purpose is to know the flow direction by mud particle arrangement by thin section and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) data. The data from the NW Pacific indicate weak preferred orientation from SW to NE, suggesting weak bottom current. This is supported by erosional moat to NE direction around the Fukahori Knoll. In the Gulf of Mexico we can know the flow directions of river plumes, turbidity currents, etc., and we can know whether the flows come from the main entry point in the basin or they are derived from the others of the basin. The other basic features of the core sediments are lithology, sedimentary structures, and porosity, together with paleocurrent analysis.

  5. Estimating the Risk of Tropical Cyclone Characteristics Along the United States Gulf of Mexico Coastline Using Different Statistical Approaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trepanier, J. C.; Ellis, K.; Jagger, T.; Needham, H.; Yuan, J.

    2017-12-01

    Tropical cyclones, with their high wind speeds, high rainfall totals and deep storm surges, frequently strike the United States Gulf of Mexico coastline influencing millions of people and disrupting off shore economic activities. Events, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Isaac in 2012, can be physically different but still provide detrimental effects due to their locations of influence. There are a wide variety of ways to estimate the risk of occurrence of extreme tropical cyclones. Here, the combined risk of tropical cyclone storm surge and nearshore wind speed using a statistical copula is provided for 22 Gulf of Mexico coastal cities. Of the cities considered, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi has the shortest return period for a tropical cyclone with at least a 50 m s-1 nearshore wind speed and a three meter surge (19.5 years, 17.1-23.5). Additionally, a multivariate regression model is provided estimating the compound effects of tropical cyclone tracks, landfall central pressure, the amount of accumulated precipitation, and storm surge for five locations around Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana. It is shown the most intense tropical cyclones typically approach from the south and a small change in the amount of rainfall or landfall central pressure leads to a large change in the final storm surge depth. Data are used from the National Hurricane Center, U-Surge, SURGEDAT, and Cooperative Observer Program. The differences in the two statistical approaches are discussed, along with the advantages and limitations to each. The goal of combining the results of the two studies is to gain a better understanding of the most appropriate risk estimation technique for a given area.

  6. Long-term (1998 vs. 2010) large-scale comparison of soft-bottom benthic macrofauna composition in the Gulf of Lions, NW Mediterranean Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonifácio, Paulo; Grémare, Antoine; Gauthier, Olivier; Romero-Ramirez, Alicia; Bichon, Sabrina; Amouroux, Jean-Michel; Labrune, Céline

    2018-01-01

    We achieved a long term (i.e., 1998 vs. 2010) large scale (i.e., whole Gulf of Lions) study of benthic macrofauna composition in the Gulf of Lions based on the resampling of 91 stations located along 21 inshore-offshore transects. Results show that the 3 main benthic communities identified in 1998 were still present in 2010 although their composition changed. Using only year and station of sampling we found a significant space-time interaction explaining changes in macrofaunal community composition, and, in this study, stations differ primarily in terms of depth and distance to the Rhône river mouth. Temporal changes in benthic macrofauna composition were clearly most important at shallow stations (i.e., in the Littoral Fine Sand community) than at deep ones (i.e., Terrigenous Coastal Mud community). These results are in good agreement with the current paradigm according to which climatic oscillations such as NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) and WeMO (Western Mediterranean Oscillation) are indirectly (i.e., through changes in the frequency of occurrence and the intensity of storms) controlling benthic macrofauna composition in the Gulf of Lions. This hypothesis is further supported by a meta-analysis of changes in the average and maximal yearly abundances of the polychaete Ditrupa arietina. At last, the spatial modelling of 1998 and 2010 benthic macrofauna compositions both suggested a significant effect of Rhône River inputs on the spatial distribution of benthic macrofauna in the Gulf of Lions.

  7. Surgical neuroanatomy and programming in deep brain stimulation for obsessive compulsive disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morishita, Takashi; Fayad, Sarah M; Goodman, Wayne K; Foote, Kelly D; Chen, Dennis; Peace, David A; Rhoton, Albert L; Okun, Michael S

    2014-06-01

    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been established as a safe, effective therapy for movement disorders (Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, etc.), and its application is expanding to the treatment of other intractable neuropsychiatric disorders including depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Several published studies have supported the efficacy of DBS for severely debilitating OCD. However, questions remain regarding the optimal anatomic target and the lack of a bedside programming paradigm for OCD DBS. Management of OCD DBS can be highly variable and is typically guided by each center's individual expertise. In this paper, we review the various approaches to targeting and programming for OCD DBS. We also review the clinical experience for each proposed target and discuss the relevant neuroanatomy. A PubMed review was performed searching for literature on OCD DBS and included all articles published before March 2012. We included all available studies with a clear description of the anatomic targets, programming details, and the outcomes. Six different DBS approaches were identified. High-frequency stimulation with high voltage was applied in most cases, and predictive factors for favorable outcomes were discussed in the literature. DBS remains an experimental treatment for medication refractory OCD. Target selection and programming paradigms are not yet standardized, though an improved understanding of the relationship between the DBS lead and the surrounding neuroanatomic structures will aid in the selection of targets and the approach to programming. We propose to form a registry to track OCD DBS cases for future clinical study design. © 2013 International Neuromodulation Society.

  8. Environmental Assessment: Geothermal Energy Geopressure Subprogram. Gulf Coast Well Drilling and Testing Activity (Frio, Wilcox, and Tuscaloosa Formations, Texas and Louisiana)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1981-09-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated a program to evaluate the feasibility of developing the geothermal-geopressured energy resources of the Louisiana-Texas Gulf Coast. As part of this effort, DOE is contracting for the drilling of design wells to define the nature and extent of the geopressure resource. At each of several sites, one deep well (4000-6400 m) will be drilled and flow tested. One or more shallow wells will also be drilled to dispose of geopressured brines. Each site will require about 2 ha (5 acres) of land. Construction and initial flow testing will take approximately one year. If initial flow testing is successful, a continuous one-year duration flow test will take place at a rate of up to 6400 m{sup 3} (40,000 bbl) per day. Extensive tests will be conducted on the physical and chemical composition of the fluids, on their temperature and flow rate, on fluid disposal techniques, and on the reliability and performance of equipment. Each project will require a maximum of three years to complete drilling, testing, and site restoration.

  9. Fish larvae from the Gulf of California

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerardo Aceves-Medina

    2003-03-01

    Full Text Available Taxonomic composition of fish larvae was analysed from 464 plankton samples obtained during 10 oceanographic surveys in the Gulf of California between 1984 and 1988. We identified 283 taxa: 173 species, 57 genera, and 53 families. Tropical and subtropical species predominated except during the winter, when temperate-subarctic species were dominant. The most abundant species were the mesopelagic Benthosema panamense, Triphoturus mexicanus and Vinciguerria lucetia, but the coastal pelagic species Engraulis mordax, Opisthonema spp., Sardinops caeruleus and Scomber japonicus were also prominent. The taxonomic composition of the ichthyoplankton shows the seasonality of the Gulf as well as environmental changes that occurred between the 1984-1987 warm period and the 1956-1957 cool period previously reported. The presence of E. mordax larvae as one of the most abundant species in the Gulf provides evidence of the reproduction of this species two years before the development of the northern anchovy fishery and the decline of the sardine fishery in the Gulf of California.

  10. Influence of the Gulf Stream on the troposphere.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minobe, Shoshiro; Kuwano-Yoshida, Akira; Komori, Nobumasa; Xie, Shang-Ping; Small, Richard Justin

    2008-03-13

    The Gulf Stream transports large amounts of heat from the tropics to middle and high latitudes, and thereby affects weather phenomena such as cyclogenesis and low cloud formation. But its climatic influence, on monthly and longer timescales, remains poorly understood. In particular, it is unclear how the warm current affects the free atmosphere above the marine atmospheric boundary layer. Here we consider the Gulf Stream's influence on the troposphere, using a combination of operational weather analyses, satellite observations and an atmospheric general circulation model. Our results reveal that the Gulf Stream affects the entire troposphere. In the marine boundary layer, atmospheric pressure adjustments to sharp sea surface temperature gradients lead to surface wind convergence, which anchors a narrow band of precipitation along the Gulf Stream. In this rain band, upward motion and cloud formation extend into the upper troposphere, as corroborated by the frequent occurrence of very low cloud-top temperatures. These mechanisms provide a pathway by which the Gulf Stream can affect the atmosphere locally, and possibly also in remote regions by forcing planetary waves. The identification of this pathway may have implications for our understanding of the processes involved in climate change, because the Gulf Stream is the upper limb of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, which has varied in strength in the past and is predicted to weaken in response to human-induced global warming in the future.

  11. Enhanced particle fluxes and heterotrophic bacterial activities in Gulf of Mexico bottom waters following storm-induced sediment resuspension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziervogel, K.; Dike, C.; Asper, V.; Montoya, J.; Battles, J.; D`souza, N.; Passow, U.; Diercks, A.; Esch, M.; Joye, S.; Dewald, C.; Arnosti, C.

    2016-07-01

    Bottom nepheloid layers (BNLs) in the deep sea transport and remobilize considerable amounts of particulate matter, enhancing microbial cycling of organic matter in cold, deep water environments. We measured bacterial abundance, bacterial protein production, and activities of hydrolytic enzymes within and above a BNL that formed in the deep Mississippi Canyon, northern Gulf of Mexico, shortly after Hurricane Isaac had passed over the study area in late August 2012. The BNL was detected via beam attenuation in CTD casts over an area of at least 3.5 km2, extending up to 200 m above the seafloor at a water depth of 1500 m. A large fraction of the suspended matter in the BNL consisted of resuspended sediments, as indicated by high levels of lithogenic material collected in near-bottom sediment traps shortly before the start of our sampling campaign. Observations of suspended particle abundance and sizes throughout the water column, using a combined camera-CTD system (marine snow camera, MSC), revealed the presence of macroaggregates (>1 mm in diameter) within the BNL, indicating resuspension of canyon sediments. A distinct bacterial response to enhanced particle concentrations within the BNL was evident from the observation that the highest enzymatic activities (peptidase, β-glucosidase) and protein production (3H-leucine incorporation) were found within the most particle rich sections of the BNL. To investigate the effects of enhanced particle concentrations on bacterial activities in deep BNLs more directly, we conducted laboratory experiments with roller bottles filled with bottom water and amended with experimentally resuspended sediments from the study area. Macroaggregates formed within 1 day from resuspended sediments; by day 4 of the incubation bacterial cell numbers in treatments with resuspended sediments were more than twice as high as in those lacking sediment suspensions. Cell-specific enzymatic activities were also generally higher in the sediment

  12. Current temporal asymmetry and the role of tides: Nan-Wan Bay vs. the Gulf of Elat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashkenazy, Yosef; Fredj, Erick; Gildor, Hezi; Gong, Gwo-Ching; Lee, Hung-Jen

    2016-05-01

    Nan-Wan Bay in Taiwan and the Gulf of Elat in Israel are two different coastal environments, and as such, their currents are expected to have different statistical properties. While Nan-Wan Bay is shallow, has three open boundaries, and is directly connected to the open ocean, the Gulf of Elat is deep, semi-enclosed, and connected to the Red Sea via the Straits of Tiran. Surface currents have been continuously measured with fine temporal (less than or equal to 1 h) and spatial resolution (less than or equal to 1 km) for more than a year in both environments using coastal radars (CODARs) that cover a domain of roughly 10 × 10 km. These measurements show that the currents in Nan-Wan Bay are much stronger than those in the Gulf of Elat and that the mean current field in Nan-Wan Bay exhibits cyclonic circulation, which is stronger in the summer; in the Gulf of Elat, the mean current field is directed southward and is also stronger during the summer. We have compared the statistical properties of the current speeds in both environments and found that both exhibit large spatial and seasonal variations in the shape parameter of the Weibull distribution. However, we have found fundamental and significant differences when comparing the temporal asymmetry of the current speed (i.e., the ratio between the time during which the current speed increases and the total time). While the Nan-Wan Bay currents are significantly asymmetric, those of the Gulf of Elat are not. We then extracted the tidal component of the Nan-Wan Bay currents and found that it is strongly asymmetric, while the asymmetry of tidally filtered currents is much weaker. We thus conclude that the temporal asymmetry of the Nan-Wan Bay currents reported here is due to the strong tides in the region. We show that the asymmetry ratio in Nan-Wan Bay varies spatially and seasonally: (i) the currents increase rapidly and decay slowly in the northern part of the domain and vice versa in the southern part, and (ii) the

  13. Uptake and distribution of organo-iodine in deep-sea corals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prouty, Nancy G; Roark, E Brendan; Mohon, Leslye M; Chang, Ching-Chih

    2018-07-01

    Understanding iodine concentration, transport, and bioavailability is essential in evaluating iodine's impact to the environment and its effectiveness as an environmental biogeotracer. While iodine and its radionuclides have proven to be important tracers in geologic and biologic studies, little is known about transport of this element to the deep sea and subsequent uptake in deep-sea coral habitats. Results presented here on deep-sea black coral iodine speciation and iodine isotope variability provides key information on iodine behavior in natural and anthropogenic environments, and its geochemical pathway in the Gulf of Mexico. Organo-iodine is the dominant iodine species in the black corals, demonstrating that binding of iodine to organic matter plays an important role in the transport and transfer of iodine to the deep-sea corals. The identification of growth bands captured in high-resolution scanning electron images (SEM) with synchronous peaks in iodine variability suggest that riverine delivery of terrestrial-derived organo-iodine is the most plausible explanation to account for annual periodicity in the deep-sea coral geochemistry. Whereas previous studies have suggested the presence of annual growth rings in deep-sea corals, this present study provides a mechanism to explain the formation of annual growth bands. Furthermore, deep-sea coral ages based on iodine peak counts agree well with those ages derived from radiocarbon ( 14 C) measurements. These results hold promise for developing chronologies independent of 14 C dating, which is an essential component in constraining reservoir ages and using radiocarbon as a tracer of ocean circulation. Furthermore, the presence of enriched 129 I/ 127 I ratios during the most recent period of skeleton growth is linked to nuclear weapons testing during the 1960s. The sensitivity of the coral skeleton to record changes in surface water 129 I composition provides further evidence that iodine composition and isotope

  14. Uptake and distribution of organo-iodine in deep-sea corals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prouty, Nancy G.; Roark, E. Brendan; Mohon, Leslye M.; Chang, Ching-Chih

    2018-01-01

    Understanding iodine concentration, transport, and bioavailability is essential in evaluating iodine's impact to the environment and its effectiveness as an environmental biogeotracer. While iodine and its radionuclides have proven to be important tracers in geologic and biologic studies, little is known about transport of this element to the deep sea and subsequent uptake in deep-sea coral habitats. Results presented here on deep-sea black coral iodine speciation and iodine isotope variability provides key information on iodine behavior in natural and anthropogenic environments, and its geochemical pathway in the Gulf of Mexico. Organo-iodine is the dominant iodine species in the black corals, demonstrating that binding of iodine to organic matter plays an important role in the transport and transfer of iodine to the deep-sea corals. The identification of growth bands captured in high-resolution scanning electron images (SEM) with synchronous peaks in iodine variability suggest that riverine delivery of terrestrial-derived organo-iodine is the most plausible explanation to account for annual periodicity in the deep-sea coral geochemistry. Whereas previous studies have suggested the presence of annual growth rings in deep-sea corals, this present study provides a mechanism to explain the formation of annual growth bands. Furthermore, deep-sea coral ages based on iodine peak counts agree well with those ages derived from radiocarbon (14C) measurements. These results hold promise for developing chronologies independent of 14C dating, which is an essential component in constraining reservoir ages and using radiocarbon as a tracer of ocean circulation. Furthermore, the presence of enriched 129I/127I ratios during the most recent period of skeleton growth is linked to nuclear weapons testing during the 1960s. The sensitivity of the coral skeleton to record changes in surface water 129I composition provides further evidence that iodine composition and isotope

  15. Evolution of the Sedimentary Basin Within the Eastern Eez Polygon at the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valle, S.; Mortera-Gutierrez, C. A.; Bandy, W. L.; Escobar-Briones, E. G.; Perez, D. A.

    2013-05-01

    This study shows the seafloor structures and magnetic anomalies inside the eastern EEZ polygon at the Gulf of Mexico. The objective of this study is to examine the previous hypothesis of the Gulf of Mexico opening, based on the seafloor magnetic character. Researchers from the "Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología" at UNAM, collected , multibeam bathymetric data, high-resolution seismic reflection and magnetic profiles along 37 E-W transects during two campaigns on board the UNAM vessel, BO JUSTO SIERRA, SIGSBEE-11 in 2008 and SIGSBEE-13 in 2010. Results of the bathymetry data gathered with the EM300 multibeam echo sounder (Kongsberg) and processed with the software Caraibes from IFREMER has generated a bathymetry chart of seafloor at the Eastern Polygon, and a mosaic of back-scattering images. The high-resolution seismic profiles gathered with the subbottom profiler TOPAS PS-18 (Kongsberg) provide information on the stratigraphy sediment packages across this polygon and across the deep Mississippi Canyon. The magnetic anomalies are reduced from the data gathered with a proton-precession magnetometer, G877 (GEOMETRICS). The anomalies are modeled, based on a N_S rift at the Gulf central sector. The bathymetric chart and reflectivity mosaics of SIGSBEE-11 and SIGSBEE-13 documented the smooth relief of the seabed slope toward the Gulf central sector and abrupt morphological features associated to the meanders of the Mississippi Canyon that trend to the East. The multibeam bathymetry chart shows a relief depth that goes from 2,900 to 3,400 m from north to south. Meanders are observed in the seabed within the Eastern Polygon which is related to turbidity currents from the Mississippi River, and having a trend from west to east. The relief of the canyon shows channels with widths between 400 and 1800 m, and canyon depths up to 80 m. The high-resolution seismic sections, show well defined stratigraphy packages, where clear sediment strata are interrupted by

  16. US Gulf operators take the long view

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flatern, Rick von

    1999-01-01

    Oil projects in the Gulf of Mexico have suffered from the crash in oil prices in the mid-1980s, however as these projects tend to be long-term and therefore less sensitive to current oil prices, many are continuing to be funded. It is now believed by deepwater exploration operators that the Gulf of Mexico may be one of the world's most promising sources of new reserves. This article analyses the likely future exploration of deepwater reserves by major companies such as Shell, noted for its capital intensive and technologically innovative activity in the Gulf, as well as the newer, smaller independent operators. (UK)

  17. A data assimilation tool for the Pagasitikos Gulf ecosystem dynamics: Methods and benefits

    KAUST Repository

    Korres, Gerasimos

    2012-06-01

    Within the framework of the European INSEA project, an advanced assimilation system has been implemented for the Pagasitikos Gulf ecosystem. The system is based on a multivariate sequential data assimilation scheme that combines satellite ocean sea color (chlorophyll-a) data with the predictions of a three-dimensional coupled physical-biochemical model of the Pagasitikos Gulf ecosystem presented in a companion paper. The hydrodynamics are solved with a very high resolution (1/100°) implementation of the Princeton Ocean Model (POM). This model is nested within a coarser resolution model of the Aegean Sea which is part of the Greek POSEIDON forecasting system. The forecast of the Aegean Sea model, itself nested and initialized from a Mediterranean implementation of POM, is also used to periodically re-initalize the Pagatisikos hydrodynamics model using variational initialization techniques. The ecosystem dynamics of Pagasitikos are tackled with a stand-alone implementation of the European Seas Ecosystem Model (ERSEM). The assimilation scheme is based on the Singular Evolutive Extended Kalman (SEEK) filter, in which the error statistics are parameterized by means of a suitable set of Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs).The assimilation experiments were performed for year 2003 and additionally for a 9-month period over 2006 during which the physical model was forced with the POSEIDON-ETA 6-hour atmospheric fields. The assimilation system is validated by assessing the relevance of the system in fitting the data, the impact of the assimilation on non-observed biochemical processes and the overall quality of the forecasts. Assimilation of either GlobColour in 2003 or SeaWiFS in 2006 chlorophyll-a data enhances the identification of the ecological state of the Pagasitikos Gulf. Results, however, suggest that subsurface ecological observations are needed to improve the controllability of the ecosystem in the deep layers. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

  18. 76 FR 59102 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-23

    ... Atlantic; Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Amendment 10 AGENCY: National... Fishery Management Plan for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic (FMP), as... implemented, this rule would revise the lobster species contained within the fishery management unit...

  19. 76 FR 75488 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-02

    ... Atlantic; Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Amendment 10 AGENCY: National... Plan for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic (FMP), as prepared and... the lobster species contained within the fishery management unit; establishes an annual catch limit...

  20. Using Long-Term Passive Acoustic Observations to Identify Ecological Stresses: A Gulf of Mexico Sperm Whale Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sidorovskaia, N.; Li, K.; Drouant, G. J.; Ioup, J. W.

    2017-12-01

    The Gulf of Mexico marine mammal habitat is strongly impacted by anthropogenic industrial activities. By analyzing unique acoustic signals produced by different species of marine mammals, scientists can identify long-term population changes and their underlying causes. This study presents the results of the analysis of sperm whale acoustic clicks collected in the vicinity of the Deep Water Horizon accident site collected before and after the spill since 2001. The processing approach to regional acoustic data is two-leveled. First, sperm whale acoustic activity is analyzed from the standpoint of deriving annual abundance data using statistical methodology to compare with trends reported from NOAA visual surveys. Second, the features of individual clicks are extracted and analyzed to determine population structure: the animal's size, gender, and age group when possible. Proposed two-level processing workflow may provide useful data input for population forecasting models and may inform mitigation and recovery efforts not only for whales themselves but also for associated food-web constitutes. [This research was made possible in part by a grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative.

  1. Gulf Shrimp System

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Landings - This data set contains catch (landed catch) and effort for fishing trips made by the larger vessels that fish near and offshore for...

  2. Chemosynthetic bacteria found in bivalve species from mud volcanoes of the Gulf of Cadiz.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, Clara F; Webster, Gordon; Cunha, Marina R; Duperron, Sébastien; Weightman, Andrew J

    2010-09-01

    As in other cold seeps, the dominant bivalves in mud volcanoes (MV) from the Gulf of Cadiz are macrofauna belonging to the families Solemyidae (Acharax sp., Petrasma sp.), Lucinidae (Lucinoma sp.), Thyasiridae (Thyasira vulcolutre) and Mytilidae (Bathymodiolus mauritanicus). The delta(13)C values measured in solemyid, lucinid and thyasirid specimens support the hypothesis of thiotrophic nutrition, whereas isotopic signatures of B. mauritanicus suggest methanotrophic nutrition. The indication by stable isotope analysis that chemosynthetic bacteria make a substantial contribution to the nutrition of the bivalves led us to investigate their associated bacteria and their phylogenetic relationships based on comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis and cloning of bacterial 16S rRNA-encoding genes confirmed the presence of sulfide-oxidizing symbionts within gill tissues of many of the studied specimens. Phylogenetic analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that most bacteria were related to known sulfide-oxidizing endosymbionts found in other deep-sea chemosynthetic environments, with the co-occurrence of methane-oxidizing symbionts in Bathymodiolus specimens. This study confirms the presence of several chemosynthetic bivalves in the Gulf of Cadiz and further highlights the importance of sulfide- and methane-oxidizing symbionts in the trophic ecology of macrobenthic communities in MV.

  3. Continental breakup by oblique extension: the Gulf of California

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Wijk, J.; Axen, G. J.

    2017-12-01

    We address two aspects of oblique extension: 1) the evolution of pull-apart basins, and how/when they may evolve into seafloor spreading segments; and 2) the formation of microcontinents. The Gulf of California formed by oblique extension. Breakup resulted in oceanic crust generation in the southern and central parts, while in the northern Gulf/Salton Trough a thick layer of (meta-)sediments overlies thinned continental crust. We propose a simple mechanism to explain this N-S variation. We assume that oblique rifting of the proto-Gulf province resulted in pull-apart basins, and use numerical models to show that such pull-apart basins do not develop into seafloor spreading segments when their length-to-width ratios are small, as is the case in the northern Gulf. In the central and southern Gulf the length-to-width ratios were larger, promoting continent rupture. The mechanisms behind this fate of pull-apart basins will be discussed in the presentation. In the southern Gulf, potential field models show that the Tamayo Bank in the southern Gulf is likely a microcontinent, separated from the main continent by the Tamayo trough. The thickness of the ocean crust in the Tamayo trough is anomalously small, suggesting that initial seafloor spreading was magma-starved and unsuccessful, causing the location of rifting and seafloor spreading to jump. As a consequence a sliver of continent broke off, forming the microcontinent. We suggest that worldwide this may be a common process for microcontinent formation.

  4. A new species of deep-water Holothuroidea (Echinodermata of the genus Synallactes from off western Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claude Massin

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available An undescribed species of Synallactes was collected during a deep-water benthic fauna survey off the Pacific coast of Mexico in the East Pacific, with the R/V El Puma. This new species differs from all the other known Synallactes by the presence of huge massive rods in the tube feet, some of them club-shaped. The later ossicle shape is unique among Holothuroidea. This is the first record of a Synallactes in the Gulf of California.

  5. The Oceanic Flux Program: A three decade time-series of particle flux in the deep Sargasso Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, J. C.; Conte, M. H.

    2010-12-01

    The Oceanic Flux Program (OFP), 75 km SE of Bermuda, is the longest running time-series of its kind. Initiated in 1978, the OFP has produced an unsurpassed, nearly continuous record of temporal variability in deep ocean fluxes, with a >90% temporal coverage at 3200m depth. The OFP, in conjunction with the co-located Bermuda-Atlantic Time Series (BATS) and the Bermuda Testbed Mooring (BTM) time-series, has provided key observations enabling detailed assessment of how seasonal and non-seasonal variability in the deep ocean is linked with the overlying physical and biogeochemical environment. This talk will focus on the short-term flux variability that overlies the seasonal flux pattern in the Sargasso Sea, emphasizing episodic extreme flux events. Extreme flux events are responsible for much of the year-to-year variability in mean annual flux and are most often observed during early winter and late spring when surface stratification is weak or transient. In addition to biological phenomena (e.g. salp blooms), passage of productive meso-scale features such as eddies, which alter surface water mixing characteristics and surface export fluxes, may initiate some extreme flux events. Yet other productive eddies show a minimal influence on the deep flux, underscoring the importance of upper ocean ecosystem structure and midwater processes on the coupling between the surface ocean environment and deep fluxes. Using key organic and inorganic tracers, causative processes that influence deep flux generation and the strength of the coupling with the surface ocean environment can be identified.

  6. The Application of Remotely Sensed Data and Models to Benefit Conservation and Restoration Along the Northern Gulf of Mexico Coast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quattrochi, Dale; Estes, Maurice, Jr.; Al-Hamdan, Mohammad; Thom, Ron; Woodruff, Dana; Judd, Chaeli; Ellis, Jean; Swann, Roberta; Johnson, Hoyt, III

    2010-01-01

    New data, tools, and capabilities for decision making are significant needs in the northern Gulf of Mexico and other coastal areas. The goal of this project is to support NASA s Earth Science Mission Directorate and its Applied Science Program and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance by producing and providing NASA data and products that will benefit decision making by coastal resource managers and other end users in the Gulf region. Data and research products are being developed to assist coastal resource managers adapt and plan for changing conditions by evaluating how climate changes and urban expansion will impact land cover/land use (LCLU), hydrodynamics, water properties, and shallow water habitats; to identify priority areas for conservation and restoration; and to distribute datasets to end-users and facilitating user interaction with models. The proposed host sites for data products are NOAA s National Coastal Data Development Center Regional Ecosystem Data Management, and Mississippi-Alabama Habitat Database. Tools will be available on the Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaborative website with links to data portals to enable end users to employ models and datasets to develop and evaluate LCLU and climate scenarios of particular interest. These data will benefit the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program in ongoing efforts to protect and restore the Fish River watershed and around Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The usefulness of data products and tools will be demonstrated at an end-user workshop.

  7. The Application of Remotely Sensed Data and Models to Benefit Conservation and Restoration Along the Northern Gulf of Mexico Coast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quattrochi, D. A.; Estes, M. G., Jr.; Al-Hamdan, M. Z.; Thom, R.; Woodruff, D.; Judd, C.; Ellis, J. T.; Swann, R.; Johnson, H., III

    2010-12-01

    New data, tools, and capabilities for decision making are significant needs in the northern Gulf of Mexico and other coastal areas. The goal of this project is to support NASA’s Earth Science Mission Directorate and its Applied Science Program and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance by producing and providing NASA data and products that will benefit decision making by coastal resource managers and other end users in the Gulf region. Data and research products are being developed to assist coastal resource managers adapt and plan for changing conditions by evaluating how climate changes and urban expansion will impact land cover/land use (LCLU), hydrodynamics, water properties, and shallow water habitats; to identify priority areas for conservation and restoration; and to distribute datasets to end-users and facilitating user interaction with models. The proposed host sites for data products are NOAA’s National Coastal Data Development Center Regional Ecosystem Data Management, and Mississippi-Alabama Habitat Database. Tools will be available on the Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaborative website with links to data portals to enable end users to employ models and datasets to develop and evaluate LCLU and climate scenarios of particular interest. These data will benefit the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program in ongoing efforts to protect and restore the Fish River watershed and around Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The usefulness of data products and tools will be demonstrated at an end-user workshop.

  8. Epidemiological Studies Persian Gulf War Illnesses Persian Gulf Women's Health Linkage Study

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Klemm, Rebecca

    1997-01-01

    The Persian Gulf Women's Health Linkage Study will provide baseline health and risk factor information to estimate the prevalence of selected health conditions, with an emphasis on reproductive health...

  9. The Arabian Gulf University College of Medicine and Medical Sciences: a successful model of a multinational medical school.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamdy, Hossam; Anderson, M Brownell

    2006-12-01

    In the late 1970s, leaders of the Arabian [corrected] Gulf countries proposed a novel idea of a joint educational and cultural venture: establishing a new regional university based in the Kingdom of Bahrain that would be managed as a multinational consortium of Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain. It was intended to promote higher education and research in the Gulf region; to serve the development needs of the region; to reflect the unique economic, social, and cultural attributes of the Gulf communities and their environments; and to respond to the health care needs of the member countries. Since its inception in 1982, the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences (CMMS) at Arabian Gulf University (AGU) has adopted the educational philosophy of problem-based learning (PBL) and self-directed, student-centered education. The curriculum is integrated, with early introduction of education to foster clinical skills and professional competencies. The strategic alliance with the health care systems in Bahrain and other Gulf regions has created a successful model of efficient and effective initialization of health care resources in the community. The experience that has accumulated at the AGU-CMMS from introducing innovative medical education has allowed it to take a leadership position in medical education in the Gulf region. The original goals of this unique experiment have been realized along with unanticipated outcomes of spearheading changes in medical education in the Gulf region. Old and new medical schools have adopted several characteristics of the AGU educational program. Several elements contributed to its success: a clear vision of providing quality medical education and realizing and sustaining this vision by a supportive leadership at the university and college levels; an alliance with the regional health care systems; a dedicated faculty who have been able to work as a team while continually

  10. 76 FR 54727 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-02

    ... RIN 0648-AY72 Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Spiny Lobster Fishery of...) have submitted Amendment 10 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of... actions to revise the lobster species contained within the fishery management unit; revise definitions of...

  11. 76 FR 70478 - Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Western Planning Area (WPA), Oil and Gas...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-14

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Outer... studies, NEPA analysis, resource evaluation, economic analysis, and renewable energy. BSEE is responsible... Program AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA...

  12. Breastfeeding patterns in the Arabian Gulf countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musaiger, A O

    1995-01-01

    The rapid economic change experienced in the Arab Gulf countries in the past two decades has resulted in a dramatic decline in the number of infants breast fed and the duration of breast feeding. This survey describes the current status of breast feeding in the Arabian Gulf countries in terms of the duration of exclusive breast feeding; initiation, frequency, and duration of breast feeding; bottle feeding practices; breast feeding and fertility; reasons for cessation of breast feeding; and the relationship between breast feeding and gastroenteritis. After a brief discussion of weaning practices, the paper considers factors influencing the decision to breast feed, including mothers age, education, urban-rural residence, and employment status; the influence of house maids and health workers; and the sex of the child. The marketing of baby foods in the area is described, as are various programs to support breast feeding, such as maternity protection, educational activities, marketing activities, support of appropriate weaning practices, workshops and seminars, and research activities. It is concluded that these programs have had very little effect on the promotion of breast feeding in the region for the following reasons: 1) lack of coordination; 2) lack of health regulations covering formulas and baby foods; 3) the encouragement of bottle feeding in private hospitals; 4) insufficient knowledge of managing breast feeding among health personnel; 5) a shortage of studies relating to breast feeding; and 6) insufficient training of health personnel. The institution of a global promotional policy is recommended. Such a policy would include the development of strict regulations covering marketing of substitutes, training of health workers, mass media campaigns, school and university curricula changes, and convincing policy-makers that breast feeding is beneficial.

  13. Free and forced Rossby normal modes in a rectangular gulf of arbitrary orientation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graef, Federico

    2016-09-01

    A free Rossby normal mode in a rectangular gulf of arbitrary orientation is constructed by considering the reflection of a Rossby mode in a channel at the head of the gulf. Therefore, it is the superposition of four Rossby waves in an otherwise unbounded ocean with the same frequency and wavenumbers perpendicular to the gulf axis whose difference is equal to 2mπ/W, where m is a positive integer and W the gulf's width. The lower (or higher) modes with small m (or large m) are oscillatory (evanescent) in the coordinate along the gulf; these are elucidated geometrically. However for oceanographically realistic parameter values, most of the modes are evanescent. When the gulf is forced at the mouth with a single Fourier component, the response is in general an infinite sum of modes that are needed to match the value of the streamfunction at the gulf's entrance. The dominant mode of the response is the resonant one, which corresponds to forcing with a frequency ω and wavenumber normal to the gulf axis η appropriate to a gulf mode: η =- β sin α/(2ω) ± Mπ/W, where α is the angle between the gulf's axis and the eastern direction (+ve clockwise) and M the resonant's mode number. For zonal gulfs ω drops out of the resonance condition. For the special cases η = 0 in which the free surface goes up and down at the mouth with no flow through it, or a flow with a sinusoidal profile, resonant modes can get excited for very specific frequencies (only for non-zonal gulfs in the η = 0 case). The resonant mode is around the annual frequency for a wide range of gulf orientations α ∈ [40°, 130°] or α ∈ [220°, 310°] and gulf widths between 150 and 200 km; these include the Gulf of California and the Adriatic Sea. If η is imaginary, i.e. a flow with an exponential profile, there is no resonance. In general less modes get excited if the gulf is zonally oriented.

  14. Northern Gulf Littoral Initiative (NGLI), Geology and Physical Properties of Marine Sediments in the N.E. Gulf of Mexico: Data Report

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Northern Gulf Littoral Initiative (NGLI), Geology and Physical Properties of Marine Sediments in the N.E. gulf of Mexico: Data Report, was produced by the U.S....

  15. Characterization of ichthyoplankton within the U.S. Geological Survey's Northeastern Gulf of Mexico study area - based on analysis of Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) Sampling Surveys, 1982-1999. NEGOM ichthyoplankton synopsis final report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyczkowski-Shultz, Joanne; Hanisko, David S.; Sulak, Kenneth J.; Dennis, George D.

    2004-01-01

    This synthesis was undertaken to characterize the occurrence and abundance of fish eggs and larvae in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (NEGOM) and to assess the region's relative importance in the early life history of fishes as compared to the entire U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Data for 66 selected taxa from 1,166 bongo and neuston net samples at 72 localities [comprising the UGSG NEGOM Ichthyoplankton Synopsis (UNIS) Study Area] were analyzed. These data were taken during annual Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) gulfwide surveys from 1982-1999, and were summarized by the NMFS to accomplish this objective. Comparison of the UNIS Study Area with the overall SEAMAP survey area revealed that the larvae of 16 taxa occurred more frequently and were relatively more abundant in the UNIS Study Area than the entire SEAMAP survey area while for other taxa occurrence and relative abundance were comparable. These taxa represented fishes from mesopelagic, continental shelf, and reef assemblages reflecting the wide diversity of habitats available in the NEGOM and included the young of two important resource taxa, Rhomboplites aurorubens (vermilion snapper) and Seriola spp. (amberjacks). Distinct distribution patterns were observed among larvae in the UNIS Study Area that appear to be associated with the presence of the DeSoto Canyon. One notable pattern was the predominance of certain taxa to either the west or east of longitude 86.5-87.0o W. Larvae of several characteristic reef-fish families were most common to the east of this apparent zoogeographic faunal discontinuity. An alternative pattern was seen among taxa whose larvae occurred primarily at locations over depth contours outlining the canyon. Additionally, the UNIS Study Area contributed more fish eggs, total larvae, and zooplankton to survey totals than would be expected from the number of samples taken in the study area. This pattern was more evident during spring than fall surveys. It may relate to

  16. DeepPicker: A deep learning approach for fully automated particle picking in cryo-EM.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Feng; Gong, Huichao; Liu, Gaochao; Li, Meijing; Yan, Chuangye; Xia, Tian; Li, Xueming; Zeng, Jianyang

    2016-09-01

    Particle picking is a time-consuming step in single-particle analysis and often requires significant interventions from users, which has become a bottleneck for future automated electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM). Here we report a deep learning framework, called DeepPicker, to address this problem and fill the current gaps toward a fully automated cryo-EM pipeline. DeepPicker employs a novel cross-molecule training strategy to capture common features of particles from previously-analyzed micrographs, and thus does not require any human intervention during particle picking. Tests on the recently-published cryo-EM data of three complexes have demonstrated that our deep learning based scheme can successfully accomplish the human-level particle picking process and identify a sufficient number of particles that are comparable to those picked manually by human experts. These results indicate that DeepPicker can provide a practically useful tool to significantly reduce the time and manual effort spent in single-particle analysis and thus greatly facilitate high-resolution cryo-EM structure determination. DeepPicker is released as an open-source program, which can be downloaded from https://github.com/nejyeah/DeepPicker-python. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. 77 FR 25116 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-27

    ...-BB44 Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf... (Councils) have submitted Amendment 11 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the... proposes to limit spiny lobster fishing using trap gear in certain areas in the exclusive economic zone off...

  18. Gulf operators resuming production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koen, A.D.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that Gulf of Mexico operators last week were gradually restoring production at installations struck by Hurricane Andrew. The Minerals Management Service continued receiving reports of more damage. By the end of the day Sept. 8, MMS had received reports of damage to 83 pipeline segments and 193 platforms and satellite installations. Damage reports listed 112 installations with structural damage, 13 platforms toppled and five leaning, and 30 satellite platforms toppled and 33 leaning. But despite the extent of damage the storm inflicted on oil and gas installations in the gulf, it pales in comparison to the misery and suffering the storm caused in Florida and Louisiana, an oil company official said

  19. Investigation of the lithosphere of the Texas Gulf Coast using phase-specific Ps receiver functions produced by wavefield iterative deconvolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurrola, H.; Berdine, A.; Pulliam, J.

    2017-12-01

    Interference between Ps phases and reverberations (PPs, PSs phases and reverberations thereof) make it difficult to use Ps receiver functions (RF) in regions with thick sediments. Crustal reverberations typically interfere with Ps phases from the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB). We have developed a method to separate Ps phases from reverberations by deconvolution of all the data recorded at a seismic station by removing phases from a single wavefront at each iteration of the deconvolution (wavefield iterative deconvolution or WID). We applied WID to data collected in the Gulf Coast and Llano Front regions of Texas by the EarthScope Transportable array and by a temporary deployment of 23 broadband seismometers (deployed by Texas Tech and Baylor Universities). The 23 station temporary deployment was 300 km long; crossing from Matagorda Island onto the Llano uplift. 3-D imaging using these data shows that the deepest part of the sedimentary basin may be inboard of the coastline. The Moho beneath the Gulf Coast plain does not appear in many of the images. This could be due to interference from reverberations from shallower layers or it may indicate the lack of a strong velocity contrast at the Moho perhaps due to serpentinization of the uppermost mantle. The Moho appears to be flat, at 40 km) beneath most of the Llano uplift but may thicken to the south and thin beneath the Coastal plain. After application of WID, we were able to identify a negatively polarized Ps phase consistent with LAB depths identified in Sp RF images. The LAB appears to be 80-100 km deep beneath most of the coast but is 100 to 120 km deep beneath the Llano uplift. There are other negatively polarized phases between 160 and 200 km depths beneath the Gulf Coast and the Llano Uplift. These deeper phases may indicate that, in this region, the LAB is transitional in nature and rather than a discrete boundary.

  20. Deepwater Horizon oil in Gulf of Mexico waters after 2 years: transformation into the dissolved organic matter pool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianchi, Thomas S; Osburn, Christopher; Shields, Michael R; Yvon-Lewis, Shari; Young, Jordan; Guo, Laodong; Zhou, Zhengzhen

    2014-08-19

    Recent work has shown the presence of anomalous dissolved organic matter (DOM), with high optical yields, in deep waters 15 months after the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Here, we continue to use the fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) technique coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) modeling, measurements of bulk organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), oil indices, and other optical properties to examine the chemical evolution and transformation of oil components derived from the DWH in the water column of the GOM. Seawater samples were collected from the GOM during July 2012, 2 years after the oil spill. This study shows that, while dissolved organic carbon (DOC) values have decreased since just after the DWH spill, they remain higher at some stations than typical deep-water values for the GOM. Moreover, we continue to observe fluorescent DOM components in deep waters, similar to those of degraded oil observed in lab and field experiments, which suggest that oil-related fluorescence signatures, as part of the DOM pool, have persisted for 2 years in the deep waters. This supports the notion that some oil-derived chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) components could still be identified in deep waters after 2 years of degradation, which is further supported by the lower DIC and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) associated with greater amounts of these oil-derived components in deep waters, assuming microbial activity on DOM in the current water masses is only the controlling factor of DIC and pCO2 concentrations.

  1. Deep learning in neural networks: an overview.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidhuber, Jürgen

    2015-01-01

    In recent years, deep artificial neural networks (including recurrent ones) have won numerous contests in pattern recognition and machine learning. This historical survey compactly summarizes relevant work, much of it from the previous millennium. Shallow and Deep Learners are distinguished by the depth of their credit assignment paths, which are chains of possibly learnable, causal links between actions and effects. I review deep supervised learning (also recapitulating the history of backpropagation), unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning & evolutionary computation, and indirect search for short programs encoding deep and large networks.

  2. 75 FR 63786 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-18

    ... interim measures to reduce overfishing of gag in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). This proposed rule would... Fishery Management Council (Council). The intended effect of this proposed rule is to reduce overfishing... Act requires NMFS and regional fishery management councils to prevent overfishing and achieve, on a...

  3. 76 FR 15826 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska License Limitation Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-22

    ... Islands (AI); Southeast Outside District (SEO); Central Gulf of Alaska (CG), which includes the West... LLP licenses could resume fishing under the licenses in the future and thereby adversely affect active... BS or AI regulatory areas because a Pacific cod endorsement requirement has already been established...

  4. 76 FR 82043 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Generic Annual Catch Limits...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-29

    ... Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) noted that the species were originally placed in the Reef Fish FMP... landings data from the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) is inappropriate. Setting... definitions section and for the IFQ program for Gulf groupers and tilefishes were revised. The introductory...

  5. Rapid Response of Eastern Mediterranean Deep Sea Microbial Communities to Oil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Jiang; Techtmann, Stephen M.; Woo, Hannah L.; Ning, Daliang; Fortney, Julian L.; Hazen, Terry C.

    2017-07-18

    Deep marine oil spills like the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) in the Gulf of Mexico have the potential to drastically impact marine systems. Crude oil contamination in marine systems remains a concern, especially for countries around the Mediterranean Sea with off shore oil production. The goal of this study was to investigate the response of indigenous microbial communities to crude oil in the deep Eastern Mediterranean Sea (E. Med.) water column and to minimize potential bias associated with storage and shifts in microbial community structure from sample storage. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was combined with GeoChip metagenomic analysis to monitor the microbial community changes to the crude oil and dispersant in on-ship microcosms set up immediately after water collection. After 3 days of incubation at 14 °C, the microbial communities from two different water depths: 824 m and 1210 m became dominated by well-known oil degrading bacteria. The archaeal population and the overall microbial community diversity drastically decreased. Similarly, GeoChip metagenomic analysis revealed a tremendous enrichment of genes related to oil biodegradation, which was consistent with the results from the DWH oil spill. These results highlight a rapid microbial adaption to oil contamination in the deep E. Med., and indicate strong oil biodegradation potentia

  6. Sea snakes (Elapidae, Hydrophiinae) in their westernmost extent: an updated and illustrated checklist and key to the species in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rezaie-Atagholipour, Mohsen; Ghezellou, Parviz; Hesni, Majid Askari; Dakhteh, Seyyed Mohammad Hashem; Ahmadian, Hooman; Vidal, Nicolas

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The Persian Gulf is known as the westernmost distribution limit for sea snakes, except for Hydrophis platurus (Linnaeus, 1766) that reaches southeastern Africa. Previous identification guides for sea snakes of the Persian Gulf and its adjacent waters in the Gulf of Oman were based on old data and confined mostly to written descriptions. Therefore, a series of field surveys were carried out in 2013 and 2014 through Iranian coastal waters of both gulfs to provide a comprehensive sampling of sea snakes in the area. This paper presents an illustrated and updated checklist and identification tool for sea snakes in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, which are based on new material and a review of the literature. This checklist includes ten species of marine hydrophiines, of which one, Microcephalophis cantoris (Günther, 1864), is a new record for the area. All specimens examined herein are deposited and available at the Zoological Museum of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman province, Iran. PMID:27843383

  7. The Evolution of Technology in the Deep Space Network: A History of the Advanced Systems Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Layland, J. W.; Rauch, L. L.

    1994-01-01

    The Deep Space Network (DSN) of 1995 might be described as the evolutionary result of 45 years of deep space communication and navigation, together with the synergistic activities of radio science and radar and radio astronomy. But the evolution of the DSN did not just happen - it was carefully planned and created. The evolution of the DSN has been an ongoing engineering activity, and engineering is a process of problem solving under constraints, one of which is technology. In turn, technology is the knowledge base providing the capability and experience for practical application of various areas of science, when needed. The best engineering solutions result from optimization under the fewest constraints, and if technology needs are well anticipated (ready when needed), then the most effective engineering solution is possible. Throughout the history of the DSN it has been the goal and function of DSN advanced technology development (designated the DSN Advanced Systems Program from 1963 through 1994) to supply the technology needs of the DSN when needed, and thus to minimize this constraint on DSN engineering. Technology often takes considerable time to develop, and when that happens, it is important to have anticipated engineering needs; at times, this anticipation has been by as much as 15 years. Also, on a number of occasions, mission malfunctions or emergencies have resulted in unplanned needs for technology that has, in fact, been available from the reservoir of advanced technology provided by the DSN Advanced Systems Program. Sometimes, even DSN engineering personnel fail to realize that the organization of JPL permits an overlap of DSN advanced technology activities with subsequent engineering activities. This can result in the flow of advanced technology into DSN engineering in a natural and sometimes almost unnoticed way. In the following pages, we will explore some of the many contributions of the DSN Advanced Systems Program that were provided to DSN

  8. 75 FR 64171 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-19

    ... prevent overfishing of Gulf greater amberjack. DATES: Closure is effective 12:01 a.m., local time, October... harvest to the quota is crucial to meeting the legal requirements to prevent and end overfishing and.... This closure is intended to prevent overfishing of Gulf greater amberjack and increase the likelihood...

  9. 77 FR 8810 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-15

    .... SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene its Law Enforcement Advisory... East Beach Blvd., Gulfport, MS 39501. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203..., Deputy Executive Director, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 348-1630...

  10. 75 FR 7444 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-19

    .... SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene its Law Enforcement Advisory...., Orange Beach, AL 36561. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 North Lois... Director, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 348-1630. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION...

  11. Gulf War Syndrome: a review of current knowledge and understanding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minshall, D

    2014-01-01

    The 1991 Persian Gulf War was a resounding military success for coalition forces, who liberated Kuwait following the Iraqi invasion. The medical legacy we have from the conflict is the poorly understood, yet remarkable, phenomenon of Gulf War Syndrome, which surfaced soon after. Epidemiological research has proven beyond doubt that Gulf War veterans report a wide variety of symptoms, in excess of appropriately matched control subjects, and experience worse general health. Numerous toxic environmental hazards have been suggested as causes of Gulf War Syndrome, yet exhaustive scientific study has failed to provide conclusive proof of any link. No novel or recognised disease has been found to account for the symptomatic burden of veterans, and the optimal treatment remains uncertain. This understanding can be added to from an anthropological perspective, where the narratives of those afflicted provide further insight. The nature of military life was changing at the time of the Gulf War, challenging the identity and beliefs of some veterans and causing socio-cultural distress. The symptomatic presentation of Gulf War Syndrome can be considered an articulation of this disharmony. Gulf War Syndrome can also be considered within the group of post-combat disorders such as shellshock, the like of which have occurred after major wars in the last century. With the current withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Defence Medical Services (DMS) should heed the lessons of history.

  12. Crust and mantle of the gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, G.W.

    1972-01-01

    A SEEMING paradox has puzzled investigators of the crustal structure of the Gulf of Mexico since Ewing et al.1 calculated that a unit area of the rather thick crust in the gulf contains less mass than does a combination of the crust and enough of the upper mantle to make a comparable thickness in the Atlantic Ocean. They also noted that the free-air gravity of the gulf is essentially normal and fails by a large factor to be low enough to reflect the mass difference that they calculated. We propose a solution to this problem. ?? 1972 Nature Publishing Group.

  13. 77 FR 41376 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Gulf of Mexico Fishery... Internet. Please go to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's Web site at www.gulfcouncil.org for instructions. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 N. Lois Avenue, Suite 1100...

  14. 78 FR 33070 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-03

    .... SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene a public meeting. DATES: The...; telephone: (850) 433-3336. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 North Lois... Director, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 348-1630. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION...

  15. 76 FR 22345 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-21

    ... effective January 1, 2011, and implement interim measures to reduce overfishing of gag in the Gulf of Mexico... effect of this proposed rule is to reduce overfishing of the gag resource in the Gulf. DATES: Written... to prevent overfishing and achieve, on a continuing basis, the optimum yield (OY) from federally...

  16. 75 FR 2469 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-15

    .... SUMMARY: NMFS issues this proposed rule to implement Amendment 31 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management... proposed rule is to balance the continued operation of the bottom longline component of the reef fish...

  17. Transport and deposition of plutonium in the ocean: Evidence from Gulf of Mexico sediments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scott, M.R.; Salter, P.F.; Halverson, J.E.

    1983-01-01

    A study of sediments in the Gulf of Mexico shows dramatic gradients in Pu content and isotope ratios from the continental shelf to the Sigsbee Abyssal Plain. In terms of predicted direct fallout inventory of Pu, one shelf core contains 745% of the predicted inventory, while abyssal plain sediments contain only 15-20% of the predicted value. Absolute Pu concentrations of shelf sediments are also conspicuously high, up to 110 dpm/kg, compared to 13.5 dpm/kg in Mississippi River suspended sediment. There is no evidence of Pu remobilization in Gulf of Mexico shelf sediments, based on comparison of Pu profiles with Mn/Al and Fe/Al profiles. Horizontal transport of fallout nuclides from the open ocean to removal sites in ocean margin sediments is concluded to be the source of both the high concentrations and high inventories of Pu reported here. The shelf sediments show 240 Pu/ 239 Pu ratios close to 0.179, the average stratospheric fallout value, but the ratios decrease progressively across the Gulf to low values of 0.06 in abyssal plain sediments. The source of low-ratio Pu in deep-water sediments may be debris from low yield tests transported in the troposphere. Alternatively, it may represent a fraction of the Pu from global stratospheric fallout which has been separated in the water column from the remainder of the Pu in the ocean. In either case, the low-ratio material must have been removed rapidly to the sea floor where it composes a major fraction of the Pu in abyssal plain sediments. Pu delivered by global atmospheric fallout from the stratosphere has apparently remained for the most part in the water or has been transported horizontally and removed into shallow-water sediments. (orig.)

  18. Keeping Safe Online: Perceptions of Gulf Adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alqahtani, Abdulmagni Mohammed

    2016-01-01

    With an increasing number of young people across the Gulf States now having access to the internet, the online safety of these adolescents is of concern. In a survey of 115 adolescents from the Gulf States, it was found that, although there are many benefits to young people, the risks of online usage are not fully understood by teenagers or their…

  19. Importance of the variability of hydrographic preconditioning for deep convection in the Gulf of Lion, NW Mediterranean

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Grignon

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available We study the variability of hydrographic preconditioning defined as the heat and salt contents in the Ligurian Sea before convection. The stratification is found to reach a maximum in the intermediate layer in December, whose causes and consequences for the interannual variability of convection are investigated. Further study of the interannual variability and correlation tests between the properties of the deep water formed and the winter surface fluxes support the description of convection as a process that transfers the heat and salt contents from the top and intermediate layers to the deep layer. A proxy for the rate of transfer is given by the final convective mixed layer depth, that is shown to depend equally on the surface fluxes and on the preconditioning. In particular, it is found that deep convection in winter 2004–2005 would have happened even with normal winter conditions, due to low pre-winter stratification.

  20. Oil and politics: the post-war Gulf

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stevens, P.

    1992-01-01

    This report considers the path of international crude oil prices for the remainder of the decade. The report intends to concentrate on the role of the main Gulf oil producing states. Specifically, it seeks to consider the impact of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and its aftermath on the Gulf's role in the oil price equation. The report begins by developing an analytical framework which allows the relevant driving forces to be placed in context. From this framework, three issues will emerge central to the Gulf's role in the determination of oil prices: the size and distribution of any excess capacity to produce crude oil; the pricing objectives of those who control that excess capacity; and finally the cohesion of those who control the excess capacity. (author)

  1. Evaluation of altimetry-derived surface current products using Lagrangian drifter trajectories in the eastern Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yonggang; Weisberg, Robert H.; Vignudelli, Stefano; Mitchum, Gary T.

    2014-05-01

    Lagrangian particle trajectory models based on several altimetry-derived surface current products are used to hindcast the drifter trajectories observed in the eastern Gulf of Mexico during May to August 2010 (the Deepwater Horizon oil spill incident). The performances of the trajectory models are gauged in terms of Lagrangian separation distances (d) and a nondimensional skill score (s), respectively. A series of numerical experiments show that these altimetry-based trajectory models have about the same performance, with a certain improvement by adding surface wind Ekman components, especially over the shelf region. However, their hindcast skills are slightly better than those of the data assimilative numerical model output. After 3 days' simulation the altimetry-based trajectory models have mean d values of 75-83 and 34-42 km (s values of 0.49-0.51 and 0.35-0.43) in the Gulf of Mexico deep water area and on the West Florida Continental Shelf, respectively. These satellite altimetry data products are useful for providing essential information on ocean surface currents of use in water property transports, offshore oil and gas operations, hazardous spill mitigation, search and rescue, etc.

  2. 15 CFR Appendix A to Subpart H of... - Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Boundary Coordinates

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Sanctuary Boundary Coordinates A Appendix A to Subpart H of Part 922 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations..., DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OCEAN AND COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY PROGRAM REGULATIONS Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Pt. 922, Subpt. H, App. A Appendix A to Subpart H of...

  3. 78 FR 9888 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-12

    .... SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting of the Ad Hoc Artificial... Thursday, February 28, 2013. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management... INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. John Froeschke, Fishery Biologist- Statistician; Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management...

  4. 78 FR 9372 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-08

    .... SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting of the Ad Hoc Private.... on Tuesday, February 26, 2013. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery... INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. John Froeschke, Fishery Biologist- Statistician; Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management...

  5. 78 FR 42755 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-17

    ...: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold public hearings for Coastal... through Friday August 15, 2013 at ten locations throughout the Gulf of Mexico. The public hearings will...; Mobile, AL; Corpus Christi and Texas City, TX. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council...

  6. Hurricane slams gulf operations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that reports of damage by Hurricane Andrew escalated last week as operators stepped up inspections of oil and gas installations in the Gulf of Mexico. By midweek, companies operating in the gulf and South Louisiana were beginning to agree that earlier assessments of damage only scratched the surface. Damage reports included scores of lost, toppled, or crippled platforms, pipeline ruptures, and oil slicks. By midweek the U.S. coast Guard had received reports of 79 oil spills. Even platforms capable of resuming production in some instances were begin curtailed because of damaged pipelines. Offshore service companies the another 2-4 weeks could be needed to fully assess Andrew's wrath. Lack of personnel and equipment was slowing damage assessment and repair

  7. Zubarah, the Gulf and local and international trade

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simonsen, Jørgen Bæk

    2014-01-01

    The deeply etched tracks of human achievement in the Gulf region since prehistory reflect a dynamic interplay between local, neighbouring and inter-regional agencies. Geography, resources, the exchange of commodities and the transfer of ideas elevated the status of the Gulf to that of a major...

  8. Multiscale and multidisciplinary Marine Rapid Environmental Assessment data collection methods for process studies: the case of the Taranto Gulf

    Science.gov (United States)

    Federico, Ivan; Maicu, Francesco; Pinardi, Nadia; Lyubartsev, Vladyslav; Causio, Salvatore; Caporale, Claudio; Demarte, Maurizio; Falconieri, Alfredo; Lecci, Rita; Lacava, Teodosio; Lisi, Matteo; Sepp-Neves, Augusto; Lorenzetti, Giuliano; Manfe', Giorgia; Trotta, Francesco; Zaggia, Luca; Ciliberti, Stefania Angela; Fratianni, Claudia; Grandi, Alessandro

    2017-04-01

    The present work aims to investigate the thermohaline properties and the circulation of the Gulf of Taranto, which is a deep, semi-enclosed ocean area in the northern Ionian sea, encircled by two Italian peninsulas of southern Apulia and Calabria. Since few observations in the past have been reported in the Gulf of Taranto, it emerged the need of planning and implementing oceanographic cruises in this area, based on an innovative concept of MREA (Marine Rapid Environmental Assessment). The methodology was based on an optimal experimental strategy to collect definitive evidences on ocean mesoscales with a spatial-and-time synoptic coverage. The MREA surveys have been performed thanks to the synergies between Italian oceanographic research centers and the Italian Navy Hydrographic Institute. Starting from the experience and results of MREA14 (Pinardi et al., 2016), which have shown in the Gulf an anticyclonic circulation in Autumn (October 2014) and the presence of submesoscale structure, a new experiment (MREA16) was repeated in a different season (Summer, June-July 2016), evaluating possible changes in current circulation. Furthermore, the new sampling methodology was refined and strengthened integrating the classical CTD data collection with additional simultaneous measurements of currents by means of vessel-mounted ADCP. The geostrophic circulation pattern derived from the CTD objective-analysis mapping techniques has been verified with the ADCP measurements. Moreover, the analysis on circulation fields confirms the presence of possible submesoscale structures, which can be well solved by a high-resolution sampling scheme. The MREA investigation in Gulf of Taranto shows a large-scale gyre anticyclonically-oriented in Autumn (MREA14) and cyclonically-oriented in Summer (MREA16). This opposite circulation pattern is probably connected to (i) the impact of Western Adriatic Coastal Current (WACC), (ii) the effect of the Northern Ionian Sea outflow-inflow system in

  9. 75 FR 43118 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska License Limitation Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-23

    ...: The Bering Sea (BS), Aleutian Islands (AI); Southeast Outside District (SEO); Central Gulf of Alaska... holders of latent fixed-gear endorsed LLP licenses could resume fishing under the licenses in the future... how fishery effort may shift in the future, but a large number of latent LLP licenses do exist, and...

  10. Marine modification of terrestrial influences on Gulf hypoxia: Part II

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available This study examines potential marine modification of two classes of terrestrial influence on Gulf hypoxia: (1 the flow of nutrient-rich water from the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin and (2 the massive physical, hydrological, chemical and biological change associated with the Atchafalaya’s partial capture of the Mississippi River. The latter involves repartitioning of a total flow of about 20 000 m3 sec−1, equal to that of 13 Nile Rivers, and a sediment load of 210 million metric tonnes yr−1,nearly 20 times that delivered by all of the rivers of the East Coast of the USA. Also involved is the loss of hundreds-to-thousands of years of stored nutrients and organic matter to the Gulf from enormous coastal wetland loss. This study found that the oceanography of the Gulf minimises the impact of both classes of terrestrial influence from the Mississippi River and its nearby estuaries on Gulf hypoxia. Oceanographic conditions give events associated with the Atchafalaya River a disproportionately large influence on Gulf hypoxia. A truly holistic environmental approach which includes the full effects of this highly dynamic coastal area is recommended to better understand and control Gulf hypoxia.

  11. Petroleum service projects in the Gulf of Guinea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ken-Worgu, Kenneth Chukwumeka

    2011-07-01

    The goal of this record of study is to examine the major facets involved in managing several petroleum service projects located in three different countries in the Gulf of Guinea simultaneously, while effectively engaging in business development activities for the Oil and Industrial Services Group (OIS). This work also furnishes adequate background on related subject matters to enable understanding of the projects presented. The petroleum services sector is the back bone of the oil and gas industry. Services companies are vital to the success of all petroleum and energy producers in the USA, the Gulf of Guinea and the world. There is a need and demand for these service companies because they play various roles such as logistics, drilling, construction, dredging, pipe laying, procurement, food supply, human resource supply, etc. The Gulf of Guinea comprises of countries from west and central Africa. This project was limited to Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. This area holds the largest petroleum reserves in Africa and plays a vital role in the global supply of petroleum. The Oil and Industrial Services Group (OIS), plans to establish herself as one of the leading petroleum service companies in this gulf. To manage this expansion, I have taken the role of Gulf of Guinea manager to apply my background as a petroleum engineer as well as my business skills to build a successful division of the company. This work provides a record of study of the management of services, projects and contracts carried out by the OIS group in the gulf of Guinea. The following are the specific projects in the Gulf of Guinea that I participated in: Managing delivering, maintenance and marketing of offshore vessels, Offshore pipe laying project, Integrated pipeline maintenance project, Development a petroleum technical training facilities, Agbami pipe insulation project, Engineering lift project and Capital budgeting analysis for potential investments. The details of the specific

  12. Deep geothermics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1995-01-01

    The hot-dry-rocks located at 3-4 km of depth correspond to low permeable rocks carrying a large amount of heat. The extraction of this heat usually requires artificial hydraulic fracturing of the rock to increase its permeability before water injection. Hot-dry-rocks geothermics or deep geothermics is not today a commercial channel but only a scientific and technological research field. The Soultz-sous-Forets site (Northern Alsace, France) is characterized by a 6 degrees per meter geothermal gradient and is used as a natural laboratory for deep geothermal and geological studies in the framework of a European research program. Two boreholes have been drilled up to 3600 m of depth in the highly-fractured granite massif beneath the site. The aim is to create a deep heat exchanger using only the natural fracturing for water transfer. A consortium of german, french and italian industrial companies (Pfalzwerke, Badenwerk, EdF and Enel) has been created for a more active participation to the pilot phase. (J.S.). 1 fig., 2 photos

  13. Definition of Greater Gulf Basin Lower Cretaceous and Upper Cretaceous Lower Cenomanian Shale Gas Assessment Unit, United States Gulf of Mexico Basin Onshore and State Waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dennen, Kristin O.; Hackley, Paul C.

    2012-01-01

    An assessment unit (AU) for undiscovered continuous “shale” gas in Lower Cretaceous (Aptian and Albian) and basal Upper Cretaceous (lower Cenomanian) rocks in the USA onshore Gulf of Mexico coastal plain recently was defined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The AU is part of the Upper Jurassic-Cretaceous-Tertiary Composite Total Petroleum System (TPS) of the Gulf of Mexico Basin. Definition of the AU was conducted as part of the 2010 USGS assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in Gulf Coast Mesozoic stratigraphic intervals. The purpose of defining the Greater Gulf Basin Lower Cretaceous Shale Gas AU was to propose a hypothetical AU in the Cretaceous part of the Gulf Coast TPS in which there might be continuous “shale” gas, but the AU was not quantitatively assessed by the USGS in 2010.

  14. High-resolution AUV mapping and sampling of a deep hydrocarbon plume in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, J. P.; Zhang, Y.; Thomas, H.; Rienecker, E.; Nelson, R.; Cummings, S.

    2010-12-01

    During NOAA cruise GU-10-02 on the Ship Gordon Gunter, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Dorado was deployed to map and sample a deep (900-1200 m) volume centered approximately seven nautical miles southwest of the Deepwater Horizon wellhead. Dorado was equipped to detect optical and chemical signals of hydrocarbons and to acquire targeted samples. The primary sensor reading used for hydrocarbon detection was colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) fluorescence (CF). On June 2 and 3, ship cast and subsequent AUV surveys detected elevated CF in a layer between 1100 and 1200 m depth. While the deep volume was mapped in a series of parallel vertical sections, the AUV ran a peak-capture algorithm to target sample acquisition at layer signal peaks. Samples returned by ship CTD/CF rosette sampling and by AUV were preliminarily examined at sea, and they exhibited odor and fluorometric signal consistent with oil. More definitive and detailed results on these samples are forthcoming from shore-based laboratory analyses. During post-cruise analysis, all of the CF data were analyzed to objectively define and map the deep plume feature. Specifically, the maximum expected background CF over the depth range 1000-1200 m was extrapolated from a linear relationship between depth and maximum CF over the depth range 200 to 1000 m. Values exceeding the maximum expected background in the depth range 1000-1200 m were interpreted as signal from a hydrocarbon-enriched plume. Using this definition we examine relationships between CF and other AUV measurements within the plume, illustrate the three-dimensional structure of the plume boundary region that was mapped, describe small-scale layering on isopycnals, and examine short-term variations in plume depth, intensity and hydrographic relationships. Three-dimensional representation of part of a deep hydrocarbon plume mapped and sampled by AUV on June 2-3, 2010.

  15. 75 FR 7444 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-19

    .... SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene a web based meeting of the... via internet. Please go to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's website at www.gulfcouncil.org for instructions. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 N. Lois Avenue...

  16. Energy partnership: China and the Gulf states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bahgat, G.

    2005-01-01

    One of the most significant developments in the global energy market in the last several years has been China's skyrocketing demand for energy. In 1993, China became a net oil importer for the first time in its history and in 2003 replaced Japan as the world's second-largest oil importer (after the United States). The country needs more energy to maintain its spectacular economic performance. This study examines China's attempts to satisfy its growing needs for oil and natural gas by increasing imports from Russia and Central Asia/Caspian Sea region. The analysis suggests that despite growing cooperation between the two sides, the Gulf region is likely to satisfy most of China's hydrocarbons needs. Energy partnership between China and the Gulf has already started and is likely to be consolidated over the next few decades. The study also argues that this growing partnership between China and the Gulf should not be seen as a threat to any third party. The global energy market is well-integrated. Energy policy should not be seen in zero-sum terms. A China-Gulf partnership will benefit both sides and contribute to the stability of global energy markets. (author)

  17. The Gulf War Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Lessons Learned

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Ugone, Mary

    2001-01-01

    This audit was requested by the Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses, Medical Readiness and Military Deployments, which has the authority to coordinate all aspects of Gulf War investigations for DoD...

  18. Astronaut observations of the Persian (Arabian) Gulf during STS-45

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ackleson, Steven G.; Pitts, David E.; Sullivan, Kathryn D.; Reynolds, R. M.

    1992-01-01

    As a result of the 1991 Persian Gulf war, between mid-January and June 1991, the Persian Gulf was contaminated with an estimated 4 to 6 million barrels of crude oil, released directly into the Gulf from refinement facilities, transhipment terminals, and moored tankers along the coast of Kuwait, and precipitated from oil fire smoke plumes. To assess the environmental impact of the oil, an international team of marine scientists representing 14 nations was assembled under the auspices of the United Nations International Oceanic Commission and the Regional Organization for Protection of the Marine Environment to conduct detailed surveys of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman, including hydrographic, chemical, and biological measurements. To supplement the field surveys and to serve as an aid in data interpretation, astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis photographed water features and coastal habitats in the Persian Gulf during mission STS-45 (24 March to 02 April 1992). The astronauts collected 111 hand-held, color photographs of the Gulf (72 70-mm photographs and 39 5-inch photographs) from an altitude of 296 km (160 n.mi.). The photographs reveal distributions in water turbidity associated with outflow from the Shatt-al-Arab and water circulation along the entire coast of Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, coastal wetlands and shallow-water habitats, and sticks appearing in the sunglint pattern, which appear to be oil.

  19. 78 FR 14980 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-08

    .... SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene scoping meetings to discuss a For-Hire... through April 3, 2013 at eight locations throughout the Gulf of Mexico. The scoping meetings will begin at..., TX. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 N. Lois Avenue, Suite 1100...

  20. The Gulf Security Dialogue and Related Arms Sale Proposals

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Blanchard, Christopher M; Grimmett, Richard F

    2008-01-01

    ...) security cooperation under the auspices of a new Gulf Security Dialogue (GSD). The Dialogue now serves as the principal security coordination mechanism between the United States and the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC...

  1. The deepwater Gulf of Mexico : promises delivered?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pickering, D.R.

    1999-01-01

    A summary review of deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM) oil production was presented for the years 1989 to 1998. Trends and prospects in deepwater GOM production and leasing were assessed. Promises and forecasts made in the early 1990s were compared with what actually happened since then. Forecasts in the early 1990s promised deeper, faster and cheaper developments in the deepwater Gulf. Results of the comparison showed that the prognosticators were correct on all three counts. Regarding the future of the Gulf, one can be justified in being optimistic in so far as more experience, robust economics, more and cheaper rigs can be taken as reliable indicators of optimism. In contrast, there are certain negatives to consider, such as low commodity prices, budget constraints, lease expirations, technical challenges and increased competition. . 12 figs

  2. Gulf Petro Initiative

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fathi Boukadi

    2011-02-05

    In this report, technologies for petroleum production and exploration enhancement in deepwater and mature fields are developed through basic and applied research by: (1) Designing new fluids to efficiently drill deepwater wells that can not be cost-effectively drilled with current technologies. The new fluids will be heavy liquid foams that have low-density at shallow dept to avoid formation breakdown and high density at drilling depth to control formation pressure. The goal of this project is to provide industry with formulations of new fluids for reducing casing programs and thus well construction cost in deepwater development. (2) Studying the effects of flue gas/CO{sub 2} huff n puff on incremental oil recovery in Louisiana oilfields bearing light oil. An artificial neural network (ANN) model will be developed and used to map recovery efficiencies for candidate reservoirs in Louisiana. (3) Arriving at a quantitative understanding for the three-dimensional controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) geophysical response of typical Gulf of Mexico hydrocarbon reservoirs. We will seek to make available tools for the qualitative, rapid interpretation of marine CSEM signatures, and tools for efficient, three-dimensional subsurface conductivity modeling.

  3. Pollution in the Gulf: Monitoring the marine environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fowler, S.W.

    1993-01-01

    More than 2 years after the Gulf conflict, scientists are continuing to keep a close watch on marine pollution stemming from the war. Following the conflict in early 1991, major concern was raised worldwide when an estimated four to eight million barrels of crude oil were directly released into the Persian Gulf from the Sea Island terminal in Kuwait. Such amounts clearly made it the largest oil spill in history. The catastrophe was exacerbated when Kuwaiti oil fields were ignited. The magnitude of the pollution, and the types of toxic contaminants involved, led to a worldwide response through the United Nations system. An inter-agency plan of action was developed quickly. As one of its steps, the co-ordinating agency - the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - asked the IAEA's Marine Environment Laboratory (MEL) in Monaco to help make a preliminary assessment of the situation. The Laboratory's main goal in initial surveys was to map the extent and general degree of the war-related pollution throughout the Gulf. Since the initial surveys were done, IAEA-MEL scientists have been engaged in regional follow-up activities in ongoing attempts to obtain a clearer picture of the oil pollution's effects on the Gulf's marine environment. This article highlights the laboratory's work in the Gulf following the 1991 conflict, within the context of co-operative programmes and projects. 1 fig

  4. On the relationship between satellite-estimated bio-optical and thermal properties in the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jolliff, Jason K.; Kindle, John C.; Penta, Bradley; Helber, Robert; Lee, Zhongping; Shulman, Igor; Arnone, Robert; Rowley, Clark D.

    2008-03-01

    Three years of Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) ocean color data were combined with three-dimensional thermal fields generated by the U.S. Navy's Modular Ocean Data Assimilation System (MODAS) in order to examine the interdependencies between bio-optical fields and their relationship to seasonal and mesoscale changes in upper ocean thermal structure. The combined data set suggests that the oceanic boundary layer within the Gulf of Mexico may be broadly defined by two seasonally occurring bio-thermal periods. A winter mixing period, characterized by net heat losses to the atmosphere, deepening of the isothermal layer depth, and annual maxima of satellite-estimated colored detrital matter (CDM) absorption coefficients and surface pigment concentration, was followed by a thermally stratified period characterized by net surface ocean heating, reduced isothermal layer depths, and annual minima in surface bio-optical fields. Variability in the interdependencies of ocean color products was used to diagnose an attendant shift in the size-structure of surface phytoplankton communities as well as identify CDM as the constituent responsible for the majority of blue-light absorption in Gulf of Mexico surface waters. The mesoscale circulation, as resolved by MODAS thermal fields into cold and warm-core eddies, appears to significantly modulate the seasonal bio-optical cycle of CDM absorption and surface pigment concentration. An empirical model was developed to describe CDM absorption as a function of upper ocean thermal energy. The model accounted for nearly half the variance in the satellite-estimate of this bio-optical variable. Large mismatches between the model and satellite data implied episodes of shelf water export to the deep Gulf of Mexico.

  5. DNA barcoding and morphological studies confirm the occurrence of three Atarbolana (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae) species along the coastal zone of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khalaji-Pirbalouty, Valiallah; Raupach, Michael J

    2016-11-27

    Two species of Atarbolana (Cirolanidae: Isopoda) from the intertidal zone of the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf were studied and redescribed. The known distribution of this small genus is limited to the northern areas of the Indian Ocean, from the Pakistan coasts to the Persian Gulf. The analyses of DNA barcodes as well as detailed morphological studies clearly support the existence of three distinct Atarbolana species along the coastal zone of the Persian Gulf and northern Arabian Sea. Furthermore, A. dasycolus Yasmeen, 2004 is synonymized with A. setosa Javed and Yasmeen, 1989.

  6. Site characterization plan: Gulf Coast salt domes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1983-12-01

    The National Waste Terminal Storage (NWTS) program of the US Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for developing technology and providing facilities for safe, environmentally acceptable, permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste. The Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation has been intensively investigating Gulf Coast Salt Dome Basin salt domes and bedded salt in Texas and Utah since 1978. In the Gulf Coast, the application of screening criteria in the region phase led to selection of eight domes for further study in the location phase. Further screening in the area phase identified four domes for more intensive study in the location phase: Oakwood Dome, Texas; Vacherie Dome, Louisiana; and Richton Dome and Cypress Creek Dome, Mississippi. For each dome, this Site Characterization Plan identifies specific hydrologic, geologic, tectonic, geochemical, and environmental key issues that are related to the DOE/NWTS screening criteria or affect the feasibility of constructing an exploratory shaft. The Site Characterization Plan outlines studies need to: (1) resolve issues sufficiently to allow one or more salt domes to be selected and compared to bedded salt sites in order to determine a prime salt site for an exploratory shaft; (2) conduct issue-related studies to provide a higher level of confidence that the preferred salt dome site is viable for construction of an exploratory shaft; and (3) provide a vehicle for state input to issues. Extensive references, 7 figures, 20 tables

  7. Impact of Deepwater Horizon Spill on food supply to deep-sea benthos communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prouty, Nancy G.; Swarzenski, Pamela; Mienis, Furu; Duineveld, Gerald; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Ross, Steve W.; Brooke, Sandra

    2016-01-01

    Deep-sea ecosystems encompass unique and often fragile communities that are sensitive to a variety of anthropogenic and natural impacts. After the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, sampling efforts documented the acute impact of the spill on some deep-sea coral colonies. To investigate the impact of the DWH spill on quality and quantity of biomass delivered to the deep-sea, a suite of geochemical tracers (e.g., stable and radio-isotopes, lipid biomarkers, and compound specific isotopes) was measured from monthly sediment trap samples deployed near a high-density deep-coral site in the Viosca Knoll area of the north-central Gulf of Mexico prior to (Oct-2008 to Sept-2009) and after the spill (Oct-10 to Sept-11). Marine (e.g., autochthonous) sources of organic matter dominated the sediment traps in both years, however after the spill, there was a pronounced reduction in marinesourced OM, including a reduction in marine-sourced sterols and n-alkanes and a concomitant decrease in sediment trap organic carbon and pigment flux. Results from this study indicate a reduction in primary production and carbon export to the deep-sea in 2010-2011, at least 6-18 months after the spill started. Whereas satellite observations indicate an initial increase in phytoplankton biomass, results from this sediment trap study define a reduction in primary production and carbon export to the deep-sea community. In addition, a dilution from a low-14C carbon source (e.g., petrocarbon) was detected in the sediment trap samples after the spill, in conjunction with a change in the petrogenic composition. The data presented here fills a critical gap in our knowledge of biogeochemical processes and sub-acute impacts to the deep-sea that ensued after the 2010 DWH spill.

  8. The Gulf Stream frontal system: A key oceanographic feature in the habitat selection of the leatherback turtle?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chambault, Philippine; Roquet, Fabien; Benhamou, Simon; Baudena, Alberto; Pauthenet, Etienne; de Thoisy, Benoît; Bonola, Marc; Dos Reis, Virginie; Crasson, Rodrigue; Brucker, Mathieu; Le Maho, Yvon; Chevallier, Damien

    2017-05-01

    Although some associations between the leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea and the Gulf Stream current have been previously suggested, no study has to date demonstrated strong affinities between leatherback movements and this particular frontal system using thorough oceanographic data in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions. The importance of the Gulf Stream frontal system in the selection of high residence time (HRT) areas by the North Atlantic leatherback turtle is assessed here for the first time using state-of-the-art ocean reanalysis products. Ten adult females from the Eastern French Guianese rookery were satellite tracked during post-nesting migration to relate (1) their horizontal movements to physical gradients (Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Sea Surface Height (SSH) and filaments) and biological variables (micronekton and chlorophyll a), and (2) their diving behaviour to vertical structures within the water column (mixed layer, thermocline, halocline and nutricline). All the turtles migrated northward towards the Gulf Stream north wall. Although their HRT areas were geographically remote (spread between 80-30 °W and 28-45 °N), all the turtles targeted similar habitats in terms of physical structures, i.e. strong gradients of SST, SSH and a deep mixed layer. This close association with the Gulf Stream frontal system highlights the first substantial synchronization ever observed in this species, as the HRTs were observed in close match with the autumn phytoplankton bloom. Turtles remained within the enriched mixed layer at depths of 38.5±7.9 m when diving in HRT areas, likely to have an easier access to their prey and maximize therefore the energy gain. These depths were shallow in comparison to those attained within the thermocline (82.4±5.6 m) while crossing the nutrient-poor subtropical gyre, probably to reach cooler temperatures and save energy during the transit. In a context of climate change, anticipating the evolution of such frontal

  9. Arab Gulf States : recruitment of Asian workers

    OpenAIRE

    JUREIDINI, Ray

    2014-01-01

    GLMM - Gulf Labour Markets and Migration This paper addresses a neglected area in studies of migrant labor in the Gulf States showing that exploitation of migrant workers occurs before deployment. Evidence from interviews conducted in the five major labour sending countries to Qatar (Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India) suggests that the recruitment procedures and corrupt practices by recruitment agencies and employing company personnel in the receiving country place unski...

  10. Particle swarm optimization for programming deep brain stimulation arrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peña, Edgar; Zhang, Simeng; Deyo, Steve; Xiao, YiZi; Johnson, Matthew D

    2017-02-01

    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy relies on both precise neurosurgical targeting and systematic optimization of stimulation settings to achieve beneficial clinical outcomes. One recent advance to improve targeting is the development of DBS arrays (DBSAs) with electrodes segmented both along and around the DBS lead. However, increasing the number of independent electrodes creates the logistical challenge of optimizing stimulation parameters efficiently. Solving such complex problems with multiple solutions and objectives is well known to occur in biology, in which complex collective behaviors emerge out of swarms of individual organisms engaged in learning through social interactions. Here, we developed a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to program DBSAs using a swarm of individual particles representing electrode configurations and stimulation amplitudes. Using a finite element model of motor thalamic DBS, we demonstrate how the PSO algorithm can efficiently optimize a multi-objective function that maximizes predictions of axonal activation in regions of interest (ROI, cerebellar-receiving area of motor thalamus), minimizes predictions of axonal activation in regions of avoidance (ROA, somatosensory thalamus), and minimizes power consumption. The algorithm solved the multi-objective problem by producing a Pareto front. ROI and ROA activation predictions were consistent across swarms (<1% median discrepancy in axon activation). The algorithm was able to accommodate for (1) lead displacement (1 mm) with relatively small ROI (⩽9.2%) and ROA (⩽1%) activation changes, irrespective of shift direction; (2) reduction in maximum per-electrode current (by 50% and 80%) with ROI activation decreasing by 5.6% and 16%, respectively; and (3) disabling electrodes (n  =  3 and 12) with ROI activation reduction by 1.8% and 14%, respectively. Additionally, comparison between PSO predictions and multi-compartment axon model simulations showed discrepancies

  11. Particle Swarm Optimization for Programming Deep Brain Stimulation Arrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peña, Edgar; Zhang, Simeng; Deyo, Steve; Xiao, YiZi; Johnson, Matthew D.

    2017-01-01

    Objective Deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy relies on both precise neurosurgical targeting and systematic optimization of stimulation settings to achieve beneficial clinical outcomes. One recent advance to improve targeting is the development of DBS arrays (DBSAs) with electrodes segmented both along and around the DBS lead. However, increasing the number of independent electrodes creates the logistical challenge of optimizing stimulation parameters efficiently. Approach Solving such complex problems with multiple solutions and objectives is well known to occur in biology, in which complex collective behaviors emerge out of swarms of individual organisms engaged in learning through social interactions. Here, we developed a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to program DBSAs using a swarm of individual particles representing electrode configurations and stimulation amplitudes. Using a finite element model of motor thalamic DBS, we demonstrate how the PSO algorithm can efficiently optimize a multi-objective function that maximizes predictions of axonal activation in regions of interest (ROI, cerebellar-receiving area of motor thalamus), minimizes predictions of axonal activation in regions of avoidance (ROA, somatosensory thalamus), and minimizes power consumption. Main Results The algorithm solved the multi-objective problem by producing a Pareto front. ROI and ROA activation predictions were consistent across swarms (<1% median discrepancy in axon activation). The algorithm was able to accommodate for (1) lead displacement (1 mm) with relatively small ROI (≤9.2%) and ROA (≤1%) activation changes, irrespective of shift direction; (2) reduction in maximum per-electrode current (by 50% and 80%) with ROI activation decreasing by 5.6% and 16%, respectively; and (3) disabling electrodes (n=3 and 12) with ROI activation reduction by 1.8% and 14%, respectively. Additionally, comparison between PSO predictions and multi-compartment axon model simulations

  12. Fitting the project into the environment : Gulf Heavy Oil Red Cross Projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakires, D.G.; Johannesen, D.V.

    1998-01-01

    A reservoir delineation project by Gulf Canada's Heavy Oil Division was reviewed. The six well drilling program was completed in 1997 with minimal negative environmental impacts. The program, dubbed the Red Cross project, took place in the Northern Boreal Forest of Saskatchewan. Its success is attributed to the early involvement of the regulatory agencies in Saskatchewan, on-site environmental investigations, the development of an environmental protection plan, conscientious construction practices, a monitoring program during construction, and a pro-active reclamation plan. The project area is identified as being environmentally sensitive and important as a wildlife habitat area. This successful project demonstrated the usefulness of pre-project planning and team work between industry and the regulators. Details of the planning, construction and planned remedial reclamation actions are described. 11 refs., 2 tabs

  13. Combining Multicomponent Seismic Attributes, New Rock Physics Models, and In Situ Data to Estimate Gas-Hydrate Concentrations in Deep-Water, Near-Seafloor Strata of the Gulf of Mexico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bureau of Economic Geology

    2009-04-30

    The Bureau of Economic Geology was contracted to develop technologies that demonstrate the value of multicomponent seismic technology for evaluating deep-water hydrates across the Green Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico. This report describes the methodologies that were developed to create compressional (P-P) and converted-shear (P-SV) images of near-seafloor geology from four-component ocean-bottom-cable (4C OBC) seismic data and the procedures used to integrate P-P and P-SV seismic attributes with borehole calibration data to estimate hydrate concentration across two study areas spanning 16 and 25 lease blocks (or 144 and 225 square miles), respectively. Approximately 200 km of two-dimensional 4C OBC profiles were processed and analyzed over the course of the 3-year project. The strategies we developed to image near-seafloor geology with 4C OBC data are unique, and the paper describing our methodology was peer-recognized with a Best Paper Award by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists in the first year of the project (2006). Among the valuable research findings demonstrated in this report, the demonstrated ability to image deep-water near-seafloor geology with sub-meter resolution using a standard-frequency (10-200 Hz) air gun array on the sea surface and 4C sensors on the seafloor has been the accomplishment that has received the most accolades from professional peers. Our study found that hydrate is pervasive across the two study areas that were analyzed but exists at low concentrations. Although our joint inversion technique showed that in some limited areas, and in some geologic units across those small areas, hydrates occupied up to 40-percent of the sediment pore space, we found that when hydrate was present, hydrate concentration tended to occupy only 10-percent to 20-percent of the pore volume. We also found that hydrate concentration tended to be greater near the base of the hydrate stability zone than it was within the central part of the stability

  14. 75 FR 62109 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council); Public Meetings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-07

    ... meetings. SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC) will convene public meetings... Embassy Suites Hotel, 4914 Constitution Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70808. Council address: Gulf of Mexico... CONTACT: Dr. Stephen Bortone, Executive Director, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone...

  15. 77 FR 40859 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings; Correction

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Gulf of Mexico Fishery.... SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene its Law Enforcement Advisory... Ludwig Lane, Grand Isle, LA 70358; telephone: (985) 787-2163 Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery...

  16. The growth of coral reef science in the Gulf: a historical perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burt, John A

    2013-07-30

    Coral reef science has grown exponentially in recent decades in the Gulf. Analysis of literature from 1950 to 2012 identified 270 publications on coral reefs in the Gulf, half of which were published in just the past decade. This paper summarizes the growth and evolution of coral reef science in the Gulf by examining when, where and how research has been conducted on Gulf reefs, who conducted that research, and what themes and taxa have dominated scientific interest. The results demonstrate that there has been significant growth in our understanding of the valuable coral reefs of the Gulf, but also highlight the fact that we are documenting an increasingly degraded ecosystem. Reef scientists must make a concerted effort to improve dialogue with regional reef management and decision-makers if we are to stem the tide of decline in coral reefs in the Gulf. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Toward a quantitative and empirical dissolved organic carbon budget for the Gulf of Maine, a semienclosed shelf sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balch, William; Huntington, Thomas; Aiken, George; Drapeau, David; Bowler, Bruce; Lubelczyk, Laura; Butler, Kenna

    2016-02-01

    A time series of organic carbon export from Gulf of Maine (GoM) watersheds was compared to a time series of biological, chemical, bio-optical, and hydrographic properties, measured across the GoM between Yarmouth, NS, Canada, and Portland, ME, U.S. Optical proxies were used to quantify the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon in the GoM. The Load Estimator regression model applied to river discharge data demonstrated that riverine DOC export (and its decadal variance) has increased over the last 80 years. Several extraordinarily wet years (2006-2010) resulted in a massive pulse of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM; proxy for DOC) into the western GoM along with unidentified optically scattering material (DOC in the GoM and Scotian Shelf showed the strong influence of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on the DOC that enters the GoM. A deep plume of CDOM-rich water was observed near the coast of Maine which decreased in concentration eastward. The Forel-Ule color scale was derived and compared to the same measurements made in 1912-1913 by Henry Bigelow. Results show that the GoM has yellowed in the last century, particularly in the region of the extension of the Eastern Maine Coastal Current. Time lags between DOC discharge and its appearance in the GoM increased with distance from the river mouths. Algae were also a significant source of DOC but not CDOM. Gulf-wide algal primary production has decreased. Increases in precipitation and DOC discharge to the GoM are predicted over the next century.

  18. Mercury concentrations, speciation, and isotopic composition in sediment from a cold seep in the northern Gulf of Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, Garry; Sleeper, Kenneth; Johnson, Marcus W.; Blum, Joel D.; Cizdziel, James V.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • T-Hg, MMHg, and Hg isotopes were determined in Gulf of Mexico deep marine sediments. • Levels of mass independent fractionation of Hg isotopes varied from coastal sediments. • Levels of the MMHg were only slightly elevated at the cold seep site. • Cold seeps do not appear to be significant sources of MMHg to Gulf of Mexico waters. -- Abstract: Total-Hg, monomethylmercury (MMHg), and mercury isotopic composition was determined in sediment from a cold seep and background sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM). Total-Hg averaged 50 ng/g (n = 28), ranged from 31 to 67 ng/g, and decreased with depth (0–15 cm). MMHg averaged 0.91 ng/g (n = 18), and ranged from 0.2 to 1.9 ng/g. There was no significant difference for total-Hg or MMHg between cold seep and background sites. δ 202 Hg ranged from −0.5 to −0.8‰ and becomes more negative with depth (r = 0.989). Mass independent fractionation (Δ 199 Hg) was small but consistently positive (0.04–0.12‰); there was no difference between cold seeps (Δ 199 Hg = +0.09 ± 0.03; n = 7, 1SD) and background sites (Δ 199 Hg = +0.07 ± 0.02; n = 5, 1SD). This suggests that releases of hydrocarbons at the cold seep do not significantly alter Hg levels, and that cold seeps are likely not major sources of MMHg to nGoM waters

  19. Use of a Florida Gulf Coast Barrier Island by Spring Trans-Gulf Migrants and the Projected Effects of Sea Level Rise on Habitat Availability.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lori A Lester

    Full Text Available Barrier islands on the north coast of the Gulf of Mexico are an internationally important coastal resource. Each spring hundreds of thousands of Nearctic-Neotropical songbirds crossing the Gulf of Mexico during spring migration use these islands because they provide the first landfall for individuals following a trans-Gulf migratory route. The effects of climate change, particularly sea level rise, may negatively impact habitat availability for migrants on barrier islands. Our objectives were (1 to confirm the use of St. George Island, Florida by trans-Gulf migrants and (2 to determine whether forested stopover habitat will be available for migrants on St. George Island following sea level rise. We used avian transect data, geographic information systems, remote sensing, and simulation modelling to investigate the potential effects of three different sea level rise scenarios (0.28 m, 0.82 m, and 2 m on habitat availability for trans-Gulf migrants. We found considerable use of the island by spring trans-Gulf migrants. Migrants were most abundant in areas with low elevation, high canopy height, and high coverage of forests and scrub/shrub. A substantial percentage of forest (44% will be lost by 2100 assuming moderate sea level rise (0.82 m. Thus, as sea level rise progresses, less forests will be available for migrants during stopover. Many migratory bird species' populations are declining, and degradation of barrier island stopover habitat may further increase the cost of migration for many individuals. To preserve this coastal resource, conservation and wise management of migratory stopover areas, especially near ecological barriers like the Gulf of Mexico, will be essential as sea levels rise.

  20. Use of a Florida Gulf Coast Barrier Island by Spring Trans-Gulf Migrants and the Projected Effects of Sea Level Rise on Habitat Availability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lester, Lori A; Gutierrez Ramirez, Mariamar; Kneidel, Alan H; Heckscher, Christopher M

    2016-01-01

    Barrier islands on the north coast of the Gulf of Mexico are an internationally important coastal resource. Each spring hundreds of thousands of Nearctic-Neotropical songbirds crossing the Gulf of Mexico during spring migration use these islands because they provide the first landfall for individuals following a trans-Gulf migratory route. The effects of climate change, particularly sea level rise, may negatively impact habitat availability for migrants on barrier islands. Our objectives were (1) to confirm the use of St. George Island, Florida by trans-Gulf migrants and (2) to determine whether forested stopover habitat will be available for migrants on St. George Island following sea level rise. We used avian transect data, geographic information systems, remote sensing, and simulation modelling to investigate the potential effects of three different sea level rise scenarios (0.28 m, 0.82 m, and 2 m) on habitat availability for trans-Gulf migrants. We found considerable use of the island by spring trans-Gulf migrants. Migrants were most abundant in areas with low elevation, high canopy height, and high coverage of forests and scrub/shrub. A substantial percentage of forest (44%) will be lost by 2100 assuming moderate sea level rise (0.82 m). Thus, as sea level rise progresses, less forests will be available for migrants during stopover. Many migratory bird species' populations are declining, and degradation of barrier island stopover habitat may further increase the cost of migration for many individuals. To preserve this coastal resource, conservation and wise management of migratory stopover areas, especially near ecological barriers like the Gulf of Mexico, will be essential as sea levels rise.

  1. Military and Non Military Threats to the Gulf Cooperation Countries

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Al-Khulaifi, Hamad H

    2008-01-01

    The international strategic importance of Gulf oil resources, the intense political and economic attention to the Gulf Countries affairs by nations beyond the region, necessitate looking at the impact...

  2. Distribution of oil from the Gulf War spill within intertidal habitats - one year later

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayes, M.O.; Michel, J.; Montelo, T.M.; Al-Mansi, A.M.; Jensen, J.R.; Narumalani, S.; Aurand, D.V.; Al-Momen, A.H.; Thayer, G.W.

    1993-01-01

    Results of a land-based intertidal survey of the impacts of the Gulf War oil spill on the Saudi Arabian coast, carried out from 1 March to 4 April 1992 in conjunction with Leg II of the NOAA ship Mt. Mitchell's ROPME Sea cruise, show that there is a striking correlation between the near shore geomorphology and the persistence of intertidal oil. Significant quantities of oil (measured in millions of gallons) remained in the sediments of the sheltered tidal flat/marsh areas, and significant erosion of oiled sediments has occurred along many of the outer exposed areas. A massive asphalt pavement, tens of meters wide and over 20 kilometers long, which is believed to have formed as a result of the Nowruz spill of 1983, occurs along the outer coast of the Abu Ali headland. Along certain other exposed outer sand beaches, conditions are conducive to the formation and preservation of a similar asphalt pavement as a result of the Gulf War spill. The most severely impacted areas studied were several halophyte marsh algal mat complexes and mudflats at the heads of sheltered bays, where all the halophytes were dead and there was no sign of living epibiota in the mid to upper intertidal areas. Before the spill, burrowing infauna, such as crabs and polychaetes, occurred in large numbers in these sheltered areas. The previously occupied burrows were heavily oiled, with some containing liquid black oil to depths of over 40 cm. The deep penetration of oil into the burrows and probable slow weathering rates of the oil could result in many years of pollution of these sheltered habitats. Depths of penetration of oil into bubble sand exceeding 40 cm were found at several localities. This deep oil will also remain in the sediment for many years, because of the slow erosion rates that occur in these sheltered environments. Many unoiled portions were rich in epifaunal and infaunal populations of invertebrates and plants. Shorebirds were observed feeding in these unoiled areas

  3. 2016 USACE National Coastal Mapping Program (NCMP) Gulf Coast Lidar and Imagery Acquisition - Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida

    Data.gov (United States)

    Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, Department of Defense — The Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX) plans to perform a coastal survey along the Gulf Coast in 2016 with funding provided by...

  4. Sand wave fields beneath the Loop Current, Gulf of Mexico: Reworking of fan sands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenyon, Neil H.; Akhmetzhanov, A.M.; Twichell, D.C.

    2002-01-01

    Extensive fields of large barchan-like sand waves and longitudinal sand ribbons have been mapped by deep-towed SeaMARC IA sidescan sonar on part of the middle and lower Mississippi Fan that lies in about 3200 m of water. The area is beneath the strongly flowing Loop Current. The bedforms have not been adequately sampled but probably consist of winnowed siliciclastic-foraminiferal sands. The size (about 200 m from wingtip to wingtip) and shape of the large barchans is consistent with a previously observed peak current speed of 30 cm/s, measured 25 m above the seabed. The types of small-scale bedforms and the scoured surfaces of chemical crusts, seen on nearby bottom photographs, indicate that near-bed currents in excess of 30 cm/s may sometimes occur. At the time of the survey the sand transport direction was to the northwest, in the opposite direction to the Loop Current but consistent with there being a deep boundary current along the foot of the Florida Escarpment. Some reworking of the underlying sandy turbidites and debris flow deposits is apparent on the sidescan sonar records. Reworking by deep-sea currents, resulting in erosion and in deposits characterised by coarsening upwards structures and cross-bedding, is a process that has been proposed for sand found in cores in shallower parts of the Gulf of Mexico. This process is more widespread than hitherto supposed. 

  5. Advanced stellar compass deep space navigation, ground testing results

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Betto, Maurizio; Jørgensen, John Leif; Jørgensen, Peter Siegbjørn

    2006-01-01

    Deep space exploration is in the agenda of the major space agencies worldwide and at least the European Space Agency (SMART & Aurora Programs) and the American NASA (New Millennium Program) have set up programs to allow the development and the demonstration of technologies that can reduce the risks...... and the costs of the deep space missions. Navigation is the Achilles' heel of deep space. Being performed on ground, it imposes considerable constraints on the system and the operations, it is very expensive to execute, especially when the mission lasts several years and, above all, it is not failure tolerant...... to determine the orbit of a spacecraft autonomously, on-board and without any a priori knowledge of any kind. The solution is robust, elegant and fast. This paper presents the preliminary performances obtained during the ground tests. The results are very positive and encouraging....

  6. Mercury in contaminated coastal environments; a case study: the Gulf of Trieste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horvat, M; Covelli, S; Faganeli, J; Logar, M; Mandić, V; Rajar, R; Sirca, A; Zagar, D

    1999-09-30

    Some general facts, uncertainties and gaps in current knowledge of Hg cycling in coastal and oceanic environments are given. As a case study the Gulf of Trieste is chosen. The Gulf is subject to substantial Hg pollution, originating from the Soca river, that drains the cinnabar deposits of the world's second largest Hg mining area, Idrija, Slovenia. The Gulf belongs to one of the most polluted areas in the Mediterranean. Apart from Hg problems, the Gulf is also a subject to industrial and sewage pollution. Due to deteriorating water quality in the Gulf there is a great concern that Hg can be remobilized from sediments to the water column as well as enhance methylation rates which may consequently increase already elevated Hg levels in aquatic organisms. The paper presents data from a recent study which aims to assess the extent of contamination of the Gulf of Trieste after the closure of the Hg mine. Mercury and methylmercury were measured in various environmental compartments (estuarine and marine waters, sediments, and organisms) during the period 1995-1997. Data obtained show that even 10 years after closure of the Hg mine, Hg concentrations in river sediments and water are still very high and did not show the expected decrease of Hg in the Gulf of Trieste. A provisional annual mercury mass balance was established for the Gulf of Trieste showing that the major source of inorganic mercury is still the River Soca (Isonzo) while the major source of methylmercury is the bottom sediment of the Gulf.

  7. Venezuela positioning itself to take key market role in wake of Gulf War

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports on Venezuela which continues efforts to position itself in world markets to capitalize on fallout from the Persian Gulf war. The central government and state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA have accelerated already ambitious plans to expand activities in upstream and downstream oil and gas sectors. Pvdsa has sharply increased its 1991-96 investment program from the level planned at the end of last year. The goal is to put Venezuela on a par with major Persian Gulf oil exporters in terms of productive capacity. Linchpin of those efforts could well be further steps toward privatization of Venezuela's oil sector. For the first time since nationalization in 1976, private foreign and domestic companies are being permitted to participate in Venezuelan exploration and development. In addition, the government is trimming the onerous tax burden the oil sector has carried in Venezuela, as well as its heavy subsidy of domestic petroleum products

  8. Geotechnical aspects of deep ocean radioactive waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freeman, T.J.

    1990-01-01

    The methods that might be used to bury radioactive waste in the deep ocean, and their likely effect on the sediment barrier, have been the subject of an international research program performed during the last ten years. This paper reviews the geotechnical aspects of deep ocean disposal and discusses how far the research performed has gone towards providing the information needed to assess this form of disposal. Considerable progress has been made during the course of the international program towards understanding the processes involved in the emplacement of heat generating waste (HGW) into the deep ocean bed and the subsequent interactions between the waste and the sediments. These processes do not appear to have a deleterious effect on the barrier properties of the sediments, and it is concluded that it is likely that HGW could be emplaced in the deep ocean in such a way that the seabed would provide an effective containment for the radionuclides

  9. Physical processes in the Gulf of Kachchh: A review

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Vethamony, P.; Babu, M.T.

    A brief review of various physical processes acting in the Gulf of Kachchh (GoK), which have prominent roles in Gulf dynamics, is presented in this article. The eddies present in the GoK confirm that they are permanent features of the Go...

  10. Carbon emissions from the Persian Gulf countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Shatti, A.M.

    1991-01-01

    The wealth of indigenous oil resources has largely determined the economic and energy use patterns in the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Sizable profits accrued from the inflation of world oil prices spurred tremendous economic growth across the Gulf during the 1970s. The GCC nations channeled this oil wealth into the rapid development of infrastructure and the creation of super-welfare states. Today, these highly affluent societies enjoy benefits ranging from free medical care, schooling and housing to subsidized electricity and gasoline supplies. The combination of great personal prosperity, abundant petroleum resources and highly subsidized energy prices has led to excessive energy use in the Gulf nations. These countries consume among the highest amounts of energy per capita in the world. Correspondingly, these nations generate among the highest levels of energy-related carbon per capita

  11. 76 FR 37064 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council); Public Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-24

    ... meeting. SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a public meeting via webinar... meeting will be held via webinar. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 North... Executive Director, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 348-1630. SUPPLEMENTARY...

  12. Gulf War illness: an overview of events, most prevalent health outcomes, exposures, and clues as to pathogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerr, Kathleen J

    2015-01-01

    During or very soon after the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War, veterans of the conflict began to report symptoms of illness. Common complaints included combinations of cognitive difficulties, fatigue, myalgia, rashes, dyspnea, insomnia, gastrointestinal symptoms and sensitivity to odors. Gradually in the USA, and later in the UK, France, Canada, Denmark and Australia, governments implemented medical assessment programs and epidemiologic studies to determine the scope of what was popularly referred to as "the Gulf War syndrome". Attention was drawn to numerous potentially toxic deployment-related exposures that appeared to vary by country of deployment, by location within the theater, by unit, and by personal job types. Identifying a single toxicant cause was considered unlikely and it was recognized that outcomes were influenced by genetic variability in xenobiotic metabolism. Derived from primary papers and key reports by the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses and the Institute of Medicine, a brief overview is presented of war related events, symptoms and diagnostic criteria for Gulf War illness (GWV), some international differences, the various war-related exposures and key epidemiologic studies. Possible exposure interactions and pathophysiologic mechanisms are discussed. Exposures to pyridostigmine bromide, pesticides, sarin and mustard gas or combinations thereof were most associated with GWI, especially in some genotype subgroups. The resultant oxidant stress and background exposome must be assumed to have played a role. Gulf War (GW) exposures and their potential toxic effects should be considered in the context of the human genome, the human exposome and resultant oxidant stress to better characterize this unique environmentally-linked illness and, ultimately, provide a rationale for more effective interventions and future prevention efforts.

  13. Long-term changes of fisheries landings in enclosed gulf lagoons (Amvrakikos gulf, W Greece): Influences of fishing and other human impacts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katselis, George N.; Moutopoulos, Dimitrios K.; Dimitriou, Evagelos N.; Koutsikopoulos, Constantin

    2013-10-01

    The present study analyses long-term annual fishery landings time series (1980-2007) for species derived from six lagoons (covering about 70 km2) around an important European wetland, the fjord-like Amvrakikos gulf. Landing trends for most abundant species revealed that typical lagoon fish species-groups, such as Mugilidae (Mugil cephalus, Chelon labrosus, Liza saliens, Liza aurata and Liza ramada), eels (Anguilla anguilla) and Gobies (mainly Zosteriosessor ophiocephalus) had largely decreased, while the landings of Sparus aurata increased during the entire study period. These trends led to a significant change in species composition during recent years that might be attributed to large-scale climatic changes as well as serious anthropogenic impacts that degraded the water quality and altered the hydrology within the gulf and lagoons, the increase of fishing exploitation in Amvrakikos gulf, the expansion of aquaculture activities within the gulf, the application of new fishing management practices in lagoons, and the increase of fish-eating sea-bird populations. The findings are needed for the implementation of an efficient and integrated management tool for the study of coastal systems.

  14. ECONOMICS AND APPRAISAL OF CONVENTIONAL OIL AND GAS IN THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attanasi, E.D.; Haynes, John L.

    1984-01-01

    The oil and gas industry frequently appraises undiscovered oil and gas resources on a regional basis to decide whether to start or continue exploration programs. The appraisals are of little value unless conditioned by estimates of the costs of finding and producing the resources. This paper presents an economic appraisal of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the western Gulf of Mexico. Also presented are a description of the model used to make the assessment, results of a sensitivity analysis, and a discussion of the implications of the results to the industry. The appraisal is shown to be relatively robust to changes in physical and engineering assumptions. Because the number of commercial discoveries was found to be quite sensitive to economic conditions, the analysis has important implications in terms of forecasting future industry drilling and other associated activities in the western Gulf of Mexico.

  15. Observing environmental change in of the Gulf of Maine: ICUC smartphone app

    Science.gov (United States)

    Want to help collect data on environmental change in the Gulf of Maine with your smartphone? The Gulf of Maine Council’s EcoSystem Indicator Partnership (ESIP) is growing the community of citizen scientists in the Gulf of Maine region through its new smartphone app: ICUC (...

  16. Assessment of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impact on Gulf coast microbial communities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Regina eLamendella

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available One of the major environmental concerns of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was the ecological impact of the oil that reached shorelines of the Gulf Coast. Here we investigated the impact of the oil on the microbial composition in beach samples collected in June 2010 along a heavily impacted shoreline near Grand Isle, Louisiana. Successional changes in the microbial community structure due to the oil contamination were determined by deep sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Metatranscriptomics was used to determine expression of functional genes involved in hydrocarbon degradation processes. In addition, potential hydrocarbon-degrading Bacteria were obtained in culture. The 16S data revealed that highly contaminated samples had higher abundances of Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria sequences. Successional changes in these classes were observed over time, during which the oil was partially degraded. The metatranscriptome data revealed that PAH, n-alkane, and toluene degradation genes were expressed in the contaminated samples, with high homology to genes from Alteromonadales, Rhodobacterales, and Pseudomonales. Notably, Marinobacter (Gammaproteobacteria had the highest representation of expressed genes in the samples. A Marinobacter isolated from this beach was shown to have potential for transformation of hydrocarbons in incubation experiments with oil obtained from the Mississippi Canyon Block 252 (MC252 well; collected during the Deepwater Horizon spill. The combined data revealed a response of the beach microbial community to oil contaminants, including prevalence of Bacteria endowed with the functional capacity to degrade oil.

  17. Report A, chemical oceanographic data from the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman from 17 April 1972 to 17 March 1978 (NODC Accession 7900091)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Temperature profile and chemical data were collected using bottle casts from NOAA Ship DELAWARE and other platforms in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman from 17...

  18. Evaluation of potential severe accidents during low power and shutdown operations at Grand Gulf, Unit 1: Evaluation of severe accident risks for plant operational state 5 during a refueling outage. Main report and appendices, Volume 6, Part 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, T.D.; Kmetyk, L.N.; Whitehead, D.; Miller, L.; Forester, J.; Johnson, J.

    1995-03-01

    Traditionally, probabilistic risk assessments (PRAS) of severe accidents in nuclear power plants have considered initiating events potentially occurring only during full power operation. Recent studies and operational experience have, however, implied that accidents during low power and shutdown could be significant contributors to risk. In response to this concern, in 1989 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) initiated an extensive program to carefully examine the potential risks during low power and shutdown operations. Two plants, Surry (pressurized water reactor) and Grand Gulf (boiling water reactor), were selected as the plants to be studied. The program consists of two parallel projects being performed by Brookhaven National Laboratory (Surry) and Sandia National Laboratories (Grand Gulf). The program objectives include assessing the risks of severe accidents initiated during plant operational states other than full power operation and comparing the estimated risks with the risk associated with accidents initiated during full power operation as assessed in NUREG-1150. The scope of the program is that of a Level-3 PRA. The subject of this report is the PRA of the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Unit 1. The Grand Gulf plant utilizes a 3833 MWt BUR-6 boiling water reactor housed in a Mark III containment. The Grand Gulf plant is located near Port Gibson, Mississippi. The regime of shutdown analyzed in this study was plant operational state (POS) 5 during a refueling outage, which is approximately Cold Shutdown as defined by Grand Gulf Technical Specifications. The entire PRA of POS 5 is documented in a multi-volume NUREG report (NUREG/CR-6143). The internal events accident sequence analysis (Level 1) is documented in Volume 2. The Level 1 internal fire and internal flood analyses are documented in Vols 3 and 4, respectively

  19. Evaluation of potential severe accidents during low power and shutdown operations at Grand Gulf, Unit 1: Evaluation of severe accident risks for plant operational state 5 during a refueling outage. Main report and appendices, Volume 6, Part 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, T.D.; Kmetyk, L.N.; Whitehead, D.; Miller, L. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Forester, J. [Science Applications International Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Johnson, J. [GRAM, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    1995-03-01

    Traditionally, probabilistic risk assessments (PRAS) of severe accidents in nuclear power plants have considered initiating events potentially occurring only during full power operation. Recent studies and operational experience have, however, implied that accidents during low power and shutdown could be significant contributors to risk. In response to this concern, in 1989 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) initiated an extensive program to carefully examine the potential risks during low power and shutdown operations. Two plants, Surry (pressurized water reactor) and Grand Gulf (boiling water reactor), were selected as the plants to be studied. The program consists of two parallel projects being performed by Brookhaven National Laboratory (Surry) and Sandia National Laboratories (Grand Gulf). The program objectives include assessing the risks of severe accidents initiated during plant operational states other than full power operation and comparing the estimated risks with the risk associated with accidents initiated during full power operation as assessed in NUREG-1150. The scope of the program is that of a Level-3 PRA. The subject of this report is the PRA of the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Unit 1. The Grand Gulf plant utilizes a 3833 MWt BUR-6 boiling water reactor housed in a Mark III containment. The Grand Gulf plant is located near Port Gibson, Mississippi. The regime of shutdown analyzed in this study was plant operational state (POS) 5 during a refueling outage, which is approximately Cold Shutdown as defined by Grand Gulf Technical Specifications. The entire PRA of POS 5 is documented in a multi-volume NUREG report (NUREG/CR-6143). The internal events accident sequence analysis (Level 1) is documented in Volume 2. The Level 1 internal fire and internal flood analyses are documented in Vols 3 and 4, respectively.

  20. Increased psychological distress among Danish Gulf War veterans--without evidence for a neurotoxic background. The Danish Gulf War Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ishøy, Torben; Knop, Joachim; Suadicani, Poul

    2004-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Compared with controls, up to six years after their return, Danish Gulf War veterans have a significantly higher prevalence of self-reported neuropsychological symptoms, potentially as a result of neurotoxic exposure during deployment. We tested the hypotheses that: 1) GW veterans...... of neuropsychological symptoms, and stratified according to SCL-90-R score, no trends were found suggesting reduced motor function with increasing symptoms. Of nine dimensions constructed on the basis of the SCL-90-R items, six were significantly associated with being a Gulf War veteran. Statistically, the strongest...... would perform less well than controls using a computerized neuromotor test battery; and that 2) GW veterans have a psychological profile different from that of controls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 686 subjects who had been deployed in the Persian Gulf within the period August 2...

  1. Good Order at Sea in the Gulf of Guinea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordby, Johannes Riber; Lindskov Jacobsen, Katja

    In this chapter, we first outline the maritime security situation in the Gulf of Guinea region at present. It is examined in the context of Good Order at Sea. Second, we describe the most recent maritime security initiative launched during the Yaoundé Summit in 2013. During the summit, West...... and Central African states decided to establish six maritime zones along their coastline in order to improve the maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. A process heavily supported by UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO). Finally, the chapter suggests that maritime security issues in the Gulf...

  2. Archive of Sidescan Sonar and Swath Bathymetry Data Collected During USGS Cruise 13CCT04 Offshore of Petit Bois Island, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi, August 2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeWitt, Nancy T.; Flocks, James G.; Kindinger, Jack G.; Bernier, Julie C.; Kelso, Kyle W.; Wiese, Dana S.; Finlayson, David P.; Pfeiffer, William R.

    2015-01-01

    In August of 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a geophysical survey offshore of Petit Bois Island, Mississippi. This effort was part of the U.S. Geological Survey Gulf of Mexico Science Coordination partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assist the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program and the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Change and Hazards Susceptibility Project, by mapping the shallow geologic stratigraphic framework of the Mississippi Barrier Island Complex.

  3. The Shia Factor in Relations Between the Arab Countries of the Persian Gulf and Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kirichenko Vladimir P.

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The author studies the influence of the “Shia factor” on the relations between Iran and the Gulf Arab countries. In most countries of the Persian Gulf, there are Shia communities that constitute a significant part of the population. After the Islamic revolution of 1979 relations between Iran and most Arab countries have become particularly tense. In the 1980s, the Gulf monarchies also became wary of exporting the Islamic revolution in their countries. This was due to the fact that, being inspired by the success of the co-religionists in Iran, the Arab Shiites became more involved in politics. It should be noted that the way the Arab Gulf countries treat the Shiites in the region is influenced by the fact that Iran and the Arab Gulf countries compete for political and economic predominance in the region. Often the Shia Muslims are discriminated by the authorities of the Arab countries, and are regarded as the so-called “fifth column” of Iran. In the author’s opinion, the policy of oppression of the Shia Muslims in the Persian Gulf monarchies not only worsens the political situation in these countries, but also complicates relations with neighboring Iran. This policy is not constructive. Moreover, the mythical “Iranian threat” does not go to any comparison with the threat posed by the Islamic State. According to the author, although after the execution of the Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of 2016 Iran’s relations with Arab countries became even more strained, the further escalation of the conflict is not in the interests of Iran. Especially now, at the initial stage of removing sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program, the military operations against the Shiites in the Arab countries may slow down the process. As for Saudi Arabia, in the event of the outbreak of hostilities Riyadh may seriously damage relations with the United States. This is because Washington sees no benefits in involving

  4. Observations of Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Occurrences from the NOAA National Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Database, 1842-Present (NCEI Accession 0145037)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — NOAA’s Deep-Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSC-RTP) compiles a national database of the known locations of deep-sea corals and sponges in U.S....

  5. 76 FR 60807 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting; Correction

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-30

    ... to a Council meeting. SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting... Thursday, October 13, 2011. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery...

  6. RB-10-07 Lophelia II 2010: Oil Seeps and Deep Reefs on NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown in the Gulf of Mexico between 20101014 and 20101104

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Lophelia II project involves exploration and research of the northern Gulf of Mexico deepwater natural and artificial hard bottom habitats with emphasis on coral...

  7. Central Gulf of Mexico lease sale draws weak industry response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koen, A.D.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that interest in oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico continued spiraling downward at the latest Minerals Management Service offshore sale. Companies participating in Outer Continental Shelf Sale 139 last week in New Orleans offered 196 bids for 151 blocks in the central Gulf of Mexico. MMS offered 5,213 blocks for lease. The number of tracts receiving bids was the fewest at a central gulf lease sale since 114 tracts garnered high bids totaling $146.4 million at Sale 104 in April 1986. Apparent high bids in Sale 139 totaled $56,195,552, and all bids offered totaled just $65,300,864. Both bidding totals were the lowest in a Gulf of Mexico lease sale since MMS began area-wide gulf leasing at Sale 72 in May 1983. Only 64 of 93 qualified companies participated in Sale 139. Fifty-five companies offered apparent winning bids. By comparison, 123 companies at central gulf lease Sale 131 in March 1991 offered 637 bids totaling $320.5 million for 464 tracts. Apparent high bids last spring totaled $259.9 million. At central gulf lease Sale 123 in March 1990, high bids totaled $427.4 million for 538 tracts. In that sale, BP Exploration Inc. led all bidders, exposing $78 million in 79 high bids, including 60 for deepwater tracts. Since then, interest in deepwater tracts has waned in part because of sagging oil and gas prices as U.S. operators sought bigger prospects outside the U.S. Ironically, Sale 139 was dominated by the U.S. subsidiary of an Italian holding company

  8. Heavy metals in red crabs, Chaceon quinquedens, from the Gulf of Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Harriet; Isphording, Wayne; Trigg, Christine; Riedel, Ralf

    2015-12-30

    The red crab, Chaceon quinquedens, is distributed in deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and is most abundant in an area associated with sediment deposition from the Mississippi River. Sediment geochemistry and biological and ecological traits of red crabs favor accumulation of contaminants. Red crabs, sediment, and bottom water samples were taken from three distinct geographic locations representing areas with differing exposure to contaminant laden effluents from the Mississippi River. Inductively coupled plasma spectrophotometry and atomic absorption spectrophotometry were employed to determine levels of heavy metals in red crab muscle tissue. Ion site partitioning was used to determine metal speciation in sediments. Red crabs showed evidence of heavy metal bioaccumulation in all sample areas with high variability in contaminant levels in individual crabs for some metals. Bioavailability of metals in sediment did not always result in accumulation in muscle tissue. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Future role of Gulf oil in world energy demand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eltony, M.N.

    1998-01-01

    The view that there will be a growing dependence on oil from the Gulf countries is shared by a great number of oil market analysts. This view is based on the fact that Gulf countries dominate the global oil reserves. Energy analyst argue that as the world demand for oil continues to grow driven largely by the growth in developing countries' consumption coupled with constrained non-OPEC supply, the end result will be that the call on Gulf oil will grow substantially. In summary, this paper has challenged the view of growing dependence on oil from the Gulf using available information in conjunction with reasonable and fairly plausible arguments. The aim was to point out to the GCC member counties the danger of relying on these views in shaping their economic policies and in setting their oil market strategies. They may run the ultimate risk of being left with huge oil reserves that no one wants. (orig.)

  10. Gulf Canada Resources Limited 1998 annual report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    A review of operations in 1998 and financial information from Gulf Canada Resources Limited is provided to keep shareholders abreast of company performance. Gulf Canada Resources Limited explores for, develops, produces and markets conventional and synthetic crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. In 1998, the company's main operating centres were in western Canada (where it owns a nine per cent interest in the Syncrude Joint Venture), Indonesia, the North Sea and Australia. The report summarizes the company's energy resource activities, presents a detailed review of operations, and provides consolidated financial statements, and common share information. Although Gulf Canada Resources sold $ 1.2 billion worth of non-producing assets during the year, year end proved reserves of 838 million barrels of oil equivalent were less than ten per cent lower than a year earlier, reflecting reserve additions of 100 million barrels of oil equivalent. tabs., figs

  11. Energy benchmarking for shopping centers in Gulf Coast region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juaidi, Adel; AlFaris, Fadi; Montoya, Francisco G.; Manzano-Agugliaro, Francisco

    2016-01-01

    Building sector consumes a significant amount of energy worldwide (up to 40% of the total global energy); moreover, by the year 2030 the consumption is expected to increase by 50%. One of the reasons is that the performance of buildings and its components degrade over the years. In recent years, energy benchmarking for government office buildings, large scale public buildings and large commercial buildings is one of the key energy saving projects for promoting the development of building energy efficiency and sustainable energy savings in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Benchmarking would increase the purchase of energy efficient equipment, reducing energy bills, CO_2 emissions and conventional air pollution. This paper focuses on energy benchmarking for shopping centers in Gulf Coast Region. In addition, this paper will analyze a sample of shopping centers data in Gulf Coast Region (Dubai, Ajman, Sharjah, Oman and Bahrain). It aims to develop a benchmark for these shopping centers by highlighting the status of energy consumption performance. This research will support the sustainability movement in Gulf area through classifying the shopping centers into: Poor, Usual and Best Practices in terms of energy efficiency. According to the benchmarking analysis in this paper, the shopping centers best energy management practices in the Gulf Coast Region are the buildings that consume less than 810 kW h/m"2/yr, whereas the poor building practices are the centers that consume greater than 1439 kW h/m"2/yr. The conclusions of this work can be used as a reference for shopping centres benchmarking with similar climate. - Highlights: •The energy consumption data of shopping centers in Gulf Coast Region were gathered. •A benchmarking of energy consumption for the public areas for the shopping centers in the Gulf Coast Region was developed. •The shopping centers have the usual practice in the region between 810 kW h/m"2/yr and 1439 kW h/m"2/yr.

  12. Ocean Response to Tropical Storms as Observed by a Moored Ocean Observing System in the Deep Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oropeza, F.; Jaramillo, S.; Fan, S.

    2013-05-01

    As part of the support activities for a deepwater development in the Gulf of Mexico, a moored ocean observing system (OOS) was deployed in a water depth of approximately 2500m, 300km south of the Louisiana Coast. From June 2007 to May 2009, the system comprised seven single point Aanderaa Recording Current Meters (RCM), deployed at 450m, 700m, 1,100m, 1,500m, 2,000m, 2,400m and 2,490m below surface, and an RDI 75kHz Longranger Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), deployed between 249 and 373m below surface in upward-looking mode. Since May 2009, the OOS was upgraded to a Wavescan Buoy based moored system including meteorological sensors for: atmospheric pressure, air temperature, wind speed and direction; directional waves sensor; a Doppler Current Sensor (DCS) at 1.5 m depth for surface currents; and two downward-looking ADCP's covering the upper 1,000m of the water column. This OOS has been operating without interruptions from 2007 to the present and has registered data associated with nine tropical storms, including the direct passage of Hurricane Ike, in September of 2008, and loop current events with speeds of up to 4 knots. It has provided one of the most comprehensive set of velocity observations in the Gulf of Mexico, especially, the near surface currents, during pre-storm conditions, response, and ocean relaxation following hurricanes/tropical storms. Based on these observations the upper ocean responses to the energy input from tropical storms are characterized in terms of the associated mixing processes and momentum balances.

  13. Training Course on the Marine Ecology of the Red Sea. Red Sea & Gulf of Aden Programme (PERSGA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arab Organization for Education and Science, Cairo (Egypt).

    This document presents a training course on the marine ecology of the Red Sea designed by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) in collaboration with the Marine Science Department of UNESCO for the Program for Environmental Studies, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA). It was hosted by the Marine Science Station,…

  14. 78 FR 12294 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council); Public Meetings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-22

    ... meetings. SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils will convene a Science.... to 4 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Gulf of Mexico.... Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL...

  15. The combined risk of extreme tropical cyclone winds and storm surges along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Coast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trepanier, J. C.; Yuan, J.; Jagger, T. H.

    2017-03-01

    Tropical cyclones, with their nearshore high wind speeds and deep storm surges, frequently strike the United States Gulf of Mexico coastline influencing millions of people and disrupting offshore economic activities. The combined risk of occurrence of tropical cyclone nearshore wind speeds and storm surges is assessed at 22 coastal cities throughout the United States Gulf of Mexico. The models used are extreme value copulas fitted with margins defined by the generalized Pareto distribution or combinations of Weibull, gamma, lognormal, or normal distributions. The statistical relationships between the nearshore wind speed and storm surge are provided for each coastal city prior to the copula model runs using Spearman's rank correlations. The strongest significant relationship between the nearshore wind speed and storm surge exists at Shell Beach, LA (ρ = 0.67), followed by South Padre Island, TX (ρ = 0.64). The extreme value Archimedean copula models for each city then provide return periods for specific nearshore wind speed and storm surge pairs. Of the 22 cities considered, Bay St. Louis, MS, has the shortest return period for a tropical cyclone with at least a 50 ms-1 nearshore wind speed and a 3 m surge (19.5 years, 17.1-23.5). The 90% confidence intervals are created by recalculating the return periods for a fixed set of wind speeds and surge levels using 100 samples of the model parameters. The results of this study can be utilized by policy managers and government officials concerned with coastal populations and economic activity in the Gulf of Mexico.

  16. Seasonal phytoplankton blooms in the Gulf of Aden revealed by remote sensing

    KAUST Repository

    Gittings, John

    2016-11-25

    The Gulf of Aden, situated in the northwest Arabian Sea and linked to the Red Sea, is a relatively unexplored ecosystem. Understanding of large-scale biological dynamics is limited by the lack of adequate datasets. In this study, we analyse 15 years of remotely-sensed chlorophyll-a data (Chl-a, an index of phytoplankton biomass) acquired from the Ocean Colour Climate Change Initiative (OC-CCI) of the European Space Agency (ESA). The improved spatial coverage of OC-CCI data in the Gulf of Aden allows, for the first time, an investigation into the full seasonal succession of phytoplankton biomass. Analysis of indices of phytoplankton phenology (bloom timing) reveals distinct phytoplankton growth periods in different parts of the gulf: a large peak during August (mid-summer) in the western part of the gulf, and a smaller peak during November (mid-autumn) in the lower central gulf and along the southern coastline. The summer bloom develops rapidly at the beginning of July, and its peak is approximately three times higher than that of the autumnal bloom. Remotely-sensed sea-surface temperature (SST), wind-stress curl, vertical nutrient profiles and geostrophic currents inferred from the sea-level anomaly, were analysed to examine the underlying physical mechanisms that control phytoplankton growth. During summer, the prevailing southwesterlies cause upwelling along the northern coastline of the gulf (Yemen), leading to an increase in nutrient availability and enhancing phytoplankton growth along the coastline and in the western part of the gulf. In contrast, in the central region of the gulf, lowest concentrations of Chl-a are observed during summer, due to strong downwelling caused by a mesoscale anticyclonic eddy. During autumn, the prevailing northeasterlies enable upwelling along the southern coastline (Somalia) causing local nutrient enrichment in the euphotic zone, leading to higher levels of phytoplankton biomass along the coastline and in the lower central gulf

  17. Proceedings of a workshop on environmental oceanography of the Gulf of Mexico, College Station, Texas, 15--16 March 1976

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1976-01-01

    A workshop was convened under the sponsorship of the Energy Research and Development Administration to define the most critical energy-related environmental problems in the Gulf of Mexico and develop the framework for a program of research to solve these problems. A major and immediate concern is activity related to the oil and gas industry: production, transportation (including potential superport construction), processing, and use of petroleum-derived fuels. The problems which might be posed by the development of other potential sources of energy, such as coastal and offshore nuclear power plants, were also given consideration. Several keynote speakers presented their thoughts on Gulf environmental problems from different points of view, and their remarks are recorded in Appendix I

  18. Biomarker Discovery in Gulf War Veterans: Development of a War Illness Diagnostic Panel

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-12-01

    Award Number: W81XWH-12-1-0382 TITLE: Biomarker Discovery in Gulf War Veterans: Development of a War Illness Diagnostic Panel PRINCIPAL...SUBTITLE Biomarker Discovery in Gulf War Veterans: Development of a War Illness Diagnostic Panel 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER W81XWH-12-1-0382 5b. GRANT...of the 1990-1991 Gulf War are affected by Gulf War illness (GWI), the chronic condition currently defined only by veterans’ self-reported symptoms

  19. Environmental impacts of tourism in the Gulf and the Red Sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gladstone, William; Curley, Belinda; Shokri, Mohammad Reza

    2013-07-30

    The Gulf and Red Sea possess diverse coastal and marine environments that support rapidly expanding mass tourism. Despite the associated environmental risks, there is no analysis of the tourism-related literature or recent analysis of impacts. Environmental issues reported in 101 publications (25 from the Gulf, 76 from the Red Sea) include 61 purported impacts (27 from the Gulf, 45 from the Red Sea). Gulf literature includes quantitative studies (68% publications) and reviews (32%), and addresses mostly land reclamation and artificial habitats. Most Gulf studies come from Iran and UAE (64%). Red Sea literature includes quantitative studies (81%) and reviews (11%), with most studies occurring in Egypt (70%). The most published topics relate to coral breakage and its management. A full account of tourism's environmental impacts is constrained by limited tourism data, confounding of impacts with other coastal developments, lack of baseline information, shifting baselines, and fragmentation of research across disciplines. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Gulf War syndrome: an emerging threat or a piece of history?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenberg, N; Wessely, S

    2008-01-01

    Gulf War syndrome’ is a phrase coined after the 1991 Gulf War to group together disparate, unexplained health symptoms in Gulf veterans. This paper examines the many hypotheses that have been put forward about the origins of the concept and gives an overview of the studies that have attempted to explain the lasting health effects associated with Gulf service. Our review finds that although in the UK there has not yet been evidence of a new Gulf War syndrome as a result of the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is a rise in post-conflict psychiatric disorders now being reported in the USA. We postulate that after conflicts military personnel will always face some form of post-conflict syndrome and the nature of the threats experienced is likely to dictate the form the syndrome might take. We also postulate that media reporting is likely to have influenced and to continue unhelpfully to influence the health of service personnel. PMID:22460210

  1. Late 20th Century Deep-seated Vertical Motions in New Orleans and implications for Gulf Coast Subsidence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dokka, R. K.

    2010-12-01

    Subsidence of the Mississippi River delta and adjoining coastal areas is widely thought to be dominated by compaction of Holocene sediments. Current public policies regarding hurricane protection and ecosystems restoration are founded on this interpretation. To test this hypothesis, monuments that penetrate the entire Holocene section were measured using geodetic leveling and water gauges attached to bridge foundations. Results show that the entire sampling area subsided between 1955 and 1995 in amounts unanticipated by previous models. Subsidence due to processes originating below the Holocene section locally exceeded 0.9 m between 1955 and 1995. The maxima of deep subsidence occurred in the urbanized and industrialized sections of eastern New Orleans. Subsidence decreased away from urbanized areas and north of the belt of active basin margin normal faults; this decrease in subsidence continued to the north and east along the Mississippi coast. These independent measurements provide insights into the complexity and causes of modern landscape change in the region. Modern subsidence is clearly not dominated solely by shallow processes such as natural compaction, Deep subsidence occurring east and north of the basin margin faults can be explained by regional tectonic loading of the lithosphere by the modern Mississippi River delta and local groundwater withdrawal. Sharp, local changes in subsidence coincide with strands of the basin margin normal fault system. Deep subsidence of the New Orleans area can be explained by a combination of groundwater withdrawal from shallow upper Pleistocene aquifers, the aforementioned lithospheric loading, and non-groundwater-related faulting. Subsidence due to groundwater extraction from aquifers ~160 to 200 m deep dominated the urbanized areas from ~1960 to the early 1990s and is likely responsible for lowering flood protection structures and bridges in the area by as much as ~0.8 m.

  2. Use of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase tool for biomonitoring marine environment pollution in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeinali, Farrokhzad; Homaei, Ahmad; Kamrani, Ehsan; Patel, Seema

    2018-04-30

    Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is the pivotal antioxidant enzyme that defends organisms against the oxidative stresses of superoxide radicals. In this experimental study, purification of SOD from the leaves of Avicennia marina (grey mangrove or white mangrove) from the family Acanthaceae, located in Sirik mangrove forest on the shore of the Gulf of Oman was performed, for the intended characterization of SOD. The Sirik AmSOD (A. marina SOD) expressed optimum activity in the pH range of 6-9 with the maximum activity at pH 8. The optimal temperature for Sirik AmSOD activity was 70°C. Comparison of the pH and temperature optima in two regions (the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman) showed significant differences with P<0.05. The SOD from the Persian Gulf was more resistant against the environmental stressors, because of the biochemical adaption to this environment, which is harsher. The evidence from these results suggests that AmSOD has different characteristics in each place, and mangroves undergo different adaptations and require different protections. The results of the enzymatic research can be useful for ecological management of organisms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. GAOCMAO and its oil spill response activities in the Gulf

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Sada, M.S.

    1994-01-01

    Gulf Area Oil Companies Mutual Aid Organisation (GAOCMAO), has taken active steps in cooperation with its member companies, national and regional environmental organisation (ROPME) in an attempt to protect the Gulf from various sources of pollution. Specific attention was given to oil pollution response in terms of stockpiling of adequate equipment, training of personal and coordination through the application of pre-prepared contingency plans. All these activities tell us that a lot has been done to protect the Gulf environment from pollution. GAOCMAO, after many years of successful development looks to the future with confidence and renewed vigor. It is the intention of this organisation to enhance its member companies capabilities to respond to major incidents and to work closely with the national governmental, regional and international environmental organisations throughout the world, in fields appropriate to the Gulf oil industry. (author)

  4. Reproduction of Persian Gulf anemone fish (Amphiprion clarkii) in captive system

    OpenAIRE

    Javad Sahandi

    2011-01-01

    The present study was carried out to assess the reproduction of Persian Gulf anemone fish,Amphiprion clarkii (Bennett, 1830), in captive conditions with artificial features. Persian Gulf, havinggood relation with Indian Ocean, is one of the important niches of fishes and the specific position ofthis Gulf makes its fishes popular. The yellow tail clown fish which originates to this gulf has the bestsurvival rate and health than the other areas. Live food is the most important factor in product...

  5. Assessment of pipeline stability in the Gulf of Mexico during hurricanes using dynamic analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yinghui Tian

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Pipelines are the critical link between major offshore oil and gas developments and the mainland. Any inadequate on-bottom stability design could result in disruption and failure, having a devastating impact on the economy and environment. Predicting the stability behavior of offshore pipelines in hurricanes is therefore vital to the assessment of both new design and existing assets. The Gulf of Mexico has a very dense network of pipeline systems constructed on the seabed. During the last two decades, the Gulf of Mexico has experienced a series of strong hurricanes, which have destroyed, disrupted and destabilized many pipelines. This paper first reviews some of these engineering cases. Following that, three case studies are retrospectively simulated using an in-house developed program. The study utilizes the offshore pipeline and hurricane details to conduct a Dynamic Lateral Stability analysis, with the results providing evidence as to the accuracy of the modeling techniques developed.

  6. Africa and Arab Gulf states : divergent development paths and prospects for convergence

    OpenAIRE

    Fofack, Hippolyte

    2009-01-01

    In spite of the similarities between Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab Gulf region (Gulf Cooperation Council states), development policies implemented in these two regions of the world have produced markedly different and even divergent outcomes. While Gulf Cooperation Council states have drawn on hydrocarbon revenues to dramatically transform their economic landscape, Sub-Saharan African co...

  7. Gulf war illness--better, worse, or just the same? A cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hotopf, Matthew; David, Anthony S; Hull, Lisa; Nikalaou, Vasilis; Unwin, Catherine; Wessely, Simon

    2003-12-13

    Firstly, to describe changes in the health of Gulf war veterans studied in a previous occupational cohort study and to compare outcome with comparable non-deployed military personnel. Secondly, to determine whether differences in prevalence between Gulf veterans and controls at follow up can be explained by greater persistence or greater incidence of disorders. Occupational cohort study in the form of a postal survey. Military personnel who served in the 1991 Persian Gulf war; personnel who served on peacekeeping duties to Bosnia; military personnel who were deployed elsewhere ("Era" controls). All participants had responded to a previous survey. United Kingdom. Self reported fatigue measured on the Chalder fatigue scale; psychological distress measured on the general health questionnaire, physical functioning and health perception on the SF-36; and a count of physical symptoms. Gulf war veterans experienced a modest reduction in prevalence of fatigue (48.8% at stage 1, 43.4% at stage 2) and psychological distress (40.0% stage 1, 37.1% stage 2) but a slight worsening of physical functioning on the SF-36 (90.3 stage 1, 88.7 stage 2). Compared with the other cohorts Gulf veterans continued to experience poorer health on all outcomes, although physical functioning also declined in Bosnia veterans. Era controls showed both lower incidence of fatigue than Gulf veterans, and both comparison groups showed less persistence of fatigue compared with Gulf veterans. Gulf war veterans remain a group with many symptoms of ill health. The excess of illness at follow up is explained by both higher incidence and greater persistence of symptoms.

  8. NOAA National Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Database 1842-Present

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — NOAA's Deep-Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSC-RTP) is compiling a national geodatabase of the known locations of deep-sea corals and sponges in U.S....

  9. Seagrass status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1940-2002

    Science.gov (United States)

    Handley, L.; Altsman, D.; DeMay, R.

    2007-01-01

    Over the past century, seagrass habitats from the bays of Texas to the gulf shores of Florida have decreased. Seagrass beds, which are highly dependent on water quality and clarity for survival, are home to a multitude of aquatic plants and animals and a source of economic activity through commercial and recreational fishing and ecotourism. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf of Mexico Program (GMP) and its partners have made a commitment to restore, enhance, and protect this important ecosystem. As seagrass habitats decrease, the need for information on the causes and effects of seagrass loss, current mapping information, and education on the importance of seagrassess becomes greater. This report is the initial effort of the GMP’s research and restoration plan for seagrasses. The purpose of this report is to provide scientists, managers, and citizens with valuable baseline information on the status and trends of seagrasses in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Within the northern Gulf of Mexico region, 14 individual estuarine systems where seagrasses occur, as well as statewide summaries for Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, are examined in this study. Each estuarine system is detailed in vignettes that address current and historical extent and quality of seagrasses, seagrass mapping and monitoring, causes of status change, restoration and enhancement activities, background information for the entire study area as well as the subareas for study, and the methodology employed to analyze and document the historical trends and current status of seagrasses. The systems, moving from west to east, include the Laguna Madre, Texas Coastal Bend region, and Galveston Bay in Texas; the Chandeleur Islands in Louisiana; the Mississippi Sound; and Perdido Bay, Pensacola/Escambia Bay, Choctawhatchee Bay, St. Andrew Bay, Florida’s Big Bend region, Tampa Bay/St. Joseph Sound, Sarasota Bay, Greater Charlotte Harbor, and Florida Bay in Florida

  10. New optimized drill pipe size for deep-water, extended reach and ultra-deep drilling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jellison, Michael J.; Delgado, Ivanni [Grant Prideco, Inc., Hoston, TX (United States); Falcao, Jose Luiz; Sato, Ademar Takashi [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Moura, Carlos Amsler [Comercial Perfuradora Delba Baiana Ltda., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2004-07-01

    A new drill pipe size, 5-7/8 in. OD, represents enabling technology for Extended Reach Drilling (ERD), deep water and other deep well applications. Most world-class ERD and deep water wells have traditionally been drilled with 5-1/2 in. drill pipe or a combination of 6-5/8 in. and 5-1/2 in. drill pipe. The hydraulic performance of 5-1/2 in. drill pipe can be a major limitation in substantial ERD and deep water wells resulting in poor cuttings removal, slower penetration rates, diminished control over well trajectory and more tendency for drill pipe sticking. The 5-7/8 in. drill pipe provides a significant improvement in hydraulic efficiency compared to 5-1/2 in. drill pipe and does not suffer from the disadvantages associated with use of 6-5/8 in. drill pipe. It represents a drill pipe assembly that is optimized dimensionally and on a performance basis for casing and bit programs that are commonly used for ERD, deep water and ultra-deep wells. The paper discusses the engineering philosophy behind 5-7/8 in. drill pipe, the design challenges associated with development of the product and reviews the features and capabilities of the second-generation double-shoulder connection. The paper provides drilling case history information on significant projects where the pipe has been used and details results achieved with the pipe. (author)

  11. Fracture patterns of the drainage basin of Wadi Dahab in relation to tectonic-landscape evolution of the Gulf of Aqaba - Dead Sea transform fault

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shalaby, Ahmed

    2017-10-01

    Crustal rifting of the Arabian-Nubian Shield and formation of the Afro-Arabian rifts since the Miocene resulted in uplifting and subsequent terrain evolution of Sinai landscapes; including drainage systems and fault scarps. Geomorphic evolution of these landscapes in relation to tectonic evolution of the Afro-Arabian rifts is the prime target of this study. The fracture patterns and landscape evolution of the Wadi Dahab drainage basin (WDDB), in which its landscape is modeled by the tectonic evolution of the Gulf of Aqaba-Dead Sea transform fault, are investigated as a case study of landscape modifications of tectonically-controlled drainage systems. The early developed drainage system of the WDDB was achieved when the Sinai terrain subaerially emerged in post Eocene and initiation of the Afro-Arabian rifts in the Oligo-Miocene. Conjugate shear fractures, parallel to trends of the Afro-Arabian rifts, are synthesized with tensional fracture arrays to adapt some of inland basins, which represent the early destination of the Sinai drainage systems as paleolakes trapping alluvial sediments. Once the Gulf of Aqaba rift basin attains its deeps through sinistral movements on the Gulf of Aqaba-Dead Sea transform fault in the Pleistocene and the consequent rise of the Southern Sinai mountainous peaks, relief potential energy is significantly maintained through time so that it forced the Pleistocene runoffs to flow via drainage systems externally into the Gulf of Aqaba. Hence the older alluvial sediments are (1) carved within the paleolakes by a new generation of drainage systems; followed up through an erosional surface by sandy- to silty-based younger alluvium; and (2) brought on footslopes of fault scarps reviving the early developed scarps and inselbergs. These features argue for crustal uplifting of Sinai landscapes syn-rifting of the Gulf of Aqaba rift basin. Oblique orientation of the Red Sea-Gulf of Suez rift relative to the WNW-trending Precambrian Najd faults; and

  12. Gulf Arab women's transition to motherhood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Missal, Bernita

    2013-01-01

    This paper is a report of the findings of a study of Gulf Arab women's perspectives of the transition to motherhood. Transition to motherhood is a universal phenomenon in which every culture has its own expectations and varying supports for women moving through this transition. International studies have provided models or categories of maternal responses related to cultural aspects of transition to motherhood. However, no known research has focused on transition to motherhood among Gulf Arab women. In the initial cohort seventeen first time Gulf Arab mothers in the United Arab Emirates were interviewed during the following three times: before childbirth, two-four weeks after childbirth, and forty-days after childbirth. A second cohort of seventeen first time new mothers was interviewed after childbirth in Sultanate of Oman. Four patterns were identified as indicators of change as women transitioned into motherhood: 1) Women's personal transition: women changed from feeling of freedom to feeling of dependency to self-confidence. 2) Mother/baby relationships: women changed from fear, anxiety, and uncertainty to feelings of care and confidence. 3) Family influences: women experienced family support to being integrated and feeling respected by family. 4) Cultural/religious beliefs and practices: women felt they were initially observers of culture, to experiencing cultural/religious beliefs and practices. This was followed by accomplishment in childbearing and childrearing practices. As Gulf Arab new mothers made the transition to motherhood, four implications for international nursing practice emerged: 1) patient teaching to help relieve anxiety, fears, and uncertainty, 2) facilitation of mother/baby relationships, 3) family-centered care, and 4) the importance of cultural/religious beliefs and practices to new mothers.

  13. On the Loop Current Penetration into the Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weisberg, Robert H.; Liu, Yonggang

    2017-12-01

    The Gulf of Mexico Loop Current generally intrudes some distance into the Gulf of Mexico before shedding an anticyclonic eddy and retreating back to its more direct entry to exit pathway. The control of this aperiodic process remains only partially known. Here we describe the evolution of the Loop Current throughout the era of satellite altimetry, and offer a mechanistic hypothesis on Loop Current intrusion. As a complement to the known effects of Loop Current forcing on the west Florida shelf circulation, we argue that the west Florida shelf, in turn, impacts the Loop Current evolution. A Self-Organizing Map analysis shows that anomalous northward penetrations of the Loop Current into the Gulf of Mexico occur when the eastern side of Loop Current is positioned west from the southwest corner of the west Florida shelf, whereas the more direct inflow to outflow route occurs when the eastern side of the Loop Current comes in contact with the southwest corner of the west Florida shelf. In essence, we argue that the west Florida shelf anchors the Loop Current in its direct path configuration and that farther northward penetration into the Gulf of Mexico occurs when such anchoring is released. To test of this hypothesis heuristically, we estimate that the dissipation and buoyancy work due to known Loop Current forcing of the west Florida shelf circulation (when in contact with the southwest corner) may exceed the pressure work required for the Loop Current to advance against the ambient Gulf of Mexico fluid.Plain Language SummaryThe Gulf of Mexico Loop Current may intrude far into the Gulf of Mexico or take a more direct entry to exit pathway. Such Loop Current behaviors are described using remote observations by satellites, and a heuristic hypothesis on the control of Loop Current intrusion is presented. We argue that energy dissipation and buoyancy work by the west Florida shelf circulation, when the Loop Current contacts the southwest corner of the west Florida shelf

  14. Geology and total petroleum systems of the Gulf of Guinea province of West Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brownfield, Michael E.; Charpentier, Ronald R.

    2006-01-01

    The Gulf of Guinea Province as defined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) consists of the coastal and offshore areas of Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Benin, and the western part of the coast of Nigeria, from the Liberian border east to the west edge of the Niger Delta. The province includes the Ivory Coast, Tano, Central, Saltpond, Keta, and Benin Basins and the Dahomey Embayment. The area has had relatively little hydrocarbon exploration since 1968, with only 33 small to moderate-sized oil and gas fields having been discovered prior to the USGS assessment. Most discoveries to 1995 have been located in water depths less than 500 m. Since 1995, only eight new offshore discoveries have been made, with four of the discoveries in the deep-water area of the province. Although as many as five total petroleum systems exist in the Gulf of Guinea Province, only one, the Cretaceous Composite Total Petroleum System, and its assessment unit, the Coastal Plain and Offshore Assessment Unit, had sufficient data to allow assessment. The province shows two important differences compared to the passive-margin basins south of the Niger Delta: (1) the influence of transform tectonics, and (2) the absence of evaporites and salt deformation. The province also lacks long-lived, large deltaic systems that typically result in rapid source rock burial and abundant high-quality hydrocarbon reservoirs. The USGS assessed the potential for undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the Gulf of Guinea Province as part of its World Petroleum Assessment 2000, estimating a mean of 1,004 million barrels of conventional undiscovered oil, 10,071 billion cubic feet of gas, and 282 million barrels of natural gas liquids. Most of the hydrocarbon potential is postulated to be in the offshore, deeper waters of the province. Gas resources may be large, as well as accessible, in areas where the zone of hydrocarbon generation is relatively shallow.

  15. Nekton from Fishery-Independent Trawl Samples in U.S. Gulf of Mexico Estuaries: A Comparative Assessment of Gulf Estuarine Systems (CAGES), 1973-2007 (NODC Accession 0115183)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The purpose of CAGES (Comparative Assessment of Gulf Estuarine Systems) is to compile the fishery independent data from five Gulf States into a database to more...

  16. 76 FR 41766 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-15

    ... group Spanish mackerel, and Gulf group cobia. It also contains measures to remove cero, little tunny... separate cobia into Atlantic and Gulf migratory groups. Similar measures are being proposed for the...

  17. An overview of UAE2 flight operations: Observations of summertime atmospheric thermodynamic and aerosol profiles of the southern Arabian Gulf

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid, Jeffrey S.; Piketh, Stuart J.; Walker, Annette L.; Burger, Roelof P.; Ross, Kristy E.; Westphal, Douglas L.; Bruintjes, Roelof T.; Holben, Brent N.; Hsu, Christina; Jensen, Tara L.; Kahn, Ralph A.; Kuciauskas, Arunas P.; Al Mandoos, Abdulla; Al Mangoosh, Abdulla; Miller, Steven D.; Porter, John N.; Reid, Elizabeth A.; Tsay, Si-Chee

    2008-07-01

    In August through September 2004 the United Arab Emirates Unified Aerosol Experiment (UAE2) was conducted in the southern Arabian Gulf region. We present atmospheric thermodynamic and aerosol data collected on 18 flights by the South African Aerocommander aircraft. In the first few kilometers, we observed high concentrations of both regional dust (from 100 to 300 μg m-3 in background, to over 1.5 mg m-3 in events) and ubiquitous sulfate based pollution from the Gulf's prevalent petroleum industry (10-100 μg m-3). Smoke and pollution from Europe and possibly Africa were found at levels between 1.5 and 5 km. Inland, classic deep over desert boundary layer characteristics were found. Over the Arabian Gulf, dust and pollution were most often either trapped below or sequestered above a strong stable boundary. However, there were cases where a well-distributed aerosol layer crossed the inversion uniformly. Data suggest that the observed vertical profiles can be explained by the rapid formation of stable marine boundary layers as air moves offshore. This can decouple aerosol layers from within the boundary layer to those aloft in regions of vertical wind shear. In the case of pollution, the ability of flaring plumes to penetrate the inversion may also in part determine layering. In coastal regions without vertical wind shear, uniform concentrations with height across the inversion are a result of internal boundary layer development. We conclude that the bulk of the observed variability in particle vertical distribution appear to be controlled by mesoscale and microscale processes, such as the sea/land breeze.

  18. 77 FR 59185 - Gulf of Mexico Citizen Advisory Committee; Notice of Charter Renewal

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-26

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9734-9] Gulf of Mexico Citizen Advisory Committee; Notice of... with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. App.2, the Gulf of Mexico... the water quality and living resources of the Gulf of Mexico. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT...

  19. Gulf war illness—better, worse, or just the same? A cohort study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hotopf, Matthew; David, Anthony S; Hull, Lisa; Nikalaou, Vasilis; Unwin, Catherine; Wessely, Simon

    2003-01-01

    Objectives Firstly, to describe changes in the health of Gulf war veterans studied in a previous occupational cohort study and to compare outcome with comparable non-deployed military personnel. Secondly, to determine whether differences in prevalence between Gulf veterans and controls at follow up can be explained by greater persistence or greater incidence of disorders. Design Occupational cohort study in the form of a postal survey. Participants Military personnel who served in the 1991 Persian Gulf war; personnel who served on peacekeeping duties to Bosnia; military personnel who were deployed elsewhere (“Era” controls). All participants had responded to a previous survey. Setting United Kingdom. Main outcome measures Self reported fatigue measured on the Chalder fatigue scale; psychological distress measured on the general health questionnaire, physical functioning and health perception on the SF-36; and a count of physical symptoms. Results Gulf war veterans experienced a modest reduction in prevalence of fatigue (48.8% at stage 1, 43.4% at stage 2) and psychological distress (40.0% stage 1, 37.1% stage 2) but a slight worsening of physical functioning on the SF-36 (90.3 stage 1, 88.7 stage 2). Compared with the other cohorts Gulf veterans continued to experience poorer health on all outcomes, although physical functioning also declined in Bosnia veterans. Era controls showed both lower incidence of fatigue than Gulf veterans, and both comparison groups showed less persistence of fatigue compared with Gulf veterans. Conclusions Gulf war veterans remain a group with many symptoms of ill health. The excess of illness at follow up is explained by both higher incidence and greater persistence of symptoms. PMID:14670878

  20. Evaluation of Rehabilitation Strategies and Management Schemes for the Improvement of Mangrove Management Programs in Lingayen Gulf

    OpenAIRE

    Severino Salmo III; Dante Torio; Janalezza Morvenna Esteban

    2007-01-01

    We evaluated the mangrove rehabilitation strategies and management schemes in five municipalities in Lingayen Gulf (Bolinao, Anda, Bani, Alaminos and San Fernando). Mangrove planting appears to be the first and only option used in the area, ignoring other recommended management strategies, e.g. conservation, landscaping, and sustainable production. All planting sites were located in coastal fringes and are mostly monospeficic stands of the species Rhizophora mucronata. The planted mangroves w...

  1. Gulf War Illness and the Health of Gulf War Veterans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-11-01

    after his return.432 Seventy- five Gulf War personnel were hospitalized for chicken pox during deployment.1431 Only a few cases of viral hepatitis were...and independent of circulating uranium levels. Of particular interest are findings from an ongoing study at the University of New Mexico indicating that...periods, can produce chronic neurological or behavioral effects. The New Mexico study is an important example of a particularly relevant approach

  2. Gulf digs in to tap a major uranium orebody

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jackson, D.

    1977-01-01

    The progress and future plans of Gulf Mineral Resources Co. for tapping and developing a major uranium orebody via two concrete-lined shafts in the Grants uranium mineral belt in New Mexico are discussed. The mineralogy of the Grants belt is discussed as it relates to the Gulf development project. Numerous pictures of the operation are included

  3. Gulf of Mexico Sales 142 and 143: Central and western planning areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-11-01

    This environmental impact statement (EIS) addresses two proposed Federal actions, lease Sales 142 and 143, that will offer for lease Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) areas that may contain economically recoverable oil and gas resources. The lease sales are proposed for 1993 and include lease blocks in the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area (CPA) and Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area (WPA). Up to 10,099 blocks will be available for lease under the two proposed actions; only a small percentage is expected to be actually leased. On average, 401 blocks in the Central Gulf and 264 blocks in the Western Gulf have been leased in individual Gulf of Mexico OCS lease sales since 1984. Of the blocks that will be leased as a result of the two proposed actions, only a portion will be drilled and result in subsequent production. The scoping process was used to obtain information and comments on the proposed actions and the potential environmental effects from diverse interests, including the affected States, Federal agencies, the petroleum industry, environmental and public interest groups, and concerned individuals. This volume, Volume 2, reports on impacts from Sales 142 and 143

  4. Sediment dispersal in the macro tidal Gulf of Kachchh, India

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Chauhan, O.S.

    of the inner gulf is marked with U and V shaped cuttings extending in the parallel clays, deposited in an earlier phase of deposition. In the outer gulf, there exists a palaeo-channel, buried under 18 m thick sediments (in the central region). Existence...

  5. 33 CFR 166.200 - Shipping safety fairways and anchorage areas, Gulf of Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... anchorage areas, Gulf of Mexico. 166.200 Section 166.200 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... the erection of structures therein to provide safe approaches through oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico... for Fairway Anchorages in the Gulf of Mexico. Structures may be placed within an area designated as a...

  6. Energy partnership: Israel and the Persian Gulf

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bahgat, G.

    2005-01-01

    In the early 2003, American troops toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Few weeks later, President Bush introduced his vision to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict in what is known as the 'road map'. These interrelated developments confirm the connection between the two Middle-Eastern sub-systems--the Persian Gulf and the Levant and provide an opportunity to achieve a comprehensive peace. Regional economic cooperation is seen as the sine qua non of a durable peace. This study examines the potential for an energy partnership between the Persian Gulf hydrocarbon producers and Israel

  7. Energy partnership: Israel and the Persian Gulf

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bahgat, G.

    2005-01-01

    In early 2003, American troops toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Few weeks later, President Bush introduced his vision to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict in what is known as the ''road map''. These interrelated developments confirm the connection between the two Middle-Eastern sub-systems-the Persian Gulf and the Levant and provide an opportunity to achieve a comprehensive peace. Regional economic cooperation is seen as the sine qua non of a durable peace. This study examines the potential for an energy partnership between the Persian Gulf hydrocarbon producers and Israel. (author)

  8. Gulf International Conference on Applied Mathematics 2013

    CERN Document Server

    Advances in Applied Mathematics

    2014-01-01

    This volume contains contributions from the Gulf International Conference in Applied Mathematics, held at the Gulf University for Science & Technology. The proceedings reflects the three major themes of the conference. The first of these was mathematical biology, including a keynote address by Professor Philip Maini. The second theme was computational science/numerical analysis, including a keynote address by Professor Grigorii Shishkin. The conference also addressed more general applications topics, with papers in business applications, fluid mechanics, optimization, scheduling problems, and engineering applications, as well as a keynote by Professor Ali Nayfeh.

  9. Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba: New insights from recent satellite-marine potential field data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almalki, Khalid A.; Mahmud, Syed A.

    2018-01-01

    Previous models and interpretations of crustal geometry and the nature of the crust under the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba have generally been based on a local or small scale and have been limited due to a lack of data. The few studies that present larger scale crustal and uppermost mantle structure were dependent on one type of data with no consideration of other geological and/or geophysical features. Satellite-marine potential field data provide for the first time a full coverage dataset of the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba as well as the Sinai area at the same scale which allows for a better understanding of crustal domains and geometry and the interplay between tectonic events. To that end, our forward models of magnetic and gravity data constrained by seismic data and available geological information in this area suggest that the crustal domains in the Gulf of Aqaba are more complicated than those in the Gulf of Suez. Our result supports continental rifting under most of the Gulf of Suez and a combination of transitional and continental crusts under the Gulf of Aqaba. Yet, there is no evidence of oceanic segment development in these gulfs. Regardless of oceanic or transitional crust, the models support a link between the Arabia and Sinai plates at the central Gulf of Aqaba. The data also support that Red Sea tectonism has no connection to or influence on both gulfs. The result suggests a continuation of lithological elements from land into the eastern part of the Gulf of Suez. Our synthesis and interpretations may play an important role in the reassessment of the tectonic history and extension of this important rift system.

  10. Variations of marine pore water salinity and chlorinity in Gulf of Alaska sediments (IODP Expedition 341)

    Science.gov (United States)

    März, Christian; Mix, Alan C.; McClymont, Erin; Nakamura, Atsunori; Berbel, Glaucia; Gulick, Sean; Jaeger, John; Schneider (LeVay), Leah

    2014-05-01

    Pore waters of marine sediments usually have salinities and chlorinities similar to the overlying sea water, ranging around 34-35 psu (Practical Salinity Units) and around 550 mM Cl-, respectively. This is because these parameters are conservative in the sense that they do not significantly participate in biogeochemical cycles. However, pore water studies carried out in the frame of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and its predecessors have shown that salinities and chlorinities of marine pore waters can substantially deviate from the modern bottom water composition in a number of environmental settings, and various processes have been suggested to explain these phenomena. Also during the recent IODP Expedition 341 that drilled five sites in the Gulf of Alaska (Northeast Pacific Ocean) from the deep Surveyor Fan across the continental slope to the glaciomarine shelf deposits, several occurrences of pore waters with salinities and chlorinities significantly different from respective bottom waters were encountered during shipboard analyses. At the pelagic Sites U1417 and U1418 (~4,200 and ~3,700 m water depth, respectively), salinity and chlorinity maxima occur around 20-50 m sediment depth, but values gradually decrease with increasing drilling depths (down to 30 psu in ~600 m sediment depth). While the pore water freshening at depth is most likely an effect of clay mineral dehydration due to increasing burial depth, the shallow salinity and chlorinity maxima are interpreted as relicts of more saline bottom waters that existed in the North Pacific during the Last Glacial Maximum (Adkins et al., 2002). In contrast, the glaciomarine slope and shelf deposits at Site U1419 to U1421 (~200 to 1,000 m water depth) are characterised by unexpectedly low salinitiy and chlorinity values (as low as 16 psu and 295 mM Cl-, respectively) already in very shallow sediment depths (~10 m), and their records do not show systematic trends with sediment depth. Freshening

  11. Evolutionary Scheduler for the Deep Space Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guillaume, Alexandre; Lee, Seungwon; Wang, Yeou-Fang; Zheng, Hua; Chau, Savio; Tung, Yu-Wen; Terrile, Richard J.; Hovden, Robert

    2010-01-01

    A computer program assists human schedulers in satisfying, to the maximum extent possible, competing demands from multiple spacecraft missions for utilization of the transmitting/receiving Earth stations of NASA s Deep Space Network. The program embodies a concept of optimal scheduling to attain multiple objectives in the presence of multiple constraints.

  12. Modelling the temporal and spatial distribution of ecological variables in Beibu Gulf

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, H.; Huang, L.; Yang, S.; Shi, D.; Pan, W.

    2017-12-01

    Beibu Gulf is an important semi-enclosed gulf located in northern South China Sea. It is rich in natural resources and its coastal rim is undergoing a rapid economic growth in recent years. Study on the spatial and temporal distribution of ecological variables by the influence of physical and biological processes in Beibu Gulf can provide the theoretical basis for the utilization of resources and environmental protection. Based on the MEC three-dimensional hydrodynamic model, a nutrient-phytoplankton-zooplankton-detritus (NPZD) model was applied to simulate the distribution of ecological variables in Beibu Gulf. The result shows that the ecosystem in Beibu Gulf is significantly influenced by dynamic conditions. In autumn and winter, great amount of nutrient-rich water from western Guangdong coastal area passes through Qiongzhou Strait and flows into Beibu Gulf, with about 108.3×103 t of inorganic nitrogen and 3.7×103 t of phosphate annually, leading to phytoplankton bloom. In summer, most of the nutrients come from rivers so high concentrations of nutrients and chlorophyll-a appear on estuaries. The annual net nutrient inputs from South China Sea into Beibu Gulf are 66.6×103 t for inorganic nitrogen and 4.6×103 t for phosphate. Phytoplankton plays an important role in nutrients' refreshment: a) Absorption by the process of photosynthesis is the biggest nutrient sink. b) Cellular release from dead phytoplankton is the biggest source in inorganic budget, making up for 33.4% of nitrogen consumed by photosynthesis while the process of respiration is the biggest source in phosphate budget, making up for 32.4% of phosphorus consumed by photosynthesis. c) Mineralization from detritus is also a considerable supplement of inorganic nutrients. Overall, biological process has more influence than physical process on the nutrient cycle budget in Beibu Gulf. The comparison of the result with remote sensing and in-situ data indicates that the model is able to simulate the

  13. A study of burrow morphology in representative axiidean and gebiidean mud shrimps, from the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vahid Sepahvand

    Full Text Available Mud shrimps (formerly Thalassinidea are common burrow dwelling decapod crustaceans in the littoral zone of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Their burrow morphology was investigated using foam casting methods. The present study shows that the burrow morphology in Upogebia carinicauda is not consistent and the recorded variations are based on habitat type and some physical characteristics of sediments. Adult burrow morphology in sandy-muddy substrate with shells, and boulder field habitats were Y-shaped and complex burrows of horizontal channels with turning chambers and vertical connections to internal passages or crevices of boulders, respectively. In burrows of U. carinicauda, some narrow passages, connected to the upper part of adult burrows in sandy-muddy habitats, belong to juveniles. Another species, Neocallichirus jousseaumei was found under boulders in sandy-muddy habitats of the Gulf of Oman and Qeshm Island, Persian Gulf. Since this type of habitat is special in some features, no conspicuous ex-current openings (usually obvious as conical mounds of extruded sediment have been observed on the sediment surface; as these were hidden among the boulders surrounded by mixed sand and shells. The only method for observing this type of burrow was to remove the boulders by hand or lever.

  14. 78 FR 36309 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, Notice of Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-17

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, Notice... Act, 5 U.S.C. App., that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... operations during the Gulf War. [[Page 36310

  15. Deep Energy Retrofit

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhivov, Alexander; Lohse, Rüdiger; Rose, Jørgen

    Deep Energy Retrofit – A Guide to Achieving Significant Energy User Reduction with Major Renovation Projects contains recommendations for characteristics of some of core technologies and measures that are based on studies conducted by national teams associated with the International Energy Agency...... Energy Conservation in Buildings and Communities Program (IEA-EBC) Annex 61 (Lohse et al. 2016, Case, et al. 2016, Rose et al. 2016, Yao, et al. 2016, Dake 2014, Stankevica et al. 2016, Kiatreungwattana 2014). Results of these studies provided a base for setting minimum requirements to the building...... envelope-related technologies to make Deep Energy Retrofit feasible and, in many situations, cost effective. Use of energy efficiency measures (EEMs) in addition to core technologies bundle and high-efficiency appliances will foster further energy use reduction. This Guide also provides best practice...

  16. Measurement of Rayleigh wave Z/H ratio and joint inversion for a high-resolution S wave velocity model beneath the Gulf of Mexico passive margin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, W.; Li, G.; Niu, F.

    2016-12-01

    Knowledge on the 3D sediment structure beneath the Gulf of Mexico passive margin is not only important to explore the oil and gas resources in the area, but also essential to decipher the deep crust and mantle structure beneath the margin with teleseismic data. In this study, we conduct a joint inversion of Rayleigh wave ellipticity and phase velocity at 6-40 s to construct a 3-D S wave velocity model in a rectangular area of 100°-87° west and 28°-37° north. We use ambient noise data from a total of 215 stations of the Transportable Array deployed under the Earthscope project. Rayleigh wave ellipticity, or Rayleigh wave Z/H (vertical to horizontal) amplitude ratio is mostly sensitive to shallow sediment structure, while the dispersion data are expected to have reasonably good resolution to uppermost mantle depths. The Z/H ratios measured from stations inside the Gulf Coastal Plain are distinctly lower in comparison with those measured from the inland stations. We also measured the phase velocity dispersion from the same ambient noise dataset. Our preliminary 3-D model is featured by strong low-velocity anomalies at shallow depth, which are spatially well correlated with Gulf Cost, East Texas, and the Lower Mississippi basins. We will discuss other features of the 3-D models once the model is finalized.

  17. Oil-consuming microbial consortia floating in the Arabian Gulf

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radwan, S.S.; Al-Hasan, R.H.; Ali, N.; Salamah, S.; Khanafer, M.

    2005-01-01

    Picocyanobacteria floating on the surface of the water body in the Arabian Gulf were found associated with heterotrophic bacteria. Haemocytometer counting of fresh 1 -cm surface water revealed 10 7 - 10 8 bacterial cells ml -1 , but only 10 2 - 10 3 cells ml -1 in 10-cm deep water samples. The heterotrophic bacteria comprised hydrocarbon utilizers that could grow on a mineral medium containing crude oil as sole carbon and energy source. Three-week liquid cultures of the picocyanobacteria Synechococcus, Synechocystis, Pleurocapsa and Dermocarpella were found by dilution plating to contain 10 6 - 10 13 oil-utilizing bacteria ml -1 . These were members of the genera Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Acinetobacter and nocardioforms. Growth and hydrocarbon consumption potential of individual types of oil-utilizing bacteria in culture were higher in the presence of the picocyanobacteria than in their absence. Evidence was presented that picocyanobacterial cells may accumulate hydrocarbons from the medium, and subsequently make those compounds available to the associated hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria. It was concluded that this microbial consortium, which is apparently of cosmopolitan occurrence, could be active in controlling marine oil-pollution. (author)

  18. Programme for Environmental Studies, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, Jeddah II Conference, 12-18 January 1976. Provisional Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arab Organization for Education and Science, Cairo (Egypt).

    This publication presents the report of Jeddah II Conference of the Program for Environmental Studies, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) hosted by King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah in January 1976. The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) initiated the conference to study the issues of scientific research on,…

  19. DeepPy: Pythonic deep learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Anders Boesen Lindbo

    This technical report introduces DeepPy – a deep learning framework built on top of NumPy with GPU acceleration. DeepPy bridges the gap between highperformance neural networks and the ease of development from Python/NumPy. Users with a background in scientific computing in Python will quickly...... be able to understand and change the DeepPy codebase as it is mainly implemented using high-level NumPy primitives. Moreover, DeepPy supports complex network architectures by letting the user compose mathematical expressions as directed graphs. The latest version is available at http...

  20. Subtidal micro and meiobenthic community structure in the Gulf of Kachchh

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Ingole, B.S.; Goltekar, R.

    Community structure of the micro- and meiobenthos of subtidal sediment from the Gulf of Kachchh were investigated during April 2002 (premonsoon season). Sediment samples were collected from 23 stations representing the entire Gulf area. A total...

  1. Benthic Bioprocessing of Hydrocarbons in the Natural Deep-Sea Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sultan, N.; MacDonald, I. R.; Bohrmann, G.; Schubotz, F.; Johansen, C.

    2017-12-01

    Science is accustomed to quantifying ecosystem processes that consume carbon from primary production as it drifts downward through the photic zone. Comparably efficient processes operate in reverse, as living and non-living components sequester and re-mineralize a large fraction of hydrocarbons that migrate out of traps and reservoirs to the seafloor interface. Together, they comprise a sink that prevents these hydrocarbons from escaping upward into the water column. Although quantification of the local or regional magnitude of this sink poses steep challenges, we can make progress by classifying and mapping the biological communities and geological intrusions that are generated from hydrocarbons in the deep sea. Gulf of Mexico examples discussed in this presentation extend across a broad range of depths (550, 1200, and 3200 m) and include major differences in hydrocarbon composition (from gas to liquid oil to asphaltene-dominated solids). Formation of gas hydrate is a dynamic process in each depth zone. At upper depths, gas hydrate is unstable at a timescale of months to years and serves as a substrate for microbial consortia and mussel symbiosis. At extreme depths, gas hydrate supports large and dense tubeworm colonies that conserve the material from decomposition. Timescales for biogeochemical weathering of oil and asphalts are decadal or longer, as shown by sequential alterations and changing biological colonization. Understanding these processes is crucial as we prepare for wider and deeper energy exploitation in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.

  2. Environmental drivers of epibenthic megafauna on a deep temperate continental shelf: A multiscale approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacharité, Myriam; Metaxas, Anna

    2018-03-01

    Evaluating the role of abiotic factors in influencing the distribution of deep-water (>75-100 m depth) epibenthic megafaunal communities at mid-to-high latitudes is needed to estimate effects of environmental change, and support marine spatial planning since these factors can be effectively mapped. Given the disparity in scales at which these factors operate, incorporating multiple spatial and temporal scales is necessary. In this study, we determined the relative importance of 3 groups of environmental drivers at different scales (sediment, geomorphology, and oceanography) on epibenthic megafauna on a deep temperate continental shelf in the eastern Gulf of Maine (northwest Atlantic). Twenty benthic photographic transects (range: 611-1021 m; total length surveyed: 18,902 m; 996 images; average of 50 ± 16 images per transect) were performed in July and August 2009 to assess the abundance, composition and diversity of these communities. Surficial geology was assessed using seafloor imagery processed with a novel approach based on computer vision. A bathymetric terrain model (horizontal resolution: 100 m) was used to derive bathymetric variability in the vicinity of transects (1.5, 5 km). Oceanography at the seafloor (temperature, salinity, current speed, current direction) over 10 years (1999-2008) was determined using empirical (World Ocean Database 2013) and modelled data (Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model; 45 vertical layers; horizontal resolution: 1.7-9.5 km). The relative influence of environmental drivers differed between community traits. Abundance was enhanced primarily by swift current speeds, while higher diversity was observed in coarser and more heterogeneous substrates. In both cases, the role of geomorphological features was secondary to these drivers. Environmental variables were poor predictors of change in community composition at the scale of the eastern Gulf of Maine. This study demonstrated the need for explicitly incorporating scales into

  3. Systematic Lithologic Calibration of Neogene Mass-Transport Deposits Seismic Character in Mississippi Canyon of the Northern Gulf of Mexico, USA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutierrez, M. A.; Snedden, J.

    2017-12-01

    Few publications have attempted detailed lithologic calibration of Mass Transport Deposits, usually as a byproduct of mud log descriptions. While the principal motivation for further understanding these slope failure deposits are driven by the economics of deep-water hydrocarbon exploration, the geohazard-related risks of storm-wave loading, and the shallow gas, also provide a driving concern for these deposits. Such risks can be mitigated and prevented by in depth analysis of slope stability and failure. The Mississippi Canyon of the Northern Gulf of Mexico is one of the few basins to contain enough available density of seismic and well data to provide a well-constrained lithologic characterization throughout a MTD-rich continental margin. The proposed hypothesis evaluates: 1) the differences between attached and detached MTDs in the Neogene Northern Gulf of Mexico through seismic characterization and well log analysis, 2) variations of MTD dimensions and map geometries in relation to depositional age throughout the northeastern and northcentral Gulf of Mexico, and 3) the differentiation between sand-prone and shale-prone MTD's in relation to associated depositional mechanisms. This study will attempt lithologic calibration of MTDs in Pleistocene -Miocene strata of the study area through integration of seismic observations (focused in supra-salt basins, which have the highest seismic data quality) and lithologic related information extracted from logs, mud logs (cuttings), and available core data to further constrain the distribution of MTD types, lithology, and geometries. Initial interpretations reflect a variance of seismic character responses to the presence of sandstone and shale (constrained by wells) throughout different regions and salt tectonic domains of the MTD geobodies. Further analysis will relate different seismic facies throughout MTDs to improve the understanding of seismic character and related lithologic facies throughout the deposits, in

  4. Gulf of Mexico Sales 142 and 143: Central and western planning areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-11-01

    This environmental impact statement (EIS) addresses two proposed Federal actions, lease Sales 142 and 143, that will offer for lease Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) areas that may contain economically recoverable oil and gas resources. The lease sales are proposed for 1993 and include lease blocks in the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area (CPA) and Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area (WPA). Up to 10,099 blocks will be available for lease under the two proposed actions; only a small percentage is expected to be actually leased. On average, 401 blocks in the Central Gulf and 264 blocks in the Western Gulf have been leased in individual Gulf of Mexico OCS lease sales since 1984. Of the blocks that will be leased as a result of the two proposed actions, only a portion will be drilled and result in subsequent production. The scoping process was used to obtain information and comments on the proposed actions and the potential environmental effects from diverse interests, including the affected States, Federal agencies, the petroleum industry, environmental and public interest groups, and concerned individuals. The input from these sources aided in the identification of significant issues, possible alternatives to the proposed actions, and potential mitigating measures

  5. Gulf War veterans' health: medical evaluation of a U.S. cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eisen, Seth A; Kang, Han K; Murphy, Frances M; Blanchard, Melvin S; Reda, Domenic J; Henderson, William G; Toomey, Rosemary; Jackson, Leila W; Alpern, Renee; Parks, Becky J; Klimas, Nancy; Hall, Coleen; Pak, Hon S; Hunter, Joyce; Karlinsky, Joel; Battistone, Michael J; Lyons, Michael J

    2005-06-07

    United States military personnel reported various symptoms after deployment to the Persian Gulf during the 1991 Gulf War. However, the symptoms' long-term prevalence and association with deployment remain controversial. To assess and compare the prevalence of selected medical conditions in a national cohort of deployed and nondeployed Gulf War veterans who were evaluated by direct medical and teledermatologic examinations. A cross-sectional prevalence study performed 10 years after the 1991 Gulf War. Veterans were examined at 1 of 16 Veterans Affairs medical centers. Deployed (n = 1061) and nondeployed (n = 1128) veterans of the 1991 Gulf War. Primary outcome measures included fibromyalgia, the chronic fatigue syndrome, dermatologic conditions, dyspepsia, physical health-related quality of life (Short Form-36 [SF-36]), hypertension, obstructive lung disease, arthralgias, and peripheral neuropathy. Of 12 conditions, only 4 conditions were more prevalent among deployed than nondeployed veterans: fibromyalgia (deployed, 2.0%; nondeployed, 1.2%; odds ratio, 2.32 [95% CI, 1.02 to 5.27]); the chronic fatigue syndrome (deployed, 1.6%; nondeployed 0.1%; odds ratio, 40.6 [CI, 10.2 to 161]); dermatologic conditions (deployed, 34.6%; nondeployed, 26.8%; odds ratio, 1.38 [CI, 1.06 to 1.80]), and dyspepsia (deployed, 9.1%; nondeployed, 6.0%; odds ratio, 1.87 [CI, 1.16 to 2.99]). The mean physical component summary score of the SF-36 for deployed and nondeployed veterans was 49.3 and 50.8, respectively. Relatively low participation rates introduce potential participation bias, and deployment-related illnesses that resolved before the research examination could not, by design, be detected. Ten years after the Gulf War, the physical health of deployed and nondeployed veterans is similar. However, Gulf War deployment is associated with an increased risk for fibromyalgia, the chronic fatigue syndrome, skin conditions, dyspepsia, and a clinically insignificant decrease in the SF-36

  6. 77 FR 64597 - Proposed Information Collection (Survey of Chronic Gastrointestinal Illness in Persian Gulf...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-22

    ... of Chronic Gastrointestinal Illness in Persian Gulf Veterans (Irritable Bowel Syndrome--Diarrhea... information needed to evaluate chronic gastrointestinal disorders in Persian Gulf War Veterans. DATES: Written... Gastrointestinal Illness in Persian Gulf Veterans, VA Form 10-21092c. OMB Control Number: 2900-0742. Type of Review...

  7. Deep Space Network equipment performance, reliability, and operations management information system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, T.; Lin, J.; Chatillon, M.

    2002-01-01

    The Deep Space Mission System (DSMS) Operations Program Office and the DeepSpace Network (DSN) facilities utilize the Discrepancy Reporting Management System (DRMS) to collect, process, communicate and manage data discrepancies, equipment resets, physical equipment status, and to maintain an internal Station Log. A collaborative effort development between JPL and the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex delivered a system to support DSN Operations.

  8. Who Benefits from Foreign Universities in the Arab Gulf States?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkins, Stephen

    2011-01-01

    The Arab Gulf States are the largest hosts of international branch campuses globally. By increasing higher education capacity in the Arab Gulf States by over 30,000 places, foreign institutions have, through various forms of transnational provision, increased significantly the accessibility of higher education to young people living in these…

  9. 38 CFR 21.5053 - Restoration of contributions (Persian Gulf War).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Restoration of contributions (Persian Gulf War). 21.5053 Section 21.5053 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF... Assistance Under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 32 Participation § 21.5053 Restoration of contributions (Persian Gulf War...

  10. The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System: A Decade of Data Aggregation and Services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, M.; Gayanilo, F.; Kobara, S.; Baum, S. K.; Currier, R. D.; Stoessel, M. M.

    2016-02-01

    The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System Regional Association (GCOOS-RA) celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2015. GCOOS-RA is one of 11 RAs organized under the NOAA-led U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Program Office to aggregate regional data and make these data publicly-available in preferred forms and formats via standards-based web services. Initial development of GCOOS focused on building elements of the IOOS Data Management and Communications Plan which is a framework for end-to-end interoperability. These elements included: data discovery, catalog, metadata, online-browse, data access and transport. Initial data types aggregated included near real-time physical oceanographic, marine meteorological and satellite data. Our focus in the middle of the past decade was on the production of basic products such as maps of current oceanographic conditions and quasi-static datasets such as bathymetry and climatologies. In the latter part of the decade we incorporated historical physical oceanographic datasets and historical coastal and offshore water quality data into our holdings and added our first biological dataset. We also developed web environments and products to support Citizen Scientists and stakeholder groups such as recreational boaters. Current efforts are directed towards applying data quality assurance (testing and flagging) to non-federal data, data archiving at national repositories, serving and visualizing numerical model output, providing data services for glider operators, and supporting marine biodiversity observing networks. GCOOS Data Management works closely with the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative and various groups involved with Gulf Restoration. GCOOS-RA has influenced attitudes and behaviors associated with good data stewardship and data management practices across the Gulf and will to continue to do so into the next decade.

  11. On the future role of Gulf oil in meeting world energy demand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagy Eltony, M.

    1996-01-01

    The validity of the view of a growing dependence of the world on oil from the Persian Gulf, and the resulting implications for the economies of the Gulf countries were examined. The prevailing view in the countries of the Persian Gulf is that the demand for oil will continue to rise, resulting in the inevitable increase in prices which will in turn alleviate the budget deficit problems currently encountered by most of the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. The author argues that the implication of this view is that GCC countries are failing to address the fundamental structural problems within their economies, and raise questions that tend to undermine this hypothesis of continuing dependence on Gulf oil by the rest of the world. Some of these factors are growing reliance on electricity and natural gas, environmental concerns, development of alternative fuels, political instability in the Gulf states and the potential interruption in supply, all of which tend to accelerate the trend towards reduced demand for Gulf oil. The following have been recommended as ways of avoiding the ultimate risk of huge unwanted oil reserves: diversification of the economies of GCC countries; reduced spending and increased investment in developing further capacity from non-GCC sources through cooperation and joint ventures between developing countries and international companies; a more active role in worldwide decisions relating to environmental concerns; and finally, a systematic monitoring and evaluation of the likely impacts of new developments in all areas of alternative energy. 17 refs

  12. Groundwater-derived nutrient inputs to the Upper Gulf of Thailand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burnett, William C.; Wattayakorn, Gullaya; Taniguchi, Makoto; Dulaiova, Henrieta; Sojisuporn, Pramot; Rungsupa, Sompop; Ishitobi, Tomotoshi

    2007-01-01

    We report here the first direct measurements of nutrient fluxes via groundwater discharge into the Upper Gulf of Thailand. Nutrient and standard oceanographic surveys were conducted during the wet and dry seasons along the Chao Phraya River, Estuary and out into the Upper Gulf of Thailand. Additional measurements in selected near-shore regions of the Gulf included manual and automatic seepage meter deployments, as well as nutrient evaluations of seepage and coastal waters. The river transects characterized the distribution of biogeochemical parameters in this highly contaminated urban environment. Seepage flux measurements together with nutrient analyses of seepage fluids were used to estimate nutrient fluxes via groundwater pathways for comparison to riverine fluxes. Our findings show that disseminated seepage of nutrient-rich mostly saline groundwater into the Upper Gulf of Thailand is significant. Estimated fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) supplied via groundwater discharge were 40-50% of that delivered by the Chao Phraya River, inorganic phosphate was 60-70%, and silica was 15-40%. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and phosphorus (DOP) groundwater fluxes were also high at 30-40% and 30-130% of the river inputs, respectively. These observations are especially impressive since the comparison is being made to the river that is the largest source of fresh water into the Gulf of Thailand and flows directly through the megacity of Bangkok with high nutrient loadings from industrial and domestic sources.

  13. Sediment pollution by heavy metals in the Strymonikos and Ierissos Gulfs, North Aegean Sea, Greece.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stamatis, Nikolaos; Ioannidouw, Despina; Christoforidis, Achilleas; Koutrakis, Emmanouil

    2002-11-01

    Surface sediment samples from Strymonikos and Ierissos Gulfs were analyzed for Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr and Ni. The results showed that the sediment of Ierissos Gulf is more polluted with Cu, Pb, and Zn as compared to that of Strymonikos Gulf. The benthal area located off the load-out facility of the mining operations in the town of Stratoni, in Ierissos Gulf is established as the most polluted region. The distribution of Cr and Ni in both gulfs indicates the natural origin of these metals with the weathering of Strymon River and of other smaller rivers rocks being responsible for their enrichment.

  14. Long-Term Monitoring of Dolphin Biosonar Activity in Deep Pelagic Waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caruso, Francesco; Alonge, Giuseppe; Bellia, Giorgio; De Domenico, Emilio; Grammauta, Rosario; Larosa, Giuseppina; Mazzola, Salvatore; Riccobene, Giorgio; Pavan, Gianni; Papale, Elena; Pellegrino, Carmelo; Pulvirenti, Sara; Sciacca, Virginia; Simeone, Francesco; Speziale, Fabrizio; Viola, Salvatore; Buscaino, Giuseppa

    2017-06-28

    Dolphins emit short ultrasonic pulses (clicks) to acquire information about the surrounding environment, prey and habitat features. We investigated Delphinidae activity over multiple temporal scales through the detection of their echolocation clicks, using long-term Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM). The Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare operates multidisciplinary seafloor observatories in a deep area of the Central Mediterranean Sea. The Ocean noise Detection Experiment collected data offshore the Gulf of Catania from January 2005 to November 2006, allowing the study of temporal patterns of dolphin activity in this deep pelagic zone for the first time. Nearly 5,500 five-minute recordings acquired over two years were examined using spectrogram analysis and through development and testing of an automatic detection algorithm. Echolocation activity of dolphins was mostly confined to nighttime and crepuscular hours, in contrast with communicative signals (whistles). Seasonal variation, with a peak number of clicks in August, was also evident, but no effect of lunar cycle was observed. Temporal trends in echolocation corresponded to environmental and trophic variability known in the deep pelagic waters of the Ionian Sea. Long-term PAM and the continued development of automatic analysis techniques are essential to advancing the study of pelagic marine mammal distribution and behaviour patterns.

  15. Biomarkers of Aryl-hydrocarbon Receptor Activity in Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis) From Northern Gulf of Mexico Marshes Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubansky, Benjamin; Rice, Charles D; Barrois, Lester F; Galvez, Fernando

    2017-07-01

    Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, shorelines throughout the Barataria Basin of the northern Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana were heavily oiled for months with Macondo-252 oil, potentially impacting estuarine species. The Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) has been identified as a sentinel species for the study of site-specific effects of crude oil contamination on biological function. In November and December 2010, 4-5 months after the Macondo well was plugged and new oil was no longer spilling into the Gulf waters, Gulf killifish were collected across the Barataria Basin from 14 sites with varying degrees of oiling. Fish collected from oiled sites exhibited biological indications of exposure to oil, including increase in cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) mRNA transcript and protein abundances in liver tissues. Immunohistochemistry revealed increases in gill, head kidney, and intestinal CYP1A protein at heavily oiled sites. Intestinal CYP1A protein was a sensitive indicator of exposure, indicating that intestinal tissue plays a key role in biotransformation of AHR ligands and that ingestion is a probable route of exposure, warranting additional consideration in future studies.

  16. 78 FR 6404 - Agency Information Collection (Survey of Chronic Gastrointestinal Illness in Persian Gulf...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-30

    ... of Chronic Gastrointestinal Illness in Persian Gulf Veterans) Activities Under OMB Review AGENCY.... Survey of Chronic Gastrointestinal Illness in Persian Gulf Veterans, VA Form 10-21092a. b. VA Research...: Approximately 25 percent military troops who were deployed in the first Persian Gulf War returned with...

  17. 76 FR 31018 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-27

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... consequences of military service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee...

  18. 77 FR 2353 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-17

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... consequences of military service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee...

  19. 78 FR 77205 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-20

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee will review VA...

  20. The problems of the Arabian-Persian gulf

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Labrousse, H.

    2004-01-01

    The origin of the problems of the Arabian-Persian gulf is the delimitation of the maritime borders between the different bordering states and the exploitation rights of the offshore fields. Despite some bilateral agreements, the non-ratification by two bordering states of the United Nations convention on sea rights, deprives some negotiations of any legal framework. The Hormuz strait, the only opening of the gulf towards the Indian ocean, is tightly controlled by maritime powers which will never accept any interference with the maritime circulation in this pathway of considerable importance for petroleum transportation and for the world economy. (J.S.)

  1. DeepDive: Declarative Knowledge Base Construction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Sa, Christopher; Ratner, Alex; Ré, Christopher; Shin, Jaeho; Wang, Feiran; Wu, Sen; Zhang, Ce

    2016-03-01

    The dark data extraction or knowledge base construction (KBC) problem is to populate a SQL database with information from unstructured data sources including emails, webpages, and pdf reports. KBC is a long-standing problem in industry and research that encompasses problems of data extraction, cleaning, and integration. We describe DeepDive, a system that combines database and machine learning ideas to help develop KBC systems. The key idea in DeepDive is that statistical inference and machine learning are key tools to attack classical data problems in extraction, cleaning, and integration in a unified and more effective manner. DeepDive programs are declarative in that one cannot write probabilistic inference algorithms; instead, one interacts by defining features or rules about the domain. A key reason for this design choice is to enable domain experts to build their own KBC systems. We present the applications, abstractions, and techniques of DeepDive employed to accelerate construction of KBC systems.

  2. Pathways to deep decarbonization - 2015 report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ribera, Teresa; Colombier, Michel; Waisman, Henri; Bataille, Chris; Pierfederici, Roberta; Sachs, Jeffrey; Schmidt-Traub, Guido; Williams, Jim; Segafredo, Laura; Hamburg Coplan, Jill; Pharabod, Ivan; Oury, Christian

    2015-12-01

    In September 2015, the Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project published the Executive Summary of the Pathways to Deep Decarbonization: 2015 Synthesis Report. The full 2015 Synthesis Report was launched in Paris on December 3, 2015, at a technical workshop with the Mitigation Action Plans and Scenarios (MAPS) program. The Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project (DDPP) is a collaborative initiative to understand and show how individual countries can transition to a low-carbon economy and how the world can meet the internationally agreed target of limiting the increase in global mean surface temperature to less than 2 degrees Celsius (deg. C). Achieving the 2 deg. C limit will require that global net emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) approach zero by the second half of the century. In turn, this will require a profound transformation of energy systems by mid-century through steep declines in carbon intensity in all sectors of the economy, a transition we call 'deep decarbonization'

  3. A Call for More Research from the Arabian Gulf.

    Science.gov (United States)

    AlMarri, Fatemah; Al Sabah, Salman; Al Haddad, Eliana; Vaz, Jonathan D

    2017-08-01

    Obesity has become an epidemic in the Arabian Gulf, with the prevalence of obesity according to the latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO) showing the gulf region to be countries with the highest incidence of obesity in the 30% plus group. This study aims to examine publications on bariatric surgery and compare them with the other countries with a high incidence of obesity in the world. A literature review on bariatric surgery published from the earliest detected year of publication up until March 2016 using SCOPUS, PubMed, Ovid, and Google Scholar was conducted. Individual papers were assessed for types of surgery, preoperative measures, names of journals, authors, and outcomes. The data was analyzed using Endnote library and SPSS. Key words used in the search included "Bariatric Surgery," "Arabian Gulf," "Kuwait," "Qatar," "Saudi Arabia," "United Arab Emirates," "Oman," "USA," "Australia," "weight loss surgery," "sleeve gastrectomy," "gastric bypass," "gastric band," "mini-gastric bypass," "biliropancreatic diversion," "duodenal switch," and "intragastric balloon." Original papers, systematic reviews and case reports were included. From our review, the gastric sleeve proved to be the most popular published on procedure in the Arabian Gulf, whereas the USA had the highest percentage of gastric bypass surgeries and Australia had equivalent numbers when it came to gastric bypass and band. The numbers of studies from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman were 70, 44, 20, 7, 6, and 0, respectively. The mean impact factor of the published articles was 2.53 +/- 1.76 SD. Most of the publications were published in Obesity Surgery (29%), Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (5%), and Surgical Endoscopy (5%). The Arabian Gulf has both the highest percentage of bariatric procedures performed as well as the highest prevalence of obesity. However, they have the lowest number of publications and research when compared to their western

  4. 76 FR 21099 - Determinations Concerning Illnesses Discussed In National Academy of Sciences Reports on Gulf War...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-14

    ... of Sciences Reports on Gulf War and Health, Volumes 4 and 8 AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs... that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, under the authority granted by the Persian Gulf War Veterans...), respectively titled Gulf War and Health, Volume 4: Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War (Volume 4) and...

  5. Decadal trends in deep ocean salinity and regional effects on steric sea level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purkey, S. G.; Llovel, W.

    2017-12-01

    We present deep (below 2000 m) and abyssal (below 4000 m) global ocean salinity trends from the 1990s through the 2010s and assess the role of deep salinity in local and global sea level budgets. Deep salinity trends are assessed using all deep basins with available full-depth, high-quality hydrographic section data that have been occupied two or more times since the 1980s through either the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) Hydrographic Program or the Global Ship-Based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP). All salinity data is calibrated to standard seawater and any intercruise offsets applied. While the global mean deep halosteric contribution to sea level rise is close to zero (-0.017 +/- 0.023 mm/yr below 4000 m), there is a large regional variability with the southern deep basins becoming fresher and northern deep basins becoming more saline. This meridional gradient in the deep salinity trend reflects different mechanisms driving the deep salinity variability. The deep Southern Ocean is freshening owing to a recent increased flux of freshwater to the deep ocean. Outside of the Southern Ocean, the deep salinity and temperature changes are tied to isopycnal heave associated with a falling of deep isopycnals in recent decades. Therefore, regions of the ocean with a deep salinity minimum are experiencing both a halosteric contraction with a thermosteric expansion. While the thermosteric expansion is larger in most cases, in some regions the halosteric compensates for as much as 50% of the deep thermal expansion, making a significant contribution to local sea level rise budgets.

  6. The Arabian Gulf and Security Policy: The Past as Present, the Present as Future

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-04-01

    permeates the Green Zone. Recent cooperation between the Maliki government and Sunni groups represents the tactical “divide-and-conquer” approach to... Kegan Paul, 2005), 76-77. 42. Zahlan, Modern Gulf States, 65. 43. Peck, Gulf Arab States, 38. 44. Zahlan, Modern Gulf States, 67. 70 JSOU Report

  7. Contaminant levels in Gulf of Mexico reef fish after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill as measured by a fishermen-led testing program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzgerald, Timothy P; Gohlke, Julia M

    2014-01-01

    The BP oil disaster posed a significant threat to the U.S. seafood industry. Invertebrates (shrimp, oyster, crab) and other nearshore species comprised the majority of postspill testing by federal and state agencies. Deeper water finfish were sampled less frequently, despite population ranges that overlapped with affected waters. We report on a voluntary testing program with Gulf of Mexico commercial fishermen to ensure the safety of their catch. Seven species of reef fish were tested for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, several metals, and a constituent of Corexit 9500A and 9527A dispersants. Only two of 92 samples had detectable levels of benzo(a)pyrene-equivalents (a combined measure of carcinogenic potency across 7 different PAHs), which were still below federal safety thresholds. PAH ratios for these samples suggest pyrogenic (not petrogenic) contamination - indicating potential sources other than Deepwater Horizon. Metals were largely absent (cadmium, lead) or consistent with levels previously reported (mercury, arsenic). One notable exception was tilefish, which showed mercury concentrations lower than expected. We did not detect dispersant in any of our samples, indicating that it was not present in these species during the study period. Our findings suggest minimal risk to public health from these seafoods as a result of the disaster; however, the most contaminated areas were not sampled through this program.

  8. Estimating hydrologic budgets for six Persian Gulf watersheds, Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosseini, Majid; Ghafouri, Mohammad; Tabatabaei, MahmoudReza; Goodarzi, Masoud; Mokarian, Zeinab

    2017-10-01

    Estimation of the major components of the hydrologic budget is important for determining the impacts on the water supply and quality of either planned or proposed land management projects, vegetative changes, groundwater withdrawals, and reservoir management practices and plans. As acquisition of field data is costly and time consuming, models have been created to test various land use practices and their concomitant effects on the hydrologic budget of watersheds. To simulate such management scenarios realistically, a model should be able to simulate the individual components of the hydrologic budget. The main objective of this study is to perform the SWAT2012 model for estimation of hydrological budget in six subbasin of Persian Gulf watershed; Golgol, Baghan, Marghab Shekastian, Tangebirim and Daragah, which are located in south and south west of Iran during 1991-2009. In order to evaluate the performance of the model, hydrological data, soil map, land use map and digital elevation model (DEM) are obtained and prepared for each catchment to run the model. SWAT-CUP with SUFI2 program was used for simulation, uncertainty and validation with 95 Percent Prediction Uncertainty. Coefficient of determination ( R 2) and Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient (NS) were used for evaluation of the model simulation results. Comparison of measured and predicted values demonstrated that each component of the model gave reasonable output and that the interaction among components was realistic. The study has produced a technique with reliable capability for annual and monthly water budget components in Persian Gulf watershed.

  9. CMS: Simulated Physical-Biogeochemical Data, SABGOM Model, Gulf of Mexico, 2005-2010

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This dataset contains monthly mean ocean surface physical and biogeochemical data for the Gulf of Mexico simulated by the South Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Mexico...

  10. Rickettsia parkeri in Gulf Coast Ticks, Southeastern Virginia, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-01

    Rickettsia parkeri in Gulf Coast Ticks, Southeastern Virginia, USA Chelsea L. Wright, Robyn M. Nadolny, Ju Jiang, Allen L. Richards, Daniel E...Virginia. We found that 43.1% of the adult Gulf Coast ticks collected in the summer of 2010 carried Rickettsia parkeri, suggesting that persons living in...or visiting southeastern Virginia are at risk for infection with this pathogen. Rickettsia parkeri is an obligate intracellular bacterium belonging

  11. Time required for gulf restoration uncertain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    Hurricane Andrew's long term effect on Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations likely won't be known until next year. This paper reports that while damage assessments have moved beyond the emergency stage, many offshore service companies say reliable estimates of the extent of damage or cost of repairs still are unavailable. The time needed to complete restorations won't be known conclusively until more organized surveys are complete. Even then, many contractors say, gulf operators must decide how to handle damage at each location-whether to repair damaged structures or replace them by applying technology not available when many of the fields were developed. Some damaged installations will not be replaced or restored, and the production will be lost

  12. [Immigration in the countries of the Gulf: some specific aspects].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labib, A

    1987-06-01

    "This essay analyses some aspects of the in-migration flows to the Gulf countries, coming from other Arab countries as well as developing nations. Since the 80's, the Gulf countries have endorsed a restrictive policy concerning manpower import, even though they still need foreign workers. The Gulf countries pursue this policy as they fear that the presence of millions of foreign labourers will create social tension. The situation of the foreign labour force is uncertain and is bound to the role of the middleman, the local kafil, and that of the recruiting agencies. Rotation of foreign workers is very high. It has reached the 10 million mark in ten years." (SUMMARY IN ENG) excerpt

  13. FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF DEEP BEAM UNDER DIRECT AND INDIRECT LOAD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haleem K. Hussain

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available This research study the effect of exist of opening in web of deep beam loaded directly and indirectly and the behavior of reinforced concrete deep beams without with and without web reinforcement, the opening size and shear span ratio (a/d was constant. Nonlinear analysis using the finite element method with ANSYS software release 12.0 program was used to predict the ultimate load capacity and crack propagation for reinforced concrete deep beams with openings. The adopted beam models depend on experimental test program of reinforced concrete deep beam with and without openings and the finite element analysis result showed a good agreement with small amount of deference in ultimate beam capacity with (ANSYS analysis and it was completely efficient to simulate the behavior of reinforced concrete deep beams. The mid-span deflection at ultimate applied load and inclined cracked were highly compatible with experimental results. The model with opening in the shear span shows a reduction in the load-carrying capacity of beam and adding the vertical stirrup has improve the capacity of ultimate beam load.

  14. 77 FR 9897 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-21

    .... SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene its Special Coral Scientific... Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... Management Council, 2203 N. Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery...

  15. 77 FR 4282 - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-27

    ... meeting. SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting of the Shrimp Stock... Laboratory, 4700 Avenue U, Galveston, TX 77551-5997. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management... Management Council; telephone: (813) 348-1630. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Shrimp Stock Assessment Review...

  16. Seasonal characteristics of water exchange in Beibu Gulf based on a particle tracking model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, L.; Pan, W.; Yan, X.

    2016-12-01

    A lagrangian particle tracking model coupled with a three-dimensional Marine Environmental Committee Ocean Model (MEC) is used to study the transport and seasonal characteristics of water exchange in Beibu Gulf. The hydrodynamic model (MEC), which is forced with the daily surface and lateral boundary fluxes, as well as tidal harmonics and monthly climatological river discharges, is applied to simulate the flow field in the gulf during 2014. Using these results, particle tracking method which includes tidal advection and random walk in the horizontal is used to determine the residence times of sub regions within the gulf in response of winter and summer wind forcing. The result shows water exchange processes in the gulf have a similar tendency with seasonal circulation structure. During the sourthwestly prevailing wind in summer, water particles are traped within the gulf that considerably increases the residence time of each sub region. On the contrary, the presence of strong northeastly prevailing wind in winter drives particles to move cyclonicly leading to shorter residence times and rather active water exchanges among sub regions. Similarly, particle tracking is applied to investigate the water transport in Beibu Gulf. As Qiongzhou Strait and the wide opening in the south of the gulf are two significant channels connecting with the open ocean, continuous particle releases are simulated to quantify the influence range and the pathways of these sources water flowing into Beibu Gulf. The results show that water particles originated from Qiongzhou Strait are moving westward due to the year-round strong westward flow transportation. Influencing range in the north of the Beibu Gulf is enlarged by winter northeastly wind, however, it is blocked to the Leizhou Peninsula coastal region by summer westly wind. In the south opening, water particles are transported northward into the gulf along Hainan Island and flushed from Vietnam coastal region to the ocean rapidly by

  17. Potential Environmental Factors Affecting Oil-Degrading Bacterial Populations in Deep and Surface Waters of the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jiqing; Bacosa, Hernando P; Liu, Zhanfei

    2016-01-01

    Understanding bacterial community dynamics as a result of an oil spill is important for predicting the fate of oil released to the environment and developing bioremediation strategies in the Gulf of Mexico. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the roles of temperature, water chemistry (nutrients), and initial bacterial community in selecting oil degraders through a series of incubation experiments. Surface (2 m) and bottom (1537 m) waters, collected near the Deepwater Horizon site, were amended with 200 ppm light Louisiana sweet crude oil and bacterial inoculums from surface or bottom water, and incubated at 4 or 24°C for 50 days. Bacterial community and residual oil were analyzed by pyrosequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. The results showed that temperature played a key role in selecting oil-degrading bacteria. Incubation at 4°C favored the development of Cycloclasticus, Pseudoalteromonas , Sulfitobacter , and Reinekea , while 24°C incubations enhanced Oleibacter, Thalassobius, Phaeobacter, and Roseobacter. Water chemistry and the initial community also had potential roles in the development of hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial communities. Pseudoalteromonas , Oleibacter , and Winogradskyella developed well in the nutrient-enriched bottom water, while Reinekea and Thalassobius were favored by low-nutrient surface water. We revealed that the combination of 4°C, crude oil and bottom inoculum was a key factor for the growth of Cycloclasticus , while the combination of surface inoculum and bottom water chemistry was important for the growth of Pseudoalteromonas . Moreover, regardless of the source of inoculum, bottom water at 24°C was a favorable condition for Oleibacter. Redundancy analysis further showed that temperature and initial community explained 57 and 19% of the variation observed, while oil and water chemistry contributed 14 and 10%, respectively. Overall, this study revealed the relative roles of temperature, water

  18. Cost-effective reduction of eutrophication in the Gulf of Kalloni (Island of Lesvos, Greece

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. ZANOU

    2001-06-01

    Full Text Available This study presents a cost-effective analysis by comparing the costs of measures (options to improve the quality of bathing waters in the Gulf of Kalloni (island of Lesvos, Greece in order to reduce the anthropogenic eutrophication in the coastal water of the Kalloni Gulf. The Gulf of Kalloni is a semi-enclosed gulf (115 km2 which receives municipal wastewater, agricultural activity drainage, and at times sewage from olive oil plants processing the local olives harvest. The area of study consists of the coastal waters and the river basin of which water run-off drains into the gulf. Four options are comparable in their environmental effectiveness to reduce eurtophication damages which are: municipal wastewater treatment plant, construction of dams, organic farming plus training and olive oil wastewater treatment plant.

  19. Comparison of modeling methods to predict the spatial distribution of deep-sea coral and sponge in the Gulf of Alaska

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rooper, Christopher N.; Zimmermann, Mark; Prescott, Megan M.

    2017-08-01

    Deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems are widespread throughout most of Alaska's marine waters, and are associated with many different species of fishes and invertebrates. These ecosystems are vulnerable to the effects of commercial fishing activities and climate change. We compared four commonly used species distribution models (general linear models, generalized additive models, boosted regression trees and random forest models) and an ensemble model to predict the presence or absence and abundance of six groups of benthic invertebrate taxa in the Gulf of Alaska. All four model types performed adequately on training data for predicting presence and absence, with regression forest models having the best overall performance measured by the area under the receiver-operating-curve (AUC). The models also performed well on the test data for presence and absence with average AUCs ranging from 0.66 to 0.82. For the test data, ensemble models performed the best. For abundance data, there was an obvious demarcation in performance between the two regression-based methods (general linear models and generalized additive models), and the tree-based models. The boosted regression tree and random forest models out-performed the other models by a wide margin on both the training and testing data. However, there was a significant drop-off in performance for all models of invertebrate abundance ( 50%) when moving from the training data to the testing data. Ensemble model performance was between the tree-based and regression-based methods. The maps of predictions from the models for both presence and abundance agreed very well across model types, with an increase in variability in predictions for the abundance data. We conclude that where data conforms well to the modeled distribution (such as the presence-absence data and binomial distribution in this study), the four types of models will provide similar results, although the regression-type models may be more consistent with

  20. First record of two hard coral species (Faviidae and Siderastreidae from Qeshm Island (Persian Gulf, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MOHAMMAD SHARIF RANJBAR

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Moradi M, Kamrani E, Shokri MR, Ranjbar MS, Hesni MA (2009 First record of two hard coral species (Faviidae and Siderastreidae from Qeshm Island (Persian Gulf, Iran. Nusantara Bioscience 2: 34-37. Two species of hard corals including Cyphastrea chalcidicum (Forskal 1775 (Faviidae and Coscinaraea monile (Forskal 1775 (Siderastreidae were collected from the south of Qeshm Island (Persian Gulf, Iran in the late of 2008. These species were previously reported from southern Persian Gulf, Gulf of Aden, Southeast Africa and Indo-Pacific. The literature review on the distribution of these two species revealed that these species were firstly recorded from the Persian Gulf. These findings further emphasize the high diversity of coral fauna in the Iranian waters of the northern Persian Gulf.