Composition, Concentration, and Distribution of sub-surface oil, Northern Gulf of Mexico, May to December 2010

The goals of this project were to determine the concentration and chemical composition hydrocarbons throughout the water column focusing on the different layers comprising the deep-sea plumes/intrusions. Utilizing techniques in molecular organic and isotope geochemistry this research aims to develop a “chemical fingerprint” for the subsurface oil that future researchers can trace the flow and cycling of oil within the marine waters and sediments and within marine ecosystems and habitats. During two research cruises, August and December 2010 we were be able to evaluate how the concentration and chemical composition subsurface hydrocarbons are changing over time and space. This study of subsurface oils is also vitally needed for determining environmental baselines, assessing the persistence of the subsurface hydrocarbons in the plume layers with time and transport away from the blowout site, understanding ecosystem responses and evaluating the causes of biological and chemical changes associated with pre- and post-impact assessments and restoration.