1 00:00:02,736 --> 00:00:07,474 >>NARRATOR: On April 20, 2010, the "Deepwater Horizon" rig 2 00:00:07,474 --> 00:00:12,212 exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers 3 00:00:12,212 --> 00:00:15,916 and setting off the largest accidental marine oil spill 4 00:00:15,916 --> 00:00:20,187 in the history of the petroleum industry. 5 00:00:20,187 --> 00:00:23,056 >>We haven't had an oil spill of this magnitude at this depth 6 00:00:23,056 --> 00:00:26,126 and in this environment. 7 00:00:26,126 --> 00:00:30,664 >>This was a systematic failure on the part of BP, 8 00:00:30,664 --> 00:00:33,066 the industry in general, 9 00:00:33,066 --> 00:00:36,937 and of the government regulatory regime. 10 00:00:36,937 --> 00:00:39,907 >>NARRATOR: Over the course of nearly three months, 11 00:00:39,907 --> 00:00:44,144 roughly 4.9 million barrels of South Louisiana crude 12 00:00:44,144 --> 00:00:49,616 gushed out of the Macondo well and into the Gulf of Mexico. 13 00:00:49,616 --> 00:00:53,220 >>It was beyond my worst fears. 14 00:00:53,220 --> 00:00:55,522 It was something I hope I never see again. 15 00:00:55,522 --> 00:00:58,225 >>NARRATOR: The Macondo wellhead was located 16 00:00:58,225 --> 00:01:01,962 at 5,000 feet beneath the water's surface, 17 00:01:01,962 --> 00:01:05,399 discharging large amounts of oil and gas 18 00:01:05,399 --> 00:01:07,467 under enormous pressure. 19 00:01:07,467 --> 00:01:10,804 >>Most other spills are associated with a surface breach 20 00:01:10,804 --> 00:01:12,339 from a tanker. 21 00:01:12,339 --> 00:01:14,908 The oil sits on top of the water. 22 00:01:14,908 --> 00:01:17,010 This was a completely different situation. 23 00:01:17,010 --> 00:01:20,514 This was the first deepwater blowout. 24 00:01:20,514 --> 00:01:22,449 >>NARRATOR: 2.9 million gallons 25 00:01:22,449 --> 00:01:24,351 of the chemical dispersant Corexit 26 00:01:24,351 --> 00:01:28,322 were applied at the surface and near the wellhead 27 00:01:28,322 --> 00:01:33,293 to break up the oil and keep it from soiling sensitive marshes. 28 00:01:33,293 --> 00:01:35,862 >>Dispersants were a novel concept 29 00:01:35,862 --> 00:01:38,298 in terms of using them subsurface. 30 00:01:38,298 --> 00:01:40,801 There's a great amount of angst, not only in the public, 31 00:01:40,801 --> 00:01:43,570 but among the federal agencies-- what are the limits of this? 32 00:01:43,570 --> 00:01:46,406 Is this a good or bad thing? 33 00:01:46,406 --> 00:01:49,142 >>I don't think anybody knows what the answer to that is. 34 00:01:49,142 --> 00:01:53,013 I understand why the heads of agencies made the decision 35 00:01:53,013 --> 00:01:54,581 to use the Corexit. 36 00:01:54,581 --> 00:01:57,184 They were trying to avert a worsening condition 37 00:01:57,184 --> 00:01:58,785 on the seashore, 38 00:01:58,785 --> 00:02:02,289 in the sensitive nursery areas and the estuaries. 39 00:02:02,289 --> 00:02:03,957 By making that decision, 40 00:02:03,957 --> 00:02:07,094 they made the conditions worse offshore and at depth. 41 00:02:07,094 --> 00:02:10,597 It was a no-win situation. 42 00:02:10,597 --> 00:02:12,933 >>Trying to understand the balance 43 00:02:12,933 --> 00:02:15,602 of those pluses and minuses in the long term 44 00:02:15,602 --> 00:02:19,239 is clearly something that we have to find out. 45 00:02:21,942 --> 00:02:24,945 >>NARRATOR: Opinions on the fate of the oil vary widely. 46 00:02:24,945 --> 00:02:30,050 It is estimated that anywhere between 13% to 60% of the oil 47 00:02:30,050 --> 00:02:33,387 remains in the Gulf of Mexico, 48 00:02:33,387 --> 00:02:38,258 potentially affecting ecosystem health for years to come. 49 00:02:38,258 --> 00:02:41,995 What will the long-term impacts be? 50 00:02:41,995 --> 00:02:48,568 How long until the true extent of this disaster will be known? 51 00:03:14,494 --> 00:03:16,363 >>Major funding for this program 52 00:03:16,363 --> 00:03:18,699 was provided by the Batchelor Foundation, 53 00:03:18,699 --> 00:03:21,268 encouraging people to preserve and protect 54 00:03:21,268 --> 00:03:24,204 America's underwater resources. 55 00:03:33,513 --> 00:03:36,783 >>NARRATOR: The catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico 56 00:03:36,783 --> 00:03:39,653 may no longer make headline news... 57 00:03:46,226 --> 00:03:51,832 ...but the response to the disaster is far from over. 58 00:03:51,832 --> 00:03:55,102 Scientists from the government, academia, 59 00:03:55,102 --> 00:03:57,604 and independent research institutions 60 00:03:57,604 --> 00:04:02,075 continue to study the impact of the spill. 61 00:04:02,075 --> 00:04:04,644 Among them is the faculty of the College of Marine Science 62 00:04:04,644 --> 00:04:07,114 at the University of South Florida, 63 00:04:07,114 --> 00:04:09,549 who became involved early on. 64 00:04:09,549 --> 00:04:12,819 >>We had research vessels sitting at the dock. 65 00:04:12,819 --> 00:04:15,922 We had personnel that had expertise in various areas 66 00:04:15,922 --> 00:04:20,961 related to the spill, and so we felt that we needed to react. 67 00:04:20,961 --> 00:04:24,164 >>NARRATOR: The USF College of Marine Science, 68 00:04:24,164 --> 00:04:29,269 located in St. Petersburg, Florida, is the home base 69 00:04:29,269 --> 00:04:30,737 for the Florida Institute of Oceanography's 70 00:04:30,737 --> 00:04:34,007 research vessel Weatherbird II. 71 00:04:36,810 --> 00:04:38,411 >>We were among the first vessels that were directly 72 00:04:38,411 --> 00:04:41,581 in the oil spill, and we worked closely 73 00:04:41,581 --> 00:04:43,316 with the federal government and with the state. 74 00:04:43,316 --> 00:04:45,519 And we did it for several reasons, because, you know, 75 00:04:45,519 --> 00:04:49,422 we felt like it was our responsibility. 76 00:04:49,422 --> 00:04:50,957 We are a public institution. 77 00:04:50,957 --> 00:04:53,560 We are here to serve the citizens of Florida, 78 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:56,496 and there was tremendous concern about what this will do 79 00:04:56,496 --> 00:05:02,169 to our economy, to our tourism, which has been a big issue. 80 00:05:04,171 --> 00:05:06,173 >>NARRATOR: Prior to the Weatherbird's 81 00:05:06,173 --> 00:05:09,943 first research cruise in May of 2010, 82 00:05:09,943 --> 00:05:12,646 a group of local researchers and faculty members 83 00:05:12,646 --> 00:05:14,848 at the College of Marine Science 84 00:05:14,848 --> 00:05:17,384 gathered to come up with a strategy. 85 00:05:17,384 --> 00:05:18,885 >>We had a long discussion 86 00:05:18,885 --> 00:05:22,956 about what would be the optimum sampling plan. 87 00:05:22,956 --> 00:05:24,591 >>We had a couple of reasons 88 00:05:24,591 --> 00:05:28,295 for expecting there to be a subsurface layer of oil. 89 00:05:28,295 --> 00:05:31,598 One is some experimentation that was done 90 00:05:31,598 --> 00:05:35,735 that indicated the majority of the oil released at depth, 91 00:05:35,735 --> 00:05:39,406 at tremendous pressure, will not make it to the surface. 92 00:05:39,406 --> 00:05:43,243 The pure physics of having very small droplets of oil-- 93 00:05:43,243 --> 00:05:44,945 which form naturally, 94 00:05:44,945 --> 00:05:46,847 but they're also created intentionally 95 00:05:46,847 --> 00:05:49,482 by dispersants such as Corexit-- 96 00:05:49,482 --> 00:05:51,852 those oil droplets have a very hard time 97 00:05:51,852 --> 00:05:55,088 fighting against the resistance of the water on their way up, 98 00:05:55,088 --> 00:05:57,157 and they end up being stationary. 99 00:05:57,157 --> 00:06:01,294 >>NARRATOR: The USF scientists also knew 100 00:06:01,294 --> 00:06:05,765 that shortly after the spill, a different group of researchers 101 00:06:05,765 --> 00:06:08,768 working from the research vessel "Pelican" 102 00:06:08,768 --> 00:06:12,372 had discovered an undersea hydrocarbon plume 103 00:06:12,372 --> 00:06:16,843 to the southwest of the "Deepwater Horizon" drill site. 104 00:06:16,843 --> 00:06:18,678 >>And that clicked for us, 105 00:06:18,678 --> 00:06:21,648 especially with our circulation models that suggested 106 00:06:21,648 --> 00:06:23,116 both a trajectory to the southwest, 107 00:06:23,116 --> 00:06:25,285 but also to the northeast in the direction 108 00:06:25,285 --> 00:06:28,021 of the continental slope and shelf of Florida. 109 00:06:28,021 --> 00:06:30,257 >>So that narrowed things down very much, 110 00:06:30,257 --> 00:06:32,959 to the point where we could look at the charts 111 00:06:32,959 --> 00:06:34,594 and pick a place and say, 112 00:06:34,594 --> 00:06:36,062 "This is likely to have oil at it." 113 00:06:36,062 --> 00:06:38,598 We also picked areas that we thought would not have oil 114 00:06:38,598 --> 00:06:39,866 for comparison. 115 00:06:39,866 --> 00:06:42,836 >>We wanted to cover areas 116 00:06:42,836 --> 00:06:45,405 that were of more intrinsic importance 117 00:06:45,405 --> 00:06:48,475 to the state of Florida, as well as to cover regions 118 00:06:48,475 --> 00:06:50,877 that other investigators weren't covering. 119 00:06:50,877 --> 00:06:53,146 >>So we had a number of stations selected 120 00:06:53,146 --> 00:06:55,048 at different distances from the wellhead 121 00:06:55,048 --> 00:06:57,217 at different depths that were designed 122 00:06:57,217 --> 00:07:00,887 to intercept any unseen oil moving toward the state. 123 00:07:00,887 --> 00:07:03,623 >>NARRATOR: Once at sea, 124 00:07:03,623 --> 00:07:06,393 it didn't take the researchers very long 125 00:07:06,393 --> 00:07:08,361 to find subsurface oil. 126 00:07:08,361 --> 00:07:11,298 >>Finding it, we thought, might be like a needle in a haystack. 127 00:07:11,298 --> 00:07:13,733 But we found the oil within a few days. 128 00:07:13,733 --> 00:07:15,268 >>It was a thick plume. 129 00:07:15,268 --> 00:07:16,903 We were able to recognize two components-- 130 00:07:16,903 --> 00:07:19,806 one was at 400 meters that spanned about 100 feet thick, 131 00:07:19,806 --> 00:07:21,775 and the other one was located 132 00:07:21,775 --> 00:07:25,445 between 1,000 and 1,200 meters water depth, 133 00:07:25,445 --> 00:07:27,414 which was essentially the bigger plume, 134 00:07:27,414 --> 00:07:30,517 and that extended for upwards of 600 feet. 135 00:07:30,517 --> 00:07:33,286 We were able to see these features in the subsurface 136 00:07:33,286 --> 00:07:35,889 simply using a fish finder. 137 00:07:35,889 --> 00:07:40,660 >>NARRATOR: Once back in the lab, Dr. Hollander and his team 138 00:07:40,660 --> 00:07:45,065 ran chemical tests to confirm the plume was made up of oil. 139 00:07:49,235 --> 00:07:52,672 Next, they matched, or fingerprinted, the plume 140 00:07:52,672 --> 00:07:57,077 to the oil released by the ill-fated Macondo wellhead. 141 00:07:58,979 --> 00:08:01,348 And the research didn't end there. 142 00:08:05,952 --> 00:08:07,620 Since May of 2010, 143 00:08:07,620 --> 00:08:11,157 the scientists have made repeated trips to the area. 144 00:08:11,157 --> 00:08:15,428 While at sea, experts use a number of instruments 145 00:08:15,428 --> 00:08:18,665 to collect data that might provide clues 146 00:08:18,665 --> 00:08:22,502 on the environmental impacts of the oil spill. 147 00:08:25,572 --> 00:08:27,707 Water samples are collected 148 00:08:27,707 --> 00:08:31,077 using a device called a Rosette sampler. 149 00:08:31,077 --> 00:08:33,913 >>A Rosette sampler has various bottles 150 00:08:33,913 --> 00:08:35,348 that we can trigger at different depths. 151 00:08:35,348 --> 00:08:38,752 And the way we decide what depths to trigger at is based 152 00:08:38,752 --> 00:08:42,122 on sensors which are attached to the Rosette Sampler. 153 00:08:42,122 --> 00:08:45,158 There's sensors for fluorescence, temperature, 154 00:08:45,158 --> 00:08:47,560 depth, and also light-scatter, 155 00:08:47,560 --> 00:08:50,663 and the light-scatter is a crude indication 156 00:08:50,663 --> 00:08:54,167 of where there might be oil droplets. 157 00:08:54,167 --> 00:08:56,603 >>The data from the sensors is retrieved back 158 00:08:56,603 --> 00:08:58,972 through an electronic cable so that, on the ship, 159 00:08:58,972 --> 00:09:01,841 we can see the data in real time. 160 00:09:07,847 --> 00:09:09,849 >>NARRATOR: The scientists collect water samples 161 00:09:09,849 --> 00:09:12,619 at standard depths, as well as in areas 162 00:09:12,619 --> 00:09:15,321 where they observe some unusual features. 163 00:09:15,321 --> 00:09:18,992 >>All right, could you bring her up to 800? 164 00:09:18,992 --> 00:09:20,960 >>NARRATOR: The water samples collected are then used 165 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,363 for various analyses. 166 00:09:23,363 --> 00:09:27,600 One technique can quickly detect the presence of hydrocarbons 167 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:29,769 in the water. 168 00:09:29,769 --> 00:09:31,604 >>The technique is based on the fluorescence properties 169 00:09:31,604 --> 00:09:33,807 of some chemical compounds. 170 00:09:33,807 --> 00:09:38,578 What we do is we shine light of different energies on a sample, 171 00:09:38,578 --> 00:09:43,550 and we collect all the emission at different wavelengths. 172 00:09:43,550 --> 00:09:45,885 This gives us a three-dimensional picture 173 00:09:45,885 --> 00:09:50,490 of the total fluorescence of the water in our sample. 174 00:09:50,490 --> 00:09:53,893 >>So at this characteristic level here, 175 00:09:53,893 --> 00:09:58,031 which is in the ultraviolet range 176 00:09:58,031 --> 00:10:01,234 that's still below the detection level of the human eye, 177 00:10:01,234 --> 00:10:04,571 that's a telltale sign of a petroleum signature 178 00:10:04,571 --> 00:10:06,239 in the water. 179 00:10:06,239 --> 00:10:07,941 >>NARRATOR: Samples that test positive 180 00:10:07,941 --> 00:10:09,342 for hydrocarbon presence 181 00:10:09,342 --> 00:10:12,879 are analyzed further and fingerprinted 182 00:10:12,879 --> 00:10:17,250 to see if they are from the "Deepwater Horizon" spill site. 183 00:10:17,250 --> 00:10:20,820 Other USF researchers along on the cruises 184 00:10:20,820 --> 00:10:23,656 analyze water samples from the same sites 185 00:10:23,656 --> 00:10:27,026 to see if they detect toxicity. 186 00:10:27,026 --> 00:10:31,498 To do so, they use two different tests, or assays. 187 00:10:34,801 --> 00:10:37,170 >>So for this assay, we are using a living organism, 188 00:10:37,170 --> 00:10:40,640 a type of phytoplankton called dinoflagellate, as an indicator 189 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,710 whether or not there is something harmful in the water, 190 00:10:43,710 --> 00:10:46,379 something that will negatively affect its metabolism. 191 00:10:46,379 --> 00:10:50,517 So these dinoflagellates bioluminesce, or they glow, 192 00:10:50,517 --> 00:10:54,787 and produce light as part of their natural metabolism. 193 00:10:54,787 --> 00:10:56,689 And when they are stressed, 194 00:10:56,689 --> 00:10:58,992 they will produce a lower level of light. 195 00:10:58,992 --> 00:11:00,827 If there is a decreased light emitted, 196 00:11:00,827 --> 00:11:02,595 there is something present in the environment 197 00:11:02,595 --> 00:11:04,164 that is making them unhappy, 198 00:11:04,164 --> 00:11:05,732 whether it be hydrocarbons or something else. 199 00:11:05,732 --> 00:11:07,901 Essentially, we are looking for a correlation 200 00:11:07,901 --> 00:11:10,403 between the toxicity data we've come up with 201 00:11:10,403 --> 00:11:12,839 and data collected by scientists 202 00:11:12,839 --> 00:11:14,774 that shows the presence of hydrocarbons. 203 00:11:14,774 --> 00:11:16,676 So if we can correlate toxicity 204 00:11:16,676 --> 00:11:18,044 with the presence of hydrocarbons, 205 00:11:18,044 --> 00:11:19,479 that would provide evidence 206 00:11:19,479 --> 00:11:22,448 for a biological effect in the environment. 207 00:11:25,919 --> 00:11:28,488 >>NARRATOR: The second test, or assay, uses a bacterium 208 00:11:28,488 --> 00:11:33,660 instead of phytoplankton to search for toxicity. 209 00:11:33,660 --> 00:11:38,131 >>No one organism reacts to all the toxicants. 210 00:11:38,131 --> 00:11:40,400 What we found was that the bacterial assay 211 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:42,769 was more sensitive to oil. 212 00:11:42,769 --> 00:11:46,372 The dinoflagellate assay was more sensitive to the Corexit. 213 00:11:46,372 --> 00:11:47,807 >>NARRATOR: These tests show, 214 00:11:47,807 --> 00:11:50,977 if there is an acute toxicity present, 215 00:11:50,977 --> 00:11:54,280 that could have an immediate impact on the ecosystem. 216 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:58,351 Scientists are also very concerned about the impact 217 00:11:58,351 --> 00:12:02,255 that low-level, long-term exposure could have 218 00:12:02,255 --> 00:12:05,391 on marine species and ecosystem health. 219 00:12:05,391 --> 00:12:08,261 >>The chronic toxicity, the sub-acute toxicity 220 00:12:08,261 --> 00:12:09,762 we haven't measured, 221 00:12:09,762 --> 00:12:12,932 and we don't know what the impact of that's going to be 222 00:12:12,932 --> 00:12:15,401 on the food chain, on fisheries, 223 00:12:15,401 --> 00:12:17,503 and the health of the Gulf of Mexico. 224 00:12:17,503 --> 00:12:21,207 >>The analogy is you can stick your nose into a bucket of paint 225 00:12:21,207 --> 00:12:25,111 and you can sniff for a minute and get a headache, 226 00:12:25,111 --> 00:12:26,479 a raging headache, 227 00:12:26,479 --> 00:12:30,216 or you can paint your room and sleep in the room overnight 228 00:12:30,216 --> 00:12:32,185 and wake up with the same headache. 229 00:12:32,185 --> 00:12:34,153 So you can have a lower concentration 230 00:12:34,153 --> 00:12:36,322 in the surrounding environment 231 00:12:36,322 --> 00:12:38,558 but be exposed to it for a longer period of time, 232 00:12:38,558 --> 00:12:41,427 giving the same toxic response. 233 00:12:41,427 --> 00:12:44,230 >>NARRATOR: Another toxicity assay 234 00:12:44,230 --> 00:12:49,869 looks at the potential of toxins to cause DNA mutations. 235 00:12:49,869 --> 00:12:54,674 Of the water samples collected in August 2010, 236 00:12:54,674 --> 00:12:57,810 about half were genetically toxic. 237 00:12:57,810 --> 00:13:01,314 Tests conducted as recently as February 2011 238 00:13:01,314 --> 00:13:04,651 continued to find genetically toxic samples. 239 00:13:04,651 --> 00:13:08,054 >>And that means mutagenic, 240 00:13:08,054 --> 00:13:11,457 or the capability to damage DNA and cause mutations, 241 00:13:11,457 --> 00:13:14,093 and mutations can lead to cancer 242 00:13:14,093 --> 00:13:17,964 and other bad effects in marine life. 243 00:13:17,964 --> 00:13:20,800 And the other thing about DNA-damaging agents is that 244 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,469 it becomes a heritable trait. 245 00:13:23,469 --> 00:13:26,005 If there's a mutation that's caused, 246 00:13:26,005 --> 00:13:27,540 it can be permanently changed 247 00:13:27,540 --> 00:13:30,209 in that particular breed stock or organism, 248 00:13:30,209 --> 00:13:34,480 so we're very concerned about those types of toxicities. 249 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:39,752 One of the most susceptible to genetic toxic materials 250 00:13:39,752 --> 00:13:41,621 are larvae. 251 00:13:41,621 --> 00:13:43,756 And these are organisms that are just rapidly growing, 252 00:13:43,756 --> 00:13:47,193 rapidly dividing, synthesizing a lot of DNA. 253 00:13:47,193 --> 00:13:48,661 Now, the problem is that 254 00:13:48,661 --> 00:13:51,764 the larvae won't turn up to be adult fish 255 00:13:51,764 --> 00:13:53,666 for maybe three or four years, 256 00:13:53,666 --> 00:13:56,202 so we might not really see the genetic impact 257 00:13:56,202 --> 00:13:58,571 for a couple years, 258 00:13:58,571 --> 00:14:02,442 and this might manifest itself in any number of features. 259 00:14:06,779 --> 00:14:10,583 >>NARRATOR: Another group of USF scientists 260 00:14:10,583 --> 00:14:14,187 is focusing their research on the impact the spill is having 261 00:14:14,187 --> 00:14:17,457 on the bottom of the food chain. 262 00:14:17,457 --> 00:14:22,261 >>The part of the food web that our group is targeting 263 00:14:22,261 --> 00:14:24,230 is the lower end of the food web, 264 00:14:24,230 --> 00:14:27,734 which includes the small microscopic plants and animals. 265 00:14:27,734 --> 00:14:30,870 >>NARRATOR: Those microscopic plants and animals 266 00:14:30,870 --> 00:14:33,639 are known as plankton. 267 00:14:33,639 --> 00:14:38,745 >>Which means small organisms adrift with current. 268 00:14:38,745 --> 00:14:42,281 Phytoplankton are the microscopic plants 269 00:14:42,281 --> 00:14:45,485 that are unicellular plant life. 270 00:14:45,485 --> 00:14:48,588 The zooplankton are the small, microscopic animals. 271 00:14:48,588 --> 00:14:50,590 They range in size from microscopic, 272 00:14:50,590 --> 00:14:52,792 which are the same size as the plants, 273 00:14:52,792 --> 00:14:56,963 to individuals like small fish larvae, for example, 274 00:14:56,963 --> 00:14:59,265 that you can see with the naked eye. 275 00:14:59,265 --> 00:15:01,934 And we do a variety of different analyses 276 00:15:01,934 --> 00:15:04,537 to determine what the composition is 277 00:15:04,537 --> 00:15:06,005 of the phytoplankton and micro-zooplankton, 278 00:15:06,005 --> 00:15:07,273 how many are there, 279 00:15:07,273 --> 00:15:08,808 and how that changes through time. 280 00:15:08,808 --> 00:15:11,911 And so what we're trying to observe is any differences 281 00:15:11,911 --> 00:15:16,115 from a normal, natural variability. 282 00:15:20,420 --> 00:15:22,088 >>NARRATOR: Observing such potential changes 283 00:15:22,088 --> 00:15:24,123 is a bit of a challenge for scientists. 284 00:15:24,123 --> 00:15:26,325 >>The Gulf of Mexico has been understudied, 285 00:15:26,325 --> 00:15:29,929 so we didn't have really good baselines for comparison. 286 00:15:29,929 --> 00:15:32,165 >>It's a very complicated system. 287 00:15:32,165 --> 00:15:34,534 I always say the Gulf of Mexico 288 00:15:34,534 --> 00:15:37,203 used to be the Rodney Dangerfield of oceans-- 289 00:15:37,203 --> 00:15:38,704 it never got any respect. 290 00:15:38,704 --> 00:15:42,742 >>We need a lot more attention paid to establishing 291 00:15:42,742 --> 00:15:47,246 these baselines of all types so we know what normal is. 292 00:15:47,246 --> 00:15:50,516 >>If we had had years of data to this point where we knew 293 00:15:50,516 --> 00:15:54,220 what the natural variability was over space and between, 294 00:15:54,220 --> 00:15:56,789 you know, week to week, month to month, year to year, 295 00:15:56,789 --> 00:16:01,127 we would be able to determine much more accurately 296 00:16:01,127 --> 00:16:03,563 what the effects of the BP oil spill were. 297 00:16:03,563 --> 00:16:06,732 >>NARRATOR: Despite some of the uncertainties, 298 00:16:06,732 --> 00:16:10,002 scientists say they have observed a change 299 00:16:10,002 --> 00:16:13,105 in the abundance and health of plankton, 300 00:16:13,105 --> 00:16:18,611 and they expect to see continued changes over the next few years. 301 00:16:18,611 --> 00:16:21,681 An increased mortality of plankton 302 00:16:21,681 --> 00:16:27,019 could have serious implications for the entire food web. 303 00:16:27,019 --> 00:16:29,989 >>We all fear what we call regime shifts, 304 00:16:29,989 --> 00:16:32,959 when you have a large-scale change 305 00:16:32,959 --> 00:16:35,862 in the dominant animals of your ecosystem. 306 00:16:35,862 --> 00:16:40,132 It's very stubborn-- once it switches over to this new order, 307 00:16:40,132 --> 00:16:43,069 it doesn't go back. 308 00:16:43,069 --> 00:16:45,071 And so that would affect fishermen and cultures 309 00:16:45,071 --> 00:16:47,673 all around the Gulf of Mexico 310 00:16:47,673 --> 00:16:49,342 if all of a sudden a certain species of animal 311 00:16:49,342 --> 00:16:51,744 that's been harvested for generations 312 00:16:51,744 --> 00:16:54,046 has been replaced by another one. 313 00:16:54,046 --> 00:16:56,215 >>I'm very concerned about things like 314 00:16:56,215 --> 00:16:57,817 Atlantic bluefin tuna, 315 00:16:57,817 --> 00:17:00,353 which a large fraction of the stock spawns in the area 316 00:17:00,353 --> 00:17:02,321 where there was oil in the water. 317 00:17:02,321 --> 00:17:05,291 >>And so that's a depleted stock as it is, 318 00:17:05,291 --> 00:17:10,029 and so any factor that might reduce the number of animals 319 00:17:10,029 --> 00:17:13,232 that might recruit to the population is of concern. 320 00:17:13,232 --> 00:17:15,935 One of the things that's kind of a truism 321 00:17:15,935 --> 00:17:19,005 of these big environmental events like oil spills is that 322 00:17:19,005 --> 00:17:21,107 we need to expect the unexpected, 323 00:17:21,107 --> 00:17:24,043 that there may, in fact, be these sub-lethal effects 324 00:17:24,043 --> 00:17:27,346 that will only reveal themselves over time. 325 00:17:27,346 --> 00:17:29,649 And we certainly saw that with "Exxon Valdez," 326 00:17:29,649 --> 00:17:32,618 and it's very likely that we'll see that here. 327 00:17:32,618 --> 00:17:35,955 >>In the case of the "Exxon Valdez," four years went by 328 00:17:35,955 --> 00:17:40,092 and the local herring stock was reopened for fishing, 329 00:17:40,092 --> 00:17:43,296 and there was an immediate collapse in that fishery, 330 00:17:43,296 --> 00:17:48,301 and that stock has not recovered since, and decades have passed. 331 00:17:48,301 --> 00:17:51,037 >>NARRATOR: To determine the impact 332 00:17:51,037 --> 00:17:54,507 the Gulf oil spill is having on fish stocks, 333 00:17:54,507 --> 00:17:59,111 USF researchers are using an innovative method. 334 00:17:59,111 --> 00:18:01,013 >>We're looking at the chemistry of otoliths. 335 00:18:01,013 --> 00:18:04,483 Otoliths are ear bones that occur in the fish's head. 336 00:18:04,483 --> 00:18:07,587 They're laid down in layers like an onion or tree rings, 337 00:18:07,587 --> 00:18:10,156 and they incorporate the chemistry 338 00:18:10,156 --> 00:18:11,490 of the water around them. 339 00:18:11,490 --> 00:18:14,427 So you end up with a permanent record 340 00:18:14,427 --> 00:18:17,430 of the history of the water that the fish was swimming in. 341 00:18:17,430 --> 00:18:20,132 So to get that record out of the otolith, 342 00:18:20,132 --> 00:18:24,737 we cut very thin sections out the middle of the otolith. 343 00:18:24,737 --> 00:18:26,806 And then we polish those thin sections, 344 00:18:26,806 --> 00:18:30,142 mount them on a slide, bring them to this machine, 345 00:18:30,142 --> 00:18:32,678 and it has a state of the art laser 346 00:18:32,678 --> 00:18:35,915 that is used to sample the different types of elements 347 00:18:35,915 --> 00:18:38,317 that are recorded in the rings. 348 00:18:38,317 --> 00:18:40,820 So if this fish were exposed to the oil spill, 349 00:18:40,820 --> 00:18:44,991 you would see unique elements showing up in this transect. 350 00:18:44,991 --> 00:18:46,626 So what we're looking for is, 351 00:18:46,626 --> 00:18:49,362 number one, whether or not the fish was exposed 352 00:18:49,362 --> 00:18:52,365 and, number two, whether or not the fish 353 00:18:52,365 --> 00:18:55,167 experienced slower growth rate after it was exposed. 354 00:18:55,167 --> 00:18:56,502 Slower growth rate in fish 355 00:18:56,502 --> 00:18:59,472 generally translates into higher death rates. 356 00:18:59,472 --> 00:19:03,209 So growth rate is not a trivial thing. 357 00:19:03,209 --> 00:19:04,977 If we see that there was a reduction in growth rate 358 00:19:04,977 --> 00:19:06,912 associated with exposure to the oil, 359 00:19:06,912 --> 00:19:10,616 then that means something negative 360 00:19:10,616 --> 00:19:13,185 is likely to be influencing the population. 361 00:19:13,185 --> 00:19:16,155 We have a lot of samples of important recreational 362 00:19:16,155 --> 00:19:18,924 and commercial species, including red snapper. 363 00:19:18,924 --> 00:19:21,027 We have large predators. 364 00:19:21,027 --> 00:19:22,561 We have small fish from the deep ocean 365 00:19:22,561 --> 00:19:24,330 that people generally never see, 366 00:19:24,330 --> 00:19:26,332 even if you spend your entire life on the Gulf, 367 00:19:26,332 --> 00:19:27,933 things that we've trawled up 368 00:19:27,933 --> 00:19:30,970 from the very deep part of the Gulf of Mexico. 369 00:19:30,970 --> 00:19:32,872 So we have a comprehensive spectrum of species 370 00:19:32,872 --> 00:19:34,407 that we'll be looking at. 371 00:19:36,442 --> 00:19:38,144 >>NARRATOR: Studies suggest 372 00:19:38,144 --> 00:19:41,480 that the oil in the water column is diluting 373 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:46,352 and some of its components are being broken down by microbes. 374 00:19:46,352 --> 00:19:52,358 As more time passes, experts say it is becoming more difficult 375 00:19:52,358 --> 00:19:55,261 to find traces of oil in their water samples. 376 00:19:55,261 --> 00:19:58,497 >>The one place that still seems to be at potential risk 377 00:19:58,497 --> 00:20:00,599 is the sedimentary environment, 378 00:20:00,599 --> 00:20:04,103 both in the shallow but also in the deep marine system, 379 00:20:04,103 --> 00:20:06,572 where the plume was, and in that region. 380 00:20:06,572 --> 00:20:09,108 >>NARRATOR: To study the sediments, 381 00:20:09,108 --> 00:20:14,246 experts collect samples with a device called a multicore. 382 00:20:17,616 --> 00:20:22,054 >>There's a central column that has eight separate cores 383 00:20:22,054 --> 00:20:26,358 that are set up that, when the device hits the sediment floor, 384 00:20:26,358 --> 00:20:30,596 that main column impales itself into the sedimentary system, 385 00:20:30,596 --> 00:20:34,433 closing, then, these vacuum-tight seals. 386 00:20:34,433 --> 00:20:38,037 And then the activated sample pulls up, 387 00:20:38,037 --> 00:20:40,740 a bottom arm swings underneath the core 388 00:20:40,740 --> 00:20:42,742 and traps the core material inside 389 00:20:42,742 --> 00:20:44,076 and brings it to the surface. 390 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,316 >>Depth is at 1,002 meters. 391 00:21:04,930 --> 00:21:09,135 >>NARRATOR: Sediment samples are cut into thin slices 392 00:21:09,135 --> 00:21:14,940 and spun in a centrifuge to separate the water from the mud. 393 00:21:14,940 --> 00:21:20,246 This water, called pore water, is then analyzed for toxicity 394 00:21:20,246 --> 00:21:23,949 and the presence of hydrocarbons. 395 00:21:23,949 --> 00:21:26,152 >>This is a shape and a region 396 00:21:26,152 --> 00:21:28,554 that's characteristic of petroleum. 397 00:21:28,554 --> 00:21:33,192 We do need to do further analyses to say, "Oh, this is... 398 00:21:33,192 --> 00:21:38,197 This is exactly one compound or another compound," 399 00:21:38,197 --> 00:21:41,100 and I'm in the process of doing that right now. 400 00:21:41,100 --> 00:21:44,970 We've got some PAH standards. 401 00:21:44,970 --> 00:21:48,407 PAH stands for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 402 00:21:48,407 --> 00:21:53,312 and those are some of the most toxic compounds 403 00:21:53,312 --> 00:21:56,048 that are in the petroleum mixture. 404 00:21:56,048 --> 00:21:59,985 So what I'll do is I'll analyze those known standards, 405 00:21:59,985 --> 00:22:03,389 and I'll be able to compare those to what I've seen 406 00:22:03,389 --> 00:22:05,491 in the natural environment. 407 00:22:05,491 --> 00:22:08,227 >>NARRATOR: PAHs are not only 408 00:22:08,227 --> 00:22:11,030 some of the most toxic components of oil, 409 00:22:11,030 --> 00:22:15,634 but they also take a long time to break down. 410 00:22:15,634 --> 00:22:20,639 To date, USF scientists have found that pore water samples 411 00:22:20,639 --> 00:22:25,377 from the sediment cores have tested positive for toxicity, 412 00:22:25,377 --> 00:22:29,048 as well as the presence of hydrocarbons. 413 00:22:29,048 --> 00:22:31,817 Many of those samples were taken in an area 414 00:22:31,817 --> 00:22:34,587 known as the De Soto Canyon. 415 00:22:34,587 --> 00:22:36,989 >>We knew from prior history that 416 00:22:36,989 --> 00:22:39,158 that was a very important area for fisheries. 417 00:22:39,158 --> 00:22:42,895 Canyons can also focus the downward flux of material, 418 00:22:42,895 --> 00:22:44,330 as well. 419 00:22:44,330 --> 00:22:47,166 So we anticipated that that might be an area 420 00:22:47,166 --> 00:22:50,302 where we will also see an impact on the seafloor. 421 00:22:50,302 --> 00:22:51,770 >>The sedimentation rates 422 00:22:51,770 --> 00:22:53,772 in those areas in the De Soto Canyon 423 00:22:53,772 --> 00:22:58,344 is about 0.3 millimeters per year-- 0.3-- 424 00:22:58,344 --> 00:23:00,746 so in three years, you get one millimeter. 425 00:23:00,746 --> 00:23:02,615 That's under normal conditions. 426 00:23:02,615 --> 00:23:06,085 What we're recognizing is that the sedimentation rate 427 00:23:06,085 --> 00:23:08,654 has increased by about an order of magnitude. 428 00:23:08,654 --> 00:23:13,492 So now we're looking at three to ten millimeters per year, 429 00:23:13,492 --> 00:23:16,595 so a significant increase in sedimentation rate. 430 00:23:16,595 --> 00:23:18,364 And the question is why? 431 00:23:18,364 --> 00:23:19,999 And so there are a number of hypotheses. 432 00:23:19,999 --> 00:23:23,903 The most prevalent one is the blizzard hypothesis, 433 00:23:23,903 --> 00:23:25,905 and that is that the oil droplets, 434 00:23:25,905 --> 00:23:28,340 maybe with the addition of the dispersants, 435 00:23:28,340 --> 00:23:31,577 has lent itself to a very sticky type material 436 00:23:31,577 --> 00:23:34,613 that aggregates other biological material, 437 00:23:34,613 --> 00:23:37,283 and it ballasts it so that it eventually sinks. 438 00:23:37,283 --> 00:23:39,251 And if there's enough of this, 439 00:23:39,251 --> 00:23:43,155 you can actually smother the habitat below. 440 00:23:43,155 --> 00:23:46,158 >>NARRATOR: Another theory on how the sediments 441 00:23:46,158 --> 00:23:49,762 and marine life on the bottom of the sea may have been impacted 442 00:23:49,762 --> 00:23:53,666 is known as the bathtub ring hypothesis. 443 00:23:53,666 --> 00:23:57,136 >>The plume, as it impinges on the continental slope, 444 00:23:57,136 --> 00:24:02,508 would leave a bathtub ring of petroleum products. 445 00:24:02,508 --> 00:24:05,411 >>NARRATOR: In some areas, the small creatures that live 446 00:24:05,411 --> 00:24:08,814 on the bottom of the ocean appear impaired or dead, 447 00:24:08,814 --> 00:24:12,785 and scientists say more research needs to be done 448 00:24:12,785 --> 00:24:17,856 to understand what is happening to the ecosystem. 449 00:24:17,856 --> 00:24:23,729 Past oil spills, such as the "Exxon Valdez" in Alaska 450 00:24:23,729 --> 00:24:26,999 and the Ixtoc spill in the southern Gulf of Mexico 451 00:24:26,999 --> 00:24:29,435 have shown that toxic oil 452 00:24:29,435 --> 00:24:33,138 can persist in the environment for decades. 453 00:24:33,138 --> 00:24:35,040 >>The Gulf of Mexico is 454 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:38,344 one of the three largest oil provenances in the world. 455 00:24:38,344 --> 00:24:41,747 Oil drilling, oil and gas exploration 456 00:24:41,747 --> 00:24:44,683 in the Gulf of Mexico is here to stay. 457 00:24:44,683 --> 00:24:47,252 >>We really need to have this well thought out 458 00:24:47,252 --> 00:24:49,321 in terms of different scenarios, 459 00:24:49,321 --> 00:24:51,690 and that can only occur if you've got research 460 00:24:51,690 --> 00:24:54,526 that's relevant to the different problems that might occur. 461 00:24:54,526 --> 00:24:57,296 We need to actually make some serious investments in this 462 00:24:57,296 --> 00:25:00,399 so that the next time around-- and there will be a next time-- 463 00:25:00,399 --> 00:25:03,135 that we're not sort of offering platitudes 464 00:25:03,135 --> 00:25:04,503 as opposed to actually having 465 00:25:04,503 --> 00:25:08,173 hard quantitative information available. 466 00:25:10,976 --> 00:25:12,644 >>NARRATOR: Many questions remain 467 00:25:12,644 --> 00:25:16,315 about the long-term impacts of this oil spill. 468 00:25:16,315 --> 00:25:19,084 Researchers from the University of South Florida 469 00:25:19,084 --> 00:25:22,788 and many other institutions are doing what they can 470 00:25:22,788 --> 00:25:27,926 to better understand the full implications of this disaster. 471 00:25:27,926 --> 00:25:30,362 >>A lot of people are working very hard, 472 00:25:30,362 --> 00:25:33,565 doing methodical tasks, 473 00:25:33,565 --> 00:25:37,036 and often it's not until later that you realize 474 00:25:37,036 --> 00:25:40,606 the significance of what you've found. 475 00:25:40,606 --> 00:25:43,475 It'll take many years before we understand the impact, 476 00:25:43,475 --> 00:25:44,943 and it'll take even longer 477 00:25:44,943 --> 00:25:46,979 before we can put the impact into context. 478 00:25:46,979 --> 00:25:49,114 Putting the spill into context 479 00:25:49,114 --> 00:25:51,517 is definitely something that will take decades. 480 00:26:23,916 --> 00:26:26,752 >>Major funding for this program 481 00:26:26,752 --> 00:26:29,388 was provided by the Batchelor Foundation, 482 00:26:29,388 --> 00:26:32,291 encouraging people to preserve and protect 483 00:26:32,291 --> 00:26:36,291 America's underwater resources.