Award Abstract # 1045879
Purchase of a Nutrient Analysis System to Support Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Research

NSF Org: OCE
Division Of Ocean Sciences
Recipient: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
Initial Amendment Date: August 4, 2010
Latest Amendment Date: August 4, 2010
Award Number: 1045879
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: James Holik
OCE
 Division Of Ocean Sciences
GEO
 Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date: August 15, 2010
End Date: July 31, 2011 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $55,431.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $55,431.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2010 = $55,431.00
History of Investigator:
  • Tracy Villareal (Principal Investigator)
    tracyv@austin.utexas.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: University of Texas at Austin
110 INNER CAMPUS DR
AUSTIN
TX  US  78712-1139
(512)471-6424
Sponsor Congressional District: 25
Primary Place of Performance: University of Texas at Austin
110 INNER CAMPUS DR
AUSTIN
TX  US  78712-1139
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
25
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): V6AFQPN18437
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTRUMENTATION
Primary Program Source: 01001011DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 7914, 5987
Program Element Code(s): 541300
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.050

ABSTRACT

The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April 2010 has resulted in the largest oil spill in U.S. history. The release continues to this time and has spread to coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida.

This proposal requests funds for Oceanographic Instrumentation through Grants for Rapid Response Research to purchase a Seal Analytical QuAAtro 4-channel nutrient analysis system for use at sea aboard the R.V. Cape Hatteras in support of research days for the calendar year 2010 and beyond in their efforts to map in near real time the extent of the plume, both at the surface and in the water column.


Broader Impacts: The acquisition, maintenance and operation of shared-use instrumentation allows NSF-funded researchers from any US university or lab access to working, calibrated instruments for their research, reducing the cost of that research, and expanding the base of potential researchers.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Joye, S. B.;Leifer, I.;MacDonald, I. R.;Chanton, J. P.;Meile, C. D.;Teske, A. P.;Kostka, J. E.;Chistoserdova, L.;Coffin, R.;Hollander, D.;Kastner, M.;Montoya, J. P.;Rehder, G.;Solomon, E.;Treude, T.;Villareal, T. A.; "Comment on "A Persistent Oxygen Anomaly Reveals the Fate of Spilled Methane in the Deep Gulf of Mexico"" Science , v.332 , 2011

PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT

Disclaimer

This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.

The Deepwater Horizon resulted in the release of over 4 million barrels of  oil into the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.  In response to this spill, an existing research cruise in the area was re-tasked to focus on the immediate impacts of the spill in the July/August time frame. The purchase of a QuAAtro nutrient analyzer system was supported by this funding as part of this effort. The system provide the investigators with the ability to measure nutrients at sea on fresh samples, thereby avoiding the well known artifacts associated with freezing. This is particularly important for biologically active nutrients like ammonium. 

 

The analyzer was used on board the R.V. Cape Hatteras (CH08-10) during July/Aug of 2010.  During the cruise, 82 stations were occupied and 1,575 nutrient samples were analyzed in duplicate.  The resolution provided by this data set will be critical in evaluating how the spill affected the biogeochemical properties of the water column, particularly at the deeper layers where the evidence suggests a plume extended hundreds of miles away from the spill.  This data is part of the larger scientific effort examining the effects of the Deepwater Horizon spill and provides a set of high resolution  vertical profiles unique to this area. 


Last Modified: 09/02/2011
Modified by: Tracy A Villareal

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