Dr. Joe Lopez Discusses DEEPEND at the Lifelong Learning Institute
Dr. Joe Lopez gave an overview talk on the DEEPEND Consortium and the Lopez lab to the NSU Lifelong Learning Institute titled "The DEEPEND Consortium Project: Characterization of Pelagic Life in the Gulf of Mexico Six Years after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill"
The talk was well attended by 25-30 learners. Many questions were asked about the fate of the oil from the spill, what energy 'powered' bioluminescence, and what the term 'pelagic' means.
You can learn more about the Lifelong Learning Institute here.
Dr. Heather Judkins of USF on Deepwater Squid in the Gulf of Mexico
Dr. Heather Judkins, Co-PI, spoke with WTUL news at the GoMOSES conference in Tampa, Florida about deep water squid collected during the DEEPEND project. Listen to the interview here and her strategy on how to uncover what role squid are playing in a 4000 square kilometer area off the Mississippi Canyon where sperm whales have not been feeding.
Leading By Example: Communication Lessons Learned from Gulf of Mexico Scientists
Dr. Tracey Sutton, Director and Principal Investigator of the Deep Pelagic Nekton Dynamics Consortium, was interviewed by COMPASS. COMPASS's vision is to see more scientists engage, and engage effectively, in the public discourse about the environment. Through trainings, coaching, and real-world connections, Compass empowers researchers to build the communications skills, networks, and relationships they need to realize this vision.
You can read the entire blog post at this link.
2016 GoMRI Conference
The annual Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference will be held in Tampa, Florida February 1-4, 2016 and will be attended by all DEEPEND PI's and many consortium members. A list of talks given by DEEPEND member cans be found here and the event schedule for the conference can be found here.
The 2016 conference theme, “One Gulf: healthy ecosystems, healthy communities,” will focus on opportunities to promote and sustain a healthy Gulf environment, communities, and economy, including new discoveries, innovations, technologies, and policies. A strong emphasis this year will be placed on the human dimensions of oil spill in addition to the ecosystem science research that has led past conferences.
GOM Exploration Teacher Workshops 2016
"Exploring the Gulf of Mexico Teacher Workshop" sponsored by the DEEPEND team happened on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016 at the NSU Oceanographic Center in Dania Beach, Florida. Sixteen secondary science teachers and the DEEPEND team started early at 8:30am and the teachers had a knowledge-learning packed day full of of background information and practicing activities to bring back to their classrooms. These teachers are invited to become one of our two teachers-at-sea this year aboard the Point Sur for our 2 research cruises exploring the deep waters of the GoM. Stay tuned to hear who gets selected to join us! See photos of the workshop on our outreach page.
New anglerfish species chosen as top discovery in 2015
DEEPEND researchers found three specimens of a new species of anglerfish, Lasiognathus dinema, at depths between 3,200 and 4,900 feet in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The website iflscience.com named the anglerfish as their #1 favorite species discovered in 2015. The video can be viewed here:
Anglerfish all have unique appendages extending from their heads that are used to lure prey. This new species has a particularly funky, fishing pole–like barbel on its noggin that also produces light.
“Finding this new species reinforces the notion that our inventory of life in the vast ocean interior is far from complete,” says study co-author Tracey Sutton, a marine ecologist. “Every research trip is an adventure and another opportunity to learn about our planet and the varied creatures who call it home.
