Congratulations to Dr. Di Iorio and Dr. Burd who have both been awarded grants from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative to study interactions of oil with the marine environment. Dr. Di Iorio with Co-PI Dr. Thurnherr from Columbia University will measure the vertical upwelling velocity of a natural hydrocarbon seep and its role in vertical transport of methane and oil to the surface and will investigate the turbulent bottom boundary layer dynamics that cause horizontal and vertical dispersal, including re-suspension of hydrocarbon-containing deposits. Dr. Burd will lead a team including researchers from the University of California Santa Barbara and the University of South Florida to investigate how oil interacts with particles in the water to form large aggregates that can sink to the ocean floor carrying the oil with them.
