ECOGIG Cruise on the DSV Ocean Inspector
9/17/2016 – 10/11/2016
ROV: Global Explorer
Dr. Cordes and Dr. Fanny Girard led this cruise in effort to re-image corals in order to document how deep-sea corals are recovering from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. This cruise will contribute to ECOGIG’s unprecedented six year time series to investigate deep-sea coral growth and species interactions.
We investigated how corals and their associated microorganisms respond to natural oil and gas exposure by visiting sites with natural oil and gas seepage. Corals selected near and far from the natural seeps will be studied to determine how location affects gene expression, metabolite production, and microbial associations. Live corals were also taken in order to conduct further experiments on their response to oil and dispersant exposure.
Images courtesy of ECOGIG.