Deep-C Research Areas

The Deep-C Consortium is a long-term, interdisciplinary study of deep sea to coast connectivity in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. The study is investigating the environmental consequences of petroleum hydrocarbon release in the deep Gulf on living marine resources and ecosystem health. Deep-C will examine the geomorphologic, hydrologic, and biogeochemical settings that influence the distribution and fate of the oil and dispersants released during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident, and use the resulting data for model studies that support improved responses to possible future incidents.

The primary Deep-C research areas include:

GEOMORPHOLOGY

Characterizing sea floor geomorphology, bathymetry, sediment, and primary benthic habitats specific to the defined region with an emphasis on topographical features that influence deep sea to shelf connectivity.

PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY

Determining the effect of currents, topography, and episodic oceanographic or atmospheric drivers on the transport of oil, hydrocarbon gases, sediments, and organisms in the northeastern Gulf.

GEOCHEMISTRY

Assessing the influence of oil and gas on water column and sediment biogeochemical processes and the distribution of substances that affect biological productivity..

ECOLOGY

Evaluating the biological diversity and trophic interactions among organisms from the deep-sea benthos to the coast to determine risks to ecosystem structure and function and regional economies following from extreme events and adaptive management strategies.

MODELING

Developing a regional 3D Earth System Model that includes interfacial exchange processes between sediment, water, and atmosphere; biogeochemical processes, the transport of organisms, and the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on all of these processes.