Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Research Articles

Endocrine data provide further evidence of physiologic derangement in sea turtles affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

This study was conducted to characterize the adrenocortical and thyroid status of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles Lepidochelys kempii that were affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. A plasma aldosterone assay was validated for L. kempii, and it was used along with previously validated assays for corticosterone and free thyroxine to assess hormone concentrations of 30 L. kempii that were hospitalized due to oil exposure, representing 2 severities of oiling (lightly or heavily oiled). Hormone concentrations were also assessed in relation to 8 clinical biochemical analytes. Analysis of paired samples indicated that oiled turtles had significantly higher initial aldosterone and corticosterone concentrations, which declined during convalescence (average 96 and 90% decrease, respectively). Thyroxine concentrations significantly increased between admission and convalescence (average 65% increase). Initial biochemical data indicated significantly higher plasma potassium, ionized magnesium, and lactate concentrations compared to convalescent values. Aldosterone concentrations were positively correlated with corticosterone, negatively correlated with free thyroxine, and variably correlated with several clinical biochemical analytes. Results of this study indicate that L. kempii had robust adrenocortical activity after oiling, capture, and transport to the hospital, regardless of the degree of oiling, resulting in very high plasma concentrations of aldosterone and corticosterone. This study also confirms that aldosterone can be reliably measured in sea turtle plasma samples, providing another diagnostic tool for the physiologic assessment of this Critically Endangered species.

Green Accolades and Oil‐Soaked Mermaids: A Sociology of Worth Perspective on BP's Sustainability Reporting and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster*

ABSTRACTSustainability reporting was originally intended to improve accountability by providing more transparency around the ecological impact of organizational action. However, as sustainability reports are increasingly used as a tool for legitimacy and a source of information by financial stakeholders, environmental concerns are being framed in economic terms. This paper draws on Boltanski and Thévenot's (2006, On Justification: Economies of Worth) sociology of worth framework to explore how the prioritization of market values facilitates the disconnect between sustainability reporting and the environment. We use the Deepwater Horizon disaster as an extreme case to illustrate how the one‐sided “compromises” with market values subjugate the values associated with social and environmental stewardship. We suggest that the integration of different conceptions of the common good can provide a more nuanced understanding of the relations between economic and environmental values.

Beyond Postmodern Irony: Empathetic Storytelling in Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black

The contemporary age, which has impacted the world and its inhabitants with a sense of anxiety and uncertainty, stemming from economic, political, global, and environmental events, has woven its effects into diverse scopes of life. In the late 20th century, the challenges facing the modern world intensified and peaked in the subsequent century due to events such as the 9/11 attacks, the 2008 global financial crisis, conflicts leading to refugee crises in regions like the Middle East, and environmental disasters like Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima Daiichi (2011). Additionally, incidents such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill (1989), the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (2010), and the issue of global warming have further contributed to this heightened sense of risk and uncertainty, impacting both nations and individuals alike. Beside these various scopes of life, literature has also been impacted by the transformation of the world. The impact on literature has been particularly pronounced with embracing a sincere one on behalf of the author by abandoning the excessive irony and carefree attitude of postmodernism, signalling a transformation beyond the conventional realms of postmodernism. As Nicholas Stavris states in Supplanting the Postmodern (2015), “faced with a contemporary culture of anxiety, artists attempt to overcome the uncertainties of the human condition in the twenty-first century by reaching out for a renewed period of sincerity. Authenticity is the new focus for the present day artist” (p. 407). Similarly, in The Post-war Novel and the Death of the Author (2020) Arya Aryan remarks this positive change in literature by noting that a “new concept of authorship emerges in this more globalised and fragile new risk therapy culture for it produces pressures on novelists not only to embrace the New Sincerity but to return to the old eighteenth-century ideals of the novelist as a purveyor of moral sentiment within the new version of liberal economics” (p. 179). Hence, the change in the attitude of authors has led to the emergence of many new theories, which critique the excessive irony, detachment, and scepticism that characterize postmodern culture. Contemporary literature advocates for a return to sincerity, authenticity, and earnestness in literature by prioritising genuine emotion, connection and empathy. By examining the implications of this shift, this article explores Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black (2005) within the context of metamodernism, aiming to reveal the discernible shift away from the detached irony of postmodernism towards a literary landscape that values sincerity and empathy. Through a detailed exploration of Mantel’s narrative choices, this analysis aims to uncover how the author places empathy at the forefront of storytelling. This article contends that Mantel’s work exemplifies a crucial transition in contemporary literature, highlighting the integral role of empathy in weaving one's life into the narrative fabric to overcome the challenges of the contemporary age, thereby portraying contemporary authors as more responsible and engaged in shaping the literary experience, bridging the gap between sincerity and irony.

Adverse Effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill Amid Cumulative Disasters: A Qualitative Analysis of the Experiences of Children and Families

Adverse Effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill Amid Cumulative Disasters: A Qualitative Analysis of the Experiences of Children and Families

Spatial heterogeneity and oil pollution structured the soil microbial community in salt marshes in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA, eight years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill significantly impacted salt marsh ecosystems, with numerous repercussions observed in the subsequent years. However, the long-term effects of chronic oil exposure on soil microbial communities remain unexplored. This study, conducted in 2018, aimed to identify how the legacy of heavy oiling from the DWH spill in 2010 influenced the soil microbial community. We surveyed vegetation and soil variables while simultaneously employing high-throughput 16s rRNA gene sequencing to examine microbial communities in soils across 21 marsh sites that exhibited varying degrees of initial oil contamination following the DWH incident. The effects of these variables, including geographic location, on taxonomic and phylogenetic metrics of community composition were disentangled using variance partitioning analysis and permutational ANOVA. Results showed a strong and significant longitudinal trend in microbial community composition that was partially confounded with degree of initial oil exposure and contemporary vegetation biomass. However, significant indicator species for heavily oiled sites included oil-degrading bacteria, and there were significant differences in microbial community composition among marshes that received variable levels of initial oiling after controlling for this spatial effect. The level of soil petroleum residues that remained in 2018 had significant explanatory power for community composition after controlling for location, whereas the effects of vegetation biomass were largely confounded with longitude. Collectively, our results indicate that persistent oil pollution as well as unidentified spatial processes, possibly associated with spill-induced alterations in erosion or wave dynamics, played a role in structuring soil microbial communities within this ecosystem.

Use of TLM derived models to estimate toxicity of weathered MC252 oil based on conventional chemical data and the potential impact of unresolved polar components

Target lipid model (TLM) and toxic unit (TU) approaches were applied to ecotoxicity and chemistry data from low-energy WAFs (LE-WAFs) of source and weathered crude oils originating from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The weathered oils included artificially weathered oils and naturally weathered samples collected in the Gulf of Mexico after the spill. Oil weathering greatly reduced the concentrations of identified LE-WAF components, however, the mass of uncharacterized polar material (UPC) in the LE-WAFs remained largely unchanged during the weathering process. While the TLM-derived calculations displayed a significant decrease in toxicity (TUs) for the heavily weathered oils, copepod toxicity, expressed as LC10-based TUs, were comparable between LE-WAFs of fresh and weathered oils. The discrepancy between observed and predicted toxicity for the LE-WAFs of artificially weathered oils may be related to limitations by the chemical analyses or increased toxicity due to generation of new unknown compounds during the weathering process.

Held in the grip: Political status, governing institutions, and emergency management procedural arrangements in the cases of Florida and Puerto Rico

AbstractTo what extent do institutions governing the relationship of the U.S. Federal government with U.S. states and U.S. territories affect their emergency preparedness and response operations? States retain more legislative autonomy and representation than territories in the U.S. Congress, which is responsible for the emergency management budget. The advocacy capabilities of territories may be limited, and greater budget constraints are expected to affect the capability of territories to implement federal emergency management plans and perform effective response operations. This work focuses on a comparative case study between responses to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and Hurricane Michael in Florida. The multi‐technique qualitative approach combines content analysis and interviews. Findings suggest that neither Florida nor Puerto Rico was prepared to respond to hurricanes of such magnitude, but the procedural arrangements of the Florida emergency management system resulted in a more effective response to Hurricane Michael if compared to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.Related ArticlesLiu, Zezhao, and Zhengwei Zhu. 2021. “China's Pathway to Domestic Emergency Management: Unpacking the Characteristics in System Evolution.” Politics & Policy 49(3): 619–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12407.Neill, Katharine A., and John C. Morris. 2012. “A Tangled Web of Principals and Agents: Examining the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill through a Principal–Agent Lens.” Politics & Policy 40(4): 629–56. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2012.00371.x.Zang, Xiaowei. 2021. “Environmental Accidents and Environmental Legislation in China: Evidence from Provincial Panel Sata (1997–2014).” Politics & Policy 50(1): 77–92. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12446.

Clarifying the murk: unveiling bacterial dynamics in response to crude oil pollution, Corexit-dispersant, and natural sunlight in the Gulf of Mexico

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DwH) Oil spill released an enormous volume of oil into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), prompting the widespread use of chemical dispersants like Corexit® EC9500A. The ecological consequences of this treatment, especially when combined with natural factors such as sunlight, remain unexplored in the context of marine bacterial communities’ dynamics. To address this knowledge gap, our study employed a unique metaproteomic approach, investigating the combined effects of sunlight, crude Macondo surrogate oil, and Corexit on GoM microbiome across different mesocosms. Exposure to oil and/or Corexit caused a marked change in community composition, with a decrease in taxonomic diversity relative to controls in only 24 hours. Hydrocarbon (HC) degraders, particularly those more tolerant to Corexit and phototoxic properties of crude oil and/or Corexit, proliferated at the expense of more sensitive taxa. Solar radiation exacerbated these effects in most taxa. We demonstrated that sunlight increased the dispersant’s toxicity, impacting on community structure and functioning. These functional changes were primarily directed by oxidative stress with upregulated proteins and enzymes involved in protein turnover, general stress response, DNA replication and repair, chromosome condensation, and cell division. These factors were more abundant in chemically treated conditions, especially in the presence of Corexit compared to controls. Oil treatment significantly enhanced the relative abundance of Alteromonas, an oil-degrading Gammaproteobacteria. In combined oil-Corexit treatments, the majority of identified protein functions were assigned to Alteromonas, with strongly expressed proteins involved in membrane transport, motility, carbon and amino acid metabolism and cellular defense mechanisms. Marinomonas, one of the most active genera in dark conditions, was absent from the light treatment. Numerous metabolic pathways and HC-degrading genes provided insights into bacterial community adaptation to oil spills. Key enzymes of the glyoxylate bypass, enriched in contaminant-containing treatments, were predominantly associated with Rhodobacterales and Alteromonadales. Several proteins related to outer membrane transport, photosynthesis, and nutrient metabolisms were characterized, allowing predictions of the various treatments on biogeochemical cycles. The study also presents novel perspectives for future oil spill clean-up processes.

ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN OLDER ADULTS POST DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL

Abstract Previous research has investigated challenges such as scarcity in housing, the loss of life, and the onset of mental health disorders such as PTSD that persist once a person has experienced a man-made disaster. This has been analyzed in populations such as older adults and other vulnerable groups of people. However, little to no consideration has been given to how age, in combination with trauma history, relates to indicators of psychological well-being after disasters. Here, using Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST) (Carstensen, 2006) and the Strength of Vulnerability Integration Model (SAVI) (Charles, 2013) we investigated age differences in two indicators of psychological well-being—depression and anxiety—among individuals following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DHOS). Specifically, trauma history and personal exposure to the DHOS were tested as potential moderators of age differences in psychological well-being. Residents of the US Gulf Coast region (N=2,508, M age= 57.72 yrs; 60.4% Women) were contacted via telephone and asked to complete the Survey of Trauma, Resilience, and Opportunity among Neighborhoods in the Gulf (STRONG). Regression analyses were used to investigate the roles of age, prior trauma, and DHOS exposure on psychological well-being after controlling for income, education, race, and gender. Implications of the findings for disaster preparedness interventions and theories of psychological well-being across the life span are discussed.

A multi-dimensional approach for analyzing risk-related decision problems to enhance decision making and prevent accidents

Risk-related decision problems are the problems that influence the risk of accidents. In most cases, the probability of major accidents is very low, but their consequences can be extreme, resulting in numerous fatalities and extensive environmental damage. An example is the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Decision making under such circumstances (i.e., under high stake and complexity) is challenging, where expected utility calculations typically are not sufficient to provide a robust foundation. This article focuses on this specific category of risk-related decision problems, aiming to develop a decision analysis approach to enhance decision makers’ understanding on the features of their decision problems. This can in turn form the basis for tailoring the information needed for decision making. The proposed approach is a multi-dimensional approach, which includes seven dimensions: criticality, uniqueness, structuredness, complicatedness, dynamic, residual uncertainty, and problem trigger. Real-life examples are analyzed to illustrate and assess the proposed multi-dimensional approach. Overall, an improved understanding of risk-related decisions problem can be aided by the proposed approach, which indirectly helps to prevent accidents and maintain safety by predicting the human decision-making process, potential decision-making errors, and identifying decision support requirements.

The Impact Path of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill on Fisheries A Case of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Oil spills not only affect the Marine ecosystem, but also affect the economic benefits of human beings. Therefore, this paper studies the impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWH) events on fisheries from the perspectives of demand and supply, which is helpful to understand the harm of oil spills, improve public awareness of environmental protection, and formulate effective prevention and control measures. On the supply side, oil spills have reduced fish numbers, polluted seawater, and reduced biodiversity. To clean up the spill, the government changed the water quality, which may have further killed some Marine life. On the demand side, consumers are concerned about fish pollution, which will have an impact on the health of consumers. Consumer demand is reduced, which in turn leads to a reduction in the income of local fishermen, and the demand of local fishermen is also reduced. Finally, this paper proposes to strengthen the management of the U.S. oil exploration access system, protect marine life, and install more guardrails.

Analysis a large data by using Weyl function

Analyze large amounts of data using Weyl functions. "Frequency variables" have been shown to provide important information that is lost in other techniques. This method applies to mood studies of information in the media and on the Internet. Presented is a quantitative analysis of information on the Internet regarding his BP oil spill in the United States. Rapid analysis of information from the social network (Twitter) on current affairs is important for government and political commentators. etc.

Limited impact of weathered residues from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the gut-microbiome and foraging behavior of sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus)

ABSTRACT The Deepwater Horizon disaster of April 2010 was the largest oil spill in U.S. history and exerted catastrophic effects on several ecologically important fish species in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Within fish, the microbiome plays a key symbiotic role in maintaining host health and aids in acquiring nutrients, supporting immune function, and modulating behavior. The aim of this study was to examine if exposure to weathered oil might produce significant shifts in fish gut-associated microbial communities as determined from taxa and genes known for hydrocarbon degradation, and whether foraging behavior was affected. The gut microbiome (16S rRNA and shotgun metagenomics) of sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) was characterized after fish were exposed to oil in High Energy Water Accommodated Fractions (HEWAF; tPAH = 81.1 ± 12.4 µg/L) for 7 days. A foraging behavioral assay was used to determine feeding efficiency before and after oil exposure. The fish gut microbiome was not significantly altered in alpha or beta diversity. None of the most abundant taxa produced any significant shifts as a result of oil exposure, with only rare taxa showing significant shifts in abundance between treatments. However, several bioindicator taxa known for hydrocarbon degradation were detected in the oil treatment, primarily Sphingomonas and Acinetobacter. Notably, the genus Stenotrophomonas was detected in high abundance in 16S data, which previously was not described as a core member of fish gut microbiomes. Data also demonstrated that behavior was not significantly affected by oil exposure. Potential low bioavailability of the oil may have been a factor in our observation of minor shifts in taxa and no behavioral effects. This study lays a foundation for understanding the microbiome of captive sheepshead minnows and indicates the need for further research to elucidate the responses of the fish gut-microbiome under oil spill conditions.

Species-specific responses of marine bacteria to environmental perturbation

Environmental perturbations shape the structure and function of microbial communities. Oil spills are a major perturbation and resolving spills often requires active measures like dispersant application that can exacerbate the initial disturbance. Species-specific responses of microorganisms to oil and dispersant exposure during such perturbations remain largely unknown. We merged metatranscriptomic libraries with pangenomes to generate Core-Accessory Metatranscriptomes (CA-Metatranscriptomes) for two microbial hydrocarbon degraders that played important roles in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Colwellia CA-Metatranscriptome illustrated pronounced dispersant-driven acceleration of core (~41%) and accessory gene (~59%) transcription, suggesting an opportunistic strategy. Marinobacter responded to oil exposure by expressing mainly accessory genes (~93%), suggesting an effective hydrocarbon-degrading lifestyle. The CA-Metatranscriptome approach offers a robust way to identify the underlying mechanisms of key microbial functions and highlights differences of specialist-vs-opportunistic responses to environmental disturbance.

The BP oil spill and income classification shifting of oil and gas companies

Literature has documented income classification shifting to increase core earnings. There has been little research on whether firms reduce income increasing classification shifting or classification shift to reduce core earnings - classify non-core items as core expenses. Also, research on classification shifting under non-market incentives is limited. We fill these gaps by examining the shifting behavior of oil and gas firms in response to the BP oil spill. The oil spill was an unexpected event that led to regulations and restrictions, as well as adverse publicity. This could have encouraged petroleum firms to suppress core earnings. We show that after the oil spill, (1) the likelihood of petroleum firms' classification shifting to inflate core earnings declines relative to other firms and (2) the likelihood of petroleum companies' shifting to report lower core earnings increases relative to other firms.

Discussion of the BP oil spill and income classification shifting of oil and gas companies

Discussion of the BP oil spill and income classification shifting of oil and gas companies

Evidence of population-level impacts and resiliency for Gulf of Mexico shelf taxa following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

The goal of this paper was to review the evidence of population-level impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWH) on Gulf of Mexico (GOM) continental shelf taxa, as well as evidence of resiliency following the DWH. There is considerable environmental and biological evidence that GOM shelf taxa were exposed to and suffered direct and indirect impacts of the DWH. Numerous assessments, from mesocosm studies to analysis of biopsied tissue or tissue samples from necropsied animals, revealed a constellation of physiological effects related to DWH impacts on GOM biota, some of which clearly or likely resulted in mortality. While the estimated concentrations of hydrocarbons in shelf waters and sediments were orders of magnitude lower than measured in inshore or deep GOM environments, the level of mortality observed or predicted was substantial for many shelf taxa. In some cases, such as for zooplankton, community shifts following the spill were ephemeral, likely reflecting high rates of population turnover and productivity. In other taxa, such as GOM reef fishes, impacts of the spill are confounded with other stressors, such as fishing mortality or the appearance and rapid population growth of invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.). In yet others, such as cetaceans, modeling efforts to predict population-level effects of the DWH made conservative assumptions given the species’ protected status, which post-DWH population assessments either failed to detect or population increases were estimated. A persistent theme that emerged was the lack of precise population-level data or assessments prior to the DWH for many taxa, but even when data or assessments did exist, examining evidence of population resiliency was confounded by other stressors impacting GOM biota. Unless efforts are made to increase the resolution of the data or precision of population assessments, difficulties will likely remain in estimating the scale of population-level effects or resiliency in the case of future large-scale environmental catastrophes.

Fishery Closures, More Than Predator Release, Increased Persistence of Nearshore Fishes and Invertebrates to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Fishery Closures, More Than Predator Release, Increased Persistence of Nearshore Fishes and Invertebrates to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Aging and Emotional Well-Being After Disasters: Vulnerability and Resilience.

Climate change threatens well-being and has increased the prevalence of weather-related disasters. We investigated age differences in emotional well-being among adults who had experienced hurricane-related, unavoidable stressors. Socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) posits that age-related motivational shifts buffer older adults against psychological distress, whereas the strength and vulnerability integration model (SAVI) posits that unavoidable stressors are more detrimental to older adults' well-being compared to younger adults. We used existing self-report data from a life-span sample of adults (N = 618, M age = 58.44 years, standard deviation = 16.03, 18-96 years) who resided in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. The sample was recruited in 2016 to examine the sequelae of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and contacted again after the 2017 and 2018 hurricane seasons. In 2016, participants reported their depression, anxiety, and trauma history. After the 2017-2018 hurricane seasons, participants reported their depression, post-traumatic stress, exposure to hurricane-related adversities, injuries and casualties, self-efficacy, and perceived health. In line with SST, older age was associated with reporting significantly fewer depression and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, even after controlling for exposure to hurricane-related adversities, injuries and casualties, health, self-efficacy, pre-hurricane depression, anxiety, and trauma. The association between older age and fewer depression symptoms was stronger among those who experienced hurricane-related adversities compared to those who had not, in contrast to predictions based on SAVI. We discuss the implications of age-related strengths in emotional well-being for policy and practice in the context of the ongoing climate crisis.

Associations between direct contact with the oil and worsened health indicators after Deepwater Horizon oil spill: Results from Gulf States Population Survey

BACKGROUND  Oil spills were known to affect human health through the exposure of inherent hazardous chemicals. The aim of the study was to examine the associations between direct contact with the oil (DCO) and health indicators among the adult residents in the 25 coastal counties or parishes most directly affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS) in the Gulf of Mexico. METHODS  Data were based on the Gulf States Population Survey (GSPS). The GSPS collected survey data from a random sample of households, with the majority of the interviews conducted in the 25 coastal counties or parishes that were most directly affected by the spill. After identifying the confounding variables, associations of DCO with poor quality of life (QoL), poor self-rated health (SRH), psychiatric disorders, asthma, and cardiovascular disease among the adult residents after DHOS were analyzed using logistic regressions. RESULTS  The mean age of total of 5,167 adult residents at the time of questionnaire completion was 53.93 (SD=16.29) ranging from 18 to 95 years. Controlling for confounding variables, DCO was associated with higher odds of poor mental QoL (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.284; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.045-1.578; _p_=.018), poor SRMH (aOR=1.278; 95%CI: 1.021-1.601; _p_=.033), anxiety (aOR=1.680; 95%CI: 1.395-2.024; _p_<.001), depression (aOR=1.182; 95%CI: 0.977-1.430; _p_=.086), and suicidality (aOR=1.920; 95%CI: 1.411-2.614; _p_<.001) after DHOS. CONCLUSIONS  In conclusions, the prevalence of co-occurring poor SRHs, co-existing poor QoL, and concurrent psychiatric disorders was high in adult residents after DHOS. Similarly, DCO had association with poor mental QoL, poor SRMH, and psychiatric disorders. The empirical findings of this research presented the managerial implications in the field of environmental health.