A Decade After Deepwater

A Decade After Deepwater
A ship floats amongst a sea of oil, spilled in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon accident. Image courtesy of Fickr, Wikimedia Commons.

December 14, 2020

The Changing Seas episode "A Decade After Deepwater" recently won a regional Emmy for Best Environmental Program at the Suncoast Emmys! This episode is available to watch online here, and features ECOGIG Director Dr. Samantha Joye and PI Dr. Erik Cordes, alongside Dr. David Hollander, Dr. Steven Murawski and Dr. Claire Paris. 

Synopsis: Ten years after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster, scientists are still studying the devastating impacts on the Gulf of Mexico. The resulting spill became one of the largest environmental catastrophes in U.S. history. Where did the oil go? Have the deep sea corals recovered from the “dirty blizzard” which fell to the seafloor during the spill? Did widely applied dispersants help or hurt the oil-eating bacteria they are meant to assist? As researchers work to answer these questions and others, they also look ahead to what may happen next, and use lessons learned to prepare for the next big spill.

Congratulations to all the winners - Changing Seas had all four of their episodes nominated this year, and three won Emmys! Their series producer, Alexa Elliot, runs such a wonderful series!

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