1

Much of the content of this presentation represents on-going work and preliminary results are included.

Data and images should be treated as such.

Inclusion in this presentation does not represent a formal NOAA/NMFS endorsement as final results. The

content providers listed for each section should be contacted prior to use.

2

NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center Response to the

Deepwater Horizon MC252 Oil Spill:

Living Marine Resources

Presentation to the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean and Science Technology

Todd Gedamke, PhDNOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service

October 2010

3

NMFS Mission Statement

Stewardship of living marine resources through science-based conservation and

management and the promotion of healthy ecosystems

4

• Seafood Safety• Laboratory Experiments• Protected Resources• Plankton Surveys• Bluefin Tuna• Fishery Independent Data

5

Seafood Safety

Compiled with input from Lisa Desfosse and Phil Steele

6

Seafood Safety Program

Purpose:• Ensure the safety and quality of Gulf of Mexico

seafood• Instill confidence in seafood consumers• Minimize unnecessary economic impacts on seafood

industries• Monitor key finfish and invertebrate species for oil

and/or dispersant contamination

7

Seafood Safety StrategyGulf seafood is being safeguarded by a multi-prong approach

Fishery area closures (SERO) At-sea seafood samplingDockside seafood sampling Market seafood sampling

8

Seafood Safety Program

Coordinated precautionary approach:

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

• Gulf of Mexico State Agencies

9

10

Cumulative Oil Inundation Map

_̂

LouisianaTexas Florida

AlabamaMississippi Georgia

85°0'0"W

85°0'0"W

86°0'0"W

86°0'0"W

87°0'0"W

87°0'0"W

88°0'0"W

88°0'0"W

89°0'0"W

89°0'0"W

90°0'0"W

90°0'0"W

91°0'0"W

91°0'0"W

92°0'0"W

92°0'0"W

93°0'0"W

93°0'0"W

94°0'0"W

94°0'0"W

95°0'0"W

95°0'0"W

31°0'0"N 31°0'0"N

30°0'0"N 30°0'0"N

29°0'0"N 29°0'0"N

28°0'0"N 28°0'0"N

27°0'0"N 27°0'0"N

26°0'0"N 26°0'0"N

25°0'0"N 25°0'0"N

OIL DENSITY ESTIMATED FROM MODELED TRAJECTORIES

NMFS/SEFSC – Mississippi LaboratoriesPrepared by P. Moreno on 09/12/10

0 60 12030 Miles

¯

For Internal Use Only - Please Do Not Distribute

Gulf of Mexico

_̂ Oil rig location

State waters

200 m

EEZ boundary

Sum of May, June, July oil concentration value1 - 22

22.00000001 - 73

73.00000001 - 211

211.00000001 - 524

Oil density estimation spatial data produced by: AFSC/Jan Benson(data source: NOAA, The Response Group, ESRI)

11

Fishing Area Closures

_̂

Texas LouisianaFlorida

Alabama GeorgiaMississippi

B_01

D_18

A_14

D_21

D_17

C_09

C_17

C_38C_04

D_11 D_12

C_01

A_01

D_07

A_15B_02

D_13

A_23

C_07

A_11

C_14

A_24

B_11

A_08

B_14

A_18

A_16

A_07

A_05

B_08B_05

A_19

A_17

A_06

A_04

A_13

A_09

B_10B_06B_03

A_12

A_10

B_13

A_22

A_20

C_05

C_30

C_10 C_16

C_23

C_25

C_31

C_36

D_10

C_22

C_32C_24C_15

C_37

C_34

C_29

C_27

C_20

C_18

C_12C_08

C_33C_26

D_08

D_05 C_35C_28C_19

D_02

D_19

D_20

D_06

A_03

C_11

D_14

C_13

C_03D_04D_03

C_06

C_39

C_40

B_09

A_02 A_25

A_21

C_02

D_15

B_12

B_04

D_09

B_07D_16

C_21

D_01

83°0'0"W

83°0'0"W

85°0'0"W

85°0'0"W

95°0'0"W

95°0'0"W

87°0'0"W

87°0'0"W

89°0'0"W

89°0'0"W

91°0'0"W

91°0'0"W

93°0'0"W

93°0'0"W

32°0'0"N 32°0'0"N

31°0'0"N 31°0'0"N

30°0'0"N 30°0'0"N

29°0'0"N 29°0'0"N

28°0'0"N 28°0'0"N

27°0'0"N 27°0'0"N

26°0'0"N 26°0'0"N

25°0'0"N 25°0'0"N

24°0'0"N 24°0'0"N

_̂ DWH Rig LocationEEZ BoundaryNMFS sampling grid200 mState waters

National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) sampling grid in response to the Deepwater Horizon, BP oil spill

NMFS/SEFSC – Mississippi LaboratoriesPrepared by P. Moreno on 09/10/10

0 60 12030 Miles

¯

Gulf of Mexico

12

Re-opening Protocol- An area previously exposed to oil is now free of oil and the seafood products tested meet FDA standards for public health and wholesomeness. Samples must undergo:

a) Sensory testing (Organoleptic analysis)- Sniff raw product- Sniff cooked product- Taste cooked product

b) Chemical testing- Analysis of PAH- Compare to FDA Levels of Concern

13

•Over 50% re-opened•Increasing Sampling Intensity•Surveillance Sampling

-in re-opened fishing areas -two 7-day sampling periods

14

Laboratory Experiments on Dispersant

15

Laboratory Exposure Experiments with Corexit 9500A

• Cooperative between SEFSC & NWFSC• Seeking to determine if exposure to

dispersant contaminates seafood• Galveston workshop (7/10) established

experimental protocols

Slide courtesy of Tom Minello

16

Red drum

Slide courtesy of Tom Minello

17Slide courtesy of Tom Minello

18

NWFSC

Slide courtesy of Tom Minello

19

Protected Species Surveys

Information provided by Lance Garrison, Sheryan Epperly, Kate Mansfield

20

DWH Site Protected Species Distribution Surveys

• Helicopter flights based out of Houma

• Started 28 April, 3 days per week through 31 July

• Focus on area near the DWH site in deep water

• Historical high use habitat for sperm whales, pan tropical spotted dolphins, and other marine mammals

• Observations of 7 marine mammal taxa and loggerhead, leatherback sea turtles

21

Protected Species Synoptic Aerial Surveys

Marine MammalsSea Turtles

•Transect surveys flown on NOAA Twin Otter airplane. Goal was to quantify any changes in abundance and spatial distribution in response to DWH event.

• Initiated 28 April before significant oil occurred over the continental shelf. Conducted surveys approximately every 2 weeks through the beginning of September

• Focus on bottlenose dolphins and larger-sized sea turtles (primarily loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley)

22

Oceanic Marine Mammal Assessment Survey

• Visual and Passive acoustic line transect surveys for abundance and spatial distribution of marine mammals

• Deployed 12 satellite- tracking tags on sperm whales for long term monitoring of movements

• Deployed long-term acoustic recording packages throughout the eastern Gulf

• Collected tissue biopsy samples from sperm whales and other marine mammals to evaluate potential exposure to oil

Risso’s dolphins Sperm whales

23

Estuarine Bottlenose dolphin Population Studies

• Joint project between SEFSC, NCCOS, and Chicago Zoological Society.

• Photo-identification mark-recapture studies for abundance of estuarine bottlenose dolphin stocks with different levels of exposure to oil from the event

• Collection of biopsy samples for genetic analysis and assessment of potential exposure and injury

• Sampling initiated in early May and will extend into spring 2011

24

Continuing Work to Assess Impacts to Marine Mammals

Follow-on cruise on NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter to collect additional data on Bryde’s whales, recover and re-deploy acoustic monitoring units, and conduct midwater trawl sampling for prey of sperm whales and other oceanic marine mammals. Scheduled for 8 October – 23 November

• Bryde’s whale habitat study and midwater prey sampling cruise (departs 8 October)

• Seasonal aerial surveys of the continental shelf through 2011 to track changes in abundance/spatial distribution

• Targeted health assessment studies of estuarine dolphins (in partnership with NCCOS)

• Extend monitoring of estuarine dolphin populations beyond 2011

25

SEFSC:

Stranding response (including some necropsies/sampling)

Partners:

Sea turtle at-sea rescue

Rehabilitation

At-sea observer program for skimming / burn operations

Nest marking

Nest translocation

Nesting beach observers

Proposed Work

26

Bluefin Tuna

27

Adults

Larvae

Date

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

27‐Mar 10‐Apr 24‐Apr 8‐May 22‐May 5‐Jun 19‐Jun 3‐Jul 17‐Jul

Prob

ability of o

ccurrence

Date

Date of Deepwater Horizon Incident

GOM Historical BFT abundance by date

Slide courtesy of John Lamkin and Samantha Whitcraft

28

Loop Current

Objectives and Background -Annual (since 1977) spring plankton surveys (April-June)

Sampling area is affected by the strength and position of the Loop Current and large Loop Current eddies

• Ichthyoplankton analyzed pre oil spill in multivariate data set provides baseline ichthyoplankton abundances

Bluefin Tuna LarvaeGulf of Mexico

Slide courtesy of John Lamkin and Samantha Whitcraft

29

Larval BFT / m3

Gulf of Mexico Larval Bluefin Tuna

30Slide courtesy of John Lamkin and Samantha Whitcraft

31

Bluefin Tuna - Pop-up Satellite Tagging Program

Effect of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill on movement and survival of western Atlantic bluefin tuna on their natal spawning grounds in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico

32

Pre-Oil spill BFT PSAT Tagging Data (13 tags)Image courtesy of Molly Lutcavage, unpub. data.

33

Displacement vectors of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Tagged May 2010 – 90 day deployments/data

Image courtesy of Eric Prince, unpub. data.

34

Kalman filter track of the recovered

PSAT

Image courtesy of Eric Prince, unpub. data.

35

Plankton Sampling - SEAMAP

(Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program) State and Federal Cooperative Research Program

Compiled with input from Joanne Lyczkowski-Shultz and Lisa Desfosse

36

SEFSC/SEAMAP Fishery-Independent Surveys

Shrimp Trawl image from Rainbow Net and RiggingSemi-pelagic Trawl image from Rainbow Net and Rigging

~27 meters high

• Bottom Longline• Shrimp/Groundfish Trawl• Small Pelagics/Deepwater Trawl• Reef Fish • Plankton

37

•

Annual SEAMAP Plankton surveys (1982 to present) yield data on abundance and distribution of fish eggs, larvae and invertebrate (non-fish) zooplankton.

• Gear Used: bongo net, neuston net, CTD and water bottle carousal, a CUFES (continuous underway fish egg sampler, and MOCNESS

SEAMAP Plankton Sampling (Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program)State and Federal Cooperative Research Program

-98 -96 -94 -92 -90 -88 -86 -84 -82 -80

24

26

28

30

B001 B002

B003

B004 B005

B006

B007B008

B009B010

B011B012

B013B014

B015

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B018

B019B020

B021

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B027B028

B029B030

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B033 B034 B035 B036 B037 B038 B039 B040 B041

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B045 B046 B047 B048 B049 B050

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B101

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B103B104

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B108

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B111

B112

B113

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B115

B116

B117

B118

B119

B120

B121

B122

B123

B124

B125

B126B127

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B129

B130

B131

B132

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B136

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B139

B140

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B145

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B150

B151

B152

B153

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B155

B156

B157

B158

B159

B160

B161

B162

B163

B164

B165

B166

B167B168

B169

B170

B171

B172B173

B174

B175

B176

B177B178

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B180

B181

B182

B183

B184

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B186

B187B188

B189

B190

B191

B192B193

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B195

B196

B197

B198B199

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B201

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B205B206

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B211

B212B213

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B216B217

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B219

B220

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B222

B223

B224B225

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B227

B228B229

B230

B231

B232

B233

B234B235

B236 B237

B238 B239 B240 B241

B242

B243 B244 B245 B246 B247 B248 B249

B250

B251 B252 B253

B254

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B258

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B261 B262

B263

B264B265

B266

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B277B278

B279

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B283 B284

B285

B286

B287

B288B289

B290

B291

B292B293

B294

B295

B296B297

B298

B299

B300B301

B302

B303

B304B305

B306

B307

B308B309

B310

B311

B312

B313

B314B315

B316

B317

B318B319

B320

B321

B322B323B324

B325

B326

B327

B328

B329

A165

A160

Cruises 360

Plankton Stations 12,979

Plankton Samples 34,324

Plankton Samples with Taxonomic Information 20,370

Cataloged Vials of Larvae 353,884

Individual Larvae 4,348,780

Measured Larvae 719,283

Taxonomic Updates 7439+

38

SEAMAP Larval Indices

0

1

2

3

4

5

1977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007

Rel

ativ

e Ab

unda

nce

Year0

1

2

3

4

5

1986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007

Rel

ativ

e A

bund

ance

Year

0

1

2

3

4

51986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007

Rel

ativ

e A

bund

ance

Year

Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus)

Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus)

King Mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla)

Larval abundance and/or presence/absence data are important indicators of the size of spawning populations of Key Gulf Species such as: western Atlantic

bluefin tuna, red snapper and king mackerel.

39

40

VESSEL/CRUISE INCLUSIVE DATES

No. of Stations

No. Plankton Samples

Environmental Data

FRV Gordon Gunter 1001 4/21 - 5/23 93 1015 500R/V Caretta 4/30 - 5/16 13 13 13Chartered fishing vessels 4/30 - 6/15 92 92 n/aFRV Gordon Gunter 1002* 5/28 - 6/3 6 28 6FRV Oregon II* 6/26 - 7/31 35 136 35FRV Delaware II* 7/14 - 7/24 58 289 58R/V Tommy Munro* 7/28 - 8/6 37 41 n/aFRV Gordon Gunter 1004* 8/24 - 9/29 185 1384 755

TOTAL 519 2998 1367

Cruises in Blue were modified SEAMAP surveysCruises in Red were added in response to DWH

During * cruises specialized sample and specimen handling protocolswere used so that future chemical, gene expression and biomarker analyses of bulk plankton and fish larvae could be conducted at the NWFSC, Seattle

Additional plankton collections

41

96.00 94.00 92.00 90.00 88.00 86.00 84.00 82.0024.00

26.00

28.00

30.00

B001 B002

B003B016B017B022B023

B030

B031

B032

B051

B061 B064 B065 B078B079

B080B081

B082B083

B088

B089B094

B095

B096

B097

B098

B099

B100

B101B106

B107

B108

B109

B110

B111

B112

B113

B114

B115

B116

B117

B118

B119

B120

B121

B122

B123

B124B129

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B135

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B137

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B141

B142

B143

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B147

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B152

B153

B154

B155

B156

B157

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B159

B160

B161

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B165

B166

B167B168

B169

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B171

B172B173

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B177B178

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B180B183

B184

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B187B188

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B197B200

B201

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B205B206

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B212B213

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B215

B216B217

B218

B219

B220

B221

B222

B223

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B228B230

B231

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B233

B234B235

B238 B239

B243 B244 B245 B246 B247 B248 B249

B250

B251 B252 B253

B254

B255

B262

B286

B287

B316

B318B319

B320

B321

B322B323

B326

B327

B328

Proposed MOCNESS Stations

NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter Stations

Alabama Station

Deepwater StationsLouisiana Stations

NOAA Ship Oregon II Stations

Mississippi Stations

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWHOS)NRDA SEAMAP 2010 Fall Plankton Sampling Cruise

August 24 to September 29, 2010

Cooperation of SEAMAP Partners and adaptive multi-tasking (e.g. longline survey) resulted in most comprehensive survey everResults: 185 stations sampled yielding 376 bongo, 161 neuston, 189 MOCNESS, 726 CUFES samples; 555 Chl a measurements; 200 CTD profiles; and oceanic bird counts.

42

Additional DWH Plankton Work

Slide compiled with input of John Lamkin and Samantha Whitcraft

43

Potential Impacts of DWH Oil Spill via the Loop Current on Downstream Marine Ecosystems

Objectives - I.• A joint cruise was conducted between the Atlantic

Oceanography and Meteorology Laboratory, and the Southeast Fisheries Science Center

• To obtain and analyze interdisciplinary observations to assess the connectivity between mesoscale features in the Gulf of Mexico, including the Loop Current and eddies, over the entire water column.

Potential Impacts of DWH Oil Spill via the Loop Current on Downstream Marine Ecosystems

• Joint cruise - Atlantic Oceanography and Meteorology Laboratory, and SEFSC• Assess Connectivity and Baseline conditions (Water Column and Plankton)

44

Sampling larval fish in the Deepwater Horizon spill zone 

R/V Tommy Munro

July 28 – August 6, 2010

Collect larval tuna, mackerel, and related 

species from pelagic surface waters for analyses 

of oil exposure and toxicity

OBJECTIVE:

NWFSC (oil toxicology), SEFSC (larval fish I.D.), 

Stanford University (tuna physiology), Ocean 

Media Center (video documentation), U. U. 

U. U. Southern Mississippi (captain and crew) 

PARTICIPANTS:

Shallow plankton tows, on‐board larval I.D.,  

cryogenic preservation, sample fixation, bulk 

plankton and H2

O analytical chemistry, video 

imaging

METHODS:

45

46

Sampling larval fish in the Deepwater Horizon spill zone R/V Tommy Munro

July 28 – August 6, 2010

~ 900 individually flash‐frozen scombrid

larvae

~ 900 individually fixed larvae

bulk plankton and water samples from oiled and un‐oiled 

stations

OUTCOMES:

NEXT STEPS : • RNA extraction

•qualitative/quantitative analyses of gene expression • chemical analysis of bulk plankton & water   

samples

• estimates of oil‐induced larval loss of managed 

populations

• corroborative laboratory studies

47

Fishery-Independent SEFSC/SEAMAP Surveys

48

Fishery-Independent SEFSC/SEAMAP Surveys

Shrimp Trawl image from Rainbow Net and RiggingSemi-pelagic Trawl image from Rainbow Net and Rigging

~27 meters high

• Bottom Longline• Shrimp/Groundfish Trawl• Small Pelagics/Deepwater Trawl• Reef Fish • Plankton

49

Planning Committee Workshop5-27 August 2010, Miami, FloridaFederal, State, Academic Representatives

Deepwater Horizon/SEAMAP – Planning for Fishery Independent Surveys

Fishery Independent Data Collection Workshop21-24 September 2010, St. Petersburg, Fl.Federal, State, Academic Representatives

51

Thank you Acknowledgements:

Bonnie Ponwith, Phil Steele, Samantha Whitcraft, John Lamkin, Eric Prince, Carlos Rivero, Joanne Lyczkowski-Shultz, Lance Garrison, Sheryan Epperly, Chris Sasso, Jennifer Schull, Lisa Desfosse, Tom Minello, John Incardona, Kate Mansfield

PLUS: NOAA colleagues and partners who have been working diligently on LMRs in the GOM in response to DWH