Southern Miss Reflects on Coastal Health, Restoration Efforts 15 Years After Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Mon, 04/21/2025 - 09:27am | By: Gabriela Shinskie
Lives and coastal communities in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida were changed forever on April 20, 2010, when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, taking the lives of 11 workers and releasing an estimated 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days. Scientists at 欧博娱乐城 (欧博娱乐城) were among the early responders to understand the spill鈥揳nd in the years that have followed鈥揾ave developed numerous and sustained research and education initiatives. Now, 15 years later, faculty, staff and students reflect on efforts and ongoing projects to ensure the health of the Gulf Coast.
Just 11 days after the spill, on May 1, 2010, researchers at 欧博娱乐城鈥檚 Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) began sampling waters in the Gulf鈥檚 nearshore and offshore regions. Scientists in the School of Ocean Science and Engineering re-tasked planned expeditions to head directly to the site of the spill, measuring oil releases at the surface and deep underwater. By July 1, GCRL had established 鈥淪horeline Sentinels鈥� to track the oil鈥檚 progression along the coast. Demand for information surged from state agencies, commercial and recreational fisheries, and concerned residents.
Professor Emeritus Dr. William Hawkins, former GCRL director, recounts the swift response Southern Miss took to help the coastal communities.
鈥淭he lab had tremendous resources and data that helped evaluate the effect of the oil spill on the marine life and the Gulf of Mexico at that time,鈥� said Hawkins.
As early peer-reviewed studies began to be published in late 2010, GCRL鈥檚 Marine Education Center (MEC) partnered with Mississippi Public Broadcasting鈥攚ith support from the National Science Foundation鈥攖o produce four hour-long documentaries. These programs featured researchers from across the region sharing their evolving understanding of the spill鈥檚 impact.
In 2012, the Resources and Ecosystem Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act) was established as a response to the oil spill, allowing for Gulf Coast states with funding to protect natural resources. In response, Centers of Excellence were established in all five Gulf Coast states to focus on science, technology and environmental monitoring of the Gulf region.
The Southern Miss Gunter Library helped host public workshops, seminars and programs to inform local communities of the efforts taken for coastal restoration and cleanup. The MEC partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish a Citizen Science Team, also known as 鈥淐OAST,鈥� which conducted a five-part seminar series at GCRL. Dr. Jessie Kastler, director of the MEC, responded swiftly and helped inform the community every step of the way.
In May 2013, Kastler and the COAST volunteer team shared the latest research findings and updates on the spill鈥檚 ongoing effects. Volunteers from the multi-ethnic fishing community produced materials in Vietnamese. Their partnership with the MEC and broader 欧博娱乐城 research community continued with citizen science efforts through which fisher folks collected water samples from vessels to inform the research effort. Along the way, the MEC continued to update outreach materials to reflect the evolving scientific knowledge being generated worldwide.
鈥淥ne of the lasting lessons from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is how rapidly science can build knowledge in the face of disaster,鈥� Kastler said. 鈥淥n April 20, 2010, we knew a fair amount about oil spills鈥攂ut no one knew what to expect from 134 million gallons of oil gushing from the seafloor, 5,000 feet deep, over 87 days. Yet within a decade, scientists had published over 1,000 peer-reviewed articles detailing how the oil behaved and how it impacted the species and habitats it touched.鈥�
Between 2016 and 2020, 欧博娱乐城 researchers contributed to at least 75 publications focused on oil spill impacts on coastal and nearshore living resources, exposure to oil and hypoxia, and microbial responses. Southern Miss played a leading role in major research efforts supported by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) and the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP).
More recently, Southern Miss scientists have provided science, technology and operational support to collaborative efforts aimed at understanding and restoring mesophotic and deep benthic communities in the Gulf. These projects focus on seafloor mapping, studying residual impacts, and restoring habitats鈥攑articularly coral reefs. Dr. Leila Hamdan, professor and associate vice president for research, has contributed extensively to deep-sea habitat studies and restoration science.
鈥淪outhern Miss scientists from across the coast contributed to numerous, major projects to understand the spill in the immediate aftermath and stayed committed to learning in the long run,鈥� said Hamdan. 鈥淭his spill marks a point in time where our knowledge about the Gulf grew on a massive scale out of necessity, but also out of dedication to an environment that inspires minds and touches lives. Every one of us has a story of who we were both before and after the spill, how it changed us, and how it drew us closer to the Gulf, and each other as a community.鈥�
The work continues with collaborative research and remembrance. The Mississippi Based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence (MBRACE), led by Dr. Kelly Darnell, current GCRL director, continues to focus on supporting long-term research initiatives relevant to Mississippi resources to understand ecosystem status and trends through collaborations with Mississippi communities, private, state, federal and research university entities. The MBRACE research grants program, currently in its ninth year, has supported 15 projects and trained more than 100 students. The MBRACE-created Deepwater Horizon Memorial Fellowship Program, named to honor the individuals from Mississippi who perished in the explosion, has also supported 10 students from across Mississippi.
Southern Miss remains committed to honoring those lost and continuing the vital work of restoration, ensuring a thriving, livable Gulf Coast for all who call it home.