The meeting opened with Dave Demaster (NCSU), who documented Antarctic Shelf sediment responses to climate change, and Larry Benninger (UNC-CH), who discussed particle-reactive radionuclides on the continental shelf.  JP Walsh (ECU) spoke about how storms and floods, such as Hurricane Katrina, impact sediment deposition and records.

Three researchers from UNCW discussed their research about chemical properties of rainwater. Katherine Mullaugh first spoke about the effect of reduced sulfur dioxide emissions on hydrogen peroxide concentrations in rainwater, and then Joan Wiley elaborated on hydrogen peroxide as a reducing agent in rainwater. Finally, Ralph Mead shared his experience using the FT-ICRMS, an extremely strong and precise mass spectrometer, to analyze dissolved organic matter in rainwater.

The first day of talks also included an update on US Ocean Policy by Robert George (GIBS), who called for strong national ocean policy developed with the aid and involvement of ocean scientists. Lisa Clough (ECU) shared lessons learned while she was an NSF Program Manager, which included information on funding trends and the best time to submit proposals. Bruce Corliss (Director of DUNCOC) concluded Friday’s talks with an overview of consortium activities for 2011, including an estimate of Cape Hatteras ship time for 2012 and a UNOLS workshop on Greening the Academic Fleet to be held in January 2012 and hosted by Duke.

Following the conclusion of the first day of talks, the Consortium members joined together at 6pm in the Marine Lab Dining Hall for dinner, drinks, and lively conversation. Following dinner, Bruce Corliss and Bob George presented the first DUNCOC Dirk Frankenberg Award to Professor Orrin Pilkey (Duke). The Frankenberg family was there to honor Orrin Pilkey for his outstanding contributions to oceanographic outreach in North Carolina.

The meeting resumed on Saturday morning with hot coffee and delicious pastries, followed by five presentations. Thomas Wolcott (NCSU) spoke about using citizen science in environmental monitoring, and then Jose Rafael Garcia-March (UNC-CH) continued with a talk about using subtidal bivalves as a tool for environmental biomonitoring. The day concluded with discussion on activity of cyanobacteria in the open ocean by Zackary Johnson (Duke) and deep-sea coral research in the Gulf of Mexico by Steve Ross (UNC).  Once again, the meeting was a time for oceanographers from across the state to get together to exchange ideas and renew friendships.  Contributed by Alexandra Kay (Duke University).

— Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University
Contact: Bruce Corliss, (919) 684-2951, bruce.corliss@duke.edu; or Tim Lucas, (919) 613-8084, tdlucas@duke.edu
June 7, 2010

DURHAM, N.C. – The R/V Cape Hatteras, a 135-foot oceangoing research vessel operated by the Duke/University of North Carolina Oceanographic Consortium (DUNCOC), left the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, N.C., on June 5 to conduct a 10-day research cruise in waters affected by the ongoing Deep Horizon oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

The ship will collect data in affected waters between June 10 and 20. A webcam and blog chronicling the expedition will be accessible, when conditions permit, at www.nicholas.duke.edu/oilspill.

The expedition is funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Rapid Response Research program.  John Kessler, assistant professor of oceanography at Texas A&M University, is the chief scientist.

The primary objective of the cruise is to quantify the amount of methane from the spill that is being dissolved or retained in the water column and emitted into the atmosphere, says Bruce Corliss, DUNCOC director and professor of earth and ocean sciences at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment.

Previous estimates by scientists at British Petroleum suggest methane accounts for about 40 percent of the spill, by weight.  A fossil methane discharge of that size “presents a very unique opportunity to investigate how the natural oceanic methane system functions, and how it contributes to Earth’s climate,” Corliss says. Methane is a greenhouse gas that has been linked to climate change. Measuring the methane from the spill, he adds, may be a useful tool to quantify how much oil has leaked into the Gulf of Mexico, according to a recent article in Nature. (You can read the article at http:www.nature.com/nature/journal/v465/n7297/full/465421a.html.)

Scientists aboard the Cape Hatteras also will study the effect the discharged methane has on beneficial marine microorganisms and dissolved oxygen levels in Gulf waters.

“As bacteria in the water consume the spilled methane, they use oxygen,” Corliss explains. “The question is, will this create anoxic conditions, or new underwater ‘dead zones’, where the waters are completely depleted of oxygen? If so – if the oil spill affects the phytoplankton and zooplankton in the region – then it’s not only affecting large animals like sea turtles or sea birds, it’s affecting the entire food chain, which could have far-reaching long-term impacts.”

“What we learn about these processes will not help end the current spill, but will help us solve similar problems in the future,” Corliss says.

The crew of the Cape Hatteras will receive special hazardous materials training prior to heading into the affected waters. Scientists and crew members will be outfitted with protective Tvvek suits, respirators and disposable foul-weather gear.  Before returning to port, the ship itself will be cleaned at degreasing stations.  To prevent damage to sensitive equipment, the ship’s flow-through seawater system to monitor salinity and water temperature will be shut down, along with its reverse osmosis water purification system.

Other NSF-funded research cruises to the Gulf aboard the Cape Hatteras are planned for later this summer.