Halmos Graduate Student Highlighted in by Research Initiative

In this first week of February, Halmos College MS student Natalie Slayden’s research was highlighted by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GOMRI). Natalie uses ear stones, called otoliths, collected from fish living in Deepwater Horizon-affected waters to study the age and growth of nine Gulf of Mexico deep-sea fish species. Her research can be used to estimate the lifespan and age at which these deep-sea fishes reproduce to determine how quickly a potentially compromised assemblage might be replaced following an environmental disturbance.

The data that Natalie has collected on fish age can help estimate the average lifespans of different deep-sea species, which helps her interpret their resilience to disturbances. Species who more quickly repopulate due to their short life spans may also more quickly rebound from environmental disturbances like oil exposure. The data on fish age and lifespan from Natalie’s research will become input parameters for models that estimate how long their recovery from disturbances may take. “In an environment disturbed by an oil spill, fish populations with individuals that have a shorter lifespan would likely recover the fastest,” said Natalie. “If we know how old these oil-exposed fish are using the data recorded in their otoliths, it can help us understand how long the oil may have effects on populations.”

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/