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Next Marine Life Talk: “Ecosystem effects of deep-water oil well blowouts” – Thursday 1st March, 19.30

The next in the series of Marine Life Talks‚ “Ecosystem effects of deep–water oil well blowouts”‚ will be delivered by Charlie Main‚ at the National Oceanography Centre Southampton.

Deep–water oil well blowouts can bring large quantities of hydrocarbons into contact with the seabed and hence the seafloor (benthic) ecosystem.

The substantial quantities of oil observed on the deep seafloor after the Deepwater Horizon incident (Gulf of Mexico) gave us direct evidence of this. Such events result in unknown and un-quantified impacts on the way deep-sea organisms interact with their environment, in other words, on ecosystem function. Estimating the response of biota to human disturbances of this kind is necessary in order to fully resolve our understanding of processes in both the deep-sea environment and wider oceanic ecosystem.

How can we predict the potential effects of large-scale, deepwater oil spills in other areas of concern where deepwater drilling is taking place?

This talk will describe some of the work that is being done at the National Oceanography Centre Southampton to address the enormous task of evaluating effects of accidental oil releases on ecosystem function (how organisms interact, regulating substances like oxygen and carbon) and ecosystem services (the benefits we derive). The work includes novel applications of models, experiments and data collection in the field.

The Marine Life Talks are held on the first Thursday of the month at 7.30pm at the National Oceanography Centre Southampton, and are open to the public, staff and students. Please arrive at 7.15pm to be met in Reception. Arrangements for wheelchairs must be made in advance.

The National Oceanography Centre Southampton is reached via Dock Gate 4 (between Southampton’s Town Quay and Ocean Village).

Further information: http://noc.ac.uk/news/marine-life-talks Contact: +44 (0)23 8059 6666

 
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