Dispersed Oil Found in the Gulf in Navarre, Florida. How Predictable.

Last week I had the opportunity to accompany Coastal Geologist Rip Kirby from the University of Southern Florida on a search mission.  The quarry was oil, and Rip was confident that we would find it.  Spurred on by the latest report from the Coast Guard that there was very little oil off of the Gulf Coast, where they found only two of 5,000 samples to contain oil, Rip was determined to test a hypothesis.  Rip tells me that actually only 10 samples were taken in 5,000 square feet, but the information from the above report says otherwise.  I think that the news report likely got its numbers mixed up when writing the story. The Coast Guard tests were done in random locations, but just like the oil as it hits the shore, this near neutrally buoyant dispersed oil settles in very predictable locations.  Rip hypothesizes that this oil is gathering in depressions along the ocean floor, and we set out to test that theory.

As we exited the Destin harbor we came across an area of orange, dispersed oil floating on the surface of the water.  I was taken aback as I hadn't seen that type of oil in almost a month, and to see it so far to the East was a little baffling.  In fact, that oil has come ashore this weekend in Southern Louisiana confirming a report from a friend that had been briefed by Unified Command about a  1 mile long by 100 foot wide swath of oil just off of the Louisiana coast last Thursday night.  This oil has now come to rest on 16 miles of shoreline in Plaquemines Parish, and in Barataria Bay, as there are virtually no skimmers left in the water to combat this oil.  

Back to Florida.  We ran a transect in 40 feet of water to the west out of Destin looking for underwater gullies where we would look for the oil.  In our first transect we didn't find any obvious depressions, but there was a small concave area that was worth a free dive.  This first site was not quite what we were looking for in terms of contour, and appeared to be clean.
Geologist, Rip Kirby dives in to check out the bottom.   

We then started our North/South transects, and marked a waypoint at the first depression that we hit.  We continued to cruise a little bit to see if we might find something better but returned to the first location that looked good on the sonar.  The divers geared up, and I actually went for a swim, maybe not the smartest thing I've done as more science is gathered about the toxicity of the dispersants to humans.

The plan was for the divers to move along in a row, down the depression looking for oil.  They had a buoy with them that would show their position so we could pick them up after the 40 minute dive.  We didn't have to go anywhere, as the buoy didn't move.  As soon as they hit the bottom they saw that it was much darker than was normal, and noticed that all of the Sand Dollars were a dark blackish brown.  When they resurfaced Rip described an area devoid of life, with shells of dead crustaceans along the bottom.  Besides the one Remora that came to check the divers out, no other fish were seen on the dive, and yes of course, the darker substrate was oil.  By oil we mean a Corexit/oil mixture.
Rip with his sample jars at the site of the second dive. 

The samples are in the lab, but Rip has figured out a way of identifying the dispersants using UV light.  Both forms of Corexit fluoresce in this type of light, and all of the samples showed both forms of dispersant, and smelled of petroleum.  A sample was also taken of the water itself, and when it settled out, a centimeter thick layer of Corexit 9500 settled out in the bottom of the jar.
Student Diver, Kyle Saleeby holds up one of the  discolored Sand Dollars for inspection.

As we were preparing to head back to port we noticed a Greater Shearwater sitting on the water.  It didn't fly and was very close, in fact, it was swimming toward us.  One attempt to rescue the bird was made, in which it flew weakly in a labored manner, and it was decided that we were not equipped to rescue the bird in our large boats without any nets.  The bird like most birds seen these days did not exhibit any obvious sign of oiling, but it did have severely worn flight feathers.  It was molting symmetrically, and the older yet to be molted secondaries, primaries and rectrices were worn straight to the shaft.  I have never seen this type of feather wear in a Greater Shearwater before, and it is exactly what we are witnessing in many of the Gulls, Terns and Pelicans along the Gulf Coast.  The theory is that as the birds preen their feathers with fervor to try and remove oil they are doing a lot of damaged to their feathers.
The Greater Shearwater that we found, and had to leave behind. 

When we finally got back to the hotel, Rip used his light on a couple of samples I had in my truck, and ion the process showed that everything I have in the back of my truck is contaminated with dispersants.
This boot was last worn on July 23rd on Grand Terre Island.  The Orange is Coerexit 9500, and the magenta is the more toxic 9527.  Both have not broken down in two months, as well as the oil that remains on the shoes.

Comments

[Denise]

Thank you for your article. Im glad to see that there are people willing to take matters into their own hands. Is there a special type of UV light that you are using to show the dispersant? Thank you!

[Darlene Eschete]

Wow Drew...you'd better chunk those shoes out your truck and whatever else you can clean, clean it....DAWN! Yep, I need to know about the UV light also...is it a reagular UV light or some other type? THANKS!!!

[Angela]

Damn. I heard on the news this morning that the found the oil that disappeared - on the bottom of the ocean. But they reported it nonchalantly, like no big deal, just another thing to report. The pic of the Shearwater just breaks my heart. You be careful out there!

[Trisha James]

I live on NB, and the day following this report I watched the boat sit in the middle of that sheen in the morning just east of the NB fishing pier. At noon, there was a fish frenzy on the first sandbar - totally unlike what I've seen as a normal fish frenzy. Pulled the binoculars and right behind it strands of foaming dispersant. Then I went for the camera - too bad I don't have alot of zoom on it. Around 1 PM the vessel went west to Pcola and within 30 mins from that time, an H53 flying at roof top level on the shoreline flew east and then back west. It was all white, unmarked with no registry numbers. I guess the Government took care of that FAST.

[jhk008]

Drew - minor error. USCG and NOAA took 10 samples, not 5000. The area they sampled was about 5000 square feet of the ebb tidal shoal off the inlet to Escambia Bay. Sorry for the confusion. Rip sends.

[drew wheelan]

I remembered that Rip told me they had only taken ten samples, but the article I cite says 5,000 I think, I will amend the blog. Thanks!!

[drew wheelan]

I will try and get the info about the light. I think that it does not need to be a specific light, but that different wavelengths allow the effect to show up better.

[Jim Kirby]

Great Article, Go get that oil boys! Keep up the absolutely great work!
Marine Science Tech
-Jim Kirby

[Al Kelley- Marine Biologist, Cal State]

Excellent Drew..............as I said, this needs to have legal remediation that extends beyond Obama's one-term to future legislation change....Congressman Markey has your number!

[Al Kelley- Marine Biologist, Cal State]

Excellent Drew..............as I said, this needs to have legal remediation that extends beyond Obama's one-term to future legislation change....Congressman Markey has your number!

[jhk008]

The commercial version of the UV lights are manufactured by Labino in Sweden. The distributor contact at NewCo, Inc. is:

Cathy Lovett
Government Specialist
Phone: 843-669-2988
Fax: 843-664-0197
E-mail: cathyl@newcoinc.com

The personal handheld units are found on the internet at various vendors...just search for UV flashlight in the search engine.

[Jim Kirby]

Also, Please note in the blog, The NOAA is the source stating that there is little oil being found, and all the test were conducted by NOAA, not the USCG.

[Jim Kirby]

Also, Please note in the blog, The NOAA is the source stating that there is little oil being found, and all the test were conducted by NOAA, not the USCG.