The NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter conducting sampling in the Gulf has expanded its mission to use its sophisticated sonar equipment and other scientific instruments to help define the subsurface plume near the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill site and adjacent area. The mission is a collaborative project among NOAA, academia and the private sector.
Previously conducting plankton sampling in the south Gulf important to establish baseline conditions related to the oil spill, Gordon Gunter will begin additional work using its sonar capabilities that can scan subsurface features. Also aboard is a graduated net used for sampling fish larvae at different depths. The 224-ft. Gordon Gunter will conduct observations for fisheries, water, and acoustics sampling in the oil spill area and to the south.
“NOAA continues to provide assets on land, sea, and in the air to help the federal response in this effort,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter has unique capabilities that will help us better understand and define the subsurface plume that is near the oil spill site.”
Read the full NOAA news anncouncement