2016 GoMRI Conference

The annual Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference will be held in Tampa, Florida February 1-4, 2016 and will be attended by all DEEPEND PI's and many consortium members.  A list of talks given by DEEPEND member cans be found here and the event schedule for the conference can be found here. 

 The 2016 conference theme, “One Gulf: healthy ecosystems, healthy communities,” will focus on opportunities to promote and sustain a healthy Gulf environment, communities, and economy, including new discoveries, innovations, technologies, and policies. A strong emphasis this year will be placed on the human dimensions of oil spill in addition to the ecosystem science research that has led past conferences.

New anglerfish species chosen as top discovery in 2015

DEEPEND researchers found three specimens of a new species of anglerfish, Lasiognathus dinema, at depths between 3,200 and 4,900 feet in the northern Gulf of Mexico.   The website iflscience.com named the anglerfish as their #1 favorite species discovered in 2015.  The video can be viewed here:

Anglerfish all have unique appendages extending from their heads that are used to lure prey. This new species has a particularly funky, fishing pole–like barbel on its noggin that also produces light.

“Finding this new species reinforces the notion that our inventory of life in the vast ocean interior is far from complete,” says study co-author Tracey Sutton, a marine ecologist. “Every research trip is an adventure and another opportunity to learn about our planet and the varied creatures who call it home.

DEEPEND Data Management presented at the OceanTeacher Global Academy conference

Dr. Matthew Johnston gave a seminar on DEEPEND data management and visualization at the OceanTeacher Global Academy hosted by Nova Southeastern University on November 19th, 2015. 

OceanTeacher is a comprehensive web-based training system that supports Classroom training (face-to-face), Blended training (combining classroom and distance learning), online tutoring and online self-learning.

OceanTeacher has been developed as a training system for ocean data managers (working in ocean data centres), marine information managers (marine librarians) as well as for marine researchers who wish to acquire knowledge on data and/or information management. In addition OceanTeacher is being used for training in other related disciplines.

Dr. Johnston's talk was recorded and can be viewed here

DEEPEND research presented at the Fish at Night Symposium

DEEPEND research was prominently featured at the first international "Fish at Night Symposium" in Coconut Grove, Florida on Nov. 17-20th 2015.  Dr. Tracey Sutton, Director of the DEEPEND consortium, was the chair for the Deep and Polar Sea (“Perpetual Night”) Fish and Fisheries session.  Featured DEEPEND talks and presenter were:

Dr. Tracey Sutton - "Understanding Deep-Pelagic Ecosystem Dynamics: A New Research Initiative in the Gulf of Mexico (DEEPEND)"

April Cook, MS - "What Have We Learned About the Diversity of Oceanic Fauna of the Gulf of Mexico After Deepwater Horizon? Initial Results of the Offshore Nekton Sampling and Analysis Program

Alex Marks, MS Student - "Reproductive Ecology of Dragonfishes (Family: Stomiidae), The Dominant Vertically Migrating Mesopelagic Predators, in the Gulf of Mexico"

Lacey Malarky, MS Student - "Faunal Composition and Distribution of Pelagic Larval Flatfishes (Teleostei:Pleuronectiformes) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Connectivity Between Coastal and Oceanic Epipelagic Ecosystems"

Katie Bowen, MS Student - "Pelagic Habitat Use by Juvenile Reef Fishes in the Northern Gulf of Mexico"

The full program can be downloaded here