Research Related to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

In response to the tragic Deepwater Horizon (DWH) explosion 

and resulting oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, the 

Department of the Interior launched reforms that represent the 

most aggressive and comprehensive changes to offshore oil and 

gas regulation and oversight in U.S. history. This was done to 

help ensure that the United States can safely and responsibly 

expand development of its domestic energy resources.

As our commitment and duty to the American people, BOEM 

and our colleagues in the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) will remain vigilant in 

instituting reform efforts and lessons learned since the tragic DWH spill event. Our goals are to ensure 

safe and environmentally responsible operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), the long-term 

improvement and restoration of the Gulf Coast, and protection of other unique ecosystems of the OCS. 

Below find summaries of some of the research either completed or in progress related to the 2010 spill. 

Over the years, we will continue to monitor and report impacts of the spill and improve our oil spill 

modeling capabilities.

Impact on Gulf Coast residents, communities, and businesses in the first 

20 months after the oil spill

Almost from the day of the spill, BOEM, as part of the former Minerals 

Management Service, re-directed a research team already in the area 

working on a different project. The new project focused on five key 

regional economic sectors—offshore oil and gas, fishing, tourism, 

shipbuilding and fabrication, and retail—and on non-governmental 

organizations (NGOs), the claims process, and the impacts on different 

ethnic groups. The study’s success is largely due to the study team’s

ability to document the spill’s social effects as they unfolded. Often such 

information is lost in the heat of the moment.

The study takes place in a region highly involved in the oil industry and accustomed to different types of 

disasters. Some of the effects of the spill were mitigated by the knowledge, understanding, expertise 

and mechanisms in place. Conversely, the spill’s impacts were heightened by recent, severe hurricanes 

and flooding and by the fact that even short-term BOEM regulatory actions after the spill might have 

effects on areas highly involved in the OCS industry. The two-volume study report can be found online 

in BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program Information System at:
“Offshore Oil and Deepwater Horizon: Social Effects on Gulf Coast Communities Volume I: Methodology, 

Timeline, Context, and Communities.”

“Offshore Oil and Deepwater Horizon: Social Effects on Gulf Coast Communities Volume II: Key 

Economic Sectors, NGOs, and Ethnic Groups.”

Aerial surveys to predict the trajectory of the oil slick

On April 20, 2010, BOEM was conducting a comprehensive and international 

physical oceanographic study of the Loop Current in the Eastern Gulf of 

Mexico. In addition, the bureau had supplied temperature probes to the 

University of Miami as part of aerial survey research to gauge how tropical 

storms or hurricanes interact with the Loop Current. When the DWH event 

occurred, these aerial surveys were re-directed to support the real-time 

observations of the Loop Current, used to predict the trajectory of the oil slick. 

This invaluable data set of ocean temperature and currents was published as 

part of the American Geophysical Union’s Monograph Series in 2011 entitled 

“Monitoring and Modeling the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: A Record-Breaking 

Enterprise.” Data provided by BOEM's oil spill modeling group for this study informed NOAA observers 

during their aerial surveys of the DWH spill. 

Data set link: www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/upper-ocean-dynamics/research/oil-spill/

Impact of the spill on coral habitats 

The bureau immediately saw the opportunity to adapt another 

ongoing study in the summer of 2010 to investigate the impacts of 

the DWH spill. Supported by BOEM, NOAA’s Office of Exploration 

and Research and U.S. Geological Survey, this large interagency 

partnership study had been going on for almost two years. Entitled 

"Exploration and Research of Northern Gulf of Mexico Deepwater 

Natural and Artificial Hard Bottom Habitats with Emphasis on Coral 

Communities: Reefs, Rigs and Wrecks," (also known as Lophelia II), 

its purpose was to discover and explore deepwater coral habitats in water 

depths ranging from 1,000 to 9,000 feet. Adapted to focus on DWH-related 

impacts, researchers sought to identify potential coral habitats near the 

blowout site, including any located in the direction of a documented

subsurface oil plume. Scientists discovered the first impacted deepwater 

coral habitat in November 2010. Immediately following the spill, BOEM’s 

Lophelia II study manager became the initial lead of the National Resource 

Damage Assessment (NRDA) Technical Working Group (TWG) for Deep-Sea 

Corals. Some of the principal investigators from the Lophelia II study were 

encouraged to join the TWG and began developing the first new study to 

continue investigations of impacts to the deep-sea corals discovered in 

2010. Additional cruises followed, funded by NRDA and other entities.

Other findings from Lophelia II have significantly improved our understanding of deepwater coral 

ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond, including new depth records for Lophelia pertusa, corals’ 

Photo credit: NOAA
genetic patterns, and new archaeological sites. The interim report is available here and a video on the 

project can be found here. Top photo: An image of the impacted gorgonian coral, taken on Nov. 2, 2010, at the end of the 

expedition. Lower photo: A down-looking mosaic of a coral community at 1400m depth, including a variety of hard and soft corals. (Images 

courtesy of Lophelia II 2009 Expedition.)

Oil spill modeling study 

BOEM's oil spill modeling study is developing a nextgeneration 3D blowout model. The study is informed by 

the wealth of data collected during the DWH spill. Oil 

transport during the event was impacted by many 

factors, including the unique properties of released oil 

and gas, application of sub-surface dispersants, and 

degradation and weathering processes. These factors are 

included in an advanced oil spill model in order to fully 

assess implications of the blowout. BOEM’s primary goal 

is to learn from alternative scenario runs performed using 

the new model in order to inform oil spill risk assessment 

in the Gulf of Mexico. Simulation Modeling of Ocean 

Circulation and Oil Spills in the Gulf of Mexico (GM-11-02).

Photo: Illustration from the study showing the surface oiling probability for 1000 simulations using hindcasts from HYCOM currents and NOGAPS 

winds from 2006 to 2008. A 30 day spill with a constant release rate and 500 particles used to represent the oil was employed.

Using social science to assess the impact of the oil spill on tourism

The DWH oil spill had an adverse impact on many tourismrelated businesses such as hotels, restaurants, retailers, and 

tour operators. Investigators analyzed DWH claims, news 

reports, employment data, and conducted interviews with 

people involved in the tourism industry to better 

understand the impacts. The impacts of the spill were 

spread across various geographic areas, and the extent of 

the impacts on people and businesses were shaped by 

various factors, such as the structure of an area’s economy, 

clean-up activities, the reparations process, and public 

perceptions. Tourism rebounded after the initial decline and employment was relatively stable in most 

areas following DWH. The Technical Announcement is available here. 

Investigating the impact on potential shipwreck sites 

Submerged cultural resources, such as historic shipwrecks, are 

especially vulnerable to environmental or human-induced damage. 

Historic shipwrecks are unique—each site has its own place in our 

collective history and has a story to tell. Unfortunately, damage to 

shipwrecks is permanent and irreversible. BOEM’s Marine Minerals 

Program issues permits for the use of Federal OCS sand resources for 

State coastal restoration and protection projects. During the DWH 

Side scan sonar image of a shipwreck spill, emergency response plans included dredging offshore sand to 

recorded during the study.
create sediment barriers against the encroaching oil. As part of this and all other OCS sand extraction 

projects, archaeological surveys are conducted prior to sand removal to ensure that no 

historically significant sites are damaged by dredging operations.

As a result, BOEM funded a study to investigate potential historic shipwreck sites that may have been 

affected by previous sand extraction projects, including the DWH spill response, to determine if BOEM’s 

archaeological avoidance and mitigation strategies are effective. The results of this study will be used to 

inform future decision making regarding archaeological site protection during BOEM-permitted dredging 

of OCS sediments for coastal restoration projects. This study will also document and interpret any 

historically significant shipwrecks that may be identified during these investigations, including 

nominating any eligible properties to the National Register of Historic Places. For more information 

about this study, please see the study profile.

In addition, recognizing that no studies of the DWH spill were 

examining potential impacts to historic shipwrecks in deep 

water within the spill area, BOEM initiated and funded a 

major study in 2013. Federal, academic, and private sector 

partners include the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, George 

Mason University, BSEE, and C&C Technologies, Inc., among 

others. The “Gulf of Mexico Shipwreck Corrosion, 

Hydrocarbon Exposure, Microbiology, and Archaeology 

project (GOM-SCHEMA)”, is examining impacts from the 2010 

spill on 19th century wooden-hulled and World War II-era metal-hulled shipwrecks and their resident 

microbial communities. BOEM seeks to understand how shipwrecks within the spill area and their 

microbial communities were affected by exposure to oil and chemical dispersants as compared to

shipwrecks outside of the spill area. Ultimately, we hope to better understand how impacts to microbial 

communities may alter the shipwreck microbiome, natural wood degradation and metal corrosion

processes, their long-term preservation, and the role of shipwrecks as deepwater ecosystems. 

For more information about the GOM-SCHEMA project, please see the project website. BOEM’s study 

profiles for this project are available at: GM-13-03a, GM-13-03b, and GM-13-03c.

Photo Info: Close-up view of the Ewing Bank Wreck’s bow showing copper sheathing attached to the wooden hull and a diverse community of 

corals, anemones, and other biota. This 19th century ship now rests in more than 2,000 feet of water. (Photo by Global Explorer ROV. Image 

courtesy of BOEM, July 2014.)

Fate and movement of spilled oil in surface waters 

Aspects of the fate and movement of spilled oil in surface 

waters during the DWH event were captured by multiple 

remote sensing platforms deployed during the response 

efforts in 2010 after the explosion. An overarching goal of an 

ongoing BOEM study is to better understand the movement of 

surface-oil in the Gulf of Mexico, using satellite and aerial 

imagery.

The study is led by Florida State University, with Dr. Ian 

MacDonald managing the effort. The research uses data from 

a combination of remote sensing platforms and the best 

existing algorithms for determining surface oil spatial extent 

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) taken on May 24, 2010 

showing dark features near the Deepwater Horizon oil 

platform that are thought to be surface oil slicks, with a 

corresponding MERIS image in the lower right inset.
and thickness. These data and algorithms have been crucial in determining the true extent and 

characterization of DWH surface oil, and have also informed the Natural Resource Damage Assessment 

(NRDA) process. The study team is also using physical oceanographic and wind forcing models to identify 

the factors that influence oil transport. This is part of the long-term monitoring and research we are 

conducting to determine various impacts of the spill. The study profile is available here .

Analysis of the DWH spill impacts on the seafood industry

Some of the most severe and complex economic effects of the DWH spill

were on the Gulf of Mexico seafood industry. While there have been some 

prior analyses of parts of these effects, one of our studies builds a 

framework for analyzing these economic effects in aggregate. In 

particular, this study is creating a model that examines the effects of initial 

shocks (such as the spill event) throughout the supply chains of various 

fisheries. In particular, the model estimates the impacts of a change in 

fishermen’s revenues for a certain species (such as shrimp or oysters) to 

harvesters, dealers, processors, distributors, marketers, and restaurants. This 

study also entails a descriptive analysis of the DWH impacts on the seafood 

industry, which provides context to the model’s results. While this study does 

not—and could not—answer all questions regarding the impacts of the spill, it 

provides a useful framework for understanding the impacts to the seafood 

industry that future researchers can build upon. BOEM can also use the results 

from this study to analyze the effects of various potential future events on the 

seafood industry. Read more here.

Assessment of oil spill impacts on coastal archaeological sites 

BOEM is committed to preservation of the Nation’s archaeological and historic 

sites. A study titled, “Assessment of the Effects of an Oil Spill on Coastal 

Archaeological Sites,” was funded in 2014 in response to concerns by the State 

of Louisiana for coastal archaeological sites that may have been adversely 

affected by the DWH spill and spill response. So far, archaeologists have 

completed test excavation on five archaeological sites that may have been 

impacted by the spill. Seven more sites are likely to be examined before the 

study is completed in late 2017. This research also highlights how BOEM is 

seeking diverse scientific analyses on the impacts of the spill by utilizing 

expertise in anthropology, archaeology, chemistry, environmental sciences, 

geology, and even nuclear engineering from many universities, Federal and State agencies, and private 

scientific institutions. Our study partners and collaborators include the following: University of 

Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation in the Office of Cultural Development, 

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Louisiana 

Archaeological Survey and Antiquities Commission, the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, 

Louisiana State University, Beta Analytic Laboratory, University of Missouri and the University of North 

Carolina, Wilmington. Read more.