Before the Oil Spill: Baseline Ocean Data and Marine Microbes

Oil-spill science starts long before a disaster. Marine microbial oceanographer Dr. Alice Ortmann explains why baseline ocean data are essential for detecting change around offshore oil and gas activity near Newfoundland. Learn what counts as an oil spill, how oil and methane move through the water, and how marine microbes help researchers assess deep sea ecosystem health, pollution risk, and environmental response before and after an incident.

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Special thanks to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for sponsoring this episode.

Episode Guests: Dr. Alice Ortmann

Connect with Dr. Ortamnn on LinkedIn

Find Dr. Ortmann’s publications on Google Scholar

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Hosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese 

Cover art by Jomiro Eming

Theme music by Nela Ruiz

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