GLAD Experiment to Improve Oil Spill and At-Sea Emergency Responses

— Coral Gables — Scientists have embarked on a three-week expedition aboard the R/V F. G. Walton Smith in the Gulf of Mexico to understand how surface ocean currents near the site of the Deepwater Horizon influence the fate and transport of oil and dispersants, like those from the 2010 spill. In other words, they will investigate where pollutants travel and how fast they get there. This experiment is an essential step in understanding the elusive ocean surface currents that transport pollutants. This unprecedented expedition marks the first time that a study of this magnitude will map the relatively unknown surface currents found in the Gulf of Mexico. In the past, only a handful of monitoring devices were set adrift along the currents. This summer, more than 300 custom-made buoys known as "drifters" will be released during the Grand Lagrangian Deployment (GLAD).