Mexican Monitoring Response to Deepwater Horizon

Monitoring and Assessing Potential
Impacts of the Deepwater Oil Spill
National Institute of Ecology (INE- INECC)
Margarita Caso

1. Background
• April 2010, oil spill begins
with the collapse of the
Deepwater Horizon
platform, owned by
British Petroleum and its
partners.
• The Macondo well
(depth of 1,525 m) -
finally sealed on August
2010.

Largest oil spill in history: 4.9 million barrels spilled
Deepwater Horizon (Abr 2010 - EUA)
Ixtoc I (Jun 1979 - México)
Oil Well (Mar 1990 -Uzbekistan)
Kharyaga-Usinsk Pipeline (Oct 1994 - Rusia)
Castillo de Beliver (Ago 1993 - Sudáfrica)
Amoco Cadiz (Mar 1978 - Francia
Odyssey (Nov 1988 - Canada)
D-103 consession well (Ago 1980 - Libia)
Haven (Abr 1991 - Italia)
HISTORIC MAJOR WORLD
OIL SPILLS
(Millions barrels)
Atlantic Empress (1) (Jul 1979 - Trinidad y …
0 1 2 3 4 5
Unprecedented amount of dispersants used: ≈ 6.9 million L, 42% directly in
the well. Effects are yet unknown.
Source:The Economist ,2010.

2. Action Plan – May 2010
The action plan produced by the Mexican Government
consists of the following sections:
a) Objective
b) Scope
c) Overall coordination and organization
d) Public information
e) Action lines:
- Monitoring - Establishment of a monitoring group -
headed by INE
- Training and Education
- Hazard mitigation actions
f) Procedures
g) Financing

Monitoring Group headed by INE – June 2010
Coordination and Strategy
Several academic and government institutions were
gathered for the design of the monitoring strategy
a) The establishment of a baseline in the Mexican portion of
the Gulf
b) Long-term monitoring
Large-scale long-term effects both, spatial and temporal.

INE - Coordination of the monitoring effortthe
establishemt of the baseline
1. Identification of the
minimum necessary studies to
establish the baseline
2. Identification of vulnerable
regions
3. Harmonization and
standardization of
methodology (parameter
definition )
4. Division of the study area
between the academic and
government institutions
• Loop Current
• Anticyclonic eddies

2. Identification of the minimum necessary studies
to establish the baseline
The baseline for the Mexican portion of the Gulf should at
least consider:
1. Hydrological characterization
2. Current levels of hydrocarbons and metals in the water
column, sediment and biota
3. Characterization studies of coastal ecosystems - seagrass
beds as sentinel ecosystems of environmental change
4. Studies in sea turtles as examples of migratory species
5. Ecotoxicological studies in tissues of fish and turtle eggs
6. Model of the dispersion of the oil weathered phases

3. Identification of potential impacts-
Hydrological characterization
TAMAULIPAS AND VERACRUZ
UNAM – Dr. Luis Soto
2010 - June - July
2011 - January – February
2012- October-November
B/O Justo Sierra -
UNAM
Collaboration IMP
YUCATAN
CINVESTAV – Dr. Gerardo Gold
2010 - September
2011 - January – February
2012- November- December
DEEP SEA
CICESE- Dr. Juan Carlos Herguera
2010 - October– November
2011 – July
2012 - October

Latitud N
Ni
26.0
1 2 34 5
Río Bravo
µ
-1
gg
24.0
21 223 24 25 10 9 8 7
6
25.0 Laguna
11 12 13 14 15
Madre
20 19 1817 16
23.0
Río Soto
La Marina
50.79
41.78
35.35
28.92
22.49
16.06
22.0
Río
Pánuco
9.63
Laguna
Tamiahua
98.0 97.0 96.0
Longitud O

Species sampling - baseline
Sea turtle eggs analysis as examples of
migratory species that connect the
ecosystem.
- Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
–Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)-
–Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) –
–Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Collaboration CONANP
Ecotoxicology analysis -
baseline
1. Evaluation of toxicity- water and
sediment samples using Microtox
test (Vibrio fischeri)
2. Evaluation of biomarkers in
mollusks
Collaboration – UAM- Dr. Patricia Ramírez
1
2
6
5
8
3
4
7
Guzmán-Martínez

Ecosystem characterization (seagrasses- baseline)
• Seagrass beds are an important
component of coastal wetlands
Global coverage ≈ 0.1-0.2% of the coastal
ocean
Highly productive communities
• Important spawning, nesting, shelter,
protection, and feeding areas (turtles,
manatees, fish, shrimp, seahorses,
octopus, sea cucumbers).
• Excellent protection of coastal areas
• "Environmental sentinels"
In collaboration with the Metropolitan
University - (Dr. Margarita Gallegos)

A Hydroacoustic Biosonic echosounder was used, to produce maps of seagrass
distribution, and to get their coverage, density, height and depth. Water and sediment
sampling was performed for the determination of all biotic and abiotic parameters.
The areas studied are shown in the following table.
The area covered by
seagrasses is reported for
the first time in the
Mexican part of the Gulf of
Mexico. 1,055,338 km2

Dispersion of weathered oil phases
Reconstruction of the concentration of oil from the spill caused
by the accident at the BP platform in the Gulf of Mexico
occurred in 2010.
Collaboration- CCA (UNAM) – Dr. Jorge Zavala
• Oil Budget Calculator – Gobierno de E.U.
• Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM)
Reconstruction of the concentration of oil spilled by BP until
December 31, 2010

Estimates of oil spilled
60,000 barrels of oil / day:
25% recovered
25% evaporated or dissolved
25% dispersed in naturally
26% remained in the environment
2.1 million gallons of dispersants
(Corexit 9500 y 9527)
o Degradation depends on:
Temperature
Presence of oxygen
Wave energy
Currents
Presence and concentration of HC
degrading bacteria
3 scenarios:
1. Total daily oil without
degradation (inert particles)
2. Slow degradation (60 days)
3. Rapid degradation (15 days)

4. Next steps
2010-2011
• Baseline
establishment
2012
• Long-term
monitoring
• Baseline integration
2012 - 2020
• Long-term monitoring
Evaluation of the
ecosystem health
status and the effects
of the oil spill
• The definition of a baseline for the
Mexican portion of the Gulf -
unprecedented effort in Mexico.
• Collaborative work between the major
research institutions in the country and
several government institutions.
Long-term monitoring
Initial proposal – 10-year
monitoring program
Permanent monitoring program
for the GoM

Thanks!
Gracias por su atención
Dr. Margarita Caso
casom@ine.gob.mx
Direction of Ecosystem Conservation
INE- INECC
www.ine.gob.mx