The extraction and transport of oil from near and off shore wells has been and will continue to be an environmental risk. Frequent small oil spills, urban run-off and naturally occurring oil seeps introduce oil into the ocean every day, however the Deepwater Horizon event during 2010 released unprecedented amounts of oil and chemical dispersants into the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists are still trying to assess the magnitude and impact of the event. Below are several links to information and activities about oil, the extraction of oil, oil spills and the impact on the environment.
The NERACOOS ocean and weather climate display delivers information about the average weather and ocean conditions between 2001 and 2012. The display also includes information about recent and past years' ocean and weather conditions so that you can compare them to the average conditions from the past decade.
The upper layers of the Canadian Basin constitute a large reservoir of freshwater and buoyancy that derives from river runoff, sea-ice meltwater, and relatively fresh North Pacific waters. We use salinity, oxygen isotopes and nutrient concentrations to study the varying contribution from freshwater components in a series of Arctic Ocean cruises between 1989 and 2005.
