Title

C-IMAGE Information Portal

Document Type

Dataset

Publication Date

8-2012

Abstract

The C-IMAGE Consortium is a comprehensive research team from 13 national and international universities to address Themes 2 and 3 of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. These themes cannot be studied in isolation, as the physical, chemical and biological processes determine the potential for effects on elements of the ecosystem. We propose to study their space/time/trophic level connections using a hierarchy of calibrated models, supported by observations, sampling and high-pressure experimental studies where necessary, with a focus on the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The consortium of university and other collaborators forming C-IMAGE have specific expertise in a number of fields, including:

  • Circulation modeling across multiple scales, including data assimilation.
  • Biological and chemical modeling, which, when combined with the circulation, constitutes ecosystems modeling.
  • Living marine resource assessment and monitoring (including marine mammals; fishery species; phyto-, zooplankton, micronekton and ichthyoplankton studies).
  • Toxicology, DNA damage, and life history studies on selected species of importance.
  • High-pressure experimental laboratories and sample collection/transfer tools to simulate, perform and evaluate process studies under ocean conditions down to 5000 m depth
  • Organic and isotope geochemistry, sedimentary geochemistry, radiometric dating and sediment coring facilities
  • Chemistry and physics of deep oil blowouts, dispersed oil and oil degradation including microbial studies.
  • Cyber-infrastructure and data archival and analysis support.
  • Through the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO), operation of the R/V Weatherbird II and the R/V Bellows
  • University partners with extensive experience teaching and mentoring students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including minority student populations.
  • Active collaborations with federal (e.g., NOAA, USGS) and state (Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute)
The primary objectives of C-IMAGE are:
● to improve the observational and predictive tools available ● to better understand the DWH event in hindsight ● to predict the consequences of another deep-sea blow out in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) or elsewhere