Just because the Gulf oil spill is out of the headlines doesn't mean it's been forgotten. On the contrary, scientists are working throughout the Gulf of Mexico every day to find out what happened during the spill and its effects on wildlife, fisheries and human health. This is dually to help us understand what happened in this one massive spill—the worst in U.S. history with 3.19 million gallons of oil spilled—and to prepare for oil spills in the future.
Many of these scientists are brought together and funded by The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), a 10-year independent research program formed with $500 million provided by BP after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred in 2010. GoMRI focuses on five main research themes that explore the spill's impacts, even years later.
This map highlights GoMRI research projects throughout the Gulf region. Click on an icon to read a brief summary about the project, and get even more detail on these projects in our slideshow.