Who are we?

The core of the consortium is composed by a group of experienced personnel, specialized and trained, including more than

Baseline and environmental monitoring

In charge of the Dr. Sharon Herzka Llona, it intends to establish a baseline of oceanographic, biogeochemical, ecological and biological key variables to assess impacts and design mitigation strategies in cases of spills of great scale, in the area of deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This objective will be achieved through the implementation of oceanographic expeditions, the evaluation of the use of habitat for species of conservation importance as sea turtles, whales or larger pelagic fish, and the monitoring of the coastal ecosystem associated to the meadows of seagrass.

Numerical models of circulation and Biogeochemistry

Led by Dr. Julio Sheinbaum Pardo, it strives to integrate numerical circulation models biogeochemical and ecological models within a system to examine the development, destination and possible effects of significant oil spills, considering different scenarios (magnitude, location, depth, seasonality, hydrocarbon type) to generate risk maps and arrival times that can guide decision making in the event of an actual event.

Natural degradation of hydrocarbons

In charge of Dr. Alexei Fedorovish Licea Navarro, studies the ecosystem's natural response capacity to large scale spills, through the evaluation of the physico-chemical, microbiological and photochemical degradation capacity of different fractions of hydrocarbons through studies under natural and controlled conditions. Also, inteds to assess the microbiological degradation of different Mexican crudes for the native microflora, through the application of remediation techniques.

Spill scenarios

In charge of Dr. Paula Pérez Brunius, the potential consequences of different oil spills scenarios are examined, considering the role of physical transport and dispersion processes on the destination of oil derivatives in the western deep-sea region of the Gulf of Mexico, and its possible impacts on the ecosystem at different temporal and spatial scales. The study will include field observations, as well as experiments and numerical simulations specifically designed for this purpose. There is a technological development component that includes an unmanned vehicle capable of launching drifting instruments for marking a spot in the event of an accident.