University of Louisiana at Lafayette

A consortium of researchers led by a UL Lafayette physics professor spent some time eavesdropping in the Gulf of Mexico this past summer.

They were seeking clues that could tell them how deepwater mammals are faring 10 years after one of the largest oil spills in history.

Scientists used a variety of sophisticated underwater and surface equipment to gather information about whales and dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico and their environment.

Has the number of deepwater mammals increased or decreased over the past 10 years? Did the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 prompt them to relocate?

UL Lafayette researchers had an edge when they applied for a $5.2 million grant to study whales and dolphins in the northern Gulf of Mexico. They had conducted underwater acoustic monitoring there in 2001, 2002 and 2007. They had also briefly listened to some deepwater mammals in 2010, about five months after a massive oil spill.