Tag Archives: Louisiana State University

A lifetime of research links Gulf of Mexico ‘dead zone’ to Midwest fertilizer runoff

In the summer of 1985, Nancy Rabalais set sail on a research vessel into the Gulf of Mexico — and into the scientific unknown. Over nearly four decades, Rabalais has become a giant in her field. She has completed hundreds of interviews with journalists, presented a TED Talk, testified to Congress multiple times, mentored countless students at LSU and published nearly 160 studies. Now 73, Rabalais said she doesn’t plan to go on the research cruises anymore due to her age and health issues. She remains engaged in her work, even as she trains a new generation of scientists to take over. >click to read< 10:04

Exposure to BP oil-contaminated sediment causes defects in killifish, study says

nola logoExposure of embryos of a tiny Gulf of Mexico fish to sediment from Louisiana wetlands contaminated with oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon spill causes defects to the growing fish’s heart and cardiovascular system, delays hatching, and reduces overall hatching success, according to a new study co-authored by two Louisiana State University scientists. continued