USGS Collects Sediment Samples at Grand Isle Beach

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists collected environmental data and samples at beach, barrier island, and wetland sites in response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  The USGS Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas Science Centers collaborated to collect samples of water and sediments for analysis of inorganic and organic constituents, benthic invertebrates, and oil and microorganism fingerprints before and after petroleum-associated product arrived on shore.

The sediment cores in this photo were collected in the swash zone of Grand Isle Beach, Grand Isle, LA, by the USGS Louisiana Water Science Center. USGS analyses of the sediment will be used to identify chemical and biological changes that may have been caused by the arrival of crude oil product from the failure of the Deepwater Horizon well. The coins are shown for scale. (The swash zone is the zone that is alternately covered and exposed by waves.)

You can view a map of related USGS sampling locations or access the data for sampling site LA-31.