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William "Monty" Graham, Senior Marine Scientist
DAUPHIN ISLAND, ALABAMA — My research program is broadly aimed at processes that influence the production and distribution of coastal marine plankton. The principal area of research that I am involved with is the ecology and biology of gelatinous zooplankton. I have recnetly been researching the impact of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill on plankton in the Gulf of Mexico. Current research activities in this area are all related to the potential response of gelatinous zooplankton predators to short-term (i.e., seasons) and long-term (i.e., years) changes in nutrient inputs from adjacent watersheds. A third area of research interest is ecosystem-level linkage between estuaries and the coastal ocean. Specifically, I am interested in the role that estuarine zooplankton play in controlling the exchange of nutrients and energy between estuaries and the continental shelf.
For my Deepwater Horizon research, I used a Picarro Combustion Module - Cavity Ring-Down Spectrometer system immediately after the spill to extract stable carbon isotope information from plankton to determine the degree to which petro-genic carbon had penetrated the marine ecosystem. The system allowed me to perform research on site on an island that previously would have required me to ship samples to a testing lab. Using the Picarro allowed me to significantly reduce time spent and costs of sample analysis. Partially due to the speed with which I was able to obtain my data, I was able to submit for publication and publish a paper on this topic in only three months.