The Oceana Latitude set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida in August, 2010 and traveled through a variety of ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico affected by the oil spill.

During the eight-week journey, Oceana tagged several shark species to monitor their migration patterns and study their ability to avoid oil contaminated areas. The team also took samples of water, fish larvae, plankton and adult fish.

Oceana’s Pacific science director Dr. Jeff Short, one of the world’s leading experts on oil spills, used cutting-edge science to map the subsurface oil plume.

In addition, the Oceana team collaborated with several U.S. universities, including the University of Miami and the University of Southern Mississippi, as well as the National Aquarium.