LITERATURE + LECTURES

The Houston Museum of Natural Science presents an HMNS Distinguished Lecture Series.  Fascinating Speakers, Cutting Edge Science.  Hear about the latest scientific discoveries - from the world's foremost experts. Throughout the year, HMNS hosts a variety of distinguished lecturers to enhance your understanding of a current exhibition or provide new perspectives on captivating topics.

Monday, August 29, at 7:00pm
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spills: A Spatial and Historical Perspective
Wes Tunnell, (pictured) Ph.D., Marine Biologist

Oil has seeped into the Gulf of Mexico naturally for thousands of years, and it has been accidentally spilled into Gulf waters and on Gulf shores since the first well was drilled in the Gulf off the coast of Louisiana in 1937. The two largest platform spills in the world both occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, one impacting the southern Gulf and the other the northern Gulf. The Ixtoc I spill (1979-80) blew for almost ten months in the Bay of Campeche, and the BP Deepwater Horizon spill (2010) blew for almost three months just south of the Mississippi Delta.

Wes Tunnell will offer a historical perspective of these spills and an assessment of their impact on the marine environment.

Dr. Tunnell, Associate Director of the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and curator of malacology at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, helped develop the National Spill Control School.