Danielle FreemanUConn Marine SciencesQuantifying the effects of sunlight on the fate of oil spilled at sea Oil spilled at sea is transformed by sunlight-driven photochemical reactions. The transformed oil has different properties and behavior in the environment compared to the fresh oil, resulting in different fates and effects. This presentation will describe experimental efforts to put numbers on these changes, with the goal of better predicting where oil goes and how it behaves in diverse spill scenarios. First, I focused on how sunlight generates water-soluble compounds from oil, which can lead to the dissolution of oil-derived compounds in seawater (photo-dissolution). To find out whether photo-dissolution could be an important fate process during an oil spill, I used a combination of experiments and photochemical rate modeling to calculate photo-dissolution rates for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill (DwH) in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). I found that photo-dissolution likely converted ~8% of the floating surface oil to dissolved organic carbon during DwH, a fraction similar in magnitude to other well-recognized fate processes. Moving beyond DwH, I evaluated the sensitivity of this finding to temperature. I found that if a spill like DwH had occurred in 5°C water rather than the exceptionally warm 30°C water of the GoM, 7x less oil could have dissolved via photo-dissolution. The net result is that more oil would stay at the sea surface in a cold-water spill. Finally, I determined photo-dissolution rates for diverse oil products beyond the light crude that spilled during DwH. I found that oil photo-reactivity could be predicted from oil chemical composition. I also found that photo-dissolution likely affects oil mass balance in spills of light oils forming thin slicks but not in spills of light or heavy oils forming thick slicks. Overall, this work advances our understanding of how oil changes in the environment upon sunlight exposure. This information can be applied to better predict, evaluate, and mitigate the effects of oil spilled at sea.Host: Penny VlahosTime & Date: 11:00 am, Friday, September 27, 2024Place: Lowell Weicker Building, Seminar Room 103 (or WebEx)Request Seminar InformationCancellation & Additional Seminar Details (https://marinesciences.uconn.edu/seminar/seminar1248/)  If you are an individual with a disability and need accommodations, please contact 860-405-9152 (tel:+18604059152) or email marinesciencesseminars@uconn.edu (mailto:marinesciencesseminars@uconn.edu).

Maternal Health Group A support group for pregnant and parenting students designed to provide education and support around the transition to motherhood and navigating the stress of higher education. Group will be co-facilitated by a licensed clinical social worker and an APRN. Specific topics to be discussed include exploring transitions to motherhood, discussing mental health concerns, promoting healthy sleep habits, attachment and bonding, creating healthy work/school/life balance, and many others. Students are encouraged to come as they are and should feel comfortable to bring their babies along!To join this group therapy session, please call SHaW at 860-486-4705 (tel:860-486-4705). This session is held by Natasha Welz, LCSW and Carly Odesina, APRN   For many concerns that students face – like overwhelming stress, anxiety, difficult relationships, depression, academic difficulties, and more – group therapy is the best option for support and healing. Facilitated by Student Health and Wellness (SHaW) counselors, our therapy groups encourage peer support, promote emotional wellbeing, and increase a felt sense of connection. Participants often find that they feel less alone in their struggles, and walk away with newfound support and ideas for coping.

Join Prof. Jonathan Moore and Prof. Stephen Fitzgerald to learn more about their Summer Global Emerging Technology and Innovation program in New Zealand and Australia! To learn more about the program, please visit the Program Brochure (https://app.studyabroad.uconn.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ProgramDiscovery&search=[{%22filterType%22:%22programDiscoveryKeyword%22,%22filterValues%22:[{%22value%22:%22emerging%22}]}]).

For the full class schedule, descriptions, and to register, please visit the UConn Recreation website (https://recreation.uconn.edu/group-fitness-schedule/).

CAM Presentation Speaker: Dr. Pedro Mendes Title: TBD  Via Webex: https://uconnhealth.webex.com/meet/pmendes (https://uconnhealth.webex.com/meet/pmendes)