Oil Spill Information Center

We have received a number of inquiries regarding deploying Sea-Bird CTDs in the Gulf of Mexico for monitoring the April 2010 oil spill. The oil will not cause long-term damage to the CTD. If the oil coats the inside of the conductivity cell and dissolved oxygen sensor membrane, it can possibly affect the sensor's calibration (and thus affect the measurement and the data). See the following Quick Reference documents for simple measures to minimize the ingestion of oil, and to reduce the impact on the calibration.

Sea-Bird Instructions / Recommendations

• General Instructions for Avoiding Oil Contamination
• Cleaning Protocols for Sea-Bird CTDs
• SBE 19, 19plus, or 19plus V2 Deployment Protocols
• SBE 19plus or 19plus V2 Quickstart Profiling Instructions
• SBE 9plus Deployment Protocols
• SBE 25 Deployment Protocols
• Seasave V7 (real-time data acquisition software) Quick Start

IMPORTANT! When sending in instruments for calibration and/or repair, let us know if the instruments were deployed in the Gulf of Mexico during/after the April 2010 oil spill. A line has been added to our Service Request Form (below the RMA number) for you to provide this information.

Reference Materials