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Science Related to Oil Spills

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By Columbia Environmental Research Center February 25, 2019

Crude oil or oil distilled product (e.g. gasoline, diesel fuels, jet fuels) spills can occur during oil exploration, production, and transportation activities. Environmental impacts of spills are complex and can be difficult to assess. The chemical makeup of oil and oil products is diverse which affects oil behavior (e.g. volatilization, sinking). Oil degradation and fate are also influenced by environmental factors such as salinity, temperature, and surface vs underground spills. Oil can impact living organisms both directly (dermal contact, inhalation, ingestion) and indirectly (bioaccumulation in food sources, disruption of recreational activities). USGS scientists have decades of experience supporting assessment and restoration activities for the largest oil spills in U.S history, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Examples include oil spill remote sensing, vegetation surveys, ecotoxicological impacts, marsh ecology impacts, sea turtle modelling, immunosuppression of oiled biota, coral ecology, and avian and mammalian injury and recovery.  

 

To learn more about how USGS science supports the NRDAR program contact Jo Ellen Hinck, the USGS NRDAR Coordinator.

Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program

Browse USGS publications related to NRDAR oil spill cases.

 

Examples of assessment and restoration projects are below.

 

Assessment Projects

An oiled Kemp's Ridley sea turtle after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
An oiled Kemp's Ridley sea turtle photographed during a boat-based survey by NOAA to collect oiled sea turtles during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response. Photograph credit: Kate Sampson, NOAA
  • Histopathology of Bird Carcasses

                 Principal Investigator - Julia Lankton

  • Ambient Water Concentrations of PAHs at an Oil Spill Using Semi-Permeable Membrane Devices (SPMDs)

                Principal Investigator - David Alvarez

  • PAH Analysis in Bile from Fish Near an Oil Spill

                Principal Investigator - David Alvarez

  • Remote Sensing Estimation of Surface Oil Volume During the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout in the Gulf of Mexico

                Principal Investigator - Gregg Swayze

 

 

Restoration Projects

Kemp's ridley sea turtles
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Newly hatched Kemp's ridley sea turtles crawl to the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Population Dynamics Model for Least Bell's Vireo Restoration after the Santa Clara River Oil Spill

                Principal Investigator - Barbara Kus

  • Enhancing Prey Availability for Wintering and Migrating Surf Scoters Damaged by the Cosco Busan Oil Spill

                Principal Investigator - Susan De La Cruz

  • Marbled Murrelet at Sea Survey, Cosco Busan Oil Spill 

                Principal Investigator - Josh Adams

  • Detecting and Inferring Cause of Change in an Alaska Nearshore Marine Ecosystem

                Principal Investigator - James L Bodkin

 

 

 

NRDAR Cases
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

 

 

Explore the NRDAR Case Map and Document Library to learn more about individual cases.

 

 

 

 

 

Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program

 



 

 

Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

Annual Marbled Murrelet Abundance and Productivity Surveys Off Central California (Zone 6), 1999-2021 (ver. 4.0, May 2022)

Since 2017, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center (USGS WERC) partnered with California State Parks to continue long-term, annual at-sea surveys to estimate at-sea abundance and juvenile (i.e. hatch-year) productivity of Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation Zone 6 (central California: San Francisco Bay to Monterey Bay). Ma
By
Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Below are USGS publications for oil spills associated with specific NRDAR cases.

Filter Total Items: 82

Abundance and productivity of marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) off central California during the 2019 breeding season

Marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) have been listed as “endangered” by the State of California and “threatened” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1992 in California, Oregon, and Washington. Information regarding marbled murrelet abundance, distribution, population trends, and habitat associations is critical for risk assessment, effective management, evaluation of conservation
Authors
Jonathan J. Felis, Emily C. Kelsey, Josh Adams, Cheryl Horton, Laura (Laney) White
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Prediction and inference of flow-duration curves using multi-output neural networks

We develop multi-output neural network models (MNNs) to predict flow-duration curves (FDCs) in 9,203 ungaged locations in the Southeastern United States for six decades between 1950-2009. The model architecture contains multiple response variables in the output layer that correspond to individual quantiles along the FDC. During training, predictions are made for each quantile, and a combined loss
Authors
Scott C. Worland, Scott Steinschneider, William H. Asquith, Rodney Knight, Michael E. Wieczorek
By
Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Gulf of Mexico

Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) diving changes with productivity, behavioral mode, and sea surface temperature

The relationship between dive behavior and oceanographic conditions is not well understood for marine predators, especially sea turtles. We tagged loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) with satellite-linked depth loggers in the Gulf of Mexico, where there is a minimal amount of dive data for this species. We tested for associations between four measurements of dive behavior (total daily dive freque
Authors
Autumn Iverson, Ikuko Fujisaki, Margaret M. Lamont, Kristen Hart
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Council Monitoring and Assessment Program (CMAP): Inventory of existing water quality and habitat monitoring, and mapping metadata for Gulf of Mexico Programs

Under the Council-Selected Restoration Component of the RESTORE Act, the Council develops Funded Priority Lists (FPLs) that describe the projects and programs it will fund. Projects and programs funded through this component must be in furtherance of the goals and objectives of the Council’s Comprehensive Plan and address at least one of the restoration criteria identified in the RESTORE Act. The
Authors
Julie Bosch, Heidi Burkart, Bogdan Chivoiu, Randy Clark, Chris Clement, Nicholas Enwright, Steve Giordano, Chris Jeffrey, Edward Johnson, Rheannon M. Hart, Sarah Hile, Jacob Howell, Claudia Laurenzano, Michael T. Lee, Terrence A. McCloskey, Terry McTigue, Michelle B. Meyers, Scott Mize, Mark E. Monaco, Kevin Owen, Richard A. Rebich, Samuel H. Rendon, Ali Robertson, Thomas Sample, Gregory D. Steyer, Kevin J. Suir, Christopher M. Swarzenski, Katie Watson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Modeling barrier island habitats using landscape position information

Barrier islands are dynamic environments because of their position along the marine–estuarine interface. Geomorphology influences habitat distribution on barrier islands by regulating exposure to harsh abiotic conditions. Researchers have identified linkages between habitat and landscape position, such as elevation and distance from shore, yet these linkages have not been fully leveraged to develo
Authors
Nicholas Enwright, Lei Wang, Hongqing Wang, Michael Osland, Laura Feher, Sinéad M. Borchert, Richard Day
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Land Change Science Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Advancing barrier island habitat mapping using landscape position information

Barrier islands are dynamic ecosystems that change gradually from coastal processes, including currents and tides, and rapidly from episodic events, such as storms. These islands provide many important ecosystem services, including storm protection and erosion control to the mainland, habitat for fish and wildlife, and tourism. Habitat maps, developed by scientists, provide a critical tool for mon
Authors
Nicholas Enwright, Lei Wang, Sinéad M. Borchert, Richard Day, Laura Feher, Michael Osland
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Land Change Science Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Abundance and productivity of marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) off central California during the 2018 breeding season

Executive SummaryMarbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) have been listed as “endangered” by the State of California and “threatened” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1992 in California, Oregon, and Washington. Information regarding marbled murrelet abundance, distribution, population trends, and habitat associations is critical for risk assessment, effective management, evaluation
Authors
Jonathan J. Felis, Emily C. Kelsey, Josh Adams
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Mississippi river sediment diversions and coastal wetland sustainability: Synthesis of responses to freshwater, sediment, and nutrient inputs

Management and restoration of coastal wetlands require insight into how inundation, salinity, and the availability of mineral sediment and nutrients interact to influence ecosystem functions that control sustainability. The Mississippi River Delta, which ranks among the world's largest and most productive coastal wetland complexes, has experienced extensive deterioration over the last century due,
Authors
Tracy Elsey-Quirk, Sean A. Graham, Irving A. Mendelssohn, Gregg Snedden, John W. Day, Gary P. Shaffer, Leigh Anne Sharp, Robert R. Twilley, James Pahl, R.R. Lane
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Florida Coastal Mapping Program—Overview and 2018 workshop report

The Florida Coastal Mapping Program is a nascent but highly relevant program that has the potential to greatly enhance the “Blue Economy” of Florida by coordinating and facilitating sea-floor mapping efforts and aligning partner and stakeholder activities for increased efficiency and cost reduction. Sustained acquisition of modern coastal mapping information for Florida may improve management of r
Authors
Cheryl J. Hapke, Philip A. Kramer, Elizabeth H. Fetherston-Resch, Rene D. Baumstark, Ryan Druyor, Xan Fredericks, Ekaterina Fitos
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Gulf of Mexico

Sympatry or syntopy? Investigating drivers of distribution and co‐occurrence for two imperiled sea turtle species in Gulf of Mexico neritic waters

Animals co‐occurring in a region (sympatry) may use the same habitat (syntopy) within that region. A central aim in ecology is determining what factors drive species distributions (i.e., abiotic conditions, dispersal limitations, and/or biotic interactions). Assessing the degree of biotic interactions can be difficult for species with wide ranges at sea. This study investigated the spatial ecology
Authors
Kristen M. Hart, Autumn R. Iverson, Ikuko Fujisaki, Margaret M. Lamont, David N. Bucklin, Donna J. Shaver
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Assessing the impact of open-ocean and back-barrier shoreline change on Dauphin Island, Alabama, at multiple time scales over the last 75 years

Dauphin Island and Little Dauphin Island, collectively, make up a geomorphically complex barrier island system located along Alabama’s southern coast, separating Mississippi Sound from the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay. The barrier island system provides numerous economical (tourism, fisheries) and natural (habitat for migratory birds, natural protection of inland and coastal areas from storms) be
Authors
Christopher G. Smith, Joseph W. Long, Rachel E. Henderson, Paul R. Nelson
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Gulf of Mexico

Shared habitat use by juveniles of three sea turtle species

The first step in understanding how sympatric species share habitat is defining spatial boundaries. While home range data for juvenile sea turtles exists, few studies have examined spatial overlap of multiple species in foraging habitat. Using satellite tracking technology, we define home ranges for juveniles of 3 sea turtle species (loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, and green; n = 21) captured at 2 adja
Authors
Margaret M. Lamont, Autumn R. Iverson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Crude oil or oil distilled product (e.g. gasoline, diesel fuels, jet fuels) spills can occur during oil exploration, production, and transportation activities. Environmental impacts of spills are complex and can be difficult to assess. The chemical makeup of oil and oil products is diverse which affects oil behavior (e.g. volatilization, sinking). Oil degradation and fate are also influenced by environmental factors such as salinity, temperature, and surface vs underground spills. Oil can impact living organisms both directly (dermal contact, inhalation, ingestion) and indirectly (bioaccumulation in food sources, disruption of recreational activities). USGS scientists have decades of experience supporting assessment and restoration activities for the largest oil spills in U.S history, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Examples include oil spill remote sensing, vegetation surveys, ecotoxicological impacts, marsh ecology impacts, sea turtle modelling, immunosuppression of oiled biota, coral ecology, and avian and mammalian injury and recovery.  

 

To learn more about how USGS science supports the NRDAR program contact Jo Ellen Hinck, the USGS NRDAR Coordinator.

Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program

Browse USGS publications related to NRDAR oil spill cases.

 

Examples of assessment and restoration projects are below.

 

Assessment Projects

An oiled Kemp's Ridley sea turtle after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
An oiled Kemp's Ridley sea turtle photographed during a boat-based survey by NOAA to collect oiled sea turtles during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response. Photograph credit: Kate Sampson, NOAA
  • Histopathology of Bird Carcasses

                 Principal Investigator - Julia Lankton

  • Ambient Water Concentrations of PAHs at an Oil Spill Using Semi-Permeable Membrane Devices (SPMDs)

                Principal Investigator - David Alvarez

  • PAH Analysis in Bile from Fish Near an Oil Spill

                Principal Investigator - David Alvarez

  • Remote Sensing Estimation of Surface Oil Volume During the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout in the Gulf of Mexico

                Principal Investigator - Gregg Swayze

 

 

Restoration Projects

Kemp's ridley sea turtles
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Newly hatched Kemp's ridley sea turtles crawl to the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Population Dynamics Model for Least Bell's Vireo Restoration after the Santa Clara River Oil Spill

                Principal Investigator - Barbara Kus

  • Enhancing Prey Availability for Wintering and Migrating Surf Scoters Damaged by the Cosco Busan Oil Spill

                Principal Investigator - Susan De La Cruz

  • Marbled Murrelet at Sea Survey, Cosco Busan Oil Spill 

                Principal Investigator - Josh Adams

  • Detecting and Inferring Cause of Change in an Alaska Nearshore Marine Ecosystem

                Principal Investigator - James L Bodkin

 

 

 

NRDAR Cases
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

 

 

Explore the NRDAR Case Map and Document Library to learn more about individual cases.

 

 

 

 

 

Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program

 



 

 

Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

Annual Marbled Murrelet Abundance and Productivity Surveys Off Central California (Zone 6), 1999-2021 (ver. 4.0, May 2022)

Since 2017, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center (USGS WERC) partnered with California State Parks to continue long-term, annual at-sea surveys to estimate at-sea abundance and juvenile (i.e. hatch-year) productivity of Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation Zone 6 (central California: San Francisco Bay to Monterey Bay). Ma
By
Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Below are USGS publications for oil spills associated with specific NRDAR cases.

Filter Total Items: 82

Abundance and productivity of marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) off central California during the 2019 breeding season

Marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) have been listed as “endangered” by the State of California and “threatened” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1992 in California, Oregon, and Washington. Information regarding marbled murrelet abundance, distribution, population trends, and habitat associations is critical for risk assessment, effective management, evaluation of conservation
Authors
Jonathan J. Felis, Emily C. Kelsey, Josh Adams, Cheryl Horton, Laura (Laney) White
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Prediction and inference of flow-duration curves using multi-output neural networks

We develop multi-output neural network models (MNNs) to predict flow-duration curves (FDCs) in 9,203 ungaged locations in the Southeastern United States for six decades between 1950-2009. The model architecture contains multiple response variables in the output layer that correspond to individual quantiles along the FDC. During training, predictions are made for each quantile, and a combined loss
Authors
Scott C. Worland, Scott Steinschneider, William H. Asquith, Rodney Knight, Michael E. Wieczorek
By
Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Gulf of Mexico

Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) diving changes with productivity, behavioral mode, and sea surface temperature

The relationship between dive behavior and oceanographic conditions is not well understood for marine predators, especially sea turtles. We tagged loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) with satellite-linked depth loggers in the Gulf of Mexico, where there is a minimal amount of dive data for this species. We tested for associations between four measurements of dive behavior (total daily dive freque
Authors
Autumn Iverson, Ikuko Fujisaki, Margaret M. Lamont, Kristen Hart
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Council Monitoring and Assessment Program (CMAP): Inventory of existing water quality and habitat monitoring, and mapping metadata for Gulf of Mexico Programs

Under the Council-Selected Restoration Component of the RESTORE Act, the Council develops Funded Priority Lists (FPLs) that describe the projects and programs it will fund. Projects and programs funded through this component must be in furtherance of the goals and objectives of the Council’s Comprehensive Plan and address at least one of the restoration criteria identified in the RESTORE Act. The
Authors
Julie Bosch, Heidi Burkart, Bogdan Chivoiu, Randy Clark, Chris Clement, Nicholas Enwright, Steve Giordano, Chris Jeffrey, Edward Johnson, Rheannon M. Hart, Sarah Hile, Jacob Howell, Claudia Laurenzano, Michael T. Lee, Terrence A. McCloskey, Terry McTigue, Michelle B. Meyers, Scott Mize, Mark E. Monaco, Kevin Owen, Richard A. Rebich, Samuel H. Rendon, Ali Robertson, Thomas Sample, Gregory D. Steyer, Kevin J. Suir, Christopher M. Swarzenski, Katie Watson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Modeling barrier island habitats using landscape position information

Barrier islands are dynamic environments because of their position along the marine–estuarine interface. Geomorphology influences habitat distribution on barrier islands by regulating exposure to harsh abiotic conditions. Researchers have identified linkages between habitat and landscape position, such as elevation and distance from shore, yet these linkages have not been fully leveraged to develo
Authors
Nicholas Enwright, Lei Wang, Hongqing Wang, Michael Osland, Laura Feher, Sinéad M. Borchert, Richard Day
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Land Change Science Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Advancing barrier island habitat mapping using landscape position information

Barrier islands are dynamic ecosystems that change gradually from coastal processes, including currents and tides, and rapidly from episodic events, such as storms. These islands provide many important ecosystem services, including storm protection and erosion control to the mainland, habitat for fish and wildlife, and tourism. Habitat maps, developed by scientists, provide a critical tool for mon
Authors
Nicholas Enwright, Lei Wang, Sinéad M. Borchert, Richard Day, Laura Feher, Michael Osland
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Land Change Science Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Abundance and productivity of marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) off central California during the 2018 breeding season

Executive SummaryMarbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) have been listed as “endangered” by the State of California and “threatened” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1992 in California, Oregon, and Washington. Information regarding marbled murrelet abundance, distribution, population trends, and habitat associations is critical for risk assessment, effective management, evaluation
Authors
Jonathan J. Felis, Emily C. Kelsey, Josh Adams
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Mississippi river sediment diversions and coastal wetland sustainability: Synthesis of responses to freshwater, sediment, and nutrient inputs

Management and restoration of coastal wetlands require insight into how inundation, salinity, and the availability of mineral sediment and nutrients interact to influence ecosystem functions that control sustainability. The Mississippi River Delta, which ranks among the world's largest and most productive coastal wetland complexes, has experienced extensive deterioration over the last century due,
Authors
Tracy Elsey-Quirk, Sean A. Graham, Irving A. Mendelssohn, Gregg Snedden, John W. Day, Gary P. Shaffer, Leigh Anne Sharp, Robert R. Twilley, James Pahl, R.R. Lane
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Florida Coastal Mapping Program—Overview and 2018 workshop report

The Florida Coastal Mapping Program is a nascent but highly relevant program that has the potential to greatly enhance the “Blue Economy” of Florida by coordinating and facilitating sea-floor mapping efforts and aligning partner and stakeholder activities for increased efficiency and cost reduction. Sustained acquisition of modern coastal mapping information for Florida may improve management of r
Authors
Cheryl J. Hapke, Philip A. Kramer, Elizabeth H. Fetherston-Resch, Rene D. Baumstark, Ryan Druyor, Xan Fredericks, Ekaterina Fitos
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Gulf of Mexico

Sympatry or syntopy? Investigating drivers of distribution and co‐occurrence for two imperiled sea turtle species in Gulf of Mexico neritic waters

Animals co‐occurring in a region (sympatry) may use the same habitat (syntopy) within that region. A central aim in ecology is determining what factors drive species distributions (i.e., abiotic conditions, dispersal limitations, and/or biotic interactions). Assessing the degree of biotic interactions can be difficult for species with wide ranges at sea. This study investigated the spatial ecology
Authors
Kristen M. Hart, Autumn R. Iverson, Ikuko Fujisaki, Margaret M. Lamont, David N. Bucklin, Donna J. Shaver
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Assessing the impact of open-ocean and back-barrier shoreline change on Dauphin Island, Alabama, at multiple time scales over the last 75 years

Dauphin Island and Little Dauphin Island, collectively, make up a geomorphically complex barrier island system located along Alabama’s southern coast, separating Mississippi Sound from the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay. The barrier island system provides numerous economical (tourism, fisheries) and natural (habitat for migratory birds, natural protection of inland and coastal areas from storms) be
Authors
Christopher G. Smith, Joseph W. Long, Rachel E. Henderson, Paul R. Nelson
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Gulf of Mexico

Shared habitat use by juveniles of three sea turtle species

The first step in understanding how sympatric species share habitat is defining spatial boundaries. While home range data for juvenile sea turtles exists, few studies have examined spatial overlap of multiple species in foraging habitat. Using satellite tracking technology, we define home ranges for juveniles of 3 sea turtle species (loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, and green; n = 21) captured at 2 adja
Authors
Margaret M. Lamont, Autumn R. Iverson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico
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