The Deepwater Program: Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope Habitat and Benthic Ecology - DgoMB: Macrofauna
Citation
Wolff G, Rowe G, Kennicutt M, Presley B, Bernhard J, Morse J, Montagna P, Nowlin W, Bryant W, Wade T (2023). The Deepwater Program: Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope Habitat and Benthic Ecology - DgoMB: Macrofauna. Version 1.2. United States Geological Survey. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/v7fjtu accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-09.Description
A research program has been initiated by the Minerals Management Service (Contract No. 1435-01-99-CT-30991) to gain better knowledge of the benthic communities of the deep Gulf of Mexico entitled “The Deepwater Program: Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope Habitat and Benthic Ecology.”
Increasing exploration and exploitation of fossil hydrocarbon resources in the deep-sea prompted the Minerals Management Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior to support an investigation of the structure and function of the assemblages of organisms that live in association with the sea floor in the deep-sea. The program, Deep Gulf of Mexico Benthos or DGoMB, is studying the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) continental slope from water depths of 300 meters on the upper continental slope out to greater than 3,000 meters water depth seaward of the base of the Sigsbee and Florida Escarpments. The study is focused on areas that are the most likely targets of future resource exploration and exploitation. However, to develop a Gulf-wide perspective of deep-sea communities, sampling in areas beyond those thought to be potential areas for exploration has been included in the study design. A major enhancement in the program is the extension of the transects onto the abyssal plain of the central Gulf of Mexico through collaborative studies with Mexican scientists. This additional work effort will allow assessment of benthic communities structure and function throughout the basin by sampling the deepest habitats in the region.
The program is designed to gain a better ability to predict variations in the structure and function of animal assemblages in relation to water depth, geographic location, time and overlying water mass. Biological studies are integrated with measurements of physical and chemical hydrographic parameters, sediment geochemical properties and geological characteristics that are known to influence benthic community distributions and dynamics. Eight (8) hypotheses are being tested on the basis of measures of benthic community structure. It is hypothesized that community structure varies as a function of: 1) water depth, 2) geographic location (east vs. west), 3) association with canyons, 4) association with mid-slope basins, 5) sea surface primary productivity, 6) proximity to hydrocarbon seeps, 7) time (seasonal and interannual scales), and 8) association with the base of escarpments.
Additional info
marine, harvested by OBISTaxonomic Coverages
Geographic Coverages
Bibliographic Citations
- Rowe, G.T. and M.C. Kennicutt II, eds. 2009. Northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope habitats and benthic ecology study: Final report. U.S. Dept, of the Interior, Minerals Management. Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, LA. OCS Study MMS 2009-039. 456 pp. - https://www.fws.gov/doiddata/dwh-ar-documents/1187/DWH-AR0009351.pdf
- Physical oceanographic conditions in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico in summer 2000–2002 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.07.003
- Montagna, P.A., Baguley, J.G., Reuscher, M.G., Rowe, G.T., Wade, T.L. (2020). Linking Abiotic Variables with Macrofaunal and Meiofaunal Abundance and Community Structure Patterns on the Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope. In: , et al. Scenarios and Responses to Future Deep Oil Spills. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12963-7_7 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12963-7_7
Contacts
Gary Wolfforiginator
position: Research Scientist
Texas A&M University
email: gary@gerg.tamu.edu
Gilbert Rowe
originator
position: Professor Emeritus
Texas A&M University
Mahlon Kennicutt
originator
position: Professor Emeritus
Texas A&M University
Bob Presley
originator
Texas A&M University
Joan Bernhard
originator
position: Senior Scientist
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
John Morse
originator
Texas A&M University
Paul Montagna
originator
Texas A&M University
Worth Nowlin
originator
position: Professor Emeritus
Texas A&M University
William Bryant
originator
position: Professor of Oceanography
Texas A&M University
Terry Wade
originator
position: Research Professor
Texas A&M University
Gary Wolff
metadata author
position: Research Scientist
Texas A&M University
email: gary@gerg.tamu.edu
Abby Benson
processor
position: Biologist
U.S. Geological Survey
email: albenson@usgs.gov
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4391-107X
Abby Benson
publisher
position: Biologist
U.S. Geological Survey
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4391-107X
Gary Wolff
administrative point of contact
position: Research Scientist
Texas A&M University
email: gary@gerg.tamu.edu