As Gulf Oil Extraction Goes Deeper, Who Is at Risk? Community Structure, Distribution, and Connectivity of the Deep-Pelagic Fauna

Sutton, Tracey; Frank, Tamara M.; Judkins, Heather; Romero, Isabel C.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-12963-7_24

Cited by 24 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Sampling occurred in each month from January-September 2011, and a total of 46 stations were sampled either twice (17 stations) or three times (29 stations) ( Figure 1A). Additional sampling details can be found in Burdett et al (2017) and (Sutton et al, 2020). On four additional cruises, specimens were collected using a HSRT (Dotson and Griffith, 1996) with an effective mouth area of 165.47 m 2 (Sutton & Mercier unpubl.…”

Section: Sample Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Continued threats of major contamination events in the Gulf of Mexico are likely, given the trajectory of oil extraction going deeper (Sutton et al, 2020) and the increased likelihood of accidents with greater platform depth (8.5% for every 30 m; Muehlenbachs et al, 2013). The average depth of ultra-deep drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is now over 500 m deeper than Deepwater Horizon (Murawski et al, 2020).…”

Section: The Link Between Reproductive Ecology and Oil Contamination mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reproductive Ecology of Dragonfishes (Stomiiformes: Stomiidae) in the Gulf of Mexico

et al. 2020

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The most abundant fishes on Earth live in the meso-and bathypelagic (deep-pelagic, collectively) zones of the open ocean, where they play a key role in deep-sea food webs by mediating energy flow from surface waters to great depth. Of these fishes, the most speciose taxon is the family Stomiidae (dragonfishes). Despite being the numerically dominant predators of the global mesopelagic zone, stomiid reproductive ecology is poorly known. Research surveys rarely catch larger adults, impeding reproductive ecology studies. Between 2010 and 2011, the Offshore Nekton Sampling and Analysis Program sampled the Gulf of Mexico using a research-sized, opening/closing trawl (10-m 2 MOCNESS) and a commercial-sized, high-speed rope trawl (HSRT). Size-distribution analysis by gear type revealed: the HSRT caught more specimens per species, and the HSRT caught significantly larger specimens, whereas the MOCNESS sampled more juveniles. Gonads were dissected from 714 individuals representing 47 species, and the 12 dominant species were analyzed in further detail. Gonadal histology assessment indicated that stomiids are gonochoristic and exhibit asynchronous oocyte development and batch spawning. A total of 11 of the 12 species had sex ratios that did not significantly differ from a 1:1 (male:female) ratio (P < 0.05). Histological analysis indicated that females mature at larger sizes than males. Given the lack of age and growth data for this family, these data are critical for estimating stomiid production rates, a key element for quantifying the role of stomiids in the transfer of organic matter within the deep-pelagic zone, the planet's largest cumulative ecosystem.

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Section: Sample Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Link Between Reproductive Ecology and Oil Contamination mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive Ecology of Dragonfishes (Stomiiformes: Stomiidae) in the Gulf of Mexico

et al. 2020

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“…The migrating layers serve as important trophic pathways linking meso-and bathypelagic habitats with the epipelagic through active vertical movement of animals. In general, micronekton actively swim toward the surface at dusk, seeking foraging opportunities (Merrett and Roe, 1974;Brodeur et al, 2005;Bianchi et al, 2013;Sutton, 2013;Sutton et al, 2020), and descend at dawn into the deep ocean. An important consequence of DVM is that it facilitates trophic interactions and biogeochemical exchange, vertically integrating the world's oceans (Sutton and Hopkins, 1996a;Hidaka et al, 2001;Davison et al, 2013, Davison et al, 2015Schukat et al, 2013;Hudson et al, 2014;Trueman et al, 2014;Ariza et al, 2016;Sutton et al, 2020) through extensive, coordinated animal movement.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In general, micronekton actively swim toward the surface at dusk, seeking foraging opportunities (Merrett and Roe, 1974;Brodeur et al, 2005;Bianchi et al, 2013;Sutton, 2013;Sutton et al, 2020), and descend at dawn into the deep ocean. An important consequence of DVM is that it facilitates trophic interactions and biogeochemical exchange, vertically integrating the world's oceans (Sutton and Hopkins, 1996a;Hidaka et al, 2001;Davison et al, 2013, Davison et al, 2015Schukat et al, 2013;Hudson et al, 2014;Trueman et al, 2014;Ariza et al, 2016;Sutton et al, 2020) through extensive, coordinated animal movement. In addition to significant contributions to the biological pump, mesopelagic communities also serve an important role in oceanic food webs by facilitating linkages among secondary producers (zooplankton) and higher-level consumers, including oceanic apex predators (Robertson and Chivers, 1997;Potier et al, 2007;Spear et al, 2007;Benoit-Bird et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The GoM represents an excellent model system for a study such as this, as high-resolution, taxonspecific vertical distribution data exist for the numerically dominant fishes (Hopkins and Lancraft, 1984;Gartner et al, 1987;Sutton and Hopkins, 1996a;Hopkins et al, 1996;Sutton et al, 2017;Milligan and Sutton, 2020), macrocrustaceans (Heffernan and Hopkins, 1981;Flock and Hopkins, 1992;Kinsey and Hopkins, 1994;Burdett et al, 2017;Frank et al, 2020), and cephalopods (Passarella and Hopkins, 1991;Judkins et al, 2016;Judkins and Vecchione, 2020). These data, developed during multi-decadal research programs (see references in Hopkins et al, 1996;Sutton et al, 2020), make the GoM one of the best-known deep-pelagic ecosystems in the World Ocean with respect to micronekton/nekton faunal composition and vertical distribution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Oceanographic Structure and Light Levels Drive Patterns of Sound Scattering Layers in a Low-Latitude Oceanic System

et al. 2020

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Several factors have been reported to structure the spatial and temporal patterns of sound scattering layers, including temperature, oxygen, salinity, light, and physical oceanographic conditions. In this study, we examined the spatiotemporal variability of acoustically detected sound scattering layers in the northern Gulf of Mexico to investigate the drivers of this variability, including mesoscale oceanographic features [e.g., Loop Current-origin water (LCOW), frontal boundaries, and Gulf Common Water]. Results indicate correlations in the vertical position and acoustic backscatter intensity of sound scattering layers with oceanographic conditions and light intensity. LCOW regions displayed consistent decreases, by a factor of two and four, in acoustic backscatter intensity in the upper 200 m relative to frontal boundaries and Gulf Common Water, respectively. Sound scattering layers had greater backscatter intensity at night in comparison to daytime (25x for frontal boundaries, 17x for LCOW, and 12x for Gulf Common Water). The importance of biotic (primary productivity) and abiotic (sea surface temperature, salinity) factors varied across oceanographic conditions and depth intervals, suggesting that the patterns in distribution and behavior of mesopelagic assemblages in low-latitude, oligotrophic ecosystems can be highly dynamic.

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A trait‐based carbon export model for mesopelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico with consideration of asynchronous vertical migration, flux boundaries, and feeding guilds

Woodstock

Sutton

Zhang

2022

Limnology & Oceanography

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Fish-mediated carbon export provides a significant proportion of the biological carbon pump in oligotrophic regions. Bioenergetic models estimate this carbon transport, but many lack species-specific traits and no carbon export model has been developed in the mesopelagic Gulf of Mexico. Intensive mesopelagic sampling efforts in the northern and eastern Gulf of Mexico have provided high-resolution information regarding community composition, species' vertical migratory characteristics, diel depth occupancies, and diets. A stochastic, individualbased model was developed for deep-pelagic fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico to estimate bioenergetic rates and carbon export fluxes. Fishes that ate gelatinous zooplankton consumed more mass per body weight per day than predators of cephalopods and fishes, ostensibly to increase the throughput of prey with less carbon (gelata) or more refractory materials (Crustacea). A dynamic energy budget submodel indicated that during 81% of occurrences, asynchronous vertically migrating fishes rested for 1 d before migrating again, but migrations on successive days were possible. In terms of carbon export, myctophids and stomiids contributed greater than 53% and 12% of the active carbon flux for the entire assemblage in all scenarios. The assemblage-wide carbon export rate driven by vertically migrating fishes was 0.14-0.72 mg C m À2 d À1 , 61% of the ingested carbon by the assemblage. Incorporating species-specific traits and individual variability in bioenergetic models allows for more complex research questions (e.g., the effect of feeding guilds and asynchronous migration on carbon export) compared to the carbon export models that otherwise assume all fishes within a functional group are equivalent.

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As Gulf Oil Extraction Goes Deeper, Who Is at Risk? Community Structure, Distribution, and Connectivity of the Deep-Pelagic Fauna

Cited by 24 publications

References 58 publications

Reproductive Ecology of Dragonfishes (Stomiiformes: Stomiidae) in the Gulf of Mexico

Reproductive Ecology of Dragonfishes (Stomiiformes: Stomiidae) in the Gulf of Mexico

Oceanographic Structure and Light Levels Drive Patterns of Sound Scattering Layers in a Low-Latitude Oceanic System

A trait‐based carbon export model for mesopelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico with consideration of asynchronous vertical migration, flux boundaries, and feeding guilds

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