Deepwater Program: Studies of Gulf of Mexico lower continental slope communities related to chemosynthetic and hard substrate habitats

Ross, Steve W.; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Kellogg, Christina A.; Morrison, Cheryl L.; Nizinski, Martha S.; Ames, Cheryl Lewis; Casazza, Tara L.; Gualtieri, Daniel J.; Kovacs, Kaitlin; McClain, Jennifer P.; Quattrini, Andrea M.; Roa‐Varón, Adela; Thaler, Andrew David

doi:10.3133/ofr20121032

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…Arctic sample depths ranged from 200 to 1,000 m and included a 3‐station depth transect (200‐, 500‐ and 1,000‐m sites, with three replicate samples taken at 200 m depth). Gulf of Mexico samples were collected aboard the R/V Ronald H. Brown in June/July 2007 as part of the USGS Deepwater Program “CHEMO III” [Studies of Gulf of Mexico Lower Continental Slope Communities Related to Chemosynthetic and Hard Substrate Habitats (Ross et al., )]. Box core sediment samples were subsectioned using 10‐ml serological pipettes, with 10–30 replicate subsamples collected per box core collection.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nematode‐associated microbial taxa do not correlate with host phylogeny, geographic region or feeding morphology in marine sediment habitats

et al. 2018

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Studies of host-associated microbes are critical for advancing our understanding of ecology and evolution across diverse taxa and ecosystems. Nematode worms are ubiquitous across most habitats on earth, yet little is known about host-associated microbial assemblages within the phylum. Free-living nematodes are globally abundant and diverse in marine sediments, with species exhibiting distinct buccal cavity (mouth) morphologies that are thought to play an important role in feeding ecology and life history strategies. Here, we investigated patterns in marine nematode microbiomes, by characterizing host-associated microbial taxa in 281 worms isolated from a range of habitat types (deep-sea, shallow water, methane seeps, Lophelia coral mounds, kelp holdfasts) across three distinct geographic regions (Arctic, Southern California and Gulf of Mexico). Microbiome profiles were generated from single worms spanning 33 distinct morphological genera, using a two-gene metabarcoding approach to amplify the V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene targeting bacteria/archaea and the V1-V2 region of the 18S rRNA gene targeting microbial eukaryotes. Contrary to our expectations, nematode microbiome profiles demonstrated no distinct patterns either globally (across depths and ocean basins) or locally (within site); prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial assemblages did not correlate with nematode feeding morphology, host phylogeny or morphological identity, ocean region or marine habitat type. However, fine-scale analysis of nematode microbiomes revealed a variety of novel ecological interactions, including putative parasites and symbionts, and potential associations with bacterial/archaeal taxa involved in nitrogen and methane cycling. Our results suggest that in marine habitats, free-living nematodes may utilize diverse and generalist foraging strategies that are not correlated with host genotype or feeding morphology. Furthermore, some abiotic factors such as geographic region and habitat type do not appear to play an obvious role in structuring host-microbe associations or feeding preferences.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nematode‐associated microbial taxa do not correlate with host phylogeny, geographic region or feeding morphology in marine sediment habitats

et al. 2018

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“…Sites are named in accordance with the GOM lease blocks (managed by Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) in which they occur. For additional site ( e.g ., water column conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD) profiles, water masses, bottom habitats) and sampling details see Cordes et al (), Ross et al (, , 2017) and Demopoulos et al ().…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Atwater Valley (AT) 340, the easternmost offshore site, was located at 2250 m mean depth. Cordes et al (2008), Ross et al (2010Ross et al ( , 2012Ross et al ( , 2017 and Demopoulos et al (2017).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Investigations of the community structure and trophic dynamics of midwater fishes in the north‐central (Ross et al , , ) and eastern GOM yielded numerous leptocephalus specimens, allowing analysis of ecological aspects of their life history. The objectives of this paper were to determine whether: (a) abundances of leptocephali varied with depth, time of day and location; (b) leptocephalus assemblage structure differed among locations and depths; and (c) lengths of dominant species differed among depths and locations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assemblage structure, vertical distributions and stable‐isotope compositions of anguilliform leptocephali in the Gulf of Mexico

Quattrini

McClain‐Counts

Artabane

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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In August 2007, October 2008 and September–October 2010, 241 Tucker trawl and plankton net tows were conducted at the surface to depths of 1377 m at six locations in the northern and eastern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) to document leptocephalus diversity and determine how assemblage structure, larval size, abundance and isotopic signatures differ across the region and with depth. Overall, 2696 leptocephali representing 59 distinct taxa from 10 families were collected. Five families accounted for 96% of the total catch with Congridae and Ophichthidae being the most abundant. The top four most abundant species composed 59% of the total catch and included: Ariosoma balearicum, Paraconger caudilimbatus, Rhynchoconger flavus and Ophichthus gomesii. Four anguilliform species not previously documented in the GOM as adults or leptocephali were collected in this study, including Monopenchelys acuta, Quassiremus ascensionis, Saurenchelys stylura and one leptocephalus only known from its larval stage, Leptocephalus proboscideus. Leptocephalus catches were significantly greater at night than during the day. Catches at night were concentrated in the upper 200 m of the water column and significantly declined with increasing depth. Leptocephali abundances and assemblages were significantly different between sites on the upper continental slope (c. 500 m depth) and sites on the middle to lower continental slope (c. 1500–2300 m). Sites on the lower continental slope had a mixture of deep‐sea demersal, bathypelagic and coastal species, whereas upper‐slope sites contained several numerically dominant species (e.g., A. balearicum, P. caudilimbatus) that probably spawn over the continental shelf and upper slope of the GOM. Standard lengths of the four dominant species differed between sites and years, indicating heterochronic reproduction and potential larval source pools within and outside of the GOM. Stable‐isotope analyses (δ13C and δ15N) conducted on 185 specimens from six families revealed that leptocephali had a wide range of isotopic values at the family and size‐class levels. Species in the families Muraenidae, Congridae and Ophichthidae had similar δ15N values compared with the broad range of δ15N values seen in the deep‐sea families Nemichthyidae, Nettastomatidae and Synaphobranchidae. Stable‐isotope values were variably related to length, with δ15N values being positively size correlated in ophichthids and δ13C values being negatively size correlated in A. balearicum and P. caudilimbatus. Results suggest that leptocephali feed in various water depths and masses, and on different components of POM, which could lead to niche partitioning. Ecological aspects of these important members of the plankton community provide insight into larval connectivity in the GOM as well as the early life history of Anguilliformes.

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“…Whether composed mostly of DSC or rock, collectively these complex deep reefs sustain similar ecological functions as shallow reefs, providing structure for the development of diverse benthic communities (Roberts et al, 2009;Lessard-Pilon et al, 2010). Over the last decade research programs directed toward DSC ecosystems in the GOM indicated that DSC reefs are most abundant in 300 to about 600 m depths and support distinct communities (Continental Shelf Associates, 2007;Cordes et al, 2008;Ross et al, 2012;Brooks et al, 2016). GOM oil and gas lease blocks Viosca Knoll 826 (VK826, 415-480 m depths) and Viosca Knoll 862/906 (VK862/906, 310-440 m depths) in the north-central GOM, approximately 37 km apart ( Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deep-sea coral and hardbottom habitats on the west Florida slope, eastern Gulf of Mexico

Ross

Rhode

Brooke

2017

Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers

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Until recently, benthic habitats dominated by deep-sea corals (DSC) appeared to be less extensive on the slope of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) than in the northeast Atlantic Ocean or off the southeastern US. There are relatively few bioherms (i.e., coral-built mounds) in the northern GOM, and most DSCs are attached to existing hard substrata (e.g., authigenically formed carbonate). The primary structure-forming, DSC in the GOM is Lophelia pertusa, but structure is also provided by other living and dead scleractinians, antipatharians (black corals), octocorals (gorgonians, soft corals), hydrocorals and sponges, as well as abundant rocky substrata. The best development of DSCs in the GOM was previously documented within Viosca Knoll oil and gas lease blocks 826 and 862/906 (north-central GOM) and on the Campeche Bank (southern GOM in Mexican waters). This paper documents extensive deep reef ecosystems composed of DSC and rocky hard-bottom recently surveyed on the West Florida Slope (WFS, eastern GOM) during six research cruises (2008-2012). Using multibeam sonar, CTD casts, and video from underwater vehicles, we describe the physical and oceanographic characteristics of these deep reefs and provide size or area estimates of deep coral and hardground habitats. The multibeam sonar analyses revealed hundreds of mounds and ridges, some of which were subsequently surveyed using underwater vehicles. Mounds and ridges in < 525 m depths were usually capped with living coral colonies, dominated by L. pertusa. An extensive rocky scarp, running roughly north-south for at least 229 km, supported lower abundances of scleractinian corals than the mounds and ridges, despite an abundance of settlement substrata. Areal comparisons suggested that the WFS may exceed other parts of the GOM slope in extent of living deep coral coverage and other deep-reef habitat (dead coral and rock). The complex WFS region warrants additional studies to better understand the influences of oceanography and geology on the occurrence of DSC and associated organisms. Protection measures are being considered to ensure the long-term integrity of this diverse ecosystem.

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Deepwater Program: Studies of Gulf of Mexico lower continental slope communities related to chemosynthetic and hard substrate habitats

Cited by 5 publications

References 76 publications

Nematode‐associated microbial taxa do not correlate with host phylogeny, geographic region or feeding morphology in marine sediment habitats

Nematode‐associated microbial taxa do not correlate with host phylogeny, geographic region or feeding morphology in marine sediment habitats

Assemblage structure, vertical distributions and stable‐isotope compositions of anguilliform leptocephali in the Gulf of Mexico

Deep-sea coral and hardbottom habitats on the west Florida slope, eastern Gulf of Mexico

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