Loop Current Eddy Paths in the Western Gulf of Mexico

Hamilton, Pat B.; Fargion, Giulietta S.; Biggs, Douglas C.

doi:10.1175/1520-0485(1999)029<1180:lcepit>2.0.co;2

Cited by 92 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The currents in this region may be expected to flow from east to west, particularly during the spawning season due to the Loop Current (Sturges & Blaha 1976, Hamilton et al 1999. Larvae may also have been carried by a counter-current (Wiseman & Garvine 1995) to the Western Boundary Current (Vidal Lorandi et al 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population expansion of a new invasive coral species, Tubastraea micranthus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Sammarco¹,

Porter²,

Sinclair³

et al. 2014

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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An Indo-Pacific scleractinian coral has invaded the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM): Tubastraea micranthus. It was initially observed on one oil platform (GI-93C) near the Mississippi River. Here, we determined whether its populations were spreading and whether there was evidence of rapid expansion. We compared population density data of T. micranthus with those from T. coccinea, a congener which invaded the western Atlantic earlier. Fourteen oil/gas platforms were assessed down to 138 m depth using remotely operated vehicle digital video. Colony densities in numbers m −2 were determined for both species, and colony size was measured for T. micranthus. Data were analyzed by platform and for geographic distribution. T. micranthus densities were highest on GI-93C and on GI-116A, SW of the Mississippi River, being significantly higher than on other platforms. Densities declined radially from there. Mean colony size was highest on MC-311A, with colonies generally being >100 cm 2 . This platform is situated at the head of the Mississippi Canyon and may have been the original site of colonization. It also receives blue water instead of turbid, lower salinity water, and this species may grow better under those conditions. T. micranthus size frequency distributions were generally skewed towards 1-200 cm 2 (5 cm diameter) (sometimes > 90% of the population), suggesting that most populations are potentially in an expanding growth phase. T. coccinea densities were high (range: ~50 to 300 colonies m −2 ). Its populations were also centered SW of the Mississippi River. T. micranthus is spreading through this region, and the window for its potential eradication may be closing.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population expansion of a new invasive coral species, Tubastraea micranthus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Sammarco¹,

Porter²,

Sinclair³

et al. 2014

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Thus, one may draw some similar inferences about these two species. It is not known why M. cavernosa densities exhibit a smaller peak on the east side of the Mississippi River in the Main Pass area; but molecular genetics data from coral populations in the same region (Sammarco, 2008;Sammarco et al, 2007aSammarco et al, ,b, 2012 suggest that the east side of the Mississippi River may be receiving larvae from a distant sourceperhaps from the Caribbean via the Loop Current (Hamilton et al, 1999;Lugo-Fernandez and Gravois, 2010;Sturges and Blaha, 1976) or from the Alacran area off the Yucatan Peninsula in the southern GOM. The molecular genetics indicate that adult coral populations on the two sides of the Mississippi River mouth are 100% distinct.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…External sources for seeding the FGB are not yet known but may include the Tampico region or Bahia de Campeche, Mexico (e.g., Salas-de-Leon et al, 1998), with transport via the Western Boundary Current (Vidal Lorandi et al, 1999); the Cozumel and Cancun regions via the Caribbean Current; the Alacran region via northerly jet currents and then west via the Loop Current (Hamilton et al, 1999;Lugo-Fernandez and Gravois, 2010;Sturges and Blaha, 1976); or the Florida Keys, including the Tortugas Bank and Pulley Ridge (Jarrett et al, 2000;Meyers et al, 2001) to the western GOM. In addition, hurricanes in the region can promote larval dispersal by producing high speed currents from the Caribbean (Lugo-Fernandez and Gravois, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geographic expansion of hermatypic and ahermatypic corals in the Gulf of Mexico, and implications for dispersal and recruitment

Sammarco¹,

Atchison²,

Boland³

et al. 2012

Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology

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“…However, as sea level rose over the next 6000 to 10 000 yr, the reefs were drowned, and the FGB now represent the only true coral reefs in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The nearest shallow reefs are those off the northern coast of Yucatan peninsula Sturges & Blama 1976, Hamilton et al 1999. Recent data suggest that currents may be able to transport biological material from the Florida Keys, including the Tortugas Bank and Pulley Ridge (Jarrett et al 2000, see also Meyers et al 2001) to the western GOM.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expansion of coral communities within the Northern Gulf of Mexico via offshore oil and gas platforms

Sammarco¹,

Atchison²,

Boland³

2004

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

123

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Approximately 4000 oil and gas platforms exist in the northern Gulf of Mexico. These platforms provide hard substratum that extends throughout the euphotic zone, in a region where such has been rare in recent geological time. Major exceptions to this are coral reefs of the Flower Garden Banks (FGB), ~200 km S-SE of Galveston, Texas, USA. We determined whether extensive scleractinian coral populations had colonized these platforms, quantified them, and determined their population and community characteristics. We also examined the relationship between these variables and distance from the FGB, platform age and depth. Surveys were performed on 13 oil or gas production platforms down to 36 m depth, encompassing an ellipse around the FGB. Corals occurred in abundance on most of the platforms. We found 11 species, comprising 8 hermatypic scleractinians, 2 ahermatypic scleractinians and 1 hydrozoan coral. The most abundant corals were Madracis decactis, Diploria strigosa and Tubastraea coccinea. Distance from the FGB was not related to the coral community variables measured, including total coral abundances of the dominant 3 species in shallow water (<14 m), deep water (14 to 36 m), or both depths combined. Total coral abundance increased significantly with increasing platform age, and the community was best developed on platforms >12 to 15 yr old. Abundance of M. decactis increased significantly with increasing platform age in deeper water and both depths combined, as did coral species diversity (S). This was not the case with D. strigosa, indicating that it may not be associated with any particular successional sere. Neither was T. coccinea abundance associated with platform age, except in shallow water, where it decreased in abundance with increasing age, indicating that this species may be an opportunistic pioneer species. All corals combined exhibited a significantly non-uniform depth distribution, with total coral abundance peaking at ~20 and 28 m depths. M. decactis exhibited a similar bimodal depth distribution, with a disproportionately high peak at depths > 27 m. D. strigosa exhibited peaks at ~10 and 23 m depth and was not found at depths > 27 m. T. coccinea exhibited a near-normal distribution, with a mode at ~17 m depth. Platforms have facilitated the expansion of coral populations in the GOM. Such platforms possess an intrinsic environmental value through the presence of coral populations, and this may influence future decisions regarding their removal.

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Loop Current Eddy Paths in the Western Gulf of Mexico

Cited by 92 publications

References 24 publications

Population expansion of a new invasive coral species, Tubastraea micranthus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Population expansion of a new invasive coral species, Tubastraea micranthus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Geographic expansion of hermatypic and ahermatypic corals in the Gulf of Mexico, and implications for dispersal and recruitment

Expansion of coral communities within the Northern Gulf of Mexico via offshore oil and gas platforms

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