HR: 0800h
AN: OS51B-06    [Abstracts]
TI: Reconnaissance Strategy for Seep Chemosynthetic Communities in the Gulf of Mexico
AU: * MacDonald, I R
EM: ian.macdonald@tamucc.edu
AF: Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, United States
AU: Roberts, H H
EM: hrober3@lsu.edu
AF: Louisiana State University, Coastal Studies Institute, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States
AU: Fisher, C R
EM: cfisher@psu.edu
AF: Penn State University, Dept. of Biology, University Park, PA 16802, United States
AU: Bernard, B B
EM: berniebernard@tdi-bi.com
AF: TDI Brooks International, Inc., 1902 Pinon, College Station, TX 77845, United States
AU: Joye, S
EM: mjoye@uga.edu
AF: University of Georgia, Dept. of Geology, Athens, GA 30602, United States
AU: Carney, R
EM: rcarne1@lsu.edu
AF: Louisiana State University, Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States
AU: Hunt, J
EM: jesse.hunt@mms.gov
AF: Minerals Management Service, Office of Resource Evaluation, New Orleans, LA 70123, United States
AU: Shedd, W
EM: william.shedd@mms.gov
AF: Minerals Management Service, Office of Resource Evaluation, New Orleans, LA 70123, United States
AB: The Continental Slope of the Gulf of Mexico hosts diverse chemosynthetic communities at oil and gas seeps. Exploration is needed to extend knowledge of the Gulf of Mexico chemosynthetic ecosystem in the zones anticipated to receive energy exploration and production activities over the coming decades. A nested survey approach can be used to identify representative sampling sites within this vast offshore area. Potential sites where chemosynthetic community could occur are selected on the basis geophysical, geochemical, and satellite remote-sensing indicators. Photo-reconnaissance using cost-effective camera systems is then used to confirm the presences or absence of chemosynthetic communities at high-probability sites. Follow-up sampling can then proceed with submersibles or ROVs to acquire tissue and or geochemical samples. However, because access is limited, submersible dives may not be possible at all sites. Two examples of this approach have recently been applied in the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico, respectively. We compared community characterizations obtained from the initial reconnaissance with more detailed characterizations forthcoming from submersible sampling. Our results show that major differences in community type and geochemical substrata are evident from preliminary reconnaissance, while details of animal densities and species compositions require targeted sampling with submersibles. However, given the limited access to submersibles, cost-effective surveys with deep-sea camera systems would greatly expand understanding of the zoogeography of chemosynthetic fauna in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.
DE: 0456 Life in extreme environments
DE: 0480 Remote sensing
DE: 3004 Gas and hydrate systems
DE: 4223 Descriptive and regional oceanography
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly