Metazoan meiofauna abundance in relation to environmental variables in the northern Gulf of Mexico deep sea

Enhydrosoma texana sp. nov. is described from the northern Gulf of Mexico. The new species is closely related to E. parapropinquum Gómez, 2003 from northwestern Mexico. Both species share several characters including an elongated cylindrical caudal ramus, an abexopodal seta of antennae, the structure of mouthpart appendages, seta formula of thoracic legs P1–P4, the shape of the P5 exopod in the female and the apophysis structure of P3 in males. However, the new species is distinguishable from E. parapropinquum by the shape of the rostrum, number of the antennular segments, the shape of the mandibular palp, the relative lengths of the thoracic legs, the shape of the apophysis of P3 in the male, setal number and length of the P5 exopod of the female, the length of the seta on P5 in the male and the relative lengths of the caudal ramus in both sexes. This is the deepest record of a species in the genus Enhydrosoma.

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PAH and PCB body-burdens in epibenthic deep-sea invertebrates from the northern Gulf of Mexico

Marine Pollution Bulletin ◽

10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111825 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 111825

Author(s):

M. Chase Lawson ◽

Joshua A. Cullen ◽

Clifton C. Nunnally ◽

Gilbert T. Rowe ◽

David N. Hala

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Deep Sea ◽

Northern Gulf Of Mexico

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Standing stocks and body size of deep-sea macrofauna: Predicting the baseline of 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Deep Sea Research Part I Oceanographic Research Papers ◽

10.1016/j.dsr.2012.07.008 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 69 ◽

pp. 82-99 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Chih-Lin Wei ◽

Gilbert T. Rowe ◽

Elva Escobar-Briones ◽

Clifton Nunnally ◽

Yousria Soliman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Deep Sea ◽

Deepwater Horizon ◽

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽

Northern Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Standing Stocks

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Laboratory growth of denitrifying water column microbial consortia from deep-sea shipwrecks in the northern Gulf of Mexico

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.12713.1 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 1834

Author(s):

Dhanya Haridas ◽

Justin C. Biffinger ◽

Thomas J. Boyd ◽

Preston A. Fulmer ◽

Leila J. Hamdan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Water Column ◽

Deep Sea ◽

Amplicon Sequencing ◽

Microbial Consortia ◽

Microbial Populations ◽

Northern Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Metabolic Adaptations ◽

16S Amplicon Sequencing ◽

Growth Profiles

Background: Shipwrecks serve as a rich source for novel microbial populations that have largely remained undiscovered. Low temperatures, lack of sunlight, and the availability of substrates derived from the shipwreck’s hull and cargo may provide an environment in which microbes can develop unique metabolic adaptations. Methods: To test our hypothesis that shipwrecks could influence the microbial population involved in denitrification when a consortium is grown in the laboratory, we collected samples proximate to two steel shipwrecks in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Then under laboratory conditions, we grew two independent denitrifying microbial consortia. Each consortium was grown by using the BART assay system and analyzed based on growth kinetics, ion chromatography and 16S amplicon sequencing.Results: Both denitrifying consortia were different from each other based on varied growth profiles, rates of nitrate utilization and 16S amplicon sequencing.Conclusions: Our observations conclude that the laboratory grown water column microbial consortia from deep-sea shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico are able to undergo aggressive denitrification.

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Seascape Genomics Reveals Metapopulation Connectivity Network of Paramuricea biscaya in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Frontiers in Marine Science ◽

10.3389/fmars.2021.790929 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew P. Galaska ◽

Guangpeng Liu ◽

Destiny West ◽

Katie Erickson ◽

Andrea M. Quattrini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Ocean Circulation ◽

Deep Sea ◽

Larval Dispersal ◽

Spatial Diversity ◽

Stepping Stones ◽

Northern Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Mississippi Canyon ◽

Population Structuring

The degree of connectivity among populations influences their ability to respond to natural and anthropogenic stressors. In marine systems, determining the scale, rate, and directionality of larval dispersal is therefore, central to understanding how coral metapopulations are interconnected and the degree of resiliency in the event of a localized disturbance. Understanding these source-sink dynamics is essential to guide restoration efforts and for the study of ecology and evolution in the ocean. The patterns and mechanisms of connectivity in the deep-sea (>200 m deep) are largely understudied. In this study, we investigated the spatial diversity patterns and metapopulation connectivity of the octocoral Paramuricea biscaya throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Paramuricea biscaya is one of the most abundant corals on the lower continental slope (between 1,200 and 2,500 m) in the GoM. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWH) directly impacted populations of this species and thus are considered primary targets for restoration. We used a combination of seascape genomic analyses, high-resolution ocean circulation modeling, and larval dispersal simulations to quantify the degree of population structuring and connectivity among P. biscaya populations. Evidence supports the hypotheses that the genetic diversity of P. biscaya is structured by depth, and that larval dispersal among connected populations is asymmetric due to dominant ocean circulation patterns. Our results suggest that there are intermediate unsampled populations in the central GoM that serve as stepping stones for dispersal. The data suggest that the DeSoto Canyon area, and possibly the West Florida Escarpment, critically act as sources of larvae for areas impacted by the DWH oil spill in the Mississippi Canyon. This work illustrates that the management of deep-sea marine protected areas should incorporate knowledge of connectivity networks and depth-dependent processes throughout the water column.

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