Coral mound development at the Campeche cold-water coral province, southern Gulf of Mexico: Implications of Antarctic Intermediate Water increased influence during interglacials

2017 ◽  
Vol 392 ◽  
pp. 53-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lélia Matos ◽  
Claudia Wienberg ◽  
Jürgen Titschack ◽  
Gerhard Schmiedl ◽  
Norbert Frank ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Intermediate Water ◽  
Antarctic Intermediate Water ◽  
Southern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Water Coral

scholarly journals Environmental forcing of the Campeche cold-water coral province, southern Gulf of Mexico

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 18757-18801 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Hebbeln ◽  
C. Wienberg ◽  
P. Wintersteller ◽  
A. Freiwald ◽  
M. Becker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
High Surface ◽  
Coral Community ◽  
Intermediate Water ◽  
Lophelia Pertusa ◽  
Environmental Forcing ◽  
Southern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Water Coral

Abstract. With an extension of >40 km2 the recently discovered Campeche cold-water coral province located at the northeastern rim of the Campeche Bank in the southern Gulf of Mexico belongs to the largest coherent cold-water coral areas discovered so far. The Campeche province consists of numerous 20 to 40 m high coral ridges that are developed in intermediate water depths of 500 to 600 m. The ridges are colonized by a vivid cold-water coral ecosystem that covers the upper flanks and summits. The rich coral community is dominated by the framework-building scleractinia Enallopsammia profunda and Lophelia pertusa while the associated benthic megafauna shows a rather scarce occurrence. The recent environmental setting is characterized by a high surface water production caused by a local upwelling center and a dynamic bottom water regime comprising vigorous bottom currents, internal waves and strong density contrasts, which all together provide optimal conditions for the growth of cold-water corals. The strong hydrodynamics – potentially supported by the diel vertical migration of zooplankton in the Campeche area – drive the delivering of food particles to the corals. The Campeche cold-water coral province is, thus, an excellent example highlighting the importance of the hydrographic setting in securing the food supply for the development of large and vivid cold-water coral ecosystems.

scholarly journals Environmental forcing of the Campeche cold-water coral province, southern Gulf of Mexico

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1799-1815 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Hebbeln ◽  
C. Wienberg ◽  
P. Wintersteller ◽  
A. Freiwald ◽  
M. Becker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
High Surface ◽  
Coral Community ◽  
Intermediate Water ◽  
Lophelia Pertusa ◽  
Environmental Forcing ◽  
Southern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Water Coral

Abstract. With an extension of > 40 km2 the recently discovered Campeche cold-water coral province located at the northeastern rim of the Campeche Bank in the southern Gulf of Mexico belongs to the largest coherent cold-water coral areas discovered so far. The Campeche province consists of numerous 20–40 m-high elongated coral mounds that are developed in intermediate water depths of 500 to 600 m. The mounds are colonized by a vivid cold-water coral ecosystem that covers the upper flanks and summits. The rich coral community is dominated by the framework-building Scleractinia Enallopsammia profunda and Lophelia pertusa, while the associated benthic megafauna shows a rather scarce occurrence. The recent environmental setting is characterized by a high surface water production caused by a local upwelling center and a dynamic bottom-water regime comprising vigorous bottom currents, obvious temporal variability, and strong density contrasts, which all together provide optimal conditions for the growth of cold-water corals. This setting – potentially supported by the diel vertical migration of zooplankton in the Campeche area – controls the delivering of food particles to the corals. The Campeche cold-water coral province is, thus, an excellent example highlighting the importance of the oceanographic setting in securing the food supply for the development of large and vivid cold-water coral ecosystems.

Ba/Ca, P/Ca, Li/Ca and Mn/Ca ratios in the deep-sea bivalve Acesta excavata: Valuable tools to reconstruct plankton dynamics in cold-water coral ecosystems?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolai Schleinkofer ◽  
Jacek Raddatz ◽  
David Evans ◽  
Axel Gerdes ◽  
Silke Voigt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Geochemical Data ◽  
Marine Bivalve ◽  
Intermediate Water ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Water Coral

<p>Phytoplankton is one of the most important producers of oxygen, and plays an important role in the export of large amounts of carbon to the deeper ocean. Since phytoplankton is also the basis of most food webs in the ocean, understanding the dynamic system of phytoplankton is a crucial part to understand past carbon- and nutrient cycles and paleoclimatic changes. The export of nutrients is also an important factor impacting cold-water coral (CWC) reefs and may play a role in controlling their distribution. Here we present laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) Element/Ca measurements from Acesta excavata, a file clam, often associated with cold-water coral reefs along the European continental margin. Environmental parameters were recorded with lander systems directly deployed in the CWC reefs, which allows us to compare our geochemical data to in-situ ocean data.</p><p>Our results reveal, that Ba/Ca ratios show stable baseline values with intermittent sharp peaks. The location of these peaks in between major growth lines and temperature reconstructions with Mg/Sr ratios (Schleinkofer et al., submitted) show that these peaks occur during Winter and are repeatable between samples from the same location. This indicates a strong external forcing mechanism and allows cross-dating of different bivalve shells. While the occurrence of Ba/Ca peaks correlates with phytoplankton maxima, the absolute Ba/Ca ratio does not correlate with the phytoplankton abundance.</p><p>Mn/Ca ratios show similar trends as Ba/Ca ratios but the peaks are phase shifted and occur slightly delayed. These peaks could be triggered by decreasing oxygen concentrations in the water caused by the decomposition of organic material.</p><p>As A. excavata does not show easily distinguishable growth lines under the light microscope despite of Mutvei staining or fluorescence microscopy, we hypothesize that P/Ca ratios might be usable to locate highly phosphorylated shell areas that usually correlate with major growth lines. P/Ca ratios show no perceivable features in the vicinity of major growth lines. Instead we recognize that Ba/Ca peaks follow a minimum in P/Ca which is possibly caused by the uptake of phosphor by plankton.</p><p>These results suggest that A. excavata have potential as a promising tool for high resolution paleoenvironmental reconstructions of both intermediate and overlying surface water masses.</p><p>References</p><p>Schleinkofer N, Raddatz J, Evans D, Gerdes A, Flögel S, Voigt S, et al. Elemental to calcium ratios in the marine bivalve Acesta excavata: an archive for high-resolution paleoceanographic reconstructions of intermediate water masses. PLoS One. Submitted</p>

Short-term environmental variability in cold-water coral habitat at Viosca Knoll, Gulf of Mexico

2010 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Davies ◽  
Gerard C.A. Duineveld ◽  
Tjeerd C.E. van Weering ◽  
Furu Mienis ◽  
Andrea M. Quattrini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Water Coral

USGS cold-water coral geographic database-Gulf of Mexico and western North Atlantic Ocean, version 1.0

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn M. Scanlon ◽  
Rhian G. Waller ◽  
Alexander R. Sirotek ◽  
Julia M. Knisel ◽  
John O'Malley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
North Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Water Coral

Scale worms (Polychaeta: Aphroditiformia) associated with cold-water corals in the eastern Gulf of Mexico

2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (8) ◽  
pp. 2129-2143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Barnich ◽  
Lydia Beuck ◽  
André Freiwald
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Coral Host ◽  
Microscopic Images ◽  
Eastern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Respective Host ◽  
Water Coral

During a recent cruise to investigate the cold-water coral habitats in the eastern Gulf of Mexico seven scale worm species (Polychaeta: Aphroditiformia) were found, with four of them new to science:Laetmonice tunicatasp. nov. (Aphroditidae);Eunoe purpureaTreadwell, 1936,Gorgoniapolynoe caeciliae(Fauvel, 1913),Harmothoe dannyisp. nov.,Harmothoe cedricisp. nov. andSubadyte campechensissp. nov. (Polynoidae); andLeanira robustaVerrill, 1885 (Sigalionidae). An extended taxonomic account is given for all species, with detailed descriptions and figures for the new species. Three of the five polynoid species were found associated with a coral host:E. purpureawithBathypathescf.alternataBrook, 1898 (Antipatharia);G. caeciliaewithAcanthogorgia armataVerrill, 1878 andCandidella imbricata(Johnson, 1862) (Octocorallia) andH. dannyisp. nov. withStylaster erubescensPourtalès, 1868 (Hydrozoa). These associations are characterized in detail and documented byin situROV pictures and microscopic images and videos of the live animals, together with their respective host.

scholarly journals Mediterranean Coral Provinces as a Sponge Diversity Reservoir: Is There a Mediterranean Cold-Water Coral Sponge Fauna?

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreu Santín ◽  
Jordi Grinyó ◽  
Maria Jesús Uriz ◽  
Claudio Lo Iacono ◽  
Josep Maria Gili ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cold Water ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
Intermediate Water ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspots ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
Sponge Diversity ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Water Coral

Cold-water coral reefs (CWC) are known to be biodiversity hotspots, however, the sponge assemblages found to dwell within these habitats haven not been studied in depth to date in the Mediterranean Sea. The present article provides the first insight on the associated sponge fauna of the recently discovered CWC communities on the Catalan Margin and, to a lesser extent, the Cabliers Coral Mound Province, while also reviewing the current knowledge of the sponge fauna dwelling in all the Mediterranean CWC provinces. In regards to the studied areas, some rare species are cited for the first time in the Mediterranean or redescribed, while two of them, Hamacantha (Hamacantha) hortae sp. nov. and Spongosorites cabliersi sp. nov. are new to science. At a basin scale, Mediterranean CWC appear as poriferan biodiversity hotspots, yet current diversity values on each site rather represent a small fraction of its actual fauna. Additionally, the existence of an endemic sponge fauna exclusively dwelling on CWC is refuted. Nonetheless, the sponge fauna thriving in Mediterranean CWC appears to be unique, and different from that of other Atlantic regions. Finally, with the current knowledge, the sponge fauna from the Mediterranean CWC is grouped in three distinguishable clusters (Alboran Sea, Western and Eastern Mediterranean), which appears to be determined by the basins water circulation, specially the Levantine Intermediate Water and the Atlantic Water following a western-eastern pattern from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Adriatic Sea. Overall, sponge living in Mediterranean CWC are still poorly explored in most areas, yet they appear to be good candidates for biogeographical studies.Zoobank Registration: LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E58A3DFF-EDC5-44FC-A274-1C9508BF8D15.

scholarly journals A 300,000 year record of cold-water coral mound build-up at the East Melilla Coral Province (SE Alboran Sea, western Mediterranean)

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Fentimen ◽  
Eline Feenstra ◽  
Andres Rüggeberg ◽  
Efraim Hall ◽  
Valentin Rime ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Sediment Geochemistry ◽  
Intermediate Water ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
Glacial Periods ◽  
Alborán Sea ◽  
Water Coral

Abstract. This study provides a detailed reconstruction of cold-water coral mound build-up within the East Melilla Coral Province (Southeast Alboran Sea) over the last 300 ky. Based on benthic foraminiferal assemblages, macrofaunal quantification, grain size analysis, sediment geochemistry, and foraminiferal stable isotope compositions, a reconstruction of environmental conditions having prevailed in the region is proposed. The variations in planktonic and benthic δ18O values indicate that cold-water coral mound build-up follows and records global climate variability. In contrast to northeast Atlantic counterparts, coral mound build-up in the southeast Alboran Sea occurs during glacial as well as during interglacial periods and at very low aggradation rates (between 1 and 10 cm.ky−1). Environmental conditions during glacial periods, particularly during the Last Glacial Maximum, appear to better suit the ecological requirements of the erect cheilostome bryozoan Buskea dichotoma. We propose that Buskea dichotoma has an important role in the build-up of cold-water coral mounds at the East Melilla Coral Province during glacial periods. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages suggest that important terrestrial input favoured cold-water coral proliferation during interglacial periods. The existence of strong Alboran Gyres during interglacial periods, promoting mixing between surface and intermediate water masses and bottom water turbulence, was possibly beneficial for cold-water coral development. Conversely, benthic foraminiferal assemblages indicate that the seafloor received less organic matter during glacial periods. Overall, the arid continental conditions combined to more stratified water masses resulted in limited coral proliferation during glacial times.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document