TEXTURAL AND GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BEACH SANDS ALONG THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO, MEXICO

Sand samples from 30 beach locations of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico littoral zone were texturally and mineralogically investigated. Based on their source lithology and fluvial network, they were subdivided into two groups: (1) sands with volcanic rocks in the source region and (2) sands with a nonvolcanic source. Sands from foreshore and backshore areas exhibit similar textural characteristics, with less rock fragments than those from the inshore zone, where the high energy of breaking waves and littoral currents is present. A quartz–feldspar–rock fragment triangular diagram indicates that the proximity of volcanic sources is responsible for the enrichment of rock fragment content in the beach sands. Beach sands associated with Tampico and Veracruz embayments have greater quartz content, caused by a greater transport distance. Mineralogical maturity and provenance indexes used in a binary diagram are helpful in discriminating sand samples from volcanic and nonvolcanic domains.

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Surface textures of quartz and ilmenite grains from dune and beach sands of the Gulf of Mexico Coast, Mexico: Implications for fluvial, aeolian and marine transport

Aeolian Research ◽

10.1016/j.aeolia.2020.100611 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 45 ◽

pp. 100611

Author(s):

R.O. Mejía-Ledezma ◽

J.J. Kasper-Zubillaga ◽

L.F. Alvarez-Sánchez ◽

M. Mendieta-Lora ◽

E. Arellano-Torres ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Surface Textures ◽

Marine Transport ◽

Beach Sands ◽

Mexico Coast

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Textural and geochemical characteristics of late Pleistocene to Holocene fine-grained deep-sea sediment cores (GM6 and GM7), recovered from southwestern Gulf of Mexico

Journal of Palaeogeography ◽

10.1186/s42501-018-0005-3 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Abigail Anaya-Gregorio ◽

John S. Armstrong-Altrin ◽

María Luisa Machain-Castillo ◽

Patricia C. Montiel-García ◽

Mayla A. Ramos-Vázquez

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Late Pleistocene ◽

Deep Sea ◽

Sediment Cores ◽

Geochemical Characteristics ◽

Deep Sea Sediment ◽

Fine Grained ◽

Late Pleistocene To Holocene

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Chronology of recent sedimentation and geochemical characteristics of sediments in Alvarado Lagoon, Veracruz (southwestern gulf of Mexico)

Ciencias Marinas ◽

10.7773/cm.v40i4.2473 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 40 (4) ◽

pp. 291-303 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Ana Carolina Ruiz-Fernandez

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Geochemical Characteristics

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Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria and the Bacterial Community Response in Gulf of Mexico Beach Sands Impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.05402-11 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 77 (22) ◽

pp. 7962-7974 ◽

Cited By ~ 516

Author(s):

Joel E. Kostka ◽

Om Prakash ◽

Will A. Overholt ◽

Stefan J. Green ◽

Gina Freyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Deepwater Horizon ◽

Oil Contamination ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Ssu Rrna ◽

Bacterial Strains ◽

Gene Sequences ◽

Content Type ◽

Beach Sands

ABSTRACTA significant portion of oil from the recent Deepwater Horizon (DH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was transported to the shoreline, where it may have severe ecological and economic consequences. The objectives of this study were (i) to identify and characterize predominant oil-degrading taxa that may be used as model hydrocarbon degraders or as microbial indicators of contamination and (ii) to characterize thein situresponse of indigenous bacterial communities to oil contamination in beach ecosystems. This study was conducted at municipal Pensacola Beach, FL, where chemical analysis revealed weathered oil petroleum hydrocarbon (C8to C40) concentrations ranging from 3.1 to 4,500 mg kg−1in beach sands. A total of 24 bacterial strains from 14 genera were isolated from oiled beach sands and confirmed as oil-degrading microorganisms. Isolated bacterial strains were primarilyGammaproteobacteria, including representatives of genera with known oil degraders (Alcanivorax,Marinobacter,Pseudomonas, andAcinetobacter). Sequence libraries generated from oiled sands revealed phylotypes that showed high sequence identity (up to 99%) to rRNA gene sequences from the oil-degrading bacterial isolates. The abundance of bacterial SSU rRNA gene sequences was ∼10-fold higher in oiled (0.44 × 107to 10.2 × 107copies g−1) versus clean (0.024 × 107to 1.4 × 107copies g−1) sand. Community analysis revealed a distinct response to oil contamination, and SSU rRNA gene abundance derived from the genusAlcanivoraxshowed the largest increase in relative abundance in contaminated samples. We conclude that oil contamination from the DH spill had a profound impact on the abundance and community composition of indigenous bacteria in Gulf beach sands, and our evidence points to members of theGammaproteobacteria(Alcanivorax,Marinobacter) andAlphaproteobacteria(Rhodobacteraceae) as key players in oil degradation there.

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