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Recent Publication
Characterization of Northern Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Hard Bottom Communities with Emphasis on Lophelia Coral - Lophelia Reef Megafaunal Community Structure, Biotopes, Genetics, Microbial Ecology, and Geology (2004-2006)
 There is a rapidly growing social, political, and scientific awareness of the destruction of sensitive deep coral reefs, and the potential loss of unexplored biodiversity by human activities including bottom trawling, anchoring, cable-laying, ocean dumping, pollution, and offshore oil and gas development. In the Gulf of Mexico, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) exercises an ecological stewardship role for sensitive hydrocarbon seep, hard-bottom and reef habitats relative to hydrocarbon exploration and development activities. The present U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) community structure team investigation, together with companion investigations by USGS microbiology and genetics research teams, has addressed gaps in knowledge of Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus, 1758) deep reef ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico, with particular emphasis on the fish and mobile invertebrate megafaunas. The overall USGS 2004-2006 program of Lophelia community studies complemented a concurrent contract study undertaken by Continental Shelf Associates (CSA, 2003) on behalf of the MMS. Find Out More
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
The weather is beautiful, sunny and warm, perfect for a day outdoors and on the water. Itīs hard to imagine a better job than doing fieldwork with the USGS Coastal Ecology crew working to keep tabs on the Gulf sturgeon population. Almost every day in Florida is a great day to be out on the river, but itīs especially nice when itīs a workday and you have the water practically to yourself. 