The NOAA IR serves as an archival repository of NOAA-published products including scientific findings, journal articles, guidelines, recommendations, or other information authored or co-authored by NOAA or funded partners.
As a repository, the NOAA IR retains documents in their original published format to ensure public access to scientific information.
i
i
Notice
Characterizing the Biological Community before and after Partial Removal of an Offshore Gas Platform in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico
-
2022
-
-
Source: Environmental Management, 70(6), 1078-1092
[PDF-4.30 MB]
Details:
-
Journal Title:Environmental Management
-
Personal Author:
-
NOAA Program & Office:
-
Description:High Island A-389-A (HI-A-389-A) is a gas platform situated in 125 m water within Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, and provides habitat to a diverse array of benthic organisms and fish species. Platform production ceased in 2012, beginning the decommissioning process for structural removal. Rather than complete removal of the structure, the lower portion was left intact as an artificial reef and the upper 21 m was removed. The biological communities (benthic and fish) were characterized during diver and remotely operated vehicle surveys, both before and after removal of the upper structure. The platform’s benthic community, primarily categorized as fouling organisms, was mainly composed of sponges, hydroids, macroalgae, bivalves, zoanthids, and stony corals. The dominant stony coral was orange cup coral (Tubastraea sp.), an exotic species, while native coral species were rare. Fish species were predominantly demersal planktivores. Analyses of the benthic and fish communities documented four distinct biological zones strongly associated with depth. Significant differences in the benthic community were observed after partial removal and varied with depth, including the loss of hydroids, increase in macroalgae cover, and sponge and coral community changes. Both demersal and pelagic fish communities exhibited significant differences by depth after removal but no significant changes were observed in federally managed species. Results reflect changes in benthic and fish communities after partial removal of the platform that is likely, in part, influenced by structure removal and temporal variations.
-
Content Notes:We thank the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council for their contributions. We also acknowledge the volunteer divers, Moody Gardens Aquarium, NOAA Diving Center, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, W&T Offshore, Army Corps of Engineers, and Texas Parks and Wildlife for their assistance. Work was conducted under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit SWG-2015-00068 and NOAA permits FGBNMS-2017-010 and FGBNMS-2017-011.
This study was funded through an interagency agreement between the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, through Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Fieldwork from 2015 to 2019 was carried out.
-
Keywords:
-
Source:Environmental Management, 70(6), 1078-1092
-
DOI:
-
ISSN:0364-152X;1432-1009;
-
Format:
-
Publisher:
-
Document Type:
-
Funding:
-
License:
-
Rights Information:CC0 Public Domain
-
Rights Statement:This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US.
-
Compliance:Submitted
-
Main Document Checksum:
-
Download URL:
-
File Type:
