Management Applicability of Contemporary Deep-Sea Ecology and Reevaluation of Gulf of Mexico Studies
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OCS Study MMS 2001-095 Coastal Marine Institute Management Applicability of Contemporary Deep-Sea Ecology and Reevaluation of Gulf of Mexico Studies U.S . Department of the Interior Cooperative.Agreementment Minerals Management Service Coastal Marine Institute Adw Gulf of Mexico OCS Region Louisiana State University OCS Study MMS 2001-095 Coastal Marine Institute Management Applicability of Contemporary Deep-Sea Ecology and Reevaluation of Gulf of Mexico Studies Author Robert S. Carney December 2001 Prepared under MMS Contract 14-35-0001-30660-19904 by Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana Published by U .S. Department of the Interior Cooperative Agreement Minerals 1management Service Coastal Marine Institute Gulf of Mexico OCS Region Louisiana State University DISCLAIMER This report was prepared under contract between the Minerals Management Service (MMS) and Louisiana State University . This report has been technically reviewed by the MMS and approved for publication . Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Service, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use . It is, however, exempt from review and compliance with MMS editorial standards. REPORT AVAILABILITY Extra copies of the report may be obtained from the Public Information Office (Mail Stop 5034) at the following address : U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region Public Information Office (MS 5034) 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 Telephone Number: 1-800-200-GULF or (504) 736-2519 CITATION Suggested citation : Carney, R.S . 2001 . Management Applicability of Contemporary Deep-Sea Ecology and Reevaluation of Gulf of Mexico Studies. Final Report. OCS Study MMS 2001-095 . U.S. Dept. of the Interior Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region Office, New Orleans, La. 174 pp. ABOUT THE COVER The four photographic images are symbolic of the low level of understanding about the deep ocean ecology that resource managers must contend with. Three images show seemingly homogeneous seafloor with some fine-scale bottom topography of unknown origin . Hidden within that fine structure, however, is one of the highest species diversity on Earth. The upper-right image shows part of a rat-tail fish, but even this well- known animal is poorly understood. iii SUMMARY Scientific knowledge of the deep ocean is meager when compared to that of coastal areas. As a result the Minerals Management Service or any agency charged with environmental management in deepwater is placed at a disadvantage with respect to developing scientifically sound management strategies . Deepwater management requires extensive new data gathering and critical evaluation of the adequacies of existing information. A status review of contemporary deep-sea ecology found four areas of basic research especially relevant to management . First, the sensitivity of deep fauna to impact must be known. Traditional generalities about deep natural histories, however, are being discarded, complicating the task of making predictions about sensitivity. Second, the deep-sea biota is not uniform from the 200 m upper limit of deepwater to the base of the continental slope. The exact nature of faunal gradients must be known to develop depth- appropriate monitoring plans and regulations. Third, the processes that maintain a high species diversity in the deep-sea must be known if impacts are to be avoided. Fourth, if food is truly limited in the deep sea, then interruption of the processes of supply and utilization may be the most sensitive process of the ecosystem. Past efforts by federal agencies provide relatively little information relevant to regulation of deep oil and gas development . Some of these studies focused on human health rather than ecology, and others addressed very different impacting activities. The studies associated with manganese nodule mining do, however, serve as a useful guide . They focused upon detritus foraging; they linked environmental monitoring to large-scale industry activity, and they included a mix of federal and industry initiated research . Most information about the Gulf of Mexico typical deep-sea benthos was provided from two studies, the long-term exploratory sampling of Pequegnat and the shorter-term transect sampling of the Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope (NGMCS) study. The former focused upon megafauna and proposed zoogeographic divisions on the basis of biotic and abiotic data. The latter focused upon macrofauna and addressed the validity the zoogeographic patterns through faunal analyses. Lack of balance in statistical testing, however, left the validity or invalidity unresolved. On reanalysis, three important findings emerged. First, the Gulf slope may have higher species richness than found off the US Atlantic coast. The findings however, are technique sensitive. Second, diversity is uniformly high with depth, not showing a lower slope maximum. This suggests different mechanisms of diversity maintenance in the Gulf. Third, the Gulf slope shows a lower biomass than the Atlantic, but the distinction decreases with depth. Again, the results are technique sensitive. Chemoautotrophic communities represent a distinctive ecosystem of high biomass, low species richness, specialized fauna, and partial isolation from the detritus- based food web of the surrounding deep sea. Between 400 and 1000 m in the northern Gulf of Mexico the chemoautotrophic and associated heterotrophic species composition varies site-to-site . That variation reflects changing combinations of a limited set of species. The factors determining each local fauna combination remain unknown. Species succession, to the extent that it takes place, may be controlled with a geological transition from young, fluid-prone to older mineral-prone seeps. Monitoring of markers found no recovery from sampling disturbances . v TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY ... .. .. .. .. .. .... ...... ................. .. .. .. .. .. .. .......... .. .. .. v LIST OF FIGURES . .. ...... .. .. .... ....... ...... ...... .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. xi LIST OF TABLES . .. .. .. .... .. .. ....................... .. .. .. .. .. .......... .. .. ..xiii 1 Introduction . .. .. .. .. .... ......................... ...... .. .. .. .. .. ............ .. .. ... 1 1 .1 Introduction: Environmental Management of the Deep-Sea Floor ................ ..... 1 1 .1 .1 Origins of the Wasteland View of the Deep-Sea Ecology ......... .. .....1 1 .2 Structure of Report . .. :. .. .. .. .. ............ ......................... .. .. .. .. ............ .. .. .. .. 2 2 A Review of the Management Relevance of Deep-Sea Ecology . .. ............ .. .. .. .. 5 2.1 Physical Properties Characterizing the Deep-Sea.... .. .. .. .. .......... .. .. .. .. 5 2.1 .1 Pressure Effects .. .. .... ......................... .. .. .. .. .. .. .......... .. .. .. 6 2 .1 .2 Density, Temperature, and Salinity ..... .. .. .. ........ .. .. 7 2 .1 .3 Darkness and Light as a Defining Features . .. .. ........ .. .. 9 2 .1 .4 Oxygen . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..................... .. .. .. .. .. ........ .. .. 13 2 .1 .5 Water Movement .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ......... .. .. .. .......... .. 14 2.2 Deep Fauna . .. .. .. .. .. .. ............... .. .. .. .. ........ .. .. 15 2 .2 .1 Changing Generalities about Deep-Sea Adaptations . .. ............ .. 17 2 .2 .2 Review of Deep Fauna by Size Group .. .. .. .. .. .......... .. .. 20 2 .2 .3 Megafauna . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ................... .. .. .. .......... .. .. .. .. 20 2 .2 .4 Macrofauna . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..................: .. .. .......... .. .. .. 24 2 .2 .5 Meiofauna . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ................. .. .. .. .. ............ .. .. 26 2 .2 .6 MMS Management Needs .. .. ...... ............... .. .. .. .. .. ............ .. .. 27 2.3 Zonation - The Depth Gradient As Multiple Habitats . .. .. .. .. .......... .. .. .. 27 2 .3 .1 Summary Statement . .. ... .. .... ................. .. ............ .. .. .. 27 2 .3 .2 State of the Art . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ............... .. .. .. .. ............ .. .. .. 28 2 .3 .3 History of Zonation Concepts. .. ................. .. .. .. .............. .. .. 29 23 .4 The Analysis and Criteria Problem.............. .. .. .. .......... .. .. ... 30 2 .3 .5 MMS Information Needs Concerning Zonation . .. ................. 31 2 .4 Deep Diversity - The Most Confusing Management Concern . .. .. ............... 32 2 .4 .1 Definitions and Measures of Diversity .......... .. .. .. ............... 32 2 .4 .2 Ideas About Deep-Sea Diversity .. .. .. ...... ....... .. .. .. .. ........... 35 2 .4 .3 Larger Scale Views of Diversity. .. .. .. ......... .. .. ............. 38 2 .4 .4 MMS Information Needs . .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. ........... 39 vii 2.5 Ecosystem Processes .... .. .. .. .. ........ .. 40 2.5 .1 Biomass and Trophic Structure . .. ........ .. .. 40 2.5 .2 Bioturbation Tracks and Trails . .. .. .......... .. .. 44 2.5.3 MMS Management Needs .. .. .. .. .. .......... .. 46 2 .6 Case Stud ies . .. .. .. .. .... ................... .. .. .. .. .. .. .......... .. 46 2.6.1 Introductory Summary.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .......... .. .. 46 2.6.2 Deep Ocean Mining ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ............ 47 2.6.3 Ocean Dumping of Hazardous Wastes . .. ........ .. .. 51 2.6.4 A Flawed Proposal to Scuttle an Oil Storage Facility . 56 2.6.5 Summary of Lessons Learned