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Populations of the Gorgonian Genus Leptogorgia at Two Jetties in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico Emily A

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Populations of the Gorgonian Genus Leptogorgia at Two Jetties in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico Emily A View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Aquila Digital Community Gulf of Mexico Science Volume 29 Article 6 Number 2 Number 2 2011 Populations of the Gorgonian Genus Leptogorgia at Two Jetties in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico Emily A. Williamson Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi Kevin B. Strychar Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi Kim Withers Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi DOI: 10.18785/goms.2902.06 Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/goms Recommended Citation Williamson, E. A., K. B. Strychar and K. Withers. 2011. Populations of the Gorgonian Genus Leptogorgia at Two Jetties in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Gulf of Mexico Science 29 (2). Retrieved from https://aquila.usm.edu/goms/vol29/iss2/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Gulf of Mexico Science by an authorized editor of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Williamson et al.: Populations of the Gorgonian Genus Leptogorgia at Two Jetties in SHORT PAPERS AND NOTES Gulf of Mexico Science, 2011(2), pp. 126–130 natural hard-bottom environments such as coral E 2011 by the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium of Alabama reefs or offshore banks, jetties in temperate or subtropical areas are subjected to substantially POPULATIONS OF THE GORGONIAN GENUS more variable environmental conditions. Texas LEPTOGORGIA AT TWO JETTIES IN THE jetty environments consist of periodic swift NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO.—Gor- channelized currents, terrestrial runoff, mainte- gonian coral distributions are poorly known in nance dredging conditions, fluctuating temper- the subtropical northwestern coast of the Gulf of atures, and swells from ship and recreational Mexico (the area from Corpus Christi, TX to boat traffic. Tamaulipas, Mexico). Strip transect surveys were Many studies have been undertaken with performed in July 2008 at the Aransas Pass and Leptogorgia on the Atlantic and northeastern Gulf Brazos–Santiago Pass jetties in south Texas to of Mexico coasts (Patton, 1972; Leversee, 1976; determine distribution and community compo- Adams, 1980; Gotelli, 1988; Kingsley et al., 1990; sition of gorgonian species present. In excess of Gotelli, 1991; Mitchell et al., 1993; Beasley et al., 600 Leptogorgia colonies were recorded consisting 2003) but few have focused on the northwestern of Leptogorgia hebes, Leptogorgia setacea, and Lepto- Gulf of Mexico. Nine species of Leptogorgia have gorgia virgulata. At Aransas Pass, L. virgulata was been documented in the Gulf of Mexico, in dominant, followed by L. setacea, and L. hebes. waters from 2 to 309 m, with the majority located Overall density at the Aransas Pass north jetty was in the northeastern area (Cairns and Bayer, 0.0239 colonies m22, 0.0286 colonies m22 at the 2009). Leptogorgia hebes, L. setacea, and L. virgulata Aransas Pass south jetty, and 0.0026 colonies m22 appear to be the only shallow-water gorgonians at the Brazos–Santiago Pass north jetty. During that have been found on the northern Gulf coast surveys, animals observed in association with (Bayer, 1961; Fotheringham and Brunenmeister, Leptogorgia colonies included juvenile fish, Sim- 1975; Mitchell et al., 1993; Texas Cooperative nialena uniplacata, Pteria colymbus, Neopontonides Wildlife Collection, 2011). Growth forms of beaufortensis, Cyphoma gibbosum, and Conopea Leptogorgia can vary from elongate and arbores- galeata. Morphological adaptations and tolerance cent, as in L. virgulata; whiplike with only one or to variances in water conditions allow Leptogorgia two branches, as in L. setacea; or highly branched to be successful in jetty environments, providing and fanlike, as in L. hebes (Bayer, 1961). important habitat for many organisms. Gorgonians provide a unique and sheltered habitat that many other organisms use to Introduction.—Shallow hard-bottom substrate maximize their protection and seclusion within suitable for coral settlement is relatively uncom- colonies. Along the northern Gulf of Mexico, mon in the northern Gulf of Mexico (Bayer, gorgonians provide some of the only physical 1961; Phillips et al., 1990). For this reason, corals relief and cover for many benthic invertebrates often are studied in three locations, the subtrop- and fishes (Beasley et al., 2003). Neopontonides ical coral reefs of the Flower Garden Banks beaufortensis (sea whip shrimp), Simnialena uni- 192 km southeast of Galveston, TX, the Florida placata (one-toothed simnialena snail), Tritonia Middle Grounds 137 km south of Apalachicola, wellsi (nudibranch), Conopea galeata (brown sea FL, and deep-water coral banks scattered along whip barnacle), and Pteria colymbus (Atlantic the Louisiana–Alabama–Mississippi–Florida shelf wing oyster) are common commensal species (Rezak et al., 1985; Jorda´n-Dahlgren, 2002; on Leptogorgia (Patton, 1972; Britton and Tunnell, 2007). The azooxanthellate gorgonian Morton, 1989; Tunnell et al., 2010). Neoponto- genus Leptogorgia (Octocorallia: Gorgonacea: nides beaufortensis and S. uniplacata have similar Gorgoniidae) can occupy many diverse habitats, pigmentation as their host gorgonian. Near- from deep offshore hard or soft substrates, oil shore coral habitat often is inhabited by jetty and gas platform structures, artificial reefs, to fish species such as Hypleurochilus geminatus nearshore (,20 km) shallow hard bottoms and (crested blenny), Abudefduf saxatilis (sergeant jettied inlets (Shirley, 1974; Leversee, 1976; major), and Chaetodipterus faber (Atlantic spade- Adams, 1980; Gotelli, 1988; Kingsley et al., fish). Such habitat also may be important for 1990; Gotelli, 1991; Bull and Kendall, 1994; many estuarine and coastal fishery species, Lucas and Knapp, 1997; Shapo and Galloway, linking estuarine intertidal communities and 2006; Craft et al., 2008; Texas Cooperative offshore adult habitat (Tunnell, 2002; G. Stunz, Wildlife Collection, 2011). Although similar to pers. comm.). Published by The Aquila Digital Community, 2011 1 Gulf of Mexico Science, Vol. 29 [2011], No. 2, Art. 6 WILLIAMSON ET AL.—POPULATIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS LEPTOGORGIA SP. 127 Gorgonian species on jetty habitat along the Population surveys.—The strip-transect method of coast of the Gulf of Mexico coast from Corpus determining animal density was used according Christi, TX to Tamaulipas, Mexico have been to the methods of Buckland et al. (1993). One documented, however, Leptogorgia sp. abun- transect was made on each jetty and transect dance and distribution has not been studied locations were selected randomly within the in detail (Bayer, 1961; Tunnell, 2002; Texas central section on the channel side of both Cooperative Wildlife Collection, 2011). This passes. Transects were 548 m on the Aransas Pass location is of particular interest also due to north jetty, 442 m on the Aransas Pass south the lack of nearshore hard bottom structure, jetty, and 770 m on the Brazos–Santiago Pass proximity to shipping traffic and threats of north jetty. Data were collected by divers with the pollution, the connection between estuarine use of SCUBA and swimming parallel to the jetty and gulf habitats, and the confluence of ,0.5 m above the substrate while maintaining temperate and tropical influences. These sur- depths between 2 and 10 m. Divers remained veys were performed to provide estimates of within sight distance of each other based on Leptogorgia densities, species present, and asso- water clarity at the time of surveys resulting in ciated organisms along the South Texas coast, overall transect width. Each colony was initially at the Aransas Pass and Brazos–Santiago Pass identified to species, and colony depth, height, jetties in South Texas. number of branches, and color were measured. Any associated organisms seen on or around the Materials and methods. Study area.—Surveys were colony were also noted. Representative samples conducted in July 2008 on jetties at Aransas Pass 14 cm long were removed from random colony and Brazos–Santiago Pass, approximately 160 km branch tips. Both dried samples and those apart. The jetties extend perpendicular to the preserved in 95% ethanol were sent to Dr. shoreline and were built to maintain navigable Howard Lasker, Graduate Program in Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior in the Department of ship channels into nearby ports. The Aransas Geology at the University at Buffalo in New York Pass jetties (27u509130N, 97u029410W) were orig- for species confirmation. inally constructed in 1899 and provide access to the Port of Corpus Christi. The channel is ,15 m Results.—Three species of Leptogorgia were found deep, 160 m wide, and the north and south during surveys (Table 1). At Aransas Pass, L. jetties are ,3,000 m and ,2,600 m long, virgulata was dominant, followed by L. setacea and respectively (Sargent and Bottin, 1989). For L. hebes. Overall density at the Aransas Pass north Aransas Pass, surveys were conducted from east 2 jetty was 0.0239 colonies m 2, 0.0286 colonies to west toward the shore. A total of 548 m was 22 m at the Aransas Pass south jetty, and 0.0026 surveyed on the north jetty and 442 m on the 22 colonies m at the Brazos–Santiago Pass north south jetty. The Brazos–Santiago Pass jetties jetty. Only two colonies of Leptogorgia were found 9 0 9 0 (26u03 57 N, 97u09 04 W) were constructed in at Brazos–Santiago Pass, one L. virgulata and one 1935 and provide access to Port Isabel and L. hebes. Personal observations of a slight , Brownsville. The channel is 12 m deep, 120 m gradient in densities along the transects were wide, and the north and south jetties are made, where higher colony densities were seen ,1,600 m and ,1,500 m long, respectively toward the open Gulf and lower densities further (Sargent and Bottin, 1989). At Brazos–Santiago inland, however, the location of each colony Pass, surveys were conducted ,770 m along the transect was not recorded. Only seven (26u04903.70N, 97u09917.00Wto26u 04903.50N, colonies of L. setacea were found, and were much 97u08949.50W) from west to east towards the shorter (15 cm) than those that commonly wash Gulf.
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