Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities: Coral Propagation Technique (CPT) Development Project
Through a collaborative effort with other federal agencies and academic and research institutions, the USGS is working to inform and enhance the protection and management of coral communities in mesophotic and deep benthic areas of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Science Issue and Relevance: Mesophotic and deep benthic communities (MDBCs) are vast and complex ecosystems that are foundational to Gulf of Mexico food webs. Despite the depth of these resources, human activities and environmental disturbances can threaten the health and resiliency of these communities. Potential threats include oil and gas industry-related activities, commercial fishing, recreational activities, marine debris, invasive species, and climate change. For example, many coral colonies were injured as a result of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. The Coral Propagation Technique (CPT) Development project is an eight-year trial designed to develop and test mesophotic and deepwater coral propagation techniques and assess artificial substrates on which coral larvae could settle. The trial period is designed to develop approaches that are scalable to support future restoration efforts, consistent with the scope and context of DWH-related injuries to mesophotic and deep benthic communities. This project will inform and enhance the protection and management of coral communities in MDBCs, targeting areas such as the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and those currently protected or eligible for protection under a range of existing resource management programs.
Methodology for Addressing the Issue: This project will develop and test techniques to optimize growth of healthy soft coral species, known as gorgonian octocorals, in laboratories. The project will also implement in-situ placement of artificial substrate to enhance coral growth and recruitment of coral larvae. To help ensure project success and resilience, replicate aquaria systems will be established across a broad regional geography, to guard against potential effects of unintended contamination incidents, disease outbreaks, or natural disasters. This preliminary work is in consultation with two National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) labs and other partners and used to establish best practices for mesophotic and deepwater coral propagation. This will also identify requirements needed for a broader network of partners to implement propagation in the Gulf of Mexico. The implementation phase will engage and establish a network of non-federal partners, such as academic labs and public aquaria, that will refine methods and techniques for coral propagation and artificial substrate deployments to benefit MDBCs. Field work associated with the project will be conducted across the northern Gulf of Mexico; initial high priority targets will include sites in designated or planned protected areas (i.e., Habitat Areas of Particular Concerns, or HAPC, and marine sanctuaries), but may extend to encompass the U.S. waters within the geographic range of the injured MDBC corals prioritized for restoration. The project study design would include sites inside and outside of areas with documented or potential injury from the DWH spill.
Future Steps: As oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico increases, so does the possible risk for additional oil spills and associated impacts to fisheries, coastlines, and deep-sea environments. Over time the effectiveness of this project will be based on the number and growth of coral transplants and their survivorship as well as levels of recruitment to natural and artificial substrate at relevant sites across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Findings from this project will help inform the feasibility of direct restoration actions in corals and their associated communities injured by the DWH oil spill and directly compensate the loss of MDBC corals, and their associated demersal communities injured by the DWH oil spill. Methodologies developed in this project may be applicable to coral rearing and propagation efforts in response to other environmental stressors, including impacts from fishing/trawling, offshore energy development, and climate change.
Connectivity of Coral Ecosystems in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico
USGS DISCOVRE: Benthic Ecology, Trophodynamics, and Ecosystem Connectivity – Lophelia II: Continuing Ecological Research on Deep-Sea Corals and Deep Reef Habitats in the Gulf of Mexico
Through a collaborative effort with other federal agencies and academic and research institutions, the USGS is working to inform and enhance the protection and management of coral communities in mesophotic and deep benthic areas of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Science Issue and Relevance: Mesophotic and deep benthic communities (MDBCs) are vast and complex ecosystems that are foundational to Gulf of Mexico food webs. Despite the depth of these resources, human activities and environmental disturbances can threaten the health and resiliency of these communities. Potential threats include oil and gas industry-related activities, commercial fishing, recreational activities, marine debris, invasive species, and climate change. For example, many coral colonies were injured as a result of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. The Coral Propagation Technique (CPT) Development project is an eight-year trial designed to develop and test mesophotic and deepwater coral propagation techniques and assess artificial substrates on which coral larvae could settle. The trial period is designed to develop approaches that are scalable to support future restoration efforts, consistent with the scope and context of DWH-related injuries to mesophotic and deep benthic communities. This project will inform and enhance the protection and management of coral communities in MDBCs, targeting areas such as the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and those currently protected or eligible for protection under a range of existing resource management programs.
Methodology for Addressing the Issue: This project will develop and test techniques to optimize growth of healthy soft coral species, known as gorgonian octocorals, in laboratories. The project will also implement in-situ placement of artificial substrate to enhance coral growth and recruitment of coral larvae. To help ensure project success and resilience, replicate aquaria systems will be established across a broad regional geography, to guard against potential effects of unintended contamination incidents, disease outbreaks, or natural disasters. This preliminary work is in consultation with two National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) labs and other partners and used to establish best practices for mesophotic and deepwater coral propagation. This will also identify requirements needed for a broader network of partners to implement propagation in the Gulf of Mexico. The implementation phase will engage and establish a network of non-federal partners, such as academic labs and public aquaria, that will refine methods and techniques for coral propagation and artificial substrate deployments to benefit MDBCs. Field work associated with the project will be conducted across the northern Gulf of Mexico; initial high priority targets will include sites in designated or planned protected areas (i.e., Habitat Areas of Particular Concerns, or HAPC, and marine sanctuaries), but may extend to encompass the U.S. waters within the geographic range of the injured MDBC corals prioritized for restoration. The project study design would include sites inside and outside of areas with documented or potential injury from the DWH spill.
Future Steps: As oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico increases, so does the possible risk for additional oil spills and associated impacts to fisheries, coastlines, and deep-sea environments. Over time the effectiveness of this project will be based on the number and growth of coral transplants and their survivorship as well as levels of recruitment to natural and artificial substrate at relevant sites across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Findings from this project will help inform the feasibility of direct restoration actions in corals and their associated communities injured by the DWH oil spill and directly compensate the loss of MDBC corals, and their associated demersal communities injured by the DWH oil spill. Methodologies developed in this project may be applicable to coral rearing and propagation efforts in response to other environmental stressors, including impacts from fishing/trawling, offshore energy development, and climate change.