Macrobenthic infaunal communities associated with deep-sea hydrocarbon seeps in the Gulf of Mexico, 2009-2010

These data represent several benthic cores collected near chemosynthetic seep habitats during 2009 and 2012. Sediment cores were collected near several natural hydrocarbon seeps with ROV deployed push cores. The purpose of these samples is to examine benthic communities associated with natural hydrocarbon seepage in the deep sea as well as compare these communities to areas associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil blowout. Samples were collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico, mostly south of Louisiana, and at depths ranging from 500 to 2600 meters. Sample processing and species identification occurred from 2014 - 2016. Macrofauna (>300 um) were identified to the lowest taxonomic unit.