Jill R Bourque, Ph.D.
Jill Bourque is a Research Ecologist at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
As a member of the Benthic Ecology Group at the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center in Gainesville, Florida, Jill Bourque is involved in taxonomic identification and community analysis of marine macrofauna residing near deep-sea coral habitats in the Gulf. Her research interests include the community ecology and ecosystem function of biogenic reefs in coastal and deep-sea habitats with a focus on how these habitats contribute to local and regional biodiversity.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., University of Delaware, 2009
M.S., University of Delaware, 2005
B.S., Rider University
Science and Products
Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities: Habitat Assessment and Evaluation
Through a collaborative effort with other federal agencies and academic and research institutions, USGS is working to fill data gaps, determine baseline conditions, and characterize key community conditions at mesophotic and deep benthic sites impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Ecosystems: EXPRESS
The continental shelf and slope offshore California, Oregon, and Washington are home to deep-sea corals, chemosynthetic communities, and other sensitive habitats that could be impacted by the development of energy and mineral resources. The EXPRESS (Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems) campaign will map and characterize these special areas to help guide ocean management...
EXPRESS: Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems
EXPRESS is a multi-year, multi-institution cooperative research campaign in deep sea areas of California, Oregon, and Washington, including the continental shelf and slope. EXPRESS data and information are intended to guide wise use of living marine resources and habitats, inform ocean energy and mineral resource decisions, and improve offshore hazard assessments.
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 3-D CT Core Imaging Laboratory, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Multi-Sensor Core Logger Laboratory, Organic Geochemistry Laboratory, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization
Shotgun sequencing of multiple families of Polychaeta from U.S. Atlantic margin seeps and eDNA metabarcoding sequences of benthic community from Cascadia margin seeps using 18S marker, 2018–2019 Shotgun sequencing of multiple families of Polychaeta from U.S. Atlantic margin seeps and eDNA metabarcoding sequences of benthic community from Cascadia margin seeps using 18S marker, 2018–2019
Reported here are the geographic sampling information associated with the raw shotgun sequencing data of multiple families of Polychaeta samples collected from cold seep sites off the U.S. Atlantic margin as well as raw 18S amplicon sequencing data from sediment eDNA collected from Astoria Canyon seeps, located on the Cascadia margin, northeastern Pacific Ocean. Also included are GenBank...
Sediment macrofaunal composition, stable isotopes, organic content, and grain size of the Cascadia margin (Pacific Ocean), June 2019 Sediment macrofaunal composition, stable isotopes, organic content, and grain size of the Cascadia margin (Pacific Ocean), June 2019
Dataset of sediment macrofaunal communities, geochemistry, and grain size associated with chemosynthetic and soft-sediment habitats along the Cascadia margin, Pacific Ocean, in 2019.
Stable isotope, seep megafauna video analysis, and macrofauna of submarine canyons, deep-sea corals and seep habitats in the western Atlantic from 2018-2019 Stable isotope, seep megafauna video analysis, and macrofauna of submarine canyons, deep-sea corals and seep habitats in the western Atlantic from 2018-2019
Datasets of the sediment grain size and geochemistry, macrofaunal communities, stable isotope (carbon, nitrogen, sulfur) and seep video analyses associated with deep-sea corals, submarine canyons and seep habitats in the western Atlantic off the U.S. eastern coastline from 2018-2019.
Biological and environmental data collected in 2015 within mangrove habitats of Rookery Bay Preserve on Marco Island, FL. Biological and environmental data collected in 2015 within mangrove habitats of Rookery Bay Preserve on Marco Island, FL.
Mangrove restoration efforts often focus on planting seedlings and ignore the underlying physical parameters causing mangrove loss, such as disruption to the hydrological regime. In order to determine success of hydrological restoration, baseline data need to be collected and assessed from a degraded mangrove system undergoing hydrological restoration. Sample collection occurred within...
Stable isotope data and terrain variables for isoscape modeling around two submarine canyons in the western Atlantic sampled in 2012-2013 Stable isotope data and terrain variables for isoscape modeling around two submarine canyons in the western Atlantic sampled in 2012-2013
Terrain variables extracted from bathymetry were used in combination with stable isotope datasets to construct geospatially-explicit isoscapes that predicted variation in carbon and nitrogen isotopes across the canyon-slope seascape, providing insights into the distribution and flow of energy resources, relevant to understanding whole community function.
Oceanographic conditions at Richardson reef reveal new suitable habitat for cold-water corals Oceanographic conditions at Richardson reef reveal new suitable habitat for cold-water corals
Cold-water corals create complex structures, but our incomplete knowledge of their niche space limits our ability to understand their distribution and therefore the impact of the ecosystem services they provide in the ocean. The Richardson reef complex consists of over 150 km of linear reef tracts within an area of 75 km2 between 700-900 m depth. This reef experiences rapid shifts in...
Filter Total Items: 23
Factors structuring macrofaunal communities of hydrocarbon seeps along the Cascadia margin Factors structuring macrofaunal communities of hydrocarbon seeps along the Cascadia margin
Cold seeps, fueled by hydrocarbon-based chemosynthesis, support unique benthic communities that can vary across small spatial scales influenced by local geochemistry. We examined the community structure and function of macrofauna in cold seeps along the Cascadia margin on the edge of gas hydrate stability—a dynamic environment that may fluctuate as seafloor temperatures change. These...
Authors
Penny Jo Mccowen, Jill R. Bourque, Donald C. Behringer, Nancy G. Prouty, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos
Benthic community metrics track hydrologically stressed mangrove systems Benthic community metrics track hydrologically stressed mangrove systems
Mangrove restoration efforts have increased in order to help combat their decline globally. While restoration efforts often focus on planting seedlings, underlying chronic issues, including disrupted hydrological regimes, can hinder restoration success. While improving hydrology may be more cost-effective and have higher success rates than planting seedlings alone, hydrological...
Authors
Amanda Demopoulos, Jill Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Nicole Cormier, Ken Krauss
Multidisciplinary characterisation of the biodiversity, geomorphology, oceanography and glacial history of Bowditch Seamount in the Sargasso Sea Multidisciplinary characterisation of the biodiversity, geomorphology, oceanography and glacial history of Bowditch Seamount in the Sargasso Sea
The first multidisciplinary characterisation of Bowditch Seamount in the Sargasso Sea was conducted to provide new baseline knowledge of the biodiversity, geomorphology, oceanography and glacial history of this seamount. A dropframe camera transect 1483–1562 m deep on the seamount documented 77 megafaunal taxa including Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem indicator taxa such as sponges, cold...
Authors
Lea-Anne Henry, Igor Yashayaev, Claude Hillaire-Marcel, F. Javier Murillo, Ellen Kenchington, Struan Smith, Jenny Maccali, Jill Bourque, Louis L. Whitcomb, J. Murray Roberts
Consumer isoscapes reveal heterogeneous food webs in deep-sea submarine canyons and adjacent slopes Consumer isoscapes reveal heterogeneous food webs in deep-sea submarine canyons and adjacent slopes
The deep sea is the largest biome on earth, but one of the least studied despite its critical role in global carbon cycling and climate buffering. Deep-sea organisms largely rely on particulate organic matter from the surface ocean for energy – these organisms in turn play critical roles in energy transport, transformation, storage, and sequestration of carbon. Within the deep sea...
Authors
Amanda Demopoulos, Brian J. Smith, Jill Bourque, Jason Chaytor, Jennifer McClain Counts, Nancy G. Prouty, Steve W. Ross, Sandra Brooke, Gerard Duineveld, Furu Mienis
Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the...
Authors
Erik E. Cordes, Amanda Demopoulos, Andrew J. Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria C. Rhoads, Elizabeth Loebeker, Derek Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis M. Weinnig, Sandra Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea M. Quattrini, Tracey T. Sutton, Catherine S. McFadden, Jill R. Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa J. Betters, Peter J. Etnoyer, Gary A. Wolff, Bernie B. Bernard, James M. Brooks, Michael K. Rasser, Caitlin Adams
Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the...
Authors
Erick E. Cordes, Amanda Demopoulos, Andrew Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria Rhoads, Elizabeth Lobecker, Dereck Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis Marie Weinnig, Sandra Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea M. Quattrini, Tracey Sutton, Catherine McFadden, Jill R. Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa Betters, Peter Etnoyer, Gary Wolff, Bernie Bernard, James Brooks, Michael Rasser, Caitlin Adams
Science and Products
Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities: Habitat Assessment and Evaluation
Through a collaborative effort with other federal agencies and academic and research institutions, USGS is working to fill data gaps, determine baseline conditions, and characterize key community conditions at mesophotic and deep benthic sites impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Ecosystems: EXPRESS
The continental shelf and slope offshore California, Oregon, and Washington are home to deep-sea corals, chemosynthetic communities, and other sensitive habitats that could be impacted by the development of energy and mineral resources. The EXPRESS (Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems) campaign will map and characterize these special areas to help guide ocean management...
EXPRESS: Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems
EXPRESS is a multi-year, multi-institution cooperative research campaign in deep sea areas of California, Oregon, and Washington, including the continental shelf and slope. EXPRESS data and information are intended to guide wise use of living marine resources and habitats, inform ocean energy and mineral resource decisions, and improve offshore hazard assessments.
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 3-D CT Core Imaging Laboratory, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Multi-Sensor Core Logger Laboratory, Organic Geochemistry Laboratory, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization
Shotgun sequencing of multiple families of Polychaeta from U.S. Atlantic margin seeps and eDNA metabarcoding sequences of benthic community from Cascadia margin seeps using 18S marker, 2018–2019 Shotgun sequencing of multiple families of Polychaeta from U.S. Atlantic margin seeps and eDNA metabarcoding sequences of benthic community from Cascadia margin seeps using 18S marker, 2018–2019
Reported here are the geographic sampling information associated with the raw shotgun sequencing data of multiple families of Polychaeta samples collected from cold seep sites off the U.S. Atlantic margin as well as raw 18S amplicon sequencing data from sediment eDNA collected from Astoria Canyon seeps, located on the Cascadia margin, northeastern Pacific Ocean. Also included are GenBank...
Sediment macrofaunal composition, stable isotopes, organic content, and grain size of the Cascadia margin (Pacific Ocean), June 2019 Sediment macrofaunal composition, stable isotopes, organic content, and grain size of the Cascadia margin (Pacific Ocean), June 2019
Dataset of sediment macrofaunal communities, geochemistry, and grain size associated with chemosynthetic and soft-sediment habitats along the Cascadia margin, Pacific Ocean, in 2019.
Stable isotope, seep megafauna video analysis, and macrofauna of submarine canyons, deep-sea corals and seep habitats in the western Atlantic from 2018-2019 Stable isotope, seep megafauna video analysis, and macrofauna of submarine canyons, deep-sea corals and seep habitats in the western Atlantic from 2018-2019
Datasets of the sediment grain size and geochemistry, macrofaunal communities, stable isotope (carbon, nitrogen, sulfur) and seep video analyses associated with deep-sea corals, submarine canyons and seep habitats in the western Atlantic off the U.S. eastern coastline from 2018-2019.
Biological and environmental data collected in 2015 within mangrove habitats of Rookery Bay Preserve on Marco Island, FL. Biological and environmental data collected in 2015 within mangrove habitats of Rookery Bay Preserve on Marco Island, FL.
Mangrove restoration efforts often focus on planting seedlings and ignore the underlying physical parameters causing mangrove loss, such as disruption to the hydrological regime. In order to determine success of hydrological restoration, baseline data need to be collected and assessed from a degraded mangrove system undergoing hydrological restoration. Sample collection occurred within...
Stable isotope data and terrain variables for isoscape modeling around two submarine canyons in the western Atlantic sampled in 2012-2013 Stable isotope data and terrain variables for isoscape modeling around two submarine canyons in the western Atlantic sampled in 2012-2013
Terrain variables extracted from bathymetry were used in combination with stable isotope datasets to construct geospatially-explicit isoscapes that predicted variation in carbon and nitrogen isotopes across the canyon-slope seascape, providing insights into the distribution and flow of energy resources, relevant to understanding whole community function.
Oceanographic conditions at Richardson reef reveal new suitable habitat for cold-water corals Oceanographic conditions at Richardson reef reveal new suitable habitat for cold-water corals
Cold-water corals create complex structures, but our incomplete knowledge of their niche space limits our ability to understand their distribution and therefore the impact of the ecosystem services they provide in the ocean. The Richardson reef complex consists of over 150 km of linear reef tracts within an area of 75 km2 between 700-900 m depth. This reef experiences rapid shifts in...
Filter Total Items: 23
Factors structuring macrofaunal communities of hydrocarbon seeps along the Cascadia margin Factors structuring macrofaunal communities of hydrocarbon seeps along the Cascadia margin
Cold seeps, fueled by hydrocarbon-based chemosynthesis, support unique benthic communities that can vary across small spatial scales influenced by local geochemistry. We examined the community structure and function of macrofauna in cold seeps along the Cascadia margin on the edge of gas hydrate stability—a dynamic environment that may fluctuate as seafloor temperatures change. These...
Authors
Penny Jo Mccowen, Jill R. Bourque, Donald C. Behringer, Nancy G. Prouty, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos
Benthic community metrics track hydrologically stressed mangrove systems Benthic community metrics track hydrologically stressed mangrove systems
Mangrove restoration efforts have increased in order to help combat their decline globally. While restoration efforts often focus on planting seedlings, underlying chronic issues, including disrupted hydrological regimes, can hinder restoration success. While improving hydrology may be more cost-effective and have higher success rates than planting seedlings alone, hydrological...
Authors
Amanda Demopoulos, Jill Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Nicole Cormier, Ken Krauss
Multidisciplinary characterisation of the biodiversity, geomorphology, oceanography and glacial history of Bowditch Seamount in the Sargasso Sea Multidisciplinary characterisation of the biodiversity, geomorphology, oceanography and glacial history of Bowditch Seamount in the Sargasso Sea
The first multidisciplinary characterisation of Bowditch Seamount in the Sargasso Sea was conducted to provide new baseline knowledge of the biodiversity, geomorphology, oceanography and glacial history of this seamount. A dropframe camera transect 1483–1562 m deep on the seamount documented 77 megafaunal taxa including Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem indicator taxa such as sponges, cold...
Authors
Lea-Anne Henry, Igor Yashayaev, Claude Hillaire-Marcel, F. Javier Murillo, Ellen Kenchington, Struan Smith, Jenny Maccali, Jill Bourque, Louis L. Whitcomb, J. Murray Roberts
Consumer isoscapes reveal heterogeneous food webs in deep-sea submarine canyons and adjacent slopes Consumer isoscapes reveal heterogeneous food webs in deep-sea submarine canyons and adjacent slopes
The deep sea is the largest biome on earth, but one of the least studied despite its critical role in global carbon cycling and climate buffering. Deep-sea organisms largely rely on particulate organic matter from the surface ocean for energy – these organisms in turn play critical roles in energy transport, transformation, storage, and sequestration of carbon. Within the deep sea...
Authors
Amanda Demopoulos, Brian J. Smith, Jill Bourque, Jason Chaytor, Jennifer McClain Counts, Nancy G. Prouty, Steve W. Ross, Sandra Brooke, Gerard Duineveld, Furu Mienis
Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the...
Authors
Erik E. Cordes, Amanda Demopoulos, Andrew J. Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria C. Rhoads, Elizabeth Loebeker, Derek Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis M. Weinnig, Sandra Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea M. Quattrini, Tracey T. Sutton, Catherine S. McFadden, Jill R. Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa J. Betters, Peter J. Etnoyer, Gary A. Wolff, Bernie B. Bernard, James M. Brooks, Michael K. Rasser, Caitlin Adams
Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the...
Authors
Erick E. Cordes, Amanda Demopoulos, Andrew Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria Rhoads, Elizabeth Lobecker, Dereck Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis Marie Weinnig, Sandra Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea M. Quattrini, Tracey Sutton, Catherine McFadden, Jill R. Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa Betters, Peter Etnoyer, Gary Wolff, Bernie Bernard, James Brooks, Michael Rasser, Caitlin Adams