Dataset Information

Polychaete dataset of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico including: taxonomic checklist, abundance, bathymetric distribution, functional diversity, geographic location, and sampling sites depth.

ABSTRACT: A taxonomic list of 69 genera belonging to 33 families of the Polychaeta class (Annelida) collected in 54 deepwater sites of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico is presented. Abundance data of these 69 genera is also included. A dataset of geographical location and depth of sampling sites is given. Graphs of depth related community functional diversity variation are shown. The biological material was obtained from sediment samples collected aboard the Justo Sierra Oceanographic Vessel of the National Autonomous University of Mexico using a Reineck-type box corer with an effective area of 0.16 m². In each core a subsample of 0.08 m² and 13 cm deep was taken and washed through a 500-micron sieve with filtered seawater. Abundances were standardized to individuals per square meter. The average abundance contribution percentage graphs were done calculating the average standardized abundance of each guild and the contribution percentage of each one to the four depth categories established: Upper bathyal zone (UBZ); middle bathyal zone (MBZ); lower bathyal zone (LBZ) and abyssal zone (ABYZ). These data could be useful for comparative purposes with new data of polychaete communities in the same area or another region.

SUBMITTER: Quintanar-Retama O

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9218165 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Marine sediments are an example of one of the most complex microbial habitats. These bacterial communities play an important role in several biogeochemical cycles in the marine ecosystem. In particular, the Gulf of Mexico has a ubiquitous concentration of hydrocarbons in its sediments, representing a very interesting niche to explore. Additionally, the Mexican government has opened its oil industry, offering several exploration and production blocks in shallow and deep water in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico (swGoM), from which there are no public results of conducted studies. Given the higher risk of large-scale oil spills, the design of contingency plans and mitigation activities before oil exploitation is of growing concern. Therefore, a bacterial taxonomic baseline profile is crucial to understanding the impact of any eventual oil spill. Here, we show a genus level taxonomic profile to elucidate the bacterial baseline, pointing out richness and relative abundance, as well as relationships with 79 abiotic parameters, in an area encompassing ∼150,000 km2, including a region where the exploitation of new oil wells has already been authorized. Our results describe for the first time the bacterial landscape of the swGoM, establishing a bacterial baseline "core" of 450 genera for marine sediments in this region. We can also differentiate bacterial populations from shallow and deep zones of the swGoM based on their community structure. Shallow sediments have been chronically exposed to aromatic hydrocarbons, unlike deep zones. Our results reveal that the bacterial community structure is particularly enriched with hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in the shallow zone, where a greater aromatic hydrocarbon concentration was determined. Differences in the bacterial communities in the swGoM were also observed through a comprehensive comparative analysis relative to various marine sediment sequencing projects, including sampled sites from the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. This study in the swGoM provides clues to the bacterial population adaptation to the ubiquitous presence of hydrocarbons and reveals organisms such as Thioprofundum bacteria with potential applications in ecological surveillance. This resource will allow us to differentiate between natural conditions and alterations generated by oil extraction activities, which, in turn, enables us to assess the environmental impact of such activities.

Project description:The Gulf of Mexico supports many seabird species, yet data gaps describing species composition and habitat use are prevalent. We used vessel-based observations from the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species to identify and characterize distinct seabird assemblages in the northern Gulf of Mexico (within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone; nGoM). Using cluster analysis of 17 seabird species, we identified assemblages based on seabird relative density. Vessel-based surveys documented the location, species, and number of seabirds across the nGoM between 2017-2019. For each assemblage, we identified the (co-)dominant species, spatial distribution, and areas of greater relative density. We also assessed the relationship of the total relative density within each assemblage with environmental, spatial, and temporal covariates. Of the species assessed, 76% (n = 13) breed predominantly outside the nGoM basin. We identified four seabird assemblages. Two assemblages, one dominated by black tern and the other co-dominated by northern gannet/laughing gull, occurred on the continental shelf. An assemblage dominated by sooty tern occurred along the continental slope into pelagic waters. The fourth assemblage had no dominant species, was broadly distributed, and was composed of observations with low relative density ('singles' assemblage). Differentiation of assemblages was linked to migratory patterns, residency, and breeding location. The spatial distributions and relationships of the black tern and northern gannet/laughing gull assemblages with environmental covariates indicate associations with river outflows and ports. The sooty tern assemblage overlapped an area prone to mesoscale feature formation. The singles assemblage may reflect commuting and dispersive behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of seasonal migrations and dynamic features across the seascape, shaping seabird assemblages. Considering the potential far-ranging effects of interactions with seabirds in the nGoM, awareness of these unique patterns and potential links with other fauna could inform future monitoring, research, restoration, offshore energy, and aquaculture development in this highly industrialized sea.

Dataset Information

Polychaete dataset of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico including: taxonomic checklist, abundance, bathymetric distribution, functional diversity, geographic location, and sampling sites depth.

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