DWH Oil Effects on Deepwater Benthos Sandra Brooke, Marine Conservation Biology

Institute (MCBI), Seattle, Wa.

Sandra Brooke got her PhD in a joint program between

U.Southampton, UK and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Fla. on Oculina.

She has worked on deepwater corals off Oregon and the Aleutians as well as

the Gulf of Mexico.

Example of GoM deepwater corals: Lophelia thickets

Example of GoM deepwater gorgonian

Keatoisis flexibilis

Example of GoM deepwater sponge Aphrocallistes

Example of Alaska deepwater hydrocorals (Bob Stone, NMFS AK)

Example of Alaska deepwater benthos(Bob Stone NMFS AK)

Issues w GoM deepwater benthos• First, you need for data on “Where are they?” –

need good mapping with multibeam with results in GIS-referenced and usable format to begin biology studies

• Second, with some habitat maps you can begin to do habitat models re productivity & protection

• Third, you can use maps to begin studies of community associations, biodiversity and habitat use

• Fourth, from maps, models and data can begin to identify risk priority areas and data gaps

Issues w GoM deepwater benthos, relevant to Alaska

• Big data gap was historical baseline data• Another big data gap for GoM was effect of

spill on primary productivity and subsequent effect on benthos

• Finally, lab experiments on sensitivity of different species to oil and dispersant are relatively cheap and easy to do, but were not and have not been done: another data gap.

Issues w GoM deepwater benthos, relevant to Alaska

• Data on both shelf and deepwater benthic habitats along North Slope is extremely limited: high resolution multibeam mapping is needed

• After multibeam mapping is completed, video transect mapping of benthic habitats is needed by ROV or AUV

• Habitat use studies can then begin• Habitat risk modeling of priority areas can then be

done• Alaska has fewer deepwater corals and more sponges,

hydrocorals and gorgonians, for which lab studies of sensitivity to oil and dispersants are needed

• Historical baseline data is essential in advance of a spill, and largely does not exist for North Slope habitats