Gulf of Mexico

The link between the Pacific/North American pattern (PNA) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is investigated in reanalysis data (NCEP, ERA40) and multi-century CGCM runs for present day climate using three versions of the ECHAM model. PNA and NAO patterns and indices are determined via rotated principal component analysis on monthly mean 500 hPa geopotential height fields using the varimax criteria.

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is produced by marine algae and released during foraging activity by zooplankton and fish. Pelagic fishes depend on patchily distributed foraging opportunities, and DMSP may be an important signaling molecule for these events. We have previously shown that the abundance of carangid jacks is positively associated with elevated DMSP levels over coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, suggesting that these fishes may use spatial and temporal variation in DMSP to locate foraging opportunities. Here, we extend this work by demonstrating that juveniles of two species of pelagic jack, crevalle jack, Caranx hippos, and bluefin trevally, C. melampygus, detect and respond to DMSP in a flow-through tank in the laboratory. Juveniles of these species showed elevated swimming activity in response to ecologically relevant concentrations of DMSP (10−9 M). These results provide further evidence that this chemical may serve as a chemosensory cue for carangid species.

Seven sea anemone species from coral reefs in the southern Gulf of Mexico are taxonomically diagnosed
and images from living specimens including external and internal features, and cnidae are provided. Furthermore,
the known distribution ranges from another 10 species are extended. No species records of sea
anemones have been previously published in the primary scientific literature for coral reefs in the southern
Gulf of Mexico and thus, this study represents the first inventory for the local actiniarian fauna.

Biogeography of macro-and microorganisms in the deep sea is, in part, shaped by naturally occurring heterogeneous habitat features of geological and biological origin such as seeps, vents, seamounts, whale and wood-falls. Artificial features including shipwrecks and energy infrastructure shape the biogeographic patterns of macro-organisms; how they influence microorganisms is unclear. Shipwrecks may function as islands of biodiversity for microbiomes, creating a patchwork of habitats with influence radiating out into the seabed. Here we show microbiome richness and diversity increase as a function of proximity to the historic deep-sea shipwreck Anona in the Gulf of Mexico. Diversity and richness extinction plots provide evidence of an island effect on microbiomes. A halo of core taxa on the seabed was observed up to 200 m away from the wreck indicative of the transition zone from shipwreck habitat to the surrounding environment. Transition zones around natural habitat features are often small in area compared to what was observed at Anona indicating shipwrecks may exert a large sphere of influence on seabed microbiomes. Historic shipwrecks are abundant, isolated habitats with global distribution, providing a means to explore contemporary processes shaping biogeography on the seafloor. This work is a case study for how built environments impact microbial biodiversity and provides new information on how arrival of material to the seafloor shapes benthic microbiomes.

In this document, Kenchington comments on a selected group of documents and papers that represent part of a larger body of work conducted on gag grouper over the last 20 years. The Kenchington document is essentially divided into two broad sections. The first section addresses the status of the gag in the Gulf of Mexico, in which he reviews the stock assessments and work relating to sex ratios, genetic signs of inbreeding, recruitment indices and proposed management recommendations. The second section addresses a summary document prepared for the Gulf Council and the lay public that relates specifically to the effects of shelf-edge fishing on the demographics of the gag and the rationale for proposing a year round closure of aggregation sites. The substance of Kenchington's document largely supports the need to be cautious in the management of gag and that the council will need to take action soon (e.g., p. 22). His main concerns are the change in the sex ratio and the genetics....

This article examines piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Mexico, within the framework of ocean governance and maritime transport policy, with a particular focus on maritime security policy. The study focuses on Mexico; however, these findings can also apply to other Latin-American countries facing similar security threats. It also highlights possible solutions as the establishment of an international agreement to govern piracy through State Cooperation, in addition to the effective implementation of the ISPS Code and other appropriate maritime security measures. An important conclusion is that piracy and armed robbery in the Southern part of the Gulf of Mexico has increased significantly during the last years, which has augmented the security risk of the area. This, added to the fact that the Government of Mexico  isnot fulfilling their duties and obligations before the international community concerning the obligatory reports to IMO of these type of attacks against vessels is worsening the problem and expanding the risk for vessels, their crews and the marine environment. The researchers documented 11 serious security incidents against ships for the first half of 2020. Recommendations include that ports from the Southern part of the Gulf of Mexico increase the security level to operate at level 2 and that vessels anchored at anchor areas of ports or whenever anchored for oil exploration and production operations in this geographical area, increase the security level to level 2. Finally, the researchers recommend to declare the Southern part of the Gulf of Mexico as a High Risk Area (HRA) and to initiate negotiations for the establishment of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU), for international cooperation and capacity building with the US Government to reduce security threats and protect the marine environment. These type of attacks against a MODUS or a fixed platform could cause a marine disaster, which pollution would easily reach the US coast because of the marine streams.

A significant number of offshore oil and gas installations in the United Kingdom’s (UK) North Sea have either exceeded or are approaching the end of their designed economic life. Operators and contractors are confronted with an array of challenges, which hinder the cost effective and safe completion of decommissioning projects. The costing and technological challenges that confront the oil and gas industry are identified using a series of semi-structured interviews. One of the most prominent challenges identified was the inability to reliably estimate the volume and cost of work to be undertaken. This is exacerbated by a supply chain with limited capacity and experience in executing decommissioning projects in this fledgling sector in the oil and gas industry. As a result of the analysis that is undertaken, it is recommended that an industry-wide decommissioning forum be established to facilitate the sharing of experience and knowledge, particularly with regard to cost information so that operators and contractors can ameliorate the planning and management of the decommissioning process.