Aspects of the Ecology of the Deep-water Fauna of the Gulf of Mexico

Aspects of the Ecology of the Deep-water Fauna of the Gulf of Mexico
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墨西哥湾深水动物群的生态学方面

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发表时间:
1990
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影响因子:
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通讯作者:
L. H. Pequegnat
L. H. Pequegnat
中科院分区:
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文献类型:
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作者:
W. E. Pequegnat;B. J. Gallaway;L. H. Pequegnat

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最近在300- 3,000米深度范围内对路易斯安那州西部外的大陆坡、密西西比河三角洲和佛罗里达半岛进行的断面调查提供了关于生境变量和动物群组成、密度和深度地带性的资料。在小型底栖动物(63μm筛网截留)中,线虫、硬足桡足类、无节幼体、多毛类、介形类和动眼类依次占优势,这些类群共占动物群的98%。大型底栖动物(保留在0.3毫米的屏幕上)以多毛类、介形类、双壳类、tanaids、苔藓虫和等足类为主,这些动物共占86%。两组的密度最高的中央样带,和密度都倾向于降低深度。在300米至3 000米深度之间,小型底栖动物的密度减少了三倍,大型底栖动物的密度减少了两倍。在巨型动物(水獭拖网收集)无脊椎动物的密度,甲壳类为主,是四至五倍的鱼类密度在所有深度和所有样带。密度最大的东部和最少的中央样带,并在所有的样带,他们随着深度的增加而减少。在路易斯安那州和得克萨斯州东部的斜坡上,在400-900米的深度范围内,在大约40个聚集在石油和天然气渗漏周围的地点发现了密集的生物群落。这些生物包括大型管状蠕虫(vestimentiferans)、囊状蛤、贻贝、盔蟹、虾、新腹足类、帽贝和鱼类。尽管一些贻贝直接利用甲烷作为碳源,但该群落在营养上依赖于化能自养细菌(利用硫化氢)。这个群落与东太平洋海隆的热液喷口系统和佛罗里达悬崖底部的渗漏群落密切相关。墨西哥湾北方和东部福尔斯的巨型动物自然地分为以下深度分布模式:陆架/陆坡过渡带(118-475米),Archibenthal区-地平线A(500-775米),Archibenthal区-层位B(800-975米)、上深海区(1,000 - 2,275米)、中深海区(2,300 - 3,225米)和下深海区(3,250 - 3,850米)。讨论了各带的生物学特性。
Recent transects across the continental slope off western Louisiana, the Mississippi River delta, and the Florida peninsula in the general depth range of 300–3,000 m have provided information on habitat variables and on faunal composition, density, and depth zonation. In the meiofauna (retained by 63μm screens) nematodes, harpacticoid copepods, nauplii, polychaetes, ostracods, and kinorynchs were numerically dominant, in that order, and together these groups made up 98% of the fauna. The macrofauna (retained by 0.3 mm screens) was dominated by polychaetes, ostracods, bivalves, tanaids, bryozoans, and isopods in that order, and together these made up 86% of the fauna. Densities of both groups were highest on the Central Transect, and densities of both tended to decrease with depth. Between the depths of 300 m and 3,000 m there was a threefold decrease in meiofaunal and a twofold decrease in macrofaunal density. Among the megafauna (collected by otter trawl) invertebrate densities, dominated by crustaceans, were four to five times as great as fish densities at all depths and on all transects. Densities were greatest on the Eastern and least on the Central Transect, and on all transects they decreased with depth. On the slope off Louisiana and East Texas, in the depth range of 400–900 m, dense biological communities have been encountered at about 40 locations aggregated around oil and gas seeps. These organisms include clusters of large tube worms (vestimentiferans), vesicomyid clams, mussels, galatheid crabs, bresiliid shrimps, neogastropods, limpets, and fishes. This community is trophically dependent upon chemoautotrophic bacteria (which utilize hydrogen sulfide), although some mussels directly utilize methane as a carbon source. This community is closely related to that of the hydrothermal vent systems of the East Pacific Rise and to the seep communities at the base of the Florida escarpment. The megafauna of the northern and eastern Gulf of Mexico falls naturally into the following depth distribution pattern: Shelf/Slope Transition Zone (118–475 m), Archibenthal Zone—Horizon A (500–775 m), Archibenthal Zone—Horizon B (800–975 m), Upper Abyssal Zone (1,000–2,275 m), Mesoabyssal Zone (2,300–3,225 m), and Lower Abyssal Zone (3,250–3,850 m). Biological characteristics of each zone are discussed.