Long-term history of chemosynthetic molluscan assemblages at Gulf of Mexico hydrocarbons seep sites /

234, were sampled by piston core, in order to determine the

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Warren, Kenneth Anderson, 1969-
Format: Thesis eBook
Language:English
Published: [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified] ; 1995.
Subjects:
Online Access:Link to OAKTrust copy
Description
Summary:234, were sampled by piston core, in order to determine the
are resilient over geologically long time spans, and that
assemblages was due to either poor preservation of the
bivalves and tubeworms found in high densities. The dominant
Calyptogena ponderosa, harbor sulfur-oxidizing symbionts.
Chemosynthetic assemblages were not very common in the
chemosynthetic fauna of the Gulf of Mexico hydrocarbon seeps
composition, paleoproduction, paleoingestion, tier and guild
contained in the cores. Downcore distributions of species
cores. Individual seep sites are able to support large
death assemblages in the sediments. Shell material found in
Deep-sea chemosynthetic communities living on the Gulf of
developed in order to reconstruct the original population
disturbances will not have a geologically long-term effect on
followed by recolonization of the site by the same species
for lucinids. Species composition and tier and guild
fragment, by using readily measured parameters, such as shell
from a set of fragments. The program was designed to
give insight into each seep sites' long-term history.
human life spans.
hydrocarbon seepage were discovered less than ten years ago.
length, width, weight, and thickness, in the reconstruction.
long-term history of these assemblages from their preserved
lucinid clams. The mussels, Bathymodiolus sp., contain
lucinid fragments found in the piston cores. The method of
Lucinids were only dominant in the single GB-386 core.
methanotrophic symbionts, whereas, the clams, Thyasira
Mexico continental slope off Louisiana in areas of
minimize the amount of time necessary to analyze each
Mussels were the dominant species in the four GC-234 cores,
observed in the cores, but replacement of a chemosynthetic
of 500 to 1,000 years was less common. Local extinction
of several thousand years. Replacement of one chemosynthetic
oleophila, Lucinoma sp., L. atlantis, Vesicomya cordata, and
optimality varied between near optimal and sub-optimal for
paleoproduction (biomass) and paleoingestion (calories)
period of several hundred years, chemosynthetic fauna are
populations of a single chemosynthetic species over a period
Powell and Stanton (1985) was used to estimate the amount of
precluded juveniles from settling at these sites. Habitat
present 21.6% of the time. The absence of chemosynthetic
previously living populations, or environmental conditions
program was then applied to the mussel, thyasirid, and
relatively persistent at a seep site. Persistence on a scale
sedimentary record. Overall, the assemblages were only
Seep assemblages from three sites, GB-386, GB-425, and GC-
seep assemblages, although they may have on time scales of
shell size and shape to the dominant chemosynthetic species,
shell size were reconstructed with reasonable accuracy. The
species by a non-chemosynthetic species was common. Over a
species by a significant population of another was not
species include mytilid mussels and thyasirid, vesicomyid and
structure rarely changed significantly over the length of the
structure, and size-frequency distributions were analyzed to
the cores was highly fragmented. A computer program was
the mussels and thyasirids, whereas it was always sub-optimal
These communities are dominated by large, chemosynthetic
To test the program, four species of bivalves, with similar
was commonly observed on this scale. This suggests that the
were chosen. Overall, numerical abundance and individual
while thyasirids were dominant in the two GB-425 cores.
Item Description:"Major subject: Oceanography".
Vita.
Physical Description:xvi, 168 leaves : illustrations, maps ; 28 cm.
Also available online.
Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references.