Deep-Pelagic Plankton Communities of the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Trophic Ecology, Assemblage Dynamics, and Connectivity with the Upper Ocean
Implementing Organization
Oregon State University
Overview
DWH Project Funding
$999,185
Known Leveraged Funding
$0
Funding Organization
Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI)
Funding Program
Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative GoMRI Grant Program
Details
Project Category
Science
Project Actions
Environmental Research
Targeted Resources
Benthic Zone/Sea Floor
Project Description
Our goal is to address major knowledge gaps for the GOM by describing the community structure and trophic ecology of deep-pelagic plankton assemblages, and their connectivity with the upper ocean. Our specific objectives are to: 1) describe diets and trophic linkages for dominant, deep-pelagic larval and juvenile fishes using gut content analysis and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis; 2) identify environmental drivers that structure deep-pelagic planktonic assemblages and vertical migration patterns; 3) develop a coupled plankton/upper trophic level and coupled deep-pelagic/epipelagic ecosystem model using ECOPATH and end-to-end ECOTRAN methods; and 4) apply data-driven ecosystem models to quantify rates of energy and biomass transfer between the epipelagic and deep-pelagic ecosystems that occur via trophic interactions and to estimate the consequences to ecosystem dynamics from perturbations in these linkages.
Contact
Frank HernandezNone
frank.hernandez@usm.edu
Project Website
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