Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Abundance of Corals on Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms in the Gulf of Mexico

  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Scleractinian, octocoral, and antipatharian corals have colonized many of the offshore oil and gas platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico. We surveyed 25 offshore oil and gas platforms for these cnidarians. Few to no corals were detected on inshore, shallow-water structures at <25 m depth; however, the abundance of corals increased, ranging from 14 to 194/m2, on platforms in waters deeper ≥25 m. The most common coral encountered were Tubastraea coccinea (Scleractinia) and Telesto spp. (Octocorallia). The data suggest that the offshore platforms located in waters of >25–30 m in the study area are often colonized by these corals. We recommend that structures located in deeper waters should be surveyed for coral and, if the populations are substantial, consider alternate uses for the retired platforms, and leaving them in place, when feasible.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams CL (1996) Species composition, abundance, and depth zonation of sponges (phylum Porifera) on an outer continental shelf gas production platform, northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Final report and MSc thesis, Texas A&J University-Corpus Christi, Center for Coastal Studies

  • Boland GS (2002) Fish and epifaunal community observations at an artificial reef near a natural coral reef: nineteen years at High Island platform A-389-A, from bare steel to coral habitat. In Proc. Gulf Mex. Fish and Fisheries: Bringing together new and recent research. MMS 2002-004. New Orleans, LA

  • Boland GS, Sammarco PW (2005) Observations of the antipatharian “black coral” Plumapatheres pennacea (Pallas, 1766) (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Gulf Mex Sci 23:127–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Brazeau DA, Sammarco PW, Gleason DF (2005) A multi-locus genetic assignment technique to assess local recruitment of Agaricia agaricites on coral reefs. Mar Biol 147:1141–1148

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bright TJ, Gittings SR, Zingula R (1991) Occurrence of Atlantic reef corals on offshore platforms in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Northeast Gulf Sci 12:55–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks JM, Fisher C, Roberts H, Cordes E, Baums I, Bernard B, Brooke B, Church R, Demopoulos A, Etnoyer P, German C, Goehring C, Kellogg C, McDonald I, Morrison C, Nizinski M, Ross S, Shank T, Warren D, Welsh S, Wolff G (2012) Exploration and research of northern Gulf of Mexico deep-water natural and artificial hard-bottom habitats with emphasis on coral communities: reefs, rigs, and wrecks—“Lophelia II” Interim report. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, LA. OCS Study BOEM 2012-106. pp 126

  • Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) (2016) Platform/rig information. https://www.data.bsee.gov/homepg/data_center/platform/platform.asp. Accessed 15 Feb 2016

  • Cairns SD (2000) Revision of the shallow-water azooxanthellate Scleractinia of the western Atlantic. Stud Nat Hist Caribb Reg 75:1–240

    Google Scholar 

  • Claisse JT, Pondella DJ, Love M, Zahn LA, Williams CM, Williams JP, Bull AS (2014) Oil platforms off California are among the most productive marine fish habitats globally. Proc Natl Acad Sci 111(43):15462–15467

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dagg MJ, Bianchi TS, McKee BA, Powell R (2008) Fates of dissolved and particulate materials from the Mississippi river immediately after discharge into the northern Gulf of Mexico, USA during a period of low wind-stress. Cont Shelf Res 28:1127–1137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dagg MJ, Breed GA (2003) Biological effects of Mississippi river nitrogen on the northern Gulf of Mexico—a review and synthesis. J Mar Syst 43:133–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis MA (2003) Biotic globalization: does competition from introduced species threaten biodiversity? Bioscience 53(5):481–489

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dokken QR, Withers K, Childs S, Riggs T (2000) Characterization and comparison of platform reef communities off the Texas coast. Center for Coastal Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX. Prepared for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Artificial Reef Program

  • Driessen PK (1989) Offshore oil platforms: mini-ecosystems. In: Reggio VC (ed) Petroleum structures as artificial reefs: a compendium. Fourth Int Conf on Artificial Habitats for Fisheries, Rigs-to-Reefs Special Session, Miami, FL, p 3–6. OCS Study/MMS 89-0021

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallaway BJ, Johnson MF, Martin LR, Margraf MJ, Lewbel GS, Howard LR, Boland GS (1981) The artificial reef studies. In: Bedinger Jr. CA, Kirby LZ (eds) Ecological investigations of petroleum production platforms in the central Gulf of Mexico. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, New Orleans, LA, p 199. Southwest Research Institute Project 01-5245

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallaway BJ, Lewbel GS (1982) The ecology of petroleum platforms in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico: a community profile. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Biological Services, Washington, D.C. FWS OBS-82/27, Bureau of Land Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Regional Office, Open File Report 82-03, xiv + 92 pp

  • Gitschlag GR, Herczeg BA, Barcak TR (1997) Observations of sea turtles and other marine life at the explosive removal of offshore oil and gas structures in the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf Res Rep 9:247–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (2010) Coral management plans. Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, Tampa, FL

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunter G, Geyer RA (1955) Studies of fouling organisms in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Publ Inst Mar Sci Univ Tex 4:39–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Hennessey SM, Sammarco PW (2014) Competition for space in two invasive Indo-Pacific corals—Tubastraea micranthus and Tubastraea coccinea: laboratory experimentation. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 459:144–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Humann P, Deloach N (2002) Reef coral identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas, including marine plants. New World Publs., Jacksonville, FL, p 278

    Google Scholar 

  • Invasive Species Specialist Group (2008) Carijoa riisei. Global invasive species database, Invasive species specialist group, Auckland. http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=694

  • Kohler K, Gill SM (2006) Coral point count with EXCEL extensions (CPCe). A visual basic program for the determination of coral and substrate coverage using random point count methodology. Comput Geosci 32:1259–1269. doi: 10.1016/j.cageo.2005.11.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kolian S, Porter S, Sammarco P, Cake E (2013) Depuration of Macondo (MC-252) oil found in heterotrophic scleractinian coral (Tubastraea coccinea and Tubastraea micranthus) on offshore oil/gas platforms in the Gulf. Gulf Caribb Res 25:99–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolian SR (2011) Benefits of leaving oil and gas platforms intact as artificial reefs. Explor Prod Oil Gas Rev 9(2):59–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolian SR, Sammarco PW (2005) Mariculture and other uses for offshore oil and gas platforms: rationale for retaining infrastructure. Technical Report. Eco-Rigs Non-Profit Organization, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. http://www.ecorigs.org/ourWorkDocuments/Mariculture%20Report.pdf Accessed 13 Apr 2016

  • Larcom EA, McKean DL, Brooks JM, Fisher CR (2014) Growth rates, densities, and distribution of Lophelia pertusa on artificial structures in the Gulf of Mexico. Deep Sea Res Part I: Oceanogr Res Pap 85:101–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lohrenz SE, Redalje DG, Cai W-J, Acker J, Dagg M (2008) A retrospective analysis of nutrients and phytoplankton productivity in the Mississippi river plume. Cont Shelf Res 28:1466–1475

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) (2016) Artificial reef program. State of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge, LA, http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/fishing/artificial-reef-program. accessed 15 Dec 2016

  • Minerals Management Service (MMS) (2005) Structure-removal operations on the outer continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico—programmatic environmental assessment. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, LA, OCS EIS/EA MMS 2005-013

    Google Scholar 

  • Macreadie PI, Fowler AM, Booth DJ (2011) Rigs-to-reefs: will the deep sea benefit from artificial habitat? Front Ecol Environ 9(8): 455–461. doi:10.1890/100112

  • Precht WF, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP, Aronson RB (2014) The invasive coral Tubastraea coccinea (Lesson, 1829): implications for natural habitats in the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Keys. Gulf Mex Sci 32:55–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Rabalais NN, Turner RE, Justic D, Dortch Q, Wiseman WJ (1996) Nutrient changes in the Mississippi river and system responses on the adjacent continental shelf. Estuar Coasts 19:386–407

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sammarco PW, Atchison A, Boland GS (2004) Expansion of coral communities within the northern Gulf of Mexico via offshore oil and gas platforms. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 280:129–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sammarco PW, Atchison AD, Boland GS, Sinclair J, Lirette A (2012) Geographic expansion of hermatypic and ahermatypic corals in the Gulf of Mexico, and implications for dispersal and recruitment. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 436-437:36–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sammarco PW, Brazeau DA, Sinclair J (2013a) Genetic connectivity in scleractinian corals across the northern Gulf of Mexico: oil/gas platforms, and relationship to the Flower Garden Banks. PLoS ONE 7(4):e30144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sammarco PW, Nuttall MF, Beltz D, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP (2016) Patterns of mesophotic benthic community structure on banks at vs. inside the continental shelf edge, Gulf of Mexico. Gulf Mex Sci. 2016:77–92

  • Sammarco PW, Porter SA, Cairns SD (2010) New invasive coral species for the Atlantic ocean: Tubastraea micranthus (Cairns and Zibrowius 1997) (Colenterata, Anthozoa, Scleractinia): a potential major threat? Aquat Invasions 5:131–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sammarco PW, Porter SA, Genazzio M, Sinclair J (2015) Success in competition for space in two invasive coral species in the western Atlantic—Tubastraea micranthus and T. coccinea. PLoS ONE 10(12):e0144581. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0144581

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sammarco PW, Porter SA, Sinclair J, Genazzio M (2013b) Depth distribution of a new invasive coral (Gulf of Mexico)—Tubastraea micranthus, comparisons with T. coccinea, and implications for control. Manag Bio Invasion 4:291–303. doi:10.3391/mbi.2013.4.4.04

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sammarco PW, Porter SA, Sinclair J, Genazzio M (2014) Population expansion of a new invasive coral species—Tubastraea micranthus—in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 495:161–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scarborough Bull, Kendall Jr JJ (1994) An indication of the process: offshore platforms as artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. Bull Mar Sci Sep 1 55(2-3):1086–1098

    Google Scholar 

  • Shinn EA (1974) Oil structures as artificial reefs. In: Colunga L, Stone R (eds) Proceedings of an international conference on artificial reefs, Houston, TX. TAMU-SG-74-103, pp 91-96

  • Shipp RL, Bortone SA (2009) A prospective of the importance of artificial habitat on the management of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico. Rev Fish Sci 17:41–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanley DR, Wilson CA (2000) Variation in the density and species composition of fishes associated with three petroleum platforms using dual beam hydroacoustics. Fish Res 47(2):161–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson CA, Pierce A, Miller MW (2003) Rigs and reefs: a comparison of the fish communities at two artificial reefs, a production platform, and a natural reef in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana State University. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Minerals Mgmt. Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, LA, p 95. Prepared by the Coastal Fisheries Institute, School of the Coast and Environment. OCS Study MMS 2003-009

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Jim Flagg, Dean Scwheinler, and Toby Armstrong who assisted us with photographs and surveys. We would also like to extend a note of gratitude to the oil and gas companies and their staff who provided access us to their offshore platforms. Thank you to the U.S. Department of Interior, BOEM for their support through Cooperative Agreement M10AC20006 and funding of the ROV video surveys.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. EcoRigs Non-Profit Organization, 12701 River Rd, New Orleans, LA, 70131, USA

    Stephan R. Kolian, Paul W. Sammarco & Scott A. Porter

  2. Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), 8124 Highway 56, Chauvin, LA, 70344, USA

    Paul W. Sammarco

  3. Ecologic Environmental Inc, PO Box 886, Houma, LA, 70361-0886, USA

    Scott A. Porter

Authors
  1. Stephan R. Kolian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paul W. Sammarco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Scott A. Porter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephan R. Kolian.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kolian, S.R., Sammarco, P.W. & Porter, S.A. Abundance of Corals on Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Environmental Management 60, 357–366 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-0862-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-0862-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation