363
22.3.1 Soft-Bottom Habitats Before DWH
The US environmental laws and rules require an environmental impact statement
(EIS) prior to leasing offshore lands for oil and gas exploration and development.
This has led to a series of studies to describe the natural resources of the continental
shelf and, more recently, the deep sea in the US exclusive economic zone. The US
Fig. 22.2 Examples of common meiofauna taxa
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Fig. 22.3 Examples of macrofauna commonly found in the Gulf of Mexico deep-sea sediments
22 Deep-Sea Benthic Faunal Impacts and Community Evolution Before, During…