384
recalcitrance of benthic foraminifera in the sediment. Further work is needed to
fully characterize the extent of stable carbon isotope alteration during oil spills and
the relative influence of petroleum carbon incorporation versus depleted bottom
water dissolved inorganic carbon due to increased microbial respiration of MOSSFA
material.
23.4.4 Connectivity to Other Trophic Levels (Microbial,
Macrofaunal) and Benthic Habitat Suitability
Considering the utility of benthic foraminifera assemblage metrics (density, diversity, opportunistic species dominance, stable isotopes) as indicators of impact and
resilience of the benthos following oil spills, these metrics could also be applied as
benthic habitat suitability measures in support of demersal and benthic-dependent
fisheries. To strengthen the understanding of benthic habitat suitability using benthic foraminifera assemblage metrics, future work is also necessary to document the
connectivity of benthic foraminifera with other trophic levels (microbial, macrofaunal, demersal fishes). Development of a benthic foraminifera-based marine biotic
index (Jorissen et al. 2018; Alve et al. 2016) for the Gulf of Mexico would be a
valuable management tool for benthic habitat suitability assessment.
Acknowledgments This research was made possible in part by a grant from the Gulf of Mexico
Research Initiative, C-IMAGE, DEEP-C, and in part by the British Petroleum/Florida Institute of
Oceanography (BP/FIO)-Gulf Oil Spill Prevention, Response, and Recovery Grants Program. The
authors also thank Bryan O’Malley, Xinantecatl A. Nava-Fernández, Alejandro RodriguezRamírez, Laura E. Gómez-Lizárraga, Laura Almaraz-Ruiz, and Marysol Escorza Reyes for their
assistance with laboratory analyses. Data are publicly available through the Gulf of Mexico
Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC) at http://data.gulfresearchinitiative.org, https://doi.org/10.7266/N79021PB, https://doi.org/10.7266/N7CR5RDS, https://doi.
org/10.7266/N70P0WZM, https://doi.org/10.7266/N7S180HN, https://doi.org/10.7266/n7-e90r1v29, https://doi.org/10.7266/n7-repn-q515, https://doi.org/10.7266/n7-xh2e-et70.
References
Alve E, Korsun S, Schönfeld J, Dijkstra N, Golikova E, Hess S, Husum K, Panieri G (2016) ForamAMBI: a sensitivity index based on benthic foraminiferal faunas from North-East Atlantic
and Arctic fjords, continental shelves and slopes. Mar Micropaleontol 122:1–12. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.marmicro.2015.11.001
Bernhard JM, Sen Gupta BK, Baguley JG (2008) Benthic foraminifera living in Gulf of Mexico
bathyal and abyssal sediments: community analysis and comparison to metazoan meiofaunal
biomass and density. Deep-Sea Res II 55:2617–2626
Brooks GR, Larson RA, Schwing PT, Romero I, Moore C, Reichart GJ, Jilbert T, Chanton JP,
Hastings DW, Overholt WA, Marks KP, Kostka JE, Holmes CW, Hollander D (2015) Sediment
pulse in the NE Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 DWH blowout. PLoS One 10(7):e0132341.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0132341
P. T. Schwing and M. L. Machain-Castillo
recalcitrance of benthic foraminifera in the sediment. Further work is needed to
fully characterize the extent of stable carbon isotope alteration during oil spills and
the relative influence of petroleum carbon incorporation versus depleted bottom
water dissolved inorganic carbon due to increased microbial respiration of MOSSFA
material.
23.4.4 Connectivity to Other Trophic Levels (Microbial,
Macrofaunal) and Benthic Habitat Suitability
Considering the utility of benthic foraminifera assemblage metrics (density, diversity, opportunistic species dominance, stable isotopes) as indicators of impact and
resilience of the benthos following oil spills, these metrics could also be applied as
benthic habitat suitability measures in support of demersal and benthic-dependent
fisheries. To strengthen the understanding of benthic habitat suitability using benthic foraminifera assemblage metrics, future work is also necessary to document the
connectivity of benthic foraminifera with other trophic levels (microbial, macrofaunal, demersal fishes). Development of a benthic foraminifera-based marine biotic
index (Jorissen et al. 2018; Alve et al. 2016) for the Gulf of Mexico would be a
valuable management tool for benthic habitat suitability assessment.
Acknowledgments This research was made possible in part by a grant from the Gulf of Mexico
Research Initiative, C-IMAGE, DEEP-C, and in part by the British Petroleum/Florida Institute of
Oceanography (BP/FIO)-Gulf Oil Spill Prevention, Response, and Recovery Grants Program. The
authors also thank Bryan O’Malley, Xinantecatl A. Nava-Fernández, Alejandro RodriguezRamírez, Laura E. Gómez-Lizárraga, Laura Almaraz-Ruiz, and Marysol Escorza Reyes for their
assistance with laboratory analyses. Data are publicly available through the Gulf of Mexico
Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC) at http://data.gulfresearchinitiative.org, https://doi.org/10.7266/N79021PB, https://doi.org/10.7266/N7CR5RDS, https://doi.
org/10.7266/N70P0WZM, https://doi.org/10.7266/N7S180HN, https://doi.org/10.7266/n7-e90r1v29, https://doi.org/10.7266/n7-repn-q515, https://doi.org/10.7266/n7-xh2e-et70.
References
Alve E, Korsun S, Schönfeld J, Dijkstra N, Golikova E, Hess S, Husum K, Panieri G (2016) ForamAMBI: a sensitivity index based on benthic foraminiferal faunas from North-East Atlantic
and Arctic fjords, continental shelves and slopes. Mar Micropaleontol 122:1–12. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.marmicro.2015.11.001
Bernhard JM, Sen Gupta BK, Baguley JG (2008) Benthic foraminifera living in Gulf of Mexico
bathyal and abyssal sediments: community analysis and comparison to metazoan meiofaunal
biomass and density. Deep-Sea Res II 55:2617–2626
Brooks GR, Larson RA, Schwing PT, Romero I, Moore C, Reichart GJ, Jilbert T, Chanton JP,
Hastings DW, Overholt WA, Marks KP, Kostka JE, Holmes CW, Hollander D (2015) Sediment
pulse in the NE Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 DWH blowout. PLoS One 10(7):e0132341.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0132341
P. T. Schwing and M. L. Machain-Castillo