Abstract:

This dataset contains sediment, geochemistry, and benthic macroinvertebrate data from the seven Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) Submerged Lands of Texas obtained from 1976-03-02 to 1981-05-30. The reports were broken down into seven areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur (1987), Galveston-Houston (1985), Bay City-Freeport (1988), Port Lavaca (1989), Corpus Christi (1983), Kingsville (1989), and Brownsville-Harlingen (1986). Data was collected from stations spaced approximately 1-mile apart within the bay and estuary systems and on the near shelf from 1976 through 1981.

Suggested Citation:

White, W.A., T.R. Calnan, R.A. Morton, R.S. Kimble, T.G. Littleton, J.H. McGowen, H.S. Nance, and K.E. Schmedes. 2023. Sediment, geochemistry, and benthic macroinvertebrate data from the seven Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) Submerged Lands of Texas obtained from 1976-03-02 to 1981-05-30. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/D1PNX3HD

Purpose:

This project was done to develop a baseline inventory of geological and biological data of submerged lands for future environmental monitoring (McGowen and Morton, 1979, Wermund et al. 1989). A significant portion of its Texas' population, approximately one-quarter, resides within a 60-kilometer range of its low-lying barrier island and lagoonal coastline. By the year 1980, the State had access to an environmental geologic atlas along with related maps, which played a crucial role in decision-making processes. Given that the State has ownership rights over submerged areas, extending up to 16 kilometers offshore, there arose a need for an atlas specifically focused on these submerged lands.

Data Parameters and Units:

gravel/shell (%), sand (%), silt (%), clay (%), mean phi, TOC (%), barium (ppm), boron (ppm), calcium (%), chromium (ppm), copper (ppm), iron (%), manganese (ppm), nickel (ppm), lead (ppm), strontium (ppm), zinc (ppm), species counts by regions GTLT = greater than less than detection limit

Methods:

The state-owned submerged lands of Texas encompass nearly 6,000 square miles (15,540 km^2) and extend from Louisiana to Mexico. The area includes the bays, estuaries, lagoons, and the inner continental shelf 10.3 miles (16.6 km) seaward of the Gulf of Mexico shoreline split in to 7 areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, Houston-Galveston, Bay City-Freeport, Port Lavaca, Corpus Christi, Kingsville, Brownsville-Harlingen. The Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) study characterized the surficial sediments of the submerged lands of Texas with grab samples of the top 4 – 18 cm of sampling sites. Surficial sediment samples were taken with Ponar clam-shell grab samplers at sites spaced ~1 mile (1.6 km) apart in the bay-estuary-lagoon system. Smith-McIntyre samplers were used to collect surficial sediments at sites on the inner continental shelf to a distance of about 11.2 miles (18 km) seaward of the Gulf shoreline. Sediment penetration depths ranged from 1.5 to 4 inches (4 to 10 cm). Samples were described at the time of collection (e.g., sediment type, color, and other visual characteristics) and were subsampled and stored in containers for quantitative sedimentological, geochemical, and biological analyses. Percent of gravel, sand, mud (silt and clay) were determined by sieving and using a rapid sediment analyzer for the sand fraction. Silt and clay fractions within the mud were determined with a Coulter TA II electronic suspended particle counter. Samples were analyzed for total organic carbon (TOC) using a wet combustion technique. The U.S. Geological Survey analyzed samples for major and trace elements using an emission spectrograph. The Bureau of Economic Geology also analyzed samples for trace elements with an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES). TOC and 11 other elements (barium, boron, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, strontium, and zinc) were used to document the sediment geochemistry of the submerged lands of Texas. Principal components analysis was performed by Paul Montagna at Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies after standardization to a normal distribution (mean = 0, standard deviation = 1).

Provenance and Historical References:

McGowen, J.H. and R.A. Morton. 1979. Sediment distribution, bathymetry, faults, and salt diapirs, submerged lands of Texas. Special Report. The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology. 31 pp. Wermund, E.G., W.A. White, T.R. Calnan, and R.A. Morton. 1989. Mapping off-shore coastal areas: ‘The submerged lands of Texas Atlas’—A review. Ocean and Shoreline Management Volume 12, Issues 5–6, pages 411-426. https://doi.org/10.1016/0951-8312(89)90022-2. White, W. A., Calnan, T. R., Morton, R. A., and others, 1983, Submerged Lands of Texas, Corpus Christi Area: Sediments, Geochemistry, Benthic Macroinvertebrates, and Associated Wetlands: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, SL0004, 154 p. White, W. A., Calnan, T. R., Morton, R. A., and others, 1985, Submerged Lands of Texas, Galveston-Houston Area: Sediments, Geochemistry, Benthic Macroinvertebrates, and Associated Wetlands: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, SL0005, 145 p. White, W. A., Calnan, T. R., Morton, R. A., and others, 1986, Submerged Lands of Texas, Brownsville-Harlingen Area: Sediments, Geochemistry, Benthic Macroinvertebrates, and Associated Wetlands: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, SL0003, 138 p. White, W. A., Calnan, T. R., Morton, R. A., and others, 1987, Submerged Lands of Texas, Beaumont-Port Arthur Area: Sediments, Geochemistry, Benthic Macroinvertebrates, and Associated Wetlands: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, SL0002, 130 p. White, W. A., Calnan, T. R., Morton, R. A., and others, 1988, Submerged Lands of Texas, Bay City-Freeport Area: Sediments, Geochemistry, Benthic Macroinvertebrates, and Associated Wetlands: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, SL0001, 130 p. White, W. A., Calnan, T. R., Morton, R. A., and others, 1989, Submerged Lands of Texas, Kingsville Area: Sediments, Geochemistry, Benthic Macroinvertebrates, and Associated Wetlands: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, SL0006, 137 p. White, W. A., Calnan, T. R., Morton, R. A., and others, 1989, Submerged Lands of Texas, Port Lavaca Area: Sediments, Geochemistry, Benthic Macroinvertebrates, and Associated Wetlands: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, SL0007, 165 p.

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