Abstract:

A two-dimensional (2-D) ecosystem model, set within the De Soto Canyon ecotone of the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) and driven by 3-D flow fields from coupled circulation models, explores the daily food web and sedimentary consequences of oil-, nutrient-, and overfishing-induced transitions of dominant particle transports to the sea floor: from changing vectors of copepod fecal pellets to those of marine snow over the annual period of 2010-2011. Recent spilled petrochemicals are found to minimally impact already decimated zooplankton populations on the West Florida shelf (WFS). They facilitate instead formation of marine snow macroaggregates. The model results here replicate concurrent time series of: 1) annual sediment accumulations, measured at the sea floor; 2) bimonthly onshore nutrient supplies, due to upwelling, forced remotely by the Loop Current; and 3) near-surface weekly phytoplankton changes, seen by satellite.

Suggested Citation:

Lenes, Jason . 2016. A simulation analysis of the plankton fate of the Deepwater Horizon oil spills, Northern Gulf of Mexico, 2010-2011. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N78C9T92

Publications:

Walsh, J. J., Lenes, J. M., Darrow, B. P., Parks, A. A., Weisberg, R. H., Zheng, L., … Hollander, D. (2015). A simulation analysis of the plankton fate of the Deepwater Horizon oil spills. Continental Shelf Research, 107, 50–68. doi:10.1016/j.csr.2015.07.002

Purpose:

The model output was generated to test the differential roles of top down and bottom up controls on material flux during the DWH event.

Data Parameters and Units:

Information refers to three (3) Excel documents. File: Finalrun.xlsx (one tab): Column A = simulation day (32= April 1st 2010; 396 = March 31st 2011) Column B = Station (29, 43, 46) Column C = Depth (meters) Column D = Large diatoms Rhizosolenia (mmol C m-3) Column E = Small diatoms Skeletonema (mmol C m-3) Column F = Autotrophic microflagellates (mmol C m-3) Column G = Trichodesmium (mmol C m-3) Column H = Karenia brevis (mmol C m-3) Column I = Cocholodinium (mmol C m-3) Column J-M = Heterotrophic microflagellates (mmol C m-3; mmol N m-3; mmol P m-3; mmol Fe m-3) Column N = Ammonium (mmol N m-3) Column O = Nitrate (mmol N m-3) Column P = Phosphate (mmol P m-3) Column Q = Silicate (mmol Si m-3) Column R = Dissolved Iron (mmol Fe m-3) Column S = Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (mmol C m-3) Column T = Labile Dissolved Organic Nitrogen (mmol N m-3) Column U = Refractory Dissolved Organic Nitrogen (mmol N m-3) Column V = Dissolved Organic Phosphorus (mmol P m-3) Column W = Colloidal Iron (mmol Fe m-3) Column X = Labile Dissolved Organic Carbon (mmol C m-3) Column Y = Ammonifying bacteria (mmol C m-3) Column Z = Nitrifying bacteria (mmol C m-3) Column AA-AD = Ciliates (mmol C m-3; mmol N m-3; mmol P m-3; mmol Fe m-3) Column AE-AH = Larvaceans (mmol C m-3; mmol N m-3; mmol P m-3; mmol Fe m-3) Column AI-AL = Temora (mmol C m-3; mmol N m-3; mmol P m-3; mmol Fe m-3) Column AM-AP = Centropages (mmol C m-3; mmol N m-3; mmol P m-3; mmol Fe m-3) Column AQ-AT = Fish (mmol C m-3; mmol N m-3; mmol P m-3; mmol Fe m-3) Column AU-AY = Large Detritus (mmol C m-3; mmol N m-3; mmol P m-3; mmol Si m-3; mmol Fe m-3) Column AZ-BD = Small Detritus (mmol C m-3; mmol N m-3; mmol P m-3; mmol Si m-3; mmol Fe m-3) File: Finalchl.xlsx (one tab): Tab 1 = Station 29 full simulation Tab 2 = Station 29 copepod oil mortality off Column A = Date Column B = Depth (meters) Column C = Large diatoms Rhizosolenia (ug chl l-1) Column D = Small diatoms Skeletonema (ug chl l-1) Column E = Autotrophic microflagellates (ug chl l-1) Column F = Trichodesmium (ug chl l-1) Column G = Karenia brevis (ug chl l-1) Column H = Cocholodinium (ug chl l-1) Column J = Total Chlorophyll (ug chl l-1) File: Finalflux.xlsx (two tabs) Column A = Date Column B = Mass Accumulation Rate (g cm-2 yr-1) at Station 29 Column C = Mass Accumulation Rate (g cm-2 yr-1) at Station 43 Column D = Mass Accumulation Rate (g cm-2 yr-1) at Station 46 Station Coordinates: 29: 29.4, -86.76 (400 m depth) 43: 29.15, -87.33 (1043 m depth) 46: 29.116, -87.36 (1143 m depth)

Methods:

Ecological modelling.

Error Analysis:

Sensitivity analysis. Data/model comparison.

Individual Files: