An ecosystem analysis of oil and gas development on the Texas-Louisiana continental shelf. Biological services program

Technical Report · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:5748988

Gallaway, B J

The Texas-Louisiana shelf ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico is described in terms of its physiographic, oceanographic, and biological characteristics and as a recipient of oil and gas development activities and effluents. The northeast sector of the ecosystem is influenced by Mississippi River discharge, whereas high-salinity Caribbean water affects the southwest sector. Soft-bottom communities are prominent, characterized by economically valuable penaeid shrimps. The coral reef communities are more important than would normally be assumed. Pelagic communities are little known and harbor only a few commercially valuable species. Observed effects of oil and gas development activities and effluents are described.

• Research Organization: LGL Ecological Research Associates, Inc., Bryan, TX (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5748988
• Report Number(s): PB-81-247181
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
03 NATURAL GAS
CONTINENTAL SHELF
ECOLOGY
OFFSHORE DRILLING
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
DISSOLVED GASES
GULF OF MEXICO
LOUISIANA
NATURAL GAS
OFFSHORE OPERATIONS
OXYGEN
PRODUCTIVITY
REEFS
SALINITY
SHRIMP
TEXAS
WATER POLLUTION
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARTHROPODS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARIBBEAN SEA
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CRUSTACEANS
DECAPODS
DRILLING
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
INVERTEBRATES
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
SEAS
SOLUTES
SOUTHWEST REGION
SURFACE WATERS
USA
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
030800 - Natural Gas- Environmental Aspects