Abstract

There has been relatively little study of the efficacy of decommissioned oil and gas platforms as artificial reef habitats for various species of fish in the northern Gulf of Mexico.  A variety of fish species have been reported on these structures, but the species biomass distribution and community structure has not been studied thoroughly.  Hydroacoustic and video surveys are being conducted quarterly during a two-year study from June 2013 to June 2015 to gain information about the differences between the community structures of the two toppled and two standing platforms located approximately 130 km off the coast of Louisiana at 90 m depth.  The decommissioned toppled platforms in our study are a part of the Louisiana Artificial Reef Program (LARP) and have been in place since 2002.  Stereo cameras are utilized for the video surveys, providing lengths and frequencies of the fishes recorded.  Less expensive Go-Pro camera arrays are utilized at the toppled platform due to potential gear loss.  Hydroacoustics are used to define the spatial distribution of fish biomass (MVBS) in relation to distance and depth up to 500 m from the center of each site.  Determination of the community structure differences between the sites will allow for further understanding of how artificial reef structures in the Gulf of Mexico impact the ecology and composition of the fish communities.  Additional data collection will allow us to gain knowledge both about these structures and their roles and applications for management of fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.

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