30 



But regardless of design and approach, the data should be both accurate and statistically adequate to produce 

 clear biological description, allow statistical correlation, and hopefully establish cause and effect. But some 

 studies have suffered the consequences of great natural variability. The high cost of replication and/or high- 

 frequency sampling (e.g., high biological diversity environments such as the deep-sea and areas of rapid 

 fluctuations such as estuarine mouths) has limited our predictive capability. Furthermore some studies 

 commenced without benefit of clearly-stated, testable, working hypotheses. 



To date our efforts have largely been to study the anatomy, rather than the physiology, of the Gulf of Mexico- 

 -that is, its structure, rather than its function. Investigators have constructed large species lists and inventories 

 of resources but have not often attempted to quantify energetic processes. Past studies can be lumped into two 

 general types which resulted from historic program review, perceived study needs, and periodic program re- 

 evaluation. 



A. Regional Descriptive or "Benchmark" Studies-multidisciplinary studies describing many diverse elements 

 of regional scope (i.e., tens to hundreds of thousands of square kilometers). 



Eastern Gulf of Mexico Study 



South Texas OCS Study 



Southwest Florida Shelf Ecosystems Study 



Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope Study 



B. Regional Community Studies-these differ somewhat from the above in that their focus is smaller (e.g., 

 live-bottom, reefs, epifauna, and specific habitats). 



Eastern Gulf seagrass studies 



Southwest Florida live-bottom characterizations (in situ instrumented site studies) 



Western Gulf topographic prominence studies 



Central Gulf platforms study 



Mississippi-Alabama pinnacle surveys 



Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope Study (investigations on chemosynlhetic communities) 



Proposed monitoring studies 



TAKING A PROCESS APPROACH IN TEXAS-LOUISIANA (TEXLA) 



Generally process studies stressing major energetic interactions have been overlooked in Gulf programs. The 

 exceptions have included several efforts to estimate productivity. Conventional wisdom has it that the best 

 estimates of environmental change will come from the benthic biological and geological record, at least for time 

 scales on the order of decades. 



The Texas and Louisiana shelf is the only remaining area in the Gulf which has not been the subject of a 

 descriptive regional study. Whatever approach is adopted, the Texas-Louisiana (TEXLA) Shelf Study must be 

 designed with a number of regional characteristics in mind. 



spin-off eddy circulation patterns; 

 influence of the Mississippi River plume; 

 patterns of hypoxia; 



massive presence of the petroleum and sulfur industries; 

 long-term, low level pollution from many sources; 

 interaction of estuarine lagoons and marine waters; 

 effects of recreational and commercial fishing; and 

 relative zoogeographic isolation of the western Gulf. 



During planning for TEXLA, several critical questions should be addressed. Our purpose at this workshop is not 

 specifically to design a new study for MMS. Our charge to the working group is to identify the most fruitful 

 approaches and the major research elements for any new studies in light of what is presently known. 



