TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Page 



PREFACE - 1 1 1 



SUMMARY — - 1v 



LIST OF FIGURES — — - — v1 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vi i i 



INTRODUCTION - 1 



THE TEXAS-LOUISIANA CONTINENTAL SHELF ECOSYSTEM - 5 



PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL FORCES 7 



Currents 7 



Salinity - - ]] 



Turbid Water Layers ' 7 



Temperature }& 



Dissolved Oxygen 21 



Topography and Sediments 25 



FAUNAL ASSEMBLAGES AND COMMUNITIES - 28 



White Shrimp Ground Fauna! Assemblage 35 



Brown Shrimp Ground Faunal Assemblage 37 



Outer Shelf Faunal Assemblage 41 



CONCEPTUAL MODEL AND SYSTEM PROCESSES - - 45 



THE ECOSYSTEM AS A RECIPIENT OF OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT 



ACTIVITIES AND EFFLUENTS - — 51 



EFFECTS OF STRUCTURES — 51 



DRILLING FLUIDS - - - 54 



PRODUCED FORMATION WATER 58 



OIL SPILLS - - 67 



CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ON THE SYSTEM - 70 



REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS - — 72 



LITERATURE CITED — - 75 



