50272-1Q1 



REPORT DOCUMENTATION 

 PAGE 



1. REPORT NO. 



FWS/OBS-81/27 



4. Title and Subtitle 



3. Recipient's Accession No. 



An Ecosystem Analysis of Oil and Gas Development on the 

 Texas-Louisiana Continental Shelf 



7. Author(s) 



Benny J. Gall away 



5. Report Date 



August 1981 



8. Performing Organization Rept. No. 



9. Performing Organization Name and Address 



LGL Ecological Research Associates, Inc. 

 1410 Cavitt Street 

 Bryan, Texas 77801 



10. Project/Task/Work Unit No. 



11. Contract(C) or Grant(G) No. 



(o 14-16-0009-80-058 



(G) 



12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Address 



13. Type of Report & Period Covered 



U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management 



Office of Biological Services Branch of Offshore Studies 



U.S. Department of the Interior 



Washington, D.C. 20240 



14. 



15. Supplementary Notes 



16. Abstract (Limit: 200 words) 



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 eco- 

 system is influenced by Mississippi River discharge, whereas high-salinity Caribbean 

 water affects the southwest sector. Soft-bottom communities are prominent, characterizec 

 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. It is surmised that much of the primary productivity 

 from the pelagic community is used by the benthic communities. 



Observed effects of oil and gas development activities and effluents are described. 

 Data from most field studies indicate that direct effects are limited in space, but the 

 effects over time are unknown. Particular concern is expressed relative to increased 

 organic loading of the system and the apparently related low dissolved oxygen levels 

 characteristic of specific sites during warm seasons. Future research should be directed 

 towards defining key processes governing the ecosystem, with modeling workshops serving 

 as the focus for these research and monitoring programs. 



17. Document Analysis a. Descriptors 



Continental shelves, Offshore drilling, Shrimps, Aquatic biology, Salinity, 

 Water pollution 



b. Identifiers/Open Ended Terms 



c. COSATI Field/Group 



18. Availability Statement 



Unlimited 



19. Security Class (This Report) 



Uncl as sified 



20. Security Class (This Page) 



21. No. of Pages 



-97- 



22. Price 



(See ANSI-Z39.18) 



See Instructions on Reverse 



OPTIONAL FORM 272 (4-77) 

 (Formerly NTIS-35) 

 Department of Commerce 



