Do Oil and Gas Lease Stipulations in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico Need Expansion to Better Protect Vulnerable Coral Communities? How Low Relief Habitats Support High Coral Biodiversity

The continental shelf of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico harbors extensive reefs and banks that support diverse coral reefs and mesophotic communities. Mesophotic communities range in depth from 40 to 200 m and, in this region, foster some of the densest coral forests [aggregations of mesophotic oct...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Marissa Faye Nuttall, Emma L. Hickerson, Raven D. Blakeway, George P. Schmahl, Paul W. Sammarco
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Marine Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.780248/full