Proceedings: Gulf of Mexico fish and fisheries: bringing together new and recent research, October 2000

Abstract

From Welcome:

"Offshore petroleum platforms are uniquely designed to span from the bottom of the ocean through
the wave-swept surface. From the beginning in 1947, platforms influenced the marine community
and resource utilization of the Gulf of Mexico region. Domestic energy development increased the
number of offshore platforms to the present level of over 4,000 structures in outer continental shelf
waters. Along with the expansion of hydrocarbon extraction over this period, harvest and
exploitation of fisheries resources also intensified. Prior to oil and gas development (1945 to 1950)
in the Gulf of Mexico, commercial landings of finfish and shellfish in Louisiana and Texas ranged
from 185 to 413 million pounds. As the petroleum industry expanded so did commercial fishery
catches from the Gulf, peaking in the mid-1980s at about 1,700 million pounds. The current
commercial landings are around 1,200 million pounds per year.

Offshore platforms and fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico continue to coexist. Over 90% of commercial
red snapper landings (approximately 4 million pounds per year) originate in Louisiana waters, and
while the exact amount harvested at petroleum platforms is unknown, it is known to be a significant
portion of the harvest. In addition to the commercial fishers frequenting offshore structures,
recreational fishers and SCUBA divers are common platform visitors. Surveys of recreational use
found that 70% of all fishers in coastal Louisiana utilized petroleum platforms as fishing
destinations and catches of anglers at these structures were the highest in the published scientific
literature.

The use of offshore structures by marine organisms and the utilization of these resources by
commercial and recreational fishers and SCUBA divers came long before scientific study of
platform communities. While recreational and commercial users may not have understood the
scientific relationship between the structures and species abundance, they were knowledgeable of
the resources at these sites. As the importance of these structures became evident, scientific
examination of how and why they impact the ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico began.
Initially, research focused on possible impacts from the discharge of materials and the potential
harm from hydrocarbon spills. Much later the scientific community realized that the actual physical
presence of these structures could be affecting the abundance and distribution of marine organisms
in the region. This later issue has been the focus of recent research.

Through the lay and scientific knowledge gained over the past 40 years, the common perception is
that the 4,000 structures in the region constitute the largest artificial reef complex in the world. A
typical four-pile platform jacket (the underwater support structure of an offshore platform) provides
two to three acres of living and feeding habitat for thousands of underwater species. It ishypothesized that artificial reefs and platforms improve and/or diversify habitat, increase resources, modify the assemblages of organisms in the region, or concentrate existing resources. The placement
of these defacto reefs has impacted the regional marine community and, with assessments of the
assemblages, modeling of discharges, and research into the non-target use of these structures,
information exists as to the how and why these structures have impacted the marine ecosystem of
the region.

Despite the long-term relationship between the Gulf of Mexico and hydrocarbon production, a
compendium of the results from fisheries-related research does not exist. It is the goal of this
meeting to bring together 30 years of widely spread investigations from the offshore waters of the
Gulf of Mexico. Although we highlight the relationship between petroleum production and the
environment, we include studies well beyond the scope of that topic. The 48 presentations at this
meeting represent the culmination of research by academic, state, federal and private sector
scientists from all areas of the Gulf. A lesson learned from the sessions was that, while many issues
have been resolved for every question answered, new and important investigations result. Thus,
while this may be the first summary of the impact and relationship between offshore structures, the
marine ecosystem and fisheries, it will not be the last."