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Home > GCR > Vol. 35 > Iss. 1 (2024)

 

Alternate Title

Stable Isotope Analysis of Antipatharian Diets from the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Antipatharians, or black corals, form a key component of the benthic fauna found throughout the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). In the northwestern GOM, they are a common member of the communities found on the natural relic coral—algal banks known as the South Texas Banks as well as on artificial reefs. They are known to provide important habitat for many ecologically and economically important species in the area but are relatively understudied. Here we present a study on their trophic ecology using stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen from 2 species, Antipathes atlantica and Stichopathes luetkeni from a mesophotic artificial reef in close proximity to the South Texas Banks. We observed that a large proportion of the 2 coral’s diets was composed of detrital matter, likely driven by the continuous disturbance of the benthos by high velocity benthic currents common to the region that support a persistent nepheloid layer below 30 m. Both species also show a reliance on different members of the planktonic community, with A. atlantica consuming more micro and mesozooplankton compared to S. luetkeni. Comparative analysis between soft tissue and skeletal material also indicates that A. atlantica may change its diet on a seasonal basis, while S. luetkeni appears to rely on detrital matter consistently. This study represents the first assessment of the diets of these organisms and provides valuable insight on the trophic ecology of 2 common antipatharian corals in the GOM on natural and artificial reef ecosystems.

First Page

57

Last Page

64

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Statement

No artificial intelligence (AI) was used in the preparation of this manuscript

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