Growth rates and ages of deep-sea corals impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

摘要: The impact of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill on deep-sea coral communities in Gulf Mexico (GoM) is still under investigation, as potential for these to recover. Impacts from include observation corals covered with flocculent material, bare skeleton, excessive mucous production, sloughing tissue, and subsequent colonization damaged areas by hydrozoans. Information growth rates life spans important understanding vulnerability ecosystems both natural anthropogenic perturbations, well likely duration any observed adverse impacts. We report radiocarbon ages radial linear based octocorals (Paramuricea spp. Chrysogorgia sp.) collected 2011 DWH impact. oldest were measured specimens 11 km SW oil Mississippi Canyon (MC) 344 site: 599 55 cal yr BP, suggesting continuous over 600 years Paramuricea biscaya, dominant species region. Calculated rates, between 0.34 μm ! 1 14.20 , are consistent previously reported proteinaceous GoM. Anomalously low (Δ 14 C) values soft tissue some indicate that feeding particulate organic carbon derived an admixture modern surface a C source. Results this work fossil could contribute 5‐10% Δ signal within area influence source (e.g., petro-carbon) pool was at all sites 30 site, exception MC118, which may have been outside northeast‐southwest zone quantitatively assessed extreme longevity slow documented here highlight long-lived deep sea disturbance.