@article {Garcia-Pineda2016,
	title = {{Transience and persistence of natural hydrocarbon seepage in Mississippi Canyon, Gulf of Mexico}},
	journal = {Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography},
	volume = {129},
	year = {2016},
	pages = {119{\textendash}129},
	abstract = {Analysis of the magnitude of oil discharged from natural hydrocarbon seeps can improve understanding of the carbon cycle and the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) ecosystem. With use of a large archive of remote sensing data, in combination with geophysical and multibeam data, we identified, mapped, and characterized natural hydrocarbon seeps in the Macondo prospect region near the wreck site of the drill-rig Deepwater Horizon (DWH). Satellite image processing and the cluster analysis revealed locations of previously undetected seep zones. Including duplicate detections, a total of 562 individual gas plumes were also observed in multibeam surveys. In total, SAR imagery confirmed 52 oil-producing seep zones in the study area. In almost all cases gas plumes were associated with oil-producing seep zones. The cluster of seeps in the vicinity of lease block MC302 appeared to host the most persistent and prolific oil vents. Oil slicks and gas plumes observed over the DWH site were consistent with discharges of residual oil from the wreckage. In contrast with highly persistent oil seeps observed in the Green Canyon and Garden Banks lease areas, the seeps in the vicinity of Macondo Prospect were intermittent. The difference in the number of seeps and the quantity of surface oil detected in Green Canyon was almost two orders of magnitude greater than in Mississippi Canyon.},
	keywords = {HOV Alvin (Human Occupied Vehicle)},
	doi = {10.1016/j.dsr2.2015.05.011},
	author = {Garcia-Pineda, O and MacDonald, I and Silva, M and Shedd, W and Daneshgar Asl, S and Schumaker, B}
}
@article {White2012,
	title = {{Impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on a deep-water coral community in the Gulf of Mexico}},
	journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
	volume = {109},
	number = {50},
	year = {2012},
	month = {dec},
	pages = {20303{\textendash}20308},
	abstract = {To assess the potential impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on offshore ecosystems, 11 sites hosting deep-water coral communities were examined 3 to 4 mo after the well was capped. Healthy coral communities were observed at all sites {\textgreater}20 km from the Macondo well, including seven sites previously visited in September 2009, where the corals and communities appeared unchanged. However, at one site 11 km southwest of the Macondo well, coral colonies presented widespread signs of stress, including varying degrees of tissue loss, sclerite enlargement, excess mucous production, bleached commensal ophiuroids, and covering by brown flocculent material (floc). On the basis of these criteria the level of impact to individual colonies was ranked from 0 (least impact) to 4 (greatest impact). Of the 43 corals imaged at that site, 46{\%} exhibited evidence of impact on more than half of the colony, whereas nearly a quarter of all of the corals showed impact to {\textgreater}90{\%} of the colony. Additionally, 53{\%} of these corals{\textquoteright} ophiuroid associates displayed abnormal color and/or attachment posture. Analysis of hopanoid petroleum biomarkers isolated from the floc provides strong evidence that this material contained oil from the Macondo well. The presence of recently damaged and deceased corals beneath the path of a previously documented plume emanating from the Macondo well provides compelling evidence that the oil impacted deep-water ecosystems. Our findings underscore the unprecedented nature of the spill in terms of its magnitude, release at depth, and impact to deep-water ecosystems.},
	keywords = {HOV Alvin (Human Occupied Vehicle), ROV Jason (Remotely Operated Vehicle)},
	issn = {0027-8424},
	doi = {10.1073/pnas.1118029109},
	author = {White, H K and Hsing, P-Y and Cho, W and Shank, T M and Cordes, E E and Quattrini, A M and Nelson, R K and Camilli, R and Demopoulos, A W J and German, C R and Brooks, J M and Roberts, H H and Shedd, W and Reddy, C M and Fisher, C R}
}
@article {Roberts2010,
	title = {{Dive site geology: DSV ALVIN (2006) and ROV JASON II (2007) dives to the middle-lower continental slope, northern Gulf of Mexico}},
	journal = {Deep-Sea Research. Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography},
	volume = {57},
	number = {21-23},
	year = {2010},
	pages = {1837{\textendash}1858},
	abstract = {Use of DSV ALVIN (2006) and ROV JASON II (2007) provided access to never observed or sampled sites of fluid-gas expulsion from the little-studied middle and lower continental slope of the northern Gulf of Mexico (below water depths of 1000 m). Dives were focused on 15 locations selected by 3-D seismic surface attributes and shallow subsurface geologic analyses. The linkage between highly positive seafloor reflectivity and hard bottoms proved to be an efficient indicator of potential sites of interest. Through observation and sampling of reflective sites, starting in the mid-1980s, it has become apparent that most hard bottoms on the northern Gulf{\textquoteright}s continental slope are created by the precipitation of authigenic carbonates at hydrocarbon seep sites. Access to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement{\textquoteright}s extraordinary archive of slope-wide 3-D seismic data made efficient site selection possible. From thousands of sites that display the characteristics of fluid-gas expulsion, 15 were observed and sampled during the 2006 and 2007 cruises. Water depths in which these 15 sites were located ranged from \~{}2750 to \~{}970 m. All sites exhibited evidence of hydrocarbon seepage or more rapid venting. Chemosynthetic organisms, authigenic carbonates, barite, gas hydrates, highly anoxic surface sediments, brine pools, and hydrocarbon-laced brine flows were identified and sampled. High-resolution acoustic Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) data, including multibeam bathymetry, side-scan sonar swaths, and chirp sonar subbottom profiles, were collected at four locations (AC601, WR269, GC852, and AT340). Data sets from the 2006 and 2007 dives resulted in a greatly improved understanding of both cross-slope and along-slope variability in the characteristics of fluid-gas expulsion sites and associated habitats. Our studies confirmed the importance of fluid-gas expulsion processes for sustaining chemosynthetic communities and impacting seabed geology on the middle and lower continental slope of the northern Gulf of Mexico.},
	keywords = {HOV Alvin (Human Occupied Vehicle), ROV Jason (Remotely Operated Vehicle)},
	issn = {0967-0645},
	doi = {10.1016/j.dsr2.2010.09.001},
	url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2010.09.001},
	author = {Roberts, H H and Shedd, W and Hunt, J}
}
@article {Roberts2007a,
	title = {{Alvin explores the deep northern Gulf of Mexico Slope}},
	journal = {EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union},
	volume = {88},
	number = {35},
	year = {2007},
	pages = {341{\textendash}342},
	keywords = {HOV Alvin (Human Occupied Vehicle)},
	issn = {2324-9250},
	doi = {10.1029/2007EO350001},
	url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2007EO350001},
	author = {Roberts, H and Carney, R and Kupchik, M and Fisher, C R and Nelson, Kim and Becker, E and Goehring, E and Lessard-Pilon, S and Telesnicki, G and Bernard, B and Brooks, J and Bright, M and Cordes, E and Hourdez, S and Hunt, J and Shedd, W and Boland, G and Joye, S and Samarkin, V and Bernier, M and Bowles, M and MacDonald, I and Niemann, H and Petersen, C and Morrison, C and Potter, J}
}
