@article {Prouty2016a,
	title = {{Growth rates and ages of deep-sea corals impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill}},
	journal = {Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography},
	volume = {129},
	year = {2016},
	pages = {196{\textendash}212},
	abstract = {The impact of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill on deep-sea coral communities in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is still under investigation, as is the potential for these communities to recover. Impacts from the spill include observation of corals covered with flocculent material, with bare skeleton, excessive mucous production, sloughing tissue, and subsequent colonization of damaged areas by hydrozoans. Information on growth rates and life spans of deep-sea corals is important for understanding the vulnerability of these ecosystems to both natural and anthropogenic perturbations, as well as the likely duration of any observed adverse impacts. We report radiocarbon ages and radial and linear growth rates based on octocorals (Paramuricea spp. and Chrysogorgia sp.) collected in 2010 and 2011 from areas of the DWH impact. The oldest coral radiocarbon ages were measured on specimens collected 11 km to the SW of the oil spill from the Mississippi Canyon (MC) 344 site: 599 and 55 cal yr BP, suggesting continuous life spans of over 600 years for Paramuricea biscaya, the dominant coral species in the region. Calculated radial growth rates, between 0.34 $μ$m yr-1 and 14.20 $μ$m yr-1, are consistent with previously reported proteinaceous corals from the GoM. Anomalously low radiocarbon ($Δ$14C) values for soft tissue from some corals indicate that these corals were feeding on particulate organic carbon derived from an admixture of modern surface carbon and a low 14C carbon source. Results from this work indicate fossil carbon could contribute 5{\textendash}10{\%} to the coral soft tissue $Δ$14C signal within the area of the spill impact. The influence of a low 14C carbon source (e.g., petro-carbon) on the particulate organic carbon pool was observed at all sites within 30 km of the spill site, with the exception of MC118, which may have been outside of the dominant northeast{\textendash}southwest zone of impact. The quantitatively assessed extreme longevity and slow growth rates documented here highlight the vulnerability of these long-lived deep sea coral species to disturbance.},
	keywords = {HOV Alvin (Human Occupied Vehicle), ROV Jason (Remotely Operated Vehicle)},
	doi = {10.1016/j.dsr2.2014.10.021},
	author = {Prouty, N G and Fisher, C R and Demopoulos, A W J and Druffel, E R M}
}
@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}
}
@inbook {Smith2003a,
	title = {{Ecology of the deep Pacific Ocean floor}},
	booktitle = {Ecosystems of the deep ocean},
	series = {Ecosystems of the world},
	number = {28},
	year = {2003},
	pages = {179{\textendash}218},
	publisher = {Elsevier},
	organization = {Elsevier},
	address = {Amsterdam},
	keywords = {HOV Alvin (Human Occupied Vehicle)},
	isbn = {044482619X},
	author = {Smith, C R and Demopoulos, A W J},
	editor = {Tyler, P A}
}
