PROSPECTIVE AND POTENTIAL IMPACT OF BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES IN DEEPWATER METALLIC STRUCTURES IN THE SOUTHERN GULF OF MEXICO

摘要

The proposed installation of deep-water oil and gas facilities will bring the attention of potential biofouling communities which will eventually colonize subsea structures. Marine growth is inevitable in the underwater photic and aphotic layers of marine platforms as it is in tropical waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The lack of hard substrates in deepwater environments makes subsea production systems extremely attractive to colonizing organisms. In the long-term, fouling will also become a significant problem on subsea production structures. Fouling growth masks steel surfaces and interferes with underwater cathodic protection inspection with remotely controlled vehicles. The precise identification of fouling organisms is necessary for an adequate selection of antifouling methods. We address the biological communities to be expected in Southern Gulf of Mexico deepwaters and their potential biofouling and biocorrosive activity on deepwater structures which will be installed in this area. Adherence of photosynthetic fouling is expected in the photic zone, and suspension and filter-feeding organisms will probably be present throughout the water column.