Habitat classification of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) using the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and salinity/temperature profiles, cruises DP01-DP04, May 2015 to August 2016

Deep pelagic habitat from the entire Gulf of Mexico (GOM) was classified using the deviation of sea surface height (SSH) from mean SSH for the entire GOM and water temperature at 300 m water depth, founded on ocean condition data from the 1/25° GOM HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). Pelagic habitats were segregated into anticyclonic, mixed boundaries, and common water units – all of which likely produce varying levels of forage for deep-sea fauna and may be trophic drivers. Model classifications were compared to classifications based on water column temperature and salinity at depth, as measured by CTD casts during cruises DP01-DP04 in the northern GOM (GRIIDC datasets R4.x257.230:0004, R4.x257.230:0010, R4.x257.230:0011, and R4.x257.230:0012). The classification scheme was further cross-validated by comparing the model classifications to classifications based on microbial communities found within the same water masses. This tool will be used to aid pelagic community analyses of fauna collected by DEEPEND cruises in the GOM spanning 2015-2016.本研究基于1/25°分辨率墨西哥湾（Gulf of Mexico, GOM）混合坐标海洋模型（HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model, HYCOM）的海洋环境数据，利用全墨西哥湾海域的海平面高度（sea surface height, SSH）距平值以及300米水深的海水温度，对整个墨西哥湾的深海远洋生境进行了分类。远洋生境被划分为反气旋、混合边界以及普通水团三类——此类生境均可能为深海动物提供不同丰度的饵料资源，并可能成为营养级驱动因子。将模型分类结果与墨西哥湾北部DP01至DP04航次中温盐深仪（CTD）站位实测的深层水柱温度与盐度分类结果进行比对，对应实测数据集为GRIIDC的R4.x257.230:0004、R4.x257.230:0010、R4.x257.230:0011及R4.x257.230:0012。本分类方案还通过将模型分类结果与同水团中发现的微生物群落分类结果进行比对，完成了进一步的交叉验证。该分类工具将用于辅助分析2015-2016年墨西哥湾DEEPEND航次所采集的远洋动物群落。