Schweppe Lecture Series

Dr. Joseph P. Montoya

Tuesday, March 4, 2003, 7:00 PM
University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Visitor Center Auditorium

Methane Ice, Methane Bubbles, and Plankton in the Deep Gulf of Mexico

Methane is a potent atmospheric greenhouse gas that is released from seafloor "cold seeps" and moves upward into the water column of many coastal waters, including the Northern Gulf of Mexico. The physical conditions on the bottom frequently lead to formation of methane hydrates, an ice-like solid that can form massive boulders and outcrops.  The combination of methane seeps and methane ice supports a diverse array of microbes and animals that are able to exploit the rich source of organic matter released from the bottom.  These spectacular communities have been studied extensively over the last decade.  In contrast, little is currently known of the effect of cold seeps on the water above.  Dr. Montoya will describe the organisms and communities found on the bottom and in the water column and will explain how the upward movement of methane from seeps and decomposing hydrates is potentially important to life in the water column.  In addition to deriving nutrition by consuming methane, planktonic organisms can prevent or at least reduce the movement of methane from the sea to the atmosphere.

Dr. Joseph Montoya is a biological oceanographer and Associate Professor of Biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  He received his Ph.D. degree in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University and then worked as an Assistant and Associate Professor at Harvard before moving to Georgia Tech in 1998.  His research focuses on the marine nitrogen cycle in a variety of environments, including tropical oceans and the Gulf of Mexico.

The free lecture will be held at 7 p.m. in the Visitor Center of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, and the public is invited to attend. Dr. Montoya's visit to the Marine Science Institute is part of the Laura Randall Schweppe Endowed Lecture Series in Marine Science.