Patterns of taxonomic and functional diversity in polychaete assemblages were examined in
the deep northern Gulf of Mexico, including the first analysis of polychaete feeding guild
distribution. An analysis of samples from a total of 51 stations located along 7 transects plus
additional nearby sites, indicated that density decreased exponentially with depth, with the
central locations having higher densities than the eastern and western regions. Alpha
diversity was also highest at the central stations associated with the Mississippi trough. The …