In 2013–2014, remote video and diver surveys documented fish assemblages around 150 small oil platforms in nearshore federal waters off the entire Louisiana coast (≤ 18 m depth). Results were used to evaluate ecological processes driving differences in fish abundance and assemblages associated with platforms. The nearshore zone was characterized by high spatial and temporal environmental heterogeneity. Surveys documented 55 species of platform-associated fishes. Twenty-nine species were partially or wholly represented by young-of-the-year (YOY) or age 1–2 juveniles, including red, gray, and lane snapper (Lutjanus campechanus, Lutjanus griseus, and Lutjanus synagris), greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili), and gag grouper (Mycteroperca microlepis). Assemblages were compared among three coastal regions with different hydrography due to interactions between river discharge and bathymetry. Assemblage composition near platforms varied in a region × year interaction associated with inter-annual differences in river discharge and coastal distribution of Sargassum drifts. The probability of YOY L. campechanus occurrence increased with bottom DO saturation (1.40–124.3%) from 0.15 to 0.72. The probability of YOY L. synagris and M. microlepis respectively decreased and increased with depth (5.61–16.76 m) from 0.81 to 0.05 and from 0.03 to 0.68. The results show that fish assemblages around platforms in the nearshore zone experienced substantial inter-regional and inter-annual differences that were driven by hydrographic and recruitment variability. Platforms also provided suitable reef habitat for juvenile fishes in areas that experience widespread bottom water hypoxia and large freshwater inflows, highlighting the importance of nearshore platforms as nursery locations for juvenile fishes that represent a variety of early life-history strategies.

在2013-2014年，远程视频和潜水员调查记录了整个路易斯安那海岸（≤18 m深度）近岸联邦水域中约150个小型石油平台上的鱼群。结果用于评估生态过程，这些过程驱动着鱼类丰度和与平台相关的组合的差异。近岸带的特征是高度的时空环境异质性。调查记录了55种平台相关鱼类。29个物种的一部分或全部以年幼（YOY）或1-2岁的少年为代表，包括红色，灰色和，鲷（Lutjanus campechanus，Lutjanus griseus和Lutjanus synagris），较大的a鱼（Seriola dumerili）和gag石斑鱼（Mycteroperca microlepis）。由于河流流量和测深法之间的相互作用，比较了三个具有不同水文学的沿海地区的组合。平台附近的组合物组成在区域×年间相互作用中变化，这与河藻和Sargassum漂流的沿海分布的年际差异有关。随着底部DO饱和度（1.40–124.3％）从0.15升高到0.72，YOY L. campechanus发生的可能性增加。YOY L. synagris和M. microlepis的概率随深度（5.61–16.76 m）分别从0.81减小到0.05，从深度0.03减小到0.68。结果表明，近岸带平台周围的鱼群经历了区域间和年度间的巨大差异，这是由水文和募集变异性驱动的。平台还为底栖鱼类普遍缺水和淡水大量流入的地区的幼鱼提供了合适的礁石栖息地，突显了近岸平台作为代表各种早期生命历史策略的幼鱼苗圃地点的重要性。