In this study, 3 quantitative trophic models were constructed using Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) to estimate and compare the degree of development and functional indicators in the northwestern region of the Gulf of Mexico along 3 vertical strata (continental shelf, upper slope, bathyal), from 200 to 3608 m. Input parameters were sampled from different trophic components of the food web (phytoplankton, zooplankton, infauna, invertebrates, and fish) during 4 oceanographic surveys carried out between 2016 and 2017. To construct the models, 40 functional groups were considered, ranging from bacteria to marine mammals. Fish were grouped primarily by taxonomic order, while the remaining groups represented other major trophic components of the food web. These included 21 actinoperygian orders, Rajiformes, and 17 other trophic groups. The average biomass, production/biomass ratio, consumption/biomass relationship, ecotrophic efficiency, and diet of each trophic group were estimated. The continental shelf was characterized by 31 trophic groups with a biomass of 171.75 t km -2 and a total system throughput of 6967.17 t km -2 yr -1 . Mammals were the top predators on the continental shelf (TL 5.4) and upper slope (TL 4.6), while scombriform fish predominated in the bathyal zone (TL 4.7). The model schematically represents mixed trophic impacts, showing predator-prey interactions and potential trophic cascades, defined by strong interactions between trophic groups not directly related to the continental shelf (Aulopiformes-Brachyura) and the bathyal zone (Gadiformes, Cephalopoda-Echinoidea). The resulting model showed a high pedigree index (0.42-0.65). Our results provide new insights into the trophic structure of vertical strata between 200 and 3608 m depth, and highlight differences in energy and biomass between trophic groups.
