MMS Gulf of Mexico OCS Environmental Studies

Plans for the Gulf of Mexico

Lars Herbst

MMS Regional Director

Gulf of Mexico OCS Region

MMS’s Studies Program

MMS has a dynamic and diverse Environmental Studies Program (ESP) with a budget of ~$18 M/year

Hurricane Studies Funds (one time) ~$3 M Gulf of Mexico FY07 funds ~$8.6 M for

continuation ($1.7 M) and new starts ($6.9 M), representing 41% of the national budget

Recent Actions Impacting ESP

MMS jumpstarted the new 5-Year Program, which includes areas under moratoria

Proposed lifting of moratoria to oil and gas activities would require additional funds for studies

ESP Driving Forces

Deepwater Exploration and Development (high currents, biological protection/avoidance, spill risk)

Alternative Energy (wave, wind, and current energy climates; impacts)

Flower Garden Banks Monitoring with NOAA Collaboration with Mexican Oceanographers Climate Change (OCS greenhouse gas emissions;

acidification) Issues by Stakeholders

New Studies in FY 2008

Dynamics of the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico (PO) Seismic Activities and Marine Mammal Observer Reports in the Gulf of

Mexico (MM) Continued Investigations of Northern Gulf of Mexico Deepwater

Natural and Artificial Hard-Bottom Communities with Emphasis on Lophelia Coral (Habitat & Ecology)

Meteorological and Wave Measurements for Improving Meteorological and Air Quality Modeling (Atmos. Sci.)

Ethnic Groups and Enclaves Affected by OCS Activities (SS) Deepwater Platforms from Plan to Production (SS) History of Gulf of Mexico Offshore Petroleum Industry, Phase III:

Deepwater Developments (SS)

Hurricane Studies

Modeling Waves and Currents Produced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ($500K)

Post-Hurricane Assessment of Sensitive Habitats of the Flower Garden Banks Vicinity ($300K)

Post-Hurricane Assessment of OCS-Related Infrastructure and Communities in the Gulf of Mexico Region ($225K)

Spatial Restructuring and Fiscal Impacts in the Wake of Disaster: The Case of the Oil and Gas Industry Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ($140K)

MMS’ Gulf Database of Currents

Ultra-Deepwater Program: Deepwater Artificial Reef Effect II 2007-2008 Ultra-Deepwater Program: Deepwater Artificial Reef Effect II 2007-2008 MMS needs direct information regarding artificial reef value of oil and gas structures in deep water

Follow-up to World War II shipwreck study where extensive Lophelia coral growth was found on a shipwreck of known age

Wreck of Wreck of GulfpennGulfpennSank in 1942Sank in 1942

Extensive Extensive LopheliaLophelia coral colonies coral colonies

after just 61 yearsafter just 61 years

550 m550 m

Investigations of Chemosynthetic Communities on the Lower Continental

Slope of the Gulf of Mexico

Chemo III 2005-2009NOAA OE Partnership

15 days Alvin time 200615 Days ROV/AUV 2007

Extension of previous Chemo I and II studies to full depth (deeper than 1,000 m) Combination of known community research and exploration for new sites

February 2004

Chevron/Texaco discovery

Alaminos Canyon Block 818

2,700 m

Ultra-Deepwater Program: Continued Investigations of Northern Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Hard-Bottom Communities with Emphasis on Lophelia Coral

Lophelia II 2007-2009

Lophelia I study is ongoing and very successful with limited field sampling time

Lophelia II will answer questions and new directions for study

Ultra-Deepwater Program: Gulf of Mexico Integrated Deepwater Ecology Synthesis

Ecosystem-based approach tying all deep Gulf habitats

Use all previous Gulf studies (startup after Chemo III)

New field sampling to fill gaps; some examples: Seep community interactions with surrounding habitats (e.g., carbon

flux to benthos from megafauna; pelagic methanotrophic bacteria rain from gas seeps)

Deepwater current data gaps (important for larval dispersal) Satellite imagery integrated to both physical and biological processes Gaps in carbon flux understanding (hotspots) Water column work (e.g. pigments, benthic/pelagic coupling, mid-water

biota)

Inclusion of southern Gulf of Mexico Collaboration with Mexican Government and academia for studies,

sample, and data exchange

New Archaeological Studies

Evaluation of Visual Impacts on Historic Properties (a study about the visual impacts that will occur as a result of alternative energy development along the Atlantic seaboard)

Investigation for Potential Spanish Shipwrecks in Ultra-deepwater

GOADS Studies

Purpose: To assess the potential impacts of air pollutant emissions from sources on the Outer Continental Shelf

Four MMS OCS Emissions Inventory Studies: 2000 Breton Inventory 2000 Gulfwide Inventory 2005 Gulfwide Inventory 2008 Gulfwide Inventory (ongoing)

Detailed Emissions Data for: All OCS oil and gas production-related sources in the Gulf of Mexico Platform and non-platform sources, such as support vessels Criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases Including spatial allocation of emissions

Proposed Studies for FY 2009

Alternative Energy Project Scenarios and Local Community Issues (SS) Continued Monitoring of Industry Compliance, Biological Sampling, and National

Register of Historic Places Evaluations of Submerged Sites on the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (SS)

Gulf Coast Communities and the Offshore Petroleum Industry: A Comparative Community Study (SS)

Investigation for Potential Spanish Shipwrecks in Ultra-Deepwater (SS Investigation of Potentially Sensitive Biological Features Surrounding Shelf-Edge

Topographic Banks in the Northern GoM (Habitat & Ecology) Long-term Effects of Oil and Gas Activities on the Mississippi-Alabama-Florida Shelf Reanalysis of Available MMS Databases for New Insights (PO) Socioeconomic Effects of the Offshore Petroleum Industry on Urban Communities

(SS) Sperm Whale Acoustic Prey Study (SWAPS) (MM) Understanding Current and Projected Gulf OCS Labor Needs (SS)

Available Information on GOM ESP

Annual Studies Development Plans Profiles with updates of ongoing studies Final study’s reports in pdf All these available on our website:

http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/studiesprogram.html