Notes

Slide Show

Outline

1	Minerals Management Service Regional Priorities and Environmental Information Needs: Gulf of Mexico OCS Region Pasquale F. Roscigno, PhD Chief, Environmental Sciences Section Gulf of Mexico Region
2	OCS Oil, Gas and Minerals The Environmental Studies Program provides information needed to predict, assess, and manage impacts from offshore exploration, development , and production activities on human, marine, and coastal environments.
3	Current Information Needs Platform Removal Hydrates Deepwater Corals Chemosynthetic Communities Protected and Endangered Species
4	Platform Removal Concern about dismantling of the world’s largest artificial reef system Accelerating lease abandonment activities Expanding artificial reef programs Resolving value of artificial reefs in deepwater
5	Rigs to Reef The MMS supports the reuse of obsolete structures as reefs. Plan must comply with in the National Artificial Reef Plan and the State’s permitting requirements. The State must accept liability for the structure before the MMS will release the platform.
6	Hydrates Potential energy source Understand hydrates and seafloor stability Understand hydrates and chemosynthetic communities
7	Accelerated OCS Activities in Deepwater Deepwater Corals Sensitivity to OCS Activities Chemosynthetic Communities in the Deepest Parts of the Gulf Protected & Endangered Species
8	Deepwater Corals: Planned Study FY 2003 Deepwater Corals Sensitivity to OCS Activities Deepwater Corals and Their Role as Foundation Species for Deepwater Communities
9	Chemosynthetic Communities in Deepwater of the Gulf: Proposed FY 2005 Slow growth rate. Communities change rapidly over short distances. Levels of natural oil & gas seepage is great. Mussel communities are short-lived. Structure of chemosynthetic communities are similar world-wide.
10	Protective and Endangered Species: Ongoing Study
11	Protected and Endangered Species Research
12	FY 2004 Proposed NSL Literature Search and Data Synthesis of Biological Information for use in Management Decisions Concerning Decommissioning Year 2005 Gulfwide Emissions Inventory Study Synthesis of Physical and Geological Oceanography Knowledge from 1970 to Present Information Transfer Meetings and other Workshops Reanalysis of Available MMS Databases for New Insights Exploratory Integrated Modeling of a Coastal Ecosystem Petroleum-Involved Ports and Port Communities: An Assessment of Ports, Their Activities, and Their Economic and Social Effects on Related Communities
13	Literature Search and Data Synthesis of Biological Information for use in Management Decisions Concerning Decommissioning: Proposed FY 2004
14	Year 2005 Gulfwide Emissions Inventory Study: Proposed FY 2004
15	Synthesis of Physical and Geological Oceanography Knowledge from 1970 to Present: Proposed Study FY 2004
16	Information Transfer Meetings and other Workshops: Proposed FY 2004
17	Reanalysis of Available MMS Databases for New Insights: Proposed FY 2004
18	Exploratory Integrated Modeling of a Coastal Ecosystem: Proposed FY 2004
19	Petroleum-Involved Ports and Port Communities: An Assessment of Ports, Their Activities, and Their Economic and Social Effects on Related Communities: Proposed FY 2004
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