MMS ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM: ONGOING STUDIES
MMS OCS Region: Pacific
Title: Early Development of Fouling Communities on Offshore Oil Platforms (PC-SCEI-1)
Total Cost: $198,000 Period of Performance: FY 1999-2002
Conducting Organization: University of California at Santa Barbara
MMS Contact: Dr. Ann S. Bull
Description:
Background
The intertidal and subtidal portions of offshore oil platforms provide hard attachment sites for a diverse community of invertebrates. Development of this "fouling community" can be very extensive with several factors affecting the rate of accumulation. The accumulation can increase the weight load on platform surface members and the frictional drag on the structure, necessitating periodic and costly removal. Furthermore, the dislodging of community members (faunal litterfall) creates a shell mound that may affect community development and provide food and habitat for benthic organisms and demersal fishes. Research commenced in April 1999 and is proceeding on schedule.
Objectives
  1. To characterize the recruitment and growth of invertebrates onto recently cleaned support members of two platforms;
  2. test the effect of several non-biological factors on community development;
  3. evaluate the importance of early colonizers on recruitment of later species; and
  4. determine the relationship between the fouling community and rates of faunal litterfall.
Methods
This study uses a number of well-established techniques (scrape and recovery, video and photoquadrat surveys, and settling plates) for determining the rates of accumulation and removal of biomass on platforms.
Importance to MMS
The information on the composition and rate of growth of biomass on platforms is useful in developing requirements for marine growth removal. Characterization of the process from a clean platform to a functioning ecosystem helps us to understand the value of platforms as marine habitat, and aid in consideration of decommissioning alternatives.
 
Current Status:
Fieldwork is completed.  The Principal Investigators are drafting the final report.
Final Report Due: Summer 2003
Publications: Manuscripts in Preparation:
Bram, J., H.M. Page and J. Dugan.  Temporal and depth effects on the early development of fouling assemblages on an offshore oil platform (in preparation).

Research Presentations:
Bram, J., H.M. Page and J. Dugan.  2000.  Early development of subtidal invertebrate assemblages on offshore oil platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel.  Western Society of Naturalists, Monterey Bay, CA, December 2000.

Bram, J., H.M. Page and J. Dugan.  2001.  Early development of subtidal invertebrate assemblages on offshore oil platforms in the in the Santa Barbara Channel.  Western Society of Naturalists, Ventura, CA, November 2000.
Affiliated WWW Sites:
Revised date: April 2003
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