1. MMS Gulf of Mexico OCS Environmental Studies Plans for the Gulf of Mexico Lars Herbst MMS Regional Director Gulf of Mexico OCS Region

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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)

6. 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)

7. MMS’ Gulf Database of Currents

9. 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 Gulfpenn Sank in 1942 Extensive Lophelia coral colonies after just 61 years 550 m

10. Investigations of Chemosynthetic Communities on the Lower Continental Slope of the Gulf of Mexico Chemo III 2005-2009 NOAA OE Partnership  15 days Alvin time 2006  15 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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)

16. 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/e nviron/studiesprogram.html