Ocean Research Environmental Studies Program

Our Story

Vision: Excellence and Professionalism in Providing Environmental Information for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.

Mission: To provide the information needed to predict, assess, and manage impacts from offshore energy and marine mineral exploration, development, and production activities on human, marine, and coastal environments.

The Environmental Studies Program (ESP) was initiated in 1973 to support the U.S. Department of the Interior's offshore oil and gas leasing program. Statutory authorization is derived primarily from the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), as amended, and the National Environmental Policy Act. Section 20 of the OCSLA authorizes the ESP and establishes three general goals for the program:

	to establish the information needed for assessment and management of environmental impacts on the human, marine, and coastal environments of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and the potentially affected coastal areas;
	to predict impacts on the marine biota which may result from chronic, low-level pollution or large spills associated with OCS production, from drilling fluids and cuttings discharges, pipeline emplacement, or onshore facilities; and
	to monitor human, marine, and coastal environments to provide time series and data trend information for identification of significant changes in the quality and productivity of these environments, and to identify the causes of these changes.

In addition to the specific mandates identified, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 added responsibilities for offshore renewable energy projects and alternate use of existing structures. Information collected through the program also addresses other laws including the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Clean Air Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and the Clean Water Act, to name a few.

The broad spectrum of research and monitoring undertaken through the ESP contributes to BOEMRE mission and long-term DOI goals focusing on environmentally sound development of our Nation’s energy and mineral resources. The ESP works hard to maximize cooperative efforts with other Federal programs involved with marine environmental research and data collection. The BOEMRE has provided cooperative funding for many projects conducted by other agencies with missions involving specific components of marine ecosystems. BOEMRE research has consistently been recognized for excellence in partnering with the DOI Cooperative Conservation Awards, and the National Oceanographic Partnership Program Excellence Awards.

The ESP Strategic Plan addresses a wide variety of environmental concerns and issues – all premised on environmentally sound management of offshore energy and mineral resources. It complements and builds upon broader strategic plans that set Agencywide policies and directions. The research is geographically diverse, ranging from the Atlantic to the sub-tropical Gulf of Mexico and the California offshore to the Alaska arctic offshore. Current research themes and technology issues in the BOEMRE ESP include:

	Archaeological Resource Protection Studies to evaluate the locations of archaeological sites, evaluate the historic significance, and protect the sites from damage by offshore energy activities.
	Biological Studies to investigate the sea bed and the organisms inhabiting it (benthic ecology), fisheries, non-protected marine birds and other species, and marine ecological monitoring.
	Deep-Sea Ecosystems Studies to address the expansion of oil and gas activities in the deeper waters of the OCS, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico where unique biological communities thrive.
	Monitoring Marine Environments to evaluate the effects from offshore energy activities as they occur and ensure that appropriate protective measures are effective.
	Impacts of Ocean Noise on Marine Life to determine the types of noise generated from offshore energy activities, such as seismic surveys and pile driving, and to develop protective measures to minimize the effects.
	Meteorology and Air Quality Studies to characterize and quantify emissions of air pollutants generated on the OCS, to examine the transport and dispersion of these emissions in the atmosphere, and to evaluate their effects on air quality onshore.
	Climate Change Related Research includes many of the past and ongoing studies used to characterize the marine environment including sea ice extent, distribution of marine species, and direct meteorological measurements
	Archaeological Resource Protection Studies to evaluate the locations of archaeological sites, evaluate the historic significance, and protect the sites from damage by offshore energy activities.
	Protected Species Studies to meet information needs, including the collection of data pertaining to the distribution and interrelationships of species protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, and the determination of the potential effects of offshore energy activities on these species.
	Social and Economic Impact Studies to conduct economic modeling efforts in support of the 5-year comprehensive offshore natural gas and oil leasing plan, to describe the economic and social systems of coastal residents, and to characterize and monitor the complex interactions between the economic and social systems and activities impacted by and associated with the offshore energy industries.
	Ocean Circulation and Environmental Modeling Studies to understand the dynamic processes of the ocean and the features that control the motion of the coastal and oceanic waters of the continental shelf, including modeling efforts for oil-spill risk analysis and interpretation of processes affecting biological populations and communities in the marine environment.
	Fates and Effects Studies to evaluate the physical-chemical and biological processes that affect the impacts of oil and gas drilling and production discharges, spilled oil, and oil dispersants on biological communities.
	Methane Hydrate Studies to determine the location of exposed methane hydrate on the seafloor and to study the unique communities associated with these outcrops.
	Other Special Studies and Analyses are designed to provide coverage of issues related to the Nation’s offshore energy and marine mineral resources on the OCS that do not appropriately fall into the topics described above. Examples include information management and dissemination, support of scientific conferences, information summaries and analyses, and reviews of the ESP by the National Academy of Sciences.

A principal goal of the BOEMRE's Offshore Energy and Minerals Management Program is to obtain environmental and technical engineering information that can be used to help assess the potential and real effects of the OCS oil and gas leasing program. The Technology Assessment and Research (TAR) Program and ESP achieve this by conducting interdisciplinary cooperative research projects. These joint efforts allow for a broader research scope and help to maximize the efficient use of the funds available for studies. The TAR Program supports research associated with operational safety and pollution prevention as well as oil spill response and cleanup capabilities. The program was established in the 1970's to ensure that industry operations on the OCS incorporated the use of the best available and safest technologies.

Regional Environmental Studies Programs

	Alaska Region
	Gulf of Mexico Region
	Pacific Region