Monitoring Marine Environments

Present and future marine environmental monitoring projects provide information needed for evaluating exploration and development/production plans for offshore oil and natural gas resources. Information from these projects is used to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of lease stipulations and other environmental mitigation measures.

Flower Garden Banks Long-Term Monitoring

The East and West Flower Garden Banks are topographic features that rise to within 60 feet of the water surface and are topped by assemblages of reef-building corals and associated tropical and subtropical organisms. The East Bank covers nearly 300 acres, the West Bank, 100 acres. They are located 120 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas, a hydrocarbon rich area of the Gulf of Mexico. Over 170 species of fish and about 300 species of reef invertebrates inhabit the banks. The colorful reefs and diversity of associated marine life are unique for their location, far north of where the majority of coral reefs are found. The East and West Flower Garden Banks are the northern most coral reefs on the continental shelf of North America. They were designated a National Marine Sanctuary in 1992.

The MMS has long supported and been involved in the intensive study of the Flower Garden Banks. Beginning in the early 1970s, MMS initiated a program to monitor changes in coral populations and growth, as well as to explore other factors associated with these reefs. A coordinated program of studies began with detailed mapping of the banks and photographic surveillance of the coral reef communities. It evolved into a program which described the geological structure of the features and surrounding sediment, characterized the physical oceanography, identified the biological communities, and described processes such as current movement and transport of sediment at the base of the banks. The effects of human activities such as recreational SCUBA activities and anchoring have been of interest as well.

	Assess the health of the coral reefs;
	Evaluate changes in coral population levels;
	Measure coral and algae cover and growth rates; and
	Investigate other community characteristics.

Aerial Surveys of Bowhead Whales

The bowhead whale, distinctive for its huge, comb-like baleen and thick blubber, migrates annually between the Canadian Beaufort Sea and the Bering Sea. This large whale is vitally important to subsistence hunters and coastal villages in Alaska that are located along the migration route. It is protected by laws of the United States and is considered an endangered species.

Each year, the MMS performs aerial surveys to watch for endangered whales in arctic waters. In the past, the MMS Bowhead Whale Aerial Survey Project used staff scientists to study the fall migration of bowheads across the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. Since 2007, the MMS has teamed with NOAA scientists to conduct the studies. Surveys are taken at about 1,500 feet from an aircraft that has bubble windows for good visibility. The aircraft flies along randomly chosen lines within established survey areas. Information about marine mammals sighted, such as the number of animals and their behavior, is recorded along with weather and ocean conditions. This information is entered into a computer on the aircraft. The computer is linked to the airplane's navigation equipment to tell where the plane is and how high it's flying whenever whales are spotted. The Project schedule is coordinated with Native groups to avoid disturbing their hunting activities and coordinated with other aircraft to ensure safe flying over dangerous Arctic waters. Information about where the whales are is sent daily from the field camp in Prudhoe Bay to Anchorage. This day-to-day information is shared with the National Marine Fisheries Service for its use in determining how the fall migration is going. The MMS then may restrict drilling and seismic exploration in areas to protect the whales. The Project also sends daily information about sea ice to the Naval Ice Center. Past reports and data summaries are available on the MMS website.

Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe)

The MMS has joined scientists from Federal, State, and local government agencies, universities, and private and volunteer organizations in a Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINE) to monitor important shoreline resources. The MMS, the County of Santa Barbara, UCSB, and the California Coastal Commission have been monitoring sites along the mainland since the early 1990's. The National Park Service has monitored the Channel Islands in the Santa Barbara Channel since the early 1980's, and Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego since 1990. Pacific Gas and Electric has supported monitoring of rocky intertidal sites in San Luis Obispo County for the past 20 years.

Key rocky intertidal habitats and species are sampled every fall and spring using a variety of methods. Mussels, sea stars, abalone, sea grass, acorn and goose neck barnacles, and several algal communities such as Pelvetia and Endocladia are among the key species and habitat types studied. Each site is videotaped to provide a comprehensive reconnaissance of the site. The sites are spaced about every 10-15 miles along the mainland, and along key intertidal benches on the islands, providing excellent geographic coverage. The information generated by monitoring is used by the various agencies and organizations to assess environmental effects, manage natural resources, and aid coastal planning efforts. Continuous monitoring provides resource managers with early warnings of abnormal conditions, allowing for the possibility of reduction of environmental effects.