# *Cliff Notes* {#cliff-notes .Style4}

# Alaska Region Ranking of Proposed Studies for FY 2004 NSL  {#alaska-region-ranking-of-proposed-studies-for-fy-2004-nsl .Style4}

+-----+---------+--------------------------------------------+--------+
| >   | > **    | > **Title**                                | **     |
| **P | Topic** |                                            | Rank** |
| age | >       |                                            |        |
| > \ | > *     |                                            |        |
| #** | *\*\*** |                                            |        |
+-----+---------+--------------------------------------------+--------+
| 21  | PO      | Surface Circulation Radar Mapping in       | High   |
|     |         | Alaskan Coastal Waters: Field Study        |        |
|     |         | Beaufort Sea and Cook Inlet                |        |
+-----+---------+--------------------------------------------+--------+
| 23  | FE      | Improvements in the Fault Tree Approach to | H      |
|     |         | Oil Spill                                  | ighest |
|     |         |                                            |        |
|     |         | Occurrence Estimators for the Beaufort and |        |
|     |         | Chukchi Seas                               |        |
+-----+---------+--------------------------------------------+--------+
| 25  | FE      | Empirical Weathering Properties of Oil in  | Higher |
|     |         | Snow and Ice                               |        |
+-----+---------+--------------------------------------------+--------+
| 27  | BIO     | Workshop and Field Evaluation of Bird      | H      |
|     |         | Hazing/Deterrent Techniques                | ighest |
+-----+---------+--------------------------------------------+--------+
| 29  | PS      | Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Whales in   | H      |
|     |         | Lower Cook Inlet                           | ighest |
+-----+---------+--------------------------------------------+--------+
| 31  | PS      | Survey of Steller's Eiders Wintering in    | H      |
|     |         | Lower Cook Inlet                           | ighest |
+-----+---------+--------------------------------------------+--------+
| 33  | PS      | Movements and Habitat Use of Harbor Seals  | Higher |
|     |         | in Cook Inlet                              |        |
+-----+---------+--------------------------------------------+--------+
| 35  | PS      | Review and Monitoring Ambient Artificial   | High   |
|     |         | Light Intensity in the OCS and the         |        |
|     |         | Potential for Effects on Resident Fauna    |        |
+-----+---------+--------------------------------------------+--------+
| 37  | SE      | Communicating Agency Goals and Processes   | High   |
|     |         | with Alaskan Coastal Communities           |        |
+-----+---------+--------------------------------------------+--------+
| \   |         |                                            |        |
| *\* |         |                                            |        |
| PO  |         |                                            |        |
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| Oce |         |                                            |        |
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| gra |         |                                            |        |
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| ate |         |                                            |        |
| &   |         |                                            |        |
| Eff |         |                                            |        |
| ect |         |                                            |        |
| BIO |         |                                            |        |
| =   |         |                                            |        |
| B   |         |                                            |        |
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| ogy |         |                                            |        |
|     |         |                                            |        |
| PS  |         |                                            |        |
| =   |         |                                            |        |
| Pro |         |                                            |        |
| tec |         |                                            |        |
| ted |         |                                            |        |
| S   |         |                                            |        |
| pec |         |                                            |        |
| ies |         |                                            |        |
| SE  |         |                                            |        |
| =   |         |                                            |        |
| Soc |         |                                            |        |
| ial |         |                                            |        |
| &   |         |                                            |        |
| Ec  |         |                                            |        |
| ono |         |                                            |        |
| mic |         |                                            |        |
| OT  |         |                                            |        |
| =   |         |                                            |        |
| Ot  |         |                                            |        |
| her |         |                                            |        |
+-----+---------+--------------------------------------------+--------+

####### Surface Circulation Radar Mapping in Alaskan Coastal Waters: Field Study Beaufort Sea and Cook Inlet {#surface-circulation-radar-mapping-in-alaskan-coastal-waters-field-study-beaufort-sea-and-cook-inlet .Profile}

Over the past 25 years, oceanographic radar techniques have been
developed and improved so that detailed, gridded, 2-dimensional maps of
surface circulation can be provided and recorded in real time. Currents
would play a critical role in the transport and fate of spilled oil, but
there is paucity of direct circulation measurements in some areas of the
Beaufort Sea and Cook Inlet. Current meters provide only data at
specific points and not at the water surface, where the oil would be.
These radar techniques provide a measured equivalent of a gridded
circulation model and can be used as input to and validation for oil
spill trajectory models.

Several entities have expressed interest in using circulation mapping
radar techniques in Alaskan coastal waters. The radar units are
expensive and cost and use-sharing rental agreements among multiple
users is a preferred approach. This proposed effort would be to
implement the Beaufort Sea and Cook Inlet radar mapping strategies.

####### Improvements in the Fault Tree Approach to Oil Spill Occurrence Estimators for the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas {#improvements-in-the-fault-tree-approach-to-oil-spill-occurrence-estimators-for-the-beaufort-and-chukchi-seas .Profile}

The MMS has been estimating the likelihood of Arctic oil spills in
Alaska OCS Region for a quarter century, mostly based on what has
happened elsewhere on the OCS. Now that Arctic OCS oil production is
occurring, the methodology and validity of the MMS spill estimates used
for Arctic OCS areas are increasingly questioned by other government
agencies, the public, and oil industry. The standard U.S. Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS) historical platform and pipeline crude oil spill
estimates are based on the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific OCS experience.
This spill record does not include pipeline spills inshore of the OCS,
in State waters, or on land. The MMS Alaska OCS Region is examining
spill occurrence based on Regional considerations, such as Alaska North
Slope and Arctic Canada rather than on the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific
OCS experience. It is also desirous to include all major pipeline
spills, both onshore and offshore, in environmental risk assessment. The
first step in this process was a prior study that collated available
information on crude and diesel spills of at least 100 bbl from the oil
industry in the Alaska North Slope and Arctic Canada; and that estimated
provisional occurrence rates for use in the nearshore Beaufort Sea OCS.
A second step in this process was developing fault tree estimates of
spill occurrence taking into account (1) differences in risk factors
between the Arctic and Gulf of Mexico OCS and (2) Arctic-specific
factors. The objective of this proposed effort is to improve the initial
fault tree model approach by: generating additional model validation and
statistical measures from oil spill statistical data; providing MMS with
fault tree scenarios for ongoing environmental assessment; and providing
MMS with user-friendly software to develop scenario-specific fault tree
oil spill occurrence estimates for future environmental assessment.

####### Empirical Weathering Properties of Oil in Snow and Ice {#empirical-weathering-properties-of-oil-in-snow-and-ice .Profile}

Oil spill weathering models are used in National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) analysis as well as Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency
Plans (ODPCPs). The results of these models are used to estimate impacts
in NEPA analysis as well as pre-planning for oil spill response. A
modest amount of work in the field was done in the 1970's and 1980's on
order physics for oil weathering in ice. Additional studies have
continued in the laboratory in the late 1980's and 1990's, but were
generally limited to low viscosity, low pour-point oils. We now know
that oil weathering is strongly dependent on the specific chemical
composition and characteristics of individual crudes. The physical and
chemical data required by modern state-of-the-art models are scarce, of
poor quality, or nonexistent for oil-ice interaction. Such models,
therefore, ignore the more difficult aspects of oil-in-ice weathering.
Sophisticated measurement techniques currently available would enable
precise measurements regarding oil evaporation, spreading, and
dispersion in ice (as well as on ice) as a function of oil type and
chemistry. This study would, for low and high pour-point oils, measure
emulsification, evaporation, dispersion, spreading, slick thickness, and
oil composition in an ice field and snow on top of sea ice; develop a
database on oil weathering in ice fields for use in model validation;
and use these data, in concert with other oil-ice weathering data, to
validate and enhance or develop new algorithms of oil weathering in ice.

####### Workshop and Field Evaluation of Bird Hazing/Deterrent Techniques {#workshop-and-field-evaluation-of-bird-hazingdeterrent-techniques .Profile}

Despite cleaning and rehabilitation efforts associated with oil spills,
most oiled birds do not survive. Prevention of contact with spilled oil
would avoid this mortality and the expense of operating an avian
treatment facility that invariably is associated with a major oil spill.
The Wildlife Protection Guidelines for Alaska within the State/Federal
Unified Response Plan identifies hazing wildlife away from and deterring
entry into a spill area as secondary response strategies for minimizing
oil effects. However, none of these have been rigorously tested under
specific biological, oceanographic, or climatic conditions that would
prevail if an oil spill occurred in the Beaufort Sea. Thus, the primary
goals of this proposed study are to: a) hold a workshop whose
participants will review currently-used or potential bird hazing methods
and design a field testing protocol for hazing devices/methods; and b)
conduct field tests of the effectiveness of the devices and techniques
in the Beaufort Sea.

####### Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Whales in Lower Cook Inlet {#passive-acoustic-monitoring-of-whales-in-lower-cook-inlet .Profile}

There are numerous species of cetaceans that can occur within or near
the proposed Cook Inlet Lease Sale area. However, for all of these
species, there is considerable uncertainty about their patterns of use
of these areas. Some species of cetaceans may be adversely affected by
activities associated with OCS oil and gas. For example, underwater
noise associated with industry activities may cause some species or some
segments of some species of whales to avoid areas where exploration is
occurring. Additionally, other types of activity associated with oil and
gas development may disturb, and modify the behavior of, whales. While
the sensitivity of cetaceans to large and very large oil spills is not
well-studied, oil spills could potentially have adverse effects on, or
even result in the death of, cetaceans that surfaced in fresh oil and
that inhaled high concentrations of volatile components of crude oil. In
the proposed study, passive acoustic monitoring would be used to
estimate the seasonal patterns of use of the proposed Cook Inlet
Multi-sale area by both toothed and baleen threatened and endangered
cetaceans.

####### Survey of Steller's Eiders Wintering in Lower Cook Inlet {#survey-of-stellers-eiders-wintering-in-lower-cook-inlet .Profile}

In 1997, the Alaska-breeding population of the Steller's eider was
listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The decision to
list was based on the observed substantial decrease in the nesting range
of Steller's eiders breeding in Alaska, the overall reduction in numbers
of Steller's eiders nesting in Alaska, and the increased vulnerability
of the remaining breeding population to extinction. Steller's eiders
that breed in northern Alaska and Russia winter in the lower Cook Inlet,
but the distribution and abundance of the species is currently
uncertain. Moreover, the relative proportion of birds wintering in Cook
Inlet from the Russian population versus the threatened Alaska
population in not known. The objectives of this proposed study are to:
identify locations important to Steller's eiders wintering in lower Cook
Inlet; understand temporal variation in Steller's eiders winter use of
the waters in lower Cook Inlet; and estimate numbers of Steller's eiders
wintering in lower Cook Inlet.

####### Movements and Habitat Use of Harbor Seals in Cook Inlet {#movements-and-habitat-use-of-harbor-seals-in-cook-inlet .Profile}

In recent decades, the abundance of harbor seals has declined at several
Alaskan locations. The significance and causes of these declines are
unknown, but concern is rising about the present and future status of
Alaska harbor seal populations, most notably in the Gulf of Alaska.
Because of the proximity of the declining populations to Cook Inlet, and
the inherent vulnerability of harbor seals to spilled oil, it is
particularly important to assess the potential impacts of oil and gas
activities on the harbor seal population in the Cook Inlet Region. The
general goal of this study is to employ satellite telemetry to document
the movements, foraging behavior, and habitat use of harbor seals in
Cook Inlet. This study will provide valuable information about a harbor
seal population (or populations) that is used for subsistence by local
Alaska Natives and that is exhibiting a trend toward seriously declining
abundance. This proposed study augments the ongoing MMS study entitled,
"Distribution and Abundance of Harbor Seals" by providing a correction
factor and other information on the distribution and behavior of seals
away from established haul-outs.

####### Review and Monitoring Ambient Artificial Light Intensity in the OCS and the Potential for Effects on Resident Fauna. {#review-and-monitoring-ambient-artificial-light-intensity-in-the-ocs-and-the-potential-for-effects-on-resident-fauna. .Profile}

Little study has been made of the introduction of artificial light into
the formerly dark habitat of numerous species of marine invertebrates,
fish, waterbirds, and mammals. These include a number of protected
marine mammals that live in, or migrate through, potentially
artificially lighted habitat. However, at a recent interagency
coordination meeting a representative of NOAA Fisheries raised the issue
of potential conflict between lighting strategies and other marine life.
The proposed study will address the issue of artificial light in the
dark arctic by establishing a light monitoring program, and will lay
groundwork for studies of ecological effects of increasing artificial
lighting at several trophic levels. Information from this study will
potentially be useful for evaluating the effects of post-lease
development on various protected or endangered species. If ambient light
is found to have effects on these, or other, local fauna, mitigation
measures could be designed and initiated.

**Communicating Agency Goals and Processes with Alaskan Coastal
Communities**

MMS written communication efforts with local stakeholder groups do not
always achieve the desired results of instilling broad confidence in OCS
management decisions. There are a number of generic problems inherent in
communicating with the public that stem from the uncertainties of
environmental assessment, ambiguities of language, unfamiliar regulatory
processes, and longstanding issues of trust that interfere with public
understanding. These obstacles can be further magnified by social and
cultural discrepancies between local residents of a planning area and
the agency experts who conduct regulatory functions. The proposed
research would specifically investigate new methods of MMS written
communication efforts in selected coastal communities through
pilot-testing a series of carefully prepared "newsletters" on targeted
focus groups. If specific written communication problems can be
identified through controlled prototype testing, the study would then
seek to provide both a rationale and a method to explore potential
changes in future agency communications.

# *Cliff Notes* {#cliff-notes-1 .Style4}

# Alaska Region Proposed Studies for FY 2005 NSL {#alaska-region-proposed-studies-for-fy-2005-nsl .Style4}

+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| **P | *    | **Title**                                               |
| age | *Top |                                                         |
| \   | ic** |                                                         |
| #** |      |                                                         |
|     | **\* |                                                         |
|     | \*** |                                                         |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 41  | PO   | Mapping Sea Ice Overflood Using Remote Sensing from     |
|     |      | Smith Bay to Camden Bay                                 |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 43  | PO   | Hydrological Modeling along the Alaskan Arctic Coast    |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 45  | PO   | Norton Basin Planning Area Circulation and Oil Spill    |
|     |      | Trajectory Model                                        |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 47  | PO   | Update Digital Interactive Climatic Atlases             |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 49  | FE   | Worst-Case Blowout Occurrence Estimators for the Alaska |
|     |      | OCS                                                     |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 51  | BIO  | Cook Inlet Pollock Migration                            |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 53  | PS   | Joint Funding Opportunities in Existing Marine Bird or  |
|     |      | Marine Mammal Studies                                   |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 55  | PS   | Bowhead Whale Feeding in the Central and Western        |
|     |      | Alaskan Beaufort Sea                                    |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 57  | PS   | Influence of Climatic and Environmental Factors on      |
|     |      | Polar Bear Distribution on the North Slope of Alaska    |
|     |      | During Fall                                             |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 59  | SE   | Collection of Traditional Knowledge of the Cook Inlet   |
|     |      | and Shelikof Strait                                     |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 61  | SE   | Sociological and Visual Documentation and Analysis of   |
|     |      | the Bowhead Whale Subsistence Hunt                      |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 63  | OT   | Mapping of Ice Gouge and Strudel Scour Density for the  |
|     |      | Beaufort Sea Utilizing Existing Data                    |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 65  | OT   | GIS Internet Map Server (ARCIMS) Web Site for the MMS   |
|     |      | Sub-sea Physical Environmental Database (SPED)          |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 67  | M    | Cumulative Effect of Offshore and Onshore Oil and Gas   |
|     | ULTI | Development on the Beaufort Sea Environment             |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| \   |      |                                                         |
| *\* |      |                                                         |
| PO  |      |                                                         |
| =   |      |                                                         |
| Ph  |      |                                                         |
| ysi |      |                                                         |
| cal |      |                                                         |
| Oce |      |                                                         |
| ano |      |                                                         |
| gra |      |                                                         |
| phy |      |                                                         |
| FE  |      |                                                         |
| =   |      |                                                         |
| F   |      |                                                         |
| ate |      |                                                         |
| &   |      |                                                         |
| Eff |      |                                                         |
| ect |      |                                                         |
| BIO |      |                                                         |
| =   |      |                                                         |
| B   |      |                                                         |
| iol |      |                                                         |
| ogy |      |                                                         |
|     |      |                                                         |
| PS  |      |                                                         |
| =   |      |                                                         |
| Pro |      |                                                         |
| tec |      |                                                         |
| ted |      |                                                         |
| S   |      |                                                         |
| pec |      |                                                         |
| ies |      |                                                         |
| SE  |      |                                                         |
| =   |      |                                                         |
| Soc |      |                                                         |
| ial |      |                                                         |
| &   |      |                                                         |
| Ec  |      |                                                         |
| ono |      |                                                         |
| mic |      |                                                         |
| OT  |      |                                                         |
| =   |      |                                                         |
| Ot  |      |                                                         |
| her |      |                                                         |
|     |      |                                                         |
| MU  |      |                                                         |
| LTI |      |                                                         |
| =   |      |                                                         |
| Mu  |      |                                                         |
| lti |      |                                                         |
| dis |      |                                                         |
| cip |      |                                                         |
| lin |      |                                                         |
| ary |      |                                                         |
+-----+------+---------------------------------------------------------+

####### Mapping Sea Ice Overflood Using Remote Sensing from Smith Bay to Camden Bay  {#mapping-sea-ice-overflood-using-remote-sensing-from-smith-bay-to-camden-bay .Profile}

MMS has limited spatial and temporal information on rivers overflooding
the nearshore sea ice in spring. The most recent work focused on
overflood of the Sagavairiktok River in the vicinity of the proposed
Liberty prospect. There are also three years of overflood data for the
Kuparuk River in the vicinity of Northstar. Landsat Imagery has been
collected and archived at the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute
for the Beaufort Sea. With the advent of development in the Beaufort Sea
this type of information is needed to address issues regarding pipeline
routing and facility siting. The objectives of this project are to
produce a time series depicting the spatial distribution of river water
overflooding the landfast ice adjacent to the Beaufort sea coast where
exploration and development may occur. A second objective is to quantify
the relationship between stream flow and ice damming for the
Sagavanirktok and Kuparuk rivers, and the aerial extent of overflooding
on the landfast ice adjacent to those rivers

####### Hydrological Modeling along the Alaskan Arctic Coast {#hydrological-modeling-along-the-alaskan-arctic-coast .Profile}

There is a strong need to focus on hydrological observations and
processes to determine river runoff along the Arctic coast. The fresh
water input is important locally for several reasons: it controls
breakup of nearshore ice; it may affect timing of release of
particulates (or spilled oil, if present) from landfast ice; and it
defines the water mass properties and dynamics of the nearshore shelf,
particularly within or near barrier islands. Changes in the timing and
amounts of river runoff to the arctic shelves may have an effect on the
circulation. Hydrologic work has been done in the Kuparuk River
watershed, but this is a small portion of the entire Arctic coast, and
has focused on understanding the fundamental hydrological processes in
this smaller watershed. The objective of this project is to develop a
hydrological model of river runoff that would be incorporated into a
general circulation model. The model would incorporate the first order
hydrological processes to estimate river runoff into the Arctic Ocean
primarily along the Beaufort Sea coast. The incorporation of river
runoff into a general circulation model is important to advance
prediction of the current fields in the nearshore region. Since very few
rivers along the Arctic coast have gauges, it is important to develop a
physically based hydrologic model that can be used to predict the
temporal variation river runoff.

####### Norton Basin Planning Area Circulation and Oil Spill Trajectory Model {#norton-basin-planning-area-circulation-and-oil-spill-trajectory-model .Profile}

MMS does not have a functional oil spill trajectory model for the Norton
Basin Planning Area. Previous MMS contractors did develop circulation
and oil spill trajectory models for the northern Bering Sea and Norton
Basin Planning Area in the late 1970's through the late 1980's, but
these models are no longer functional, available to MMS, or state-of-the
art. The objective of this proposed study is to provide MMS with
circulation modeling capabilities specific to the Norton Basin Planning
Area. This objective may be accomplished by providing one of the
following: ocean circulation fields, a usable in-house circulation
model, or in-house stochastic oil spill trajectory or fate (trajectory
plus weathering) modeling capabilities/tools.

**Update Digital Interactive Climatic Atlases\
**This proposed study would update and improve existing climatic atlases
that will be a decade old. These atlases cover all planning areas in the
Gulf of Alaska and the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas. Improvements
will be made in digital accessibility of data and consolidation of
existing data. Although more than a fourfold number of marine data above
65oNorth Latitude were available in 1987 than for the same area in the
1977 atlas, the data amount remained inadequate to permit a detailed
analysis by meteorologists or by computer-contouring routines.

Historical climatic data exist at the National Climatic Data Center in
two Comprehensive Ocean Atmosphere Data Set files. The MMS has climatic
data that have been summarized statistically by month in paper format
updated to 1984. The primary MMS need is for an electronic rather than a
paper climatic atlas. Paper climatic data are no longer fully adequate
to meet MMS and other user needs. The data will be used for
oceanographic modeling efforts and to interpret the occurrence of
biological data collected under the studies plan. MMS analysts use the
current paper atlas data in describing the environment and setting the
initial parameters for oil-spill-weathering models. MMS and others use
the data for oil-spill-contingency planning.

####### Worst-Case Blowout Occurrence Estimators for the Alaska OCS {#worst-case-blowout-occurrence-estimators-for-the-alaska-ocs .Profile}

The MMS has used the historical spill record on the OCS primarily as an
indicator of future spill occurrence rates. These data are supplemented
in other ways, for example by engineering and fault tree studies of
spill risk. Often as part of environmental assessments, MMS is tasked
with providing analysis and probability of what at varying times has
been known as a worst case, catastrophic case, large-spill case, or
very-large-low-probability case spill. These low-probability statistics
cannot be provided by MMS Field Operations or Resource Evaluation
offices. In response to this issue, the MMS Technology Assessment and
Research Program initiated a study in 2000 to estimate worst case
pipeline spills, primarily for the Gulf of Mexico, and considered, but
was unable to extend that study to cover blowouts. This study would
similarly evaluate the probabilities of occurrence of blowouts larger
than have ever occurred on the U.S. OCS.

####### Cook Inlet Pollock Migration Study {#cook-inlet-pollock-migration-study .Profile}

The pollock fishery is the most important fishery in Alaska marine
waters. Pollock is also an important prey species of other fish and
marine mammals. Pollock is a key species in the marine ecosystem at
every life stage; it may prey on a species at one life stage and be
preyed upon by that species in another life stage. MMS must assess the
potential effects of oil spills on pollock and pollock habitats. Of
primary concern is where, and in what seasons, pollock might be
affected, but very little is known about migrations after the egg stage.
There may be an opportunity; however, to augment ongoing pollock fishery
research efforts with new satellite "pop-up" tagging technology. Being
able to use pop-up tag technology would allow tagging of fish during the
summer trawl surveys and follow the pollock through to the final life
stages to identify where and when they might be potentially affected by
oil spills. Thus, the objectives of this study are to: determine the
feasibility of using pop-up tags on Pollock; tag and release fish during
the biennial trawl test fishery; and download data and analyze migratory
movements through the annual cycle.

.

####### Joint Funding Opportunities in Existing Marine Bird or Marine Mammal Studies {#joint-funding-opportunities-in-existing-marine-bird-or-marine-mammal-studies .Profile}

The MMS periodically learns about relatively short-term, partnership
opportunities on existing marine bird or marine mammal studies initiated
or underway by other agencies. Such proposals range from funding
specific aspects of existing studies that are perceived to be of
interest to MMS to funding specific products that would be used by MMS
analysts. Some of these items address MMS issues and needs or would
provide data of use to MMS in GIS and other analyses or data that is
considered too narrow in scope to warrant a fully developed/funded MMS
study.

The purpose of this proposed effort is to establish a mechanism whereby
the Alaska Region may enter into joint funding arrangements with other
agencies to facilitate the acquisition of needed, small-scale scientific
information and/or scientific data.

####### Bowhead Whale Feeding in the Central and Western Alaskan Beaufort Sea {#bowhead-whale-feeding-in-the-central-and-western-alaskan-beaufort-sea .Profile}

An MMS study completed in 2002 estimated the extent to which the bowhead
whale population utilizes OCS areas in the eastern Alaskan Beaufort Sea
for feeding, as well as this area's importance to individual whales. In
2001 the National Marine Fisheries Service recommendation that MMS
continue to study "the use of the Beaufort Sea by feeding bowheads and
assess the importance of this feeding to the health and well being of
these animals." At annual workshops, the North Slope Borough has
consistently recommended that MMS expand the scope of the current
feeding study to include the entire Alaskan Beaufort Sea. This study
would repeat key components of the eastern Beaufort study in order to
characterize the importance of feeding habitat in the central and
western Alaskan Beaufort Sea. The overall goal of the study is to
estimate the distribution and relative importance of the central and
western Alaskan Beaufort Sea as feeding areas for bowhead whales. With
additional information on the importance of the study area to feeding
bowhead whales, alternative mitigation options for future Beaufort Sea
lease sales may be feasible.

####### Influence of Climatic and Environmental Factors on Polar Bear Distribution and Abundance on the North Slope of Alaska During the Fall {#influence-of-climatic-and-environmental-factors-on-polar-bear-distribution-and-abundance-on-the-north-slope-of-alaska-during-the-fall .Profile}

During the past 10 years there has been an increasing trend for
significant numbers of polar bear to occupy and use coastal habitats of
the Beaufort Sea for loafing and feeding. The period of increased
utilization is during the fall open water and early freeze up period.
Industry reports and monitoring data from the Prudhoe Bay area, resident
reports from Kaktovik, Barrow, and Nuiqsut, and aerial surveys of a
portion of the central Beaufort Sea that will be concluding this year
confirm the trend. These bears arrived months prior to formation of
annual pack ice and were stranded on land for up to eight weeks. Several
bears had to be killed in Barrow and Prudhoe Bay for human safety
reasons. Potential factors contributing to the apparent shift in
distribution of polar bears in this area at this time of year are not
fully understood but may include: climate change, environmental/physical
oceanographic factors associated with the development and position of
pack ice, and attraction and fidelity of polar bears to bowhead whaling
carcasses. The objective of this study is to estimate the distribution
and abundance of polar bears in the vicinity of coastal Alaska in the
Southern Beaufort Sea and Eastern Chukchi Sea area, and intra-annual
factors influencing their distribution and abundance.

####### Collection of Traditional Knowledge of the Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait {#collection-of-traditional-knowledge-of-the-cook-inlet-and-shelikof-strait .Profile}

Native peoples of Alaska have populated the coastal environments of Cook
Inlet and the Shelikof Strait for centuries, accumulating much knowledge
about the biological and physical environment of both the marine and
terrestrial ecosystems. Most of this knowledge has been passed on from
one generation to the next by word of mouth. Only a fraction of it has
been systematically recorded, and even less has been indexed. Much is
unavailable to the scientific community, even as public input
increasingly urges government agencies to incorporate traditional
knowledge in their documents. This effort would follow upon the
completion and evaluation of a similar project "*Collection of
Traditional Knowledge of the Alaska North Slope."* This project would
create an indexed annotated bibliography and abstracts of recorded
traditional knowledge sources. This database would help MMS better
address Executive Orders on Government-to-Government consultation and
Environmental Justice and facilitate incorporation of Native stakeholder
comments in planning, analysis, and decision-making processes.

####### Sociological and Visual Documentation and Analysis of the Bowhead Whale Subsistence Hunt {#sociological-and-visual-documentation-and-analysis-of-the-bowhead-whale-subsistence-hunt .Profile}

The Beaufort Sea bowhead whale subsistence hunt has a centuries-long
history and continues to be an important organizing feature of life in
Alaskan North Slope villages. The technology with which the hunt is
implemented is continually changing, but its basic aspects and
associated social practices have remained relatively constant over time.
Meanwhile, various other aspects of North Slope life have changed
dramatically during the last century. The objective of this study is to
provide a sociological and visual documentation of the subsistence whale
hunt as a baseline for impact analysis and, possibly, orientation for
oil and gas industry workers active in the Beaufort Sea OCS Planning
Area.

####### Mapping of Ice Gouge and Strudel Scour Density for the Beaufort Sea Utilizing Existing Data {#mapping-of-ice-gouge-and-strudel-scour-density-for-the-beaufort-sea-utilizing-existing-data .Profile}

Quantitative information on ice gouge and strudel scour are sparse to
non-existent in the Beaufort Sea. Ice gouge data was last collected on a
regional basis over twenty years ago when instrument and navigation
quality was less accurate than current technology. MMS has reviewed all
of the available ice gouge and strudel scour data for site-specific
surveys and development surveys in the Beaufort Sea. We have determined
that there are insufficient interpreted data to predict the occurrence,
extent and magnitude of these features. In addition, we do not know the
relationship between overflood limit and the occurrence of strudel scour
over most of the nearshore portions of the Beaufort Sea where offshore
oil and gas pipelines may be located in the future. The data sets
associated with magnitude of the occurrence of ice gouge and strudel
scour are critical in the evaluating the degree of risk associated the
building of pipelines to offshore fields in the Beaufort Sea.

####### GIS Internet Map Server (ARCIMS) Web Site for the MMS Sub-sea Physical Environmental Database (SPED) {#gis-internet-map-server-arcims-web-site-for-the-mms-sub-sea-physical-environmental-database-sped .Profile}

The Sub-sea Physical Environmental Database (SPED) for the Beaufort Sea,
Alaska OCS Region is a compilation of all the available sub-sea
environmental features. These features include the navigation,
bathymetry, isopach, structure, strudel scour, ice gouge, shallow gas,
Boulder Patch and borehole data. These data were collected by the oil
and gas industry for site-specific exploratory well surveys and for the
pipeline surveys over the last twenty years. The data are stored within
an ArcView/Access database and accessible by all MMS analysts. These
data are very useful to those companies who would want to participate in
an oil and gas lease sale in the Beaufort Sea but are unfamiliar with
the specific drilling and pipeline hazards there. The oil and gas
industry may also utilize these data to plan for proposed pipeline
surveys on their existing units or leased areas. Current companies
planning large projects in the Beaufort Sea such as the proposed Natural
Gas Pipeline Project can utilize these data products for planning and
comparison purposes. The objectives of this proposed effort would
provide internet mapping capability within the Alaska OCS Region for
SPED; provide access to the existing geohazard and geotechnical reports
found in SPED; and provide query tools with ARCIMS to query the
available information contained with the SPED. Connecting the SPED to
our customer base will provide them with better decisions making tools
which will affect their future participation in the Beaufort Sea,
whether it would be for future oil and gas activities, for research, or
for other purposes.

####### Cumulative Effects of Offshore and Onshore Oil and Gas Development on the Beaufort Sea Environment {#cumulative-effects-of-offshore-and-onshore-oil-and-gas-development-on-the-beaufort-sea-environment .Profile}

Both offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration, development, and
production activities are increasing across Alaska's North Slope.
Coastal indigenous peoples are particularly concerned about the
cumulative effects on onshore developments at the Kuparuk, Alpine, and
Prudhoe Bay and potential NPRA oil fields in conjunction with offshore
developments at Liberty, Northstar, and possible upcoming offshore lease
sales. The objectives of this study are to: establish or augment
baseline data on the natural and cultural environment; estimate
cumulative effects of human interactions on Federal lands and resources;
estimate cumulative effects on marine ecosystems, values species, and
subsistence activity; and provide effective data management and sharing
capabilities. This study is important to MMS because cumulative oil and
gas activities are becoming an increasing concern.