**MINERALS MANAGEMENT ADVISORY BOARD**

**Agenda for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)**

**Scientific Committee (SC) Meeting**

**Tuesday, April 22, 2003**

**Hilton Anchorage**

**Aleutian Room**

**Anchorage, Alaska**

+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
| 8:30 a.m. - 8:50 |   | Welcome and Introductions and the Passing of    |
| a.m.             |   | the Gavel                                       |
|                  |   |                                                 |
|                  |   | Dr. William Schroeder, Outgoing Chair, OCS SC   |
|                  |   | to Dr. Lynda                                    |
|                  |   |                                                 |
|                  |   | Shapiro, Incoming Chair, OCS SC                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
|                  |   |                                                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
| 8:50 a.m. - 9:15 |   | Director's Presentation                         |
| a.m.             |   |                                                 |
|                  |   | Mr. Robert LaBelle, Deputy Associate Director   |
|                  |   | for Offshore                                    |
|                  |   |                                                 |
|                  |   | Minerals Management and Acting Executive        |
|                  |   | Director of the OCS SC                          |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
|                  |   |                                                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
| 9:15 a.m. - 9:45 |   | Alaska OCS Regional Overview                    |
| a.m.             |   |                                                 |
|                  |   | Mr. John Goll, Director, MMS Alaska OCS Region  |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
|                  |   |                                                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
| 9:45 a.m. -      |   | Overview of the MMS Environmental Studies       |
| 10:15 a.m.       |   | Program                                         |
|                  |   |                                                 |
|                  |   | Dr. James Kendall, Chief, Environmental         |
|                  |   | Sciences Branch                                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
|                  |   |                                                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
| 10:15 a.m. -     |   | Break                                           |
| 10:30 a.m.       |   |                                                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
|                  |   |                                                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
| 10:30 a.m. -     |   | OCS Policy Committee Report                     |
| 10:50 a.m.       |   |                                                 |
|                  |   | Mr. Larry C. Schmidt, OCS Policy Committee      |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
|                  |   |                                                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
| 10:50 a.m. -     |   | Report from the OCS SC Mercury Subcommittee     |
| 11:15 a.m.       |   |                                                 |
|                  |   | Dr. Will Schroeder, Subcommittee Chair          |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
|                  |   |                                                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
| 11:15 a.m. -     |   | MMS Coastal Marine Institute (CMI) Initiative   |
| 11:30 a.m.       |   | Overview                                        |
|                  |   |                                                 |
|                  |   | Dr. James Kendall for Mr. Jim Cimato, MMS       |
|                  |   | Environmental Sciences                          |
|                  |   |                                                 |
|                  |   | Branch                                          |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
|                  |   |                                                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
| 11:30 a.m. --    |   | The Alaska Coastal Marine Institute, *Research  |
| 12:00 noon       |   | and Education*                                  |
|                  |   |                                                 |
|                  |   | Dr. Vera Alexander, Director                    |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
|                  |   |                                                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
| 12:00 noon --    |   | Overview of the Coastal Marine Institute,       |
| 12:30 p.m.       |   | Louisiana State University                      |
|                  |   |                                                 |
|                  |   | Mr. Larry Rouse, Director                       |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
|                  |   |                                                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+
| 12:30 noon -     |   | Lunch                                           |
| 1:50 p.m.        |   |                                                 |
+------------------+---+-------------------------------------------------+

**MINERALS MANAGEMENT ADVISORY BOARD**

**Agenda for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)**

**Scientific Committee (SC) Meeting**

**Tuesday, April 22, 2003**

**Hilton Anchorage**

**Anchorage, Alaska**

**Aleutian Room**

**(Afternoon Session)**

+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
| 1:50 p.m. -    |   | Regional Priorities and Environmental            |
| 4:45 p.m.      |   | Information Needs                                |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                  |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
| (1:50 - 2:40)  |   | MMS Sand & Gravel Environmental Studies          |
|                |   |                                                  |
|                |   | Mr. Barry Drucker, MMS Leasing Division          |
|                |   |                                                  |
|                |   | Comments on the Process for the Sand & Gravel    |
|                |   | Studies Program                                  |
|                |   |                                                  |
|                |   | Dr. Robert Diaz, Chair, OCS SC Sand & Gravel     |
|                |   | Subcommittee                                     |
|                |   |                                                  |
|                |   | Mr. Larry C. Schmidt, Chair, OCS Policy          |
|                |   | Committee Hard Minerals                          |
|                |   |                                                  |
|                |   | Subcommittee                                     |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                  |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
| (2:40 - 3:10)  |   | Alaska OCS Region                                |
|                |   |                                                  |
|                |   | Dr. Cleve Cowles, Chief, Environmental Studies   |
|                |   | Section                                          |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                  |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
| (3:10 - 3:30)  |   | Break                                            |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                  |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
| (3:30 - 4:00)  |   | Pacific OCS Region                               |
|                |   |                                                  |
|                |   | Dr. Fred Piltz, Senior Scientist, Office of      |
|                |   | Environmental Evaluation,                        |
|                |   |                                                  |
|                |   | Pacific OCS Region                               |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                  |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
| (4:00 - 4:45)  |   | Gulf of Mexico OCS Region                        |
|                |   |                                                  |
|                |   | Dr. Pat Roscigno, Chief, Environmental Sciences  |
|                |   | Section                                          |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                  |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
| 4:45 p.m. -    |   | Public Comment                                   |
| 5:00 p.m.      |   |                                                  |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                  |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
| 5:00 p.m. -    |   | Scientific Committee Wrap-Up Discussion          |
| 5:15 p.m.      |   |                                                  |
|                |   | Dr. Lynda Shapiro, Chair, OCS SC                 |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                  |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
| 5:15 p.m.      |   | Adjourn                                          |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                  |
+----------------+---+--------------------------------------------------+

**Director's Presentation**

As advisor to the Director, MMS, the Committee appreciates the
opportunity to have a dialogue with the Director for Offshore Minerals
Management on ongoing and future issues, policies, and activities of the
Bureau. This exchange not only keeps the Committee apprised of MMS
direction but also offers an opportunity for the Committee to provide
direct advice and guidance on matters as they relate to the
Environmental Studies Program.

**Alaska OCS Regional Overview**

Mr. John Goll, Alaska Regional Director, will provide an overview of
ongoing and planned activity in Alaska.  The Alaska OCS is now producing
oil, has a great oil and gas resource potential, and has a very
ambitious lease sale schedule.  But numerous challenges persist,
including economic, technical, environmental, and sociological.

**Overview of the MMS Environmental Studies Program**

MMS Headquarters and Regional Studies presentations will outline the
overall research needs and priorities of the National and Regional
Studies Programs. Presentations will address current issues;
information/knowledge gaps; the most pressing research needs; how the
various disciplines fit together in the overall picture; and future
Studies efforts, in terms of expenditures and prioritization.

**OCS Policy Committee Report**

Officers of the OCS Scientific Committee and the OCS Policy Committee
routinely attend each other's meetings and give brief presentations on
the various OCS issues they are involved with. Mr. Larry C. Schmidt will
present the key discussion items from the OCS Policy Committee's October
2002 meeting.

**Report from the OCS SC Mercury Subcommittee**

The Subcommittee gathered and reviewed existing information to provide
recommendations on the relevance and need for research regarding issues
raised by the media suggesting that offshore oil and gas discharges and
platforms in the Gulf of Mexico lead to mercury contamination in
seafood.  The Subcommittee report (November 2002) addresses the
following questions:

> •        *Are high concentrations of total mercury observed in
> sediment at or adjacent to OCS oil and gas drilling sites associated
> with the drilling mud weighting agent barite?*
>
> •        *Are concentrations of methylmercury in sediments at or
> adjacent to OCS oil and gas drilling sites statistically higher than
> in sediments unaffected by drilling activities?*
>
> •        *Can increases in sediment concentrations of methylmercury at
> or adjacent to OCS oil and gas drilling sites be directly attributed
> to mercury introduced with barite? *
>
> •        *Do discharges at OCS oil and gas drilling sites create
> environmental conditions that enhance the conversion of mercury to
> methylmercury?*
>
> •        *Does the accumulation of organic matter (organic enrichment)
> beneath or adjacent to oil/gas platforms create environmental
> conditions that enhance the conversion of mercury to methylmercury?*
>
> •        *Does the development of a persistent (10^1^ to 10^2^ days)
> bottom layer of anoxic or extremely hypoxic bottom water result in
> conditions that promote methylation?*

**MMS Coastal Marine Institute Initiative Overview**

The MMS Coastal Marine Institute (CMI) initiative was proposed in 1991
as an MMS-State partnership to strengthen relationships with coastal
states where OCS oil and gas activities take place and to improve the
information flow to the affected States and the public. It accomplishes
this by using State institutions to conduct research on issues of
concern to both the State and MMS. This research is focused on
environmental and socioeconomic aspects of OCS oil and gas and marine
mineral development activities. Through the CMI\'s, increasing numbers
of students and faculty are engaging in OCS related research, developing
new skills, and developing new information and approaches to solving
management issues.

In recognition of the mutual need for critical scientific information
for resource management decisions, the CMI program leverages MMS funds
with State funds (one-to-one matching is required) so that more research
can be done than if MMS funded all the work itself. The first
cooperative agreement under the CMI program was signed in 1992 with the
State of Louisiana and Louisiana State University. A second cooperative
agreement was signed with the State of Alaska and the University of
Alaska in 1993. A third agreement was signed with the University of
California at Santa Barbara in 1994.  Approximately 18% of the
Environmental Studies Program budget is allocated to research conducted
through the CMI\'s.

**The Alaska Coastal Marine Institute, *Research and Education***

The University of Alaska CMI was formed in 1993 as a partnership between
the MMS and the University of Alaska Fairbanks to provide support for
research addressing environmental needs in connection with offshore oil
and gas development. A Technical Steering Committee oversees the program
and designs the framework issues, which form the basis of a request for
proposals. This Committee includes members from the MMS, the University,
and the State of Alaska. We have also invited the Alaska Science and
Technology Foundation to sit in on the meetings. Pre-proposals are
reviewed and those sent back for development into full proposals receive
external technical review and then are ranked by the Technical Steering
Committee. A wide range of projects have received support, including
physical oceanography and circulation in the Beaufort Sea and Cook
Inlet, modeling, biological studies and economic and social studies.
Since the CMI is a University-based entity, students are involved in
many of the projects, and several theses have been based on work
conducted through the CMI. A brief glimpse of some of the projects is
provided in this presentation.

 

**Regional Priorities and Environmental Information Needs**

**MMS Sand & Gravel Environmental Studies**

> The MMS Leasing Division's Sand and Gravel Unit recently prepared a
> document entitled, "*Sand and Gravel Environmental Studies within the
> Minerals Management Service, A Framework for Decisionmaking*." The
> document provides background for the MMS management and staff on the
> role of sand and gravel environmental studies in decisionmaking for
> OCS marine mineral development and supports the Bureau's studies
> planning process, explaining to its constituencies how MMS uses sand
> and gravel-related science in its decisionmaking. This comprehensive
> document discusses in detail how the negotiated lease process is
> conducted and outlines environmental study areas to be pursued within
> the near-term and outlying years. Sand and gravel studies proposed for
> Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005 are supported by the discussion, summary,
> and conclusions within the plan.

**Alaska OCS Region**

> Current information needs include the following topics: surface
> circulation radar mapping; improvements in the fault tree approach to
> oil spill occurrence estimators for the Beaufort and Chukchi seas;
> bird hazing/deterrent techniques; passive acoustic monitoring of
> whales in Lower Cook Inlet; survey of Stellar's eiders wintering in
> Lower Cook Inlet; movements and habitat use of harbor seals in Cook
> Inlet; review and monitoring ambient artificial light intensity in the
> OCS and the potential for effects on resident fauna; and communicating
> agency goals and processes with Alaskan coastal communities. These
> study needs are focused on the Beaufort Sea and Cook Inlet, while
> sales in the current 5-Year leasing programs include those two Alaska
> Planning Areas as well as the Chukchi Sea/Hope Basin, Norton Basin.
> The study needs in Fiscal Years 2004-2005 are diverse compared to
> Fiscal Year 2003, with post-sale emphases.

**Pacific OCS Region**

> The Pacific OCS Region continues to produce oil and gas from 43 active
> leases but some of the fields are beginning to be depleted. The ESP in
> the Region continues to conduct a long-term intertidal biology
> monitoring program at areas adjacent to active oil and gas facilities
> in fulfillment of our mission responsibilities. The Region has begun
> to address the future decommissioning of oil and gas facilities by
> completing, implementing, and planning environmental research related
> to the information needed for decommissioning these very large
> multi-well facilities located in deep water. The Region has proposed a
> new Decommissioning Studies Initiative focusing on partnering with
> other funding entities to address decommissioning information needs.
> In addition, the ESP in the Pacific Region is in the last years of a
> major physical oceanography program for the Santa Barbara Channel and
> Santa Maria Basin that has advanced our understanding of the
> oceanography in this area. The CMI with the University of California
> Santa Barbara continues with active research planned through 2005.

**Gulf of Mexico OCS Region**

> The ESP provides information needed to predict, assess, and manage
> impacts from offshore oil, gas, and mineral exploration, development,
> and production activities on human, marine, and coastal environments.
> Current information needs include several diverse subjects: Platform
> Removal; Hydrates; Deepwater Corals; Chemosynthetic Communities; and
> Endangered Species. There is concern about dismantling of the world's
> largest artificial reef system because of accelerating lease
> abandonment activities. With hydrates being a potential energy source,
> greater understanding is needed about its relationship with seafloor
> stability and with chemosynthetic communities. Accelerated OCS
> activities in deepwater has resulted in the need to understand the
> sensitivity of deepwater corals to these activities and to understand
> the role of chemosynthetic communities in the deepest parts of the
> Gulf. Because the deepwater is home to the endangered sperm whale,
> impacts of OCS activities on this species must be considered and
> mitigated. Studies, ongoing and proposed, that address the Agency's
> informational needs, will be discussed.

**MINERALS MANAGEMENT ADVISORY BOARD**

**Agenda for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)**

**Scientific Committee (SC) Meeting**

**Wednesday, April 23, 2003**

**Hilton Anchorage**

**Anchorage, Alaska**

7:45 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. Charge to the Discipline Subcommittees

Dr. Lynda Shapiro, Chair, OCS Scientific Committee

Physical Sciences, Biology, and Socioeconomic Disciplines meet
separately to discuss national and regional studies plans.

+-----------+----------------+--------------------+-------------------+
|           | **Eco          | **Physical         | *                 |
|           | logy/Biology** | Oceanography**     | *Socioeconomics** |
|           |                |                    |                   |
|           | **Spruce       | **Aspen Room**     | **Lupine Room**   |
|           | Room**         |                    |                   |
+===========+================+====================+===================+
| **8:00 -  | Alaska Region  | Gulf of Mexico     | Sand & Gravel, HQ |
| 9:15**    |                | Region             |                   |
+-----------+----------------+--------------------+-------------------+
| **9:15 -  |                | Pacific            |                   |
| 10:00**   |                | Region**\***       |                   |
+-----------+----------------+--------------------+-------------------+
| **10:00 - | Break          | Break              | Break             |
| 10:30**   |                |                    |                   |
+-----------+----------------+--------------------+-------------------+
| **10:30 - | Sand & Gravel, | Alaska Region      | Gulf of Mexico    |
| 11:45**   | HQ             |                    | Region            |
+-----------+----------------+--------------------+-------------------+
| **11:45 - | Lunch          | Lunch              | Lunch             |
| 1:30**    |                |                    |                   |
+-----------+----------------+--------------------+-------------------+
| **1:30 -  | Gulf of Mexico | Sand & Gravel, HQ  | Alaska Region     |
| 2:45**    | Region         |                    |                   |
+-----------+----------------+--------------------+-------------------+
| **2:45 -  | Break          | Break              | Break             |
| 3:15**    |                |                    |                   |
+-----------+----------------+--------------------+-------------------+
| **3:15 -  | Chairs and MMS | Chairs and MMS     | Chairs and MMS    |
| 4:00**    | Recorder       | Recorder Finalize  | Recorder Finalize |
|           | Finalize       | Recommendations    | Recommendations   |
|           | R              |                    |                   |
|           | ecommendations |                    |                   |
+-----------+----------------+--------------------+-------------------+
| **4:00 -  | Local          | Local Interests    | Local Interests   |
| 7:00**    | Interests      |                    |                   |
+-----------+----------------+--------------------+-------------------+

> **\*Pacific Region representatives will be available in one room to
> discuss Studies issues as appropriate**

**MINERALS MANAGEMENT ADVISORY BOARD**

**Agenda for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)**

**Scientific Committee (SC) Meeting**

**Thursday, April 24, 2003**

**Hilton Anchorage**

**Anchorage, Alaska**

**Aleutian Room**

**(Morning Session)**

+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
| 8:30 a.m. - 8:45  |   | Welcome and Introductions                      |
| a.m.              |   |                                                |
|                   |   | Dr. Lynda Shapiro, Chair, OCS SC               |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
|                   |   |                                                |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
| 8:45 a.m. - 12:00 |   | Alaska Information Transfer Meeting (ITM)      |
| noon              |   | Highlights                                     |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
|                   |   |                                                |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
| (8:45 - 9:00)     |   | Alaska ITM Overview                            |
|                   |   |                                                |
|                   |   | Host, Dr. Cleve Cowles, Chief, Environmental   |
|                   |   |                                                |
|                   |   | Studies Section, Alaska OCS Region             |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
|                   |   |                                                |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
| (9:00 - 9:25)     |   | The Minerals Management Service Arctic         |
|                   |   | Nearshore Impact Monitoring in the Development |
|                   |   | Area (ANIMIDA) Program: Introduction to a      |
|                   |   | Multi-Year Monitoring Program in the Nearshore |
|                   |   | Beaufort Sea                                   |
|                   |   |                                                |
|                   |   | Mr. John Brown                                 |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
|                   |   |                                                |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
| (9:25 - 9:50)     |   | A Description of Potential Impacts of OCS      |
|                   |   | Activities on Bowhead Whale Hunting Activities |
|                   |   | in the Beaufort Sea                            |
|                   |   |                                                |
|                   |   | Dr. John C. Russell                            |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
|                   |   |                                                |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
| (9:50 - 10:15)    |   | Measurements of Temperature, Salinity and      |
|                   |   | Circulation in Cook Inlet, Alaska              |
|                   |   |                                                |
|                   |   | Dr. Steve Okkonen                              |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
|                   |   |                                                |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
| (10:15 - 10:30)   |   | Break                                          |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
|                   |   |                                                |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
| (10:30 - 10:55)   |   | Beaufort Sea Nearshore Under-Ice Currents &    |
|                   |   | Summary of Workshop on Physical Oceanography   |
|                   |   | in the Beaufort Sea                            |
|                   |   |                                                |
|                   |   | Dr. Tom Weingartner                            |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
|                   |   |                                                |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
| (10:55 - 11:20)   |   | Bowhead Whale Feeding in the Eastern Alaskan   |
|                   |   | Beaufort Sea: Update of Scientific and         |
|                   |   | Traditional Knowledge                          |
|                   |   |                                                |
|                   |   | Dr. W. John Richardson                         |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
|                   |   |                                                |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
| (11:20 - 11:45)   |   | Behavior of Ringed Seals and Re-Interpretation |
|                   |   | of Aerial Surveys                              |
|                   |   |                                                |
|                   |   | Dr. Brendan Kelly                              |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
|                   |   |                                                |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
| (11:45 - 12:00)   |   | Open Discussion/Q&A's                          |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
|                   |   |                                                |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+
| 12:00 noon - 1:30 |   | Lunch                                          |
| p.m.              |   |                                                |
+-------------------+---+------------------------------------------------+

**MINERALS MANAGEMENT ADVISORY BOARD**

**Agenda for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)**

**Scientific Committee (SC) Meeting**

**Thursday, April 24, 2002**

**Hilton Anchorage**

**Anchorage, Alaska**

**Aleutian Room**

**(Afternoon Session)**

+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
| 1:30 p.m. -    |   | Plenary Session                                   |
| 1:35 p.m.      |   |                                                   |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   | Dr. Lynda Shapiro, Chair, OCS SC                  |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                   |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
| 1:35 p.m. --   |   | Recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean   |
| 2:00 p.m.      |   | Policy                                            |
|                |   |                                                   |
|                |   | Mr. Edward Rasmuson, Member, U.S. Commission on   |
|                |   | Ocean Policy                                      |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                   |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
| 2:00 p.m. --   |   | Discipline Subcommittee Reports                   |
| 3:00 p.m.      |   |                                                   |
|                |   | (20 minutes each)                                 |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   | • Biology                                         |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   | • Physical Oceanography                           |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   | • Socioeconomics                                  |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                   |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
| 3:00 p.m. -    |   | Open Discussion                                   |
| 3:30 p.m.      |   |                                                   |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                   |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
| 3:30 p.m. -    |   | Break                                             |
| 3:45 p.m.      |   |                                                   |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                   |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
| 3:45 p.m. -    |   | Public Comment                                    |
| 4:00 p.m.      |   |                                                   |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                   |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
| 3:45 p.m. -    |   | Committee Business                                |
| 5:00 p.m.      |   |                                                   |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   | • Discussion of Subcommittee Reports              |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   | • Items for Letter to the Director                |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   | • Emerging Issues/Topics of Interest              |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   | • Other Business                                  |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   | • Dates and locations for the next meeting        |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
|                |   |                                                   |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+
| 5:00 p.m.      |   | Adjourn the meeting                               |
+----------------+---+---------------------------------------------------+

**Alaska Information Transfer Meeting (ITM) Highlights**

> **Alaska ITM Overview**
>
> The Alaska OCS Region held its 9^th^ Information Transfer Meeting in
> Anchorage in March 10-12, 2003. Principal investigators gave 38 talks
> on ongoing or recently completed environmental studies. These studies
> included the spectrum of disciplines: physical oceanography, fate and
> effects, biology, protected species, social science and economics. One
> of the talks was by Dr. Vera Alexander, Director of the University of
> Alaska Coastal Marine Institute which gave an overview of five CMI
> studies. Six of the talks were on the introduction and five major
> components of the Arctic Nearshore Impact Monitoring in Development
> Area (ANIMIDA) study. Nine principal investigators from the ITM gave a
> talk on their study at an Information Update Meeting held in Barrow on
> March 14, 2003. In addition, we had an agenda item in Barrow on Arctic
> Cisco. MMS is starting two studies on this fish species of concern to
> stakeholders on the North Slope.
>
> **The Minerals Management Service Arctic Nearshore Impact Monitoring
> in the Development Area (ANIMIDA) Program: Introduction to a
> Multi-Year Monitoring Program in the Nearshore Beaufort Sea**

Offshore oil and gas development and production activities have been
initiated at Northstar Island and are proposed for the coming years at a
modified Liberty prospect site in the nearshore Beaufort Sea. There is
concern about the long‑term effects of these developments, as well as
long‑term effects of any development associated with future offshore
lease sales and exploration activities. Historical chemical and physical
data have been collected in the region over several decades.
Nevertheless, the sensitivity of the region adjacent to Northstar and
Liberty, and the highly variable and complex environmental conditions,
make further monitoring necessary. In response to interagency reviews of
related environmental impact statements (EISs) and development and
production plans, the U.S. Department of Interior, MMS, initiated the
ANIMIDA Program as a long‑term study for monitoring potential impacts of
the Northstar and Liberty developments. ANIMIDA Phase I was started in
June 1999 and included hydrocarbon and metals chemistry measurements in
sediment and tissue samples, as well as acoustic measurements adjacent
to the Northstar and Liberty sites. Phase II of the ANIMIDA Program was
initiated in July 2000 and incorporates seven tasks including
hydrocarbon and metal chemistry studies, suspended sediment studies, an
assessment of subsistence whaling at Cross Island, biota contaminant
assessment, and a study of the \"boulder patch\" area. An overview of
the ANIMIDA Program status to date will be presented.

> **A Description of Potential Impacts of OCS Activities on Bowhead
> Whale Hunting Activities in the Beaufort Sea**
>
> Subsistence hunting for marine mammals and especially bowhead whales
> has a long history as an organizing element of Iñupiat social,
> cultural, religious, and economic life. Archaeological evidence shows
> that Iñupiat dwellings were sometimes made with whale ribs and other
> skeletal parts. Whales were prominent in religious beliefs, practices,
> and symbols and sharing of whale products among kinsmen and other
> Iñupiat defined and reinforced social bonds. Muktuk, whale meat, and
> other whale products also provided an essential source of protein and
> fat that Iñupiat believed essential for their diet and health.
>
> When European and American whalers entered the Arctic they employed
> Natives as whalers and exposed them to new whaling technologies.
> Post‑contact, whaling has remained essential to modern Iñupiat values
> and lifestyles: the Barrow High School mascot is the \"Whalers;\"
> employers allow time off for whaling crew members to hunt; Nalukataq
> and related whaling ceremonies are important cultural events; and
> muktuk and other whale products have cultural, economic, and
> health‑values for community members.
>
> Oil development activities in the late 1960's and early 1970\'s
> resulted in new change agents affecting Iñupiat communities: new
> sociopolitical institutions emerged; settlement and residence patterns
> began to change; transportation technologies such as snow machines
> became more available as did wage employment with the newly formed
> North Slope Borough. Modernization of Iñupiat communities accelerated
> with exposure to these and other change agents. OCS oil activities
> were perceived to present unique threats and consequences, including
> ones specific to whaling. Iñupiats expressed concern that OCS oil
> development activities could deflect whale migration father off‑shore,
> contribute to whale skittishness, and otherwise adversely affect whale
> behavior. These types of concerns are perceived to have negative
> influences on whale hunting and any threats to whale hunting also
> affect other aspects of community and personal life connected to
> whaling.
>
> Using multiple data sources, this project examines Iñupiat assessments
> of the influences of development on participation in traditional
> activities, especially whale hunting and its related sociocultural
> components. A focus is to identify Iñupiat assessments of OCS
> activities as a particular type of development threat or opportunity
> and the perceived affects of OCS activities on whale hunting and
> related traditional activities. In addition to observational
> (ethnographic) and secondary source data, three surveys are being
> administered (whaling captains, randomly selected households, and high
> school juniors and seniors) to examine variation in these assessment
> among and within three North Slope communities (Barrow, Kaktovik, and
> Nuiqsut) and one \"control\" community in western Alaska. The data
> should assist communities to identify and plan for sociocultural
> problems related to ongoing development in the Arctic.
>
> **Measurements of Temperature, Salinity and Circulation in Cook Inlet,
> Alaska**
>
> Temperature and salinity measurements acquired in central and lower
> Cook Inlet during spring and fall 2002 show that the hydrographic
> structure of tide rip fronts varies spatially and seasonally.
> Increased river discharge during summer and fall strengthens
> non‑tidal, density‑driven currents associated with the tide rip
> fronts. The hydrographic structure of the tide rip fronts also varies
> over the semidiurnal tidal cycle. These results illustrate the need to
> incorporate density effects in numerical oil spill trajectory models
> for Cook Inlet.
>
> **Beaufort Sea Nearshore Under-Ice Currents & Summary of Workshop on
> Physical Oceanography in the Beaufort Sea**
>
> MMS sponsored a 2.5-day workshop on the physical oceanography of the
> Alaskan Beaufort Sea held in Fairbanks, Alaska, in February 2003. The
> workshop reviewed knowledge of the physical oceanography of the
> Beaufort shelf and recommended studies to support MMS mission with
> respect to industrial development on this shelf. There are fundamental
> unknowns in the understanding of the ocean and ice circulation, ocean
> density field, and of the forcing mechanisms influencing the sea ice
> and oceanography. The study recommendations consist of a mix of field
> (observational) and idealized model studies to improve understanding
> of poorly understood physical processes and boundary conditions and to
> provide data sets necessary for the proper evaluation of regional
> pollutant transport models. Critical issues requiring study are the:

1.  wind and surface stress fields established by mesoscale variations
    in the regional meteorology and sea ice distribution and deformation
    fields,

2.  effects of freshwater discharge and freezing (convective) processes
    on the shelf circulation,

3.  controls exerted on the circulation and water property fields by the
    lateral ocean boundaries of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea: the Chukchi
    shelf (western boundary), the Canadian Beaufort shelf (eastern
    boundary), and the shelfbreak and continental slope (offshore
    boundary), and

4.  shelf/slope bathymetry.

> These topics affect the time and space scales of the ice and ocean
> circulation, which have not been well-resolved in the Beaufort Sea.
> Consequently, the recommended studies are also designed to delineate
> the major scales of variability.
>
> **Bowhead Whale Feeding in the Eastern Alaskan Beaufort Sea: Update of
> Scientific and Traditional Knowledge**
>
> The *overall objective*, as specified by MMS, was as follows: "Based
> both on traditional know­ledge and scientific studies (existing and
> new), assess the importance of the eastern part of the Alaskan
> Beau­fort Sea \[EAB\] as a feeding area for bowhead whales, including
> its importance both to individual whales and to the bowhead
> population." For many years it has been known that bowheads feed in
> the EAB near Kaktovik, AK, in late summer and fall. A 1985--86 MMS
> study concluded that the EAB provided only a small (but variable) part
> of the annual food requirements of the bowheads. Local residents and
> whalers thought that the 1985--86 study underestimated the importance
> of the EAB to feeding bowheads. A follow-up study was conducted,
> mainly in 1998--2000. This included close collaboration with Native
> groups, specific efforts to incorp­orate local and traditional
> knowledge (LTK) into the planning and interpretation of the results,
> and integra­tion of previous data and knowledge with three additional
> seasons of biological field studies. There was extensive consultation
> with Kaktovik hunters, the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC),
> North Slope Borough Dept of Wildlife Management (NSB-DWM), and a
> Scientific Review Board (SRB) including both independent scientists
> and stakeholder representatives.
>
> Project participants included the following: *LGL Ltd.* (zooplankton
> and bowhead studies; energetic calculations, integration), *Applied
> Sociocultural Research* (local coordination and assembly of LTK),
> *Alaska Dept of Fish & Game* (stomach contents of harvested bowheads),
> *Univ. Alaska Fair­banks* (stable isotopes in bowheads and prey),
> *Dalhousie Univ.* (pilot study of fatty acids in bowheads and prey),
> *WEST Inc.* (sensitivity analyses), in consultation with the Kaktovik
> hunters, AEWC, NSB, and SRB.
>
> *Local and traditional knowledge (LTK)* was assembled during meetings
> and individual discussions with local hunters and residents, including
> interactions during fieldwork involving Kaktovik residents. LTK and
> whaling records are summarized in the final report; transcripts of
> individual discussions are also included. LTK relevant to various
> technical chapters of the report is brought into each of those
> chapters.
>
> *Field studies of food availability* were done using net-sampling and
> quantitative
>
> echosounder sur­veys of zooplankton in the EAB during September of
> 1985-86 and 1998- 2000, providing data on geo­graphic and among-year
> variation. The sampling was done
>
> from a 13‑m boat, and included both **• **broad-scale surveys of the
> EAB and **• **specific
>
> sampling around locations where bowheads were observ­ed feeding (and at
> nearby
>
> reference sites without feeding whales). The average zooplankton
> biomass available at
>
> locations near feeding whales was \~2 g/m^3^ (wet weight), much higher
> than the overall
>
> aver­age in the EAB. Copepods were the dominant zooplankton taxon on a
> biomass basis.
>
> *Aircraft-based studies of bowheads* during the five field seasons
> included the following:
>
> **•** System­atic aerial sur­veys to assess distribution and numbers
> (and their variability).
>
> **•** Aerial observations of bow­head behavior to derive correc­tion
> factors for whales missed
>
> during aerial surveys and to characterize the frequency and nature of
> feeding. **• **Aerial
>
> photogrammetry to assess size/age segregation in use of the EAB, and
> to determine
>
> residence times of recognizable individual whales. Data from MMS BWASP
> sur­veys
>
> (1979--2000) were also used; the broader areal and temporal coverage
> of BWASP
>
> provided important perspective. Bow­heads were found to feed for an
> average of 47% of
>
> their time in the EAB, but average residence times were relatively
> short (\~3.8 d).
>
> *Stomach content analyses* of whales harvested in fall at Kaktovik,
> and at more westerly
>
> locations in the Beaufort, showed that the majority had been eating
> shortly before death.
>
> At Kaktovik, 83% of 29 stomachs contained food, and 39% (7 of 18) had
> \>20 L.
>
> Copepods dominated the diet near Kaktovik.
>
> *Stable isotope analyses* of bowhead tissue continue to suggest that
> bowheads acquire most of their annual energy intake from the
> Bering--Chukchi system, not the eastern and central Beaufort. This
> con­clusion is based on the small spring-fall differences (and strong
> Bering--Chukchi signa­ture) in isotopic com­po­si­tion of bowhead tissue,
> in comparison with the isotopic composition of potential prey in the
> Bering--Chukchi vs. eastern Beaufort areas. On the other hand,
> bowheads apparently have larger circum­ferences and more fat when
> leaving the Beaufort in fall than when arriving in spring, and they
> are known to feed for much of the summer in the Canadian Beaufort and
> during fall migration across the Alaskan Beaufort.
>
> The most parsimonious (though incomplete) *seasonal feeding scenario*
> is this:
>
> **• **Bowheads feed and become "fatter" in the eastern and central
> Beaufort during summer
>
> and early fall. **• **They feed even more when in postulated richer
> prey concentrations
>
> occurring in fall in Bering--Chukchi water in the Bar­row, western
> Chukchi, and perhaps
>
> northern Bering regions. **• **They feed little if at all in winter,
> such that they are thinner
>
> when they return to Beaufort in spring than when they left in fall.
>
> *In conclusion*, the results show that bowhead whales feed commonly
> when in the EAB in
>
> late summer and early fall. The EAB is, without question, a feeding
> area for bowhead
>
> whales. However, few individ­uals linger there for more than a few
> days, and food
>
> availability in that area is not unusually high compared with other
> regions (e.g., the main
>
> summering range in the Canadian Beaufort Sea, farther east). Subject
> to many
>
> assumptions and approximations, it was estimated that in an average
> year, about 2.4% of
>
> the annual food requirements for the Bering--Chukchi--Beaufort
> population may be
>
> obtained in the EAB. The best estimates for the five years of study
> varied from 0.2% to
>
> 7.5%. Despite the uncertainties, it is implausible that the bowhead
> population consumes
>
> more than a few percent of its annual food require­ments in the EAB in
> an average year.
>
> However, the EAB is more important to some individual whales that
> linger in the area for
>
> longer than the average residence time.
>
> This project has been notable because of its extensive collaboration
> with Native groups
>
> during plan­ning, conduct, and interpretation. Traditional knowledge
> was taken into
>
> account. The project provided a better understanding not only of
> bowhead feeding in the
>
> EAB, but also of the annual nutritional needs and feeding cycle. The
> methods developed
>
> and applied here could be used to assess bowhead feeding else­where,
> providing better
>
> comparative data on the importance of feeding in different areas. The
> results have been
>
> used in MMS's recent Beaufort Sea EIS, and will be of value for future
> endan­gered
>
> species consultations. The results will be of use to all those
> participating in discussions
>
> about the impacts of poten­tial development in the EAB, and in devising
> mitigation
>
> measures for any proposed developments.
>
> **Behavior of Ringed Seals and Re-Interpretation of Aerial Surveys**
>
> Ringed seals spend much of the year hidden from view in snow caves
> (lairs) on the shorefast ice of the Arctic Ocean. Each spring, as the
> snow melts, seals abandon their snow caves and rest on the surface of
> the ice. In the past, aerial surveys have been used to relate seal
> numbers to ecological variables and industrial activities. Aerial
> surveys, however, count an unknown proportion of the population that
> is visible on the surface of the ice and assumes that the proportion
> does not change over time.
>
> We are testing the implicit assumptions of aerial surveys and
> investigating how the proportion of visible seals changes over time
> and between years. The results will be used in a reanalysis of past
> ringed seal surveys.
>
> From 1999‑2002, we tagged 48 ringed seals (8, 10, 14, 16 respectively)
> in Prudhoe Bay. During May and June each year, we recorded hourly the
> proportion of tagged seals in the water, hidden in snow caves, or
> visible on the surface of the ice. The proportion of tagged seals that
> were visible 1) had a strong diurnal pattern, peaking at 3:00 p.m. and
>
> 2\) was highly variable, changing from as much as 100% to 13% by the
> next day. Lastly, the timing of lair abandonment varied greatly from
> year to year.
>
> In 2001 and 2002, in conjunction with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
> we found that spaceborne Ku‑band scatterometer data were sensitive to
> snow deterioration and remotely indicated the timing of lair
> abandonment. We are continuing to test the utility of scatterometer
> data and we plan to model the effects of environmental covariates on
> the proportion of seals visible. The model will then be used in a
> reanalysis of previous ringed seal surveys.

**Recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy**

Established by the Oceans Act of 2000, the U.S. Commission on Ocean
Policy is charged with reviewing federal ocean-related programs and laws
and making recommendations to the President and Congress for a
coordinated and comprehensive National Ocean policy. During its
investigation, the Commission will examine such issues as responsible
stewardship of living and non-living resources; protection of the marine
environment; impact of, and protection against, natural and manmade
hazards; the role of oceans in climate change; and enhancement of
oceanographic science, to name but a few. As the Commission moves toward
completing its mandate during 2003, a number of recommendations are
beginning to take shape and be discussed openly. What will be presented
here are only "draft" recommendations, not official or approved
recommendations, but rather ideas that are being explored or more fully
developed for further consideration.

**Discipline Subcommittee Reports**

Each Subcommittee will report on the national and regional studies plans
that were discussed during the breakout sessions yesterday.

**Committee Business**

-   The Committee will discuss and comment on the Subcommittee Reports.

-   Items for the Letter to the Director will be submitted.

-   Emerging Issues/Topics of Interest

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-   Other business will be discussed.

-   Possible dates and locations will be discussed for the next SC
    meeting.