# Presentation: 825364

## Outer Continental Shelf Scientific Committee

**Presentation to the MMS Policy Committee**
**Robert Diaz, OCS SC Chair**

## OCS SC Mission 

**Advise Secretary of the Interior via Director of MMS on OCS Environmental Studies Program (ESP) feasibility, appropriateness, scientific value**
**Review relevance of research and data produced to meet MMS scientific information needs**

## Summary of Last Meeting

**Summary of Last Meeting**

**Santa Barbara - May 9-11, 2006**
**Director’s Presentation **
**Pacific Region Update**
**Impacts from Katrina/Rita**
**Energy Policy Act**
**Data Management**

- http://www.countyofsb.org/energy/information/images/Holly.JPG

**Notes:**
Mr. Greg Gould, Chief, Environmental Division, represented the MMS Director, Ms. Johnnie Burton. At that time Ms. 	Burton was	wearing two hats; one as the Director of MMS and the other as the Assistant Secretary for Land and 	Minerals Management and as you can might image was double-booked most of the time.

Ms. Ellen Aronson, Pacific Regional Manager, provided an overview of the activities in the Region.

Mr. Joe Christopher, Regional Supervisor for the Office of Leasing and Environment in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 	described effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on OCS oil and gas activities in the Gulf and provided a synopsis of 	environmental studies developed to address information needs resulting from the storms.

Ms. Maureen Bornholdt, Program Manager, MMS Alternative Energy/Alternative Use, (Energy Policy Act)

Dr. Mary Boatman, Oceanographer, presented a brief background of the Environmental Studies Program information 	needs, describe how these needs are met through contractual requirements, and discussed internal data 	management issues.

## ESP Review

**ESP Review**

**Breakout Groups by Discipline**
**Biology/Ecology**
**Physical Oceanography**
**Socioeconomics**
**Information Needs**
**Proposed Research Studies **
**Post meeting tour of seep areas**

- http://www.bubblecology.com

## Gulf of Mexico Region

**Planning and information gathering for Atlantic Continental Shelf**
**Deep-water coral studies (*****Lophelia***** II)**

**MMS is the leader in supporting science of hydrocarbon seep communities & deepwater corals**

## Alaska Region

**Alaska Region**

**Chukchi Offshore Monitoring in Drilling Area (COMIDA)**
**North Aleutian Basin Synthesis and Research Planning**

**Northstar Island – August 2006**

## Pacific Region

**Pacific Region**

**Oil and gas production continues at stable rates, moving decommissioning further into future**
**Long-term monitoring**
**Role of platforms in**
**	****regional ecology**
**Prospects for off-**
**	****shore sand**

## Headquarters

**Ocean model for predicting spilled oil transport**
**Marine Minerals Program**
**Long-term impacts**
**Gulf Coast studies**
**Alternative Energy and Alternate Use**
**Workshop to Identify Alternative Energy Environmental Information Needs**

## Recommendations

**Among alternative uses of the OCS, focus on renewable energy activities**
**Maintain MMS participation in key ocean related committees (e.g. ****National Oceanographic Partnership Program and those outlined in the **
**	****U.S. Ocean Action Plan – *****JSOST, SIMOR,***** etc.)**

**Notes:**
JSOST- Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology
SIMOR – Subcommittee on the Integrated Management of Ocean Resources 

## Recommendations

**Improve accessibility of important ESP data and**** ****management of active data**
**Peer reviewed publication of research**
**Deepwater studies**
**Marine Minerals Studies**

## Recommendations

**Need for broader knowledge base within regions to implement ecosystem-based management**
**Wider dissemination of RFPs to insure best ideas are applied to resolving MMS scientific issues.**

## Emerging Issues

**Emerging Issues**

**Effects of ocean sounds (e.g. seismic exploration) on marine mammals**
**Implications of climate change for oil and gas development in Arctic and Gulf of Mexico**

## SC Subcommittees: Deepwater

**SC Subcommittees: Deepwater**

**Gulf of Mexico ITM, January 2007, New Orleans**
**Deepwater Coral Communities**
**Effects of Deepwater Oil and Gas Exploration and Development on the Continental Slope**
**Vessel Resources and Collaboration Initiatives for Deepwater Research **

## SC Subcommittees: Alaska

**SC Subcommittees: Alaska**

**Planning Workshop: Chukchi Offshore Monitoring in Drilling Area (COMIDA) November 2006, Anchorage, Alaska**
**North Aleutian Basin (NAB) Planning Meeting Nov-Dec 2006, Anchorage, Alaska**

## SC Subcommittees

**Sand and Gravel**
**First Marine Minerals ITM, Melbourne, FL**
**Alternative Energy**
**New Subcommittee , *****SCARE***

## Next OCS SC Meeting

- 	**Gulf of Mexico Region**
**	****New Orleans**
**	****May 22-24, 2007**
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