MMS

SCIENCE

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5 

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005

THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

Hidden

Treasures 

of the Deep

Searching for

Cities of Cold

Mystery of

Deepwater

Coral

Communities 

Skyscrapers in

the Deep

Have You

Heard?

Exploring

Mega-furrows

An Unlikely

Oasis – The

Boulder Patch

Hidden

Treasures 

of the Deep

Searching for

Cities of Cold

Mystery of

Deepwater

Coral

Communities 

Skyscrapers in

the Deep

Have You

Heard?

Exploring

Mega-furrows

An Unlikely

Oasis – The

Boulder Patch
2 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 Volume 2 Issue 5

3 Hidden Treasures 

of the Deep

4 Chemosynthetic Communities

Searching for Cities of Cold

5 The Mystery of Deepwater Coral

Communities Deepens

Cold Coral

6 Home to New Communities

Building Skyscrapers in the Deep

8 Have You Heard?

Tracking Sperm Whales 

in the Gulf of Mexico

10 In the Eye of the Storm

Exploring Mega-furrows

11 An Unlikely Oasis

The Boulder Patch

12 New Waves

Late-breaking News & Information

For more information about the Minerals Management Service, 

check out our site on the World Wide Web:

www.mms.gov

Subscribe

To receive MMS OCEAN SCIENCE, sign up on the website

www.gomr.mms.gov, click on e-mail subscriptions on the left-hand

column, check the box marked Environmental Studies or e-mail

mary.boatman@mms.gov or call (703) 787-1662

MMS

SCIENCE

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 

Volume 2 Issue 5

MMS OCEAN SCIENCE is published 

bi-monthly by the Minerals

Management Service to communicate

recent ocean science and technological

information and issues of interest related

to offshore mineral recovery, ocean

stewardship, and mineral revenues.

Please address all questions,

comments, suggestions, and changes

of address to:

Mary Boatman

MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Editor

Minerals Management Service

381 Elden Street

Herndon, VA 20170

mary.boatman@mms.gov

(703) 787-1662

ABOUT THE COVER

Top: This piece of Madrepora occulata was collected at

the Lophelia coral banks. Very different from the

surrounding pale white Lophelia, scientists have never

seen this type of coral there before. Photo courtesy of

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Bottom: Growth found in the Boulder Patch. Photo

Courtesy Brenda Konar, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

All photos courtesy of Minerals Management Service

unless otherwise noted.

Publication services provided by 

Schatz Publishing Group
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 3

Our Nation is blessed with an

abundance of both natural

and man-made treasures –

from the grandeur of the

Rocky Mountains, to the

red rock canyons of Arizona and Utah,

the frozen expanses of Alaska, the rolling

hills and historic villages of Virginia, 

and the wildlife communities of our

national parks. But not all of our

resources are as visually accessible as

these. Beneath the waters of the Outer

Continental Shelf (OCS) lie mountains,

trenches, rolling hills, and vast plains as

astonishing as on land. 

Far beneath the ocean’s surface at

depths reaching down to 10,000 feet,

previously unknown marine

communities are thriving. Living on

gases seeping from vents in the earth’s

crust, these animal communities present

researchers with an exciting opportunity

to study life forms which do not

conform to previously held “rules” about

what is needed to sustain life. They live

in an inhospitable environment - under

high pressure, in sometimes boiling hot

water with no visible light – yet they not

only survive, but multiply. 

Just as there are communities living in

the hot water of magma vents, there are

communities which thrive in the cold

water. Coral reefs, which provide shelter

and food sources for thousands of marine

animals, have grown for hundreds of years

in waters below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

The study of these living communities

and how to protect them while recovering

mineral resources from the OCS is an

ongoing mission for Minerals Management Service (MMS), a Federal agency

within the Department of the Interior. 

The ocean can also be a place of

deceptive calm. Underneath its glassy

surface, storms can rage. Currents strong

enough to carve deep furrows in the

ocean regularly rise and fall. These

“storms of the deep” can potentially

affect oil and gas development activity

and are being closely studied to find

ways to lessen their effect on equipment.

The more we explore the depths of

the OCS, the more questions we find

that need to be answered. It is a rich

study area for the MMS and its academic

partners. New technologies are being

constantly developed based on the

knowledge we gain in those studies.

Mysterious animals, unusual communities, and ocean floor formations are

being discovered regularly as exploration

reaches greater depths. What new

mystery will be uncovered next? Stay

tuned as MMS continues to discover 

the hidden treasures of the deep.

TREASURES 

OF THE DEEP

Left: Spadefish under a platform in the Gulf of

Mexico. Photo by Gregory S. Boland.

Top: Cardinal fish near corals in the Gulf of Mexico.

Photo by Gregory S. Boland. 

Bottom: Nudibranch on a platform leg. Photo

courtesy of Milton Love.

HIDDEN
4

CHEMOSYNTHETIC COMMUNITIES

SEARCHING FOR CITIES OF COLD

The cold ocean depths, where little

or no sunlight is found, seem

inhospitable for a thriving animal

community. Yet there on the ocean floor,

hundreds or even thousands of feet

below the surface, are colonies of

animals such as tubeworms, mussels,

and clams. These communities form

around hydrocarbon seeps or “leaks” in

the earth’s surface. Animal life at this

depth relies not on photosynthesis, but

on chemosynthesis, a remarkable

foundation of life supporting large

assemblages of animals discovered only

38 years ago. Chemosynthesis is

independent of sunlight, the source of

energy for every other form of life on

earth. Chemosynthetic bacteria are

plentiful around the seeps but also

inhabit the insides of many types of

larger animals, providing their food

requirements through the use of

UPCOMING CONFERENCE

Website: http://www.mms.gov/SciConferences.htm

The Third International Symposium on Deep-Sea Corals: Science and Management 

will be held November 28 – December 2, 2005, in Miami, Fl.

A new species of segmented worm (Hesiocaeca

methanicola, the “iceworm”), was found sculpting

exposed gas hydrates. Photo by Charles Fisher, Penn

State University.

chemosynthetic communities that have

taken years to develop. Studies to date

have shown that these communities

show no adverse effect from oil and gas

exploration and development.

Communities near current oil fields

continue to flourish.

The MMS continues to require that

oil and gas operators ensure the ongoing

health of these deepwater colonies by

requiring some activities, such as

drilling, maintain a distance of at least

1,500 feet from the community. Other

disturbances such as pipelines, anchors,

ropes, or chains must maintain a

distance of 250 feet. A new study funded

by MMS and the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration’s Office of

Ocean Exploration will begin to look at

the very deep communities of the GOM

between 3,000 and 10,000 feet deep. The

famous research submersible, Alvin, will

be making dives to investigate these cold

seep communities in the deepest parts of

the Gulf to understand how they are

different and if any new protective

measures might be necessary to avoid

harming them.

As research and development in

deepwater GOM continues, MMS

continues with its commitment to add

to its informational databases and

ensure its stakeholders have the

knowledge necessary for responsible

planning and development. The more

we know about these “cities of cold,” the

better we can protect and preserve them

for future generations.

chemicals seeping from the sea floor. Life

here requires little warmth to develop.

Unlike the hot vents along tectonic

plates in other parts of the world, the

Gulf of Mexico (GOM) has “cold seeps.” 

The deepest chemosynthetic

communities found in the northern

GOM to date were recently discovered by

Chevron at a water depth of over 9,000

feet in the Alaminos Canyon.

Surprisingly, at first the communities at

this great depth look similar in many

ways to those at shallow depths, but

these deep communities have been

found to have many different species

with very few similarities to their shallow

water counterparts.

The Minerals Management Service

(MMS), as part of its mission to protect

offshore natural resources, is exploring

ways to develop deepwater oil and gas

resources without disturbing these

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION:

Chemosynthetic Communities in

the Gulf of Mexico

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/

regulate/environ/chemo/

chemo.html

MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 5

THE MYSTERY OF DEEPWATER CORAL COMMUNITIES DEEPENS

COLD CORAL

When thinking of coral, one

usually imagines brightly

colored Caribbean reefs in

warm, sun-drenched waters, teeming

with colorful fish and vacationing scuba

divers. But some of the oldest and largest

coral structures on the planet are neither

colorful nor warm. These coral communities inhabit deep ocean depths

devoid of sunlight, but abounding 

with life.

Although scientists have known

about deepwater coral communities for

many years, studies of the organisms in

the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) are just

beginning to be completed as part of

Minerals Management Service’s (MMS)

mission to document and protect

offshore ecosystems. The depth of the

communities in the GOM have made

study difficult, but the use of manned

and unmanned submersibles has made

the exploration of these deepwater

communities possible. 

Deepwater coral, known as Lophelia

pertusa, is white and slow-growing (less

than one inch per year), and large

communities of this coral may be as old

as hundreds or thousands of years.

Lophelia is found in almost every ocean

in the world at depths of 650 feet to as

much as 10,000 feet. A study currently

being funded by MMS and conducted by

the research firm Continental Shelf

Associates and a variety of other groups

including the University of Alabama,

University of Oregon, Pennsylvania

University, and in conjunction with the

USGS is beginning to document the

structure and distribution of the Lophelia

communities in the GOM. This study

will establish baseline knowledge of the

species and its associated unique habitat

which will be augmented by later, more

detailed studies.

Another MMS-funded study,

conducted with the University of North

Carolina – Wilmington, Center for

Marine Science, is focusing on the

comparison of deepwater coral reefs in

the Atlantic with those in the GOM.

Similar Lophelia coral habitats are also

Lophelia coral from off the coast of North Carolina. Photo by Bruce Moravchik, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration.

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION:

Ongoing Research at MMS:

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/

regulate/environ/ongoing_

studies/gm/GM-03-x12.html

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/

regulate/environ/ongoing_

studies/gm/GM-04-x12.html

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/

regulate/environ/ongoing_stud

ies/gm/GM-03-02.html

ecosystems continue to be discovered. 

It is vital to establish a basic biology

database and understanding of these

new communities. Only by knowing the

current state of the ecosystem can

decisionmakers at MMS determine how

these communities might be impacted

by oil and gas exploration and

production, and how they, and the

marine life which they support can 

be protected.

found off the southeastern U.S. The

study will analyze coral ecosystems

across depth, latitude, and habitat zones

to document the uniqueness of each

coral community and compare the

structure and animal composition to

similar communities in the Gulf. 

In shallower waters on the Gulf

continental shelf other MMS coral

studies, in collaboration with Louisiana

State University, are gathering data on

coral communities growing on offshore

platforms. These studies will determine

how deep the coral will develop, 

how far from shore they will develop,

what the limits of the communities are

(salinity, temperature, turbidity, etc.),

and the degree of genetic similarity

between the corals found on different

platforms compared to a natural coral

reef in the northern GOM, the Flower

Garden Banks. 

As oil and gas exploration and

development activities move deeper into

the GOM, new and unique marine
6 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

of the platform, which can be as wide as

6 feet in diameter, an ideal surface on

which to attach. After the platform has

become encrusted by invertebrate fauna,

large species begin to arrive, attracted by

the food supply. 

In the shelter of the platform, fish

larvae and juveniles find relative safety

from predators. Juvenile fish can grow at

shallower levels in the water column,

away from the adults and the predators

gathered at deeper depths. Coral communities attached to the platform also

serve as a nursery for larvae and rich

feeding grounds for young fish. The

complex support system which stabilizes

the platform also serves as home for

thousands of mature fish. Many predatory fish gather at the platform to feed during the daylight hours, before heading

for the open ocean to feed at night. The

ocean surrounding the platforms is so

teeming with life that 70 percent of all

saltwater fishing excursions in the Gulf

of Mexico (GOM) off Louisiana are to

oil and gas platforms.

As oil and gas platforms begin to

deplete the fields beneath the ocean

floor and are scheduled for decommissioning, Congress, MMS, and state

agencies are examining the advisability

of removing these rich and diverse ocean

Majestically rising from

the Hadal depths,

encased in a living

armor, the enormous

oil and gas platforms

on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

seem like extraterrestrial monuments in

the natural beauty of the ocean

surrounding them. Yet to marine life

living beneath them, these platforms are

a first-class, high-rise hotel: a skyscraper

for fish. In fact, each offshore platform

can support communities of fish

through the entire water column 20 to

50 times greater than similar areas of

open water. Ten to twenty thousand fish

and millions of barnacles, coral and

other invertebrates form a community

pulsating with life under each platform.

The first tenants to move in when a

platform is erected are the encrusting

invertebrates such as barnacles, coral,

sponges, and mussels. These small

species find the stable and durable legs

HOME 

TO NEW COMMUNITIES

BUILDING

SKYSCRAPERS 

IN THE DEEP

Photo by Gregory S. Boland.
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 7

ecosystems. The Rigs to Reefs (RTR)

program, which converts old platforms

to artificial reefs, have been successful in

Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. The

MMS supports the rigs-to-reefs initiatives

when and where the local or State

governments have adopted a legal

framework to enable reefing of

decommissioned OCS oil and gas

platforms. The ecological and economic

benefits of allowing old platforms to

remain in place allows the life under

these “skyscrapers of the deep” to

continue to flourish.

POSTER DETAILS DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

UNDER PACIFIC PLATFORMS

One of the methods employed by the Minerals Management

Service (MMS) in its ongoing mission to manage and protect

America's coastal and ocean resources includes educational

outreach. The MMS has produced a fact-filled educational poster

summarizing three ongoing research projects that explore habitats

found at various water depths beneath California offshore platforms.

The “Hidden Oases”

poster highlights and

describes various seafloor

habitats that exist in the

Gulf and the geology that

drives them, as well as

the abundant marine

animals associated 

with these extraordinary ecosystems. 

This poster can be

obtained at no charge

from the Minerals

Management Service,

Pacific OCS Region, Attn:

Public Information

Office, MS 7000, 770

Paseo Camarillo,

Camarillo, CA 93010.

Telephone orders are

accepted at 1-800-6-PACOCS, or fax orders to

805-389-7689.

Front and reverse of “Hidden Oases”

poster. Available at no charge. 

Details above.

Starfish, anemones, and other organisms found on

or near platforms along the California coast. 

Photo by Donna Schroeder.
8

Are you comfortable driving

in the fog? Can you

communicate effectively

when all you hear is static?

While it is possible to

overcome each of these problems, the

situations can produce tension, stress

and discomfort. The question is, are

cetaceans (whales and dolphins) in the

Gulf of Mexico (GOM) experiencing the

same tension, stress, and discomfort

from the “fog” and static of man-made

noise? In an effort to measure and

mitigate any effects of air gun pulses to

these endangered whales, the Minerals

MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

Management Service (MMS) has

partnered with the Office of Naval

Research, National Science Foundation,

industry, and the Department of

Texas A&M Research Foundation management team

leading the sperm whale study, Dr. Doug Biggs, 

Dr. Matt Howard, and Dr. Ann Jochens, with cruise

plan chart for the June, 2002 “S-tag” cruise. Photo

by Bill Lang.

Commerce to measure air gun sound

and its effects on the sperm whale – 

the largest cetacean in the GOM.

Cetaceans navigate by means of

sound in the dim, dark world they

inhabit. In the past, little has been

known about the effects of noise

generated by seismic surveys associated

with oil and gas exploration. There was

speculation, however, that man-made

noise was negatively affecting cetaceans

living near exploration activities. The

potential for negative effects is especially

apparent in the sperm whale (the species

of whale written about in Moby Dick)

TRACKING SPERM

WHALES IN THE

GULF OF MEXICO

Two sperm whales “fluke-up” near the Texas A&M Research Vessel Gyre.

HAVE YOU HEARD?

Photo by Jonathan Gordon.
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 9

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION:

Gulf of Mexico 

Sperm Whale Research

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/

regulate/environ/marmam/

sperm_research.html

worldwide, MMS has concluded that

noise, specifically from seismic activity,

does not seriously affect cetaceans in the

GOM. According to MMS, “geological

and geophysical activities are not

expected to result in significant adverse

impacts to any of the potentially 

affected resources.” 

Nonetheless, MMS regulations to

reduce the amount of noise to which

whales are exposed will remain in place.

If a whale is sighted within 1,500 feet of

a seismic vessel, operations are required

to cease until the whale leaves the area. 

A gradual ramp up of the signal volume

is required after the whale leaves. Ramp

ups must be done during daylight hours

for better visual confirmation that the

whale is no longer in the area.

As more knowledge is gained about

the sperm whale and other species in the

GOM, Pacific, and Alaska regions, MMS

will continue to review and revise

regulations concerning their protection.

The goal of MMS research and

regulations is to protect the Nation’s

energy, marine, and human resources

while still encouraging responsible oil

and gas exploration.

which inhabits areas of the GOM where

exploration activities are ongoing.

A pilot study in 2000-2001 enlisted

the help of the former anti-submarine

ship, now NOAA Research Vessel, the

Gordon Gunter, which was built by the

Navy for “silent running.” The Gunter

was refitted to listen for whales rather

than submarines and, with the 27-foot

research boat R2 on board, set out to

take ID photos, obtain biopsy samples of

the whales they encountered, and test

new equipment – in particular, two types

of whale tags.

The initial study was remarkably

successful with over 60 hours of data

retrieved from tags on three female

sperm whales. Based on this study and

the best available information

If a whale is sighted within 1,500 feet of a seismic vessel, 

operations are required to cease 

until the whale leaves the area. 

Far left: The Relentless II (R2) follows

a tagged whale within sight of the

deep water production platform

URSA. The R2 is a 21-foot research

boat designed and built for whale

research. Launched from the Gunter,

the MMS boat is used for close

approaches to whales for tag

attachment, biopsy samples and ID

photographs. 

Left top: An ONR acoustic tag

attached to a sperm whale from a 30-

foot long carbon fiber pole on the R2.

The tag has three suction cups and

will remain attached for up to four

hours. The released tag is located by

radio signals and recovered - sound

recordings and movement data are

analyzed by a WHOI research team

lead by Dr. Peter Tyack.

Left bottom: WHOI scientist, Mark

Johnson, tags one in a group of four

sperm whales.
10 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

by strong currents, stabilize pipelines,

and prevent the mass dispersion of

exploration drilling muds in the strong

currents before exploration in the area

continues. 

The Minerals Management Service

(MMS) continues to collect data about

the currents and the furrows they leave

behind. Knowing the processes which

cause these phenomena will enable both

MMS and oil and gas operators in the

area to develop safe and

environmentally responsible exploration

and production. 

The image of the ocean appearing

calm and tranquil after a hurricane

is reassuring, but it can be

deceptive. Beneath that calm, at 10,000

feet, another storm may be brewing. This

storm could be devastating, too, and can

leave deep furrows in the ocean bed as it

passes. Scientists are just beginning to

study “mega-furrows” that have recently

been discovered on the ocean floor at

the base of the Sigsbee Escarpment in

the northwestern Gulf of Mexico

(GOM). The furrows are believed to be

formed by sudden rising currents with

enormous power and force. 

Scientists were just beginning to

recognize that there were strong currents

in the deep GOM, but during an

exploratory dive on the manned

submersible craft, Alvin, scientists from

Texas A&M and the National Science

Foundation found themselves literally in

the “eye of the storm.” The massive wall

of water they encountered was estimated

to be 2,000 feet thick and moved at 1-

1.5 knots (or 1.2 to 1.8 miles per hour),

far above the normal speed of 1/10 knot.

Scientists have now recorded currents

that are well over 2 miles per hour. 

The current is suspected to be strong

enough to erode miles of deep furrows

up to 100 feet wide and 30 feet deep in

the ocean floor. 

Why did this sudden “storm” occur?

Investigators suspect the influence of

Rossby waves, which are a result of the

earth’s rotation. Ocean topography and

inter-ocean connections are also

suspected to influence the strong flow.

Post processed side scan data provide an example of mega-furrows and a seafloor slump deposit at the base

of the Sigsbee Escarpment. The mega-furrows are 5 to 50 meters in width and 1 to 3 meters in depth. These

erosional features extend for kilometers and are the result of bottom currents. The slump deposits are more

resistant to the erosional process. Courtesy of C & C Technologies.

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION:

Ongoing research at MMS:

Website: www.mms.gov/

tarprojects/479.htm

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/

regulate/environ/ongoing_

studies/gm/GM-03-x11.html

The subbottom profiler

data shown are processed

and saved in SEG Y and

XTF. A subbottom profile,

running from north to

south across the slump

deposits shows furrowed

seafloor in the form of

hyperbolic echoes.

Courtesy of C & C

Technologies.

Study into the origin of the flows is 

on-going.

The study of mega-furrows has

become important because oil and gas

exploration has begun in the areas they

are found. The implications of extremely

strong currents and their ability to erode

and undercut ocean floors where

pipelines and other sea floor

installations might be located are

apparent. Engineers must find ways to

reduce the wear and tear on equipment

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM

EXPLORING MEGA-FURROWS
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 11

FOR OR MORE MORE INFO:

Arctic Scenic Journeys

Website: http://www.uaf.edu/

seagrant/NewsMedia/02ASJ/

10.04.02boulder_patch.html

Boulder Patch Study 

MMS Report 2005-011

Website: http://www.mms.gov/

alaska/ref/AKPUBS.HTM

MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 11

The Boulder Patch is an oasis of living sea life off

Alaska’s Arctic coast. Photo Courtesy Brenda Konar,

University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Chances are, the last place you

would think of as an oasis for

scuba diving is Alaska’s Arctic

Ocean coast. This isn’t surprising since

much of the state’s northern coast

consists of mud, and on a warm day the

ocean might be a teeth-chattering 30

degrees Fahrenheit. But, it may be worth

another look.

Twenty-five years ago, geologists

looking for oil in Stefannson Sound

came across a jumble of rocks, boulders,

and cobbles. Ken Dunton, a marine

scientist at the University of Texas at

Austin, was among the first to lay eyes

on what is now called the Boulder Patch.

According to Dunton, “The boulder

patch I think is most appreciated if

you’ve spent day after day diving, like we

did in 1978, on mud, being promised

that there was a big area of cobbles and

boulders covered with luxuriant sea life.”

On the eleventh dive Dunton and his

team came upon the hidden treasure of

rocks and cobbles with a rich

community of organisms. 

“This oasis is as rare as it is beautiful.

The rocks themselves are unlike anything

north of the Brooks Range,” says Dunton. 

Today, these boulders lie in about 20

feet of water and are covered by sea ice

during nine months of the year. And yet,

life thrives here. Plants and animals have

evolved unique ways of surviving the

dark, frigid water. 

The Boulder Patch may be a place of

hearty corals, kelp, and sea anemones,

but it isn’t invulnerable. Surrounding it

are America’s largest oil and gas deposits.

Nearby Endicott Island, a man-made

gravel pad, pumps thousands of barrels

of oil each day from beneath the patch.

In a study funded by British

Petroleum and Minerals Management

Service (MMS), Brenda Konar, an

assistant research professor at the

University of Alaska at Fairbanks, and a

team of research scuba divers began

research to further understand the effects

of these man-made structures on the

Boulder Patch. 

Konar and her team collected some

70 rocks, each roughly the size of a

football. They took them to a warehouse

on Endicott Island and began the

painstaking task of scraping, chipping

and pounding off the corals and other

sea life. When the rocks are put back into

the patch, Konar will be able to monitor

nature’s progress as life returns to the

bare rocks. 

The data collected in this study, along

with historical information, will provide

a valuable database that can be used to

assess the effects of oil and gas

exploration in this region and will help

further the mission of MMS in its role as

a steward of the ocean environment.

The Boulder Patch sits in about 20 feet of water in

Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay. Courtesy Ken Dunton,

University of Texas at Austin.

AN UNLIKELY OASIS

THE BOULDER PATCH
MMS OCEAN SCIENCE

Minerals Management Service

Mail Stop 4042

381 Elden Street

Herndon, VA 20170

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PAID

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MMS – A Leader in 

Securing the Nation’s

Domestic Energy

Supply

NEW WAVES Late-breaking News & Information

2005 Energy Policy Act Promotes Energy Production

California, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas are eligible for

this program. The annual allocation for each state will be

based on the ratio of OCS revenues generated off the state’s

coastline to total OCS revenues from leases lying beyond

the three miles past State waters (the 8(g) zone) and within

a distance of 200 nautical miles off that state. 

The legislation also grants MMS new authority to

regulate alternative energy uses of the OCS, including wind,

wave, and solar energy. The States will share in 27 percent of

the revenues generated from alternative energy activities

within the 8(g) zone. 

In addition, this legislation requires changes to the

valuation and fee structure for geothermal energy, whether

used directly as in a greenhouse heating system or to

produce electricity. The provisions provide for a streamlined

process and a fair return on the use of our national resource.

An offshore 

wind farm.

On August 8, President Bush signed the 2005

Energy Policy Act, which encourages

increased domestic production of oil and

natural gas. This Act grants the Minerals

Management Service (MMS) with new

authority for federal offshore alternative energy uses and

requires a comprehensive inventory of oil and gas resources

on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

Provisions in the legislation will increase incentives for

domestic energy production, including royalty relief on

existing non-producing OCS leases offshore Alaska, and

additional royalty relief for deep water and ultra deep gas

production in the Gulf of Mexico.

New coastal impact assistance provides $250 million

from OCS revenues to be shared annually among the

eligible states from 2007 through 2010. Alaska, Alabama,