MMS

SCIENCE

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 3 

MAY/JUNE 2006

THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

Bright and

Stable Vision

Sand

Renourishment

This Is 

Only a Test – 

Waiting to Be

Discovered

The Answer is

Blowing in the

Wind

Alternative

Energy

Considerations

Going Deep –

Cold Seep 

and Coral

Communities

Bright and

Stable Vision

Sand

Renourishment

This Is 

Only a Test – 

Waiting to Be

Discovered

The Answer is

Blowing in the

Wind

Alternative

Energy

Considerations

Going Deep –

Cold Seep 

and Coral

Communities
2 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

MMS

SCIENCE

MAY/JUNE 2006 

Volume 3 Issue 3

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:

Deborah Epperson

MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Editor

Minerals Management Service

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard

New Orleans, LA 70123

deborah.epperson@mms.gov

(504) 736-3257

ABOUT THE COVERS

Top: Chevron's Jack Discovery Production Well Test with

the Transocean Cajun Express Rig and Barges, Walker

Ridge Block 758, Lease OCS-G 17015, Well #1.

Image courtesy of Chevron North America Exploration

and Production Company.

Bottom: The R/V Atlantis and DSV ALVIN combine 

to form one of the premier ocean science exploration

and research tandems in the world. Image courtesy of

Mark Spear, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

All photos courtesy of Minerals Management Service 

unless otherwise noted.

Publication services provided by Schatz Publishing Group

THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

MAY/JUNE 2006 Volume 3 Issue 3

3 Bright and Stable Vision

A New Frontier for Exploration

4 Sand Renourishment

A Cooperative Effort

5 Barrier Island Restoration 

Isles Dernieres, Louisiana

6 This Is Only a Test

Waiting to Be Discovered

6 OHMSETT and MMS

7 The Answer, My Friend

The Answer is Blowing in the Wind

8 Alternative Energy Considerations

10 Renewable Energy:

Definitions

11 Going Deep

Cold Seep and Coral Communities

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

deborah.epperson@mms.gov or call (504) 736-3257
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MAY/JUNE 2006 3

S

ince its inception, the Minerals

Management Service (MMS)

has been responsible for

overseeing the planning and

development of marine

mineral resources of the Outer

Continental Shelf (OCS), including the

supervision of oil and gas leasing,

development, and production. In its role

as steward, MMS has ensured that oil

and gas development has been

conducted in an environmentally safe,

fiscally responsible, and technologically

innovative manner. In August 2005,

MMS was given another major

responsibility – oversight of offshore

renewable energy and alternate uses of

the OCS. The MMS’s long history of

expertise in energy development,

environmental protection, and

conservation of natural resources makes

it the obvious choice to manage

alternative energy and use.

One of MMS’s first responsibilities is

to develop a program that defines

potential new energy sources and

integrates those new sources with

existing uses of OCS resources. This vital

task will necessitate meeting with all

stakeholders in the OCS – business,

academic, and governmental – on State,

local and Federal levels. The task will

involve preparing guidelines that will

protect the environment while

encouraging new and innovative ideas;

identifying what information needs to

be gathered; deciding who should gather

the information; and determining who

should have access to the information

once it is gathered.

In an Advance Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking, MMS requested comments

on the development of a regulatory

program to implement Section 388 of

the Energy Policy Act of 2005 – Alternate

Energy-Related Uses on the OCS.

Objectives of the new regulatory

program are to provide access to the

OCS in a way that balances competing

and complementary uses of offshore

acreage; ensure consultation with

affected States and local governments;

take into account the evolving nature of

the energy industry; and provide a fair

return to the United States for access to

the OCS.

The MMS also held public scoping

meetings at 10 sites across the country

during the months of May and June

2006 to obtain comments from the

public on renewable energy projects and

alternate uses of facilities in Federal

waters. The meetings are the first step in

the preparation of a Programmatic

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

for the Nation’s OCS Renewable Energy

and Alternate Use Program. The MMS

must also establish a formula by which

coastal States within 15 miles of a

project can share the revenue produced.

Among other tasks, MMS is expected to

streamline the permitting process while

still ensuring that any project will be

conducted in an environmentally safe

manner. The MMS will also develop

regulations that will help the Agency

carry out its new mandate while not

interfering with the permitting processes

already put in place by other agencies

and Congress.

Alternative energy uses present a new

frontier for exploration and development

in the OCS. Having a consistent,

balanced, and stable vision for our

Nation’s offshore alternative energy

development will ensure that our

country’s increasing needs will be

addressed without sacrificing the natural

resources that will someday belong to

our children. The MMS is well suited for

this enormous task.

Top: Water current turbines.

Bottom: Ocean current project.

BRIGHT AND

STABLE VISION

A NEW FRONTIER

FOR EXPLORATION
4 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

When most people think

of our Nation’s

offshore energy

resources, they think

only of oil and gas. Yet

another resource is just as vital – sand

and gravel. Portions of our Nation’s

coastlines and beaches are eroding every

year. Whether from rising ocean levels,

upstream flood control measures,

sediment compaction, or climatic

variations resulting in changing storm

patterns, beaches and barrier islands are

losing sediments at the rate of 5-10 feet a

year in some areas.

The Minerals Management Service

(MMS) has been given the responsibility

for “policy direction and guidance for

the development of marine mineral

resources of the Outer Continental Shelf

(OCS).” On the basis of this mandate,

MMS has entered into cooperative

agreements with coastal State and local

governments to alleviate coastal erosion,

restore wetlands, and support levee

construction using offshore Federal sand

resources, wherever it is environmentally

sound to do so. Under MMS guidance,

over 22 million cubic yards of sand have

been conveyed to State, local, and

Federal entities.

Both the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico

(GOM) OCS regions have been ravaged

by nature. In Florida, the 2004-2005

hurricane seasons damaged miles of

beaches. In Naples, Florida, MMS

partnered with local officials to renourish 8.6 miles of storm-damaged

beach, with sand being transported from

offshore deposits 33 miles away. Near

Jacksonville, 10 miles of damaged beach

were re-nourished.

In New England, several states have

signed a multi-year cooperative

agreement with MMS to assess their sand

and gravel resources and their potential

usefulness for restoration of wetlands,

coastal beaches, and to dampen the tidal

surge during storms. Finding sources that

are of sufficient quality and quantity to

nourish and maintain beaches and

A COOPERATIVE EFFORT

SAND RENOURISHMENT

Above: The MMS also signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Air Force to provide up to 350,000

cubic yards of Federal sand to restore the Atlantic shoreline of Patrick Air Force Base, in Brevard County. The

sand was dredged from Canaveral Shoals, then transported to the project sites and hydraulically pumped

from the dredge ship. This project was completed on April 29, 2005.

Below: Map showing (1) sand borrow polygons in the Ship Shoal and South Pelto areas, (2) OCS block

numbers, and (3) distances between sand borrow polygons, Isles Dernieres restoration projects, the project’s 

shore base at the Port of Terrebonne at Houma, Louisiana, and temporary sand storage areas for the

Morganza levee project.

MMS U.S. Department of the Interior

Minerals Management Service

Gulf of Mexico OCS Region

LEGEND

OCS-Related Coastal Navigation Channels

Gulf Access Route

Gulf Intercoastal Waterway

Active Leases

Morganza Levee Sand Storage 

Locations
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MAY/JUNE 2006 5

barrier islands is of vital economic and

environmental interest to the tourism,

fishing, shipping, and energy industries

of the region.

The importance of beaches and

barrier islands to the economy of a

region is illustrated by the plight of

southern Louisiana. The deltaic and

coastal wetlands of southern Louisiana

continue to be lost at rates estimated at

refineries, bridges, cities, towns, canals,

and ports, are at risk. It is estimated that

80% of the oil and gas produced in the

GOM passes through that infrastructure.

A large barrier island remnant known as

Ship Shoal, containing approximately

1.5 billion cubic yards of sand, is being

earmarked to provide the resources

needed to restore the barrier.

As Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

emphasized, our coastal beaches and

wetlands are vulnerable to storms and

erosion. The MMS, State, and local

officials are working together to ensure

that these valuable national resources

will not disappear, while ensuring the

sand and gravel resources of the OCS are

not depleted.

Barrier Island Restoration

The 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act (CWPPRA; also known as the Breaux Act) funds

wetland creation, island restoration, and beach nourishment projects nationwide in a cost-sharing arrangement

between local sponsors and the Federal Government. Since 1997, all elements of Louisiana’s coastal restoration

planning were consolidated into a multiagency Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Study to assist in establishing priorities for

future projects. The MMS is a participant. Other Congressional actions authorize flood control structures and levees for

coastal Louisiana areas, usually through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE).

The first CWPPRA projects proposing to use Ship Shoal sand are two barrier island restoration projects sponsored by the

State of Louisiana on Isles Dernieres,

an important barrier island arc that

has undergone significant erosion.

Map illustrating over 100 years of land loss on

Isles Dernieres. Photo courtesy of University of

New Orleans, Coastal Research Laboratory.

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION:

OCS Sand and Gravel Mining

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/offshore/

sandgrvl.html

Atlantic OCS Area

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/offshore/

atlocs/atlocs.html

MMS’s cooperative efforts with states.

between 25 and 40 square miles per

year. The barrier islands protecting

southern Louisiana’s basins and

wetlands may disappear by 2012 unless

something is done to prevent or delay

the erosion. Aside from the over 1.5

million people and countless plant and

animal species that will be affected, vital

energy infrastructure, including oil and

gas wells, platforms, pipelines, roads,
6 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

I

n February of 2006, Minerals

Management Service (MMS)

hosted a multi-national version of

“Show and Tell” at OHMSETT, 

the Oil and Hazardous Materials

Simulated Environmental Test Tank, at

the Naval Weapons Station in Leonardo,

New Jersey. Observers were brought to

the enormous facility to witness the

testing of the dispersability of fresh and

weathered Alaskan crude oil in cold

water. Prior to the demonstration, it was

the opinion of many experts that oil

would not disperse in cold water.

The capabilities of the enormous

OHMSETT facility were on full display as

testing began. Potential clients and those

who had already used the facility but

had yet personally to see its testing and

training potential were divided into

groups and received tours of the

installation. Among other features, the

group was shown the 2.6 million gallon

saltwater tank (equivalent to the volume

of four Olympic-sized swimming pools)

and the 60,000-gallon mobile storage

tanks, which hold test fluids.

At OHMSETT, clients can create “real

world” testing situations that use fullsized equipment, actual wave and

saltwater action, and hands-on oil-spill

response training under controlled

environmental conditions. The

techniques and devices developed here

have led to a greater understanding of oil

spills in all environmental conditions.

OHMSETT plays a vital role in

adding to the body of knowledge regarding oil spills. This knowledge and experimentation will foster more effective

methods of oil spill prevention and

response. Will crude oil disperse in cold

water? We now know the answer is yes.

WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED

THIS IS ONLY A TEST!

OHMSETT and MMS

OHMSETT is not only a vital component of MMS’s oil-spill

research program, it is also a national asset. Information gathered at OHMSETT plays an essential role in the development of

new technology and in the creation of more effective procedures for

responding to future oil spills. OHMSETT is also the premier training

site for spill response personnel.

The OHMSETT test tank allows

testing of full-scale equipment. The

tank’s wave generator creates realistic

sea environments, while state-of-theart data collection and video systems

record test results.

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION:

The National Oil Spill Response

Test Facility – OHMSETT – Oil and

Hazardous Materials Simulated

Environmental Test Tank

Website: www.mms.gov/

tarprojectcategories/

ohmsett.htm

Aerial view of the OHMSETT facility located in Leonardo, New Jersey.

Above: Oil containment boom being tested with oil in waves

Left: Breaking waves generated at OHMSETT.
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MAY/JUNE 2006 7

monopiles, which

are unsuitable for

deeper water. The

technology does

not currently exist

for producing a

suitable foundation for the

turbines at greater

depths. Alternate

systems such as

floating foundations are being

investigated and

may prove to be

viable.

Wind farms at

greater depth also

require a greater

distance for

transmission,

adding to the 

cost of energy.

However, the

increased speed of

the wind at

locations farther from shore may offset

greater collection costs.

Several proposed wind projects are

currently in the planning and permitting

phases – the Cape Wind project off

Massachusetts and the Long Island

Offshore Wind project off the shores of

Long Island.

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION:

Wind and Hydro

Website: www.eere.energy.gov/

windandhydro/

windpoweringamerica/pdfs/

workshops/2005_summit/

musial.pdf

Inspecting an offshore

windfarm, Arklow

Bank, Ireland. Photo

courtesy of GE Energy.

Middelgrunden offshore wind farm, offshore of

Copenhagen, Denmark.

Wind and waves from

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

caused devastating destruction

along the Gulf Coast and contributed to

a disruption of oil and gas production

and distribution. This destruction has

contributed to higher gas prices for

American consumers. Ironically, these

same winds and waves in a more

moderate form may help us reduce the

Nation’s reliance on foreign energy

resources.

The use of the wind has some

enormous advantages. The wind is free;

it belongs to no country, state, or

individual. There is no foreseeable wind

shortage for the future. Plus, the

production of usable energy from the

wind is cost-effective and free of

pollution and greenhouse-effect gases.

The technology for harnessing the wind

for man’s use has been around for

centuries. But the idea of offshore wind

farms for energy production is relatively

new, having been first envisioned in

1972. Europe has taken the lead in

construction of offshore wind farms with

17 farms being constructed since 1991

and a current energy production of more

than 600 megawatts.

Offshore wind turbines consist of a

support foundation that holds a tower,

which in turn encloses the components,

supports the turbine, and houses support

personnel. The wind moves over the

blades (usually a three-bladed rotor),

which rotate around a hub connected to

a short shaft that powers the generator

through a gearbox. Wind sensors turn

the nacelle (the shell that encloses the

gearbox, generator, and blade hub) to

the position that maximizes energy

production.

The optimal location for wind farms

offshore is deeper water, where the

increased wind speed produces eight

times the power of turbines in more

shallow water. Turbines in shallow water

are constructed on concrete or steel

THE ANSWER IS BLOWING IN THE WIND

THE ANSWER, MY FRIEND
8 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

A

lthough there are many energy

sources that have been

proposed, four types of

alternative energy sources

and uses are now being

explored with new vision and vigor:

wind, solar, wave, and current power. As

these increase in efficiency, stability, and

scale, and as oil and gas prices continue

to rise, these alternative energy sources

will become more competitive with

carbon fuels. However, obstacles to their

use continue to exist and the widespread

use and acceptance of these alternative

energy sources will not occur until the

obstacles are overcome.

Each of these energy sources can

produce electricity at varying rates, but

not always at the time and place it is

needed. Consequently, storage and

transportation methods are among the

first obstacles that need to be addressed.

One of the most direct transportation

methods would be transmission of the

electricity produced through submarine

cables. However, the cables now in place

were designed for transmission between

short distances. Loss of power occurs

when the current cables are used for

longer distances. The good news is that

strides are being made in the

development of cables capable of

carrying electricity for longer distances.

Currently, the most viable means of

storage is through hydrogen (H2), which

can be stored onsite or transported to

shore for later use. Hydrogen can be

produced by several methods. The most

widely used method onshore is steam

reforming, which converts into hydrogen

and carbon monoxide by reaction with

steam over a nickel catalyst. The most

viable method for hydrogen production

offshore is electrolysis, which has been

used commercially for years. Since each

alternative energy source can produce

electricity, electrical current can be used

to split water molecules into pure

hydrogen and oxygen.

Once the hydrogen is produced, the

question becomes, “How do we get the

hydrogen to the consumer?” H2 can be

transported in one of three forms: gas,

liquid, or in special hydrogen carriers. In

its compressed gaseous form, hydrogen

ENERGY

CONSIDERATIONS

Thermal image of the Gulf Stream
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MAY/JUNE 2006 9

can be transported through dedicated

pipelines or via tanker. The issue with

this method is that hydrogen can

degrade the steel and welds used in

pipelines and ships, increasing the risk of

environmental damage. In addition,

hydrogen requires special seals because

of its low molecular weight. Sealing

technology will need to be improved to

prevent leakage.

H2 in a liquefied form cannot be

transported by pipeline because of the

need to keep the H2 below -423  ̊F. Ship

or tanker transport in cryogenic

containers would be necessary for this

form of hydrogen. Transport by such

means would add extra expense and

increase the cost to the final user.

Hydrogen can also be carried in H2

containers – not an enclosed container,

but rather a substance, such as ammonia

or liquid hydrocarbons, which can carry

hydrogen in an altered form. The

substance or carrier can be charged with

hydrogen at the power generation site,

then sent by pipeline, ship, or tanker to

an onshore site where it would be

distributed for use. Two-way carriers

could then be sent back for recharging.

There are no current commercially viable

carrier systems being tested, although

research is ongoing.

The impact of electrical cables and

pipelines and the electromagnetic

radiation they produce, as well as the

possible leakage of hydrogen if seals fail

or pipelines become brittle and the

possible effects on marine traffic and

ecosystems, are issues that must be

considered when weighing the

environmental and economic impact of

alternative fuels development offshore.

The current level of infrastructure that

can be repurposed for alternative fuels,

use as well as development,

construction, delivery, and distribution

costs, must all be considered before

large-scale commercial facilities are put

in place to develop and produce

alternate energy sources.

Caption

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION:

Renewable Energy & Alternate Uses

Website: www.mms.gov/offshore/RenewableEnergy/RenewableEnergyMain.htm

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 250

Website: www.mms.gov/federalregister/PDFs/AD30_ANPR.pdf

Map of Cape Wind alternative sites.

Legend

✱ 80 Wind Turbine Generators Not Affected

● Electric Service Platform

Submerged Lands Act Boundary

Monomoy Shoals

South of Tuckernuck Island

Nantucket Shoals

East of Nauset Beach
10 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

Alternative energy: Fuel

sources other than those

derived from fossil fuels.

Typically used interchangeably for renewable energy.

Examples include wind, solar,

biomass, wave, and tidal

energy.

British thermal unit (BTU):

The amount of heat required

to increase the temperature

of a pound of water 1 ̊

Fahrenheit. A BTU is used as a

common measure of heating

value for different fuels.

Prices of different fuels and

their units of measure 

(dollars per barrel of crude,

dollars per ton of coal, cents

per gallon of gasoline, cents

per thousand cubic feet of

natural gas) can be easily

compared when expressed 

as dollars and cents per million BTU’s.

Crude Oil: A mixture of

hydrocarbons naturally existing as a liquid in underground reservoirs and that

remains a liquid at atmospheric pressure. Crude oil is

the raw material that is

refined into gasoline, heating

oil, jet fuel, propane, petrochemicals, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and other products.

Easement: Authorization for

the use, for a specified purpose, of land not owned by

the user. For the OCS, a right

of use and easement usually

refers to the authorization by

MMS to an operator for the

construction and maintenance of a structure on OCS

lands not subject to a lease

granted to the operator.

Energy: The capacity for

doing work as measured by

the capability of doing work

(potential energy) or the conversion of this capability to

motion (kinetic energy).

Energy has several forms,

some of which are easily convertible and can be changed

to another form useful for

work. Electrical energy is usuPhotovoltaic: Comes from

the words photo (meaning

light) and volt, a measurement of electricity.

Public notice: Notification by

a government entity informing the public of actions such

as the issuance of a draft 

permit or scheduling of a

hearing.

Recoverable reserves: The

proportion of hydrocarbons

that can be recovered from 

a reservoir by using existing

techniques.

Right-of-way: In property

law, an easement to use

another’s land for passage.

For the OCS, a right-of-way is

most commonly used for

pipelines that cross lands that

the operator does not control

entirely by lease.

Royalty: A share of the 

minerals produced from a

lease; a percentage of production either in money or in

kind that a lessee is required

to pay.

Stakeholder: One who has a

share or an interest. MMS

stakeholders include citizens,

public interest groups, local

and State governments, and

industry groups.

Territorial sea: The territorial

sea of the United States is a

maritime zone extending

beyond the land territory and

internal waters of the United

States over which the United

States exercises sovereignty

and jurisdiction, a sovereignty and jurisdiction that

extends to the airspace over

the territorial sea, as well as

to its bed and subsoil.

Watt: A metric unit of power,

usually used in electric 

measurements, which gives

the rate at which work is

done or energy used. Also,

Kilowatt: a unit of power

equal to 1,000 watts, and

Megawatt: a unit of power

equal to 1 million watts.

ally measured in kilowatt

hours, while heat energy is

usually measured in British

thermal units (BTU).

Exclusive Economic Zone

(EEZ): A seazone over which

a Nation has special rights

over the exploration and use

of marine resources.

Generally a Nation’s EEZ

extends to a distance of 200

nautical miles (370 kilometers) out from its coast,

except where resulting points

would be closer to another

country. Technically, it does

Lease: A legal document 

executed between a landowner, as lessor, and a company or individual (as lessee)

that conveys the right to use

the premises for minerals or

other products for a specified

period over a given area.

Moratorium: Delay, a period

during which certain proceedings or obligations are

suspended.

Multiple-use: Land management for more than one

purpose, such as wood 

RENEWABLE

ENERGY: 

Energy resources that are naturally

replenishing but flow-limited. They are

virtually inexhaustible in duration but

limited in the amount of energy that is

available per unit of time. Renewable

energy resources include biomass,

hydro, geothermal, solar, wind, ocean

thermal, wave action, and tidal action.

DEFINITIONS

not include the Nation’s territorial waters, so the EEZ’s

inner boundary follows the

borders of the Nation’s territorial waters.

Fee: A fixed sum charged, as

by an institution or by law,

for a privilege.

Hydrocarbon: Any compound or mix of compounds,

solid, liquid, or gas, comprising carbon and hydrogen

(e.g., coal, crude oil, and 

natural gas).

production, water, wildlife,

recreation, forage, aesthetics,

or clean air.

Nonrenewable fuels: Fuels

that cannot be easily made or

“renewed,” such as oil,

natural gas, and coal.

Outer Continental Shelf

(OCS): The part of the continental shelf beyond the 

line that marks State 

ownership; that part of the

offshore lands under Federal

jurisdiction.
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MAY/JUNE 2006 11

COLD SEEP AND CORAL COMMUNITIES

GOING DEEP

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION

Expedition to the Deep Slope

Website: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/

explorations/06mexico/

A group of very old tubeworms (Lamellibrachia luymesi and Seepiophila jonesi) living on the same piece of

carbonate rock as large colonies of the gorgonian Callogorgia Americana americana, with brittle stars and a

galatheid crab crawling on the gorgonians. Photo by Derk Bergquist.

Mission Facts

• The Gulf of Mexico Outer

Continental Shelf (OCS) provides

about 21 percent of our domestic

natural gas and 30 percent of our

domestic oil.

• 50 percent of leased acreage in the

Gulf of Mexico OCS is in deep

water (greater than 1,000 feet).

• In May 2006, there were over 3,900

oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of

Mexico. This also represents the

largest de facto artificial reef system

in the world.

• The deepwater OCS accounts for

over 60 percent of the total Gulf of

Mexico OCS oil production and 24

percent of the total Gulf of Mexico

OCS natural gas production.

• 3.9 seconds of OCS production

would allow a car to travel around

the earth at its equator (25,000

miles).

• America uses almost 20 million

barrels of oil per day to fuel our

automobiles and airplanes, power

our factories, and generate the

electricity needed to heat and cool

our homes.

• Seven of the top 20 oil fields in the

U.S. (ranked by liquids proved

reserves) are now located in Federal

deepwater areas.

• The first exploratory well in over

10,000 feet of water has been

drilled in the Gulf of Mexico

(world water-depth record).

Beggiatoa mats on the seafloor around a Gulf of

Mexico cold seep. The image mosaic L to R and top

to bottom shows increasing magnification of the

individual filaments, which are clearly visible in the

2-cm scale bar panel. Image courtesy of Ian

McDonald and Mandy Joye.

T

his spring, scientists saw

sights never before seen by

man or woman. They

explored communities that

never see light, and life is

based on chemosynthesis, unlike most

all other life on earth. This spring

scientists began the first systematic

exploration of hydrocarbon seep

communities that are deeper than 1,000

m below the water’s surface.

Using the R/V Atlantis and the

submersible Alvin, visiting scientists

from Germany, France, and Australia

were joined with leading U.S. scientists

contracted by the Minerals Management

Service (MMS) and the National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA), the sponsors of the

exploration. The mission was to learn as

much about the ecology, microbiology,

physiology, geology, and geochemistry of

the cold seep and coral communities as

possible and with that knowledge, help

protect these unique communities from

man’s impact.

As we go deeper and deeper into the

Gulf of Mexico, it is vital that we know

as much as possible about the area in

which we will be operating, the

communities which will be our

neighbors, and how our presence may

affect the world around these newly

discovered habitats.
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MMS: Fishing for Answers in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) recently released 

findings of a study evaluating the habitat value of standing and

toppled platforms by monitoring the fidelity of red snapper to these

structures (MMS 2006-005: Fidelity of Red Snapper to Petroleum

Platforms and Artificial Reefs in the Northern Gulf of Mexico). Unlike

previous studies, this one used acoustic telemetry (high-tech

“pinging” equipment).

Despite Tropical Storm Bill moving through the study area in

June 2003 and certain equipment limitations, it was evident the red

snapper exhibited high short-term site fidelity, not moving from

platform to platform on a daily or even weekly basis. Over a longer

period, previous studies have shown that red snapper are unlikely to

remain at one location for more than a few consecutive months.

By “fishing” for answers with new information from studies such

as this, MMS is provided with data that assist in the decisionmaking

process, while adding to a larger foundation of data on which plans

can be based.

Prior to 1942, when the first petroleum platform was installed

on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico

(GOM), offshore sport fishing in Louisiana was almost

nonexistent. But by 1997, most of the nearly 5,600 platforms erected

on the OCS were off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas. Those

platforms are now the largest contributor to a lucrative offshore sport

fishing industry in coastal Louisiana, where “fishing the oil rigs” is a

common expression. 

How lucrative? According to 2002 statistics, the economic impact

to coastal counties in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama from

fishing and diving at platforms is $324.6 million. These industries

support 5,560 full-time jobs. 

Red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is a common species at 

many platforms in the northern GOM. Knowledge of red snapper

fidelity – how long the fish stay at a particular platform – will lead 

to more effective management by clarifying the specific function of

these structures as habitat and their importance to the red snapper

population.