A Unity of Effort at the Unified 

Area Command Center

Loop Current Studies and 

the Oil-Spill Response

Lophelia II Expedition:

Keeping Watch over 

Deepwater Communities

Lophelia II Expedition:

Diving on GulfOil

Studying Cetaceans in the Gulf

Listening to the People 

of the Gulf Coast:

Field Surveys Put 

Boots on the Ground

Mapping the Spill with 

Cooperatively Funded Technology

Groovy Drum Skimmer Goes to 

Work in the Gulf

The Science & Technology Journal of the 

BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, 

REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT

OCEAN SCIENCE

BOEMRE

Special Edition

The Deepwater Horizon Response

December 2010
DECEMBER 2010

Special Edition

BOEMRE OCEAN SCIENCE is published 

quarterly by the Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management, Regulation and Enforcement 

to communicate recent ocean science and 

technological information and issues of 

interest related to offshore energy recovery 

and ocean stewardship.

Please address all questions, comments, 

suggestions, and changes of address to:

Melanie Damour

BOEMRE OCEAN SCIENCE Editor

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 

Regulation and Enforcement

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard

New Orleans, LA 70123

melanie.damour@boemre.gov

(504) 736-2783

ON THE COVER

Top left: An orange brisingid basket star 

on the large Lophelia pertusa reef at 1,475 

ft. (450 m) depth in Viosca Knoll Block 826. 

At the top of the image is a school of Beryx 

fish swimming over the top of the reef. Photo 

courtesy of NOAA.

Top right: A NMFS research vessel approaches 

cetaceans in the Gulf during the 2010 Sperm 

Whale Prey Cruise.

Bottom: Researchers in the control room 

aboard R/V Ronald H. Brown check the position 

and status of deployed sediment traps. Photo 

courtesy of MarkSchrope.com/Lophelia II 2010 

Expedition, NOAA-OER/BOEMRE.

All photos courtesy of 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 

Regulation and Enforcement 

unless otherwise noted.

Publication services provided by 

Schatz Publishing Group.

OCEAN SCIENCE THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE 

BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, 

REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT

DECEMBER 2010

Special Edition

Director’s Note...........................................................................................3

About This Issue........................................................................................3

A Unity of Effort at the Unified Area Command Center......................4

Loop Current Studies and the Oil-Spill Response...............................5

Lophelia II Expedition:

Keeping Watch over Deepwater Communities ....................................6

Lophelia II Expedition:

Diving on GulfOil.........................................................................................7

Studying Cetaceans in the Gulf..............................................................8

Listening to the People of the Gulf Coast

Field Surveys Put Boots on the Ground.................................................9

Mapping the Spill with Cooperatively Funded Technology ............10

Groovy Drum Skimmer Goes to Work in the Gulf..............................10

Moving Forward, Eyes Wide Open ......................................................11

New Waves:

Late-Breaking News & Information.....................................................12

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Check out the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement website at 

www.boemre.gov.

SUBSCRIBE

To receive BOEMRE OCEAN SCIENCE, visit www.gomr.boemre.gov, then click on email subscriptions under Gulf of Mexico links, and select Signup for the BOEMRE OCEAN SCIENCE Journal, 

or email melanie.damour@boemre.gov or call (504) 736-2783.

BOEMRE
DECEMBER 2010 3

INTRODUCTION

BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT

 The Federal Government’s response to the Deepwater Horizon blowout 

and resulting oil spill underscored the critical importance of sound scientific 

information in the decision-making process.

This special edition of BOEMRE Ocean Science highlights several completed 

and ongoing studies that contribute significantly to spill response and 

recovery. These studies were conducted and funded by the Bureau of Ocean 

Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) in partnership with State and other Federal agencies, academic institutions, and the 

private sector to better understand the environment and communities of 

the Gulf of Mexico.

BOEMRE Ocean Science is the bureau’s science and technology journal. Each 

quarterly issue highlights the work of BOEMRE scientists and engineers 

and BOEMRE-funded studies in the Alaska, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific 

regions and the Atlantic area. These studies inform policy decisions regarding 

offshore energy development and contribute greatly to the body of knowledge 

about our coastal and marine environments.

About This Issue

Director’s Note

As we continue to learn lessons from the Deepwater Horizon blowout and 

spill, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement 

(BOEMRE) is implementing a number of regulatory reform initiatives that 

will set high standards for offshore energy development. This emphasizes 

the central role played by our science programs, because the decisions we 

are making must be informed by scientific research.

With an annual budget of about $30 million devoted to environmental 

research, BOEMRE is a leading contributor to the body of scientific 

knowledge regarding the marine environment off the nation’s coasts. 

BOEMRE scientists and engineers evaluate data to determine the location 

of resources, technologies used in the recovery of resources, safety measures 

to prevent accidents and spills, and most importantly, potential effects of 

offshore activities on the marine environment.

Science is at the core of the decisions we make at BOEMRE and we are 

proud of the science this bureau does. As you read through the following 

pages, you will learn more about our complex mission and the important 

work we are doing—in partnership with the nation’s leading scientists—to 

promote safer, environmentally-responsible offshore energy development.

Michael R. Bromwich, Director

Michael R. Bromwich, Director

Editor’s Note: On June 18, 2010, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signed a Secretarial Order formally changing the name of the 

Minerals Management Service to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE). This journal 

uses the acronym BOEMRE to refer to the bureau.
4 BOEMRE OCEAN SCIENCE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL

PARTNERSHIPS

A Unity of Effort at the Unified Area Command Center

From the first days of the Deepwater Horizon

oil spill, science staff from the Bureau of 

Ocean Energy Management, Regulation 

and Enforcement (BOEMRE), Gulf of 

Mexico OCS Region focused their expertise, 

knowledge, and resources on collaborative 

problem solving with other agencies and 

groups, offering sound scientific guidance 

to battle the spill.

The spill was literally in our backyard.

Set up in the first days of the spill, the 

Unified Area Command (UAC) center 

was—and remains—the hub of the incident 

response. At the UAC, scientists and specialists from many agencies and universities, 

from BP and the Gulf States worked around 

the clock responding to the spill.

The BOEMRE scientists, liaisons for the 

UAC’s Environmental Unit, provided U.S. 

Coast Guard Rear Admirals Mary Landry, 

James Watson, and Paul Zukunft, who were 

the rotating Federal On-Scene Coordinators, 

with the best scientific guidance for attacking 

the spill. We gave advice and information 

about overflights needed for monitoring 

and potential impacts of in situ burns. Our 

scientists’ information was immediately 

used for a subsea monitoring program to 

find the boundaries of the spill. The UAC 

also coordinated with the National Incident 

Command (NIC) center in Washington, DC 

on response activities and worked with other 

Federal agency partners.

Scientific information and expertise from 

BOEMRE-funded studies were indispensible 

for the spill response. For example, our 

protected species biologists worked with the 

National Park Service on comprehensive 

wildlife management planning. Information 

from our marine mammal studies helped 

predict the locations, depths, and possible 

movements of endangered sperm whales. 

Our oceanographers provided the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

with data that they used for oil trajectory 

and shoreline threat probability modeling.

Also, to collect urgently needed information, we modified and extended research 

studies that were already underway at the 

time of the spill. The Lophelia II expedition, 

Loop Current monitoring, socioeconomic 

studies, and others are even now bringing us 

data to help evaluate the impacts of the spill.

We continue our work at the UAC by 

sharing information and expertise with our 

fellow Federal, State, and local agencies.

We are also active on the Operational 

Science Advisory Team, an interagency group, 

that is an advisory board to the Scientific 

Support Coordinator at the UAC. Current 

activities include analyzing near real-time 

data to adjust sampling and making recommendations about subsurface monitoring.

JSOST.

Because of our scientific experience and 

decades of funded research in the Gulf, we 

were asked to participate in the National 

Science and Technology Council’s Joint SubCommittee on Ocean Science and Technology 

(JSOST) Principal Investigator Conference 

on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Restore the Gulf, Unified Area Command

www.restorethegulf.gov/

JSOST: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Principal Investigator’s Conference, hosted by the 

National Science and Technology Council’s Joint Sub-Committee on Ocean Science and 

Technology

www.marine.usf.edu/conferences/fio/NSTC-JSOST-PI/index.shtml

Hosted by the University of South Florida, 

the October 2010 conference brought together 

scientific investigators from academia, 

research institutes, and agencies actively 

conducting Deepwater Horizon oil spillrelated research, monitoring, and sampling. 

Conference participants established new 

collaborations and discussed recommendations for long-term research.

For instance, the oil/dispersant extent 

and fate breakout group developed recommendations related to near- and long-term 

research needs, such as developing a 

more detailed oil budget, understanding 

the distribution of oil on the seaf loor 

and sediment-particle interactions, and 

assessing the best methods for detecting 

oil and dispersants in the environment.

Projected trajectory of oil, July 29, 2010. Graphic courtesy of Governor’s Office of Homeland 

Security & Emergency Preparedness, State of Louisiana.
BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT DECEMBER 2010 5

STUDIES

Scientific information and expertise from 

years of BOEMRE-sponsored oceanographic 

studies were fundamental to the Deepwater 

Horizon spill response, particularly for 

modeling oil trajectories and shoreline threat 

probabilities.

At the time of the spill, studies and surveys 

that were already underway were modified 

to collect urgently needed data.

Water Sampling with the Loop Current Array. 

Fifteen months before the Deepwater Horizon

spill, an array of moorings and near-bottom 

sensors had been deployed over a large 

portion of the Loop Current in the eastern 

Gulf.

The Loop Current Array was part of the 

BOEMRE-funded study “Dynamics of the 

Loop Current in U.S. Waters” conducted by 

Science Applications International Corporation and is one of several ongoing studies of 

this powerful current, which dominates and 

influences—directly or indirectly—almost 

every aspect of the Gulf of Mexico’s circulation. When the oil spill occurred, this array 

was already in place. 

When some scientists speculated that oil 

could be entrained by the Loop Current and 

carried through the Florida Keys and up the 

Atlantic Coast, a new task was added to the 

study: collecting water samples to detect oil 

in the Loop Current.

The sampling program consisted of 25 

stations with 12 samples per station, for a 

total of 300 samples.

Water sampling was carried out during 

the mooring rotation cruise that had been 

scheduled for June 2010 aboard the Louisiana 

Universities Marine Consortium Research 

Vessel Pelican.

Researchers rotated all but two moorings 

(because of Tropical Storm Alex), recovered 

data from the near-bottom sensors, and 

conducted water sampling.

The initial data analyses indicated that 

no oil was present at the locations sampled.

Aerial Surveys. To study the Loop Current 

before, during, and after a hurricane, in 

September 2009, BOEMRE (then MMS) 

funded “Airborne Ocean Surveys over the 

Loop Current during Tropical Cyclone 

Passage.” This study was to be conducted 

concurrently with the “Dynamics of the 

Loop Current in U.S. Waters” study.

Loop Current Studies and the Oil-Spill Response

FOR MORE INFORMATION

“The Big Picture: Mexico-U.S. Loop Current Studies,” MMS Ocean Science, Volume 6, Issue 3

www.gomr.boemre.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/ocean_science/mms_ocean_09_jul_

aug_sep.pdf 

Data would be gathered by airborne 

surveys carried out by Dr. Nick Shay of the 

University of Miami from aircraft provided 

by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration’s (NOAA’s) Hurricane 

Research Division.

But because the 2009 hurricane season 

was a quiet one, scientists had to wait until 

the next hurricane season, in 2010, to deploy 

their sensors.

During the Deepwater Horizon spill, the 

project was modified to collect data that 

could help with forecasting trajectories of 

spilled oil.

On May 6, 2010, we transferred the 

sensors to NOAA for use in the surveys. 

This property transfer, valued at $272,334, 

included 55 expendable current profilers and 

55 expendable conductivity-temperaturedepth sensors.

The surveys and sensors provided data 

about the Loop Current’s location and 

boundary conditions for ocean models used 

by NOAA to forecast spill trajectories.

Also, using our data, independent 

researchers used simulated drifters to make 

long-term ensemble forecasts of how and 

where the oil might spread. Data included 

a unique set of high-resolution, multiyear, 

and data-assimilated analyses of wind, Loop 

Current, and eddy-driven currents in the 

Gulf of Mexico.

The data was used by NOAA to conduct 

oil-spill trajectory calculations. Additional 

analyses were carried out using a longer 

term dataset that took into account the 

then-present state of the Loop Current. 

The ensemble model analysis data had been 

gathered during years of studies funded by 

our bureau.

Loop Current and oceanographic research 

funded by BOEMRE and shared with other 

agencies and scientists took a central role 

in the Deepwater Horizon spill response. 

Our work and scientists continue to make 

substantial contributions to the scientific 

community, and thereby to the safety of the 

Gulf’s people and natural resources.

Airborne expendable bathymetry thermograph sensor observations, July 9, 2010. Image 

courtesy of NOAA.
6 BOEMRE OCEAN SCIENCE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL

STUDIES

Ongoing studies help us understand 

systems and how they change over time. 

The body of knowledge gathered during 

years of BOEMRE-sponsored studies are 

fundamental for assessing long-term effects 

of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Deepwater hardbottom communities—

home to deep-sea corals, like Lophelia, and 

chemosynthetic communities—are a case 

in point. We have been studying these 

communities since their discovery more than 

25 years ago.

Current phases of ongoing studies—like 

Lophelia II—that build on years of data and 

research are helping scientists understand how 

these sensitive ecosystems are being affected 

by the oil spill.

Lophelia II. In 2008, the 4-year “Lophelia II” 

study of deepwater corals in the northern Gulf 

of Mexico began. Sponsored by the National 

Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) 

and funded by BOEMRE and the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 

Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, the 

project uses highly sophisticated equipment, 

such as Jason II, a remotely operated vehicle 

(ROV) from the Woods Hole Oceanographic 

Institution, to conduct photo and video documentation and collect samples. Additional 

work is being done by U.S. Geological Survey 

scientists who contributed to and collaborated 

with this research effort.

In 2010, from mid-October to early 

November, scientists on the fourth Lophelia

II expedition gathered more data that 

will help us measure and understand the 

oil spill’s impacts by collecting water and 

coral samples, sediment traps, compiling 

photomosaics, and diving on a World War 

II shipwreck (the tanker GulfOil) covered by 

Lophelia. Researchers also visited a long-term 

observatory on the seafloor 10 miles from the 

Deepwater Horizon site, where equipment has 

been monitoring changes in gas hydrates for 

many years.

Sediment Traps. In October 2010, scientists 

collected sediment traps that had been 

deployed in 2009 and also immediately after 

the Deepwater Horizon spill. A sediment trap 

is a large funnel that feeds into a group of 

collection cups. Most of the traps were located 

in about 1,500 ft (450 m) of water.

Material in the traps gives time-series 

information about particles that were present 

Lophelia II Expedition:

Keeping Watch over Deepwater Communities

at the sites since their installation in August 

2009: sediment, food sources, larvae, and oil 

or other byproducts entering the sites.

One trap, less than 30 miles from the Deepwater Horizon site, had accumulated samples 

between September 2009 and late June 2010.

Photomosaics. A photomosaic is a constructed, 

photographic map of a system. Using ROVs 

equipped with high-resolution cameras, 

researchers gather images from selected sites, 

then assemble them to create a “wide-screen” 

perspective. Because some deep-sea coral 

communities live as long as 4,000 years or 

more, monitoring them is challenging. Gathering images each year from the same sites 

and creating, then comparing, photomosaics 

is one method of tracking very slow changes 

in coral communities over time.

Photomosaics from previous Lophelia II 

expeditions—now pre-spill baseline data—

help us measure and understand how these 

fragile communities have been affected by 

natural or anthropogenic impacts.

Lophelia II scientists returned to these sites 

in October 2010 to collect current images for 

comparison to identify any visible damage 

and determine if these corals are still alive.

Seven miles southwest of the Deepwater 

Horizon site, 4,600 ft (about 1,400 m) deep, 

scientists observed dead and dying coral and 

brittle stars. It is not yet known if the observed 

impacts were related to oil from the Deepwater 

Horizon spill.

The BOEMRE and our partners continue 

to provide the solid data needed for assessing 

the impact of and recovery from the spill.

A down-looking mosaic of a coral community at 4,600-ft (1,400-m) depth, including a variety of 

hard and soft corals. Image courtesy of Lophelia II 2009 Expedition, NOAA-OER/BOEMRE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

“Cold Water Corals: Deepwater Coral 

Expedition in the Gulf of Mexico,” Ocean 

Science, Volume 5, Issue 4

www.gomr.boemre.gov/homepg/

regulate/environ/ocean_science/mms_

ocean_08_oct_nov_dec.pdf 

Lophelia II, Ocean Explorer, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/

explorations/10lophelia/welcome.html 
 STUDIES

BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT DECEMBER 2010 7

Lophelia II Expedition:

Diving on GulfOil

In May 1942, the tanker GulfOil, carrying 

petroleum to New York from Texas, was sunk 

in the Gulf of Mexico by two torpedoes fired 

from the German U-boat, U-506. The first 

torpedo exploded amidships, causing GulfOil

to list heavily to starboard. The second torpedo 

exploded near the engine room. The tanker 

sank in less than 2 minutes and now rests in 

the Mississippi Canyon Area within 20 miles 

of the Deepwater Horizon site.

Built in 1912, GulfOil was a 5,188-ton tanker, 

383 ft (117 m) in length with a 51.2 ft (15.6 

m) beam. She was armed with only a 4-inch 

deck gun and two .30 caliber machine guns.

Archaeological resources such as shipwrecks 

are among the many resources that BOEMRE 

is committed to protecting and preserving. 

Shipwrecks are scattered throughout the Gulf 

of Mexico and represent several centuries of 

maritime activity in this region. 

Shipwrecks also serve as artificial reefs. One 

mystery that we are investigating is the role 

of reef organisms in preserving the wrecks 

themselves. The answer lies at the intersection 

of archaeology, biology, and geology. The 

Lophelia expeditions join research of deep-sea 

coral communities and geological processes 

with marine archaeology. 

GulfOil was one subject of the recent 

Lophelia II expedition. Though she had been 

positively identified in the Mississippi Canyon 

Area during the 2008 Lophelia II cruise, a 

detailed investigation was suspended when 

Hurricane Ike entered the Gulf. 

In October 2010, marine archaeologists 

participated in the Lophelia II cruise aboard the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Research Vessel Ronald H. Brown. 

Their goal at the GulfOil site was to finish 

detailed documentation and photomosaics 

of the vessel remains and debris field. The 

information will help verify historic accounts 

of the sinking, evaluate the site’s preservation 

and condition, and also study the processes 

at work on the wreck. The information and 

photomosaics will provide additional data to 

help with future monitoring of the site.

Exploring around the intact hull, researchers 

found that the ship had come to rest stern first, 

leaning to port. Both masts had collapsed and 

are still lying on the deck. 

The bow of GulfOil rises about 33 ft (10 m) off 

Invertebrate 

Zoology 

Since 1979, BOEMRE (formerly 

MMS) has contracted with the 

Smithsonian National Museum 

of Natural History’s Department 

of Invertebrate Zoology (IZ) 

to provide professional collection management services for 

the long-term curation of its 

collection of marine invertebrate 

specimens.

More than 220,000 BOEMRE 

specimen lots have been curated 

into the IZ collection; that’s 

almost 20 percent of the invertebrate collection records in IZ’s 

online catalog database.

Specimens are collected during 

environmental studies and baseline surveys of oil and gas lease 

sites on the U.S. East and Gulf 

Coasts. These studies, begun in 

1973, sample biological communities along the continental shelf 

to document their composition 

and to help predict the potential 

impacts of energy explorations.

These comprehensive and 

well-documented collections give 

the scientific community a wealth 

of research material and provide 

valuable educational and career 

opportunities. 

Spent 4-inch gun casings spill out of a box on 

GulfOil’s deck. Image courtesy of Lophelia II 

2010 Expedition, NOAA-OER/BOEMRE.

GulfOil ’s bow, with an anchor still stowed, is now 

inhabited by Lophelia. Image courtesy of Lophelia

II 2010 Expedition, NOAA-OER/BOEMRE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Invertebrate Zoology Collection Catalog, Smithsonian 

National Museum of Natural History 

http://invertebrates.si.edu/boemre/boemre.htm

The Lophelia project is funded by 

BOEMRE and NOAA’s Office of Ocean 

Exploration and Research. Participating 

scientists come from several universities, 

including Florida State, Louisiana 

State, Temple, and Penn State, as well 

as from the Woods Hole Oceanographic 

Institution, BOEMRE, and the U.S. 

Geological Survey.

the seafloor. A severe bend in the stempost about 

halfway up is evidence of the forceful impact 

of the bow slamming down onto the seafloor. 

Evidence of a possible third torpedo strike 

was an especially surprising find.

The 4-inch gun on the stern and the overturned box of empty, brass shell casings were 

testimony to the ship’s wartime preparations. 

Across the transom the letters G U L F O I 

were clear, but Lophelia obscured the last letter 

of the ship’s name. 

In fact, GulfOil has the most abundant coral 

coverage of the Gulf’s deepwater shipwrecks. 

Corals cover the wheelhouse, stern cabins, and 

the catwalk. But some areas have no Lopehlia: 

the decks and the hull below the waterline.

No impacts from the oil spill were observed 

as the corals appeared to be healthy; however, 

samples were collected for further analysis. 

By meticulously documenting archaeological sites and learning more about the 

interactions of shipwrecks and corals, we 

can better protect these nonrenewable 

resources while we learn more about our 

own history. 
8 BOEMRE OCEAN SCIENCE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL

STUDIES

Much of the information about cetaceans in 

the Gulf of Mexico is a direct result of decades 

of BOEMRE-funded studies and multiagency 

collaborations. This information was crucial 

during the Deepwater Horizon response and is 

important in determining how the oil spill may 

have affected these species and their habitat. 

As early as 1989, BOEMRE (then MMS) 

supported a series of major environmental 

studies on the distribution and abundance of 

marine mammals in the northern Gulf. Our 

bureau and the National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS) conducted aerial surveys of 

cetaceans over the upper continental slope in 

the north-central Gulf. 

In the 1990’s, BOEMRE (then MMS)-

sponsored GulfCet studies used ship and 

aircraft visual surveys and passive acoustic 

techniques to survey the western and eastern 

parts of the northern Gulf to determine 

seasonal variability in the occurrence and 

distribution of marine mammals. 

The endangered sperm whale has been the 

focus of several BOEMRE-funded studies in 

the last decade. The Sperm Whale Acoustic 

Monitoring Program began in 2000 with joint 

support from BOEMRE (then MMS), the 

Office of Naval Research (ONR), and NMFS. 

The 2-year program developed new methods 

for studying acoustic impacts and baseline 

whale behavior, including use of digital tags, 

satellite tags, and passive acoustics. 

The Sperm Whale Seismic Study began 

in 2002 and was supported by BOEMRE 

(then MMS), ONR, the National Science 

Foundation, and a coalition of seismic and oil 

industry funders. Field work was completed in 

2005. Recommendations included continued 

data collection of basic population biology 

parameters, such as breeding/calving, feeding 

and foraging, and prey species identification. 

 In 2009, our bureau, again working with 

NMFS, began the Sperm Whale Acoustic 

Prey Study. 

Less than 2 months before the Deepwater 

Studying Cetaceans in the Gulf

Horizon oil spill, BOEMRE (then 

MMS) and NMFS scientists 

sampled sperm whale prey in the 

Mississippi Canyon Area. These 

samples help establish pre-oil spill 

baseline conditions. 

The cetacean research we 

have contributed to the scientific 

community has given, and will 

continue to give, a basis for evaluating how the Deepwater Horizon

oil spill impacted the cetaceans 

of the Gulf. It is solid science 

with which to plan mitigation 

and future protection of these 

marine mammals. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

“In Pursuit of Prey: The Sperm Whale Acoustic Prey Study,” MMS Ocean Science, 

Volume 7, Issue 1

www.gomr.boemre.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/ocean_science/mms_

ocean_10_jan_feb_mar.pdf 

Sperm Whale Seismic Study, Synthesis Report, MMS

www.gomr.boemre.gov/PI/PDFImages/ESPIS/4/4444.pdf

Crew with a trawl net during the sperm whale prey study.

At sea, scientists sort and identify samples from the trawl net.
 STUDIES

BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT DECEMBER 2010 9

Social and economic studies funded 

by BOEMRE support management decisionmaking by providing insight into how 

petroleum development affects coastal 

communities and their use of the environment. This long-term research effort allowed 

us to respond almost immediately to the 

information needs raised by the Deepwater 

Horizon oil spill.

When the Deepwater Horizon event occurred 

in April 2010, an experienced socioeconomic 

research team was already on the ground 

collecting data in Lafayette, Lafourche, St. 

Mary, and Terrebonne Parishes in Louisiana; 

Jackson County in Mississippi; and Mobile 

County in Alabama. They were working 

with researchers from the University of 

Houston and the University of Arizona on 

a BOEMRE-supported cooperative study of 

the socioeconomic implications of deepwater 

petroleum development.

Just 4 days after the spill began, our social 

scientists asked the team to develop a plan 

for responding to the short-, medium- and 

long-term informational needs raised by the 

spill. Because the situation was changing 

rapidly, it was important to get the facts 

directly—on the ground—from the people 

who were experiencing the effects.

By day 5, a field effort had begun. We also 

worked with Louisiana State University to 

modify an existing cooperative agreement to 

provide future support for this effort.

Currently, the study involves six senior 

researchers and eight graduate students 

in coastal areas from the Louisiana-Texas 

border to Alabama. The study investigates 

how the oil and gas industry and the spill 

are affecting growth and development in the 

region, residents’ occupational choices and 

patterns, and in- and out-migration.

Because the spill has attracted so much 

national and international attention—and 

because the spill has affected these communities—it is paramount that fieldworkers 

are recognized and trusted by community 

members, are well versed in the issues, and 

are experienced in the area.

The BOEMRE’s long-term socioeconomic 

research program is especially valuable 

in this regard. When contacted about this 

study, one community leader said, “You 

documenting this, getting all these different 

Listening to the People of the Gulf Coast

Field Surveys Put Boots on the Ground

angles, like you usually do, will be invaluable to these communities. . . .” Because 

of previous positive experiences with this 

BOEMRE-supported team, there is substantial community support for this effort, even 

in this unfortunate situation.

To ensure that the study data are timely, 

relevant, and comprehensive enough to 

reflect the affected communities’ experiences and concerns, this effort builds on a 

community partnership model and approach 

that was developed over the course of several 

BOEMRE-funded studies.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

“History of the Offshore Oil and Gas 

Industry in Southern Louisiana: Volume 

I,” OCS Study MMS 2004-049. 

www.gomr.boemre.gov/PI/

PDFImages/ESPIS/2/2994.pdf

A field researcher talks with a fisherman at a 

marina in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana.

The BOEMRE (then MMS)-sponsored 

project “History of the Offshore Oil 

and Gas Industry” received a 2010 U.S. 

Department of the Interior Partners in 

Conservation Award for its approach.
10 BOEMRE OCEAN SCIENCE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL

STUDIES

To promote new technology and safety, 

BOEMRE funds oil-spill research. Research 

on oil-spill response technology continues to 

lead to more effective clean up. The product 

resulting from one such project was put to use 

after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

In 2004, Victoria Broje, a Ph.D. student at 

the University of Santa Barbara’s Bren School 

of Environmental Science & Management, 

put her imagination to work. She received 

funding from BOEMRE (then MMS) to 

examine how different skimmer materials 

and dimensions could be used to improve 

post-spill oil collection.

Broje developed a new pattern for the 

recovery surface of skimmers and produced 

them from more modern polymers. Her 

research showed that a hydrocarbon-based 

rubber and a triangular, grooved surface 

pattern collected up to 3 times more oil than 

traditional smooth skimmers.

With a second round of funding, Broje 

had the grooved skimmer manufactured and 

field tested at BOEMRE’s National Oil Spill 

Groovy Drum Skimmer Goes to Work in the Gulf

Broje’s groovy drum oil skimmer, shown 

during testing. Photo courtesy of the 

University of California, Santa Barbara.

Response Research & Renewable Energy 

Test Facility. The skimmer successfully 

recovered oil at a much higher rate than 

previous designs.

Broje chose Elastec/American Marine to 

commercially produce the new skimmer, 

named the Groovy Drum Skimmer. Several 

skimmers were sent to the Gulf of Mexico 

to help clean up after the Deepwater Horizon

In March 2010, BOEMRE 

(then MMS), Ocean Imaging 

Corporation (OI), and the California Department of Fish and 

Game’s Office of Spill Prevention 

and Response (OSPR) received 

the Department of the Interior’s 

Cooperative Conservation Award 

for funding and developing 

remote-sensing and mapping 

technology for oil-spill response.

In May 2010, that technology 

was put into service during the 

response to the Deepwater Horizon

oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration 

(NOAA) and BP called on OI 

to use its remote sensing and 

mapping technology to collect 

valuable data for the Deepwater 

Horizon spill response. This same 

technology had proven its value 

during the 2009 San Francisco 

Bay tanker spill and the 2008 

Santa Barbara oil rig spill.

The initial development of 

a portable, aerial, oil thickness 

mapping sensor was funded 

by BOEMRE (then MMS) in 

2005. As research progressed, 

funding by our agency and 

OSPR continued in 2007 and 

2009 (Technology Assessment & 

Research [TA&R] projects #544 

and #594).

During the Deepwater Horizon 

spill, OI’s spill mapping team 

mounted their instruments on 

NOAA aircraft and flew daily 

missions in the Gulf, mapping 

the location and thickness of oil 

distributions. Data helped guide 

oil recovery vessels with near-realtime maps of oil distribution and 

also helped NOAA develop their 

oil-spill trajectory forecast models.

The remote sensing and 

mapping also made it possible 

to document effects of the use 

of surface and subsurface dispersants; determine the location and 

thickness of the oil accumulation 

and the oil’s weathering state; 

and map boundaries of the spill, 

including the oil reaching the 

shoreline.

A lso under way are t wo 

BOEMR E-f unded projects 

to test, validate, and develop 

similar spill-response technology 

for the extreme conditions and 

high altitudes of the Arctic 

(TA&R #658 and #659).

Mapping the Spill with Cooperatively Funded Technology

spill. By supporting an innovative idea of a 

graduate student, BOEMRE made possible 

more efficient collection of oil in the Gulf 

of Mexico and contributed to better oil-spill 

recovery technology.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

“Mapping Oil Thickness in Coastal and 

Offshore Waters,” MMS Ocean Science, 

Volume 6, Issue 1

www.gomr.boemre.gov/homepg/

regulate/environ/ocean_science/

mms_ocean_09_jan_feb_mar.pdf 

University of California, Santa Barbara

www.ia.ucsb.edu/pa/display.

aspx?pkey=2282 

Elastec/American Marine

www.elastec.com/oilspill/

oildrumskimmers/drums

National Oil Spill Response Research & 

Renewable Energy Test Facility

www.ohmsett.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Ocean Imaging

www.oceani.com

Technology Assessment & Research Remote Sensing Projects, 

BOEMRE

www.boemre.gov/tarprojectcategories/remote.htm

Gathered through multispectral color and thermal infrared 

instruments mounted on aircraft, high resolution image data are 

processed while still airborne and immediately after touchdown. 

Fully processed oil state/thickness maps are sent to command 

centers within 2-3 hours after the flight.
 STUDIES

BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT DECEMBER 2010 11

During the Deepwater Horizon spill response, 

our previous and ongoing studies provided 

valuable information. They also establish 

crucial baseline data for post-spill assessments 

and future studies.

But baseline data is only one part of the 

equation. Without new data for comparison, 

they are just flat snapshots in time.

From coastal birds and deepwater corals 

to human communities and economies, all 

components of the Gulf’s environment have 

been directly or indirectly affected by the spill.

Accordingly, much of our future research 

will focus on the effects of the Deepwater 

Horizon oil spill and the long-term recovery 

of the Gulf’s interrelated natural and human 

systems. Some of the study areas include

z coastal and wetlands bird ecosystems 

and populations, including the endangered piping plover;

z marine mammals and protected species, 

such as bottlenose dolphins and the 

endangered sperm whale;

z ocean circulation modeling and 

hindcasting;

z physical and chemical processes of 

oil-sediment interactions; and

z socioeconomic assessments of direct 

and indirect impacts to local communities, families, economies (such as 

fisheries, recreation, and tourism), 

local tax bases, demographics, 

and education.

Our physical oceanography studies, which 

contributed significantly to the Deepwater 

Horizon response, continue to focus on 

deepwater circulation and the Loop Current.

A recently funded study, “A Lagrangian 

Approach to Study the Gulf of Mexico's Deep 

Circulation,” is the largest continuous observational program of deepwater currents—it 

covers the entire Gulf basin. One result will 

be a map of the deep Gulf’s average currents 

and circulation patterns at depths of 4,920 

and 8,200 ft (1,500 and 2,500 m). 

Submerged and prof iling f loats or 

Lagrangian drifters released in the U.S. 

Exclusive Economic Zone and in Mexican 

waters will collect data for 3 years. Trajectories 

of these floats will reveal circulation patterns 

and dynamics of deepwater eddies.

The profiling floats’ bio-optical sensors 

will provide conductivity, temperature, and 

Moving Forward, Eyes Wide Open 

depth measurements, data on chlorophyll 

fluorescence, dissolved organic matter, and 

total particle concentration. Residues from the 

recent Deepwater Horizon oil spill, if they were 

trapped in the deep water, will be tracked.

New studies are both filling gaps in our 

knowledge and building on what we have 

learned. Continuing with and sharing our 

scientific work better prepares us to protect 

our marine environment. Acknowledging 

tragedy and damage, we move forward with 

our eyes wide open.

Sunrise on the Gulf of Mexico. Photo by Eric Ozolins, www.extremecoast.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

BOEMRE’s Environmental Studies Program Information System (ESPIS), an online database 

of our studies since 1973

www.gomr.boemre.gov/homepg/espis/espisfront.asp
boemre OCEAN SCIENCE

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 

Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE)

Mail Stop 5431

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard

New Orleans, LA 70123

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BOEMRE: A steward of the ocean environment

New Waves

Late-Breaking News & Information

BOEMRE Joins the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation 

and Enforcement (BOEMRE) is now an official Federal 

agency partner of the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem 

Studies Unit (GC-CESU). In May 2010, the Bureau’s 

application to GC-CESU was accepted.

At the national level, CESU is a network of 17 cooperative 

units that include Federal agencies, universities, research 

and environmental groups, and others that share sciencebased goals. The CESUs create additional opportunities 

for interdisciplinary and multi-agency research, technical 

assistance, and education.

Each biogeographically-based CESU is located in a 

university. The host university provides space, administrative 

support, and access to faculty, staff, students, and resources.

Federal agencies contribute research scientists or other 

professionals, scientific staff, and project funds for specific 

research projects.

The GC-CESU is hosted by Texas AgriLife Research and 

is administered by the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable 

Natural Resources.

Established in 2002, the GC-CESU covers all or portions 

of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Other members include 10 Federal agencies 

and 25 universities and non-governmental organizations. 

The BOEMRE anticipates collaborating on several research 

projects through the GC-CESU.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Network

http://gccesu.tamu.edu/