Cultural and Archaeological Resource Studies on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf-Balancing Development with Preservation
Authors: Jordan Brian 
Published: May 2011

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) is charged with the environmentally responsible and safe development of energy and mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf. To assist in fulfilling this mandate, BOEMRE's Environmental Studies Program (ESP) conducts research and synthesizes available environmental and social and economic science information to support decision-making related to development of offshore energy and mineral resources. Studies focused on cultural and archaeological resources are an essential part of BOEMRE's on-going research funding efforts. BOEMRE has funded several studies in recent years to assist the bureau in characterizing where cultural and archaeological resources are located on the Atlantic OCS and how they might be affected by offshore oil and gas, wind energy, and mineral development. The studies discussed in this paper include two Atlantic-wide cultural and archaeological resource characterization studies, a historical shipwreck recording and evaluation partnership project, and a combined shipwreck and benthic habitat study in the mid-Atlantic. These studies focus on the potential location of prehistoric and historic archaeological resources, the characterization of potential visual impacts to on-shore cultural resources, the significance and integrity of known historic shipwrecks, and the important role that cultural resources play as part of the marine ecosystem. Additionally, two studies that have been proposed for the Atlantic will be discussed briefly. If selected for funding, they will assist in evaluating the effectiveness of exclusion zones in protecting archaeological and benthic resources, and utilizing ethnographic data from commercial fisheries sector as a proxy for shipwreck sites. The results from these peer-reviewed studies provide critical information necessary to inform decision-making processes on siting of energy development projects, as well as developing the appropriate mitigation and compliance to ensure that significant cultural and archaeological resources remained unharmed.

Introduction

The BOEMRE is charged with the environmentally responsible and safe development of energy and mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf. To assist in fulfilling this mandate, BOEMRE's Environmental Studies Program (ESP) conducts research and synthesizes available environmental and social and economic science information to support decision-making related to development of offshore energy and mineral resources. Studies focused on cultural and archaeological resources are an essential part of BOEMRE's on-going research funding efforts. BOEMRE has funded several studies in recent years to assist the bureau in characterizing where cultural and archaeological resources are located on the Atlantic OCS and how they might be affected by offshore oil and gas, wind energy, and mineral development.

Studies

The studies discussed in this paper include two Atlantic-wide cultural and archaeological resource characterization studies, a historical shipwreck recording and evaluation partnership project, and a combined shipwreck and benthic habitat study in the mid-Atlantic. Additionally, two studies that have been proposed for the Atlantic will be discussed briefly. If selected for funding, they will assist in evaluating the effectiveness of exclusion zones in protecting archaeological and benthic resources, and utilizing ethnographic data from thecommercial fisheries sector as a proxy for shipwreck sites. These studies focus on the use of technology to characterize visual impacts to on-shore cultural resources, the potential location of prehistoric and historic archaeological resources, the significance and integrity of known historic shipwrecks, and the important role that cultural resources play as part of the marine ecosystem.