OCS Study BOEM 2018-064. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 13 pp.
OCS Study BOEM 2018-064. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 13 pp.
The intent of the CMI research program is to identify and examine potential environmental, economic and social impacts of OCS related activities. The program research priorities are guided by ESP research needs and must be pertinent to the OCS oil and gas program or the marine minerals mining program. Research funded through the CMI is used to inform resource management strategies and decision making, and it adds to the scientific knowledge base needed for safe and effective resource development activities in arctic and subarctic environments. CMI projects address issues related to fisheries, biomonitoring, physical oceanography, and the fates of oil, topics that are applicable to other regional concerns such as subsistence fisheries and northern shipping.
OCS Study BOEM 2018-059. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 19 pp.
OCS Study BOEM 2018-059. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 19 pp.
Most of the king (Somateria spectabilis) and common eiders (S. mollissima v-nigra) nesting in northern Alaska and northwestern Canada pass Point Barrow, Alaska, during spring and fall migrations. Yellow-billed loons (Gavia adamsii), a species of international conservation concern, also migrate past Point Barrow. Spring migration counts of eiders have been conducted at Point Barrow approximately every ten years since 1976. These counts indicate that both eider species experienced population declines of approximately 50% between 1976 and 1996, and that the declines had stabilized by 2004. Population estimates derived from migration counts have not been previously estimated for yellow-billed loons. We conducted spring counts of eiders and loons in 2015 and 2016 to obtain population indices to compare with eider counts from 1994, 1995, 2003, and 2004, and loon counts from 2003 and 2004. These data allowed us to evaluate current and long-term trends. We estimated (95% confidence intervals) that 796,419 (± 304,011) king and 96,775 (± 39,913) common eiders passed Point Barrow in 2015 and 322,381 (± 145,833) king and 130,390 (± 34,548) common eiders passed Point Barrow in 2016. Both king and common eider population indices increased from 1994 through 2016; however, the increase over time was not significant (F 0.087, df = 1). Our population indices for king eiders were very different between the two years of this study, possibly due to a very short and intense migration peak in 2016. This peak resulted in a population count that was biased low because sampling periods did not adequately capture the peak of migration. The numbers of common eiders were similar between the two years, and within range of counts conducted in 2003–2004. Photo analysis of flocks indicated that observer counts were on average 4% lower than photo counts (paired t-test;
OCS Study BOEM 2017-072. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Alaska OCS Region and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 71 pp.
OCS Study BOEM 2017-072. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Alaska OCS Region and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 71 pp.
In August 2015, the Alaska Monitoring and Assessment Program (AKMAP) surveyed the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska (NPR-A) estuaries as part of the Environmental Protect Agency’s (EPA) National Coastal Condition Assessment (NCCA). The NPR-A estuary survey was a joint effort by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), the Alaska Coastal Marine Institute (CMI), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)...
OCS Study BOEM 2017-076. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 37 pp.
OCS Study BOEM 2017-076. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 37 pp.
The IceTracker project successfully demonstrated the durability, longevity, and utility of simple, low-cost IceTracker buoys. During the course of the project, the IceTracker platform, equipped with a GPS sensor for accurate positioning and an Iridium communications chip for data transmission, proved to be robust and functional in the challenging Arctic environment. IceTrackers were safely and easily deployed by snowmobile and helicopter. Of the 25 trackers deployed between March 2015 and May 2017, one tracker operated for over two years, and multiple units persisted through at least one cycle of break-up and refreezing. The longest surviving tracker transited ~8034 km from its starting point north of Point Barrow and transmitted its position continuously from March 2015 until its batteries ran out in May 2017. Several trackers deployed during the course of the project were beached and subsequently deactivated. Thirteen trackers stopped transmitting data before their battery voltage dropped below the critical transmission level (~7 V) and were presumably crushed by ice. Based on the deployments in this study, it appears that the trackers have sufficient energy in their battery packs to last more than two years at low data transmission rates (12-hour sampling interval). On average, the trackers lasted for 147 (+/- 144) days (median deployment length of 122 days) and had an average speed of 12x10-2 (+/- 6.2) m s-1 . The average distance traveled by the 25 trackers was 1750 (+/- 1745) km (median displacement of 1237 km)...
Arctic Ecosystem Integrated Survey Final Report on Distribution of Fish, Crab, and Lower Trophic Communities in the Northeastern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea.
This study on the Distribution of Fish, Crab, and Lower Trophic Communities in the Northeastern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea formed a large part of the broader Arctic Ecosystem Integrated Survey, the first comprehensive fisheries ecosystem assessment of the northern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea. Surveys were conducted in the summers of 2012 and 2013 from several platforms to sample demersal as well as pelagic fish communities. Oceanographic and biological samples collected during these surveys provided a trove of new information on the distribution, abundance, biology and population dynamics of pelagic and demersal fish and invertebrate populations in the northern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea, in addition to new insights into the physical forcing and plankton dynamics of the system.
Among the scientific highlights were: (1) Large differences in oceanographic conditions between 2012 and 2013, associated with differences in local winds and in the flow of water through Bering Strait and its advection in the Chukchi Sea, reverberated throughout the ecosystem and apparently affected the distribution and abundance of biota at all trophic levels; (2) High densities of larval and young-of-year Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) were, for the first time, observed in the northeast Chukchi Sea in both survey years, suggesting that the northeast portion of the Chukchi Sea is an important nursery area for the early life history stages of Arctic cod in the Pacific Arctic; (3) Plankton, fish and invertebrate species of Pacific origin dominate demersal and pelagic communities throughout the region, but distinct Arctic populations of some species were associated with Arctic water masses on the northeast Chukchi Sea shelf; (4) Juvenile salmon of western Alaska origin, in particular chum (Oncorhynchus keta), pink (O. gorbuscha), and Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), were widespread and abundant in the northern Bering Sea, extending into the Chukchi Sea and mixing with local populations from Kotzebue Sound; (5) Arctic cod and snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio), two of the most abundant species by weight in Chukchi Sea catches, are continuous with and directly connected to populations in the Bering Sea. To what extent the Chukchi Sea populations of these species originate from spawning areas to the South or to the North of Bering Strait remains an area of active investigation.
Major results from these studies were published in a special issue in Deep-Sea Research (Mueter et al. 2017), but data collected during these surveys will continue to contribute to new and ongoing studies. A major legacy of the project will be the databases and maps available through the Alaska Ocean Observing System's Arctic Portal (http://portal.aoos.org/arctic), as well as through national archives. In addition to the databases and published studies, a major benefit of the project was the training that was provided for a number of students and post-docs. Both from a scientific and educational standpoint, the project has met its goals and has exceeded our expectations in terms of scientific output. This is in no small part due to our success in leveraging external resources and forging productive collaborations with investigators at multiple universities and agencies.
OCS Study BOEM 2017-078. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, Environmental Studies Program. 462 pp.
Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center
Source
OCS Study BOEM 2017-078. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, Environmental Studies Program. 462 pp.
This report describes field activities of the Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals (ASAMM) project conducted during summer and fall (1 July–31 October) 2016, and data and analyses used to summarize field activities. Surveys were based in Barrow, Alaska, and Deadhorse, Alaska, and targeted the northeastern and southcentral Chukchi and western Beaufort seas, between 67°N and 72?N latitude and 140°W and 169°W longitude. Between 19 July and 20 August, surveys extended up to 111 km north of the usual ASAMM study area to collect information specific to the Eastern Chukchi Sea (ECS) stock of belugas...
The fifth Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum (the Forum) convened at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage, Alaska on October 11-13, 2017. Organized by a binational committee from the U.S. and Canada, the event included 67 presenters, 4 posters, and 181 total attendees. The Forum was originally conceived by Canadian and U.S. colleagues working on an Arctic Council assessment, with the first event held in 2008 in Anchorage, AK. Since then, the event has been held in Calgary, AB (2010), Anchorage, AK (2012), and Yellowknife, NWT (2014). The U.S. and Canada share a history of oil and gas exploration and development in the Beaufort Sea and adjoining coastal areas, including significant research in support of their respective environmental assessment and regulatory processes. As noted following the first Forum, “This research is important as it enables both governments and industry to fulfill their responsibilities to minimize environmental and social impacts while pursuing economic development and energy production" (BSES, Inc., 2009).
The 2017 Forum incorporated a wide range of topics related to environmental issues, research methods and results, scenario planning, oil spill prevention and response, and community engagement as related to actual or potential future oil and gas operations in Alaska and the Canadian North. Participants represented federal, state, and local government, indigenous groups, consultant scientists, non-profit organizations, industry, and both academic and government researchers.
This final report summarizes the panel presentations, technical sessions, and posters that comprised the conference, including recommendations and observations shared in a final discussion at the conclusion of the three-day event. The report was developed based on author-provided abstracts, PowerPoint presentations, and notes taken during the event. No additional research was conducted to validate the content presented.
OCS Study BOEM 2017-087. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 72 pp.
OCS Study BOEM 2017-087. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 72 pp.
The Arctic marine environment is facing increasing risks of oil spills due to growing maritime activities such as tourism and resource exploration. Entrainment and migration of oil through the sea ice brine channel system may pose a considerable risk to the biota that rely on the ice for food and shelter. These ice-associated biological communities are the base of an Arctic food chain that supports a hugely productive community of polar bears, birds, walruses, whales, and ultimately humans. To investigate the possible impacts of oil, we designed mesocosms allowing for the careful growth of artificial sea ice that would be reflective of natural sea ice. These mesocosms were inoculated with biological cultures collected from landfast sea ice near Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), AK. Once environmentally-similar ice conditions were established in the tanks, we evaluated the impact of Alaska North Slope crude oil on transplanted sea ice biota using two different oiling scenarios: discrete oil lenses and dispersed emulsions. We found that North Slope crude oil penetrated farther into overlying sea ice than observed in previous experiments (NORCOR, 1975, Glaeser and Vance, 1972, Dickens 2011). We also found that the presence of oil resulted in notable negative impacts on the biological community, with complete inhibition of ice algal growth. These findings suggest that an oil spill in ice-covered waters could have substantial and lasting negative impacts on the microorganisms at the base of this critical Arctic food chain.
OCS Study BOEM 2018-058. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 59 pp.
College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Source
OCS Study BOEM 2018-058. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 59 pp.
Contents: Functional Diversity of Epibenthic Communities on the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea Shelves by Lauren Sutton and Using Trace Elements in Pacific Walrus Teeth to Track the Impacts of Petroleum Production in the Alaskan Arctic by Casey Clark.
On 26 September 2017, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) contracted ABSG Consulting, Inc.(ABSG) in an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract # M17PC00015 (contract) to perform fault tree analysis to develop oil spill occurrence frequencies for size ranges of crude oil, condensate, and refined petroleum spills for use in environmental analyses related to proposed oil and gas leasing, exploration, development, and production activities in the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Arctic Planning Areas.
The first task order #M17PD00066 (ABSG, 2018) in the contract involved estimation of spill occurrence frequencies. This analysis included: * Collation of historical US OCS oil spill incident data from a variety of sources * Calculation of oil spill frequency exposure metrics * Review of oil spill causal factors * Calculation of oil spill occurrence frequencies * Estimation of uncertainty metrics such as confidence intervals. The second task order #140M0118F0007 in the contract, included using the results from the first task order to perform fault tree analysis and Monte Carlo simulation to estimate oil spill occurrence estimators for Beaufort Sea OCS Planning Area. This report documents the approach and results of the fault tree analysis and statistical simulation.
The ShoreZone imaging survey was conducted in May 2016 and acquired aerial video and digital still images of the coast during minus tides (zero-meter tide levels and lower) according to the ShoreZone protocol (Cook et al. 2017). The ground station surveys were conducted over two low tide windows in May 2016 as well. The imagery and associated audio commentary were then used to map the physical and biological attributes of the shoreline according the most recent ShoreZone coastal habitat mapping protocol (Cook et al. 2017). A summary of the imaging, habitat mapping and ground survey results are presented in this report. A catalog of benthic marine algae collected during the ground survey was also prepared as a NOAA Technical Memorandum (Lindeberg and Lindstrom 2018). That catalog was not a deliverable of the BOEM contract but acts as a complimentary report.
OCS Study BOEM 2018-036. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 46 pp.
OCS Study BOEM 2018-036. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 46 pp.
In the event of an oil spill in the Arctic Ocean, the use of chemical dispersants is one potential option for oil spill response. Corexit 9500A is currently the principal chemical dispersant stockpiled and is likely to be applied to an oil spill in the Arctic, should it receive regulatory approval. Before its risks can be fully assessed, there is a need to determine the fate and persistence of Corexit 9500A in the Arctic marine environment. In this project, we quantified biodegradation of the chemical dispersant Corexit 9500A in Arctic seawater and determined how the presence of crude oil alongside dispersants affects the biodegradation of both dispersants and oil. Using advanced molecular tools, we identified microbes active in oil and dispersant biodegradation in Arctic seawater. We found that crude oil and surfactant components of Corexit 9500A can undergo substantial biodegradation within 28 days in Arctic surface seawater: 36– 41% of oil; 33–77% of bis-(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (DOSS); 96% of Span 80. In near-shore seawater, crude oil degraded slightly more extensively than in offshore waters. Overall, the nonionic surfactant components of Corexit 9500A (Tween 80+85 and Span 80) were more labile than DOSS, with the nonionics dropping to below detection limits within 2–5 days, while DOSS was more persistent, especially in the presence of oil. Molecular analyses of the microbial communities were performed in the 2013–14 incubations. The microbial population size grew more extensively in response to Corexit 9500A than oil alone within 28 days, suggesting that some components are more readily biodegraded and utilized as growth substrates. In general, different members of the microbial community appear to be responsible for Corexit 9500A and oil biodegradation; however, throughout the incubation, a subset of taxa (Oleispira, Colwellia, Lutibacter, and an unclassified Flavobacteriaceae spp.) and functional genes associated with oil biodegradation (alkB, nagG, and pchCF) increased in response to both oil and Corexit 9500A, suggesting that some organisms may biodegrade both Corexit 9500A components and oil. Together, these findings indicate that the indigenous microbial community in the Chukchi Sea in summer and fall can perform substantial oil and dispersant biodegradation within 28 days, although the longer-term fate of the residual components is yet-to-be-determined.
The literature search and analysis of causal factors in the Arctic and other regions include oil spills of 50 bbls or more at different facility types associated with offshore oil and gas operations. This report is intended to inform future fault tree analysis of oil spills of 50 bbls or more related to offshore exploration and development activities on the US Arctic OCS. The analysis considers oil spill causal factors in the GOM and PAC OCS as well as factors in Arctic regions within and outside of the US.
This report assumes any analysis conducted using this literature review will be specific to the US Arctic region. The literature review may identify information that related to the Arctic region or Polar regions outside of the US; however, if the information is not also relevant or applicable to the US Arctic, then it is considered outside the scope of this project.
OCS Study BOEM 2018-027. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 32 pp.
Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Source
OCS Study BOEM 2018-027. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 32 pp.
This project created ten oral history interviews with one sea ice scientist and twelve residents of Kotzebue, Utqiagvik (formerly known as Barrow), Point Hope, Wainwright and Wales, Alaska, about their observations of changing sea ice conditions. The interviews were added to the archives and website interface of the Northern Alaska Sea Ice Project Jukebox, a longitudinal qualitative project where recorded observations of changing sea ice in Barrow previously spanned a time period from 1978 to 2013. The inclusion of recordings from residents of Kotzebue, Point Hope, Wainwright, and Wales will serve as a benchmark of observations from those communities. Understanding how the sea ice is changing on the outer continental shelf area around these communities will support future development and management of resources. Additionally, photo and video galleries that show various ice conditions and features were added to the Northern Alaska Sea Ice Project Jukebox website.
The Biophysical and Chemical Program is one component implemented to support the broader MARES objectives. The goals of this component were to: • Collect physical, biological, and chemical observations in the Eastern Beaufort Sea from moving and moored platforms • Describe and analyze physical, biological, and chemical observations acquired from the moving platforms • Simultaneously with the mooring deployment operation, gather water and sediment samples at the mooring locations and process and analyze these samples to estimate the carbon budget and describe carbon cycling processes These objectives were implemented through a field program conducted in 2016 and took advantage of some new partnership opportunities fostered by Stantec.
OCS Study BOEM 2018-023. Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NMFS, NOAA for U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, Environmental Studies Program, Anchorage, Alaska. 464 p.
OCS Study BOEM 2018-023. Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NMFS, NOAA for U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, Environmental Studies Program, Anchorage, Alaska. 464 p.
Arctic Whale Ecology Study (ARCWEST): Use of the Chukchi Sea by Endangered Baleen and Other Whales (Westward Extension of the BOWFEST). Final Report of the Arctic Whale Ecology Study (ARCWEST).
OCS Study BOEM 2018-022. Environmental Studies Program, Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, U.S. Department of Interior.
OCS Study BOEM 2018-022. Environmental Studies Program, Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, U.S. Department of Interior.
The Arctic Whale Ecology Study (ARCWEST) was initiated in 2012 through an Interagency Agreement between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Marine Mammal Laboratory (MML). The focus of the study was to determine relationships between dominant currents passing from the Bering Sea through the Chukchi Sea and prey resources delivered to the Barrow Arch area, and to provide information about the dynamic nature of those relationships relative to marine mammal distribution and habitat utilization in the eastern Chukchi and extreme western Beaufort Seas. It also provided important baseline data on the occurrence, distribution and habitat use of marine mammals in an area that is subject to rapid change and human industrial development.
Contents: Characterizing Bacterial Communities in Beaufort Sea Sediments in a Changing Arctic by Alexis Walker, College of Fisheries and Ocean Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Chukchi-Beaufort Seas Storms and Their Influence on Surface Climate by Yang Yang, International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Using Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) Population Genetics Approaches to Determine the Population Structure of Tanner Crab (Chionoecetes bairdi) in Alaska by Genevieve Johnson, College of Fisheries and Ocean Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
OCS Study BOEM 2018-020. Prepared by Eastern Research Group, Inc., Sacramento, CA for U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Alaska OCS Region, Anchorage, AK. 58 pp.
OCS Study BOEM 2018-020. Prepared by Eastern Research Group, Inc., Sacramento, CA for U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Alaska OCS Region, Anchorage, AK. 58 pp.
The overall objective of the BOEM Arctic Air Quality Impact Assessment Modeling Study (Arctic AQ Modeling Study or study) is to facilitate BOEM’s assessment of potential air quality impacts from oil and gas exploration, development, and production on the Alaska OCS and related onshore activities. This study uses computerized atmospheric dispersion modeling and photochemical grid modeling to estimate increases in concentrations of emissions from existing and proposed anthropogenic activities. The air quality analysis is only as comprehensive and accurate as the emission inventory on which the analysis is based, and only as accurate as the meteorological dataset applied to disperse and transport the pollutants.
The Arctic AQ Modeling Study is organized into the following tasks: • Task 1: Science Review Group • Task 2: Conduct Meteorological Dataset Evaluation • Task 3: Prepare Emission Inventories • Task 4: Conduct Atmospheric Near-Field Dispersion Modeling • Task 5: Conduct Photochemical/Dispersion Far-Field Pollutant Modeling • Task 6: Prepare Emission Exemption Thresholds Evaluation • Task 7: On-Call Statistical Support.
...This report contains the background, methods used, and results obtained for the main task activities covering the meteorological data set evaluation (Task 2), emissions inventory development (Task 3), near-field atmospheric dispersion modeling (Task 4), photochemical grid modeling (Task 5), and the emission exemption thresholds (EET) evaluation including the far-field dispersion modeling analysis (Task 6).
