16 



Table 1. MMS Environmental Studies Program for the Gulf of Mexico: Funding by Study Series, 1973 

 to July 1989. 



Environmental Mapping 

 Physical Oceanography 

 Marine Ecosystems 

 Coastal Studies 

 Endangered Species 

 Ecological Effects of Oil and Gas 

 Socio/Economic Studies 

 Cultural Resources Studies 

 Information Management 



Totals 



The MMS Environmental Studies Program (ESP) supplies information for use within MMS, as well as by other 

 users. Within MMS, this information is used for development of the programmatic environmental impact 

 statement (EIS) which is the primary document for 5-year OCS lease sale planning; for development of the 

 EIS' for each OCS sale; for development of special measures to mitigate anticipated impacts to valued offshore 

 resources or to protect human and environmental safety; to support agency environmental and engineering 

 reviews of industry's plans for offshore exploration, development, production, transportation, and platform 

 removals. Users outside the MMS include marine and coastal resource managers in state or other federal 

 agencies; scientists in academic and consulting organizations; scientists, engineers, and managers for the offshore 

 and coastal oil and gas industry; environmental interest groups; and a variety of other individuals and 

 organizations. 



As detailed in section 2.1.1 by Ahlfeld, recent guidance issued by the MMS Headquarters Office (Aurand 1988) 

 directs the ESP to (1) emphasize collection of information for post-lease decisions, rather than pre-lease decision; 

 (2) focus on OCS areas with known oil and gas resources; (3) concentrate on evaluating long-term, low-level 

 cumulative impacts of oil and gas development on the environment, with emphasis on process-oriented studies 

 to explain mechanisms causing observed impacts; (4) phase studies to provide information appropriate to the 

 decisions at hand; (5) study impacts of accidental oil spill when appropriate; (6) support wide accessibility and 

 utility of data and information, including synthesis reports and position papers; and (7) support information 

 management and dissemination activities to provide reliable information to concerned citizens and non-MMS 

 decision-makers. 



The MMS plans environmental studies on an annual basis, with planning activities preceding funding approvals 

 by about two fiscal years. Each annual planning exercise within the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region considers 

 future-year planning for five to seven years from the time of the planning workshops. Based on these regional 

 studies plans, program emphasis for the Gulf of Mexico for the five-year period beginning in fiscal year 1990 will 

 be on the three studies discussed at the workshop plus: 



• a major physical oceanography program planned for the TEXLA Shelf, and a companion circulation 

 modeling study; 



• studies of the populations of sea turtles and marine mammals within the Gulf of Mexico, and of possible 

 impacts due to OCS activities; 



• a program administered within Louisiana universities for study of the effects of long-term production 

 of OCS oil and gas; 



• studies to support oil spill control or clean-up, including use of oil dispersants; 



