19 



2.1.3 



PLANNING FOR LONG-TERM MONITORING 

 AT SELECTED MARINE ECOSYSTEM SITES 



Dr. Robert M. Rogers 



Environmental Studies Staff 



Minerals Management Service 



Gulf of Mexico OCS Region 



INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY 



Responsiveness to changing environmental concerns voiced by federal agencies, states, and individuals with 

 respect to Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas leasing and operations is a constantly evolving process faced 

 by the Environmental Studies Program (ESP) of the Minerals Management Service (MMS). One recent program 

 change of emphasis is renewed interest in evaluation and explanation of long-term, low-level cumulative impacts 

 of oil and gas development. An important facet of pursuing this new emphasis is the development of appropriate 

 process-oriented studies to allow explanations of the causal mechanisms underlying any apparent impacts. 



While most researchers agree that acute impacts from operational discharges from OCS oil and gas facilities are 

 either localized or resolvable through mitigation, there is less certainty concerning chronic, sublethal effects 

 (Aurand 1988). Such impacts, if present, are difficult to detect and quantify. Studies directed at these types of 

 impacts were not a high priority in the early days of the ESP before even gross acute impacts were not well 

 defined. With the resolution of acute impact questions, chronic impacts have become more critical as research 

 topics (NRC 1985; Boesch and Rabalais 1987). 



We are here today to plan for a long-term monitoring program at selected marine ecosystem sites in the Gulf 

 of Mexico. This study effort was originally nominated for funding consideration in fiscal year (FY) 1988. At that 

 time it had the study title of "Long-term Monitoring at Topographic Features and Selected Marine Ecosystem 

 Sites." Through the staff planning process, it was soon apparent that two distinctly different monitoring projects 

 were embodied in this study title. Monitoring of topographic features, namely the East and West Flower Garden 

 Banks, was a relatively straightforward task involving visually monitoring coral growth, competition, and general 

 health of the coral community. However, monitoring of long-term effects of selected marine ecosystem sites was 

 a more complicated process with planning difficulties arising from even the most basic tasks such as selecting 

 the sites to be monitored. With this in mind, the two study efforts were separated for procurement and 

 monitoring at the Flower Garden Banks was begun in late FY 1988. 



This left us with the study title of "Long-term Monitoring at Selected Marine Ecosystem Sites." From this 

 workshop, we hope to generate a working hypothesis on exactly what we can expect to accomplish from a long- 

 term monitoring program. This must be framed in the context of why the MMS carries out studies. This can 

 be paraphrased from the mandates as established by the OCS Lands Act Amendment of 1978: (1) to establish 

 information needed for assessment and management of environmental impacts on the human, marine, and coastal 

 environments which may be affected; (2) to predict impacts on the marine biota which may result from chronic 

 low level pollution or large spills associated with OCS production; and (3) to monitor the human, marine, and 

 coastal environments of such areas in a manner designed to provide time-series and data trend information for 

 the purpose of identifying any significant changes in the quality and productivity of such environments. 



The MMS, and formerly the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), funded many large-scale environmental 

 studies in the Gulf of Mexico, to characterize the environment and to assess impacts of OCS activities. Each 

 study would have benefitted from a better understanding of long-term natural variability at the study sites at the 

 time those studies were conducted; this planned study will build on the data bases generated during those studies 

 to develop a better understanding of long-term environmental variability Gulf-wide. This program will 

 complement the planned study, "Effects of OCS Development and Production Activities, Northwestern Gulf of 

 Mexico"; but will differ in the focus on understanding natural variability, as compared to "effects" studies at sites 

 where impacts have occurred due to petroleum development and production activities. 



