61 



2.2.7 



THE DESIGN AND EXECUTION OF A LARGE OCS 

 MONITORING PROGRAM 



Dr. Gary D. Brewer 



Environmental Studies Section 



Mineral Management Service 



Pacific OCS Region 



1340 West Sixth Street 



Los Angeles, CA 90017 



The California Monitoring Program (CAMP) is a multidiscipliiiary evaluation of the long-term environmental 

 effects of oil and gas development and production platforms. Sponsored by the Department of Interior, Minerals 

 Management Service (MMS), the project is designed to (1) detect spatial and temporal changes in the soft 

 bottom and hard bottom benthic communities in the Santa Maria Basin, California and (2) evaluate whether any 

 such changes are related to drilling activities. Participants include biologists, chemists, and physical 

 oceanographers from over a dozen consulting firms, academic institutions, and government agencies. A panel 

 of independent experts has been retained as a Quality Review Board. 



Planning for a platform monitoring program began in 1982 when a conference was held in Los Angeles to 

 develop study needs and priorities (USDI, MMS 1982). Eventually, a three-phased program emerged that is 

 expected to last well over a decade. Phase I began in 1984 with a reconnaissance of the Santa Maria Basin; 

 results of the Phase I survey (Science Applications International Incorporated 1985; Piltz 1986) helped identify 

 appropriate study sites and sampling protocol for Phase II (CAMP) monitoring, which began in 1986 and is 

 ongoing (Brewer et al. 1987; Hyland and Neff 1988). The knowledge gained during Phase II should provide the 

 insight for additional, innovative studies during a projected Phase III. To give you some idea of the relative 

 commitment to these studies, to date, MMS has committed about $12 million, not including potential funding 

 during Phase III. 



The Santa Maria Basin (Figure 7) was selected as a study region because the area had been free of oil 

 development drilling before our studies began. In addition, the coastal area offshore south-central California 

 is free of the potential confounding influence of major sewage outfalls and large rivers. 



Two sites of proposed oil and gas development drilling are being monitored. Soft bottom communities are being 

 studied at a series of site-specific stations around the proposed site of Platform Julius (145-m isobath) and at a 

 series of nine regional stations (depth range 90-565 m) (Figure 8). All soft-bottom sites are sampled in triplicate 

 with a 0.25 m 2 box corer for analysis of macrofauna and meiofauna. Representative species of both macrofauna 

 and meiofauna are given detailed life-history analysis, such as egg production and growth. X-rays have been 

 taken of special box core sections to examine the vertical structure of the burrowing organisms. 



Hard bottom communities are being studied at nine deep water reefs adjacent to Platform Hidalgo (Figure 9). 

 Hidalgo is located on the 130 m isobath and the stations range from roughly 100 to 250 m depth. Each of the 

 nine study reefs is sampled with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) called Recon IV on a seasonal basis both 

 before and after drilling was initiated. A high resolution color video camera enables the pilot to guide the ROV 

 to and over each site, where random, standardized photoquadrats are collected. Counts and density estimates 

 of rock epifauna are made by projecting the color slides onto a screen. The reproduction and growth of selected 

 reef species are being studied. 



In addition to the biological studies, the chemistry of platform discharges, sediments, and animal tissues are 

 examined; concurrent studies are underway of currents, sediment transport, and sediment resuspension. 

 Complementary laboratory work is comparing larval settlement in natural sediments versus sediments 

 contaminated with drilling waters. 



The original experimental rationale was to sample all regional and site-specific stations (i.e., for biological, 

 chemical, and sediment parameters) during the fall of each year, both before and after platform drilling was 

 initiated, for a period of five years. In addition, seasonal variability in all parameters was to be evaluated during 



