66 



plan to use a combination of high quality video, still photos, commercial fishing, and tagging to evaluate fish 

 abundance, distribution, and movements among the reef and between the platform and the reefs. Studies of 

 sublethal impacts will examine the uptake, accumulation, and/or metabolism of metals and hydrocarbons. A 

 variety of sensitive biochemical measures will be used; life history and recruitment variability among reefs that 

 are exposed to platform contaminants will be compared to unaffected reefs. Foods/feeding and predator/prey 

 relationships of fishes will be examined and compared between the platform and the reefs. To date, three-years 

 of pre-drilling CAMP data has been collected at site-specific Platform Julius soft bottom stations and regional 

 soft-bottom stations. 



The installation of Platform Julius has been stalled by permitting delays, and as a result, CAMP has suspended 

 sampling at all soft bottom stations until a definitive date for Platform Julius installation and first-drilling is 

 determined. At Platform Hidalgo, the first well was drilled in November 1987, providing the opportunity to 

 collect one-year of pre-drilling, seasonal sampling as originally planned. However, after seven wells were drilled 

 at Platform Hidalgo, drilling was suspended, pending approval of an onshore processing facility. Nevertheless, 

 sampling at Platform Hidalgo will continue, at least through October 1990, and additional sampling beyond 1990 

 will be considered, depending upon the timing and extent of additional drilling. 



Finally, the design of the MMS Pacific Outer Continental Shelf Region's long-term monitoring project has 

 received considerable interest and critical review; the project has benefited from a knowledge of the mistakes 

 and shortcomings of previous platform monitoring projects. Unfortunately, the execution of what we believe is 

 a well-designed study has been clouded by unforeseen delays in the approval of development and production 

 permits. 



REFERENCES 



Brewer, G.D., F. Piltz, and J. Hyland. 1987. Monitoring changes in benthic communities adjacent to OCS oil 

 production platforms off California, pp. L593-1597. Jn Oceans '87 Proceedings, volume 5, Coastal and 

 Estuarine Pollution. Halifax, NOVA Scotia. 



Hyland, J. and J. Neff. 1988. California OCS Phase II monitoring program: Year one annual report. OCS 

 Study MMS 87-0115. Minerals Management Service. 



Piltz, F. 1986. Monitoring long-term changes in biological communities near oil and gas production platforms, 

 pp. 858-861. In Oceans '86 proceedings, Volume 3, Monitoring Strategies. Washington, D.C. 



Science Applications International Corporation. 1985. Assessment of long-term changes in biological 

 communities in the Santa Maria Basin and western Santa Barbara Channel - Phase I. Contract No. 14-12- 

 001-3003. Minerals Management Service. 



U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service. 1982. Recommendations for a Pacific Outer 

 Continental Shelf Environmental Monitoring Program for OCS Oil and Gas Development Activities. 

 Summary and Recommendations of a Conference held March 30-31, 1982, Los Angeles, CA. U.S. Dept. 

 of the Interior, Minerals Mgmt. Service, Pacific OCS Region, Los Angeles, CA. 21 pages plus 4 appendices. 



