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study Title; 



Georges Bank Monitoring Program 

 Analysis of Benthic Infauna 

 Communities 



Sponsoring Office: 



New York OCS Office 



Principal Investigator: Dr. Jerry Neff 



Battelle New England Marine Research 

 Laboratory 

 ^ 397 Washington Street 



Duxbury, MA 02332 



BLM Contract Number: 



AA851-CT2-7 



Period of Performance: January 1982 - January 1983 



FY 1983: 



Study Cost: 

 Objectives: 



FY 1982: $700,000; Cumulative: $800,265 



1 . Describe the benthic communities and populations at 

 selected stations on Georges Bank during various 

 stages of OCS oil and gas exploration and development. 



2. Relate changes in the benthic communities to changes 

 in pollutant concentrations associated with oil and 

 gas activities. 



Background : 



The Biological Task Force for Sale #42 on Georges Bank was 

 established to recommend to the U. S. Minerals Management 

 Service's Supervisor for Oil and Gas Operations in the North 

 Atlantic "the design of environmental studies and surveys 

 as well as periodic sampling of environmental conditions to 

 provide warning of adverse effects" of OCS operations. MMS 

 is currently funding the research program recommended by the 

 Biological Task Force on April 14, 1981. 



The major emphasis of the Biological Task Force's monitoring 

 program is to link the discharges from oil and gas operations 

 to effects on the benthic communities on or near Georges Bank. 

 This program design requires an understanding of the (1) 

 physical processes on Georges Bank which transport materials 

 and nutrients, (2) areas of pollutant accumulation, and (3) 

 effects of pollutcints on various benthic communities of the 

 Georges Bank ecosystem. This contract is specifically for 

 the analysis of benthic communities on Georges Bank and 

 any changes in these communities that may occur in response 

 to the discharge of pollutants from OCS oil and gas 

 operations. It also provides for logistical support for 

 collection of samples for the trace metal and hydrocarbon 

 contracts, and integrates the results of analysis performed 

 under those contracts. 



