DRILLING WAS PROHIBITED IN SUBMARINE CANYONS IN 1984 



Patricia E. Hughes, OCS Coordinator 



Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Office 



Research conducted along the North Atlantic continental shelf and slope 

 over the last fifteen years has contributed greatly to our understanding 

 of the physical, chemical, and biological processes of this region. 

 Research focused on the submarine canyons indicates that the processes 

 at work in them have created habitat that supports unique biological 

 communities in comparison with the adjacent shelf and slope environments. 

 Whether the canyons are erosional or depositional environments, 

 they support biological communities not found elsewhere. 



The fundamental question underlying the two hypotheses being examined 

 at this workshop is: should oil and gas activities be permitted 

 in or adjacent to submarine canyons? In 1984, the Minerals Management 

 Service (MMS) answered this question by developing a lease stipulation 

 for proposed sale 82 that prohibited oil and gas drilling activities 

 within 200 meters of the geographical boundaries of submarine canyons, 

 as defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

 Further, the lease stipulation included restrictions on drilling 

 activities within 4 miles of the submarine canyons. 



It is assumed that this drilling prohibition was based on the scientific 

 community's current understanding of the canyons' oceanographic 

 processes and biological communities. This presentation will discuss 

 some of the factors believed to be important in the development 

 of this lease stipulation and relevant to the discussion of the 

 hypotheses. 



B-16 



