PHASE 1 SITE SELECTION 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA OFEF SITE SELECTION 



It is apparent that the first requirement for the Phase 1 OFEF prototype is that it 

 should be located in the nearshore area to allow adequate access by scientific and support 

 personnel. Secondly, it should be located in an area with mild oceanographic and meteoro- 

 logical characteristics and be within the criteria delineated in Table 1 . The region best suited 

 within the guidelines of the proposed and established criteria is the southern California off- 

 shore area from Pt. Conception, 34° 30'N, to the Mexican economic zone, 32° 30'N. This 

 area is presented in Fig. 49, which also shows submarine transit lanes, shipping lanes, the 

 322-kilometer Mexican economic zone boundary and the proposed locations of selected OFEF 

 Phase 1 sites listed in priority order. 



The southern California offshore area has been selected as the optimal location for 

 Phase 1 , and will more than likely be selected for Phase 2 and early 3 as well, for the follow- 

 ing reasons. 



1 . The sites chosen are within the U.S. economic zone which will be increased to 

 200 miles (322 kilometers) by March 1977, thereby avoiding possible international conflict. 



2. The region has the most mild and least severe extreme weather conditions of any 

 offshore area within the economic zone of the continental United States or Hawaii. It has a 

 very low occurrence of high-velocity winds and high waves. This is because the region is 

 north of the tropical cyclone zone and is located on the southern extreme of the extratropi- 

 cal cyclone region. 



3. In this nearshore area, nutrients of adequate concentrations are relatively near the 

 surface (15-25 jug-at/hter NO3 at 100 meters). 



4. Research and support facilities are available close to the proposed sites. 



5. The region is within the natural habitat zone of Macrocystis pyrifera . Tempera- 

 ture and light regions are excellent for Macrocystis growth. 



6. Current speeds are mostly within the ranges specified for optimal OFEF opera- 

 tions and kelp growth characteristics. 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA OFFSHORE CHARACTERISTICS 



Figures 50 through 71 (from the Naval Weather Service, Ref. 45) give detailed ocean- 

 ographic and meteorologic data of the southern California offshore area. These data, along 

 with the criteria below, were used to select specific sites. Table 8 gives nutrient concentra- 

 tions for various depths off southern Cahfornia and northern Baja California. 



Winter (February) and summer (August) wave heights > 2 and > 6 feet (> 0.6 and 

 1 .8 meters) are given in Figs. 50 and 5 1 , and > 9 and > 12 feet (> 2.7 and 3.7 meters) in 

 Figs. 52 and 53. Percent frequency of the wave heights given increase to the west showing a 



