Bureau Of Ocean Energy Management Research Articles

Offshore low-level jet observations and model representation using lidar buoy data off the California coast

Abstract. Low-level jets (LLJs) occur under a variety of atmospheric conditions and influence the available wind resource for wind energy projects. In 2020, lidar-mounted buoys owned by the US Department of Energy (DOE) were deployed off the California coast in two wind energy lease areas administered by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: Humboldt and Morro Bay. The wind profile observations from the lidars and collocated near-surface meteorological stations (4–240 m) provide valuable year-long analyses of offshore LLJ characteristics at heights relevant to wind turbines. At Humboldt, LLJs were associated with flow reversals and north-northeasterly winds, directions that are more aligned with terrain influences than the predominant northerly flow. At Morro Bay, coastal LLJs were observed primarily during northerly flow as opposed to the predominant north-northwesterly flow. LLJs were observed more frequently in colder seasons within the lowest 250 m a.s.l. (above sea level), in contrast with the summertime occurrence of the higher-altitude California coastal jet influenced by the North Pacific High, which typically occurs at heights of 300–400 m. The lidar buoy observations also validate LLJ representation in atmospheric models that estimate potential energy yield of offshore wind farms. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis version 5 (ERA5) was unsuccessful at identifying all observed LLJs at both buoy locations within the lowest 200 m. An extension of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 20-year wind resource dataset for the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California (CA20-Ext) yielded marginally greater captures of observed LLJs using the Mellor–Yamada–Nakanishi–Niino (MYNN) planetary boundary layer (PBL) scheme than the 2023 National Offshore Wind dataset (NOW-23), which uses the Yonsei University (YSU) scheme. However, CA20-Ext also produced the most LLJ false alarms, which are instances when a model identified an LLJ but no LLJ was observed. CA20-Ext and NOW-23 exhibited a tendency to overestimate the duration of LLJ events and underestimate LLJ core heights.

Satellite NO2 Trends and Hotspots Over Offshore Oil and Gas Operations in the Gulf of Mexico

AbstractThe Outer Continental Shelf of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) is populated with numerous oil and natural gas (ONG) platforms which produce NOx (NOx = NO + NO2), a major component of air pollution. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is mandated to ensure that the air quality of coastal states is not degraded by these emissions. As part of a NASA‐BOEM collaboration, we conducted a satellite data‐based analysis of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) patterns and trends in the GOM. Data from the OMI and TROPOMI sensors were used to obtain 18+ year records of tropospheric column (TrC) NO2 in three GOM regions: (a) Houston urban area, (b) near shore area off the Louisiana coast, and a (c) deepwater area off the Louisiana coast. The 2004–2022 time series show a decreasing trend for the urban (−0.027 DU/decade) and near shore (−0.0022 DU/decade) areas, and an increasing trend (0.0019 DU/decade) for the deepwater area. MERRA‐2 wind and TROPOMI NO2 data were used to reveal several NO2 hotspots (up to 25% above background values) under calm wind conditions near individual platforms. The NO2 signals from these deepwater platforms and the high density of shallow water platforms closer to shore were confirmed by TrC NO2 anomalies of up to 10%, taking into account the monthly TrC NO2 climatology over the GOM. The results presented in this study establish a baseline for future estimates of emissions from the ONG hotspots and provide a methodology for analyzing NO2 measurements from the new geostationary TEMPO instrument.

National Archive of Marine Seismic Surveys Web Portal Provides Public Access to US Exclusive Economic Zone Marine Seismic Surveys

AbstractSeismic reflection data collected within the US Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) represent a scientific resource with inestimable value. The US Geological Survey (USGS), in partnership with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), provide unrestricted public access to seismic data acquired since 1975 through the National Archive of Marine Seismic Surveys (NAMSS) portal. This map‐searchable web portal provides access to over 1,100 two‐ and three‐dimensional (2D, 3D) marine seismic data sets collected by the USGS and by the offshore resource industry. The industry data sets are released by BOEM under The Code of Federal Regulations 30 CFR Parts 551 and 580, allowing for the release of seismic reflection data after the completed 25‐year proprietary term from the issuance of the Geological and Geophysical (G&G) permit. The web portal provides tools to filter and identify surveys within the US EEZ and navigation and shapefiles can be downloaded with each survey. Seismic data sets downloaded from NAMSS have been instrumental in numerous scientific investigations along the US EEZ. These include studies focused on offshore marine geohazards, such as fault systems and submarine landslides, as well as gas hydrates and other geologic processes. Acquisition of such data sets, especially pneumatic‐sourced surveys, is becoming progressively more difficult due to environmental concerns and associated costs, thus preservation and public access to such high‐quality data sets is critical to maintaining the ability to conduct offshore seismic reflection scientific research along the US EEZ.

Year-long buoy-based observations of the air–sea transition zone off the US west coast

Abstract. Two buoys equipped with Doppler lidars owned by the US Department of Energy (DOE) were deployed off the coast of California in autumn of 2020 by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The buoys collected data for an entire annual cycle at two offshore locations proposed for offshore wind development by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. One of the buoys was deployed approximately 50 km off the coast near Morro Bay in central California in 1100 m of water. The second buoy was deployed approximately 40 km off Humboldt County in northern California in 625 m of water. The buoys provided the first-ever continuous measurements of the air–sea transition zone off the coast of California. The atmospheric and oceanographic characteristics of the area and estimates of annual energy production at both the Morro Bay and Humboldt wind energy areas show that both locations have a high wind energy yield and are prime locations for future floating offshore wind turbines. This article provides a description and comprehensive analysis of the data collected by the buoys, and a final post-processed dataset is uploaded to a data archive maintained by the DOE. Additional analysis was conducted to show the value of the data collected by the DOE buoys. All post-processed data from this study are available on the Wind Data Hub website: https://a2e.energy.gov/data# (last access: 14 September 2023). Near-surface, wave, current, and cloud datasets for Humboldt and Morro Bay are provided at https://doi.org/10.21947/1783807 (Krishnamurthy and Sheridan, 2023b) and https://doi.org/10.21947/1959715 (Krishnamurthy and Sheridan, 2023a), respectively. Lidar datasets for Humboldt and Morro Bay are provided at https://doi.org/10.21947/1783809 (Krishnamurthy and Sheridan, 2023d) and https://doi.org/10.21947/1959721 (Krishnamurthy and Sheridan, 2023c), respectively.

Protected species considerations for ocean planning: A case study for offshore wind energy development in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

AbstractObjectiveOcean planning provides opportunities for managers to evaluate tradeoffs among environmental, social, economic, cultural, and management considerations in the development of place‐based activities. Early integration of mobile protected species considerations into ocean planning reduces the likelihood of future resource conflict. Transparency and problem solving with potential conflicts in mind during the early planning stages can help to minimize contention and increase efficiency in permitting and may also minimize litigation challenges during project design and implementation. Starting with a large area, such as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) initial 12.1‐million‐ha call area in federal waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, provided substantial geographic scope for identifying suitable areas for eventual offshore wind lease sales that also aim to minimize conflict across multiple resources and uses.MethodsTo support ocean planning for this large‐scale activity, a generalized scoring system for protected species status and trends that facilitates relative comparison between species was developed. Spatial data for species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act or the Marine Mammal Protection Act were assembled. Species layers were scored based on species status and trend. The cumulative vulnerability for 23 species groups whose distributions overlap suitable areas proposed for eventual lease sales, termed wind energy areas (WEAs) by BOEM, was calculated.ResultIntegrating this combined protected species data layer into the broader Gulf of Mexico WEA ocean planning process helped to reduce potential protected species conflicts by 70%.ConclusionThis generalized approach is directly applicable to other WEAs under consideration within the United States and is transferable to a variety of ocean spatial planning applications.

Two Air Quality Regimes in Total Column NO2 Over the Gulf of Mexico in May 2019: Shipboard and Satellite Views

AbstractThe Satellite Coastal and Oceanic Atmospheric Pollution Experiment (SCOAPE) cruise in the Gulf of Mexico was conducted in May 2019 by NASA and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to determine the feasibility of using satellite data to measure air quality in a region of concentrated oil and natural gas (ONG) operations. SCOAPE addressed both technological and scientific issues related to measuring NO2 columns over the outer continental shelf. Featured were nitrogen dioxide (NO2) instruments (Pandora, Teledyne API analyzer) at Cocodrie, LA (29.26°, −90.66°), and on the Research Vessel Point Sur operating off the Louisiana coast with measurements of ozone, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The findings: (a) all NO2 observations revealed two atmospheric regimes over the Gulf, the first influenced by tropical air in 10–14 May, the second influenced by flow from urban areas on 15–17 May; (b) comparisons of OMI v4 and TROPOMI v1.3 TC (total column) NO2 data with shipboard Pandora NO2 column observations averaged 13% agreement with the largest difference during 15–17 May (∼20%). At Cocodrie, the satellite–Pandora agreement was ∼5%. (c) Three new‐model Pandora instruments displayed a TC NO2 precision of 0.01 Dobson Units (∼5%); (d) regions of smaller, older natural gas operations showed high methane readings from leakage; elevated VOCs were also detected. Neither satellite nor spectrometer captured the magnitude of ambient NO2 variability near ONG platforms. Given an absence of regular air quality monitoring over the Gulf of Mexico, SCOAPE data constitute a baseline against which future observations can be compared.

Policy action needed to unlock eDNA potential

Policy action needed to unlock <scp>eDNA</scp> potential

Legacy Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Facilities Hold Promise for Role in Blue Economy

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper OTC 31940, “Repurposing Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Facilities for the Blue Economy,” by Roy Robinson, SPE, Excipio Energy; Georg Englemann, Diamond Infrastructure Development; and Kent Saterlee, Gulf Offshore Research Institute. The paper has not been peer reviewed. _ This synopsis presents portions of the results of a Department of Energy (DOE) study of the potential for repurposing legacy oil and gas facilities in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) for uses in a blue economy. The study was limited and was designed to summarize practical options for repurposing. The conclusions list those areas in which further modeling or studies are warranted, with the objective of building an integrated modeling tool to assist companies, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations in assessing benefits and risks of repurposing facilities. Scope Limits of the Repurposing Study The term “blue economy” is defined by the World Bank as a sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health. The study upon which the paper is based was confined to the repurposing of oil and gas facilities in the GOM, specifically platforms, wells, pipelines, and rights of way. Producing, idle, and abandoned assets were considered. The objective was to explore how leveraging these existing facilities can reduce the carbon load of offshore oil and gas production, speed the energy transition by tapping the tremendous energy potential of the ocean, reduce US dependence on imported seafood and minerals, and create secure long-term employment along the Gulf Coast. Energy Resource Potential and Definition In 2020, the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), at the request of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), produced a report on the renewable energy potential of the GOM. NREL divides resource assessments into gross and technical potential. “Gross” is intended to be the total available resource. “Technical” is based on NREL’s assessment of how much of the resource could be captured economically using proven technology. Details are included in the complete paper because the NREL/BOEM report has caused some questions to be raised by those reviewing the DOE study. The authors’ commentary on this report is detailed in the complete paper.

On the Clock: Gulf of Mexico Enters the Offshore Wind Development Race

_ Offshore wind farms could in the next decade find a home in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), more than 8 decades after the first oil flowed from its first offshore field. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in July identified the first two draft wind energy areas (WEAs)—one off the coast of Louisiana, the other off Texas—that could harness the Gulf’s steady breezes. Offshore wind is a key piece in President Biden’s strategy of addressing climate change by transitioning the US onto renewable energy. His administration in March 2021 set a target of deploying 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, “enough to power 10 million homes with clean energy, support 77,000 jobs, and spur $12 billion per year in private investment in offshore wind projects”, according to the announcement. This is the equivalent to more than 2% of the US utility-scale electricity generating capacity and about 25% of the total US wind electricity generating capacity, according to a Congressional Research Service report. In 2020 the country’s total generating capacity was about 1,212 GW, with about 119 GW of that produced from wind energy resources—virtually all onshore. Currently, the US has only two commercial offshore wind farms bringing the US total of offshore wind capacity to 42 MW. The five-turbine Block Island Wind Farm off the Rhode Island coast has a capacity of 30 MW, and the two-turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project has a current capacity of 12 MW. New Energy, Historic Basin Interest in the Gulf’s offshore wind potential has increased in recent months as development efforts off the country’s East and West Coasts continue to advance and the Biden administration has pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. One of the Gulf’s WEAs is located about 24 nautical miles (nm) off the coast of Galveston, Texas. The area under review totals 546,645 acres and has the potential to power 2.3 million homes with clean wind energy. The other WEA is located about 56 nm off the coast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, totaling 188,023 acres and has the potential to power 799,000 homes. This stretch of the Gulf Coast is historically significant as the location of the first free-standing platform to produce oil from the Gulf’s Creole field, installed about 1.5 miles offshore Cameron, Louisiana, in 1938. The GOM oil and gas industry has grown from humble beginnings to become one of the country’s most important energy resource and infrastructure regions. It is its energy infrastructure—its ports, its vessels, and its skilled workforce—that offshore wind developers find attractive. While the Gulf’s winds are not as strong as Atlantic and Pacific winds—about 7.5 to 8.5 m/s as compared to 8.0 to 10 m/s—this proximity to the oil and gas supply chain that can be leveraged and a milder climate that decreases operating costs and increases turbine access are considered its strongest advantages, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Acoustic impact studies and assessments by Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on offshore wind development

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) manages the exploration and development of offshore energy resources, including offshore wind development, on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Construction, operation, and decommissioning of offshore wind facilities generate intense or long-lasting underwater sounds and vibrations that may be detrimental to marine life. This presentation will provide an overview of the activities that BOEM is in engaging in to address these impacts. BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program (ESP) has been developing funding and managing numerous studies to understand sound field characteristics and sound propagation from pile driving and geophysical surveys related to offshore wind development, as well as marine species responses to these activities. In addition, BOEM established the Center for Marine Acoustics (CMA) to strengthen its role as a driving force within the regulatory community on sound in the marine environment and provides acoustical expertise within the environmental permitting process. The CMA continues to provide guidance on the development of best practices for the use of acoustics in the evaluating the effects of offshore wind on marine fauna. This presentation will highlight the relevant acoustic studies and explain how BOEM is using the science to better manage noise impacts on the ocean environment.

Is It Twilight for Deepwater US Gulf Megaprojects?

In early February, TotalEnergies revealed its plans to withdraw from the North Platte deepwater development in the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Given the historically inviting and economically competitive US offshore when it comes to oil and gas development, word of the French producer’s decision struck an ominous chord. Things have changed for operators looking to forward multibillion-dollar megaprojects in the GOM. Today, there may be more headwinds than ever before facing future large-scale developments—an unfavorable political regime, competition for investment not only with other oil projects around the world but also with renewable projects, and supply chain woes that have made the waits for long-lead-time items even longer, along with the simple fact that the region has gone several years with very few major discoveries. The backlog of potential GOM megaprojects is stuck in the single digits, and likely is less than five. Shell has its Leopard find and Blacktip complex. Equinor has Monument. After that, things get gray. The number of Lower Tertiary wells—where any elephant fields remaining would likely be found—has decreased steadily over the past decade (Fig. 1). According to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), six Lower Tertiary exploration wells each were drilled in both 2013 and 2014. That number dipped to four in 2015 and 2016. Only one was tallied each year between 2018 and 2020. Of the 25 Lower Tertiary wildcats drilled between 2013 and 2020, BOEM counts seven as oil discoveries, nine as noncommercial, and nine as dry holes. The slide in activity could be related to soft oil prices or it could be that the region, which has been actively explored since around 2000, has matured. TotalEnergies’ Chief Patrick Pouyanne told investors that it was not US policy that made the company shift gears, but rather the fundamentals of the company’s portfolio. “It’s a purely intrinsic decision linked to the project and linked also to our capital allocation,” he said. “It’s honestly at the limit—at the high limit of the range we gave ourselves. North Platte, because of its size, in fact, we knew it. It’s not a giant field. It’s really on the high side of these metrics. So that’s one point. And second point, we prefer to invest in Sepia and Atapu in Brazil rather than in North Platte.” North Platte straddles four blocks in the Garden Banks area of the US GOM in about 1300 m of water. The field development plan was based on eight, 20,000-psi subsea wells and two subsea drilling bases connected via two production loops to a newbuild, lightweight floating production unit (FPU). Oil production at plateau level was expected to average 75,000 B/D with associated natural gas. “TotalEnergies just signed up with Brazil, which has projects more along the lines of what they’re looking for—200,000 B/D-type projects with future upside,” explained Justin Rostant, principal analyst with Wood Mackenzie. “Similarly, in Uganda, they just signed on the Lake Albert (Tilenga) project, which includes multiple fields they’re going to jointly develop—again another 200,000 or 250,000 B/D project. The Uganda project also includes investments in a 60,000 B/D refinery, a 1440-km export pipeline, and potentially a renewable power project. So, truly it’s an integrated megaproject. They also just had a massive discovery in Namibia. Again, a multibillion-barrel discovery that will turn into another megaproject. Those are the kind of projects they’ve been looking at and North Platte just could not compete.”

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) minimum recommendations for use of passive acoustic listening systems in offshore wind energy development monitoring and mitigation programs

Offshore wind energy development is rapidly advancing in United States waters to meet state and federal renewable energy goals. With a diverse suite of endangered large whale species and a multitude of other protected marine species inhabiting these same waters, understanding the potential consequences of construction and operation activities is essential to advancing responsible offshore wind development. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) represents a newer technology that has become one of several methods of choice for monitoring trends in the soundscape, presence of species, mitigating risk, and monitoring potential behavioral and distributional changes resulting from offshore wind activities. Federal and State regulators, the offshore wind industry, and environmental advocates require detailed information on PAM capabilities and techniques needed to promote efficient, consistent, and meaningful data collection efforts on local and regional scales. We provide capabilities and suggested applications of archival and real-time PAM systems, PAM study design considerations, and data management needs. We also provide key considerations for long-term baseline monitoring and vessel strike risk reduction using PAM. These recommendations provide an initial guide for stakeholders seeking to use PAM systems associated with the rapid expansion of offshore wind development in the United States.

Analysis of underwater sounds from impact pile driving at the Block Island Wind Farm

Impact pile driving creates intense, impulsive sound that radiates into the surrounding environment. Piles driven vertically into the seabed generate an azimuthally symmetric underwater sound field whereas piles driven on an angle will generate an azimuthally dependent sound field. Measurements were made during impact pile driving of raked piles to secure jacket foundation structures to the seabed at the Block Island Wind Farm at ranges between 500 m and 15 km. These measurements were analyzed to investigate variations in rise time, decay time, pulse duration, kurtosis, and sound received levels as a function of range and azimuth. Variations in the radiated sound field along opposing azimuths resulted in differences in measured sound exposure levels of up to 10 dB and greater due to the pile rake as the sound propagated in range. The raked pile configuration was modeled using an equivalent axisymmetric FEM model to describe the azimuthally dependent measured sound fields and compared to the measured data. These measurements made during wind farm construction will be presented and discussed. [Work supported by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.]

Passive acoustic monitoring during the construction of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project

A suite of hydrophone arrays was deployed to monitor pile driving sound and seafloor particle motion during construction of two wind turbine towers in the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project in May 2020. The primary objective of this passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) work was to assess the effectiveness of bubble curtains for underwater noise mitigation. The arrangement of the PAM tracks also enabled studies of azimuthal and range dependencies of pile driving sound propagation. Measurements of water temperature, salinity and surface heights were made during the monitoring period to assess underwater sound propagation conditions. PAM data showed that the bubble curtain effectively reduced the pile driving noise above 200 Hz, and a significant azimuthal dependency was observed. Statistical analyses of pile driving noise will be presented, along with recommendations for future wind farm construction monitoring, especially on marine mammal acoustic monitoring during construction. [Work supported by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management]

Strategic approaches to sediment management for restoration of a deltaic plain

Sediment resources are essential to fulfill the State of Louisiana’s commitment to implement a Coastal Master Plan (CMP) to mitigate its chronic land loss, protect more than 2 million people who live in the coastal zone, and to save Louisiana’s rapidly disappearing complex and fragile ecosystem. With increasing rates of sea level rise and increased storm intensities along with continuing subsidence, the future quantity of sediment needed for ecosystem restoration will significantly increase, and at the same time, the accessibility to the sediment resources will become much more technologically challenging and cost prohibitive. These devastating environmental circumstances will compound the complexities of a sustainable ecosystem restoration in coastal Louisiana. Restoration projects must be robust enough (using adequate compatible sediment) to survive future environmental scenarios while the quantity of actively captured sediment resources available for critical restoration projects is likely to decrease, rendering the dredging and transporting of these sediment resources increasingly difficult and costly. These challenges will be an opportunity for Louisiana to utilize more sustainable, passively captured sediment (i.e. using large sediment diversions from the Mississippi River) to help offset limitations concerning actively harvesting sediment and to build and sustain wetlands in coastal Louisiana. Although any large-scale and meaningful restoration of the Louisiana coastal plain must involve sediments from the Mississippi River, the scope of this paper is restricted to offshore sediment resources. A strategic approach to optimize utilization of sediment resources includes minimizing handling and transport costs by first locating potential sediment sources and then identifying the most cost-effective way of using that sediment resource for restoration. The project cost and its success are defined by the sediment selection process. Thus, it is suggested that improvements in planning and management of multiple-use conflicts be based on regional understandings of sediment resources for an approach that maximizes benefits. The Louisiana Sediment Management Plan (LASMP) was conceptualized and formulated to improve planning and coordination of sediment utilization in Louisiana. This plan has evolved and has been adaptively managed in the absence of any prototype. Restoration activities are further complicated by competing interests and multiple uses of limited sediment resources. To maximize the availability of offshore sediment, the state is collaborating with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and engaging with other stakeholders in deciding the fate of decommissioned pipelines and to strategically plan the installation of new pipelines in offshore areas identified as significant sediment resources with the intent of protecting identified sediment resources for future use. Future offshore wind-farms may pose new challenges but simultaneously offer opportunities for conflict resolution via stakeholder engagement. For the past two decades the State of Louisiana/Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) of Louisiana has developed a considerable institutional knowledge base and expertise and improved the art and science of sediment management. A robust process has been adaptively developed with interagency collaboration and coordination to resolve conflicts/issues concerning obstacles to resource access. LASMP is not only a template for sediment management for coastal restoration, but also provides guidance for stakeholder engagement and conflict resolution for competing needs of seafloor resources especially in Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM).

Do Oil and Gas Lease Stipulations in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico Need Expansion to Better Protect Vulnerable Coral Communities? How Low Relief Habitats Support High Coral Biodiversity

The continental shelf of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico harbors extensive reefs and banks that support diverse coral reefs and mesophotic communities. Mesophotic communities range in depth from 40 to 200 m and, in this region, foster some of the densest coral forests [aggregations of mesophotic octocoral, antipatharian, and branching stony coral communities] reported in published literature (10.23 ± 9.31 col/m2). The geologic features underlying the exposed substrates that harbor mesophotic communities are targeted for extensive hydrocarbon exploration and extraction, as they often contain oil and/or natural gas. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management regulates offshore energy development in the United States and is tasked with protecting sensitive biological communities from impacts related to oil and gas activities. This study analyzed alpha and beta diversity of mesophotic coral forests on fourteen topographic banks in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. The objective of the study was to examine differences in structure and community in relation to lease stipulations established by the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management. It was determined that dense and diverse mesophotic coral forests and carbonate producers exist in present regulatory zones that prohibit oil and gas activities; however, the coral communities exist in higher densities, diversity, and richness in low relief substrates outside of these regulatory zones. Our findings suggest low relief hard substrates serve as important habitat for mesophotic coral forests; thus, we suggest the expansion of current stipulations should be considered to provide better protection to vulnerable coral communities on low relief features. Furthermore, additional studies to refine the relationship between low relief structures and biodiversity are needed to develop more meaningful habitat definitions to support resource management and improve resource protection in the future.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Ocean Noise

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Ocean Noise

NOAA and BOEM Minimum Recommendations for Use of Passive Acoustic Listening Systems in Offshore Wind Energy Development Monitoring and Mitigation Programs

Offshore wind energy development is rapidly ramping up in United States (U.S.) waters in order to meet renewable energy goals. With a diverse suite of endangered large whale species and a multitude of other protected marine species frequenting these same waters, understanding the potential consequences of construction and operation activities is essential to advancing responsible offshore wind development. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) represents a newer technology that has become one of several methods of choice for monitoring trends in the presence of species, the soundscape, mitigating risk, and evaluating potential behavioral and distributional changes resulting from offshore wind activities. Federal and State regulators, the offshore wind industry, and environmental advocates require detailed information on PAM capabilities and techniques needed to promote efficient, consistent, and meaningful data collection efforts on local and regional scales. PAM during offshore wind construction and operation may be required by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management through project-related permits and approvals issued pursuant to relevant statutes and regulations. The recommendations in this paper aim to support this need as well as to aid the development of project-specific PAM Plans by identifying minimum procedures, system requirements, and other important components for inclusion, while promoting consistency across plans. These recommendations provide an initial guide for stakeholders to meet the rapid development of the offshore wind industry in United States waters. Approaches to PAM and agency requirements will evolve as future permits are issued and construction plans are approved, regional research priorities are refined, and scientific publications and new technologies become available.

A Multifaceted Approach to Advance Oil Spill Modeling and Physical Oceanographic Research at the United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

The Environmental Studies Program (ESP) at the United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is funded by the United States Congress to support BOEM’s mission, which is to use the best available science to responsibly manage the development of the Nation’s offshore energy and mineral resources. Since its inception in 1973, the ESP has funded over $1 billion of multidisciplinary research across four main regions of the United States Outer Continental Shelf: Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, Alaska, and Pacific. Understanding the dynamics of oil spills and their potential effects on the environment has been one of the primary goals of BOEM’s funding efforts. To this end, BOEM’s ESP continues to support research that improves oil spill modeling by advancing our understanding and the application of meteorological and oceanographic processes to improve oil spill modeling. Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, BOEM has invested approximately $28 million on relevant projects resulting in 73 peer-reviewed journal articles and 42 technical reports. This study describes the findings of these projects, along with the lessons learned and research information needs identified. Additionally, this paper presents a path forward for BOEM’s oil spill modeling and physical oceanographic research.

Scenarios for offshore wind power production for Central California Call Areas

AbstractIn response to the growing interest in offshore wind energy development in California, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management delineated three Call Areas for potential leasing. This study provides a comprehensive characterization and comparison of offshore wind power potential within the two Central California Call Areas (Diablo Canyon and Morro Bay) using 12‐ and 15‐MW turbines under different inter‐turbine spacing and wind farm size scenarios. Our analysis shows similar daily and seasonal patterns of wind power produced within the Call Areas, which peak in spring and during evening hours. Per‐turbine power production is higher in the Morro Bay Call Area due to slightly higher hub‐height wind speeds, whereas total power production is higher in the Diablo Canyon Call Area due to its larger size. Turbine type had a negligible impact on average power production per‐unit‐area because while larger turbines produce more power, they require greater inter‐turbine spacing. Combined power production from the two fully built out Call Areas could equal nearly a quarter of California's current annual electrical energy production. A commercial‐scale wind farm with a realized power output of 960 MW would require a footprint of at least half of the Morro Bay Call Area or at least a quarter of the Diablo Canyon Call Area. These results provide guidance on offshore wind development over the Central California Coast, and the framework demonstrated here could be applied to other wind data sets in other regions.