BOEM Announces Environmental Study Reports Posted During the Third Quarter FY 2015

The Environmental Studies Program (ESP) announces the availability of five study reports that were posted online via the Environmental Studies Program Information System (ESPIS) from April - June 2015. The new postings relay findings from regional studies for Alaska, the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. The reports and associated technical summaries can be accessed through ESPIS.

Topics covered in the latest postings include:

Alaska:
A biogeochemical assessment of the Outer Continental Shelf Arctic Waters: current status and vulnerability to climate change;

Atlantic:
A renewable energy study report on pelagic seabirds off the east coast of the United States, covering the area from Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Gulf of Mexico:
A report assessing impacts of OCS activities on public infrastructure, services and population on coastal communities following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita;a report describing the digital conversion of dive video from 15 dive seasons; (We expect a selection of video clips to be available on-line at a future date.); and a report on new invasive marine species colonizing energy platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program (ESP) develops, funds, and manages rigorous scientific research to inform policy decisions regarding the development of energy and mineral resources on the OCS.

The Environmental Studies Program Information System (ESPIS) makes all completed ESP reports available on-line as full electronic pdf documents, including images and graphics. Technical summaries of more than 1,200 BOEM-sponsored environmental research projects, as well as full pdf documents of over 3,400 research reports, are available for online full text search.

Dr. Rodney E. Cluck
Department of the Interior
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Chief, Division of Environmental Sciences
Environmental Studies Program