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Beaufort Sea research program under way New study into interactions of environmental systems involves collaboration between multiple government agencies, Shell Oil Alan Bailey Petroleum News
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the National Oceanographic Partnership Program have announced a new research initiative that will investigate the interrelationships between physical, biological, chemical and human systems in the Beaufort Sea, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, said Nov. 21. The objective is to use both scientific data and traditional knowledge to gain insights into how the various environmental systems are interlinked, to advance predictive capabilities and to ensure the protection of areas of known high biological productivity and of subsistence importance for local communities, BOEM said.
The study, which will encompass a region extending from Barrow, at the extreme northwest of Alaska, to the Canadian waters of the Mackenzie River delta, is expected to take at least five years to complete.
The National Oceanic Partnership Program is a collaborative association of federal agencies that coordinates oceanographic research and education.
Agencies and Shell BOEM said that the new investigation, referred to as the Marine Arctic Ecosystem Study, will involve the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System, the Marine Mammal Commission, the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Office of Naval Research and Shell Oil Co.
“BOEM is pleased to join our federal and industry partners to undertake this forward-looking project,” said BOEM Acting Director Walter Cruickshank. “With widespread interest in the Arctic, including potential oil and gas leasing and development, we’re looking to significantly expand our knowledge of the Beaufort Sea ecosystem to inform our decision-making.”
A National Oceanic Partnership Program award will go to Stantec Consulting Services Inc., the company selected to lead the team of scientists and technicians from the United States and Canada that will conduct the study. An independent scientific review board will help steer the project and peer review the study results, BOEM said.
Of particular interest is the impact on the Beaufort Sea of the plume of fresh water from the Mackenzie River that mixes with saltier marine waters as the river discharges into the ocean, BOEM said.
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