Deep-water environmental impact assessment
and monitoring

As deep-sea environments become increasingly the target for commercial resource exploration and extraction there is an increasing need for deep-water environmental impact assessments and monitoring programmes. NOCS works closely with deep-water Industries and their Regulators to develop appropriate, effective and efficient deep-sea survey and monitoring strategies.
Polymetalic nodules lying on the deep-sea floor (5,500m water depth) in the Pacific Ocean.
NOCS has a long history of research in this field. For many years, starting in the late 1970s, our forerunner organisation the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences undertook multidisciplinary research into the feasibility and potential impacts of high level radioactive waste disposal in the deep Northeast Atlantic. This work, undertaken on behalf of the then UK Department of Environment was used to inform UK Government policy on deep-ocean disposal. More recently, we have been involved in international studies of the potential impact of polymetalic nodule mining in the deep Pacific (DISCOL and KAPLAN projects). Our research programmes have also revealed the impact of deep-water trawling on coral ecosystems (e.g. the “Darwin Mounds”) and have provided the science needed to justify the legal closure of such areas to the fishing industry.
The Darwin Mounds fisheries exclusion area – the UK’s first deep-sea marine protected area
Today the bulk of our environmental impact assessment and monitoring efforts are directed towards the needs of the deep-water oil & gas industry. Our work ranges through localised impact assessments for individual operators (see e.g. SERPENT project), broader-scale environmental assessments (e.g. BP Angola Block 18), ultra-large-scale regional surveys for industry consortia (e.g. AFEN surveys), to novel technology development for long-term deepwater environmental monitoring (see e.g. BP DELOS project).
The DELOS (Deep-ocean Environmental Long-term Observatory System) platform, developed with BP to carry out 25-year monitoring of natural and potential industry impacts on the deep-sea floor off Angola.
With expertise in all the oceanographic disciplines and world-class deep-water engineering and technology capabilities, NOCS is well placed to advise and assist in all matters concerning deep-sea and open-ocean environmental impact assessment and monitoring.

With the increased availability of deep-water ROVs, and continuing developments in autonomous underwater vehicle and ocean observatory systems technology this is a time of rapid change in best practise for deep-sea environmental survey and monitoring strategies.
Deep-water remotely operated vehicles, such as NOCS’ Isis, have an important role to play in surveying and monitoring environmental impacts in the deep sea.

Design and conduct of deep-water surveys

Objectives

• General environmental description
• Regulatory requirements
• Subsequent monitoring

Initial Environmentat Description

• Assess available literature data particularly oceanographic data
• Access in-house data particularly geophysical data
• Identify gaps
• Consider a pilot survey
• Other data acquisition requirements

Design of Field Survey

• Suspected environmental trends, i.e. based on existing oceanographic and geophysical data
• Statistical requirements – critical to an effective survey
• Select sampling and analysis targets
• Consider ‘non-standard’ biological assessments
• Select appropriate equipment
• Document all survey design aspects
• Consider vessel requirements and capabilities
• Consider integration with other marine operations

Conduct of Field Survey

• Comprehensive record keeping
• Be prepared for unexpected findings at sea
• Data handling and integration – particularly with geophysical data (GIS)
• Sample collection and preservation techniques
• Timely production of cruise report

Sample and Data Analysis

• Appropriate instrumentation and protocols
• Implement robust interim taxonomy – most deep-sea species are unknown to science and likely to remain that way

Interpretation, Reporting and Archiving

• Statistically meaningful
• Report to standards of a scientific publication
• Consider publication in the scientific literature
• Archive all primary and supporting data for future scientific study (oceanographic data centres)
• Robust, efficient, long-term archiving for physical and biological specimens, including photographic and video material (museums and oceanographic institutions)