ROV, diver-collected data show postconstruction epifaunal health

The second part of a series of special reports on environmental mitigation is presented. Gulfstream Natural Gas System LLC gathered ROV and diver-collected data to determine the extent and severity of project construction effects on hard-live bottom areas within the trench corridor and associated sp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Oil & gas journal 2007-01, Vol.105 (2), p.52-57
Main Authors: SCHMIDT, Jon A, ELLSWORTH, Steven W, BROOKS, R. Allen, BISHOP, Darren F, AUBELE, Michael C, ED WATKINS, H
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Applied sciences
Basins
Biodiversity
Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products
Deepwater exploration & production
Energy
Environmental monitoring
Exact sciences and technology
Fuels
Mounds
Multivariate analysis
Natural gas
Oil recovery
Pipelines
Project engineering
Species richness
Taxonomy
Turf
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Summary:The second part of a series of special reports on environmental mitigation is presented. Gulfstream Natural Gas System LLC gathered ROV and diver-collected data to determine the extent and severity of project construction effects on hard-live bottom areas within the trench corridor and associated spoil mounds and anchor strike-cable sweep locations. Epifaunal-epifioral percent cover was relatively low in the reference habitat, averaging less than 2%. Turf algae, gorgonians, and sponges dominated. Other relatively abundant taxa included hard corals, coralline algae, echinoderms, and macroalgae. Gulfstream established ten 25-m random transects within both the trench corridor and trench spoil mounds perpendicular to the pipeline in Depth Zones 1, 2, and 3. Analysis of anchor strike and cable sweep transect images looked for percent biotal cover, species richness, and species diversi before statistically comparing them to the reference habitat. The federal mitigation plan stated a measure of 80% similarity for the environment to be considered recovered.
ISSN:0030-1388
1944-9151