As the Chief of the Environmental Sciences Section of BOEM, the speaker welcomed participants and gave background on the topic from the federal perspective. She identified BOEM's need to share environmental research information as well as determine the largest data gaps to guide future research. From her perspective, the intent...
The speaker provided the background of the conference and its objective. The groundwork for the current conference was laid in earlier workshops and studies. These include the 2007 scientific workshop, "Ecological Effects of Wave Energy Development in the Pacific Northwest", the report "Effects of EMFs from Undersea Power Cables on...
The Oregon coast has been identified as an area with great potential for production of electricity from wave and wind energy, and development of marine renewable energy facilities are being discussed for several locations along the Oregon coast. The potential impact of this development on eastern gray whales is largely...
This presentation will provide an overview of how the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) uses environmental information for decision-making and the role BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program (ESP) plays in fulfilling information needs to inform Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) resource management decisions.
The ESP conducts and oversees top-quality scientific research...
Fishes are expected to interact with Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) projects in ways dependent upon both the nature of the project in question and on the ecology of the species considered (Figure 1). The siting of MRE projects will determine the habitat affected, the species expected to encounter the project,...
Development of wave and offshore wind-based marine renewable energy is anticipated on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off Oregon and much of the Pacific Northwest in the coming decade. Multiple issues related to environmental considerations and information needs remain for these emerging industries. The Oregon Marine Renewable Energy Environmental Science...
Construction of a wave energy facility is planned for a site off of Reedsport, Oregon. The initial licensed development will consist of ten buoys within a 0.25 mile2 area at depths of 50 - 69 m and will produce up to 1.5 megawatts (MW; Figure 1)a. A proposed project expansion...
The ocean deployment of arrays of Wave Energy Converters (WEC arrays) appears likely in the near future, and deployment of offshore wind turbines has already started. These technologies tap into a potential renewable energy resource but also involve complex systems with uncertain environmental consequences that will likely scale with the...
Interest has increased in developing renewable energy sources to reduce U. S. dependence on oil. Policy makers and resource managers now are considering power generation technologies proposed for development along the Continental Shelf of the U. S. Pacific coast beyond state waters. This region supports abundant populations of seabirds and...
Demands for space in Oregon’s Territorial Sea and Outer Continental Shelf are increasing over time, putting pressure on existing ecological resources, uses, and users of this shared public resource. Data and information are critical to understanding the impacts of this “sea change.” Key ecological questions need to be answered to...
The Chief of the Environmental Sciences Section of BOEM presented the federal perspective that focused on identifying and addressing data gaps. The manager of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's Marine Resource Program and the Marine Affairs Coordinator for the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development acknowledged the...
Oregon has a strong framework for ocean planning rooted in the adoption of Oregon’s Ocean Resources Goal 19 in 1976. Goal 19 establishes that it is the State of Oregon’s policy to conserve marine resources and ecological functions for the purpose of providing long-term ecological, economic, and social value and...
While the coastal waters of western North America hold great promise for wind and wave energy development, many concerns have been raised about the potential environmental impacts of the installation of these devices and their complex mooring systems. Here I focus on characterizing benthic habitats and biological communities in offshore...
[The main report can be found in the full conference proceedings. The files here are the conference presentation and an appendix to the main report,] The specific intent of this presentation is to provide a framework to stimulate thought and discussion about the issue of the potential ecological effects of...
Electromagnetic fields (EMF) originate from both natural and anthropogenic sources. In the sea, natural sources include the Earth’s magnetic field, sea and tidal currents traveling through that field, and various processes within organisms. Electricity moving along cables and various other devices (as a part of renewable offshore energy development) produces...
Offshore renewable energy development (ORED) could induce local ecological changes, negatively affecting species of conservation interest. If well planned and coordinated, on the other hand, ORED could be beneficial to the marine environment in the region of device deployment in several respects.
Because of the current scale and pace of...
Each of the three breakout groups received instructions concerning their objectives along with tools to use.
Breakout Group Session 1: Baseline Studies
Breakout Group Session 2: Impact/Short Scale Studies
Breakout Group Session 3: Monitoring/Cumulative/Long-Term Studies
The offshore waters and the coastline of Oregon provide year-round habitat for a number of birds, marine mammals, sea turtles, and possibly bats, at least fifteen of which are federally listed as threatened or endangered. Previous workshops on offshore renewable energy have provided baseline information on the distribution and abundance...
There are many drivers for the pursuit of renewable energy extraction from coastal seas. In the United Kingdom these include moving away from fossil fuels to mitigate the impacts of climate change, improving energy security by diversifying supply options, increasing wealth generation in outlying coastal communities, and seeking alternative sources...