Beaufort Sea Coastal Marine Program CCGS Nahidik Program

Transcription

1 Beaufort Sea Coastal Marine Program CCGS Nahidik Program Donald Cobb Fisheries and Oceans Canada Dr. Steve Blasco Natural Resources Canada Presentation to Arctic Energy Summit October 15-18, 2007 Anchorage

2 Beaufort Sea Coastal Marine Program CCGS Nahidik Program Background to Northern Energy Development (roots of program) Program objectives Nahidik overview Links to other programs

3 Northern Energy Development Mackenzie Gas Pipeline: Northern Canada s largest single development Environmental Impact Assessment of Pipeline (DFO capacity and research) Induced Activities: nearshore and offshore Beaufort Sea Complex governance and landclaims Challenge for Govt of Canada to prepare

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5 Federal Responsibilities for Northern Energy Development INAC DFO EC NRCan NEB TC CEAA Northern boards

6 Federal Government Strategy NEDS (Budget 2002) MGP-MCII (Budget 2004) MGP-MCIII (Budget 2005) 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 NEDS Focus on federal government preparedness for Northern Oil and Gas development, pipeline and exploration MGP-MCII Focussed science on research activities entirely in the area of MGP EA regulatory review only MGP-MCIII Added science activities associated with induced exploration

7 Research Priorities to Meet MGP 1. Gaps analysis workshops Gartner Lee 2003, YK (Mackenzie Valley) Inuvik (Beaufort) 2. Community Consultations E.g: 6 ISR Communities for Nahidik 3. Co-Management bodies (FJMC) beluga, seals 4. Regulators needs (DFO-HM, NEB) 5. Industry demands (safety, mitigation) 6. Environmental Impact Assessment gaps.

8 Northern Energy Development Beaufort Coastal Marine Program Program Objectives: 1. To ensure that we better understand the Beaufort Sea ecosystem for decisions related to oil and gas development in the nearshore and offshore. Parts of ecosystem (biological / physical / chemical) Interactions of ecosystem components with each other and the environment (processes) Areas of ecological significance

9 Northern Energy Development Beaufort Coastal Marine Program Program Objectives: 2. To provide advice on geohazards and allow appropriate mitigation and planning to protect both industry and the environment. artificial islands ice scour shallow gas vents sub-surface stability Shallow Gas Drilling Hazard Paktoa Site

10 Northern Energy Development Beaufort Coastal Marine Program Program Objectives: 3. Set the stage for enhanced marine research: 1. Canada s Oceans Act - identify ecological and biologically significant areas. - identify areas of interest for marine protected areas. 2. Establish long-term monitoring stations for broader Arctic Science under N-CAARE. 3. Links with other vessels in expanded program (national and international).

11 Northern Energy Development Beaufort Coastal Marine Program Introduction to integrated research program on CCGS Nahidik Marine habitat classification Fisheries, plankton and benthic studies Oceanography Multibeam work with NRCan Geohazards (ice scour, gas vents, artificial islands, etc.) Bathymetric work with CHS

12 Physical Oceanography CTD frame Bill Williams

13 Physical Oceanography Understand physical and chemical dynamics of the Beaufort Sea Mackenzie Plume delineation extent, variability Help build more robust ecosystem models

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15 2005 Nahidik leg 1 Cruise Track

16 2006 Nahidik leg 1 Cruise Track

17 CCGS NAHIDIK Fishing Program A.R. Majewski, J.D. Reist, B.J. Park

18 Objectives: Contribute to basic biological/ecological information of offshore fish populations Information in support of acoustic fish work (Gyselman/Jorgenson) Information on the use substrate features as habitat Provide samples for follow on analysis

19 Methods Overview: Multi mesh Gill Nets: 60 and 120 m 3.75cm (1in.) to 13.75cm (5.5in.) 9 locations Surface and bottom sets Total depth: 8 70m 3 18 hours Mid water Trawl: 3m x 3m gape, 12m length 7.5cm (3in.) to 0.6cm (0.25in.) 15 locations Set depth: surface to 50m 30 minutes

20 New to 2006 beam trawl (SDC in background)

21 2006 Beam Trawl Catches

22 Zooplankton and marine larval fish in the Canadian Beaufort Sea Shelf M. Papst, J. Sareault, S. Wong, Collaborations with the Polish Academy of Sciences

23 Objectives To examine the ecology of the zooplankton and marine larval fish that are using the Beaufort Sea shelf during the ice-free summer months. To examine the annual variation of condition and distribution of larval fish such as Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida). To determine if different species of larval marine fish can be used as ecosystem indicators. To identify areas of high ecological importance to larval marine fish.

24 Methods & Analysis Bongo Net Tows

25 Percent Abundance (/100) Clupeidae Osmeridae Coregonus sp. B. saida Arctogadus sp. Gadidae Stichaeidae Ulcina olriki G. tricuspis Icelus sp. M. quadricornis T. pingeli T. nybelinii L. decagonus Unidentified Liparis sp. L. fabricii L. tunicatus Figure 1. Percent Abundance of Marine Larval Fish within the 50m depth contour of the Canadian Beaufort Sea in the years ,

26 Benthic community research from the Nahidik cruises

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28 Purpose of studies Taxonomy of Beaufort Sea benthos poorly understood Benthic Invertebrates important ecosystem component Food for fish, and marine mammals Indicator of healthy ecosystem Useful for monitoring programs Useful in habitat assessments (special features)

29 Community visualization Static Dynamic!

30 75 m Geological Survey of Canada and Canadian Museum of Nature

31 Geological Survey of Canada and The Canadian Museum of Nature

32 Acoustics Survey-Water and Seabed

33 Acoustics and seabed classification 2006 cruise plot Water column echogram

34 3-D Image of Habitats Acoustic Intensity plot (Paktoa)

35 Carbon and lower trophic studies -Objective: -Develop a food web model of the Beaufort Sea Patricia Ramlal - community structure - stable isotopes Measurements: -gases, nutrients, Chlor A bacteria, phytoplankton

36 Sub-sampling for meiofauna

37 Seabed Geoenvironmental Research Activities (1) ice scour (2) foundation conditions (3) subsea permafrost (4) shallow gas (5) artificial islands

38 Draft 50 m Pressure ridge ice keel

39 Repetitive Mapping Network

40 Repetitive Mapping

41 Distribution of New Scours => 0.5 m

42 Geoenvironmental Issues at Paktoa Devon Well Site Devon Paktoa Drill Site, 2006 Bottom Founded Structure - 13m Water Depth? (1) ice scour (2) foundation conditions (3) subsea permafrost (4) shallow gas (5) benthic ecosystem First Arctic Offshore Exploration Well in 16 years Drilled Without Geoenvironmental Problems

43 Seabed Saturated with Ice Scours

44 Seabed Geoenvironmental Research Activities (1) ice scour (2) foundation conditions (3) subsea permafrost (4) shallow gas (5) artificial islands

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47 Devon Paktoa Well Site m Water Depth?

48 Seabed Geoenvironmental Research Activities (1) ice scour (2) foundation conditions (3) subsea permafrost (4) shallow gas (5) artificial islands

49 Subsea Ice-Bearing Permafrost

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51 Single Channel Data N S Multi- Channel Data

52 Seabed Geoenvironmental Research Activities (1) ice scour (2) foundation conditions (3) subsea permafrost (4) shallow gas (5) artificial islands

53 Mackenzie Trough Edge of Trough Paktoa Drill Site

54 200 m Mud Volcano Kringalik Plateau Mackenzie Trough UNFROZEN 100 m FROZEN

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57 Seabed Geoenvironmental Research Activities (1) ice scour (2) foundation conditions (3) subsea permafrost (4) shallow gas (5) artificial islands

58 Artificial Islands

59 Issungnak 1980

60 2001

61 2005

62 2001 over 2005 profile

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64 Long-term Research Northern Oil and Gas MC IV,V? Long-term research and monitoring to test EIS predictions, effectiveness of mitigation, respond to accidents, and future geographic expansion of MGP development Post construction impacts Cumulative Impacts Broader off-shore development Beaufort, but also High Arctic Expansion of pipeline infrastructure along corridor (new areas) Respond to un-anticipated events and new community concerns