Environmental Information for Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Decisions in Alaska (1994) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
5 Biotic Resources
5 Biotic Resources
Pages 87-128
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From page 87... ...
In this chapter, Me committee evaluates the adequacy of the biological information available for decisions about OCS of! and gas activities.
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From page 88... ...
The marine mammals found in the lease areas under consideration i: nclude baleen and toothed whales, seals, sea lions, walruses, and polar bears. For some of these species, much or most of their populations spend all or part of the year living in or migrating through the lease areas in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.
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From page 89... ...
Virtually the entire world population of almost 8,000 bowheads and Be Bering Sea population of 25,000-30,000 beluga whales Banter in Be pack ice in the northern Bering Sea, including the Navarin Basin (Burns, 1984; IWC, 1989; Zeh et al., 1993~. Bowheads and the Beautort Sea stock of belugas migrate north through the spring lead system in the eastern Chukchi and Beaufort seas from April until June, en route to their summering grounds in the Canadian Beautort Sea (Braham et al., 1984~.
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From page 90... ...
They feed on over marine mammals in He area, principally ringed seals. Two stocks are thought to occur in northern Alaska, one Hat primarily resides in He Beautort Sea and northeastern Chukchi Sea, the over in the central and western Chukchi
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From page 91... ...
Information is adequate for identifying migration corridors and important concentration areas during spring and summer (Burns and Seaman, 1986; Frost and Lowry, 19903. FaD migration patterns and wintering areas for belugas are effectively unknown, except Hat belugas overwinter in tile pack ice of He northern Bering and southern Chukchi seas (Brueggeman et al., 1984~.
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From page 92... ...
Formation on over cetaceans is very limited. Surveys of He Navarin Basin in 1982 and 1983 provided information on species composition and relative abundance (Brueggeman et al., 1984~.
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From page 93... ...
Such studies, as well as updated population information, are particularly needed, because there have been major declines of other Bering Sea pinnipeds dunng the same time period. Satellite-tagg~ng technology has improved greatly in the past decade.
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From page 94... ...
Effects of Inaustrlal Poise Unresolved Questions Many marine mammals vocalize, and Key rely on sounds in Be water for commun~cabon and navigation. It is unmown whether exogenous noise might interfere wig or mask these functions, or whether it might significandy affect marine manna distribution and movements.
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From page 95... ...
Contaminants Because marine mammals are staple foot s in the diet of coastal residents, there is concern about whether they are safe to eat. The baseline data on existing contaminant concentrations in edible marine mammal tissues are inadequate to allow postUevelopment comparisons to be made and reasonably evaluated.
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From page 96... ...
Polar bears, because of their thick fur and grooming behavior, are likely to ingest oil and Weir ability to thermoregulate is likely to be impaired (0ritsland et al., 1981~. Before the Exxon Chavez oil spill, effects at Be population level had not been observed for cetaceans and pi peas, although whales, porpoises, and sea lions have been observed swunrr~g Trough of!
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From page 97... ...
The short-tailed albatross (Diomedia ablates) , which is endangered, visits the Navarin Basin of He Bering Sea.
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From page 98... ...
, which migrate from colonies in Australia to molt and forage in Alaskan waters between June and October (Roseneau and Herter, 1984; Divoky, 1987; Guzman and Myers, 19871. This species also can be a large contributor to avian biomass in He offshore waters of He Beautort Sea, where it is associated with intrusions of Bering Sea water (Divoky, 1984~.
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From page 99... ...
Johnson, 1983; Johnson et al., 1992~. The nesting densities and colony locations are best known for the barrier islands of the Beautort and Chukchi seas and immediate coastal areas (Divoky, 1978b; Derksen et al., 1981~; less is known about the density of nesting waterfowl and shorebirds over the broad areas of tundra inland from the cam (e.g., data nu~an=1 in Johnson and Herter, 1989~.
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From page 100... ...
Data for He northern Chukchi Sea are inadequate to assess the potential effects of offshore of} development in Hat region, and data are lacking on the mechanisms and locations Hat might lead to predictable, large concentrations of foraging seabirds in the central and eastern Chukchi Sea. Knowledge of at-sea distributions of birds at sites in He Bering Sea, ncluding the Navarin Basin and regions distant from the proposed lease areas, is important because of} spills resulting from the loss of support vessels or their cargo can damage birds.
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From page 101... ...
Consideraffon of these new data for He Bering Sea will be important for assessing risks from acffviffes of supply vessels. The nearshore waters of He Bering, Chukchi, and Beautort seas particularly He coastal lagoons-are critically important habitats for m'grating waterfowl, as are Heir shorelines for shorebirds.
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From page 102... ...
Undersampling is a particular problem for the lead systems in early spring and for the ice edge and pack ice in the late summer and early fall. It would be prudent to conduct long-term, periodic monitoring of Me distribudon and abundance of marine birds and waterfowl in the nearshore waters of the Beautort and Chukchi seas most likely to be affected by OCS development.
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From page 103... ...
Processes at Sea Affec~ne Responses ~ Offshore Oil Develooment Process studies of He foraging ecology of birds along He coasts of He Beautort and Chukchi seas have been more extensive Han those devoted to birds foraging in waters outside the barrier islands. Littoral zone foraging by shorebirds has been studied in detail along He Arctic coast and par~cularly in He Barrow area (Connors et al., 1979, 1981a, b; Connors and Connors, 1982)
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From page 104... ...
in He northern Bering Sea (Springer and Roseneau, 19X5; Springer et al., 1987; Hunt and Harrison, 1990; Hunt et al., 1990) , although some work on over alcids and larids at sea is also available (Hunt et al., 19X8; Haney, 1991; Elphick and Hunt, 1993~.
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From page 105... ...
These birds aggregate in huge flocks, and Hey are tile largest component of seabird biomass in He Bering Sea. Their principal prey, at least as determined in the southeastern Bering Sea, is the euphausiid Thcysanoesa raschii (Hunt et al., 1981a)
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From page 106... ...
One species, the arctic cod (Boreogadds saida) , is a major food source for marine mammals and birds, and probably strongly influences Heir migration (Frost and Lowry, 1981, 1984; Bradstreet et al., 19861.
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From page 107... ...
Crustaceans (crabs atop Crimps are also commercially important in this area. Some of He fish and crustacean species in He Bering Sea are important as forage for marine mammals and birds, as Hey are in He Beautort and Chukchi seas.
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From page 108... ...
Potential Affects of OCS 011 and Gas ActI`llles The primary concern in Be Beaufort Sea is He possibility of effects on the near-coastal zone, where many fish species feed, migrate, and gain access to freshwater overwatering sites. If arctic cod spawn near or at He shore, then potential effects on Rem would also be of concern because of Heir great importance as food for marine mammals and birds (Frost and Lowry, 1981~.
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From page 109... ...
The Beaufort Sea benthic community is restricted to a narrower continental shelf and therefore is less significant to marine mammal populations-very few gray whales and few bearded seals and walruses can be found in the Beautort. Zoopla~n is a major trophic link.
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From page 110... ...
Euphausiids and pelag~c amphipods (Parathem~sto) are a major food of ringed seals, arctic cod, seabirds, and Towheads.
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From page 111... ...
lists 51 publications each for the Chukchi and Beautort seas. Those publications deal who 150 species in the Chukchi Sea and 206 species in the Beautort Sea.
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From page 112... ...
1984) study suggested that Beautort Sea lagoons represent an ecosystem subjected to periodic and intense disturbance.
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From page 113... ...
One alternative to farther exploratory or descriptive studies would be to examine sites known to have been affected by OCS of! and gas activities.
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From page 114... ...
For example, a leasing decision in the Beautort Sea might require informadon on Me birds Mat occur in the area. A narrow view of MMS's mandate might lead only to a single survey of the birds there.
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From page 115... ...
studies often misrepresent or underestimate this variability. Although it is not expected that MMS wall solve such problems as understanding Me relationship between parent stock and recruitment of fish populations or Me determinants of abundance of marine mammals and birds, it is pertinent for MMS to have information on such basic aspects of vertebrate population biology as average generation times, average reproduc~ve rates, food habits, and Me variability of their populations over long periods.
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From page 117... ...
so'a CalV, O Z ~ BIOTIC RESOURCES 117 C)
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From page 120... ...
Therefore, in close cases, estimates were not provided. The committee examined Be state of knowledge for various groups of organisms In a variety of arctic habitats and concluded Tat Were is adequate information for making informed decisions about the environmental risks attendant in offering OCS lease sales and initial exploratory drilling (see Table 5-2~.
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From page 121... ...
In this recommendation, we acknowledge that remediation and restoration-part of Me task with which Congress charged MMS in its Environmental Studies Progra~are in some cases beyond current abilities. Marine Mammals Conclusion I: The issue of the effects of industrial noise on marine mammals, particularly bowhead whales, is unresolved and of significant concern to Alaska Natives and others.
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From page 122... ...
Conclusion 3: There are no monitoring programs for key species of marine mammals in Be Beautort and Chukchi seas lease areas.
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From page 123... ...
and gas activities. Tote monitoring programs should be supplemented by stock-identification studies arm by satellite-tagging studies of marine mammals to identify important feeding aru]
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From page 124... ...
and gas activities uall be considered the cause. This is particularly significant to Lose who eat marine mammals, because blubber concentrates contaminants at much higher levels Man do over tissues and it is preferred for eating.
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From page 125... ...
We do not know over how broad a front spring m~grabon takes place or He extent to which marine birds are restricted to using any one area of open water. Alternative: None recommended.
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From page 126... ...
For decisions about development, production, and termination, more site-specific information on nearshore and freshwater habitat use by coastal, anadromous, and amphidromous species will be required in most places outside Be central Beautort Sea. For Be Bering Sea (Navarin Basin)
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From page 127... ...
The impacts of the increased infrastructure on biotic resources are not known. Recommendation 12: Assess the local and cumulative effects of increased infrastructure development on nesting waterbirds aru!
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From page 128... ...
Lessons learned from Pnu~hoe Bay development should be built in. Alternative: None recommended.
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