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• 1. [Article] 2012 Annual Operations & Monitoring Report: North Energy Test Site

  The first wave energy test at the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center’s (NNMREC) North Energy Test Site (NETS) off the coast of Newport, OR took place in 2012 with the deployment of the WET-NZ ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: 2012 Annual Operations & Monitoring Report: North Energy Test Site Author: Henkel, Sarah K., Haxel, Joseph H., Hofford, Anna, Schultz, Adam The first wave energy test at the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center’s (NNMREC) North Energy Test Site (NETS) off the coast of Newport, OR took place in 2012 with the deployment of the WET-NZ wave energy conversion (WEC) device and the Ocean Sentinel instrumentation buoy. The WET-NZ and Ocean Sentinel were deployed from late August to early October 2012; several monitoring surveys were performed at the test site prior to, during and after the deployment. The main body of this revised report (Section 2: Monitoring & Thresholds) includes a more thorough comparison of the monitoring results to the 2012 WET-NZ/ Ocean Sentinel AMP thresholds and AMF thresholds. Finally, general findings and considerations for potential modifications to adaptive mitigation and adaptive management provisions are provided in Section 4: Overall Conclusions & Recommendations. It is important to note that the considerations and recommendations in this report have been provided by NNMREC and do not constitute any changes to the Adaptive Management Framework. Title: 2012 Annual Operations & Monitoring Report: North Energy Test Site Author: Henkel, Sarah K., Haxel, Joseph H., Hofford, Anna, Schultz, Adam The first wave energy test at the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center’s (NNMREC) North Energy Test Site (NETS) off the coast of Newport, OR took place in 2012 with the deployment of the WET-NZ wave energy conversion (WEC) device and the Ocean Sentinel instrumentation buoy. The WET-NZ and Ocean Sentinel were deployed from late August to early October 2012; several monitoring surveys were performed at the test site prior to, during and after the deployment. The main body of this revised report (Section 2: Monitoring & Thresholds) includes a more thorough comparison of the monitoring results to the 2012 WET-NZ/ Ocean Sentinel AMP thresholds and AMF thresholds. Finally, general findings and considerations for potential modifications to adaptive mitigation and adaptive management provisions are provided in Section 4: Overall Conclusions & Recommendations. It is important to note that the considerations and recommendations in this report have been provided by NNMREC and do not constitute any changes to the Adaptive Management Framework. Close

• 2. [Article] Environmental Effects of Tidal Energy Development: Proceedings of a Scientific Workshop March 22-25, 2010

  This report is also available from Northwest Fisheries Science Center NMFS, NOAA 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle, Washington 98112 Online at: http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/tm/ A related report is Environmental ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Environmental Effects of Tidal Energy Development: Proceedings of a Scientific Workshop March 22-25, 2010 Author: Copping, Andrea, Kirkendall, Keith, Van Cleve, Brie, Polagye, Brian This report is also available from Northwest Fisheries Science Center NMFS, NOAA 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle, Washington 98112 Online at: http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/tm/ A related report is Environmental and Ecological Effects of Ocean Renewable Energy Development: A Current Synthesis available online at http://hdl.handle.net/1957/16152 Title: Environmental Effects of Tidal Energy Development: Proceedings of a Scientific Workshop March 22-25, 2010 Author: Copping, Andrea, Kirkendall, Keith, Van Cleve, Brie, Polagye, Brian This report is also available from Northwest Fisheries Science Center NMFS, NOAA 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle, Washington 98112 Online at: http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/tm/ A related report is Environmental and Ecological Effects of Ocean Renewable Energy Development: A Current Synthesis available online at http://hdl.handle.net/1957/16152 Close

• 3. [Article] Sediment Transport Study: Phase Two: Baseline Observations and Characterization of Sediment Transport Processes for the Reedsport Wave Energy Site

  This project was carried out collaboratively by Oregon State University (OSU) and the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) and involved continuation of the beach monitoring pr...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Sediment Transport Study: Phase Two: Baseline Observations and Characterization of Sediment Transport Processes for the Reedsport Wave Energy Site Author: Ruggiero, Peter, Holman, Robert A., Allen, Jonathan C. This project was carried out collaboratively by Oregon State University (OSU) and the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) and involved continuation of the beach monitoring program begun in summer 2009 to determine baseline conditions and beach variability at the site of the planned Reedsport wave energy conversion array. In effect this project was phase two of the work documented in the December 2009 OWET report ‘Baseline Observations and Modeling for the Reedsport Wave Energy Site’ by Ozkan-Haller et al. Wave energy conversion devices are expected to reduce wave energy in their lee. Multiple devices can create rhythmic wave height variations shoreward of the array of devices that could significantly alter the natural range of beach morphodynamics. The over-arching objective of this study is to understand if these variations cause changes in the surf zone circulation patterns and alter the shoreline configuration. This project aims to extend the field-based beach monitoring program begun in spring 2009 to document changes to the beach and nearshore bars, and enables comparisons of the measured changes with the natural envelope of variability determined for the Reedsport site and elsewhere. Title: Sediment Transport Study: Phase Two: Baseline Observations and Characterization of Sediment Transport Processes for the Reedsport Wave Energy Site Author: Ruggiero, Peter, Holman, Robert A., Allen, Jonathan C. This project was carried out collaboratively by Oregon State University (OSU) and the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) and involved continuation of the beach monitoring program begun in summer 2009 to determine baseline conditions and beach variability at the site of the planned Reedsport wave energy conversion array. In effect this project was phase two of the work documented in the December 2009 OWET report ‘Baseline Observations and Modeling for the Reedsport Wave Energy Site’ by Ozkan-Haller et al. Wave energy conversion devices are expected to reduce wave energy in their lee. Multiple devices can create rhythmic wave height variations shoreward of the array of devices that could significantly alter the natural range of beach morphodynamics. The over-arching objective of this study is to understand if these variations cause changes in the surf zone circulation patterns and alter the shoreline configuration. This project aims to extend the field-based beach monitoring program begun in spring 2009 to document changes to the beach and nearshore bars, and enables comparisons of the measured changes with the natural envelope of variability determined for the Reedsport site and elsewhere. Close

• 4. [Article] Baseline Characterization and Monitoring of the OSU Mobile Ocean Test Berth Site: Benthic Habitat Characteristics and Organisms on the Central Oregon Coast

  This project was carried out collaboratively by Oregon State University (OSU) scientists and involved participation by Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Baseline Characterization and Monitoring of the OSU Mobile Ocean Test Berth Site: Benthic Habitat Characteristics and Organisms on the Central Oregon Coast Author: Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center, Henkel, Sarah This project was carried out collaboratively by Oregon State University (OSU) scientists and involved participation by Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center scientists. The goal of this project was baseline characterization via observations and sample collection of the habitat and biological assemblages present at the future site of the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center Ocean Test Facility near Newport, OR. Specifically, CTD casts, box core and beam trawl collections, and video observations were conducted at the site from spring 2010 to fall 2011. These collections and observations help characterize the baseline variability in habitat and species characteristics across seasons over two years. Below we summarize overall findings. In the following document we report on the spatial and temporal variability of the habitat features and biological assemblages. Finally, we review our participation to date in disseminating these results and outline plans for post-installation monitoring of the Test Facility site. Title: Baseline Characterization and Monitoring of the OSU Mobile Ocean Test Berth Site: Benthic Habitat Characteristics and Organisms on the Central Oregon Coast Author: Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center, Henkel, Sarah This project was carried out collaboratively by Oregon State University (OSU) scientists and involved participation by Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center scientists. The goal of this project was baseline characterization via observations and sample collection of the habitat and biological assemblages present at the future site of the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center Ocean Test Facility near Newport, OR. Specifically, CTD casts, box core and beam trawl collections, and video observations were conducted at the site from spring 2010 to fall 2011. These collections and observations help characterize the baseline variability in habitat and species characteristics across seasons over two years. Below we summarize overall findings. In the following document we report on the spatial and temporal variability of the habitat features and biological assemblages. Finally, we review our participation to date in disseminating these results and outline plans for post-installation monitoring of the Test Facility site. Close

• 5. [Article] Breakout Groups Guidelines

  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 ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Breakout Groups Guidelines Author: Anonymous 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 Title: Breakout Groups Guidelines Author: Anonymous 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 Close

• 6. [Article] Next Steps and Concluding Remarks: Federal and State Perspectives

  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 ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Next Steps and Concluding Remarks: Federal and State Perspectives Author: Braby, Karin, Bull, Ann Scarborough, Klarin, Paul 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 value or setting priorities on data and monitoring needs. Title: Next Steps and Concluding Remarks: Federal and State Perspectives Author: Braby, Karin, Bull, Ann Scarborough, Klarin, Paul 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 value or setting priorities on data and monitoring needs. Close

• 7. [Article] A UK perspective on marine renewable energy environmental research: Keeping up with a ‘Deploy & Monitor’ philosophy

  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 ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A UK perspective on marine renewable energy environmental research: Keeping up with a ‘Deploy & Monitor’ philosophy Author: Wilson, Ben 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 of power as existing infrastructure (power stations) near the end of their useful lives. In Scotland these drivers are particularly strong because of the additional factors of decline of North Sea oil reserves; the political pressure not to re-develop nuclear power plants; and the abundant offshore wind, wave and tidal-stream resources. While these drivers are strong, and backed up by ambitious political targets, a variety of constraints currently limit development of a vibrant marine renewables sector in UK coastal waters. In addition to financial, technological and logistical issues, a diversity of environmental restrictions limitprogress of the renewables sector. Many of these environmental issues actually stem from a lack of basic knowledge of how marine renewable energy devices are likely to interact with the receiving environment and vulnerable species (particularly those protected by European legislation such as the Habitats and Species as well as the Birds Directives). Furthermore where negative interactions are known, there may be limited knowledge about, or options for, mitigating these impacts. Strictly applying precautionary principals to these new and diverse technologies with respect to their potential local negative environmental impacts threatens to halt development of these technologies despite their potential benefits for global climate and other environmental issues. This problem applies particularly to wave and tidal-stream technologies which are diverse, new, and without track-record. To overcome this issue, the Scottish government is implementing a staged introduction of these technologies under what has been termed a “Survey-Deploy-&-Monitor” policy. That is, commercial scale devices are being placed singly or in small arrays (< 10 MW) into areas of pre-determined and acceptable environmental sensitivity and then impacts are being quantified through a monitoring program. In parallel to this approach, The Crown Estate (the seabed owner) has performed a series of licensing rounds to lease preferred sites to specific wind, wave and tidal-stream developers. If consented, these sites will represent commercial-scale developments of all three technologies in Scottish and wider UK waters. Part of that consenting progress requires that developers provide evidence (through Environmental Impact Studies and the production of Environmental Statements) that their developments will not harm the surrounding environment. It is these consenting exercises and related fundamental questions about impacts that are currently driving most of the environmental research related to offshore wind and marine renewable technologies in the UK. Research tends to fall into three divisions based on the source of funding and the geographic scope of the issues. At the smallest scale are studies of individual sites of interest to individual developers seeking consents for a specific technology. More generic studies funded by government or industry consortia may be performed to understand environmental issues surrounding a particular group of technologies, installation methods, or operational parameters. In this case, the actual site may be less important. Finally, fundamental research (funded by Research Councils) may be carried out to understand how and why animals use renewable energy relevant sites. Because there are a large number of research studies currently underway at a wide range of scales, sites, and taxa in Scotland and the wider UK, it is not possible to summarize them all in this short talk. Instead, I will outline examples of the three broad areas of environmental research (site/device specific, technology generic and more basic ecology). These examples have also been chosen because they represent an ongoing project, a recently established group of research studies, and a potential new research program. Some of the perhaps less intuitive lessons that have arisen from some of such projects include : 1. The responses of organisms may not be tied to particular brands of device or energy extraction, whether wind, wave, tidal-stream or even oil platform. For fouling organisms the particulars of the substrate might be the important factor rather than the device’s method of energy extraction. Likewise for fish it may be the device complexity and position in the water column that is key to their interactions. 2. Conversely, particular, seemingly unimportant features of devices may have relevance to marine organisms. For example, the color of a turbine may be extremely important for animals maneuvering around the rotors, a duct or the pile. 3. Test centers used to assess full-scale devices may seem like excellent places to also perform environmental research; however care must be taken as the devices in test centers are typically early generation prototypes and may be swapped out frequently. Furthermore activities by other companies at neighboring berths may invalidate site or device specific experiments. 4. Inter-annual variability does not suit the current pace of marine renewables development and careful consideration of the use of control sites and BACI designs should be made. 5. Cumulative impacts of multiple renewable and other developments offer a massive challenge to determining environmental impact. This difficulty represents a significant area of uncertainty for developers seeking consent and may encourage a development race with companies not wanting to have to consider their development relative to all of the others that preceded them. 6. Finally, while much effort is currently being devoted to gathering sufficient data to permit consent and early stage deployments, the significant investments only come when developers set up arrays capable of producing commercially relevant power. At this point there may be a step change in the degree of monitoring required of any potential environmental interactions. Should intolerable impacts be found, then mitigation will be urgently required or an exit strategy implemented. Title: A UK perspective on marine renewable energy environmental research: Keeping up with a ‘Deploy & Monitor’ philosophy Author: Wilson, Ben 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 of power as existing infrastructure (power stations) near the end of their useful lives. In Scotland these drivers are particularly strong because of the additional factors of decline of North Sea oil reserves; the political pressure not to re-develop nuclear power plants; and the abundant offshore wind, wave and tidal-stream resources. While these drivers are strong, and backed up by ambitious political targets, a variety of constraints currently limit development of a vibrant marine renewables sector in UK coastal waters. In addition to financial, technological and logistical issues, a diversity of environmental restrictions limitprogress of the renewables sector. Many of these environmental issues actually stem from a lack of basic knowledge of how marine renewable energy devices are likely to interact with the receiving environment and vulnerable species (particularly those protected by European legislation such as the Habitats and Species as well as the Birds Directives). Furthermore where negative interactions are known, there may be limited knowledge about, or options for, mitigating these impacts. Strictly applying precautionary principals to these new and diverse technologies with respect to their potential local negative environmental impacts threatens to halt development of these technologies despite their potential benefits for global climate and other environmental issues. This problem applies particularly to wave and tidal-stream technologies which are diverse, new, and without track-record. To overcome this issue, the Scottish government is implementing a staged introduction of these technologies under what has been termed a “Survey-Deploy-&-Monitor” policy. That is, commercial scale devices are being placed singly or in small arrays (< 10 MW) into areas of pre-determined and acceptable environmental sensitivity and then impacts are being quantified through a monitoring program. In parallel to this approach, The Crown Estate (the seabed owner) has performed a series of licensing rounds to lease preferred sites to specific wind, wave and tidal-stream developers. If consented, these sites will represent commercial-scale developments of all three technologies in Scottish and wider UK waters. Part of that consenting progress requires that developers provide evidence (through Environmental Impact Studies and the production of Environmental Statements) that their developments will not harm the surrounding environment. It is these consenting exercises and related fundamental questions about impacts that are currently driving most of the environmental research related to offshore wind and marine renewable technologies in the UK. Research tends to fall into three divisions based on the source of funding and the geographic scope of the issues. At the smallest scale are studies of individual sites of interest to individual developers seeking consents for a specific technology. More generic studies funded by government or industry consortia may be performed to understand environmental issues surrounding a particular group of technologies, installation methods, or operational parameters. In this case, the actual site may be less important. Finally, fundamental research (funded by Research Councils) may be carried out to understand how and why animals use renewable energy relevant sites. Because there are a large number of research studies currently underway at a wide range of scales, sites, and taxa in Scotland and the wider UK, it is not possible to summarize them all in this short talk. Instead, I will outline examples of the three broad areas of environmental research (site/device specific, technology generic and more basic ecology). These examples have also been chosen because they represent an ongoing project, a recently established group of research studies, and a potential new research program. Some of the perhaps less intuitive lessons that have arisen from some of such projects include : 1. The responses of organisms may not be tied to particular brands of device or energy extraction, whether wind, wave, tidal-stream or even oil platform. For fouling organisms the particulars of the substrate might be the important factor rather than the device’s method of energy extraction. Likewise for fish it may be the device complexity and position in the water column that is key to their interactions. 2. Conversely, particular, seemingly unimportant features of devices may have relevance to marine organisms. For example, the color of a turbine may be extremely important for animals maneuvering around the rotors, a duct or the pile. 3. Test centers used to assess full-scale devices may seem like excellent places to also perform environmental research; however care must be taken as the devices in test centers are typically early generation prototypes and may be swapped out frequently. Furthermore activities by other companies at neighboring berths may invalidate site or device specific experiments. 4. Inter-annual variability does not suit the current pace of marine renewables development and careful consideration of the use of control sites and BACI designs should be made. 5. Cumulative impacts of multiple renewable and other developments offer a massive challenge to determining environmental impact. This difficulty represents a significant area of uncertainty for developers seeking consent and may encourage a development race with companies not wanting to have to consider their development relative to all of the others that preceded them. 6. Finally, while much effort is currently being devoted to gathering sufficient data to permit consent and early stage deployments, the significant investments only come when developers set up arrays capable of producing commercially relevant power. At this point there may be a step change in the degree of monitoring required of any potential environmental interactions. Should intolerable impacts be found, then mitigation will be urgently required or an exit strategy implemented. Close

• 8. [Article] Available Information and Data Gaps: Birds, Bats, Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles and Threatened & Endangered Species

  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 ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Available Information and Data Gaps: Birds, Bats, Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles and Threatened & Endangered Species Author: Pereksta, David M. 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 of these species on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). There are varying amounts of baseline information for offshore species; however, seasonal variability and relative abundance are generally known at a broad scale. Sea turtles are subtropical and tropical breeders and all species found on the Pacific OCS are uncommon north of Mexico. Sea turtles that occur in the waters off of Oregon are primarily leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea); however, loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtles could also occur. All of these species are listed as either threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA); there is designated Critical Habitat for the leatherback sea turtle off the Oregon coast. Sea turtles are drawn to offshore waters during the summer upwelling period where they feed on a variety of pelagic and benthic organisms. A diversity of marine mammals occur offshore of Oregon including 24 species of cetaceans and 6 species of pinnipeds. Sea otters are rare, but stragglers from Washington are occasionally seen along the Oregon coast. Among the cetaceans seen in Oregon waters, the north Pacific right (Eubalaena japonica), blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fin (Balaenoptera physalus), sei (Balaenoptera borealis), humpback (Megaptera novaengliae), killer (Orcinus orca), and sperm (Physeter macrocephalus) whales are listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA. Federally listed pinnipeds include the Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi) and Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), the latter of which also has designated Critical Habitat off the Oregon coast. Little is known about the offshore movement of bats on the Pacific OCS, but observations from the Farallon Islands off San Francisco have regularly recorded the presence of the migratory hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) during migration periods. Modeling has shown that hoary bat arrivals and departures correlate with low wind speeds, low moon illumination, and relatively high degrees of cloud cover. In addition, low barometric pressure predicted arrivals. The status of bats offshore has received little to no attention and study is needed to determine their presence on the Pacific OCS. Marine birds occur widely on the Pacific OCS off Oregon. Nearshore areas are inhabited by a variety of species of sea ducks, loons, grebes, cormorants, pelicans, gulls, terns, and several alcids. Deepwater areas 8-35 miles offshore and beyond are inhabited by albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels, storm-petrels, skuas, jaegers, alcids, and pelagic shorebirds, gulls and terns. Federally listed species under the ESA that have been extensively monitored and studied along the Oregon coast include the Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) and Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus). As studies reveal more information about the population status and movements of the endangered Short-tailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) and Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), we are finding that these species are rare, but regular off the Oregon coast at specific times of the year. Previous workshops on offshore renewable energy have also described the potential effects that the construction and operation of energy devices could have on these taxonomic groups. Activities that can have effects on these species include construction and operational activities, vessel traffic, seismic surveys, foundation and cable installation, turbine operation, foundation protection, and the ongoing presence of cables. Resulting effects include collision and entanglement, barotrauma (particularly for bats), prey base and habitat alteration, trash ingestion (particularly for sea turtles), displacement, movement barriers, electromagnetic field effects, light attraction, pollution, and noise impacts. Renewable energy conferences and workshops have identified knowledge and data gaps that need to be addressed to inform the planning and regulating of commercial-scale projects on the Pacific OCS. Gaps identified for sea turtles include understanding their seasonal use of the OCS particularly for post-hatchling stages; noise and EMF effects; and comprehensive population estimates; the latter will be difficult to assess due to the turtles’ solitary nature and wide distribution. Gaps identified for marine mammals include information on site-specific baseline data on occurrence, distribution, and behavior; site-specific acoustic effects on species with low frequency sensitivity; baseline information on migration routes and home ranges; impacts on gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus); monitoring to understand interactions between marine mammals and renewable energy devices; and acoustic-related effects. Gaps identified for marine birds include site-specific spatial and temporal distribution and abundance of birds at sea; nocturnal activity; important areas of bird activity that should be avoided; important migration patterns; potential effects on seabird prey; energetic consequences; and effects of EMF, noise, lights and structures, and collision risk. Sensitivity analysis and decision support tools have also been identified as necessary to assess the risk to marine birds. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Environmental Studies Program has funded a variety of seabird and marine mammal studies to collect baseline information and assess the effects of conventional and renewable energy projects on the Pacific OCS. Recently completed studies focused on renewable energy include a summary of knowledge of select areas of the Pacific coast, an analysis of the effects of EMFs from undersea power cables on marine species, and protocols for baseline studies and monitoring for ocean renewable energy. A number of additional studies focused on renewable energy are underway or proposed, several of which should eliminate some of the identified knowledge and data gaps. These include aerial surveys of seabirds and marine mammals off the Pacific Northwest, assessing vulnerability of marine birds to offshore renewable energy devices, data synthesis and high-resolution predictive modeling of marine bird distributions in the Pacific, and several others. In addition, there are pilot studies in the Atlantic that are assessing and testing technologies that could be used for surveying and monitoring birds, bats, marine mammals, and sea turtles in the Pacific. Title: Available Information and Data Gaps: Birds, Bats, Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles and Threatened & Endangered Species Author: Pereksta, David M. 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 of these species on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). There are varying amounts of baseline information for offshore species; however, seasonal variability and relative abundance are generally known at a broad scale. Sea turtles are subtropical and tropical breeders and all species found on the Pacific OCS are uncommon north of Mexico. Sea turtles that occur in the waters off of Oregon are primarily leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea); however, loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtles could also occur. All of these species are listed as either threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA); there is designated Critical Habitat for the leatherback sea turtle off the Oregon coast. Sea turtles are drawn to offshore waters during the summer upwelling period where they feed on a variety of pelagic and benthic organisms. A diversity of marine mammals occur offshore of Oregon including 24 species of cetaceans and 6 species of pinnipeds. Sea otters are rare, but stragglers from Washington are occasionally seen along the Oregon coast. Among the cetaceans seen in Oregon waters, the north Pacific right (Eubalaena japonica), blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fin (Balaenoptera physalus), sei (Balaenoptera borealis), humpback (Megaptera novaengliae), killer (Orcinus orca), and sperm (Physeter macrocephalus) whales are listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA. Federally listed pinnipeds include the Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi) and Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), the latter of which also has designated Critical Habitat off the Oregon coast. Little is known about the offshore movement of bats on the Pacific OCS, but observations from the Farallon Islands off San Francisco have regularly recorded the presence of the migratory hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) during migration periods. Modeling has shown that hoary bat arrivals and departures correlate with low wind speeds, low moon illumination, and relatively high degrees of cloud cover. In addition, low barometric pressure predicted arrivals. The status of bats offshore has received little to no attention and study is needed to determine their presence on the Pacific OCS. Marine birds occur widely on the Pacific OCS off Oregon. Nearshore areas are inhabited by a variety of species of sea ducks, loons, grebes, cormorants, pelicans, gulls, terns, and several alcids. Deepwater areas 8-35 miles offshore and beyond are inhabited by albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels, storm-petrels, skuas, jaegers, alcids, and pelagic shorebirds, gulls and terns. Federally listed species under the ESA that have been extensively monitored and studied along the Oregon coast include the Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) and Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus). As studies reveal more information about the population status and movements of the endangered Short-tailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) and Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), we are finding that these species are rare, but regular off the Oregon coast at specific times of the year. Previous workshops on offshore renewable energy have also described the potential effects that the construction and operation of energy devices could have on these taxonomic groups. Activities that can have effects on these species include construction and operational activities, vessel traffic, seismic surveys, foundation and cable installation, turbine operation, foundation protection, and the ongoing presence of cables. Resulting effects include collision and entanglement, barotrauma (particularly for bats), prey base and habitat alteration, trash ingestion (particularly for sea turtles), displacement, movement barriers, electromagnetic field effects, light attraction, pollution, and noise impacts. Renewable energy conferences and workshops have identified knowledge and data gaps that need to be addressed to inform the planning and regulating of commercial-scale projects on the Pacific OCS. Gaps identified for sea turtles include understanding their seasonal use of the OCS particularly for post-hatchling stages; noise and EMF effects; and comprehensive population estimates; the latter will be difficult to assess due to the turtles’ solitary nature and wide distribution. Gaps identified for marine mammals include information on site-specific baseline data on occurrence, distribution, and behavior; site-specific acoustic effects on species with low frequency sensitivity; baseline information on migration routes and home ranges; impacts on gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus); monitoring to understand interactions between marine mammals and renewable energy devices; and acoustic-related effects. Gaps identified for marine birds include site-specific spatial and temporal distribution and abundance of birds at sea; nocturnal activity; important areas of bird activity that should be avoided; important migration patterns; potential effects on seabird prey; energetic consequences; and effects of EMF, noise, lights and structures, and collision risk. Sensitivity analysis and decision support tools have also been identified as necessary to assess the risk to marine birds. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Environmental Studies Program has funded a variety of seabird and marine mammal studies to collect baseline information and assess the effects of conventional and renewable energy projects on the Pacific OCS. Recently completed studies focused on renewable energy include a summary of knowledge of select areas of the Pacific coast, an analysis of the effects of EMFs from undersea power cables on marine species, and protocols for baseline studies and monitoring for ocean renewable energy. A number of additional studies focused on renewable energy are underway or proposed, several of which should eliminate some of the identified knowledge and data gaps. These include aerial surveys of seabirds and marine mammals off the Pacific Northwest, assessing vulnerability of marine birds to offshore renewable energy devices, data synthesis and high-resolution predictive modeling of marine bird distributions in the Pacific, and several others. In addition, there are pilot studies in the Atlantic that are assessing and testing technologies that could be used for surveying and monitoring birds, bats, marine mammals, and sea turtles in the Pacific. Close

• 9. [Article] Characterization of Benthic Condition and Organisms on the Oregon South Coast: A Rapid Evaluation of Habitat Characteristics and Benthic Organisms at the Proposed Reedsport Wave Park

  This project was a single assessment of the benthic habitat characteristics and organisms near the future Ocean Power Technologies Demonstration facility near Reedsport, OR, and a reference location. The ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Characterization of Benthic Condition and Organisms on the Oregon South Coast: A Rapid Evaluation of Habitat Characteristics and Benthic Organisms at the Proposed Reedsport Wave Park Author: Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center, Henkel, Sarah This project was a single assessment of the benthic habitat characteristics and organisms near the future Ocean Power Technologies Demonstration facility near Reedsport, OR, and a reference location. The goal of this project was to assess sediment characteristics, infaunal invertebrates, epifaunal invertebrates, and fish at the future installation site, inshore of the target site, and at a reference site. Specifically, CTD casts, box cores, and beam trawl collections were conducted at the sited in summer 2011. In summary, all assemblages sampled had distributions strongly driven by depth. Other factors contributing to the variability among sampling stations were potentially due to differences in temperature and dissolved oxygen, which co-vary with depth. In the following document we report in detail on the spatial variability of the habitat features and biological assemblages. Finally, we make recommendations for plans for future monitoring at these or similar sites. Title: Characterization of Benthic Condition and Organisms on the Oregon South Coast: A Rapid Evaluation of Habitat Characteristics and Benthic Organisms at the Proposed Reedsport Wave Park Author: Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center, Henkel, Sarah This project was a single assessment of the benthic habitat characteristics and organisms near the future Ocean Power Technologies Demonstration facility near Reedsport, OR, and a reference location. The goal of this project was to assess sediment characteristics, infaunal invertebrates, epifaunal invertebrates, and fish at the future installation site, inshore of the target site, and at a reference site. Specifically, CTD casts, box cores, and beam trawl collections were conducted at the sited in summer 2011. In summary, all assemblages sampled had distributions strongly driven by depth. Other factors contributing to the variability among sampling stations were potentially due to differences in temperature and dissolved oxygen, which co-vary with depth. In the following document we report in detail on the spatial variability of the habitat features and biological assemblages. Finally, we make recommendations for plans for future monitoring at these or similar sites. Close

• 10. [Article] Potential Effects on Marine Mammals: Workshop Report: Potential effects of wave energy buoys on marine mammals of the Oregon coast Held on October 9-10, 2008 in Portland, Oregon - Organized by the Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute and the Oregon Wave Energy Trust

  The objective of this workshop was to identify studies that should be conducted to properly determine potential effects from power generating buoys on marine mammals of the Oregon coast, with emphasis ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Potential Effects on Marine Mammals: Workshop Report: Potential effects of wave energy buoys on marine mammals of the Oregon coast Held on October 9-10, 2008 in Portland, Oregon - Organized by the Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute and the Oregon Wave Energy Trust Author: Lagerquist, Barbara, Ortega-Ortiz, Joel The objective of this workshop was to identify studies that should be conducted to properly determine potential effects from power generating buoys on marine mammals of the Oregon coast, with emphasis on cetaceans and focal discussion on gray whales. Special emphasis was put on the acoustic output from both the installation and operation of wave energy buoys (the two phases could be quite different acoustically), monitoring marine mammal behavior with special emphasis on gray whale behavior, detection of buoys by whales, and the use of acoustic deterrence devices to prevent whale collisions and/or entanglements. It was intended that conclusions from the workshop would provide guidance for future studies to support the responsible development of commercial wave energy projects. Workshop participants included marine mammal biologists, marine acousticians, and representatives from the wave energy industry and regulatory agencies. Title: Potential Effects on Marine Mammals: Workshop Report: Potential effects of wave energy buoys on marine mammals of the Oregon coast Held on October 9-10, 2008 in Portland, Oregon - Organized by the Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute and the Oregon Wave Energy Trust Author: Lagerquist, Barbara, Ortega-Ortiz, Joel The objective of this workshop was to identify studies that should be conducted to properly determine potential effects from power generating buoys on marine mammals of the Oregon coast, with emphasis on cetaceans and focal discussion on gray whales. Special emphasis was put on the acoustic output from both the installation and operation of wave energy buoys (the two phases could be quite different acoustically), monitoring marine mammal behavior with special emphasis on gray whale behavior, detection of buoys by whales, and the use of acoustic deterrence devices to prevent whale collisions and/or entanglements. It was intended that conclusions from the workshop would provide guidance for future studies to support the responsible development of commercial wave energy projects. Workshop participants included marine mammal biologists, marine acousticians, and representatives from the wave energy industry and regulatory agencies. Close