Beaufort Sea Coastal Marine ProgramCCGS Nahidik Program

Donald CobbFisheries and Oceans CanadaDr. Steve BlascoNatural Resources Canada

Presentation to Arctic Energy Summit October 15-18, 2007 Anchorage

Beaufort Sea Coastal Marine ProgramCCGS Nahidik Program

• Background to Northern Energy Development (roots of program)

• Program objectives

• Nahidik overview

• Links to other programs

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

Federal Responsibilities for Northern Energy Development

• INAC• DFO• EC• NRCan• NEB• TC• CEAA• Northern boards

02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09

MGP-MCIII (Budget 2005)

MGP-MCII (Budget 2004)

NEDS (Budget 2002)

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

Federal Government Strategy

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.

Northern Energy DevelopmentBeaufort 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

Shallow Gas Drilling HazardPaktoa Site

Northern Energy DevelopmentBeaufort 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

Northern Energy DevelopmentBeaufort 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).

Northern Energy DevelopmentBeaufort Coastal Marine Program

• Introduction to integrated research program on CCGSNahidik– 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

Physical Oceanography

Bill WilliamsCTD frame

Physical Oceanography• Understand physical and chemical dynamics of the Beaufort Sea

•Mackenzie Plume delineation

• extent, variability

• Help build more robust ecosystem models

2005 Nahidik leg 1 Cruise Track

2006 Nahidik leg 1 Cruise Track

CCGS NAHIDIK Fishing Program

A.R. Majewski, J.D. Reist, B.J. Park

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

Methods Overview:Multi‐mesh Gill Nets:60 and 120 m3.75cm (1in.) to 13.75cm (5.5in.)9 locationsSurface and bottom setsTotal depth: 8 – 70m3 – 18 hours

Mid‐water Trawl:3m x 3m gape, 12m length7.5cm (3in.) to 0.6cm (0.25in.)15 locationsSet depth: surface to 50m 30 minutes

New to 2006 –beam trawl

(SDC in background)

2006 Beam Trawl Catches

Zooplankton and marine larval fish in the Canadian Beaufort Sea Shelf

M. Papst, J. Sareault, S. Wong, Collaborations with the Polish

Academy of Sciences

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.

Bongo Net TowsMethods & Analysis

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

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

1985

1986

1987

2003

2004 PercentAbundance (/100)

Figure 1. Percent Abundance of Marine Larval Fish within the 50m depth contour of the Canadian Beaufort Sea in the years 1985-1987, 2003-2004

Benthic community research from the Nahidik cruises

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)

Community visualization

Static Dynamic!

Geological Survey of Canadaand Canadian Museum of Nature

75 m

Geological Survey of Canada andThe Canadian Museum of Nature

Acoustics Survey-Water and Seabed

Acoustics and seabed classification

2006 cruise plotWater columnechogram

Acoustic Intensity plot (Paktoa)

3-D Image of Habitats

Carbon and lower trophic studies

Patricia Ramlal

-Objective: -Develop a food web model of the Beaufort Sea

- community structure- stable isotopes

Measurements: -gases, nutrients, Chlor Abacteria, phytoplankton

Sub-sampling for meiofauna

(1) ice scour(2) foundation conditions (3) subsea permafrost (4) shallow gas (5) artificial islands

Seabed Geoenvironmental Research Activities

Draft ≤ 50 m

Pressure ridge ice keel

Repetitive Mapping Network

RepetitiveMapping

Distribution of New Scours => 0.5 m

Geoenvironmental Issues at Paktoa Devon Well Site

(1) ice scour (2) foundation conditions (3) subsea permafrost (4) shallow gas(5) benthic ecosystem

First Arctic Offshore Exploration Well in 16 yearsDrilled Without Geoenvironmental Problems

Devon Paktoa Drill Site, 2006Bottom Founded Structure - 13m Water Depth

?

Seabed Saturated with Ice Scours

(1) ice scour (2) foundation conditions (3) subsea permafrost (4) shallow gas (5) artificial islands

Seabed Geoenvironmental Research Activities

Devon Paktoa Well Site 2006

13 m Water Depth

?

(1) ice scour (2) foundation conditions (3) subsea permafrost (4) shallow gas (5) artificial islands

Seabed Geoenvironmental Research Activities

Subsea Ice-Bearing Permafrost

SN

SingleChannel

Data

Multi-ChannelData

(1) ice scour (2) foundation conditions (3) subsea permafrost (4) shallow gas (5) artificial islands

Seabed Geoenvironmental Research Activities

Mackenzie Trough

Edge of Trough

Paktoa Drill Site

100 m

Mud Volcano

200 m

MackenzieTrough

Kringalik Plateau

UNFROZEN FROZEN

(1) ice scour (2) foundation conditions (3) subsea permafrost (4) shallow gas (5) artificial islands

Seabed Geoenvironmental Research Activities

Artificial Islands 1972-1986

Issungnak 1980

2001

2005

2001 over 2005 profile

Long-term ResearchNorthern 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