Assessment of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies Program -- Copyright -- Preface -- Contents -- Executive Summary -- THE PRESENT STUDY -- MARINE BIRDS, MAMMALS, AND TURTLES -- BENTHIC PROCESSES -- FISHERIES AND ECOSYSTEMS -- GENERAL CONCLUSIONS -- GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS -- 1 Introduction -- OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITIES -- Magnitude and Management -- Environmental Concerns -- THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM -- Mandate -- History of the Environmental Studies Program -- Development of a Studies Plan -- Implementation of Studies According to Lease-Sale Schedules -- MMS Support of Ecological Studies -- THE PRESENT STUDY AND REPORT -- 2 Principles of Assessment -- FOCUS AND GEOGRAPHIC EXTENT OF STUDIES -- ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABILITY: DETECTING THE EFFECTS OF OCS ACTIVITIES -- Testing Hypotheses -- Different Approaches for Different Species Groups -- STUDIES OF MARINE BIRDS, MAMMALS, TURTLES, AND ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Selection of Species for Study -- Distribution and Abundance -- Ecological Processes -- Relationship of Distribution to Oceanic Features -- Trophic Relationships -- Population Processes -- Community and Ecosystem Processes -- Specific OCS Impacts -- Effects of External Oiling -- Toxic Effects of Ingested Oil and Other Physiological Effects -- Trophic Effects -- Disturbance -- Other Potential Effects -- CHARACTERIZATION OF BENTHIC ENVIRONMENTS -- FISHERIES -- ECOSYSTEM MODELING -- 3 Analysis of the Program -- BIRDS -- Allocation of Program Effort -- Assessment of Results -- Selection of Species and Locations for Study -- Colony Inventories -- At-Sea Inventories -- Shoreline Habitat Inventories -- Colony Process Studies -- At-Sea Process Studies -- Effects Studies, Modeling, and Estimation of Risk -- Gaps in the Available Data -- Colony Inventories -- At-Sea Inventories -- Shoreline Habitat Inventories.

Colony Process Studies -- At-Sea Process Studies -- Shoreline and Nearshore Process Studies -- Effects -- Models and Estimation of Risk -- Recommendations for Future Research -- Colony Inventories -- At-Sea Inventories -- Shoreline Habitat Inventories -- Colony Process Studies -- At-Sea Process Studies -- Shoreline Process Studies -- Effects and Risk Studies -- Modeling Studies -- Coordination, Cooperation, and Organization -- SEA TURTLES -- MARINE MAMMALS -- Introduction -- Environmental Studies Program and Results -- Inventory -- Effects -- Ecological Processes -- Gaps in Available Data -- Inventory -- Effects -- Ecological Processes -- Conclusions and Recommendations -- Inventory -- Effects -- Ecological Processes -- Data Management and Accessibility -- BENTHIC STUDIES -- Accomplishments of the Environmental Studies Program -- Shortcomings of the Environmental Studies Program -- Design of Benthic Monitoring Programs -- Understanding Benthic Processes -- Biogeochemical Concerns -- Statistical Analyses -- Biological Hierarchy -- Other Impacts -- Summary of Monitoring Design Requirements -- FISHERIES -- Information Needed -- ECOSYSTEM MODELING -- Biological Models Developed with MMS Funding -- Circulation Models -- Population Risk Models -- Ecosystem and Oil-Flux Models -- Fishery Models -- Drilling Discharges -- Evaluation of MMS Modeling Efforts -- 4 Conclusions and Recommendations -- CONCLUSIONS -- RECOMMENDATIONS -- References -- Appendix A Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources -- Appendix B Ecology Study Contracts Awarded by Minerals Management Service, 1973-1989.