The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is inviting ideas for its Environmental Studies Development Plan for the fiscal year 2017.
BOEM is responsible for ensuring that the effects on the natural and human environment are taken into consideration during the leasing and development of oil, natural gas, renewable energy and marine mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
BOEM is seeking public input in identifying potential study ideas for consideration on Alaska, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Pacific OCS areas. BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program (ESP) is particularly interested in study ideas that include hypothesis testing, and the opportunity to include a citizen-science component.
According to BOEM, the submitted ideas must be relevant to BOEM’s information requirements in the areas of biological, oceanographic, social, economic and cultural research.
The ideas must be submitted to BOEM by November 20, 2015.
BOEM develops, oversees and funds the collection of environmental information through its ESP to help inform management decisions affecting the OCS.
The ESP focuses on applied science, including baseline information about the environment and the effects from activities that result from the leasing and development processes under BOEM’s authority. The goals of the ESP are to establish the information needed to assess, predict, monitor and manage environmental impacts on marine biota and the human, marine and coastal environments.
BOEM promotes energy independence, environmental protection and economic development through responsible, science-based management of offshore conventional and renewable energy resources.
Image: BOEM