A Comparative Case Study Analysis Evaluating the Potential Success of a Rigs-to-Reefs Policy in Offshore California Waters given the Success of Similar Programs in the Gulf of Mexico
Date
2011-04-28
Author
Advisors
Halpin, Patrick
Roady, Stephen
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Abstract
California recently passed a bill that will allow the partial decommissioning of oil
and gas platforms in place, with the lower half retained to function as an artificial
reef. This policy overrides previously existing legislation requiring complete platform
decommissioning following the termination of oil and gas production. The decision
to implement this policy was motivated by the financial gains promised to the state
in guidelines developed by the National Artificial Reef Plan, as well as by the success
experienced by rigs-to-reefs programs in the Gulf of Mexico. This case study analysis
evaluated programs in Louisiana, Texas, and California to determine the applicability
of successful Gulf of Mexico policies to the situation in California. The study uncovered
significant differences between the two regions that reduced comparability between
programs. Platform habitat in the Gulf of Mexico is an essential component of the
ecosystem and significantly increases the amount of available hard substrate habitat,
which thereby increases resident reef fish populations and supports the commercial
fishing industry. Conversely, platform habitat in California comprises an insignificant
portion of the available hard substrate habitat, and research indicates that platform
communities result from a combination of settlement by organisms in a pelagic dispersal
phase and attraction of organisms from surrounding natural habitats. The uncertainty
regarding the ecological benefits of platform ecosystems obscures the potential repercussions
of implementing a rigs-to-reefs program in California. Further research must be done
to clarify the role of oil and gas platforms in California, as well as to fully understand
their contribution to the regional ecosystem and the feasibility of utilizing them
as a fishery enhancement device.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/3664Citation
Fitz-Gerald, Claire (2011). A Comparative Case Study Analysis Evaluating the Potential Success of a Rigs-to-Reefs
Policy in Offshore California Waters given the Success of Similar Programs in the
Gulf of Mexico. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/3664.Collections
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