Evidence of fish following towed oil and gas platforms to a reefing site and rapid colonisation

Marnane, Michael J.; Schramm, Karl D.; Driessen, Damon; Fullwood, Laura A. F.; Saunders, Benjamin J.; Songploy, Se; Kettratad, Jes; Sitaworawet, Paweena; Chaiyakul, Sarin; Chankong, Anchalee; Chantarawat, Nararat; Elsdon, Travis S.; Harvey, Euan S.

doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105728

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…In addition to the sometimes-careless transportation of novel species in ballast waters and attached to ships, we are also providing new habitats that may encourage the spread and establishment of invasive species [104] and these include offshore structures and pipelines. In some cases, offshore activity fulfils both roles, with decommissioned structures being moved to new locations, taking their ecological complement with them [105,106]. Efforts to model the importance of rig sites and artificial reef development as "stepping stones" for the spread of invasive species [107] requires more attention as management options for invasives are limited and expensive [108] but knowledge of linkages that could be prevented or broken would be an advance in their control.…”

Section: Connectivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Haven or hell? A perspective on the ecology of offshore oil and gas platforms

Fortune,

Madgett,

Scarborough Bull

et al. 2024

PLOS Sustain Transform

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Offshore oil and gas platforms (OGP) have been installed worldwide and initially with limited consideration given to the nature of their positive or negative long-term interactions with the natural marine habitats. However, as OGP reach the end of their useful life, with many being decommissioned and removed, it is timely to review the growing evidence of the association of marine biota with OGP to provide a summary and synthesis for policy makers and to give insight to decisions in increasingly crowded marine spatial plans. In the last decade, there has been rapid increase in studies concerning the ecological role of OGP. This research reveals strong contextual difference between platforms in different geographical regions, but all OGP add to local biodiversity particularly where hard substrata are introduced to areas dominated by depositional (mud and sand) habitats. This includes the attraction and increased productivity of fish, sessile invertebrates, and algae while also affecting change in the benthic habitats beneath platforms. There also evidence of the OGP changing local hydrodynamics conditions with effects on phytoplankton and local scour. In terms of the biota associated with OGP, water depth is a major driver of community type across systems. This study emphasises that while knowledge of OGP communities and species has improved, there are still significant knowledge gaps that may prevent the most environmentally beneficial decisions being made around decommissioning. There are few studies following the effect of decommissioning (topping, toppling, or removal) on the ecology of the systems as they change with time (longitudinal research) for the decommissioning event. There is also a need for more studies comparing the biodiversity and functionality of OGP system to artificial and natural reefs and habitats to better understand the ecological cost-benefit of decommissioning scenarios. Finally, commercial data is often unavailable and even when available, surveys are often conducted using varied methodology that prevents comparative analysis. By imposing/agreeing standards and sharing data around the ecological cost-benefit of decommissioning strategies, improve policy guidance concerning OGP planning, and management might emerge.

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Section: Connectivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Haven or hell? A perspective on the ecology of offshore oil and gas platforms

Fortune,

Madgett,

Scarborough Bull

et al. 2024

PLOS Sustain Transform

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“…Conversely, removal involves towing the entire O&G infrastructure inland for scrapping (Claisse et al., 2015). While policies in some regions (e.g., Gulf of Mexico, California, Brunei Darussalam) allow for leaving obsolete structures from O&G platforms as reefs (Marnane et al., 2022; Ranjith & De Silva, 1998), most countries require infrastructure removal for decommissioning (Marnane et al., 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, O&G platforms shape community composition by providing refuge, settlement area, and food access, which may enhance biological productivity (Claisse et al., 2014; Schwartzbach et al., 2020; Snodgrass et al., 2020), thereby strengthening ecological function in the area (Sommer et al., 2019). With a lifespan exceeding 20 years, O&G platforms may support biological communities of regional interest (Fowler et al., 2014; Marnane et al., 2022). The hard substrate provided by O&G infrastructure may provide a reef habitat for settlement and growth of sessile and motile invertebrates, such as barnacles, mussels, sponges, and corals (Bull & Love, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fish aggregations at oil and gas platform foundations in the North Sea

Ibanez‐Erquiaga,

Baktoft,

Wilms

et al. 2024

Fisheries Management Eco

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Globally, aging offshore oil and gas (O&G) platforms face resource depletion, and regulations often demand platform removal through decommissioning. In the North Sea, >€90 billion will be needed for decommissioning by 2060. However, the influence of O&G platforms on fish communities is poorly understood. This challenges predictions of possible fisheries scenarios associated with different decommissioning options. Here, we examined the role that North Sea platforms played on fish communities. We explored patterns of fish abundance and body size variation along transects from O&G platforms comparing catch per unit effort data. Fish abundance was positively associated with O&G platforms. Atlantic cod, plaice, saithe, and mackerel were most abundant near platforms. Similarly, larger Atlantic cod were near the O&G platforms. Our study provided information for decision‐making regarding platform decommissioning scenarios by evidencing O&G platform habitat provisioning for various commercial fish species.

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