Throughout history, the ocean has played an integral role in shaping the identity of Atlantic Canadians. It was the mainstay of the first people on this land, the natives; it brought the first Viking explorers, as well as later adventurers, to our shores; it lured the first Western European settlers here with its rich bounty of fish. Even today, the people of this region use the ocean as a source of transportation, recreation, employment, and food; not to mention as a source of inspiration for our songs, stories, poems, paintings and carvings. If you go to any fishing village along our coastline you will see, hear and taste the impact this rich resource has on our lives. No other force has shaped this region's culture and people as much as the ocean.Offshore Gas & Oil Exploration
Off the coast of Atlantic Canada lie vast deposits of oil and gas, the most valuable resources that can be taken from the ocean. Oil and gas are the remains of ancient plants and animals buried in sediment layers and then altered by heat. Five kilometres down beneath the ocean floor, 100 to 150 degree Celsius heat can transform deposits of organic matter into oil. If the heating continued for an extended period of time, or if the temperature increased, natural gas or substances we can not use as fuel, may have been made.
About 70% of the undiscovered reservoirs of oil and natural gas are expected to be found beneath continental shelves and shallow marginal ocean basins. As these areas are rich in marine life, the environmental risks and impacts of searching for these fossil fuels and then developing the deposits must be considered. A balance must be struck between the needs of the rapidly developing industry, the economic needs of people who depend on the deposit, and the environmental needs of the natural surroundings.
Researchers in Atlantic Canada gather information on water depth, currents, water temperature, sediments, turbulence, particulate matter, and the biological inhabitants of the drill site, just to give a few examples. All of these factors, in combination, affect the level of impact of any accidental leakage and drilling particulate matter has on the environment. Relevant recommendations on how to minimize or prevent both short- and long-term impacts can then be made.
Oceanographers have many tools at their disposal to collect data. Let’s look at two in particular: a) the BOSS; and b) the Campod.
The BOSS
Current government regulations and guidelines allow the unlimited release of some types of drill mud into the ocean. What happens to these particles as they are released from the drill site? The BOSS was developed to sample the particulate matter in the water at various depths. The spring-loaded syringes are triggered to take a sample and then close at a certain depth. Researchers can then examine the samples to determine which are naturally occurring and which are from the drill site.
The Campod
Some drill wastes aggregate into clumps in seawater. These clumps are so fragile, that sampling with the BOSS can break them apart, making them impossible to study. The Campod has a high-resolution video camera, a camera with flashes and a special sampler called the Slurper. The clumps can then be collected and analyzed to determine what impact the drilling had on their formation, and their impact on the environment.
Using the insight provided by this research, oceanographers interact with policy makers and the oil industry to minimize the impact that oil and gas exploration has on the ocean. In this way we can maximize the economic benefit these opportunities bring, while minimizing the ecological damage.