Environmental Statement - Maersk Oil
Environmental Statement - Maersk Oil
Environmental Statement - Maersk Oil
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3 ‐ 20<br />
Balloch Field Development <strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>Statement</strong><br />
Section 3 Baseline Environment<br />
Activities that result in the disruption of the seabed, such as the deposition of discharged drill<br />
cuttings, can affect the benthic fauna (Clark, 1996). It follows that the deposition of rock, subsea<br />
structures and pipes also have an effect. An ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea)<br />
report on the structure and dynamics of the North Sea benthos (Rees, 2007) concludes that the<br />
ecological effects of anthropogenic influences arising from oil and gas installations and aggregate<br />
extraction were not identifiable on a large ICES Block scale and that there was no evidence of a<br />
footprint associated with clusters of installations, but rather that any variations identified were<br />
associated predominantly with natural forces. In addition, it concludes that the benthos are<br />
sufficiently resilient to accommodate the consequences of contemporary anthropogenic influences<br />
over large scales without significant degradation.<br />
Epifauna<br />
The seabed photos taken in the Balloch environmental surveys showed that the epifauna was sparsely<br />
distributed (Fugro, 2005 and 2010). The most prominent of the sessile epifauna was the seapen<br />
Virgularia mirabilis, which was present in photographs throughout the survey area (Fugro, 2010). A<br />
shoal of juvenile fish (Gadidae spp.) was observed at stations 7 and 8 in the Fugro 2010 survey. There<br />
was a lack of any hard substrate except epilithic (rock‐living) species. Other recorded epifauna<br />
included sea stars (Astropecten irregularis) and Norwegian lobsters (Nephrops norvegicus). Example<br />
photographs of the most prominent epifaunal and infaunal taxa are provided in Figure 3‐10.<br />
Figure 3‐10 Example epifauna that were captured during the Fugro 2010 survey.<br />
Plate 1: Seastar, Astropecten irregularis<br />
Plate 2: Sea pen, Virgularia mirabilis<br />
Plate 3: A shoal of juvenile gadoids<br />
Plate 4: A Norwegian lobster, Nephrops norvegicus, and carridean shrimps