Nearshore studies at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

TL;DRAbstract

Since 1974, environmental studies of the nearshore marine environment near Prudhoe Bay have been sponsored by Atlantic Richfield Co., Sohio Petroleum Co., and Exxon Co. U.S.A. in cooperation with state and federal agencies. The primary objective was to determine the effects of one of the first significant structures placed in the Alaskan Arctic coastal zone, a 2 mi long gravel dock used to offload barges arriving with supplies each summer. The objectives were recently expanded to provide a basis for predicting the effects of the operation of a 2 million gal/day water intake for injection into the Prudhoe Bay field's production program. The project has included studies of benthos, fish, water quality, coastal processes and oceanography, and sediments including hydrocarbons and mineralogy. The natural history of coastal bird populations has also been studied. This work has provided one of the few sources of intensive nearshore observations in the Arctics. Several theories regarding benth

Chat with Paper

AI Agents for this Paper