Description

In 1993, the University of Alaska Coastal Marine Institute (CMI) was established by a Memorandum of Agreement between the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the University of Alaska (UA). BOEM’s mission is to manage development of U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) energy and mineral resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way. BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program is mandated by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to assess and understand how the Bureau’s decision-making impacts the environment, including the human environment, and how those impacts can be avoided or minimized. The University of Alaska inspires learning, and advances and disseminates knowledge through teaching, research, and public service, emphasizing the North and its diverse peoples. The University of Alaska works with federal and state agencies and private enterprise to develop collaboration and growth in all areas of science and technology. CMI was established to provide BOEM the opportunity to partner with the UA on research required for defensible natural resource decisions on the Alaska OCS. Objectives The Framework Issues which guide the CMI are:• Scientific studies for better understanding marine, coastal, or human environments affected or potentially affected by offshore energy and mineral exploration and extraction on the OCS.• Modeling studies of environmental, social, economic, or cultural processes related to OCS energy and marine mineral activities in order to improve scientific predictive capabilities.• Experimental studies for better understanding of environmental processes, or the causes and effects of OCS activities.• Projects which design or establish mechanisms or protocols for sharing data or scientific information regarding marine or coastal resources or human activities in order to support prudent management of conventional energy resources and potential development of renewable energy and marine mineral resources on the OCS offshore the State of Alaska.• Synthesis studies of scientific environmental or socioeconomic background information relevant to the OCS program.Geographic Regions of InterestIn 2024, BOEM is requesting proposals focused within the Lower Cook Inlet Planning Area. Priority Research NeedsIn addition to the framework issues, BOEM has identified the following research priorities in three areas:Fate and Effects of Contaminants• Carbonate chemistry conditions and the response of marine organisms, to assess the potential for coastal and ocean acidification and impacts on biological resources.• Fate and weathering of oil spills from renewable and conventional energy projects in open water and ice conditions, including refinements to modeling algorithms.• Characterization and structural properties (e.g., extent, thickness, velocity, seasonality, frequency of occurrence) of sea ice, including frazil and submerged ice.Biology• Effects of climate change on marine ecosystem functions.• Detecting and quantifying natural vs. anthropogenic impacts in estuarine and marine ecosystems.• Immigration and emigration pathways for adult and juvenile salmon.Marine Mammals• Seasonal presence and spatial distribution of baleen whales in lower Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait.• Impacts of vessel traffic in Cook Inlet on Cook Inlet belugas, ESA listed stocks of humpback whales, Northeast population of Fin whales, North Pacific right whale, and the Southwest sea otter population, including collision risk and potential to disturb foraging, breeding, and calving/pupping activity.