Page Contents: Section | Significance | Background | Location & Dates | Taxonomic Contents | Documentation | Description of Collection | Collection Inventory | Collection Assets
Minerals Management Service / Phase I
Section Responsible for Processing
MBC
Significance
Minerals Management Service (MMS) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) 1983-1986 Assessment of Long-Term Changes in Biological Communities in the Santa Maria Basin and Western Santa Barbara Channel (Phase I).
Among the major MMS-sponsored investigations of the benthic communities in the Southern California OCS Planning Area are the
1975-1978 Southern California Bight Baseline Program, the
1983-1986 Assessment of Long-Term Changes in Biological Communities in the Santa Maria Basin and Western Santa Barbara Channel (Phase I), the
1987-1989 Biological Reconnaissance of Seletced Benthic Habitata within Three California OCS Planning Areas (a.k.a. CARP, California Area Reconnaissance Program), and the
1968-1991 California Phase II Monitoring Program (CAMP).
The hard-bottom monitoring phase of CAMP has been continued as part of Phase III (1991-1995).
[Blake & Lissner (1993) Taxonomic Atlas of the Benthic Fauna of the Santa Maria Basin and Western Santa Barbara Channel].
These specimens come from the Minerals Management Service (MMS) “Phase I” study of benthic communities in the Santa Maria Basin and Western Santa Barbara Channel in 1983–1986. A total of 102 soft-substrate stations and 23 hard bottom stations were surveyed. Further information below is quoted from: Blake, J.A. (1993) 1. Introduction to the Taxonomic Atlas. In: Blake, J.A. & A. Lissner, Taxonomic Atlas of the Benthic Fauna of the Santa Maria Basin and Western Santa Barbara Channel, Volume 1. Introduction, Benthic Ecology, Oceanography, Platyhelminthes, and Nemertea. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, California.
The U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS) is endowed with authority pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, the Submerged Lands Act, and the OCS Lands Act Amendments to develop oil and gas resources on the outer continental shelf while providing for the protection of the marine and coastal environment. As part of this responsibility, MMS has sponsored numerous studies through the Environmental Studies Program to develop sufficient baseline information for the evaluation of potential environmental impacts resulting from OCS development. Among the major MMS-sponsored investigations of the benthic communities in the Southern California OCS Planning Area are the 1975-1978 Southern California Bight Baseline Program, the 1983-1986 Assessment of Long-Term Changes in Biological Communities in the Santa Maria Basin and Western Santa Barbara Channel (Phase I), the 1987-1989 Biological Reconnaissance of Selected Benthic Habitats within Three California OCS Planning Areas (a.k.a. CARP, California Area Reconnaissance Program), and the 1968-1991 California Phase II Monitoring Program (CAMP). The hard-bottom monitoring phase of CAMP has been continued as part of Phase III (1991-1995).
Other programs in the offshore regions of southern and central California prior to the MMS programs were mostly performed by the Allan Hancock Foundation of the University of Southern California in the 1950s and 1960s. The blowout of the Union Platform “A” off Santa Barbara in 1969 provided a major focus for additional systematic study of the offshore benthos. In 1969-1970, the Allan Hancock Foundation conducted an intensive one-time investigation of the affected environment.
The extensive oil and gas reserves identified in the area between Point Conception and Point Arguello led to a series of industry-supported site-specific reconnaissance surveys of soft and hard-substrate habitats potentially affected by planned development activities. Environmental studies conducted prior to 1980 in the regions north of Point Conception primarily concerned inshore areas in state waters. More recent studies have been conducted off Point Sal, Purisima Point, between Point Arguello and Point Conception, in the western Santa Barbara Channel, and off San Miguel Island. These data have been analyzed and interpreted in review documents associated with offshore oil development and potential environmental consequences.
In samples from the Phase I program for the Santa Maria Basin and western Santa Barbara Channel, 1,207 distinct soft-substrate taxa were recognized, of which 229 taxa were not described in the published literature (Science Applications International Corporation, 89 Water Street, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, 1986). Approximately 50% of these undescribed species, primarily polychaetes and crustaceans, were new to science; 25% were recognized but undescribed species; and the remaining 25% were species potentially new to science, but very closely related to previously described species.
Note: Sample labels from the Soft-substrate stations have several identification codes which include a station number, sample type, replicate number, and analysis type. These are as follow: 001 to 200 the range of station numbers; BSS - Benthic Sediment Single (i.e., a non-replicated station); BSR Benthic Sediment Replicate (three replicates taken at this station); BSV Benthic Sediment Variance (subsamples); 01-09 replicate numbers: TX a taxonomy sample. Sample labels having the designation BRA, represents a sample from rocks taken as part of the hard bottom survey.
Background
Information about the collection labels from Leslie Harris 2023-12-08:
“-TX” on the labels means “taxonomy”
The most common mesh size that was used in this collection is 1.0 mm. The second most common mesh size is 0.5 mm. Only a few grabs used the 5.0 mm mesh size.
In the station names there are numbers like 050-BSS-01 which means station 50, benthic soft sediment, replicate 1
Sometimes there was a replicate sample, but not always.
The BXX abbreviations refer to habitats: BSS (benthic soft sediment), BRA (rock), BSR (Leslie needs to look at notes to determine), BSV (replicate studies, important information is in the “Habitat” section)
Look at the summary on the old MBC list of expeditions to see if abbreviation explanations are in there. If not, Leslie has it
Collection Location and Dates
No information available.
Taxonomic Contents
No information available.
Documentation
Spreadsheet “MMS-Phase 1-CAMP-Psc Baroness-stations” in the WG-expedition-data Google Drive in the “MMS CAMP Stations” folder. VW 2023-01-10
Description of Collection
Wet lots that are found throughout the Polychaetes —*General collection. Many concentrated jars Wet lots on shelves ##-##-## in the Polychaetes – Survey section. VW 2023-01-10
Collection Inventory
No information available.
Collection Assets
| Date | View or Retrieve | File Information |
|---|---|---|
| 04/17/2023 | Visit | MMS OCS Santa Maria Basin & Western Santa Barbara Channel Study Phase 1 Reconnaissance |