Ecological Baseline Studies of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf Option Year 1

Original provider:
APEM, Normandeau Associates

Dataset credits:
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Normandeau Associates Inc., APEM Ltd.

Abstract:
Normandeau Associates, Inc., and APEM Inc. (Team) have been contracted by BOEM to complete quarterly high-altitude aerial digital surveys in a 12-month period. The Team proposes to conduct the first survey in February 2018 and complete all four surveys in the 2018 calendar year.

The South Atlantic Survey area (SASA) is defined as the area of the ocean off the coast of North and South Carolina out to the -30-m contour line. The approximate size of the area is 11,000 square nautical miles.

Transect surveys will cover a minimum of 5% of the SASA.In addition, 10% of the total area within the Kitty Hawk, Wilmington East, and Wilmington West Wind Energy Areas –as well as the South Carolina–Grand Stand Call Area will be surveyed.

The planned image resolution of all the imagery for the project will be 1.5-cm ground sampling distance at the surface of the ocean.

Option Year 1 includes four surveys of each these areas from Jan/Feb 2018 to Dec 2018.