Ocean Science

BOEM develops, conducts and oversees world-class scientific research to inform its policy decisions. By using science, regulatory frameworks and input from others, the bureau considers the potential for BOEM activities to impact the ocean’s physical characteristics, biological resources and marine or coastal uses that are important to the environment and society.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Maureen De Zeeuw, a wildlife biologist with the Bureau of Ocean Energy’s Alaska OCS Region, explains the basics of wind-turbine energy to a group of 6th-graders at the Campbell Creek Science Center here May 7, 2024. De Zeeuw was one of several staff members from BOEM and its sister agency, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, participating in the Bureau of Land Management’s Outdoor Week 2024. BSEE photo by Guy Hayes.

A Light-Bulb Moment

Staff members at the Bureau of Ocean Energy’s Alaska OCS Region had the opportunity to work with fifth- and sixth-graders from all over Anchorage at Outdoor Week 2024, held by the Bureau of Land Management’s Campbell Creek Science Center here May 7-10.

BOEM-NASA Air Quality Study Published in AGU Journal

Scientists with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently published an analysis of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) patterns and trends in the Gulf using satellite data to identify NO2 hotspots from oil and natural gas (ONG) platforms, establish a baseline for future emissions estimates, and provide a methodology for analyzing NO2 measurements.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Boxes of old records fill a storage room at the BOEM’s Alaska OCS Region office here November 2023. Staff at BOEM are engaged in a long-term initiative to digitize these old records, making them accessible electronically and thus more useful in research. BOEM photo by Ashley Ace.

Programmatic Approaches to Data Modernization and Accessibility

BOEM is deploying innovative strategies to modernize our data by utilizing Open-Source Software (OSS), automation, and the fundamentals of computer programming.

Blue Dragon Sea Slug

Dive into the mesmerizing world of the Blue Dragon Sea Slug, an ocean drifter with a lethal secret weapon. Learn about the marvels and perils of this small, yet formidable, creature of the deep.

The Peacock Mantis Shrimp

The mantis shrimp (order Stomatopoda) is so named because of its blend of features: the front part of its body has the bulging eyes and grasping forelimbs resembling a praying mantis, while its latter half has the hard exoskeleton resembling a shrimp.

Dumbo Octopus: The Whimsical Survivor of the Deep

In the deepest part of the ocean living conditions are difficult—there is no light, little food, freezing temperatures, and overwhelming pressure. But there is a rare creature with a whimsical name that somehow manages to survive in this harsh environment.

BOEM Helps to Restore Popular Outer Banks Beaches

Over the years, Outer Banks beaches have been severely impacted by extreme weather events and naturally occurring erosion. In 2022, BOEM entered into a negotiated agreement to provide access to approximately 3.14 million cubic yards of Outer Continental Shelf sand to replenish 11.65 miles of Dare County shoreline along portions of the Towns of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills. Projects like these reduce storm damage and impacts from flooding, while maintaining useable recreational beaches. 

WINDY CORNER, Alaska – Grace Callahan, daughter of BOEM Alaska Public Affairs Officer John Callahan, scans for beluga whales here Sept. 23. Grace and her father were at the Windy Corner observation station as part of Belugas Count! 2023. Now in its fifth year, Belugas Count! brings together citizen volunteers from around Cook Inlet to count whales as part of an effort to monitor the population of the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales. BOEM photo by John Callahan.

Cetacean Estimation: Belugas Count! 2023

Belugas Count! is a BOEM-sponsored, NOAA-led, and citizen-driven initiative to track the population of this ecologically important species. At the forefront of the effort are the citizens who volunteer to staff 14 public shore viewing stations around the Cook Inlet in Alaska.

Surf 50 Years of Coastal and Ocean Science

BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program (ESP) develops, fund and manages rigorous scientific research specifically to inform policy decisions on energy and mineral resource development on the Outer

installing the quivers and push core tubes on the front of the ROV

Boldly Explore Where No One Has Explored Before

BOEM is exploring the uncharted ocean off the coast of the United States, thanks to improving technology and the combined efforts of partner federal agencies.

Divers swimming along very healthy live coral cover at East Flower Garden Bank at a depth of about 75 ft. (Photo by Gregory S Boland)

The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

Derived from invited article submitted by Gregory S. Boland, former BOEM employee. This year, the Department of the Interior (DOI) celebrates nearly 50 years of environmental protection of the Flower

Studying Noise Impacts on Cetaceans: We’ve Come a Long Way!

Review paper summarizes the history of research efforts on anthropogenic noise effects to cetaceans.

Send in the Drones

The waters around the Aleutian Islands are virtually unexplored territory. And for good reason.

Offshore Wind and Marine Mammal Protection

The American Shoreline Podcast. Listen as Dr. Lewandowski explains how BOEM uses science to guide its decision-making process for offshore wind development, particularly in relation to marine mammals and marine acoustics.

Environmental Studies Program Celebrates Golden Anniversary

Innovative program has provided important scientific data to inform bureau's decisions for 50 years. By Dr. Rodney E. Cluck Chief, Division of Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies Program

Seen during 2022’s Investigation of a Historic Seabed Mining Equipment Test Site on the Blake Plateau, along with a skate (look closely), manganese nodules like these were the subject of an experimental deep-sea mining pilot project in the 1970s. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Investigation of a Historic Seabed Mining Equipment Test Site on the Blake Plateau.

Scientists Explore Site of Historic Seabed Mining Equipment Testing Offshore Georgia

BOEM, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and NOAA Ocean Exploration explored a site on the Blake Plateau offshore of the Georgia coast from July 31-August 12, 2022, to better understand the impacts of historic seabed mining equipment testing conducted in the 1970s.

The Saildrone Surveyor departing Dutch Harbor, Alaska, after the mid-project pit stop. Image courtesy of Saildrone Inc.

BOEM-Sponsored Saildrone Surveyor Expedition Returning Home After Exploring Aleutian Islands

Since departing Dutch Harbor on August 11, the uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) Saildrone Surveyor has been collecting seafloor mapping and surface oceanographic data in priority areas of the relatively unexplored Aleutian Islands. The expedition, part of a multi-agency public-private partnership funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), gathered data on several large, unexplored areas off the Aleutian chain identified as high priority for NOAA, BOEM, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the broader federal Interagency Working Group on Ocean Exploration and Characterization.

Pursuing New Frontiers in Ocean Exploration and Characterization

The U.S. Ocean Policy Committee recently released the report Strategic Priorities for Ocean Exploration and Characterization of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone. The report identifies current high-priority geographies and thematic topics that require better characterization and understanding. Federal agencies working to address these priorities will help advance the nation’s forecasting of seafloor hazards, improve understanding of ocean cultural heritage and uncover important new knowledge about previously underexplored habitats and ecosystems. As a co-chair of the Working Group and a Council member agency, BOEM played an integral role in the report’s development and is actively promoting interagency efforts to further meet ocean exploration and characterization needs.

BOEM and HeroX Launch “Better Call Trawl” Challenge

New crowdsourcing challenge will help BOEM better understand the effectiveness of current relocation trawling methods for protecting sea turtles during offshore dredging operations.

Discovering Lost Worlds

The ocean contains archaeological remains from every age of human history, and the BOEM Marine Archaeology program is responsible for studying and cataloging pre-contact human settlement and deep-sea shipwrecks. These finds have the potential to contribute significantly to our understanding of the commerce, technology, and culture of bygone eras, as well as inform agency decision-making on energy development.