Summary of Research

Several natural products useful for medical and industrial purposes have been isolated from marine organisms over the past few decades.  However, the harvest of sufficient quantities of these organisms has proven to be difficult.  Further, when harvest has been possible, there has been concern about ecological impacts resulting from the potential over-harvesting of these species.  The harvest of marine organisms associated with man-made structures, such as offshore oil and gas platforms, may provide an untapped source of such organisms thereby eliminating impacts to natural habitats. 

Study Sites

We are conducting research at seven oil and gas platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel (Fig. 1, Table 1).  These platforms are located in varying water depths, distances from shore and oceanographic conditions (e.g., water temperature, wave height and current flow).  Further, these platforms are arrayed along strong environmental and biogeographic gradients, because this region is the transition zone where the Oregonian and Californian Provinces meet.

Table 1. List of platform study sites in the Santa Barbara Channel.