CSA Ocean Sciences has been granted a non-exclusive General Offshore Geophysical Survey Permit by the California State Lands Commission (CSLC) to research potential offshore wind project sites.
This permit grants CSA with all the required permissions to conduct low-energy marine surveys within a three-mile zone from the mean high tide line up and down California’s coast.
This General Offshore Geophysical Survey Permit allows CSA to support complex offshore energy development plans with marine data acquisition and marine environmental consultancy services, and ultimately support California’s commitment to sustainable ocean management.
In the immediate future, that means providing regional offshore planners with the survey teams, technologies, and subject matter expertise to execute multidisciplinary surveys designed to determine the most non-invasive and least environmentally impactful installation and monitoring procedures for critical floating offshore wind infrastructures.
More specifically, the permit will enable CSA to support offshore clients to run coastal and seafloor characterization studies; inspect new and existing subsea structures.
It will also allow CSA to identify faults or geophysical hazards that could jeopardize installation or maintenance plans and map local sea life to inform any necessary mitigation plans.
The CSLC’s General Permit Program requires strict adherence to environmental protection measures.
Surveys conducted by CSA will follow stringent protocols to minimize potential impacts on marine life and the environment.
Kevin Peterson, CSA’s chief executive, added: “As true to the day we opened our doors for business in 1970, we remain fully committed to environmentally responsible data acquisition and marine survey practices.
“We look forward to working closely with regulatory agencies and stakeholders to ensure all related activities are conducted with the utmost care and consideration for the long-term health of our ocean.”