Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore operators are committed to developing resources responsibly. Operators prepare Environmental Effects Monitoring plans to identify and quantify any effects related to their operations and evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation measures.ย
Baseline data is collected before a development starts. Researchers visit a site and gather a variety of information; they record what species are in the area, take sediment samples and collect water data. Once collected, the samples are taken back to shore, sent for analysis and compiled. New samples and data are collected periodically throughout the life of the project and reports are submitted to regulators. These programs help operators and regulators verify that measures put in place to protect the marine environment during oil and gas operations, are working.