Automation of Marine Growth Analysis for Decommissioning Offshore Installations

永久近海结构形成人工礁石，为海洋生物提供附着点和安置点。在英国，一些最古老的平台已经在水中超过40年，并有相当大的海洋生物殖民。海洋生长生物一般包括光线穿透区域(光区)的海藻、软珊瑚和贻贝，以及平台更深处的海葵、水生动物和冷水珊瑚。最早的海洋生长研究之一是1982年在Montrose平台上发表的；自那时以来，在近海安装海洋生长评估期间取得了重大发现，例如在Brent Spar存储浮标退役期间首次发现在近海平台上生长的列入CITES的Pophelia pertusa珊瑚，结果随后于1999年发表在《自然》杂志上。海洋生长给石油和天然气行业(运营商)带来了问题，因为这可能会增加结构的重量，从而在日常和退役情况下都可能造成损坏和重要设备的目视检查。围绕平台海洋生长还开发了新的感兴趣领域，包括海洋入侵物种的潜力、潜在的“垫脚石”栖息地、用于养护的人工珊瑚礁(例如事实上的海洋保护区)或利用这些结构作为食物和住所的鱼类。在墨西哥湾地区，“钻井平台到珊瑚礁方案”(将近海平台改装成指定的人工珊瑚礁)正在进行中。然而，在欧洲，特别是在东北大西洋奥斯巴区域，要求从海床上移走所有近海基础设施(尽管可以允许减损)。作为退役计划的一部分，可能要求操作员评估平台上的海洋生长程度，以确定增加到平台的额外重量(用于结构拆除)或潜在的有机废物处置，特别是如果存在具有养护重要性的物种(如Lophelia和Sabellaria)。该项目将使用一种预先移交的方法(珊瑚网)来分析近海结构物上的海洋生长图像。与传统的评估方法相比，该方法将允许分析更多的图像，并将允许采取更一致的方法，有可能提供良好的长期监测工具。此外，寻找新的和创新的监测方法，不仅是关于收集实地数据，而且是关于应该如何分析数据，这将对该项目作出贡献。

Permanent offshore structures form artificial reefs which provide attachment and settlement sites for marine organisms. In the UK, some of the oldest platforms have been in the water for over 40 years and have considerable colonisation of marine organisms. Marine Growth organisms generally include seaweeds, soft corals and mussels in the areas where light penetrates(photic zone) as well as anemones, hydroids and cold-water corals on the deeper sections of the platforms. One of the first marine growth studies published was on the Montrose platform back in 1982; and significant discoveries have been made during offshore installation marine growth assessments since then, such as the first discovery of the CITES Listed Lophelia pertusa coral growing on offshore platforms during the decommissioning of the Brent Spar storage buoy, the with results subsequently being published in Nature in 1999. L. pertusa as since been recorded on the majority of northern North Sea platforms - and therefore their presence on the structures may be contributing to the connectivity of the protect reefs in the UK and Norway.Marine growth causes issues for the oil and gas industry (operators) by adding additional weight to the structure which may cause damage and impair visual inspection of important equipment, both in routine and decommissioning scenarios. New areas of interest have also developed around platform marine growth, including the potential for marine invasive species, potential "stepping stone" habitats, artificial reefs for conservation (e.g. de-facto MPAs) or fish using the structures for food and shelter. In areas of the Gulf of Mexico, a "rigs-to-reef programme", (the conversion of offshore platforms into designated artificial reefs) is underway. However, in Europe, particularly in the North East Atlantic OSPAR region, there is a requirement to remove all offshore infrastructures from the seabed (although derogations may be granted). As part of the decommissioning plan, an operator may be required to assess the extent of marine growth on a platform to determine the additional weight added to the platform (for structure removal) or for potential organic waste disposal and especially if species of conservation importance (e.g. Lophelia and Sabellaria) are present. This project will use a pre-devolved method (CoralNet) to analysis images of marine growth on offshore structures. The method will allow for more images to be analysed, compared to traditional assessment methodology and will allow for a more consistent approach, potentially providing for a good long-term monitoring tool. In addition, finding new and innovative monitoring methods, is not only about collecting data in the field, but also about how the data should be analysed, with this project will contribute.