Automation of Marine Growth Analysis for Decommissioning Offshore Installations

永久的近海建筑形成人工礁，为海洋生物提供附着和定居的场所。在英国，一些最古老的平台已经在水中存在了40多年，并且有相当多的海洋生物定居。海洋生长生物一般包括在有光线透过的地方（光区）的海藻、软珊瑚和贻贝，以及在平台较深部分的海葵、水螅和冷水珊瑚。最早发表的海洋生长研究之一是1982年在蒙特罗斯平台上发表的；从那时起，在海上安装海洋生长评估中也有了重大发现，例如在布伦特斯帕尔储存浮标退役期间，首次发现了在海上平台上生长的列入CITES名单的Lophelia pertusa珊瑚，其结果随后发表在1999年的《自然》杂志上。L. pertusa在北海北部的大部分平台上都有记录，因此它们在结构上的存在可能有助于英国和挪威保护珊瑚礁的连通性。海洋生物的生长给油气行业（运营商）带来了很多问题，因为它们给结构增加了额外的重量，这可能会导致重要设备的损坏和视觉检查，无论是在日常作业还是退役的情况下。围绕平台海洋生长的新兴趣领域也得到了发展，包括潜在的海洋入侵物种，潜在的“踏脚石”栖息地，用于保护的人工珊瑚礁（例如事实上的海洋保护区）或使用该结构作为食物和住所的鱼类。在墨西哥湾地区，一项“钻机到礁石计划”（将海上平台改造成指定的人工礁石）正在进行中。但是，在欧洲，特别是在东北大西洋OSPAR区域，要求从海底移走所有离岸基础设施（尽管可以批准减损）。作为退役计划的一部分，运营商可能需要评估平台上海洋生长的程度，以确定平台增加的额外重量（用于结构拆除）或潜在的有机废物处理，特别是如果存在具有重要保护意义的物种（例如Lophelia和Sabellaria）。该项目将使用预下放方法（CoralNet）来分析近海结构上海洋生长的图像。与传统的评估方法相比，该方法将允许分析更多的图像，并且将允许采用更一致的方法，可能提供一个良好的长期监测工具。此外，寻找新的和创新的监测方法，不仅涉及在现场收集数据，还涉及如何分析数据，该项目将作出贡献。

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.