Abstract
This project was carried out collaboratively by Oregon State University (OSU) scientists and involved participation by scientists from the Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife (ODFW) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Northwest Fisheries Science Center. The goal of this project was baseline characterization via observations and sample collection of the habitat and biological assemblages present at the future site of the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) Ocean Test Facility near Newport, OR. Specifically, CTD casts, box core and beam trawl collections, and video observations were conducted at the site from spring 2010 to fall 2011. These collections and observations help characterize the baseline variability in habitat and species characteristics across seasons over two years. Below we summarize overall findings. In the following document we report on the spatial and temporal variability of the habitat features and biological assemblages. Finally, we review our participation to date in disseminating these results and outline plans for post-installation monitoring of the Ocean Test Facility site.