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 These studies are typically undertaken for the Oil & Gas industry around proposed drilling or development locations, or in regional areas for governmental departments. In addition to some broad scale acoustic data acquisition, environmental sampling is typically undertaken using a variety of seabed samplers, as well as video and stills photography. Samples are processed offshore in a similar way to that for inshore projects, except that the biological meshes are often finer due to the smaller size of deeper water organisms. Particular attention is paid to the avoidance of low level contamination from the sampling equipment or the survey vessel itself.
 The physico-chemical data are normally analysed for several parameters, but particularly heavy metals and hydrocarbons to very low detection limits. Both the macrofauna and physico-chemical results are combined and analysed to provide a suitable baseline for a template, habitat change or regional baseline.
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