Subsea pipelines have been installed in all major hydrocarbon basins across the globe to support the offshore Oil & Gas (O&G) industry. These artificial structures provide hard substratum that can be colonised and utilised by sessile and mobile organisms. The present study utilises industry-collected remotely operated vehicle (ROV) video to assess fish species richness and abundance, and marine growth type, extent and complexity along sections of a subsea gas pipeline, in 56-82 m depth, that traverses the Australian Commonwealth Montebello Marine Park (MMP). A total of 7493 fish from 81 species and 33 families were recorded from 606 analysed 10 m transects spaced across sections of the pipeline. Of these 81 species, 27 are considered fishery-target species in the Pilbara Demersal Scalefish fishery (PDSF), with select commercial fishing activities permitted with authorisation within the Marine Park. A moderate abundance (175) of sub-adult red emperor (Luyanus sebae), a fisheryindicator species, were observed along the pipeline. Eleven different categories of marine growth habitat were observed, with the pipeline possessing quite uniform coverage of encrusting marine growth (coralline algae, bryozoans, ascidians, etc.) with patchy occurrences of more structurally complex sponges and black/octocoral forms. Fish species richness and abundance of the commercially targeted Moses' snapper (Luyanus russellii) were correlated positively with increasing cover of sponges. The pipeline itself had very few spans and was never more than fractionally buried. Despite the somewhat homogenous habitats, depths, and position of the pipeline relative to the seafloor, presence of a field joint indent had a positive influence on the abundance of some common and commercially important fish species. This study demonstrates the ecological value of ROV footage obtained during industry inspection operations that were conducted for reasons unrelated to the determination of ecological information. The pipeline offers a corridor of hard bottom habitat within a marine park that facilitates epibiotic growth and the presence of reef-associated species in a region characterised by sandy sediments. Results indicate the potential importance of subsea O&G infrastructure as a habitat for fish, and in consequence, potentially also as structures with value to fisheries.

Nocturnal studies of fish assemblages are relatively rare, particularly at depths greater than 100 m, despite the relevance of diel shifts in habitat usage to fisheries management. This study assesses fish diversity and abundance from remotely operated vehicle (ROV) video recordings that were collected by industry during the day and at night in the course of a subsea pipeline survey, at 130 m depth. A total of 34,862 fish from 41 species and 25 families were recorded along the 23 km of pipeline. The pipeline was characterised by a high abundance of commercially important snapper (Lutjanidae) and grouper (Epinephelidae) species. The fish assemblage sampled along the pipeline during the day differed markedly to that sampled at night time. Several ubiquitous predatory species, e.g. Epinephelus areolatus, Lutjanus quinquelineatus, Lutjanus russellii, where present during the day but not at night, likely moving off the pipeline to feed in nearby habitats. Structurally complex mesophotic epibenthic habitat forming invertebrates were observed on the pipeline including; mesophotic corals, crinoids (featherstars), gorgonocephalids (basket stars), hydroids, true anemones and sponges, but elsewhere in the region, historical trawling effort is thought to have removed such organisms and extensively modified the original habitat. These complex epibenthic habitats were considered to be important to commercial target species and the modification or loss of these habitats is thought to have negatively impacted the valuable commercial fisheries in the region. This study suggests pipelines can offer a significant epibenthic habitat and refuge for fish, potentially comparable to the historical habitats lost to trawling. Fish diversity and abundance was observed to be consistently greater where a gap/crevice existed beneath the pipeline and many species were frequently observed in conjunction with the complex invertebrate matrix above the pipeline, under spanning sections beneath the pipeline and at the pipeline-sediment interface, regardless of time of day. Further dietary analysis, spatially explicit fisheries modelling and off-pipeline surveys on the natural seafloor are required to further investigate the ecological value of pipelines and its influence in fish behaviour. The study builds knowledge of mesophotic coastal fish ecology and will help to inform discussions regarding the ecological and fisheries implications of decommissioning and the removal of subsea infrastructure.

Information on the potential ecological value of offshore oil and gas infrastructure is required as it reaches the end of its operational life and decisions must be made regarding the best practice option for decommissioning. This study uses baited remote underwater stereo-video systems to assess fish assemblages along an offshore subsea pipeline and in adjacent natural seabed habitats at ∼140 m depth on the North West Shelf of Western Australia. A total of 955 fish from 40 species and 25 families were recorded. Species richness was, on average 25% higher on the pipeline (6.48 ± 0.37 SE) than off (4.81 ± 0.28 SE) while relative abundance of fish was nearly double on the pipeline (20.38 ± 2.81 SE) than in adjacent natural habitats (10.97 ± 1.02 SE). The pipeline was characterised by large, commercially important species known to associate with complex epibenthic habitat and, as such, possessed a biomass of commercial fish ca 7.5 × higher and catch value ca. 8.6 × ($65.11 ± $11.14 SE) than in adjacent natural habitats ($7.57 ± $2.41 SE). This study has added to the knowledge of fish assemblage associations with subsea infrastructure and provides a greater understanding of the ecological and fisheries implications of decommissioning, helping to better inform decision-making on the fate of infrastructure.

When production ceases, offshore oil and gas wells are taken out of service which involves safely plugging, abandoning and usually removing most of the associated subsea equipment. This process must consider impacts to marine ecosystems to meet regulatory requirement and for best environmental practice. However, there is a paucity of information globally on the ecosystem value of these structures, despite the many thousands that are installed throughout our oceans. This study provides the first assessment of fish assemblages and habitats formed by colonising invertebrates on oil and gas wellheads and associated infrastructure in depths of 78–825 m on the north west shelf of Western Australia. Video footage was obtained from Remotely Operated Vehicles deployed by industry on 25 wellhead structures, with six surveyed in each of four distinct depth zones: 78–85 m, 125–135 m, 350–395 m and 490–550 m, and one in 825 m depth. A total of 7278 individual fish from 60 species and 35 families were observed. Commercially important lutjanid (snapper) and epinephelid (grouper) species were common and most abundant on well infrastructure to depths of 135 m, but were absent in depths > 350 m. An as yet unidentified species of roughy, recorded here as Gephyroberyx sp. was the most common fish species observed on well infrastructure in depths > 350 m. Two speckled swellsharks (Cephaloscyllium speccum), believed to be endemic to north-west Australia, were observed for the first time in situ. Numerous fish species were observed at depths beyond their known limits and two IUCN vulnerable species were recorded: the grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus; 135 m depth) and the round ribbontail ray (Taeniura meyeni; 78 m depth). Fish assemblages and colonising invertebrate habitats present on wellheads and associated infrastructure were strongly influenced by depth, age and height of the structures. Older, taller wellheads in depths < 135 m possessed greater abundances of groupers, snappers, site-attached reef species, and transient pelagic fish species. Beyond 350 m depth, the number of species and total fish abundance declined markedly, as did the percent cover of ascidians, black/octocorals, sponges and Gorgonocephalidae (basket stars) observed growing on the infrastructure. Deeper structures were characterised by an abundance of Gephyroberyx sp. and, while these structures had less colonising invertebrate coverage in general, crinoids (490–550 m) and crustacea (barnacles; 350–395 m) were dominant at these depths. With very little known about marine ecosystems in depths > 100 m, or about wellheads as a type of subsea structure, this study demonstrates the ecological value of ROV footage obtained during industry operations and is indicative of the importance of subsea oil and gas infrastructure as a habitat for fish, and potentially as structures with value to fisheries.