Comparative Review of the Regional Marine Mammal Mitigation Guidelines Implemented During Industrial Seismic Surveys, and Guidance Towards a Worldwide Standard

Weir, Caroline R.; Dolman, Sarah J.

doi:10.1080/13880290701229838

Cited by 68 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Real-time detection of cetaceans using passive acoustics is increasingly recognized as a potential tool for the mitigation of human impacts on the marine environment (Barlow & Gisiner 2006, Castellote 2007, Potter et al 2007, Weir & Dolman 2007. The successful 31 Fig.…”

Section: Towed Array Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management and research applications of real-time and archival passive acoustic sensors over varying temporal and spatial scales

Parijs¹,

Clark²,

Sousa‐Lima

et al. 2009

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

290

239

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Towed Array Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management and research applications of real-time and archival passive acoustic sensors over varying temporal and spatial scales

Parijs¹,

Clark²,

Sousa‐Lima

et al. 2009

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

290

239

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…These reassure the reader that all proposed seismic surveys will be required to follow the UK's Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Guidelines for Minimizing the Risk of Injury and Disturbance to Marine Mammals from Seismic Surveys "in order to ensure that there are no marine mammals within the range that could result in auditory physical impact" [14]. However, earlier versions of these (and other) mitigation guidelines have been widely criticized for their sweeping 'common sense' assumptions, which have little scientific basis, and their questionable efficiency (e.g., [15,16]). The guidelines lack of scientific basis has even been admitted elsewhere by the UK government [17].…”

Section: Defining the Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Myth and Momentum: A Critique of Environmental Impact Assessments

Wright¹,

Dolman²,

Jasny³

et al. 2013

JEP

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are designed to evaluate all reasonably foreseeable environmental consequences of human activities. Appropriate governmental scientists traditionally produced EIAs for management agencies in many countries. However, many EIAs are now contracted out, often to the lowest bidder without due consideration of expertise. Others suffer from limited agency resources. Consequently, many EIAs have become insufficiently researched documents that draw heavily from previous EIAs while being rushed to completion to meet legislative deadlines or avoid delaying projects. Habitual treatment of topics often ignores recent scientific literature, perpetuating previous misconceptions and analytical flaws. Common problems in EIAs discussing wildlife include: a focus on lethal takes, with little consideration of non-lethal impacts or habitat degradation; a general dismissal of the possibility that non-significant (to the resource) impacts can, when combined, become significant; and the assumption that behavioral habituation in animals represents an end of impact. Incentive to break the cycle is somewhat lacking in this now often commercially competitive environment, where contracts are increasingly awarded by industry, generating potential conflict of interest. We believe investment in thorough, impartially written, scientifically-based and up-to-date EIAs is important for appropriately representing and managing ecosystems and their resources and avoiding potentially expensive litigation.

show abstract

“…We recommend modeling of sound propagation for each survey, the acoustic thresholds that would (or may?) be used to determine the extent of the mitigation zone could be review at NMFS ( Some guidelines stipulate that airguns should be completely powered down during line changes or when outside of the seismic prospecting area (Weir & Dolman 2007). However, if the guns stop firing and a group of animals enter the mitigation zone without being detected by PAM/MMOs, they may be subjected to harm if the soft start is not used to avoid high doses.…”

Section: Mitigation Provision Notesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An observer's decision to shut down and restart a seismic exercise can cause significant eco-nomic losses. Some guidelines indicate that seismic survey operations may recommence after 30 min once the animals have moved outside the mitigation zone (see Weir & Dolman 2007), but most guidelines would require another soft start before reaching operational levels. The UK's guidelines also suggest that start-up activities take place using a soft-start procedure (JNCC 2017), which delays the retrieval of valid seismic data under normal operating conditions.…”

Section: Mitigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the case of fish and invertebrates, ecosystems that should be avoided are cold-water coral reefs (mesophotic 50 to 150 m), fishing grounds, shallow-water seamounts (summit between 200 and 1000 m), and current convergence zones, among others -not only for their ecological prominence, but also their socioeconomic importance to fishing communities (Hirst & Rodhouse 2000). Seasonality must also be taken into account when granting licenses for seismic operations within the blocks, as many of the species' life processes are seasonal (Weir & Dolman 2007, Allen 2015.…”

Section: Mitigation Provision Notesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Mitigation provisions to be implemented for marine seismic surveying in Latin America: a review based on fish and cetaceans

Acosta¹,

Niño-Rodríguez²,

Yepes³

et al. 2017

Aquat. Biol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Population growth and economic development in Latin America has led to an increase in seismic surveying to find new marine hydrocarbon reserves. However, most countries along the Pacific, Atlantic, and Caribbean lack the standards to minimize the impact of seismic exploration on marine organisms. We searched primary and secondary literature in major databases and consulted international authorities and oil companies to provide scientific evidence of the effects of seismic surveying on fish and cetaceans in order to propose minimum guidelines to reduce disturbance to marine organisms in Latin America. The results suggest that seismic surveys can disrupt basic life-cycle activities such as movement, communication, and feeding. Typical outcomes include sub-lethal effects such as escape behavior, habituation, temporary loss of hearing, and changes in vocalization behavior. In order to mitigate these impacts, we propose that oil companies must provide authorities with an environmental impact assessment that includes survey data, array specifications, and acoustic array properties before a hydrocarbon exploration license can be granted. Standard mitigation measures such as exclusion zones, marine mammal observers, and passive acoustic monitoring must be implemented to prevent potential adverse effects. Appropriate legislation and regulations must be designed and implemented, and environmental authorities should be privy to all activities by seismic vessels. Besides relevant regulations and continued monitoring, further investigation must be conducted to evaluate the impact of these activities on marine organisms. The adoption of these proposed minimum guidelines is highly recommended to minimize seismic surveying impact on fish and cetaceans in Latin American countries.

show abstract

Comparative Review of the Regional Marine Mammal Mitigation Guidelines Implemented During Industrial Seismic Surveys, and Guidance Towards a Worldwide Standard

Cited by 68 publications

References 0 publications

Management and research applications of real-time and archival passive acoustic sensors over varying temporal and spatial scales

Management and research applications of real-time and archival passive acoustic sensors over varying temporal and spatial scales

Myth and Momentum: A Critique of Environmental Impact Assessments

Mitigation provisions to be implemented for marine seismic surveying in Latin America: a review based on fish and cetaceans

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About