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EP Sound Marine Life Joint Industry
Programme Research and Development to Inform
Decision Making, Risk Reduction and Management
Compiled by John V. Young John Campbell
Presented by Ingebret Gausland
October, 2008
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Introduction

• Purpose Review of the OGP JIP Sound and Marine
  Life
• to the Arctic Study Tour, 14. October 2008
• Content
• - The marine sound issue
• - Current mitigation measures
• - Scope of JIP Phase II
• - JIP Phase II research categories / projects
• - Ongoing JIP Phase III discussions

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Possible effects of industry sound on animals

• Mortality
• Temporary (TTS) or permanent (PTS) hearing loss
• Interference which can lead to damaging
  behavioral changes in feeding, mating, shoaling,
  migration, etc.
• Interference with animal sonar or long-distance
  communication
• Undesirable effects on fishing and indigenous
  subsistence hunting
• Undesirable effects at other levels of the
  ecosystem including planktonic organisms and
  juvenile stages

Result lack of scientific data hampers risk
assessment, causes permitting delays, increased
environmental opposition, increased operational
costs and potential safety risks
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Marine Acquisition System
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Current Mitigation Examples

• Pre-survey planning
• Visual monitoring visual observers monitor a
  pre-determined radius around the source vessel
  for at least 30 minutes prior to initiating
  soft-start procedure
• Soft-start smallest airgun in terms of energy
  output and volume is activated first, additional
  airguns gradually added over a 20-40 minute
  period
• Exclusion zones range from 500m-1500m must be
  clear of specific animals before soft-start may
  commence energy sources must be shut-down if
  animal enters zone (except UK)
• Licence Conditions which exclude seismic during
  fish spawning periods
• Seasonal restrictions

• Within the last year, Australia, Brazil, Canada,
  Ireland, U.K. and U.S.A have introduced, revised
  or are reviewing guidelines resulting in
• Direct and Indirect risks to resource access
• Risk of not being able to conduct operations in
  low visibility
• Increased survey expense
• Increased survey duration
• Investment in mitigation technologies /
  methodologies
• Increased safety risks

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Sound and Marine Life JIPProgramme Objectives
The Purpose of the JIP on Sound and Marine Life
is to promote peer-reviewed research which allows
Industry to

• Understand / define the environmental risks of
  offshore operations
• Reduce regulatory uncertainty by providing
  scientific data
• Develop cost effective, credible mitigation
  measures
• Improve efficiency of planning offshore project
  development

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Programme Profile

• Phase I, one year scoping study, completed late
  2005
• 14 members in Phase 2 Duration 3 years (May 06
  thru May 09)
• 2008 final year of awarding contracts 2010/11
  for completion of all contracted work
• Approx. USD 8M/year of funds gtUSD 20M
  committed to date
• Methods fund research using bid/award process
  publish all peer-reviewed results release all
  data to public
• Partners Regulators, Government Agencies,
  Others.
• Key Research Questions Provide Focus
• Priorities Determined by Executive Committee
• Technical Mgmt. Committee, External Advisors,
  Regulatory / Operational Needs
• Transparency
• Peer-reviewed Published (contractual
  requirement)
• Website (www.soundandmarinelife.org)

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Research Contracts/Leverage Partners
Location of Contracts USA 31 Canada
6 UK 16 Norway 2 Denmark
2 Australia 1 S. Africa 1

Total 59

• Australian government (start 2008)
• Norwegian Defense Research Establishment
• U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service
  (regulator)
• U.S. Office of Naval Research
• U.S. Navy (NAVSEA and OPNAV)
• U.S. Minerals Management Service
• U.S. National Science Foundation (basic science)

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Source Pathway Receiver Model
Physical Injury Auditory Injury
Behavior Changes

• Receiver
• audiogram
• demographic
• activity
• population status

Behavior
Diving Breathing Vocalization...
Biological Significance
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JIP Phase 2

• Category 1 Sound Source Characterization and
  Propagation
• Better define the output from EP industry
  sources and how the sound propagates
• Category 2 Physical, Physiological, and Hearing
  Effects
• Characterize the physical and physiological
  effects of sound on target marine life, gain
• understanding on what and how animals hear, and
  how exposure affects hearing ability
• Category 3 Behavioural Reactions of Marine Life
  and Biological Significance
• Better understand behavioural responses of marine
  life to industry sound sources, and
• The biological significance of these exposures
• Category 4 Mitigation, Monitoring, Analysis
  Management of Monitoring Data
• Reduce exposure of animals, thereby allowing
  industry to operate more effectively in
• areas which are subject to sensitivity
  restrictions and low light/visibility conditions
• Category 5 Research Tools
• Includes development of satellite tags,
  autonomous bouys and other tools that enable
• Us to conduct research in other categories

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Category 1 - Sound Source Characterization and
Propagation
Physical Injury Auditory Injury
Behavior Changes

• Receiver
• audiogram
• demographic
• activity
• population status

Behavior
Diving Breathing Vocalization...

• Reviewed historical data on underwater sounds
  (C)
• Workshop / review sound attenuation methods (C)
• 3D Source Characterisation Fieldwork complete
  (C), data analysis (I)
• Single Gun Characterisation 1 gun type (C),
  additional (P)
• Measurement Standards analysis metrics workshop
  (C), acquisition
• standards workshop (P)
• Propagation Model verification (P)
• EA of Marine Vibroseis Technology (I)

Biological Significance
(C) Completed (P) Planned (I) Initiated
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Common error in the understanding of Geophysical
Principles.
The figure to the right is said to show an airgun
pulse recorded by a sonobuoy at 39 km distance.
Since the sound travel faster through the
bedrock than through water, it is obvious that
the bedrock signal should arrive first. At a
distance of 39 km the energy that has traveled
through water will be strongly attenuated
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Category 2 - Physical, Physiological, and Hearing
Effects
Physical Injury Auditory Injury
Behavior Changes

• Receiver
• audiogram
• demographic
• activity
• population status

Behavior
Diving Breathing Vocalization...

• Lab tested Bends hypothesis (C)
• Published methods for measuring AEP (C)
• Developed Mysticete hearing research strategy
  (C)
• Workshop anatomical model of Minke whale
  hearing (C)
• Minke whale hearing off Iceland (C-
  unsuccessful)
• Measure TTS in Pinnipeds, Dolphins, Beluga
  (P)
• Turtle audiograms (I)
• Fish tissue damage workshop modeling study (C)

Biological Significance
(C) Completed (P) Planned (I) Initiated
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Category 3 - Behavioural Reactions of Marine Life
Biological Significance
Physical Injury Auditory Injury
Behavior Changes

• Receiver
• audiogram
• demographic
• activity
• population status

Behavior
Diving Breathing Vocalization...

• Whale behavior study on AUTEC range
  (C-unsuccessful)
• Biological Significance workshop (C)
• Cetacean stock assessments (I)
• Population modeling (I)
• Refine PCAD biological significance model (I)
• Risk assessment development (I)
• Testing of alerting responses on whales (P)

Biological Significance
(C) Completed (P) Planned (I) Initiated
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Category 4 - Mitigation, Monitoring, Analysis
Management of Monitoring Data
Physical Injury Auditory Injury

• Sound Source
• source level
• spectral content
• duty cycle
• directivity

• Receiver
• audiogram
• demographic
• activity
• population status

Behavior Changes
Diving Breathing Vocalization...
Behavior

• Evaluation of active sonar for detecting whales
  (C)
• Sound attenuation technology and methods (C)
• Collation and potential use of existing marine
  mammal observer data (C)
• Development of PAMGUARD software for the
  detection
• and location classification of whales while
  using a towed PAM system (I)
• PAMGUARD field testing during the 2007 CODA
  field trial (C) 2008 (P)
• Estimating marine mammal population densities
  from fixed PAM
• data (co-funded with NOAA Acoustics Program)
  (I)
• Soft-start effectiveness workshop/review (P)
• Review of current fixed installation PAM methods
  technologies (I)
• Review of current Active Acoustic Monitoring
  methods technologies (P)

Biological Significance
(C) Completed (P) Planned (I) Initiated
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Category 5 Research Tools
Physical Injury Auditory Injury
Behavior Changes

• Receiver
• audiogram
• demographic
• activity
• population status

Behavior
Diving Breathing Vocalization...

• Workshop on technology (tags) needed to measure
  animal response to
• sound (C)
• Field testing of GPS/depth tags on Sperm whales
  in the Sea of Cortez (C)
• Compilations of knowledge on Underwater Gliders
  (P)
• Compilations of knowledge on Unmanned Aerial
  Systems (P)

Biological Significance
(C) Completed (P) Planned (I) Initiated
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Category 6 Other
Physical Injury Auditory Injury
Behavior Changes

• Receiver
• audiogram
• demographic
• activity
• population status

Behavior
Diving Breathing Vocalization...

• Support for ASA workgroup on noise exposure
  criteria for fish and turtles (C)
• Support for the International Conference on the
  Effects of Noise on
• Aquatic Life (C)
• Support for the 17th biennial Conference on the
  Biology of Marine Mammals (C)
• Workshop tutorial introducing PAMGUARD to
  potential users (C)
• Support to workshop on research design of
  initiative to inform PCAD model (C)
• JIP Programme Review Meeting, Houston, Oct 2008
  (P)

Biological Significance
(C) Completed (P) Planned (I) Initiated
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Potential Future Research

• Additional source measurements to properly and
  fully characterize EP sources
• Effectiveness limitations of propagation models
  
• Alternative sources to air guns for seismic
  acquisition
• Mitigation and monitoring tools and methods e.g.,
  PAM, underwater gliders, Unmanned Aerial Systems
  (UAS), Active Acoustic Monitoring (AAM) methods
• Distribution/abundance and behavioural analysis
• MMO database implementation
• Studies on ringed seals because it is thought
  that seals experience TTS at lower exposures
• Mysticete, baleen and beaked whale hearing.
• Stapedial reflex, and whether it protects against
  unanticipated sound
• Fish and turtle research
• Animal responses to specific marine vibroseis
  transducers
• Investigation of new methods for measuring
  long-term and cumulative effects of sound plus
  non-acoustic stressors in the marine environment

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OGP JIP Sound and Marine LifeConclusions

• A significant research program is undertaken, and
  results are coming in during the next few years
• All aspects of EP activities creating sound has
  been addressed, but seismic surveys has been
  given most attention in Phase II.
• 59 projects are included in the program, some
  already completed.
• A Program Review Meeting will take place in
  Houston, October 28 30, 2008.
• Possible 3 year extension (2009 2012) of the
  JIP will be decided later this year.

Thank you for your attention.
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