Skrumpky
Transcription
Skrumpky
U.S. Navy Marine Species Monitoring Program This is a work product for the purpose of technical review. All data and information in this presentation is preliminary and should not be cited or reproduced without first contacting the presenter. All field work is conducted under appropriate permits under ESA/MMPA. Please visit the US Navy Marine Species Monitoring Program web portal for additional information on this project – www.navymarinespeciesmonitoring.us US Navy Marine Species Monitoring Program – Atlantic Technical Review Meeting Virginia Beach, VA 30-31 March 2015 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: An Overview and Review of PAM in the Atlantic Kimberly Skrupky [email protected] • BOEM promotes energy independence, environmental protection and economic development through responsible, science-based management of offshore conventional and renewable energy and marine mineral resources • BOEM’s Office of Environmental Programs conducts environmental reviews and compliance documents for each major stage of energy development planning • BOEM’s scientists conduct and oversee environmental studies to inform policy decisions relating to the management of energy and marine mineral resources on the OCS Environmental Impacts Oil and gas, renewable energy, and marine mineral mining (BOEM’s 3 program areas) on the OCS all impact the environment • Oil spills • Bottom disturbance • Obstructions to movement & migration • Noise • Air emissions • Lighting • Vessel traffic • “Viewscape” Environmental Studies Program Overview • Initiated in 1973 to support the DOI offshore oil and gas leasing program • Authorized by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act • Over $1 billion in funded research • About $35 million funded annually • Publications posted on BOEM website http://www.boem.gov/Environmental-StudiesEnvData/ Studies Budget FY 2010-2014 $170 Million Cumulative 9% 4% 9% Air Quality 16% Fates & Effects 28% Habitat & Ecology Information Management 29% 5% Marine Mammals & Protected Species Physical Oceanography Social Science & Economics Key Considerations for Studies • • • • Need Merit Feasibility Cost Renewable Energy PAM Studies Maryland • Co-operative agreement with Maryland DNR in collaboration with University of Maryland and Cornell • Objectives: – Determine the temporal occurrence and spatial distributions of vocalizing marine mammals (including right whales, fin whales, humpback whales, minke whales and any small cetacean species) identified using a combination of automated call detection software and expert human validation – Estimate specific spatial locations and movements of right whales within and near the Maryland WEA, using an acoustic localization array. For each right whale contact call recorded by three or more hydrophones, the location of the calling right whale will be estimated using software that computes the most likely location for the whale based on arrival time differences – Assess ambient sound levels throughout the Maryland WEA • Period of Performance: May 2014-May 2017; two years of data collection and one year for analysis • PAM Design: Deployed November 2014 – 10 MARUs sampling at 2 kHz to detect large whales (lower frequencies): 7 MARUs within the WEA and three outside the WEA; Grid array to facilitate localization of vocalizing whales – 4 C-PODs monitors the 20-160 kHz frequency range, sampling at 50 kHz (mid to high frequencies): 1 unit within the WEA, 3 units outside the WEA: 1 unit inshore, 2 units offshore Maryland PAM Renewable Energy PAM Studies VA PAM • • Co-operative agreement with Cornell NOFA published week of March 23, 2015 http://www.boem.gov/press03242015a/ • Objectives: • Continue and expand Cornell’s PAM data collection offshore VA June 2011-March 2013 • Describe marine mammal presence, distribution and seasonality within the VA WEA • Provide data on ambient noise levels to assist in determining the potential impacts from underwater noise that may occur during construction and operation of offshore wind energy facilities on marine mammals • Analysis of data collected during the co-occurrence of geophysical surveys (Fugro) and passive acoustic monitoring (Cornell) offshore VA Period of Performance: 2015-2017 PAM Design: Still to be determined but the array will facilitate localization of vocalizing whales within the WEA and stretch out to the shelf break • • Virginia PAM AMAPPS II PAM WESTERN ATLANTIC HARP APPAY PROJECT • Under existing AMAPPS II Inter Agency agreement • Dr Sofie van Parijs from NMFS NEFSC is the PI • Objectives: • Monitor the full suite of marine mammal species (vocalizing in the 10Hz to ~ 96kHz range) that utilize the Western Atlantic shelf break year round • Where possible, collect an acoustic baseline prior to the commencement of oil and gas operations off the Western Atlantic • Period of Performance: Still being determined based on funding considerations, for now 2015-2016 • PAM Design: • Still being determined, based on funding availability. Hoping to have a Western Atlantic-wide HARP array i.e. Maine to FL • GOMR provided $800K for shelf break HARP deployment in SE area of interest for BOEM’s oil and gas program • Leveraging existing Navy HARPs offshore VA, NC and FL, in collaboration with Duke University and SEFSC HARPs • Require further funding for additional units and analysis Proposed Atlantic HARP Array Potential NC PAM NC PAM Currently reviewing a proposal for PAM array offshore NC including Wilmington and Kitty Hawk WEAs. Thanks! For more information regarding these PAM efforts, contact Desray Reeb at [email protected] Or you can reach me at [email protected]