IAGC Involved in Effort to Protect the Whales
Environmental and Safety Issues
The geophysical industry is actively participating
in research programs to better identify the impact of air-gun arrays
on marine mammals — IAGC members, for example, have committed to
fund a seismic vessel for an MMS led research project this summer
in the Gulf of Mexico.
IAGC president Chip Gill said this will be the third
year of the study examining the impacts of industry activity on
sperm whales in the Gulf.
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The geophysical industry is actively participating
in research programs to better identify the impact of air-gun arrays
on marine mammals — IAGC members, for example, have committed to
fund a seismic vessel for an MMS led research project this summer
in the Gulf of Mexico.
IAGC president Chip Gill said this will be the third
year of the study examining the impacts of industry activity on
sperm whales in the Gulf.
There was no general awareness of sperm whales in
the Gulf of Mexico until the 1980s as the petroleum industry moved
out into deeper waters where the giant mammals feed.
The research program will satellite tag whales to
monitor their movements on the surface as well as affix a temporary
tag that can provide data on the whales' position, acoustic information
– both vocalizations and what the animal is hearing – and physiological
data like heart rate.
IAGC will be providing the seismic source vessel
and will help design an experiment that looks at the animals' behavior:
- Before any seismic source is introduced into the water.
- Any alterations in behavior when a seismic source is introduced.
- How they respond when the seismic source is removed from the
water.
"There appears to be less concern about the immediate
physical impact on the animals," Gill said. "It is generally accepted
by the research and regulatory community that these animals are
not physically harmed – the question is how seismic acoustic noise
affects behavior.
"Does it interrupt their ability to feed, mate or
raise their young? Research like the program planned for this summer
should help answer some of those questions."