Arctic | Mammals
20-Year synthesis of the effects of oil and gas activities on marine mammals of the U.S. Arctic and Cook Inlet, Alaska Presenter: Anne Southam , anne@eco49.com, ECO49 Consulting, LLC Sue Ban , sueban@eco49.com, ECO49 Consulting, LLC P. Michael Payne , michael@eco49.com, ECO49 Consulting, LLC Douglass DeMaster , doug.demaster@gmail.com, Marine Analytical Consultants, LLC Heather Crowley , Heather.Crowley@boem.gov, U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management A retrospective synthesis regarding the potential effects of oil and gas exploration and development on marine mammals in the U.S. Arctic and Cook Inlet, Alaska was funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to support compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Endangered Species Act. This comprehensive review of over 600 peer-reviewed publications, scientific literature, assessments, rulemaking and marine mammal monitoring reports summarized what has been documented about the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of oil and gas activities on marine mammals in Cook Inlet and the Alaskan Beaufort and Chukchi seas for the period 2000 – 2020. Based on the available data for this 20-year period, over 230 relevant topics were categorized and distilled into a two-volume report that describes the types of effects that may occur, effects that have been documented through monitoring and research, and the mitigation measures that have been implemented to minimize impacts on marine mammals. The large volume of information produced over 20 years demonstrates a concerted effort to predict and assess the potential interactions between marine mammals and oil and gas activities and provides a basis for determining what information may be needed for future decision-making.
Alaska Marine Science Symposium 2023 82
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