Mitigating the Potential Effects of Underwater Sound on Marine Mammals - A Global Overview

Concerns regarding the potential impacts of underwater sound upon marine species such as whales, dolphins and porpoises has led to the implementation of mitigation measures during marine seismic operations. These measures include the use of personnel and passive acoustic equipment to monitor for species within a given safety zone around the source, delay and shutdown to the source during operations. These procedures have become a common part of marine seismic surveys and represent best practice with regard to environmental responsibility.