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August 2008

Vol. 13, No. 34 Week of August 24, 2008

Study: Seismic doesn’t impact Gulf whales

Powerful acoustic devices used by oil companies searching for new sources of hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Mexico have had no discernible effect on endangered sperm whales living in those waters, according to a federally funded study released Aug. 21.

The six-year, $9.3 million study examined the impact of offshore seismic activity, which involves firing air guns into the water, on the Gulf’s sperm whale population.

“The two are not mutually exclusive,” said Randall Luthi, director of the U.S. Minerals Management Service, which oversees E&P activities in federal waters and which funded the study. “That’s the kind of knowledge we need to have.”

The study sought to establish baseline information about the whales’ biology and behavior, and to determine the effect of man-made noise like seismic probes for subsea oil and natural gas.

“The bottom line is that air-gun noise from seismic surveys that are thousands of yards distant does not drive away sperm whales living in the Gulf,” said Doug Biggs, a professor of oceanography at Texas A&M University and a study participant.

In May, Alaska Native and environmental groups sued to stop exploration by oil companies in Arctic waters frequented by whales, seals and other marine species. The groups are challenging federal permits that allow the companies to search for oil and gas using acoustic devices.

The plaintiffs claim the signals could disrupt tens of thousands of animals as they feed, socialize and travel through the seas of northern Alaska. They say it’s especially worrisome to Alaska Natives in the region who depend on the marine mammals for food and worry they will desert traditional hunting areas for quieter waters.

The Minerals Management Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, both of which grant permits, are defendants in the suit.

—The Associated Press





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