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Acoustic Monitoring and Marine Mammal Surveys in the Gully and Outer Scotian Shelf Before and During Active Seismic Programs

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Acoustic Monitoring and Marine Mammal Surveys in the Gully and Outer Scotian Shelf Before and During Active Seismic Programs ACOUSTIC MONITORING AND MARINE MAMMAL SURVEYS IN THE GULLY AND OUTER SCOTIAN SHELF BEFORE AND DURING ACTIVE SEISMIC PROGRAMS Edited by: Kenneth Lee Centre for Offshore Oil and Gas Environmental Research (COOGER) Fisheries and Oceans Canada 1 Challenger Drive, PO Box 1006 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, B2Y 4A2 Hugh Bain Environmental Science Fisheries and Oceans Canada 200 Kent Street Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0E6 Geoffrey V. Hurley Hurley Environment Ltd. 58 Parkedge Crescent Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2V 2V2 December 2005 I The correct citation for this report is: Lee, K., H. Bain, and G.V. Hurley. Editors. 2005. Acoustic Monitoring and Marine Mammal Surveys in The Gully and Outer Scotian Shelf before and during Active Seismic Programs. Environmental Studies Research Funds Report No. 151, 154 p + xx. Fisheries and Oceans Canada Centre for Offshore Oil and Gas Environmental Research (COOGER) 1 Challenger Drive, PO Box 1006 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, B2Y 4A2 December 2005 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The editors would like to thank Rosalie Allen Jarvis (COOGER) for coordinating and administering theGully Seismic Research Program, and for editing and assembling early versions of this report. We also thank the numerous external reviewers for their effort. Patrick Stewart, Envirosphere Consultants Limited assisted with the overview section and final production. Published under the auspices of the Environmental Studies Research Funds ISBN 0-921652-62-3 II GULLY SEISMIC RESEARCH PROGRAM TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents List of Tables ..............................................................................................................................................iv List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................. v Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................x Resume ......................................................................................................................................................x Overview of the Gully Seismic Research Program. K. Lee, H. Bain and G.V. Hurley .....................................................................................................xi The Gully Marine Protected Area and Northern Bottlenose Whales on the Scotian Shelf. P. Macnab...................................................................................................................................... 1 Summary report on acoustic monitoring of Marathon Canada Petroleum ULC 2003 Cortland/Empire 3-D seismic program. M. Austin and S. Carr. ...................................................................................................................15 Marine mammal monitoring of a seismic survey on the Scotian Slope, 2003. V.D. Moulton and G.W. Miller.........................................................................................................29 Marine mammal monitoring and seismic source signature analysis: EnCana’s Stonehouse 3-D seismic survey, 2003. J.R. Potter, M. Chitre, P. Seekings and C. Douglas........................................................................41 Far-field measurements of seismic airgun array pulses in the Nova Scotia Gully Marine Protected Area. I.H. McQuinn and D. Carrier...........................................................................................................57 Near-bottom ocean acoustic observations in the Scotian Shelf Gully Marine Protected Area during an exploration seismic survey. N.A. Cochrane...............................................................................................................................75 Hydroacoustic analysis of marine mammal vocalization data from ocean bottom seismometer mounted hydrophones in the Gully. M.H. Laurinolli and N.A. Cochrane.................................................................................................89 Measurement of whale and seismic sounds in the Scotian Gully and adjacent canyons in July 2003. Y. Simard, F. Samaran and N. Roy................................................................................................97 Distribution and abundance indices of marine mammals in the Gully and two adjacent canyons of the Scotian Shelf before and during nearby hydrocarbon seismic exploration programs in April and July, 2003. J-F. Gosselin,and J.W. Lawson....................................................................................................117 Marine mammal vocalization data from the Gully region off Nova Scotia. S. Vagle, P. Chandler and N. Erickson. .............................................................................................139 III GULLY SEISMIC RESEARCH PROGRAM LIST OF TABLES List of Tables Table 1. Summary of acoustic measurements made from 26-29 June 2003.............................................. 17 Table 2. Distances to sound level thresholds at three hydrophone depths. These distances were obtained by fitting a modeled sound level curve to data obtained at the 2.59 km CPA. The 160 dB ranges were determined directly from measurements............................................................................................ 22 Table 3. Summary of marine mammal sighting distances, rates, and behaviour during non-seismic and seismic periods in the ‘Seismic Analysis Area’. Sightings during periods of poor visibility and high sea states are excluded. ......................................................................................................................... 36 Table 4. Detection events during the survey for the visual and acoustic observations. .............................. 48 Table 5. Date, location, hydrophone and bottom depth, sound speed at recording depth and estimates of peak sound pressure level, SPL and SEL and associated statistics at each recording station. ........... 63 Table 6. Comparison between sound propagation model predictions at various distances (identified by the track no.) in May and June (50 m) and field measurements (identified by station no.) at various stations in July (90 m). ................................................................................................................................... 68 Table 7. Locations, depths, and recording periods of deployed OBS’s. ..................................................... 78 Table 8. Comparison of observed and predicted seismic spectral levels at OBS stations on selected profiles. ........................................................................................................................................... 85 Table 9. Sampling coordinates. .............................................................................................................. 102 Table 10. Density indices of Northern bottlenose whales and 10 species of marine mammals in the Gully on 30 April, 10 and 11 July and in the Shortland Haldimand area on 1 May 2003. Analyses were conducted using the software Distance 4.1. Abundance indices are based on 1851 km2 for the Shortland Haldimand area and on 1565 km2 and 2218 km2 for the Gully in spring and summer respectively. Density and abundance indices are not corrected for availability (g(0)) to consider the proportion of animals not at the surface or overlooked while the vessel was passing. ...................... 123 Table 11. Types of marine mammal vocalizations observed in the hydrophone data and automated for detection during analysis................................................................................................................. 142 IV GULLY SEISMIC RESEARCH PROGRAM LIST OF FIGURES List of Figures Figure 1. Timeline of seismic and research activity of the Gully Seismic Research Program. ............. xiv Figure 2. Boundary and management zones of the Gully Marine Protected Area and Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board licence areas as of August 2004......................................................5 Figure 3. Map of study area indicating the relevant seismic blocks, the Gully Whale Sanctuary, the proposed Marine Protected Area is outlined in red (outside the Sanctuary) and the location of Sable Island. ........................................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 4. Viking (green lines) and Signet (pink lines) tracks during close range recordings on 26 June and 27 June 2003. Viking was sailing along: Line 1090 (top left), Line 1110 (top right), and Line 1430 (bottom left)....................................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 5. Peak, RMS and Energy Flux Density levels versus range measured at three hydrophone depths while the Viking was sailing Northwards acquiring data on seismic line 1110.......................... 20 Figure 6. Pressure waveform from an airgun shot received at a distance of 2.59 km........................... 21 Figure 7. Pressure waveform from an airgun shot received at a distance of 5 km. .............................. 21 Figure 8. Viking (green line) and Signet (pink line) tracks during far-field data measurements on 27 June 2003. Viking is sailing along seismic line 1430. .................................................................... 22 Figure 9. Peak, RMS, and energy flux density levels plotted versus range for hydrophone at 74 m depth (left) and 171 m depth (right). ...........................................................................................................
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