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Request by Scripps Institution of Oceanography Request by Scripps Institution of Oceanography for an Incidental Harassment Authorization to Allow the Incidental Take of Marine Mammals during Low-Energy Marine Geophysical Surveys by R/V Thomas G. Thompson in the South Atlantic Ocean, November–December 2019 Submitted by Scripps Institution of Oceanography 8602 La Jolla Shores Drive La Jolla, CA 92037 to National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources 1315 East–West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282 Application prepared by LGL Limited, environmental research associates 22 Fisher St., POB 280 King City, Ont. L7B 1A6 14 May 2019 LGL Report FA0175-04 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................................................... ii SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 I. OPERATIONS TO BE CONDUCTED .............................................................................................................. 2 Overview of the Activity .................................................................................................................... 2 Source Vessel Specifications .............................................................................................................. 4 Airgun Description ............................................................................................................................. 4 Description of Operations ................................................................................................................... 6 II. DATES, DURATION, AND REGION OF ACTIVITY....................................................................................... 8 III. SPECIES AND NUMBERS OF MARINE MAMMALS IN AREA ..................................................................... 8 IV. STATUS, DISTRIBUTION AND SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF AFFECTED SPECIES OR STOCKS OF MARINE MAMMALS ....................................................................................................................... 8 Mysticetes ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Odontocetes ...................................................................................................................................... 17 Pinnipeds .......................................................................................................................................... 28 V. TYPE OF INCIDENTAL TAKE AUTHORIZATION REQUESTED .................................................................. 30 VI. NUMBERS OF MARINE MAMMALS THAT COULD BE TAKEN................................................................ 30 VII. ANTICIPATED IMPACT ON SPECIES OR STOCKS .................................................................................. 31 Summary of Potential Effects of Airgun Sounds ............................................................................. 31 Tolerance ................................................................................................................................ 31 Masking .................................................................................................................................. 32 Disturbance Reactions ............................................................................................................ 32 Hearing Impairment and Other Physical Effects.................................................................... 38 Possible Effects of Other Acoustic Sources ..................................................................................... 42 Other Possible Effects of Seismic Surveys ....................................................................................... 43 Numbers of Marine Mammals that could be “Taken by Harassment” ............................................. 45 Basis for Estimating “Take by Harassment” .......................................................................... 45 Potential Number of Marine Mammals Exposed ................................................................... 48 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 49 VIII. ANTICIPATED IMPACT ON SUBSISTENCE ........................................................................................... 50 IX. ANTICIPATED IMPACT ON HABITAT ..................................................................................................... 50 X. ANTICIPATED IMPACT OF LOSS OR MODIFICATION OF HABITAT ON MARINE MAMMALS ................... 50 XI. MITIGATION MEASURES....................................................................................................................... 50 Planning Phase.................................................................................................................................. 51 Mitigation During Operations .......................................................................................................... 51 SIO IHA Application for the South Atlantic Ocean, 2019 Page ii Table of Contents Speed or Course Alteration ..................................................................................................... 52 Shut-down Procedures ........................................................................................................... 52 Ramp-up Procedures .............................................................................................................. 52 XII. PLAN OF COOPERATION ...................................................................................................................... 53 XIII. MONITORING AND REPORTING PLAN ................................................................................................ 53 Vessel-based Visual Monitoring ...................................................................................................... 53 PSO Data and Documentation .......................................................................................................... 54 XIV. COORDINATING RESEARCH TO REDUCE AND EVALUATE INCIDENTAL TAKE .................................. 55 XV. LITERATURE CITED ............................................................................................................................. 55 LIST OF APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................... 87 APPENDIX A: DETERMINATION OF MITIGATION ZONES .......................................................................... A-1 APPENDIX B: MARINE MAMMAL DENSITIES ........................................................................................... B-1 APPENDIX C: MARINE MAMMAL TAKE CALCULATIONS ......................................................................... C-1 APPENDIX D: ENSONIFIED AREAS FOR MARINE MAMMAL TAKE CALCULATIONS ................................. D-1 SIO IHA Application for the South Atlantic Ocean, 2019 Page iii Summary Request by Scripps Institution of Oceanography for an Incidental Harassment Authorization to Allow the Incidental Take of Marine Mammals during Low-Energy Marine Geophysical Surveys by R/V Thomas G. Thompson in the South Atlantic Ocean, November–December 2019 SUMMARY Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) plans to support a research activity that would involve low- energy seismic surveys in the South Atlantic Ocean during November–December 2019. The research activity would be funded by the U.S National Science Foundation (NSF). The seismic surveys would use a pair of low-energy Generator-Injector (GI) airguns with a total discharge volume of ~90 in3. The seismic surveys would take place in International Waters of the southwest and southeast Atlantic Ocean. SIO requests that it be issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) allowing non-lethal takes of marine mammals incidental to the planned seismic surveys. This request is submitted pursuant to Section 101 (a)(5)(D) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), 16 U.S.C. § 1371(a)(5). Numerous species of marine mammals inhabit the proposed project area in the South Atlantic Ocean. Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), several of these species are listed as endangered, including the sperm, sei, fin, blue, and southern right whales. SIO is proposing a marine mammal monitoring and mitigation program to minimize the potential impacts of the proposed activity on marine mammals present during conduct of the proposed research, and to document the nature and extent of any effects. ESA-listed sea turtle species that could occur in the project area include the endangered leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles, and the threatened loggerhead (South Atlantic Ocean Distinct Population Segment or DPS), green (South Atlantic DPS), and olive ridley sea turtles. The endangered African penguin, band-rumped storm-petrel, and freira are ESA-listed seabirds that could be encountered in the project area. In addition, the endangered Eastern Atlantic DPS of scalloped hammerhead shark; and the threatened oceanic white tip shark and giant manta ray could occur in the proposed project area. The items required to be addressed pursuant to 50 C.F.R. § 216.104, “Submission of Requests”, are set forth below. They include descriptions of the specific operations to be conducted, the marine mammals occurring in the project
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