Environmental Evaluation International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 369 from the R/V JOIDES Resolution off Western Australia, September–November 2017 Prepared for JOIDES Resolution Science Operator, Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77845 and National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 725 Arlington, VA 22230 by LGL Limited, environmental research associates 22 Fisher St., POB 280 King City, Ont. L7B 1A6 30 January 2017 LGL Report FA0105 Seismic Activities during IODP-JRSO Expedition 369, 2017 Page ii Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ACRONYMS ..................................................................................................................................... iv 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................................1 2. VSP DETAILS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ..............................................................................................3 2.1 Airgun Size and Configuration ......................................................................................................3 2.2 Airgun Source Levels ....................................................................................................................3 2.3 Exclusion Zones for Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, and Endangered Species ............................4 2.4 Protected Species Observers ..........................................................................................................8 2.5 Times of Day for Seismic Operations .........................................................................................10 2.6 Ramp-up and Shut-down Procedures ..........................................................................................10 3. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................11 4. LITERATURE CITED ..................................................................................................................................11 APPENDIX A: MARINE SPECIES AND PROTECTED AREAS WITHIN THE STUDY AREA .................................13 Marine Protected Areas .....................................................................................................................13 Marine Reptiles ..................................................................................................................................15 Seabirds .............................................................................................................................................17 Marine Mammals ...............................................................................................................................17 Conservation Listed Species ...................................................................................................17 Species that are Common off Western Australia ....................................................................25 Species that are Uncommon or Rare off Western Australia ...................................................34 Literature Cited ..................................................................................................................................45 Seismic Activities during IODP-JRSO Expedition 369, 2017 Page iii List of Acronyms LIST OF ACRONYMS ~ approximately asl above sea level dB decibels CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CMR Commonwealth Marine Reserve DPS Distinct Population Segment EE Environmental Evaluation EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone EPBC Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Act) ESA (U.S.) Endangered Species Act GoM Gulf of Mexico Hz Hertz IFAW International Fund for Animal Welfare IODP International Ocean Discovery Program IOS Indian Ocean Sanctuary IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature IWC International Whaling Commission JRSO JOIDES Resolution Science Operator L-DEO Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University m meter MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act MPA Marine Protected Area NMFS (U.S.) National Marine Fisheries Service NSF National Science Foundation OBIS Ocean Biogeographic Information System PEIS Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement pk peak PSO Protected Species Observer ROD Record of Decision rms root-mean-square SEL sound exposure level SPL sound pressure level TAMU Texas A&M University UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization U.S. United States of America USIO United States Implementing Organization USGS U.S. Geological Survey VSP Vertical Seismic Profiling WCMC World Conservation Monitoring Centre Seismic Activities during IODP-JRSO Expedition 369, 2017 Page iv 1. Introduction 1. INTRODUCTION The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) is an international research program that explores the history and structure of the earth as recorded in seafloor sediments and rocks. Within the structure of the IODP, the United States (U.S.) is responsible for operating the riserless drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution, with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Texas A&M University (TAMU) has been selected by NSF to be the IODP JOIDES Resolution Science Operator (IODP-JRSO). Before October 2014, the science operator was known as the United States Implementing Organization (USIO). In June 2008, USIO-IODP prepared a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for its IODP operations and issued a Record of Decision (ROD) on 30 June 2008. Additionally, in June 2011, NSF and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) issued a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for Marine Seismic Research Funded by the National Science Foundation or Conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (NSF and USGS 2011), and NSF issued the associated ROD in June 2012 (NSF 2012); both documents are referred to herein as the NSF/USGS PEIS. IODP-JRSO proposes to core, log, and drill at up to 8 sites (3 primary and 5 alternate) at water depths 850–3120 m in the area ~33.0–34.0°S, 112.4–114.5°E off the west coast of Western Australia (Fig. 1) during the Australia Cretaceous Climate and Tectonics Expedition 369 from 26 September to 26 November 2017. A 9th proposed drill site is located at a water depth of 3035 m off the south coast of Western Australia at ~34ºS, 128ºE (Fig. 1). The study area is located in the southeastern Indian Ocean, within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Australia, but outside of territorial waters. This document is an evaluation of the vertical seismic profiling (VSP) that is planned at the 8 sites off the west coast of Western Australia (no seismic surveys are proposed, and no VSP is planned for the site off the south coast) with a view to assessing whether there are any extraordinary circumstances associated with the activity and if any additional mitigation procedures could be required to meet Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA) requirements. According to the Commonwealth of Australia (2012), 42 cetacean species occur in the South-west Marine Region of Australia; 33 of these occur there regularly, and the other 9 species occur there infrequently. A total of 39 of the 42 cetaceans (29 odontocetes and 10 mysticetes) and 6 pinnipeds (see following paragraph) could be encountered near the proposed drill sites off Western Australia (Appendix A). Five of the 45 species are listed under the U.S. ESA as Endangered: the southern right (Eubalaena australis), fin (Balaenoptera physalus), sei (B. borealis), blue (B. musculus), and sperm (Physeter macrocephalus) whales. An additional 9 marine mammal species that occur in Australia, including 4 of the species listed by the Commonwealth of Australia (2012) for the South-west Marine Region of Australia, are extremely unlikely to be encountered near the proposed drill sites and are not discussed further. They occur in (1) more southerly waters of Australia or its Antarctic Territory (spectacled porpoise Phocoena dioptrica and hourglass dolphin Lagenorhynchus cruciger); (2) more northerly waters (Longman’s beaked whale Indopacetus pacificus, Fraser’s dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei, rough-toothed dolphin Steno bredanensis, Australian humpback dolphin Sousa sahulensis, Australian snubfin dolphin Orcaella heinsohni, and dugong Dugong dugon); or (3) only shallow, coastal waters (Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin Tursiops aduncus). Although strandings of spectacled porpoise have been reported for Tasmania and South Australia, these records are associated with anomalies in water temperature (Evans et al. 2001). One stranding of Fraser’s dolphin has also been reported for Western Australia (Groom and Coughran 2012b). It is uncertain whether the spade-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon traversii) occurs in Australia; thus, it is also not discussed further. Seismic Activities during IODP-JRSO Expedition 369, 2017 Page 1 Seismic Activities during IODP during Activities Seismic - JRSOExped ition 369, 2017 1. Introduction 1. Page FIGURE 1. Proposed drill sites for IODP-JRSO Expedition 369 off Western Australia during September–November 2017, with locations of marine 2 protected areas (MPAs) shown. Further information on MPAs can be found in Appendix A. 2. VSP Details and Mitigation Measures Ten species of pinnipeds are known to occur in Australian waters (Commonwealth of Australia 2016). Of these,