NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT SECTION 7 BIOLOGICAL OPINION Action Agencies: National Science Foundation-Division of Ocean Sciences and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service-Office of Protected Resources-Permits and Conservation Division Activity Considered: 1) Seismic survey by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, and 2) Issuance of an Incidental Harassment Authorization pursuant to section 101(a)(5)(D) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Consultation Conducted By: Endangered Species Act Interagency Cooperation Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service Approved: ~ Donna S. Wieting Director, Office of Protected Resources OCT 1 6 2015 Date: Public Consultation Tracking System_(PCTS) number: FPR-2015-9130 NSF Seismic Survey in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and NMFS IHA issuance PCTS FPR-2015-9130 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ...................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Consultation History ........................................................................................................ 2 2 Description of the Proposed Action ..................................................................................... 3 2.1 National Science Foundation Proposed Action ................................................................ 3 2.1.1 Schedule .................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.2 Source Vessel Specifications .................................................................................... 4 2.1.3 Airgun Description.................................................................................................... 4 2.1.4 OBS and Land-based Seismometers ......................................................................... 5 2.1.5 Multibeam Echosounder and Sub-bottom Profiler ................................................... 6 2.1.6 Proposed Exclusion Zones ........................................................................................ 7 2.2 NMFS Permits and Conservation Division’s Incidental Harassment Authorization ............................................................................................................................ 12 2.3 Action Area .................................................................................................................... 18 2.3.1 Schedule .................................................................................................................. 18 2.3.2 Greek Territorial Seas and the Action Area ............................................................ 19 2.4 Interrelated and Interdependent Actions ........................................................................ 20 3 Overview of NMFS’ Assessment Framework .................................................................. 20 3.1 Assessment Approach applied in this consultation ........................................................ 23 4 Status of ESA-listed Species ............................................................................................... 23 4.1 ESA-listed Species and Critical Habitat Not Likely to be Adversely Affected ............. 24 4.2 ESA-listed Species and Critical Habitat Likely to be Adversely Affected .................... 27 4.2.1 Sei Whale ................................................................................................................ 27 4.2.2 Fin Whale ................................................................................................................ 30 4.2.3 Humpback Whale.................................................................................................... 36 4.2.4 Sperm Whale ........................................................................................................... 43 4.2.5 Mediterranean Monk Seal ....................................................................................... 50 4.2.6 Loggerhead Sea Turtle ............................................................................................ 61 4.2.7 Green Sea Turtle ..................................................................................................... 67 4.2.8 Leatherback Sea Turtle ........................................................................................... 76 5 Environmental Baseline...................................................................................................... 83 5.1 Climate Change .............................................................................................................. 83 5.2 Habitat Degradation ....................................................................................................... 88 5.3 Dredging ......................................................................................................................... 89 5.4 Seismic Surveys ............................................................................................................. 90 5.5 Vessel Traffic ................................................................................................................. 90 i NSF Seismic Survey in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and NMFS IHA issuance PCTS FPR-2015-9130 5.6 Military Training Exercises ............................................................................................ 91 5.7 Entrapment and Entanglement in Fishing Gear ............................................................. 91 5.8 Invasive Species ............................................................................................................. 91 5.9 Diseases .......................................................................................................................... 92 5.10 Ship Strikes .................................................................................................................... 92 5.11 Commercial Whaling ..................................................................................................... 95 5.12 Scientific and Research Activities.................................................................................. 95 5.13 Physical and Oceanographic Features ............................................................................ 96 5.14 Impacts of the Environmental Baseline on ESA-listed Species ..................................... 96 5.14.1 Marine Mammals .................................................................................................... 97 5.14.2 Sea Turtles .............................................................................................................. 99 6 Effects of the Action on ESA-Listed Species and Critical Habitat ............................... 100 6.1 Stressors Associated with the Proposed Action ........................................................... 100 6.1.1 Pollution by Oil or Fuel Leakage .......................................................................... 101 6.1.2 Disturbance from Engine Noise ............................................................................ 101 6.1.3 Ship Strike ............................................................................................................. 101 6.2 Mitigation to Minimize or Avoid Exposure ................................................................. 102 6.3 Exposure and Response Analysis ................................................................................. 102 6.3.1 Exposure Analysis ................................................................................................ 102 6.3.2 NSF Exposure Estimates....................................................................................... 104 6.3.3 NMFS Exposure Estimates ................................................................................... 105 6.3.4 Sea Turtles ............................................................................................................ 111 6.3.5 Response Analysis ................................................................................................ 113 6.4 Cumulative Effects ....................................................................................................... 130 6.5 Integration and Synthesis ............................................................................................. 130 7 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 132 8 Incidental Take Statement ............................................................................................... 132 8.1 Amount or Extent of Take ............................................................................................ 132 8.2 Effects of the Take ....................................................................................................... 135 8.3 Reasonable and Prudent Measures ............................................................................... 135 8.4 Terms and Conditions .................................................................................................. 136 9 Conservation Recommendations ..................................................................................... 143 10 Reinitiation of Consultation ............................................................................................. 144 11 References