Table of Contents Page 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 CONSULTATION HISTORY................................................................................................................................. 1 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTIONS ........................................................................................ 2 2.1 SCHEDULE ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 2.2 SOURCE VESSEL SPECIFICATIONS .................................................................................................................... 3 2.3 AIRGUN DESCRIPTION ...................................................................................................................................... 3 2.4 MULTIBEAM ECHOSOUNDER AND SUB-BOTTOM PROFILER .............................................................................. 4 2.5 PROPOSED EXCLUSION ZONES ......................................................................................................................... 5 2.6 MAGNETOMETER, SONOBUOYS, AND EXPENDABLE BATHYTHERMOGRAPHS .................................................... 8 3 INCIDENTAL HARASSMENT AUTHORIZATION ................................................................................... 8 4 APPROACH TO THE ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................................... 12 5 ACTION AREA ............................................................................................................................................... 16 6 STATUS OF LISTED RESOURCES ............................................................................................................. 18 6.1 BLUE WHALE .................................................................................................................................................. 19 6.2 FIN WHALE ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 6.3 HUMPBACK WHALE ........................................................................................................................................ 29 6.4 NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE ................................................................................................................... 34 6.5 SEI WHALE ..................................................................................................................................................... 39 6.6 SPERM WHALE ................................................................................................................................................ 42 6.7 GREEN SEA TURTLE ........................................................................................................................................ 48 6.8 HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE ................................................................................................................................ 56 6.9 KEMP’S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE .......................................................................................................................... 60 6.10 LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE ...................................................................................................................... 65 6.11 LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE- NORTHWEST ATLANTIC DPS ........................................................................ 74 7 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE .................................................................................................................. 82 7.1 CLIMATE CHANGE .......................................................................................................................................... 82 7.2 HABITAT DEGRADATION ................................................................................................................................ 86 i 7.3 DREDGING...................................................................................................................................................... 87 7.4 SEISMIC SURVEYS .......................................................................................................................................... 87 7.5 VESSEL TRAFFIC ............................................................................................................................................. 87 7.6 U.S. NAVY TRAINING AND TESTING ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................. 88 7.7 U.S. MARINE CORPS TRAINING IN THE CHERRY POINT RANGE COMPLEX ..................................................... 89 7.8 ENTRAPMENT AND ENTANGLEMENT IN FISHING GEAR .................................................................................... 90 7.9 WIND ENERGY ................................................................................................................................................ 94 7.10 ENTRAINMENT IN POWER PLANTS .............................................................................................................. 94 7.11 SHIP-STRIKES ............................................................................................................................................ 94 7.12 COMMERCIAL WHALING ............................................................................................................................ 96 7.13 SCIENTIFIC AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES ..................................................................................................... 97 7.14 PHYSICAL AND OCEANOGRAPHIC FEATURES ........................................................................................... 107 8 EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTIONS .............................................................................................. 110 8.1 POTENTIAL STRESSORS ................................................................................................................................ 112 8.2 EXPOSURE ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................... 113 8.3 RESPONSE ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................... 126 9 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ........................................................................................................................... 138 10 INTEGRATION AND SYNTHESIS OF EFFECTS ................................................................................... 138 11 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................... 140 12 INCIDENTAL TAKE STATEMENT .......................................................................................................... 141 12.1 AMOUNT OR EXTENT OF TAKE ................................................................................................................ 141 12.2 EFFECT OF THE TAKE .............................................................................................................................. 143 12.3 REASONABLE AND PRUDENT MEASURES ................................................................................................ 143 12.4 TERMS AND CONDITIONS ........................................................................................................................ 143 13 CONSERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................. 147 14 REINITIATION NOTICE ............................................................................................................................ 147 15 LITERATURE CITED .................................................................................................................................. 148 ii List of Figures Page Figure 1. One linear airgun array or string with ten airguns. .......................................................... 4 Figure 2. Modeled SEL contour distances for the 36-airgun array at nine meter tow depth in deep water. ............................................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 3. Modeled SEL contour distances for the 40 in3 mitigation gun at nine meter tow depth in deep water. ...................................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 4. Conceptual framework of how anthropogenic noise impacts individuals and how those impacts can lead to fitness consequences. Figure taken from Francis et al. (2013). Original supporting literature (A. et al. 2007; Baker et al. 2007; Blickley et al. 2012; Blickley and Patricelli 2012; Bonier et al. 2009; Chan et al. 2010; D. et al. 2011; Gavin and Komers 2006; Habib et al. 2007; Halfwerk et al. 2011a; Halfwerk et al. 2011b; Kight and Swaddle 2011a; Leonard and Horn 2012; Miksis-Olds et al. 2007; Quinn et al. 2006; Schaub et al. 2008; Siemers and Schaub 2011). ......................................................................................................................... 15 Figure 5. Proposed area for the marine seismic survey off the U.S. East Coast. Trackline for the seismic survey is identified in black and red lines