"Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals"

In 1953, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) (43 USC 1331-1356) charged the U.S. Secretary of the Interior with the responsibility for administering minerals exploration within and development of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Act empowered the Secretary to formulate regulations so that its provisions could be met. The OCSLA Amendments of 1978 (43 USC 1802) established a policy for the management of oil and natural gas in the OCS and for protection of the marine and coastal environments. The amended OCSLA states that the Secretary of the Interior shall conduct studies in areas or regions of sales to ascertain the “environmental impacts on the marine and coastal environments of the Outer Continental Shelf and the coastal areas which may be affected by oil and gas development” (43 USC 1346).

In 1953, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) (43 USC 1331-1356) charged the U.S. Secretary of the Interior with the responsibility for administering minerals exploration and development of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Act empowered the Secretary to formulate regulations so that its provisions might be met. The OCSLA Amendments of 1978 (43 USC 1802) established a policy for the management of oil and natural gas in the OCS and for protection of the marine and coastal environments. The amended OCSLA states that the Secretary of the Interior shall conduct studies in areas or regions of sales to ascertain the “environmental impacts on the marine and coastal environments of the outer Continental Shelf and the coastal areas which may be affected by oil and gas development” (43 USC 1346).

In 1953, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) (43 USC 1331-1356) charged the U.S. Secretary of the Interior with the responsibility for administering minerals exploration and development of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Act empowered the Secretary to formulate regulations so that its provisions might be met. The OCSLA Amendments of 1978 (43 USC 1802) established a policy for the management of oil and natural gas in the OCS and for protection of the marine and coastal environments. The amended OCSLA states that the Secretary of the Interior shall conduct studies in areas or regions of sales to ascertain the “environmental impacts on the marine and coastal environments of the outer Continental Shelf and the coastal areas which may be affected by oil and gas development” (43 USC 1346).

The Chukchi Offshore Monitoring in Drilling Area (COMIDA) aerial survey component was initiated in 2008, via an Interagency Agreement (No. M08PG20023) between the Minerals Management Service (MMS) [Department of the Interior; currently the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement] and the National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML) [Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce]. These surveys are a continuation of aerial surveys that were conducted by MMS-sponsored contractors from 1982-1991 (Ljungblad et al., 1987; Moore and Clarke, 1992) and use similar methodology. Aerial surveys remain the only practical means of assessing marine mammal distribution, population density, and habitat use in large study areas. The goal of this study is to investigate the distribution and relative abundance of marine mammals in the Chukchi Sea Planning Area (CSPA) during the open water (ice-free) months of June-October, when various species are undertaking seasonal migrations through the area. The COMIDA study area encompasses the northeastern Chukchi Sea from shore seaward, latitude 68°N to 72°N and longitude 157°W to 169°W, and overlays Lease Sale 193 (offered in February 2008). Species of interest include the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), beluga (Delphinapterus leucas), polar bear (Ursus maritimus), walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), and ice seals. Increasing the understanding of marine mammal distribution, abundance and migration timing in this region will assist in decision-making to minimize impacts from petroleum exploration, development and production activities and other anthropogenic impacts.

This report describes field activities and data analyses for aerial surveys of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) conducted during fall 2006 (2 September – 16 October), fall 2007 (3 September – 10 October), and fall 2008 (5 September – 18 October) in the Beaufort Sea, between 140°W and 158°W, south of 72°N and north of the Alaskan coastline.