NOAA Permits Mammal Disturbance in 'Gulf of America (Formerly Mexico)'
Published Date: 4/4/2025
Notice
Summary
NOAA has updated the rules letting WesternGeco accidentally disturb a few marine mammals during their oil and gas surveys in the Gulf of America. This change keeps things safe for sea animals while allowing important energy work to continue through the end of 2025. If you’re involved in these surveys, keep an eye on the new guidelines and deadlines to stay in the clear!
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
LOA modified and authorized through Dec 31, 2025
NOAA (NMFS) modified and reissued the Letter of Authorization (LOA) to WesternGeco authorizing geophysical survey activity in the Gulf of America; the LOA was issued March 7, 2025 and is effective through December 31, 2025. The authorized project is a three-dimensional ocean bottom node (OBN) survey covering 240 lease blocks in the Green Canyon and Walker Ridge areas.
Survey area and daily distribution changed (Zone days listed)
WesternGeco notified NMFS that its planned survey area shifted westward and the LOA was modified so the 100 total days of sound source operation are redistributed to 57 days in Zone 7, 31 days in Zone 5, and 12 days in Zone 6 (total remains 100 days). No survey activity had begun at the time of modification.
NMFS finds takes are 'small numbers' and negligible
NMFS determined that the anticipated incidental takes for the modified survey are consistent with the regulatory findings of negligible impact and are of no more than small numbers (defined as up to one-third of the best available abundance estimate). NMFS provided scaled authorized take numbers for multiple species (for example, 698 authorized sperm whale takes scaled to 3,007 representing 9.8% of abundance; 19,948 pantropical spotted dolphin authorized takes scaled to 67,225 representing 8.5%, etc.).
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