Marine Mammal Observer s Report. A 3D Seismic Survey In Myanmar Offshore Blocks YWB - MD4 By M/V Polar Empress For Total E&P / ENI

Transcription

1 Marine Mammal Observer s Report A 3D Seismic Survey In Myanmar Offshore Blocks YWB - MD4 By M/V Polar Empress For Total E&P / ENI 10/01/ /05/2018 MMOs: Katarzyna Wroblewska, Claire Echlin, Agnieszka Adamiak, Gary Wylie and Honorata Janczak PAM: Eva Kvalheim, Ben Hawking, Waldemar Krzyżanowski and Rob Gunn

2 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION SURVEY AND LOCATION MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS 4 2. EQUIPMENT AND METHODS VESSEL DETAILS SEISMIC EQUIPMENT AND SOUND EMISSIONS MARINE MAMMAL SURVEY METHODS Visual Monitoring Passive Acoustic Monitoring 9 3. RESULTS OBSERVER EFFORT AND SIGHTING CONDITIONS DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS ACOUSTIC DETECTIONS COMPLIANCE WITH GUIDELINES SOFT-STARTS PRE-WATCH PERIODS MITIGATION ACTION CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS CONCLUSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REFERENCES 22

3 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 APPENDIX 2 APPENDIX 3 APPENDIX 4 Mitigation Guidelines Recording Forms Sightings and detection pictures Birds of the Polar Empress List of Figures Figure 1. Location of YWB and MD-4 Block offshore Myanmar Figure 2. M/V Polar Empress Figure 3a) M/V Ocean Mermaid Figure 3b) M/V Glomar Linde Figure 3c) M/V Tess Figure 4. Peak frequency graph Figure 5. Breakdown of acoustic source operations Figure 6. MMO effort according to source activities Figure 7. PAM effort according to source activities Figure 8. Distribution of species detected during the YWB MD4 3D survey List of Tables Table 1. Coordinates of MD-4 Block offshore Myanmar Table 2: Marine mammal species recorded in Myanmar waters Table 3: Sea turtles recorded in Myanmar waters Table 4. Mitigation measures summary Table 5. M/V Polar Empress specification Table 6. Seismic source summary Table 7. Selected watch points and corresponding heights Table 8. Summary of marine mammal sightings Table 9. Summary of marine mammal detection

4 Summary of Daily Activities Survey Type 3D Seismic Survey Survey Area YWB - MD4 Blocks offshore Myanmar Survey Dates 10/01/ /05/2018 Mitigation Procedures used JNCC (August 2017) Guidelines 2 Dedicated MMO s, 1 Dedicated PAM Staffing level (MMO/PAM) Operator (2 teams) Total time of MMO/PAM survey monitoring 3174hrs 10mins Total time seismic source was operational 2586hrs 29mins Total time active source was monitored 2538hrs 55mins Total time of observations MMO 1705hrs 26mins Total time seismic source was operational during MMO observations 1348hrs 02mins Total time of monitoring PAM 1468hrs 44mins Total time seismic source was operational during PAM 1190hrs 53mins Total number of seismic source events 268 Total number of soft starts 200 Total number of seismic element/source tests 68 Total number of non-compliances 2 Total number of sightings 85 Total number of detections 1 Total number of mitigation actions required 0 1

5 INTRODUCTION 1.1. SURVEY AND LOCATION The vessel M/V Polar Empress conducted a 3D broadband seismic survey over Blocks YWB and MD4, about 290 km offshore Myanmar (Figure 1) for Total E&P / ENI in water depths ranging from 800 to 2000 metres. The vessel acquired data from 10th January to 28 th May 2018 and comprised of a polygon with a line heading 344º (NNW) and 164º (SSE). In total the survey consisted of 126 3D sail lines and covered approximately 9613 square kilometres. The eleven extreme coordinates outlining the polygon are as follows (Table 1): Table 1. Co ordinates of YWB - MD4 Block Offshore Myanmar Point Latitude Longitude º 13,22 N 12º 59,17 N 12º 17,03 N 12º 17,39 N 12º 32,78 N 13º 21,39 N 13º 35,61 N 13º 38,72 N 13º 38,57 N 13º 19,84 N 13º 19,75 N 096º 19,45 E 096º 23,36 E 096º 22,80 E 095º 51,94 E 095º 47,63 E 095º 33,97 E 095º 50,89 E 095º 50,83 E 096º 03,60 E 096º 08,90 E 096º 17,49 E Figure 1: Location of YWB and MD4 Block Offshore Myanmar 2

6 (Project HSE Plan, Myanmar Andaman Sea - YWB - MD4 Blocks ver. 2.1) The survey Block YWB and MD4 is located in the Moattama-South Andaman Basin, approximately 240 km West of Myeik and 450 km South of Yangon (Project HSE Plan, ver. 2.1). The Andaman Sea region is biologically rich in both diversity and abundance. This high biodiversity is encountered from genes to individuals to species, habitats, and ecosystems. The coral reefs, mangroves, sea grass beds, marine lakes and deep sea valleys of the region form a constellation of diverse habitats that support a spectacular variety of flora and fauna (Report of the Third South-East Asian Marine Mammal Symposium: SEAMAM III, 2015). Much of this remains to be investigated or fully documented, however in the past years the Myanmar government have focused on studying and conserving the resident marine species community including whales, dolphins and finless porpoises of Myanmar s coastal and offshore waters. In recent years, Myanmar scientists have been involved in regional workshops that aim to train biologists on identification and research techniques used broadly to study cetaceans (Marine Conservation in Myanmar, 2014). Species that are of priority conservation interest in the waters of Myanmar include the Irrawaddy and the Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoise due to their status in the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable. Other species undergoing taxonomic revision, and potentially also of conservation interest, include the Indo-Pacific Humpback and the small form of Bryde s Whale occurring in the northern Indian Ocean (Marine Conservation in Myanmar, 2014). Marine mammal species most likely to be encountered are (Table 2): Table 2: Marine Mammal Species Recorded in Myanmar Waters Common Name Scientific Name IUCN Status* Bryde s Whale Balaenoptera edeni Data deficient Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus Endangered Common Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata Least concern Fin Whale Balaenoptera physalus Endangered Longman s Beaked Whale Indopacetus pacificus Data deficient Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides Vulnerable Irrawaddy Orcaella brevirostris Vulnerable Indo-Pacific Humpbacked Sousa chinensis Near threatened Pantropical Spotted Stenella attenuate Least concern Spinner Stenella longirostris Data deficient Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Tursiops aduncus Data deficient Strap-toothed Whale Mesoplodon layardii Data deficient Blainville s Beaked Whale Mesoplodon densirostris Data deficient Long-beaked Common Delphinus capensis tropicalis Least concern Pygmy Killer Whale Feresa attenuate Data deficient Short-finned Pilot Whale Globicephala macrorhynchus Data deficient Risso s Grampus griseus Least concern Pygmy Sperm Whale Kogia breviceps Data deficient Dwarf Sperm Whale Kogia sima Data deficient Fraser s Lagenodelphis hosei Least concern Killer Whale Orcinus orca Data deficient Melon-headed Whale Peponocephala electra Least concern Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus Vulnerable False Killer Whale Pseudorca crassidens Data deficient Striped Stenella coeruleoalba Least concern 3

7 Rough-toothed Steno bredanensis Least concern Common Bottlenose Tursiops truncates Least concern Dugong Dugong dugon Vulnerable Dugongs (Dugong dugon) is known as the water pig in Myanmar. They live in shallow, near shore waters of north, east and south-eastern Man Aung. They are sighted mostly in the rainy season. Usually solitary but they can also be found in groups of two to three animals. These animals are not expected to be seen in the survey area, however they are a part of Myanmar s fauna ecosystem and they are protected by Law. ( Many of the Andaman Sea ecoregion islands, as well as certain stretches of coastline, are very important nesting areas for a variety of sea-turtles, all of them endangered or threatened. Most observations of turtles are typically within 15 kilometres of mainland shores in protected and relatively shallow marine waters (22-55m), away from the project area. Nevertheless, some species may be encountered as they migrate across the Andaman Sea (Initial Environmental Examination, Oct 2017). In 2001, Myanmar became a signatory state to the Memorandum of Understanding on Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles and their Habitats of Indian Ocean and South- East Asia (Indian Ocean and South-East Asian region [IOSEA], 2009). Since 1905, marine turtles have been protected under Myanmar laws (Marine Conservation in Myanmar, 2014). Table 3: Sea Turtles Recorded in Myanmar Waters. Common Name Scientific Name IUCN Status* Green Turtle Chelonia mydas Endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtle Caretta caretta Endangered Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Lepidochelys olivacea Data deficient Leatherback Sea Turtle Dermochelys coriacea Critically endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle Eretmochelys imbricate Critically endangered 1.2. MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS The survey was conducted in the Andaman Sea, offshore Myanmar coast which is known to be ecologically, culturally, and for its pure beauty and remoteness, the most extraordinary region. The waters in this location host an array of marine habitats, and subsequently have high endemic biodiversity in both fauna and flora. The area is a home for many marine species, especially for marine mammals and endangered sea turtles which migrate across from the Myanmar coast to the Andaman Islands (SEAMAM, 2015). Marine mammals play an important role in the marine ecosystem. They are amongst the top predators in the marine realm and display a very vivid social life. While some feed on sea grass and tiny plankton and fish, others feed on larger prey, turtles and other mammals. Marine mammals are widely distributed from the poles to the tropics and from estuarine and coastal waters to open seas. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee Guidelines (JNCC) for minimising the risk of injury and disturbance to marine mammals from seismic surveys (August 2017) were followed and in compliance with survey licensing and to meet the requirements of consent, two dedicated MMO's were employed to conduct alternate daylight pre-watches prior to any seismic source activity. In 4

8 addition to these times the dedicated MMO's kept watch throughout all daylight hours while the PAM Operator watch was carried out from the instrument room during hours of darkness or when visual watches could not be conducted. Compliance with the guidelines required a pre-firing monitoring period of at least 60 minutes for the detection of marine mammals in the 500 meters safety zone around the guns. If a marine mammal was sighted within the safety zone, the soft start was delayed until at least 20 minutes after the animal was last seen within that zone. For acoustic monitoring, if the animals were judged to be in danger of entering the 500 meters zone then the soft start was delayed as above. This judgement was based on the bearing and range of the acoustic detection, the movement of the animals and their relative position to the course of the seismic vessel. Soft starts were implemented on all occasions where the airguns were used on full power, increasing the power gradually over a period of at least 20 minutes but not exceeding 40 minutes. Testing single guns did not require a 20-minute soft start (Table 4). The role of a Marine Mammal Observers and Passive Acoustic Monitoring Operator together with the implementation of soft start procedure has been designed to reduce the potential noise impact from seismic vessels on sea turtles and marine mammals. Sea turtle exclusion devices which can reduce the potential disturbance from entanglement were not used on this project due to their installation not being possible on the type of tail buoys used. Table 4: Mitigation Measures Summary Source mitigation zone(s) Pre-watch period Soft start length Soft-start delays Shut-down during production Species covered Special requirements 500 meters 60 minutes (in waters > 200 meters depth) minutes YES N/A Marine mammals and sea turtles N/A 5

9 2. EQUIPMENT AND METHODS 2.1. VESSEL DETAILS The 3D seismic survey vessel used during this project was the M/V Polar Empress (Figure 2). This vessel is Norway-NIS registered and is owned and operated by Shearwater Geoservices. This vessel was accompanied by three support vessels: M/V Ocean Mermaid (Figure 3.a) which was assisting as emergency tow, M/V Tess (Figure 3.b) and a M/V Glomar Linde (Figure 3.c) as the guard vessels. Figure 2: M/V Polar Empress Figure 3.a) M/V Ocean Mermaid 3.b) M/V Glomar Linde 3.c) M/V Tess The seismic vessel M/V Polar Empress had the following specifications (Table 5): Table 5: M/V Polar Empress Specification FLAG NORWAY- NIS Date of Build 2015 IMO Overall Length m Breadth Moulded 21.5m Draft (Max.) 7.20m Gross Tonnage

10 Main Engine Maximum Speed kw 18 kts 2.2. SEISMIC EQUIPMENT AND SOUND EMISSIONS The M/V Polar Empress towed two airgun arrays approximately 415 metres astern of the vessel, one source offset to port and the other offset to starboard with a centre separation between sources of 50 meters. Port and starboard sources fired alternatively every twelve seconds in flip flop fashion. Each source consisted of three sub-arrays, where each sub-array was equipped with guns of varying volume towed at a depth of 7 metres. All guns operated together at a pressure of 2000psi with array volumes ranging from 40 cu in. to 300 cu in. for a maximum volume of 4100 cu in. (Table 6) (Figure 4). Soft starts were executed automatically with the airguns of the lowest volume being fired first, followed by the addition of further airguns until full power was reached. The vessel towed 12 hydrophone streamers, each 8.1 kilometres in length with 100 metres separation between. Table 6: Seismic Source Summary Number of seismic elements 2 Number of sub-arrays 6 Number of source elements (excluding inwater spares) Maximum operating volume Operating pressure cu in. 2000psi Source point interval Maximum source output (zero to peak) Maximum source output (peak to peak) Peak frequency 37.5 m (18,75 m flip-flop) 51.2 bar/m bar/m Hz 7

11 Figure 4: Peak frequency graph 2.3. MARINE MAMMAL SURVEY METHODS (EXAMPLE) Two JNCC certified Marine Mammals Observers (MMO s) and one Passive Acoustic Monitoring Operator (PAM Operator) were present on board M/V Polar Empress throughout the seismic survey, conducting watches for all marine mammal species within the project area, offshore Myanmar. MMO s watches took place during daylight hours, whilst PAM Operator watches were carried out from the instrument room during hours of darkness or when visual watches could not be conducted Visual Monitoring The primary visual observation technique used to spot marine mammals was to scan the sea ahead of and within the exclusion zone using the naked eye and binoculars (magnification 7x50, 8x42). Reticule binoculars or range finding sticks were used to estimate distance using specific height of watch point from sea level (Table 7). This included a 60 minutes 'pre-firing' scan of the 500-meter radius area around the airgun source. Calibrations were done using known relative distances to towed seismic gear and radar readings to the chase vessels. Areas of interest on the water (e.g. waves going against the prevailing direction, white water during calm periods, dark shapes, splashes, etc.) were used as visual cues. Table 7: Selected Watch Points and Corresponding Heights Watch point Helicopter deck Bridge Bridge Wings Height from sea level 15.6m 16.1m 15.6m If a marine mammal was spotted, the range to the animal was specified and the animal was followed by the observer. When possible, a photograph was taken (Section 3.2), using a Sony Digital Camera (50x optical zoom with Steady-Shot image) or Nikon 3100 with mm lens Then, the sighting form from the JNCC (Appendix 2) was completed with taxonomic and behavioural data as well as a general description of the sighting. Species identification was based on observer experience, with reference to A Field Guide to the Marine Mammals of the World (Shirihai et al 2006; Reeves et al, 2002). 8

12 Most observations took place from the bridge, bridge wings and helideck. Prior to beginning a watch, the time (UTC) and weather conditions were recorded on the JNCC Location and Effort Form (Appendix 2). Weather conditions such as Beaufort wind force, sea state and visibility were noted every hour and whenever a change in conditions occurred. In addition, the start and end times of marine animal watches and the start and end times of the firing of the acoustic sources were recorded each day on the JNCC Record of Operations Form (Appendix 2). The MMOs used the portable UHF radios to communicate with the seismic crew. This enabled clear and efficient communication between both parties, allowing MMOs to be kept informed of the timing of proposed operations. JNCC approved deck forms were used to record seismic operations and MMO effort and transferred daily into an excel spreadsheet. Between 20th of March to 23rd of March 2018 the MMO watch was conducted by single MMO due to one MMO needing to leave the vessel early for personal reasons. PC and Clients were fully agreed with the situation, which was executed with all the required and following regulations. Despite this MMO observation was successfully carried out according to JNCC guidelines. The breaks were included into overall daylight hours, only when the vessel was on line during the production. Every pre-watch and soft start were covered by the MMO. However, during the breaks the MMO was available, if the need arises. On the March 24th a second MMO joined the vessel. Since then, all daylight hours were covered by two MMOs. Throughout the survey and in the lead up to and during operations, communications between the MMOs, seismic and marine crew was excellent Passive Acoustic Monitoring Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) was conducted onboard the M/V Polar Empress in accordance with Joint Nature Conservation (JNCC) Guidelines for Minimising Acoustic Disturbance to Marine Mammals for Seismic Surveys August Dedicated acoustic monitoring periods were maintained during the hours of darkness and occasions of poor visibility. These periods were observed both during times of seismic airgun activity and when the guns were not firing. The PAM operator was generally on watch between the hours of 11:30-00:00 UTC at the beginning of the survey. These times reduced as the survey progressed, down to 12:15 23:00 UTC at the end. This allowed for an overlap with MMO effort. If a pre-watch occurred during these times, the PAM operator was able to offer supplementary on watch effort, with a view to referencing the PAM system if any sightings were made, thus enabling comparison with sightings and PAM localisation capabilities. At night and during periods of poor visibility, the seismic gun operators gave notice to the PAM operator 60 minutes before any airgun operations. The PAM operator completed standardised recording forms throughout the survey. The PAM operator monitored for protected species aurally using Sennheiser PXC350 headphones listening to the lower audible frequencies. The PAM operator also visually observed the two laptops monitors installed with Pamguard v containing a set of modules that visually displayed marine mammal vocalizations. Modules included a whistle and moan detector, 9

13 spectrogram, and a click detector for broadband and high frequency clicks. The high frequency vocalizations inaudible to human ears may only be visually observed on the high frequency laptop click detector. A visible display of the low frequency vocalizations was monitored on the low frequency laptop spectrogram. A map was used to attempt to track the vocalizations in order to localize the marine mammal and determine an approximate range to the vessel. The map also provided a live feed of the vessel s location. A sound recorder was used to document the vocalizations and provide opportunity for further analysis. In the case of an acoustic detection, the multiple hydrophone elements may provide a limited bearing to vocalizing animals but only in a forward and aft relation to the hydrophone units, not port or starboard. A 400 meter hydrophone cable with a much greater separation between two sets of hydrophone units would calculate a more accurate range through triangulation. With the designed 250-meter hydrophone cable used for this project, a vocalizing animal s range was estimated by the strength of the detection signal on a scale of one through five with one being the weakest and five being the strongest. If a vocalization was determined strong enough to place the animal in the exclusion zone and during a pre-shooting monitoring period, the PAM operator requested an immediate delaying to soft-start. A ramp up was then conducted only after the animal was no longer heard and the PAM operator confirmed the exclusion zone was acoustically clear for 20 minutes. All protected species, including beaked whales and Kogia species, have unique vocalizing patterns and frequencies that distinguish them from the marine background noise. There was full co-operation from the seismic crew for the implementation of JNCC guidelines and all pre-firing watches and soft starts were executed to full satisfaction. 10

14 3. RESULTS 3.1. OBSERVER EFFORT AND SIGHTING CONDITIONS The MMO/PAM team covered a total of 3174 hours and 10 minutes of monitoring (visual & acoustic), during the time the seismic source was active amounted to 2538 hours and 55 minutes and 635 hours 15 mins during source silence. The overall time (day & night) that the seismic source was active during the survey was 2586 hours and 29 minutes. Of that time, 2449 hours and 32 minutes were spent in production, 66 hours 40 minutes in soft start, 17 hours and 35 minutes spent in testing, 52 hours and 42 minutes approaching the production line at full power (Figure 5). 0.53% 0.15% 2.58% 2.04% SS to FP FP to SOL (RunIn) SOL to EOL 94.71% Gun testing Figure 5. Breakdown of acoustic source operations Overall, a total of 1705 hours and 26 minutes of visual monitoring was carried out. Visual monitoring conducted during the time the seismic source was active amounted to 1348 hours and 02 minutes and 357 hours 24 mins during source silence (Figure 6). 21% MMO Effort With Active Source 1348:02:00 79% MMO Effort With No Active Source 357:24:00 Figure 1. MMO effort according to source activities 11

15 Acoustic monitoring was conducted for a total of 1468 hours 44 minutes during the reporting period. Of that time 1190 hours 53 minutes consisted of monitoring during source activity, while the remaining 277 hour 51 minutes of monitoring occurred during source silence (Figure 7). 19% 81% PAM Effort With Active Source 1190:53:00 PAM Effort With No Active Source 277:51:00 Figure 2. PAM effort according to source activities Myanmar is situated in the tropical monsoon climate region. Based on the analysis of pressure, rainfall and temperature, the climate of this country can be described under the following seasons: Cold - November to February is warm to hot during the day and the air is relatively dry. Hot - March to May is intensely hot in most of the country. Rainy June to October is the monsoon season, with high rainfall. From June to August, rainfall can be constant for long periods of time. In September and October, the rain is less intense. Throughout the survey a range of sighting conditions were recorded, and these variables should be taken into consideration when attempting to record the distribution and occurrence of marine mammals. Environmental conditions are outlined below: Wind direction was recorded from all points of the compass during the survey, the predominant winds came from the N or NW (32,19% & 17,12% respectively). Wind force was recorded from 1 to 8, using the Beaufort scale, with the dominant forces being force 2 & 3 force (38,56% and 31,60% respectively). Force 3 and below, along with other variables being of low ratings, is typically considered good conditions to sight marine mammals (this occurred for approximately 82,16% of the time). Overall, wind force was recorded as being above force 3 for over 17,84% of the recorded time. Sea state and Swell was categorised by glassy (6%) and slight (89%) totalling approximately 95% of the time and choppy (4%) and rough (1%) conditions being recorded for approximately 5% respectively, with swell of <2m for 99% of the survey time. 12

16 Overall visibility was good for 100 % of the time. Sun glare was recorded as none for 33%, strong for 43% and variable or weak for the remaining 24%. There was almost no precipitation throughout visual observations with only short periods of light (1%) and moderate rain (1%) DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE The Andaman Sea is home to a number of marine mammals, however the varying habitat preferences of cetaceans means that these species may not occur regularly within the survey area of this project. Despite the consistent level of visual and acoustical monitoring, there were 85 visual observations and 1 acoustic detections. The geographic distribution of the species is shown below in Figure 8. Figure 8. Distribution of species detected during the YWB - MD4 3D survey MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS There was a total of 78 cetaceans and 7 sea turtle sightings during the survey Table 8. These represented at least 8 species of marine mammals and 2, possibly 3 species of sea turtles. Visual observations included: Bryde's Whale (Balaenoptera edeni) Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) Common Bottlenose (Tursiops truncates) Long-beaked Common (Delphinus capensis tropicalis) Pantropical Spotted (Stenella attenuata) Spinner (Stenella longirostris) False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens) Melon-headed Whale (Peponocephala electra) 13

17 Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Hawskbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate) Possible Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) whales, dolphins and sea turtles were also observed. Table 8. Summary of marine mammal sightings Sighting number Common Name Scientific Name Date Position Sea Turtle n/a Possible Loggerhead Caretta caretta Turtle Possible Loggerhead Caretta caretta Turtle s n/a s n/a s n/a s n/a s n/a Long- beaked Common s Common Bottlenose s s Common Bottlenose s Delphinus capensis tropicalis Tursiops truncatus n/a Tursiops truncatus ᵒ 24,27 N 096ᵒ 11,75 E 12ᵒ 26,74 N 095ᵒ 57,63 E 12ᵒ 15,13 N 096ᵒ 05,18 E 12ᵒ 30,13 N 096ᵒ 22,67 E 12ᵒ 32,45 N 096ᵒ 22,03 E 13ᵒ 39,82 N 095ᵒ 56,14 E 12ᵒ 25,12 N 096ᵒ 16,39 E 12ᵒ 21,02 N 096ᵒ 17,56 E 13ᵒ 13,14 N 096ᵒ 08,50 E 13ᵒ 16,20 N 096ᵒ 07,01 E 13ᵒ 35,34 N 095ᵒ 56,16 E 12ᵒ 18,23 N 096ᵒ 26,02 E Minimum number Individuals Source Activity at Initial Detection Mitigation Action 1 NO NO 1 NO NO 1 NO NO 100 YES NO 2 YES NO 20 YES NO 10 YES NO 3 YES NO 25 YES NO 25 YES NO 35 YES NO 4 NO NO 13 Bryde s Whale Balaenoptera 12ᵒ 16,20 N edeni 096ᵒ 18,21 E 1 YES NO 14 Bryde s Whale Balaenoptera 12ᵒ 17,90 N edeni 096ᵒ 23,60 E 1 YES NO 15 Short-finned Globicephala 12ᵒ 28,58 N Pilot Whale macrorhynchus 096ᵒ 20,83 E 8 YES NO 16 13ᵒ 30,37 N n/a s 096ᵒ 03,45 E 12 YES NO 17 13ᵒ 12,75 N n/a Rorqual Whale 096ᵒ 08,40 E 1 YES NO 18 12ᵒ 20,56 N n/a Rorqual Whale 096ᵒ 16,02 E 1 YES NO 19 Pantropical Stenella 12ᵒ 17,25 N Spotted attenuate 096ᵒ 16,08 E s 150 YES NO 20 Common Tursiops 13ᵒ 35,20 N Bottlenose truncatus 095ᵒ 54,47 E s 10 YES NO 21 Green turtle Chelonia Mydas N ,58 E 178 YES NO N n/a ,19 E 20 YES NO N n/a Baleen Whale ,50 E 2 YES NO 24 n/a N 10 NO NO 14

18 Spinner Possible Loggerhead Turtle Common Bottlenose 33 Spinner 34 Spinner Bryde s Whale 40 Melon Headed Whale n/a n/a n/a n/a Stenella longirostris Caretta caretta n/a Tursiops truncatus Stenella longirostris Stenella longirostris n/a n/a n/a n/a Balaenoptera edeni Peponocephala electra ,04 E N ,26 E N ,41 E N ,51 E 12 35,87 N ,03 E 12 41,18 N ,32 E 12 54,43 N ,47 E N ,11 E N ,42 E N ,00 E N ,09 E 12 29,07 N ,36 E 12ᵒ 36,11 N 095ᵒ 01,00 E 12ᵒ 45,83 N 095ᵒ 56,57 E 13ᵒ 37,46 N 095ᵒ44,58 E 13ᵒ 37,50 N 095ᵒ 42,92 E 12ᵒ 35,54 N 096ᵒ 03,11 E 5 YES NO 2 YES NO 8 YES NO 10 YES NO 40 YES NO 1 YES NO 7 YES NO 10 YES NO 40 YES NO 15 YES NO 12 YES NO 50 NO NO 6 YES NO 1 NO NO 1 NO NO 8 YES NO 41 n/a ᵒ 12,42 N 095ᵒ 48,01 E 10 YES NO 42 Common Bottlenose Tursiops truncatus ᵒ 20,02 N 095ᵒ 46,07 E 6 YES NO Spinner Common Bottlenose Hawksbill Sea Turtle Common Bottlenose 56 Spinner n/a n/a Stenella longirostris Tursiops truncatus Eretmochelys imbricate n/a n/a n/a n/a Tursiops truncates n/a n/a n/a Stenella longirostris ᵒ 59,69 N 095ᵒ 56,65 E 12ᵒ 14,26 N 096ᵒ 02,56 E 12ᵒ 32,49 N 096ᵒ 57,16 E 12ᵒ 57,98 N 095ᵒ 44,12 E 12ᵒ 42,48 N 095ᵒ 48,40 E 12ᵒ 36,65 N 095ᵒ 55,27 E 12ᵒ 41,92 N 095ᵒ 53,78 E 12ᵒ 44,00 N 095ᵒ 53,20 E 12ᵒ 47,38 N 095ᵒ 52,25 E 12ᵒ 36,30 N 095ᵒ 49,50 E 12ᵒ 12,70 N 096ᵒ 01,28 E 12ᵒ 12,16 N 096ᵒ 00,93 E 12ᵒ 37,27 N 096ᵒ 54,23 E 12ᵒ 37,02 N 095ᵒ 48,81 E 2 YES NO 1 NO NO 10 YES NO 15 YES NO 1 YES NO 4 YES NO 2 YES NO 30 YES NO 30 YES NO 25 YES NO 1 NO NO 70 NO NO 5 YES NO 15 YES NO 15

19 False Killer Whale Sea Turtle 62 Spinner Common Bottlenose Baleen Whale 70 Bryde s Whale Spinner 73 Whale n/a Pseudorca crassidens n/a n/a n/a Stenella longirostris n/a n/a n/a Tursiops truncatus n/a n/a n/a Balaenoptera edeni n/a Stenella longirostris n/a ᵒ 26,50 N 095ᵒ 40,91 E 12ᵒ 21,58 N 095ᵒ 40,42 E 13ᵒ 26,03 N 095ᵒ 34,13 E 12ᵒ 43,02 N 095ᵒ 51,47 E 12ᵒ 53,38 N 095ᵒ 47,57 E 13ᵒ 23,21 N 095ᵒ 40,04 E 13ᵒ 24,45 N 095ᵒ 39,69 E 12ᵒ 29,34 N 095ᵒ 48,26 E 12ᵒ 23,01 N 095ᵒ 50,12 E 12ᵒ 13,19 N 095ᵒ 53,95 E 12ᵒ 30,19 N 095ᵒ 53,32 E 13ᵒ 27,19 N 095ᵒ 34,24 E 13ᵒ 27,19 N 095ᵒ 34,24 E 13ᵒ 25,40 N 095ᵒ 35,03 E 12ᵒ 51,30 N 095ᵒ 45,56 E 13ᵒ 08,60 N 095ᵒ 47,10 E 13ᵒ 20,14 N 095ᵒ 44,05 E 4 YES NO 30 YES NO 1 NO NO 4 YES NO 12 YES NO 40 YES NO 4 YES NO 20 YES NO 15 YES NO 5 NO NO 5 YES NO 10 NO NO 1 NO NO 1 NO NO 3 YES NO 100 YES NO 1 YES NO 74 n/a ᵒ 56,54 N 096ᵒ 16,13 E 15 YES NO Spinner Whale 82 Spinner 83 Spinner n/a n/a Stenella longirostris n/a n/a n/a n/a Stenella longirostris Stenella longirostris ᵒ 32,29 N 096ᵒ 12,09 E 12ᵒ 53,80 N 096ᵒ 17,84 E 12 33,34 N ,44 E 13 08,44 N ,43 E 12 40,25 N ,47 E 12 54,47 N ,43 E 13 16,18 N ,04 E 13 10,12 N ,54 E 13 12,08 N ,21 E 4 NO NO 25 YES NO 30 NO NO 1 YES NO 20 YES NO 20 YES NO 5 YES NO 30 YES NO 15 YES NO 16

20 ACOUSTIC DETECTIONS During this survey there was one acoustic detection, which is detailed in the table below. Table 9. Summary of marine mammal detection Detection number Common Name Scientific Name Date Position Minimum number Individuals Source Activity at Initial Detection Mitigation Action 501 Unideitified dolphin n/a ,95 N 95 49,16 E 4 Yes No 17

21 4. COMPLIANCE WITH GUIDELINES There were 2 non-compliance issues during this survey: 1 On the 22 nd of January at 0612LT a soft start was commenced as lead in to production line YWBMD43449P1-009, the time from soft start to start of line was 52mins, this exceeded the JNCC limit of 40mins, this was unavoidable as the first shot point position had to be adjusted forward to bypass local fishing activity. 2 On the 2 nd of February at 2027LT a soft start was commenced as lead in to production line YWBMD43329P1-023, the time from soft start to start of line was 47mins, this exceeded the JNCC limit of 40mins, as there were no mitigating factors in this instance the observers were advised of the 40mins guideline. The observers responded quickly and professionally, there were no more non-compliances of this nature for the remainder of the survey SOFT-STARTS In total there were 268 seismic source events, of which 200 were soft starts and 68 were tests. The soft starts for this particular survey were performed by firing the smallest source element in the array first and then adding in the next largest until full power was achieved. The soft starts conformed to the current JNCC (2017) guidelines. In total, 87 soft starts occurred during the hours of daylight with 99 soft starts occurring during the hours of darkness and a further 7 soft starts occurred at dawn and 7 at dusk. Overall, 32 tests were carried out in daylight and 32 during the hours of darkness, a further 3 tests occurred at dawn and 1 at dusk. Night time soft starts were accompanied by pre-watch periods as PAM was implemented during this survey. The seismic crew supplied all information regarding soft starts and gun-operating times as requested and ensured that the MMOs/PAM operator were given ample notice to ensure prewatches were carried out properly. Seismic crew checked with the MMO/PAM operator prior to starting the guns to ensure the mitigation zone was clear of marine mammals. There was full cooperation from the seismic crew for the implementation of the JNCC guidelines PRE-WATCH PERIODS Source events were preceded by a pre-shooting search provided by JNCC certificated MMOs and/or PAM operator as required by the implemented guidelines. In total there were 268 pre-shooting searches performed on this survey. Of these, 138 were in daylight by the MMO team and 117 were during hours of darkness by the PAM operator, there were also 13 shared, 8 at dawn and 5 at dusk. Crew change occurred on the 14 th of February which resulted in no MMO available for pre-watch for line number YWBMD However, due to the planned operation and the scheduling of boat transfers, the bridge crew were advised to scan the area during this period although not formally trained to detect marine mammals. Bridge crew confirmed that there were no marine 18

22 mammals in the area during this period. 4.3 MITIGATION ACTION No mitigation was required. 19

23 5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1. CONCLUSIONS The survey was considered successful at minimizing the risk of disturbance and injury to marine mammals from the seismic surveys and complied fully with all current JNCC guidelines and client requirements. The data collected during this survey contains a small sample size so may not be appropriate for marine mammal abundance estimations or any statistical test for potentially significant differences in sightings and behavior during seismic activity, compared with periods when seismic work was not being conducted. It is however still valuable data, which can be used in comparison with the previous surveys and other surveys carried out in the area. There was full co-operation from the Shearwater Geoservices personnel for the implementation of JNCC guidelines RECOMMENDATIONS Although the project followed JNCC guidelines which apply to marine mammals, the guidelines encourage local adaptation to reduce the risk of injury to other marine species as appropriate. The MMO team welcomed the inclusion of potentially delaying soft start for turtles within the mitigation zone, as applies for marine mammals, as they can be less capable of moving away quickly from the noise source. The MMO team would recommend this adaption be applied to future project in the area. During crew change in the future it is recommended the MMOs have some overlap to ensure there is always an MMO onboard the vessel. 20

24 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The MMOs and PAM would like to thank Shearwater Geoservices and the crew of Polar Empress for their highly professional collaboration and hospitality throughout the survey. They would also like to thank Shearwater Geoservices for taking a best practice approach to this survey and utilising MMOs to conduct marine mammal monitoring during daylight hours and passive acoustic monitoring during hours of darkness based on a recognised and accepted series of mitigation measures and protocols. They are grateful to Shearwater Geoservices and Polar Empress for co-operating with efforts to try to minimise the impact of anthropogenic noise being released into Myanmar waters. They would also like to thank the Maritime crew of MV Polar Empress for accommodating us, allowing access to the bridge and information upon request. The Galley/Stewards for their high standards of food and cleanliness at all times. It was a very professional and safe environment to work in. We would gladly sail on the MV Polar Empress again in the future. 21

25 REFERENCES Dufaure, A-C.; Dimier, A.; Bouhelier, C.; Aulner, J.; Thet, Z. M.; Derrien, C. (October 2017) Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) Block YWB Offshore Seismic Campaign ERM-Siam Co Ltd (May 2017) Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) of 3D Offshore Seismic Survey in Myanmar Offshore Block MD-4 GC Rieber.; Total.; Shearwater. (January 2018) Project HSE Plan, Myanmar Andaman Sea - YWB & MD4 Blocks ver. 2.1 Hines, E.; Ponnampalam, L. S.; Hisne, F.I.J.; Whity, T.S.; Jackson-Ricketts, J.; Kuit, S.H.; Acebes, J.M. (2015) Report of the Third Southeast Asian Marine Mammal Symposium (SEAMAM III) Published by the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals Holmes, K.; Tun, T.; Latt, U K.; Subedee, M.; Khadke, S V.; Hostetler E. (2014) Marine Conservation in Myanmar, Copyright by the Wildlife Conservation Society Myanmar Program Joint Nature Conservation Committee. (2010) Guidelines for minimising the risk of injury and disturbance to marine mammals from seismic surveys. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough, UK. (accessed July 2017) Reeves, P.A.; Stewart, B.S.; Clapham, P.J.; and Powell, J.A. (2002) National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World. Alfred A. Knopf Publishing: New York. 529p. ISBN Shirihai, H. and Jarret, B. (2006) Whales, s and Seals. A Field Guide to the Marine Mammals of the World. A & C Black Publishers. ISBN Tint, T.; Ilangakoon, A.; Thein Pe, M.M. (May 2016) Dugong in Man Aung Water, Myanmar: Todd, W. Todd, I. Gardiner, J. Morrin, E. (2015) Marine mammal observer & passive acoustic monitoring handbook. Ocean Science Consulting. ISBN (Pbk). 22

26 Appendix 1: Mitigation Guideline

27 JNCC guidelines for minimising the risk of injury to marine mammals from geophysical surveys August 2017 For further information please contact: Joint Nature Conservation Committee Inverdee House, Baxter Street, Aberdeen, AB11 9QA, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0)

28 Contents Introduction... 1 Section 1: Planning... 3 Consenting process... 3 Survey considerations... 4 Areas of importance... 6 Visual and Passive Acoustic Monitoring... 7 MMO/PAM Operative role during surveys... 7 Training... 8 Experience... 9 Recommended requirements for MMOs and PAM operatives... 9 Section 2: Mitigation Standard Airgun Mitigation Procedures Pre-shooting search If marine mammals are detected within the mitigation zone Soft-start Line changes Airgun testing Undershoot operations Breaks in operations High Resolution Surveys (HRS) Section 3: Reporting MMO report Compliance with JNCC guidelines Compliance with consent or licence conditions References Appendix Glossary Appendix MMO report... 25

29 Introduction It is recognised that sound generated from geophysical survey sources has the potential to cause injury (e.g. hearing damage) to marine mammals (cetaceans and seals). Some surveys, seismic surveys in particular, have the potential to result in a deliberate injury offence as defined under UK regulations 1 for the protection of European Protected Species 2 (EPS). Deliberate has been interpreted in European Commission guidance as actions by a person who knows, in light of the relevant legislation that applies to the species involved, and the general information delivered to the public, that his action will most likely lead to an offence against a species, but intends this offence or, if not, consciously accepts the foreseeable results of his action 3. Therefore, anyone carrying out an activity which they should reasonably have known could cause injury as defined in the regulations could be committing an offence. The mitigation measures outlined in these guidelines are designed to reduce the risk of deliberate injury to marine mammals and relevant measures are incorporated as part of the consenting regimes for geophysical activities within the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). These guidelines were originally written with the oil and gas industry in mind, however since their conception the use of geophysical technologies by other marine industries has grown. Any geophysical survey that has the potential to result in injury to marine mammals should apply the mitigation measures outlined in these guidelines (or an alternative as agreed with the relevant Regulator). Whilst the mitigation measures in these guidelines have some limitations and their effectiveness may not be able to be fully tested, they are based on reasonably conservative assumptions. It is considered that compliance with these guidelines constitutes best practice and will, in most cases, reduce the risk of deliberate injury to marine mammals to negligible levels. The focus of these guidelines is marine mammals, however they could be adapted to help reduce the risk of deliberate injury to other marine species if deemed appropriate by the relevant Regulator. For example, other potentially sensitive species include marine turtles, also listed as EPS, and several shark species including basking shark which are UK priority marine species 4. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) has no objections to these guidelines being used in other territories. However, we would encourage all operators to determine if any special or local circumstances apply, as these guidelines are not intended to be used where local mitigation guidance has been adopted. The following guidelines have been divided into three sections and supplemented by two appendices: Section 1: Background information to assist with survey planning; Section 2: Mitigation; and 1 Regulation 41(1a) of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2012; Regulation 39(1a) of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2012; Regulation 34(1a) of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015; Regulation 39(1a) of the Offshore Marine Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 2007 (as amended); Regulation 10(a) of the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Amendment Regulations Species listed on Annex IV of the Habitats Directive2 and in UK waters includes all cetacean species 3 Section in The protection of marine EPS from injury and disturbance (JNCC et al., 2010) 4 1

30 Section 3: Reporting. Appendix 1 includes a glossary of the terminology used within these guidelines and Appendix 2 provides further details on reporting requirements. In addition, a separate JNCC Guidelines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document is available, which should be read alongside the guidelines 5. These guidelines were originally prepared by a working group convened by the then Department of the Environment. They have subsequently been reviewed four times by JNCC following consultation with relevant stakeholders. In addition to comments received from stakeholders, the current revision has also considered the 2015 review of marine mammal observer (MMO) data and compliance with the guidelines (Stone, 2015 a and b), new research into potential impacts to marine mammals from anthropogenic noise and new developments in geophysical survey and monitoring technologies

31 Section 1: Planning The following information is provided to assist personnel involved with geophysical surveys, however it should not be seen as definitive advice. Many geophysical surveys are subject to a formal consenting process. When planning a geophysical survey, the applicant should identify and contact the appropriate Regulator and Statutory Nature Conservation Body(s) (SNCB) for specific survey advice as required. Current UK regulators, to which these guidelines could be relevant, include the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Marine Management Organisation, Marine Scotland, Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the Planning Inspectorate (PINS). The SNCBs are JNCC (offshore 6 waters), Natural England (English inshore 6 waters), Scottish Natural Heritage (Scottish inshore 6 waters), Natural Resources Wales (Welsh inshore 6 waters) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Northern Irish inshore 6 waters). Not all geophysical surveys across different industry sectors are subject to a formal consenting process i.e. some surveys require notification (to the relevant Regulator) only. However, the survey considerations and mitigation principles outlined in these guidelines should still be considered and applied where appropriate. Consenting process Where a consent is required, the applicant will need to submit an impact assessment in support of the application detailing the potential impacts of the survey, including those on cetaceans and seals. If relevant, the assessment should also consider impacts on the integrity of any Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), such as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and if the proposals are likely to impact designated species or habitats (Section 1.3). These assessments will be reviewed by the Regulator and appropriate SNCB(s) on a caseby-case basis. The Regulator will confirm if a further assessment is required, for example if there is potential for a deliberate injury and/or deliberate disturbance 7 offence. The Regulator will also confirm whether they are required to undertake a Habitats Regulation Assessment. Where there is a consent requirement, the Regulator will also advise an applicant if an EPS licence in necessary. Where no consent is required, the organisation undertaking the survey should seek advice directly from the appropriate SNCB. The SNCBs have provided guidance on The Protection of Marine European Protected Species from Injury and Disturbance which can assist with applications within English and Welsh inshore waters and the UK offshore marine area 8. Further EPS guidance for Scottish inshore waters has been produced by Marine Scotland 9. 6 All waters outside of 12 nautical miles from the coast are referred to as offshore waters, with all waters inwards of this mark considered to be inshore waters. 7 While these guidelines to not deal with disturbance directly, it is considered the mitigation measures contained may assist in reducing potential disturbance. 8 To obtain a copy of the latest version, please contact JNCC 9 3

32 Typically, any survey consent and/or EPS licence issued will include a general condition that relevant sections of these mitigation guidelines are followed. In addition, key elements that must be followed may be incorporated as detailed consent or licence conditions. It is the Regulator who ultimately determines the final consent or licence conditions (taking account of SNCB advice during the consultation). Variations to the standard procedures outlined in these guidelines may be approved by the Regulator during their consideration of the consent or licence application, or upon request during survey operations if the variation relates to the consent or licence conditions. It is the responsibility of the company issued the consent or licence (the operator) to follow the guidelines and to adhere to any related conditions attached to the consent or licence. Survey considerations The operator is expected to make every possible effort to design a survey that minimises the sound generated and the likely impacts to marine mammals. Early consultation with the appropriate Regulator and SNCB(s) is encouraged, particularly for situations not specifically covered in these guidelines. When planning a geophysical survey, the following should be considered: Use the lowest practicable power levels needed to achieve the survey objectives and seek/consider methods to reduce and/or buffer unnecessary high frequency noise produced. Airgun firing (including testing) must not exceed the planned maximum production volumes outlined in the consent or licence application. Determine what marine mammal species are likely to be present in the survey area, identify if the survey is to occur within or near an area of importance for marine mammals (Section 1.3), and assess the likelihood of deliberately injuring or disturbing marine mammals and include this assessment as part of the application or notification 10. Assess any seasonal considerations, for example, seal pupping, migration periods and routes and seasonal considerations in MPAs. When possible, plan surveys to avoid areas/periods of high abundance and key seasons. 10 Details of how injury and disturbance as defined in the regulations has been interpreted can be found in the SNCB 2010 EPS guidance and 2014 Marine Scotland EPS guidance (see references). At the time of writing, proposed thresholds for determining injury to marine mammals were under review. Please contact the appropriate statutory advisor for further advice regarding appropriate threshold levels to apply. 4

33 The standard radius of the mitigation zone referred to in these guidelines is 500 metres (m). Any variation to this mitigation zone size can be proposed during the application process, but requires a clear rationale, potentially supported by noise propagation modelling and including consideration of how the standard mitigation measures could be applied to the proposed mitigation zone. Consider the direction of survey lines and distance to sensitive areas and coastline to reduce any potential for entrapment (i.e. prevent animals from possibly being trapped between the vessel and shoreline). Ensure sufficient MMO and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) operatives are employed, considering, for example, the size and location of the survey, the number of line changes and soft starts required, the duration of daylight hours and the requirement for night-time operations. It is the operator s responsibility to ensure sufficient personnel are provided to prevent observer fatigue and meet health and safety requirements. SNCB(s) will recommend a minimum number of personnel, not a maximum. Reliable lines of communication must be established between the MMO/PAM operatives and the crew. Copies of the consent and/or licence (once available) and any other relevant documentation (electronic or paper) must be provided to the MMO/PAM operatives in sufficient time before any operations begin (Note: this is a condition of any consent issued under the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations 2001 (as amended)). PAM should be used during periods when visual mitigation is not possible (e.g. darkness, low visibility). Depending upon the nature of the survey and the consent or licence conditions, operations may have to be delayed until conditions change or improve, unless an alternative method to visual surveys, such as PAM, is available and can be deployed. PAM equipment should be appropriate for the UK marine mammal species most likely to be found within the survey area. Options for PAM deployment should also be considered early in the planning stage to ensure it can be used effectively (i.e. discuss with equipment supplier/pam operative/vessel operator etc.). Incorporate pre-shooting surveys and soft-starts into survey design. Where practical, time operations to commence during daylight hours to ensure that visual mitigation by MMOs can be undertaken. If this is not achievable, the above points on PAM mitigation measures are relevant. When vessels are time-sharing, i.e. where two or more vessels are operating in adjacent areas and take turns to shoot to avoid causing seismic interference, the guidelines apply on all vessels involved and clear communication channels are required to ensure effective mitigation. If dual source arrays are to be used, particularly if they are to be operated simultaneously rather than in an alternative manner (e.g. flip flop mode), estimate the mitigation zone required to encompass the entire array (e.g. based on the centre point 5

34 between the two arrays). Any proposed alteration to the standard mitigation zone should be made clear in the survey application. No equipment testing should be undertaken outside the consented or licensed area (including any greater working area as defined in some applications). Discussions are welcomed on the emergence of new seismic techniques, the potential for risk to marine species and the development of appropriate monitoring/mitigation measures. Techniques used to collect geophysical data are constantly evolving, for example the acquisition of data using ambient acoustic energy and using automated underwater vehicles (AUVs) as a platform for site surveys. JNCC strive to keep up to date with developments and to ensure their guidelines are relevant to industry practices. Areas of importance Areas of importance can be defined as discrete areas of important habitat for marine mammal species. These have the potential to be delineated and managed for conservation. Ultimately such areas could be designated as MPAs, which in UK waters include: Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), designated under the EC Habitats Directive for habitats and species identified in Annexes I and II respectively; Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), created under the Marine and Coastal Access Act (MCAA) 2009 with the aim of protecting nationally important marine wildlife, habitats, geology and geomorphology in English and Welsh inshore waters and UK offshore waters adjacent to England and Wales; and Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas (NCMPAs), created in Scottish seas under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 (inshore) and the MCAA (offshore) to conserve some of Scotland s most important marine wildlife, habitats and geodiversity. All MPAs with a marine mammal species as a qualifying feature are considered an area of importance within the context of these guidelines. Consultation with the appropriate Regulator and SNCB(s) at the earliest opportunity is recommended when considering surveys within or near these areas. Additional mitigation requirements for operations in these areas may be recommended (e.g. combined use of MMO and PAM during daylight hours). Any requirement will consider (as a minimum) the size, duration and timing of the survey and the species most likely to be impacted. All proposed, possible and candidate MPAs are a material consideration within the consenting and licensing processes. West of Shetland In addition to MPAs, the deep waters to the west of Shetland are considered an area of importance. Although this area does not currently have legal protection, the area is considered important for a variety of species, including some which do not occur elsewhere in UK waters e.g. deep diving species such as beaked whales and sperm whales. As such, there are variations to standard mitigation procedures (i.e. 60-minute pre-shooting searches) in this area (Section 2.1.1). Additional requirements such as the use of PAM to maximise detection potential may also be considered, as deep diving species are difficult to detect by visual mitigation methods alone. 6

35 Visual and Passive Acoustic Monitoring The primary aim of these guidelines is to reduce the potential for deliberate injury occurring to marine mammals by monitoring a defined area (the mitigation zone) prior to a noise source being activated and delaying operations should a marine mammal be observed. Monitoring can be achieved through a combination of visual and passive acoustic methods. No one method of detecting marine mammals is 100% effective for all species, rather it is considered that these methods seek to complement each other. Visual monitoring is undertaken by a Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) 11. It should be undertaken from the source vessel with the MMO located on a suitable platform enabling the best view of the mitigation zone and ahead of the vessel. It is acknowledged that weather conditions influence an observer s ability to visually detect marine mammals (e.g. Hammond et al., 2013; Northridge et al., 1995), as does available daylight. Consequently, visual monitoring should be restricted to periods of good visibility during daylight hours. The use of Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) was incorporated into the JNCC guidelines as a form of mitigation in 2002 and has been increasingly used as a tool for monitoring marine mammals during night time and poor visibility conditions. Specialist trained PAM operatives are needed to set up and deploy the equipment and to interpret detected sounds. It is acknowledged that current PAM systems are not suitable for detecting seals and some cetaceans (e.g. baleen whales) and have limited range for others (e.g. high frequency cetaceans). However, it is considered a viable monitoring method during periods when effective visual monitoring is not possible (Stone 2015b). When a PAM system is used, it should achieve as much as possible of the following: Detect the range of frequencies of marine mammal vocalisations expected to be present in the survey area; Detect and identify vocalising marine mammals and establish bearing and range in a reasonable period of time; Immediately communicate relevant information to the PAM operator (real time) so appropriate and timely mitigation measures can be undertaken (e.g. delay soft start); Able to be repaired on board or replaced in case of breakdown (e.g. appropriate repair tools and backup equipment). MMO/PAM Operative role during surveys The role of an MMO/PAM operative is to detect marine mammals as part of the mitigation procedures and to advise a delay in the commencement of activity should any marine mammals be detected within the mitigation zone. This is to reduce the potential for deliberate injury to occur and ensure the survey complies with relevant consent or licence conditions. Ultimately, however, it is the operator s responsibility to ensure consent and licence conditions are adhered to, noting the advice provided by the MMO/PAM operative(s). MMO and PAM operatives should be equipped with an up-to-date copy of the JNCC guidelines and recording forms. The recording form is an excel spreadsheet with embedded worksheets. 11 Note the distinction between this mitigation role and that of a marine mammal surveyor (MMS), who undertakes surveys for research or monitoring purposes and may employ different monitoring techniques and survey methods. 7

36 Word versions of the spreadsheets named Deckforms are also available which operatives may prefer to use during operations before transferring details to the excel spreadsheets. All forms, including a guide to completing them, are available on the JNCC website 12. MMOs should be equipped with binoculars and a tool to estimate distance i.e. range finding stick or binoculars with reticles. The ability to determine range is a key skill for MMOs and a proven tool for distance estimation should be used. For these guidelines, the use of the most appropriate method for the survey and observer in question is recommended. Instructions on how to make and use a range finding stick are available on the JNCC website 12. Both the MMO and PAM operative should ensure their efforts are concentrated on the mitigation periods, i.e. the pre-shooting search and soft-start time periods until the survey line has started and data acquisition has begun. The guidelines should not be interpreted to imply that MMO/PAM operatives should continue a visual/acoustic search during all available hours, unless specified as a survey consent or licence condition. MMO/PAM operatives should manage their time to ensure that they are available to carry out their duties to the best of their ability during the mitigation periods as outlined above. Whilst JNCC appreciates the efforts of MMO/PAM operatives to record valuable data at other times, this should be managed to ensure those observations are not detrimental to their ability to undertake duties during mitigation periods. In addition to conducting visual/acoustic searches, the MMO/PAM operatives will advise the crew on the procedures set out in the JNCC guidelines and provide advice to ensure the survey programme is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines and any survey consent or licence conditions. It is essential that MMO/PAM operatives are provided with a copy of any consent/licence conditions and any additional information relevant to their activities. In many cases this will be a condition of survey approvals (e.g. consents issued under the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations 2001 (as amended)). It is also recommended that MMO/PAM operatives attend pre-mobilisation meetings, to discuss working arrangements and their role while on the vessel. Training All MMO and PAM operatives are required to be trained. For a MMO to be classified as trained, the individual must have undertaken formal training on a JNCC recognised course 13 plus have some experience of visually spotting marine mammals 14. This experience need not be gained while implementing the JNCC guidelines, i.e. it can be from other types of at sea survey work. Key to the MMO role is the ability to spot marine mammals within the mitigation zone. However, as mitigation within UK waters is required for all cetacean species, identification to species level, while preferred, is not essential. Currently, JNCC do not recognise any PAM courses 15, however, several training courses are available covering both basic hardware and the use of specialist software. As a minimum, a Further information on recognised course providers is available at: 14 Note: level and form of experience will be considered alongside a general review of training requirements. 15 Discussions are currently underway to identify minimum standards for the use of PAM as a mitigation tool, including operator training requirements. Further information will be published once available. 8

37 PAM operative should be able to assemble and deploy PAM equipment, configure the software, identify acoustic signals and interpret bearing and range information. Experience An experienced MMO 15 should have a minimum of 20 weeks experience of implementing JNCC guidelines in UK waters over the previous ten years, and preferably within the previous five. Furthermore, they will be experienced at identifying UK marine mammal species (visually and/or acoustically depending on the role) and be familiar with their behaviour. We recommend newly qualified MMOs and PAM operatives do not work in isolation for their first few jobs (i.e. they are not the sole MMO/PAM operative on board a vessel). Rather they work alongside experienced personnel who can act as mentors while they gain experience of implementing the guidelines. The use of experienced MMO and PAM operators is essential in areas of importance for marine mammals. Recommended requirements for MMOs and PAM operatives JNCC (and other SNCBs) will recommend to the Regulator a minimum number of MMOs and PAM operatives required for each survey. This will take into account, as a minimum, the survey location, duration, time of year, maximum airgun volume and species sensitivities. In addition, MMOs will be referred to (by JNCC) as either: Dedicated: A trained MMO who is employed for the sole purpose of undertaking visual observations to detect marine mammals and advising on and monitoring the implementation of the guidelines. They are not normally a member of the vessel crew (i.e. they are sub-contracted professionals). Dedicated MMOs have higher sighting rates than non-dedicated MMOs and supply higher quality data (Stone, 2015b). They also have the advantage of being available outside of the mitigation periods. For example, they can be called upon to search for marine mammals during operations 16 and advise if any marine mammals are present in the area if operations unexpectedly stop for technical reasons and need to start up promptly after the problem is solved. This can reduce the need for additional pre-shooting searches and soft starts (Section 2:). Non-dedicated: A trained MMO who may undertake other roles on the vessel when not conducting their mitigation role. This person can be a member of a rig s or vessel s crew providing they do not undertake other roles during mitigation periods. Non-dedicated MMOs are typically recommended for short surveys using low energy sources e.g. some vertical seismic profiling (VSP), sub-bottom profiling or when using an airgun system with a total volume equal to or less than 180 cubic inches. Given the specialist nature of the PAM operative role, it is expected they will be a sub-contracted professional whose sole role on the vessel is to operate the PAM system i.e. all PAM operatives will be dedicated. 16 This should not be done to the detriment of key mitigation periods, unless sufficient personnel are employed to allow continual monitoring. 9

38 It is the operators responsibility to employ sufficient MMO/PAM personnel to cover all mitigation periods, taking account of the specific requirements and logistics of their survey, thus removing the potential for operative fatigue and meeting health and safety requirements. This is particularly important when working at northern latitudes (i.e. above 57 ) during summer months (defined here as between 1 st April and 1 st October) and when planning 24- hour data acquisition. In such cases, the operator must provide sufficient personnel to allow the work to be carried out in shifts. Where PAM is a condition of the consent or licence, it must be used if soft starts will occur during hours of darkness and during periods when day-time conditions are not conducive to visual surveys (e.g. fog). Where PAM is not a condition of the consent or licence and day-time conditions are such that visual observations cannot be undertaken and no other form of monitoring is available, best practice would be to delay the initiation of soft starts and seismic shooting until conditions improve. The use of PAM is particularly important during winter months when hours of darkness are longer. Visual surveys at dusk are not a reliable indicator to inform start-up decisions at night and should not be viewed as an alternative to using PAM. However, it is not recommended that PAM is used as the sole method of mitigation during periods when visual searches are possible (Stone, 2015b). A minimum of one PAM operative is required when PAM equipment is to be deployed, with consideration of the survey specifics (including potential use during daylight hours) used to determine the total number of operatives. PAM may be required to supplement visual surveys (in addition to use at night and periods of poor visibility) in areas of importance for marine mammals. Under such circumstances, the operator must ensure sufficient personnel are employed to allow for 24-hour PAM coverage (i.e. usually a minimum of two PAM operatives). It is not uncommon for individuals to conduct both the MMO and PAM roles during the same survey. This is acceptable under these guidelines but it is essential that personnel are trained and competent in both roles. Regardless of whether the MMO and PAM operatives are conducting sole or dual roles, an operator not providing sufficient personnel for a survey is not a valid reason for conducting surveys without cover during mitigation periods. 10

39 Section 2: Mitigation For surveys that require a consent or licence, any proposed deviation or exception from the provisions of the guidelines must be discussed and agreed with the Regulator during the application process. These guidelines must then be read alongside the specific conditions attached to the approval issued by the Regulator. Standard Airgun Mitigation Procedures The following guidelines apply to all geophysical surveys that use airguns. Pre-shooting search Clear communication channels between the MMO/PAM operator and relevant crew must be established prior to the commencement of any operations. The MMO/PAM operator must be aware of the timings of the proposed operations. The crew must inform the MMO/PAM operators (or nominated lead) sufficiently in advance of airgun firing so that a full pre-shooting search can be completed prior to the soft start commencing. Location of MMO/PAM All monitoring (visual and PAM) should be undertaken from the source vessel (where the noise source is deployed from), unless alternative arrangements have been agreed with the Regulator. The MMO should be positioned on a high platform with a clear view of the horizon, mitigation zone and ahead of the vessel. The PAM operator should be positioned in the most appropriate location to allow them to monitor the PAM equipment for acoustic detections and maintain contact with both the MMO and relevant crew, for both mitigation purposes and ensuring the PAM equipment is deployed correctly. Mitigation zone The MMO/PAM operative will monitor the agreed mitigation zone and advise if any marine mammals are within it. The standard radius of the mitigation zone is 500m, estimated from the centre of the airgun array or noise source location (noting comments in 0). If the size of the mitigation zone is adjusted for any reason, this will be stipulated within the survey consent or licence conditions. Duration of search The MMO must monitor the mitigation zone for the full duration of the pre-shooting search and soft-start procedure. Where PAM is being used in conjunction with or in place of visual surveys, acoustic monitoring must also occur for the full duration of the pre-shooting search and soft-start procedure. Once the soft start has ended and data acquisition begins, monitoring can cease. The duration of the pre-shooting search is determined as follows: 11

40 Waters less than 200m deep: 30 minutes prior to the use of any airguns. Waters greater than 200m deep: 60 minutes prior to the use of any airguns. The longer search period is to allow for deep diving species (e.g. sperm whale and beaked whale) which are known to dive for longer than 30 minutes. PAM may also be required on all pre-shooting searches in deeper waters (i.e. to complement visual surveys) to increase the potential to detect species with long dive times. Due to the longer pre-shooting search time required in deeper waters, pre-shooting searches can commence before the end of a preceding survey line (whilst the airguns are still firing) IF line changes will take less time than the pre-shooting search and soft-start combined (i.e. 80 mins; Section 2.1.4). If marine mammals are detected within the mitigation zone If marine mammals are detected within the mitigation zone during the pre-shooting search (visually or acoustically), the soft-start must be delayed until their passage, or the transit of the vessel, results in them being outside of the mitigation zone. There must be a minimum of a 20-minute delay from the time of the last detection within the mitigation zone and the commencement of the soft-start, to allow animals unavailable for detection (i.e. not re-surfacing in that time) to have moved outside of the mitigation zone. A full soft-start must be undertaken after any delay due to the presence of marine mammals within the mitigation zone. In situations where seal(s) are congregating around a fixed platform within a survey area, the soft-start should commence at a location at least 500m from the platform. If marine mammals are detected within the mitigation zone whilst the airguns are firing, either during the soft-start procedure or when at full power, there is no requirement to stop firing. Figure 1 illustrates a typical seismic survey with decision making pathways in the event a marine mammal is detected. 12

41 Pre-shooting search (Section 2.1.1) Marine mammal detected within mitigation zone No marine mammals detected Delay soft start Commence soft start (Section 2.1.3) 20 mins elapsed since last sighting in mitigation zone Commence soft start (Section 2.1.3) Figure 1. Flowchart illustrating the decision-making pathway of a MMO/PAM operative during a seismic survey. 13

42 Soft-start Two criteria define the standard duration of a soft start: From the start of the soft-start until full operational power: minimum of 20 minutes; From the start of the soft-start until the start of the survey line: maximum of 40 minutes. One exception to these criteria is for surveys where the maximum airgun volume is <180 cubic inches, in which case: From the start of the soft-start until full operational power: minimum of 15 minutes; From the start of the soft-start until the start of the survey line: maximum of 25 minutes. Regardless of duration, power should be built up gradually, in uniform stages from a low energy start-up (e.g. increasing the number of airguns starting with the smallest airgun in the array or increasing the airgun pressure). There should be a soft-start every time the airguns are scheduled to be used, the only exceptions being for certain types of airgun testing (Section 2.1.5), and the use of a mini-airgun (single gun volume equal to or less than 10 cubic inches). Mini airguns do not require a soft start. Surveys operations should be planned to avoid unnecessary firing at operational power before commencement of a survey line and to time operations to commence data collection as soon as possible once full operational power is achieved. Line changes Seismic data is usually collected along predetermined survey lines. Line change or line turn is the term used to describe the activity of turning the vessel at the end of one survey line prior to commencement of the next. The following procedures depend on the duration of the line change. If an operator determines that an effective line change cannot be achieved using these procedures, then they should contact the Regulator and appropriate SNCB(s) at the earliest possible opportunity to discuss a proposed alternative. Details of any agreed alternative procedures should be described during the application process and reiterated, if appropriate, in the survey consent or licence conditions. One example of airgun use that does not require a line change is Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP), a technique where measurements are made at a series of depths in the wellbore using geophones inside the wellbore and an airgun source at the surface near the well. In this instance, the breaks in operations required to reposition geophones are treated in the same manner as line changes. If monitoring operations are being undertaken using PAM and difficulties are encountered when deploying the PAM equipment, the line changes should be extended to allow the full pre-shooting search and soft start to be completed using PAM. a) If line changes are expected to take longer than 40 minutes: If line changes (or geophone repositioning) are expected to take longer than 40 minutes, regardless of airgun volume: 14

43 Firing is to be terminated at the end of the survey line (or during geophone repositioning); A pre-shooting search is to be undertaken during the scheduled line change (or geophone repositioning); The soft-start is to be delayed if marine mammals are seen within the mitigation zone during the pre-shooting search (Section 2.1.2); and A full 20-minute soft-start is to be undertaken before the start of the next line or VSP data collection (Section 2.1.3). Most seismic surveys with airgun array volumes of 500 cubic inches or more and extensive hydrophone arrays are not able to complete their line changes within 40 minutes (Stone, 2015b) and should therefore follow the procedures outlined above. b) If line changes are expected to take less than 40 minutes: If line changes (or geophone repositioning) are expected to be completed within 40 minutes, regardless of airgun volume: Airgun firing can continue during the line change only if power is reduced to 180 cubic inches (or as close as is practically feasible) at standard pressure. Airgun volumes of less than 180 cubic inches can continue to fire at their operational volume and pressure; AND The Shot Point Interval (SPI) is increased to provide a longer duration between shots, with the SPI not to exceed 5 minutes; AND The power is increased and the SPI is decreased in uniform stages during the final 10 minutes of the line change (or geophone repositioning), prior to data collection recommencing (i.e. a form of mini soft start). If the above is not practical, and an alternative procedure has not been agreed with the Regulator, then airgun firing should be terminated and a pre-shooting search and soft-start implemented prior to the start of the next line. Airgun testing Airgun tests may be required to trial new equipment or to test damaged or misfiring airguns following repair. Individual airguns or several airguns may need testing and the airguns may also be tested at varying power levels. The following guidance is provided to clarify when a soft-start is required for airgun testing: If the intention is to test a single airgun, a soft-start is not required. If the intention is to test multiple airguns, a soft-start is required. This should be carried out over a time period proportional to the number and/or volume of guns being tested and should not exceed 20 minutes in duration. Airguns should be tested in order of volume, smallest first. A pre-shooting search (Section 2.1.1) must be undertaken before any instances of airgun testing 15

44 Where feasible, it is recommended that airgun testing is incorporated into the soft start procedure and conducted before the start of a survey line to reduce the total amount of noise being introduced into the marine environment. Undershoot operations The MMO/PAM operatives should be located on the source vessel to ensure they are close enough to the airguns to effectively monitor the mitigation zone. If this is not possible, e.g. for logistical or health and safety reasons, the operator should explain this during the application process and suggest and agree any alternative mitigation arrangements with the Regulator. A pre-shooting search and soft-start procedure must be followed prior to undertaking all undershoot operations. Breaks in operations Unplanned breaks: This refers to instances where the airguns cease firing unexpectedly during data acquisition, e.g. a technical problem or breakdown. In such circumstances, it is imperative the MMO/PAM operatives begin to monitor the mitigation zone as quickly as possible after an unplanned break has occurred. Unplanned breaks of less than 10 minutes: If the airguns can be restarted and data acquisition resumed in less than 10 minutes, there is no requirement for a soft-start and firing can recommence at the same power level as at prior to the break (or lower), provided no marine mammal(s) have been detected in the mitigation zone during the breakdown period. If a marine mammal is detected in the mitigation zone during the breakdown period, the MMO/PAM operative will advise to delay recommencement of the airgun firing until their passage, or the transit of the vessel, results in the marine mammals being outside of the mitigation zone. There must be a minimum of a 20-minute delay from the time of the last detection within the mitigation zone and a soft-start must then be undertaken, as described in Section Unplanned breaks of longer than 10 minutes: If it takes longer than 10 minutes to restart the airguns, a full pre-shooting search (Sections 2.1.1) and soft-start (Section 2.1.3) should be carried out before the survey re-commences. If an MMO/PAM operative has been monitoring during the breakdown period, this time can contribute to the pre-shooting search time (30 or 60 minutes as appropriate). If the breakdown occurs at night or during daylight conditions not conducive for a visual search, the mitigation zone should be monitored as described above using PAM. If PAM is not available, the survey must be delayed until conditions are suitable for visual observations. Planned breaks: If breaks in data acquisition other than during a line change are required (e.g. to avoid a structure), these should be considered within the application to allow the Regulator and SNCB to fully understand the survey procedure. The same procedures as above (for unplanned breaks) can be applied. However, if the planned break will be for less than 10 minutes, the MMO/PAM operatives must begin monitoring 20 minutes prior to the planned break and continue for the duration of the break. 16

45 High Resolution Surveys (HRS) High resolution data can be achieved either using airguns or electromagnetic sources. Subbottom profiling (SBP, e.g. pingers, sparkers, boomers and CHIRP systems), side-scan sonar and multi-beam echosounders all use electromagnetic sources 17. JNCC will provide advice on a case-by-case basis based on the following: Airguns: As a precautionary measure, JNCC advise that any HRS that uses airguns requires mitigation as described in Section 0 above. Note: mini airguns (single gun volume equal to or less than 10 cubic inches) do not require a soft start but do require a pre-shooting search. Electromagnetic sources: o o Pre-shooting search of the mitigation zone and a delay in proceeding if a marine mammal is observed as described in Sections and Typically, a non-dedicated MMO can be used. Soft start where practical, ramp up the power in a uniform manner. However, it is acknowledged that this is not possible for some SBP equipment (i.e. it is either on or off). If such equipment is to be used, this should be highlighted during any relevant application process. o Line change as described in Section If several types of HRS equipment are to be started sequentially or interchanged during the operation, only one pre-shooting search is required prior to the start of acoustic output, only if there are no gaps in data acquisition of greater than 10 minutes (refer to Section for breaks in operations). Multi-beam surveys in deep waters SNCB guidance on the protection of EPS 18 highlights that some multi-beam systems used in deeper waters (>200m) utilise frequencies (<100Khz) at sound levels that may be of concern to cetacean species, both in relation to deliberate injury and disturbance offences (see Section 3.14, page 43 of the EPS guidance). Therefore, an assessment of the risk to EPS from such surveys should be considered. JNCC (or the appropriate SNCB) will provide advice regarding mitigation requirements on a case by case basis as either directly to the operator or as part of any consultation process initiated by the relevant Regulator. Multi-beam surveys in shallower waters (<200m) are not subject to these requirements as it is thought the higher frequencies typically used fall outside the hearing frequencies of cetaceans and the sounds produced are likely to attenuate more quickly than the lower frequencies used in deeper waters. JNCC do not, therefore, advise that mitigation is required for multi-beam surveys in shallow waters. 17 It should be noted that airgun and SBP site surveys undertaken in relation to licences issued under the Petroleum (Production) Act 1934, Petroleum Act 1998 or the Energy Act 2008 require consent under the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations 2001 (as amended), but side-scan sonar and multibeam echosounder surveys only require to be notified to the Regulator. 18 SNCB Draft Guidance, To obtain a copy of the latest draft version of the guidance please contact JNCC. 17

46 Section 3: Reporting MMO report For all oil and gas geophysical surveys, an MMO report should be sent to the Regulator (via to and copied to JNCC (via to after the survey has been completed. It is the responsibility of the consent holder to ensure that the MMO report is sent in a timely manner (BEIS consent conditions require submission within six weeks of the date of expiry of the consent). The report should be accompanied by the completed JNCC marine mammal recording forms (i.e. the raw data in the excel spreadsheets) and a copy of the relevant consent. Please include the excel spreadsheets in their original format i.e. do not convert to pdf. For other industry sectors and respective Regulators, it is recommended that similar procedures regarding MMO reporting should be followed, but this should be agreed with the relevant Regulator and SNCB(s). Please note that information on marine mammal distribution and general ecology etc. are not required within the MMO report, as such information is provided and reviewed within the survey application. The MMO report should provide a brief summary of the specifics of the conducted survey, mitigation watches (visual and acoustic) and required mitigation action as outlined above (see Appendix 2 for further information to be provided within an MMO report). Compliance with JNCC guidelines In addition to monitoring for the occurrence of marine mammals, the MMO/PAM operatives will advise the crew on the procedures set out in the JNCC guidelines and provide advice to ensure the survey programme is undertaken in accordance with relevant mitigation requirements detailed in any survey consent or licence conditions. Every effort should be made to resolve any compliance issues during the survey with relevant crew personnel. MMO/PAM operatives and consent/licence holders can contact JNCC to seek advice in relation to any aspect of these guidelines, including any issues that have arisen during the course of a survey that could affect compliance with the guidelines to try to resolve the issues in a timely manner. Any queries can be ed to JNCC at seismic@jncc.gov.uk. Details of any issues (regardless of whether advice was required) and how they were resolved should also be included in the MMO report (Appendix 2). Any queries in relation to compliance with specific consent or licence conditions must follow the procedure outlined in Section 3.3. Compliance with consent or licence conditions MMO/PAM operatives and consent or licence holders are encouraged to contact the Regulator during survey operations to seek advice/discuss any mitigation issues that have arisen that could affect compliance with the consent or licence conditions, to try to resolve them in a timely manner. Where necessary, the Regulator will seek advice from JNCC or the relevant inshore nature conservation body. If there is a breach of the consent or licence conditions, the consent or licence holder must advise the Regulator in accordance with the reporting requirements detailed in the relevant consent or licence. The MMO/PAM operatives can also independently 18

47 report breaches to the Regulator. Contact details for requesting advice and procedures for the reporting of a non-compliance are normally appended to the relevant consent or licence. 19

48 References Genesis Review and assessment of underwater sound produced from oil and gas sound activities and potential reporting requirements under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2011). Genesis Oil and Gas Consultants report for the Department of Energy and Climate Change. t-sound.pdf Hammond, P.S., Macleod, K., Berggren, P., Borchers, D.L., Burt, L., Cañadas, A., Desportes, G., Donovan, G.P., Gilles, A., Gillespie, D., Gordon, J., Hiby, L., Kuklik, I., Leaper, R., Lehnert, K., Leopold, M., Lovell, P., Øien, N., Paxton, C.G.M., Ridoux, V., Rogan, E., Samarra, F., Scheidat, M., Sequeira, M., Siebert, U., Skov, H., Swift, R., Tasker, M.L., Teilmann, J., Van Canneyt, O. & Vázquez, J.A., Cetacean abundance and distribution in European Atlantic shelf waters to inform conservation and management. Biological Conservation, 164: Marine Scotland The protection of marine EPS from injury and disturbance guidance for Scottish inshore waters Northridge, S.P., Tasker, M.L., Webb, A. & Williams, J.M Distribution and relative abundance of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) and minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) around the British Isles. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 52: SNCBs The protection of marine European Protected Species from injury and disturbance Draft Guidance for the marine area in England and Wales and the UK offshore marine area (October, 2010). Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Natural England and the Countryside Council for Wales. Available from JNCC on request. Stone, C.J. 2015a. Marine mammal observations during seismic surveys from JNCC report, No. 463a. Stone, C.J. 2015b. Implementation of and considerations for revisions to the JNCC guidelines for seismic surveys. JNCC Report No. 463b. 20

49 Appendix 1 Glossary Areas of importance: Discrete areas of important habitat to marine mammal species. Airgun: Device into which air is pumped into chambers at high pressure and then released through ports to form an oscillating bubble, thereby producing sound waves. Designed to emit a vertical beam of sound towards the seabed, with some unintentional sound radiating out from other angles. Applicant: The company or organisation applying for consent or licence to undertake a geophysical survey Consent holder: The company or organisation holding a consent for a geophysical survey. Daylight hours: Period between sunrise and sunset when sufficient light is available to effectively conduct visual observations. Echosounder: Equipment used to provide a water depth estimate by emitting pulses of sound that reflect from the seabed. The typical frequency range is from khz 19. European Protected Species: Species listed in Annex IV(a) of the Habitats Directive that occur naturally in the United Kingdom. In the marine environment, this includes all species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), turtles, and the Atlantic sturgeon. Full power: Firing the airguns at their full operational level, reached at the end of a soft-start. Geophysical survey: The systematic collection of geophysical data for spatial studies, using a range of equipment including airguns. Licence holder: The company or organisation holding an EPS licence relating to a geophysical survey. Line change (or turn): The activity of turning the vessel at the end of one survey or production line prior to commencement of the next period of data acquisition. Marine Mammal Observer (MMO): Individual responsible for conducting visual watches for marine mammals for mitigation purposes and providing advice to enable compliance with the JNCC guidelines: Trained MMO: Individual who has undertaken a JNCC recognised MMO course and has some experience of visually spotting marine mammals. Experienced MMO: Trained MMO with 20 weeks field experience of implementing the JNCC guidelines in UK waters obtained during the previous ten years, preferably within the previous five. Marine Mammal Surveyor: Individual responsible for conducting visual watches for marine mammals for monitoring or research purposes. Marine Protected Area (MPA): A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation 19 Genesis,

50 of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values 20. Within the UK, these may be designated under national legislation or international obligations and contribute to an international network of MPAs in the north-east Atlantic. Mini-airgun: Airgun of volume less than or equal to 10 cubic inch. Mitigation zone: The area within which the MMO/PAM operative searches (visually or acoustically) for marine mammals. Multi-beam echosounder: Similar to an echosounder except it emits a fan of sound beams. They work using a range of sound frequencies, with higher frequencies used in shallower waters that are normally outside the hearing range of cetaceans. Ocean Bottom Seismic: Sound is released from a conventional source vessel and reflections are recorded by sensors placed on the sea floor. Based on the type of recording sensor used to collect data, these surveys may be referred to as Ocean Bottom Cable (OBC): An assembly of geophones and hydrophones connected by cables and deployed on the seafloor to record and relay data to a seismic recording vessel. Ocean Bottom Nodes (OBN): Similar to OBC except autonomous recording nodes are placed on the sea floor using ROVs. Nodes may be connected to each other and to the recording vessel with cables or have inbuilt recording capabilities. Operator: The company or organisation undertaking a geophysical survey. Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM): System that utilises hydrophones and specialist software to detect the vocalisations of marine mammals. PAM operative: Individual responsible for conducting acoustic searches for marine mammals and experienced in the use of PAM equipment and marine mammal acoustics. Pre-shooting search: Search for marine mammals (visually and/or acoustically) prior to commencing firing of airguns. Production (or survey) line: Transect line during which data is acquired. Can also be expressed in terms of the number of shots or lengths (km or miles) of data acquired in a given time. Regulator: The competent authority appointed by the government to administer regulations controlling a particular activity or industry. Seismic survey: Any geophysical survey that uses airguns to generate sound which is directed into the seabed and the reflected energy is recorded and processed to produce images of the geological strata; surveys may be described as: 2D seismic: Survey vessel with a single towed hydrophone streamer. Reflections from the subsurface strata provide an image in two dimensions (horizontal and vertical). 3D seismic: Uses more than one hydrophone streamers towed by the survey vessel to provide a three-dimensional image. 20 Dudley, N. (Editor) (2008). Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. x + 86pp. 22

51 4D seismic: 3D seismic surveys repeated over a period of time, for example, to observe reservoir depletion during production and identify areas where there are barriers to flow that may not be easily detectable using other seismic techniques. Shot Point Interval (SPI): Interval between successive shots of the airgun(s), measured in time (seconds) or metres travelled over the ground. Side-scan sonar: Used in mapping the surface and upper layers of the seabed. Sound pulses are usually centred at frequencies between khz, the higher frequencies provide a greater resolution but reduced seabed penetration 19. Site survey: Seismic survey of a limited area proposed for drilling, infrastructure emplacement etc., typically to identify seabed and subsurface hazards such as wrecks and the presence of shallow gas. The surveys often use a range of techniques, including multi-beam echosounders and side scan sonar, sub-bottom profiler, magnetometer and small airguns ( cubic inches 21 ) with short hydrophone streamers. Soft-start: Process whereby the power of an acoustic source is built up slowly from a low energy start-up, gradually and systematically increasing the output until full power is achieved (usually over a period of 20 minutes). Source vessel: The vessel from which the acoustic source (e.g. airguns) is deployed. Source: A device that provides energy for acquisition of seismic data, such as an airgun, explosive charge or vibrator. Sub-bottom profiling (SBP): Systems employed to identify and characterise layers of sediment or rock under the sea floor. Low frequency sound sources achieve greater penetration though the seafloor, but produce a lower-resolution picture; higher-frequency pulses achieve a higher resolution but do not penetrate as deeply into the sub-bottom strata. In addition to small airguns (typically less than 180 cubic inches). The following systems may be used: Boomer: Consist of two plates separated by a coil across which a high voltage impulse is created. The induced magnetic field causes one plate to vibrate directing acoustic energy into the surrounding water. They have a broadband acoustic source ranging between 500 Hz - 5 khz and are used to map the seabed layers between m depth 19. Pingers: Equipment that periodically emit a high frequency ping, typically operating on a range of single frequencies between khz 19, used to achieve information from the seabed immediately below the surface layers. They offer very high resolution but limited penetration dependent upon the seabed sediments, for example, a few tens of metres in mud. Chirp systems: These were designed to replace pingers and boomers and are now frequently used in oil and gas site surveys in place of the older systems. Chirp systems operate around a central frequency, usually sweeping across a range of frequencies between 3-40 khz OGP 2011 An overview of marine seismic operations. 23

52 Sparkers: Use an electrical discharge to generate sound similar to boomers but their use is now infrequent 19. A high voltage impulse generates a spark across a pair of electrodes forming a gas bubble whose oscillations generate the sound. Sparkers are powerful devices and can be used to penetrate seabed layers up to 1 km. Time-sharing: When vessels engaged on adjacent surveys take turns to run survey lines to avoid interference from the noise of each other s airguns. Undershoot: Procedure used to facilitate shooting under platforms or other obstructions. One vessel is used to tow the seismic source and a second to tow the hydrophone array. United Kingdom waters: Parts of the sea in or adjacent to the United Kingdom from the low water mark out to the limits of the United Kingdom Continental Shelf. Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) (or Borehole Seismic): Measurements made using geophones located inside the wellbore and a seismic source at the surface near the well. The seismic sources are generally smaller than those used for deep geophysical surveys but larger than for site surveys 19. The seismic sources can be deployed in several ways: Zero offset: source located on the drilling platform; Offset: source vessel stationed at fixed location some distance from the well; and Walk away: source vessel traverses one or more lines away from the well. 24

53 JNCC report title Appendix 2 MMO report An MMO report must be submitted upon completion of a survey and should include the information detailed below. It should be accompanied by completed JNCC marine mammal recording forms (i.e. the raw data in the excel spreadsheets) and a copy of the relevant survey consent or licence. Please include the excel spreadsheets in their original format i.e. do not convert to pdf. Operator details: Include brief details of the company awarded the consent or licence, relevant contractor details if appropriate, and the survey consent or licence reference number issued by the Regulator. Highlight contact details for whoever is responsible for the survey in case JNCC has any follow-up questions. Survey details: Provide a summary of the survey including: Date and location of survey; Total number and volume of the airguns used; Nature of airgun array discharge frequency (in Hz), intensity (in db re. 1µPa or bar metres) and firing interval (seconds); Details of any other acoustic energy used (e.g. SBP); Details of any airgun testing; Average duration of all pre-watches, soft starts and line changes, and the number of occasions when guideline durations were not met (specific times are included in the accompanying MMO excel recording forms); Summary of MMO/PAM activities for each monitoring period i.e. day/night (i.e. full excel recording forms of operations and brief written summary) Number and types of vessels involved in the survey; The geographical coordinates of the survey area and, if appropriate, the greater working area will have been included in the initial application, but a map illustrating the location of the survey (or the licence blocks within which it occurred) can be beneficial, as can be an illustration of the completed survey lines. It should also be highlighted if the survey has occurred within or close to a protected area which includes marine mammals as a feature. Note, general details of likely marine mammal presence in the survey area will have already been included in the application and does not need repeating here. MMO/PAM effort and detections: Include details of the number of staff employed, whether they were dedicated or non-dedicated staff and their working location(s) on the vessel. Also, include details of their experience i.e. level of training, number of previous mitigation assignments or previous experience of observing if new to the role. A brief CV could be added as an appendix if easier. 25

54 Provide details of the lead operative responsible for the report who can be contacted if JNCC has any follow up questions. If PAM has been used on the vessel, include details of the equipment and software and a summary of how often if was deployed. Also, detail any technical issues encountered e.g. equipment failure or deployment issues. Screenshots of spectrograms can also be helpful but are not essential. Details of all monitoring effort should be included in the recording forms, but should also be summarised within the report. Also, summarise details of any marine mammals encountered, either visually or acoustically, distinguishing between those recorded inside and outside the mitigation zone. Application of mitigation procedures Include details of any survey specific arrangements agreed with the Regulator as part of the survey consent conditions prior to the start of the survey e.g. changes to the size of the mitigation zone etc. Provide a summary of mitigation procedures applied, including details of soft-starts implemented and whether delays in firing were required. Again, only a summary is required as further details will be provided in the accompanying recording forms. Details of any issues that have arisen relating to understanding or interpreting the JNCC guidelines should be included in the MMO report, describing the issue and how it was resolved, or including suggestions as to how it could have been resolved, to aid JNCC with future revisions of the guidelines. Any issues encountered in complying with the consent or licence conditions that relate to marine mammal mitigation should also be summarised in the report. Additional information Additional information, for example, photographs of marine mammals observed, can be included at the end of the report if available. 26

55 Appendix 2: Recording Form

56 Appendix 2: Sample of Recording Form Regulatory reference number Line name Ship/ platform name Date Reas on for firing Time soft start/ rampup began (UTC) Time of full power (UTC) Time Time of start of end of line of line (UTC) (UTC) Time of reduced output (UTC) (if relevant ) Time airgun s/ source stoppe d (UTC) Time preshooti ng search began (UTC) Time search ended (UTC) Time PAM began (UTC) Time PAM ended (UTC) Depth range Was it day or night in the period prior to firing? Was any mitigatin g action required? Commen ts Flag record YWB - MD4 Polar Empress 1/14/2018 t 10:01 12:21 9:01 10:01 d d n Single gun test followed by bubble test YWB - MD4 YWBMD4TEST-9003 Polar Empress 1/14/2018 t 12:23 12:43 12:48 12:58 12:58 11:23 12:23 d n n Dual NFH test YWB - MD4 YWBMD4TEST-9004 Polar Empress 1/14/2018 t 13:05 13:49 12:05 13:05 d n n Full array test YWB - MD4 YWBMD4TEST-9005 Polar Empress 1/14/2018 t 13:50 14:01 12:50 13:50 d n n Full array test YWB - MD4 YWBMD4TEST-9006 Polar Empress 1/14/2018 t 14:05 14:15 13:05 14:05 d n n Full array test YWB - MD4 Gun test full array Polar Empress 1/14/2018 t 20:38 20:58 20:59 21:21 21:21 19:38 20:38 d n n Gun test port side guns YWB - MD4 YWBMD4TEST-9011, YWBMPolar Empress 1/14/2018 x 23:36 23:56 2:07 11:58 11:58 22:36 23:36 d n n Residual energy test line with shooting contin YWB - MD4 Bubble test Polar Empress 1/15/2018 t 15:56 16:01 14:56 15:56 d n n Bubble test string 2, gun 5 & 6 YWB - MD4 YWBMD43997P2-002 Polar Empress 1/15/2018 l 18:53 19:13 19:24 4:34 4:34 17:53 18:53 d n n Seq 2 YWB - MD4 YWBMD43997P2-002 Polar Empress 1/16/2018 l 7:38 7:58 8:17 4:30 4:30 6:38 7:38 d d n Seq 3 YWB - MD4 YWBMD43953P1-004 Polar Empress 1/17/2018 l 8:32 8:52 9:08 2:44 2:44 7:32 8:32 d d n Seq 4 YWB - MD4 Single gun test Polar Empress 1/18/2018 t 2:48 3:31 1:48 2:48 d d n Single gun test YWB - MD4 YWBMD43497P1-005 Polar Empress 1/18/2018 l 5:04 5:24 5:38 1:43 1:43 4:04 5:04 d d n Seq 5 YWB - MD4 YWBMD43929P1-006 Polar Empress 1/19/2018 l 5:17 5:37 5:54 0:21 0:21 4:15 5:15 d d n Seq 6 YWB - MD4 Bubble test Polar Empress 1/20/2018 t 0:25 0:29 23:25 0:25 d w n Bubble test string 5, cluster 1 YWB - MD4 YWBMD43473P1-007 Polar Empress 1/20/2018 l 3:00 3:20 3:36 23:27 23:27 2:00 3:00 d d n Seq 7 YWB - MD4 Single gun test Polar Empress 1/21/2018 t 2:02 2:06 1:02 2:02 d d n Single gun test, string 2 YWB - MD4 YWBMD43905P1-008 Polar Empress 1/21/2018 l 2:42 3:02 3:19 21:50 21:50 1:42 2:42 d d n Seq 8 YWB - MD4 Single gun test Polar Empress 1/21/2018 t 23:16 23:17 22:16 23:16 d n n Single gun test, cluster 3, only 5 shots YWB - MD4 YWBMD43449P1-009 Polar Empress 1/21/2018 l 23:42 0:02 0:34 19:30 19:30 22:42 23:42 d w n Non-compliance, first shot point position adju YWB - MD4 Gun test Polar Empress 1/22/2018 t 20:52 20:58 19:52 20:52 d n n Single gun test YWB - MD4 Gun test Polar Empress 1/22/2018 t 21:58 22:19 20:58 21:58 d n n Single gun test YWB - MD4 YWBMD43881P1-010 Polar Empress 1/22/2018 l 23:02 23:22 23:38 4:41 4:41 22:02 23:02 d n n Seq 10 aborted for 1min d/t problem with NA YWB - MD4 YWBMD43881P2-011 Polar Empress 1/23/2018 l 4:42 17:08 17:08 3:42 4:42 d d n Continue shooting after breaking the line wit YWB - MD4 Seq 012 attempt Polar Empress 1/23/2018 l 19:16 19:16 18:16 19:16 d n n Soft start commenced, fired one shot, then a YWB - MD4 Gun test Polar Empress 1/23/2018 t 19:38 19:39 18:38 19:38 d n n Single gun test YWB - MD4 YWBMD43425P1-012 Polar Empress 1/23/2018 l 20:33 20:53 21:07 14:52 14:52 19:33 20:33 d n n YWB - MD4 Gun test Polar Empress 1/24/2018 t 17:02 17:10 16:02 17:02 d n n Single gun test YWB - MD4 YWBMD43857P1-013 Polar Empress 1/24/2018 l 17:22 17:42 17:57 11:48 11:48 16:22 17:22 d n n Seq 13 YWB - MD4 YWBMD43425F1-014 Polar Empress 1/25/2018 l 13:35 13:55 14:10 9:17 9:17 12:35 13:35 d n n Seq 14 YWB - MD4 Gun test Polar Empress 1/26/2018 t 11:43 11:48 10:43 11:43 d k n YWB - MD4 YWBMD43833P1-015 Polar Empress 1/26/2018 l 12:08 12:28 12:45 7:15 7:15 11:08 11:43 11:43 12:08 d k n Seq 15 YWB - MD4 YWBMD4P1-016 Polar Empress 1/27/2018 l 9:08 9:28 9:41 5:10 5:10 8:08 9:08 d d n Seq 16 YWB - MD4 YWBMD43809P1-017 Polar Empress 1/28/2018 l 7:32 7:52 8:04 2:46 2:46 6:32 7:32 d d n Seq17 YWB - MD4 Single gun test Polar Empress 1/29/2018 t 2:49 2:51 1:49 2:49 d d n YWB - MD4 Single gun test Polar Empress 1/29/2018 t 4:38 4:44 3:38 4:38 d d n YWB - MD4 YWBMD43377P1-018 Polar Empress 1/29/2018 l 5:43 6:03 6:21 1:55 1:55 4:43 5:43 d d n Seq 18 YWB - MD4 Single gun test Polar Empress 1/30/2018 t 2:31 2:36 1:31 2:31 d d n YWB - MD4 YWBMD43785P1-019 Polar Empress 1/30/2018 l 4:55 5:15 5:22 7:54 7:54 3:55 4:55 d d n Seq 19 aborted d/t problem with gun array YWB - MD4 Single gun test Polar Empress 1/30/2018 t 13:46 13:54 12:46 13:46 d n n YWB - MD4 Single gun test Polar Empress 1/30/2018 t 18:53 19:07 17:53 18:53 d n n YWB - MD4 YWBMD43785P2-020 Polar Empress 1/30/2018 l 20:03 20:23 20:42 13:25 13:25 19:03 20:03 d n n YWB - MD4 YWBMD43353P1-021 Polar Empress 1/31/2018 l 16:19 16:39 16:54 12:38 12:38 15:19 16:19 d n n YWB - MD4 Single gun test Polar Empress 2/1/2018 t 12:55 13:55 11:55 12:55 d n n YWB - MD4 YWBMD43761P1-022 Polar Empress 2/1/2018 l 15:10 15:30 15:50 11:09 11:09 14:10 15:10 d n n YWB - MD4 YWBMD43329P1-023 Polar Empress 2/2/2018 l 13:57 14:17 14:44 10:22 10:22 12:57 13:57 d n n Non-compliance, SS to SOL exceeded 40mi YWB - MD4 Gun test Polar Empress 2/3/2018 t 13:36 13:38 12:36 13:36 d n n YWB - MD4 YWBMD43737P1-024 Polar Empress 2/3/2018 l 13:42 14:02 14:13 9:42 9:42 12:42 13:42 d n n

57 Appendix 3: Sighting and Detection pictures

58 Marine mammals and Sea turtles sightings and detection pictures Polar Empress YWB - MD4 3D/2018 Myanmar Sighting Number 4 - s Sighting 13 Bryde s Whale 1

59 Sighting 14 Bryde s Whale Sighting 15 Short Finned Pilot Whales 2

60 Sighting 19 - Pantropical Spotted Sighting 20 Common Bottlenose 3

61 Sighting Number 22 - s Sighting Number 23 - Baleen Whale 4

62 Sighting Number 27 - s Sighting Number 28 - s Sighting Number 29 - Spinner s 5

63 Sighting Number 30 - Possible Loggerhead Sea Turtle Sighting Number 32 - Common Bottlenose 6

64 Sighting Number 33 - Spinner s Sighting 34 - Spinner Sighting 39 Bryde s Whale 7

65 Sighting 40 - Melon Headed Whale Sighting 46 - Common Bottlenose 8

66 Sighting 52 - Common Bottlenose Sighting 54 - dolphin 9

67 Sighting 56 - Spinner 10

68 Sighting 58 - False Killer Whale Detection s 11

69 Sighting 62 - Spinner Sighting 66 - Common Bottlenose 12

70 Sighting 70 - Bryde s Whale 13

71 Sighting 72 - Spinner 14

72 Sighting 81 - dolphin 15

73 Sighting 82 - Spinner 16

74 Sighting 84 - Spinner 17

75 Appendix 4: Birds of the Polar Empress

76 Birds of the Polar Empress YWBMD4 3D/2018

77 In no particular order these images were all taken by the MMO team during our time on-board the Polar Empress in the Andaman Sea, offshore Myanmar Swallow (Hirundo rustica) Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica) Ashy Minivet (Pericrocotus divaritacus) Black Capped Kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) Oriental Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis) Chinese Pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus)

78 Brown Hawk Owl (Ninox scutulata) Indian Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi) Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus) Striated Heron (Butorides striata) Rock Dove (Columba livia) Orange Headed Thrush (Geokichla citrina)

79 Besra (Accipiter virgatus) Mugimaki Flycatcher (Ficedula mugimaki) Chestnut Winged Cuckoo (Clamator coromandus) Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) Crow Billed Drongo (Dicrurus annectens) Lanceolated Warbler (Locustella lanceolata)

80 Shikra (Accipiter badius) Sparrowhawk (Accipiter Nisus) The majority of the above sightings occurred in a two meek window in the middle of the 3 rd rotation between 7 th and the 21 st April All of the above birds were spotted on many subsequent days with the exception of the Black Capped Kingfisher, Brown Hawk Owl and the Mugimaki & Asian Paradise Flyctachers The Sparrowhawks and the Brown Shrikes were almost a fixture during our trip, leading me to believe that they may have been living on-board the support vessels as well as the Polar Empress, one day I saw 4 hawks circling high above, this coincided with the MV Tess and the MV Glomar Linde being in close attendance as both workboats were out on operations One of the Sparrowhawks actually caught and eat the Oriental Dollarbird as seen here, this individual is a young male, a female was also spotted on a couple of occasions, not sure which Accipiter species of the three she belonged to as no images were obtained. This image was taken by the gun mechanics on the gun deck

81 The Chinese Pond Heron was the first and the most sighted of all the birds in this report, being seen on at least a dozen separate occasions, sometimes in groups of 3 and 4, the above bird is in full breeding plumage, shown here is the first image taken and shows an individual in non-breeding plumage at the end of January Below is a short list of all other sightings that occurred but only once, very briefly, too far away or photographs were unable to be shot Swift (Apus apus) Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) House martin (Delichon urbica) Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Owl One image only is left over, and is the only one I was unable to identify with sufficient accuracy to append a name to MMO Team Gary C Wylie & Agnieszka Adamiak