Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T20:44:44.176Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Overview of seismic research activities in the Southern Ocean - quantifying the environmental impact

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 May 2013

Monika Breitzke
Monika Breitzke*
Affiliation:
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Am Alten Hafen 26, D-27568 Bremerhaven, Germany
*
Monika.Breitzke@uni-bremen.de
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Understanding the regional and seasonal distribution of seismic research surveys in the Southern Ocean is essential for assessing their acoustic impact on the marine environment. An analysis of the navigation data and cruise table in the Seismic Data Library System for Cooperative Research (SDLS) shows that a fairly extensive network of seismic lines is now available for the Southern Ocean. However, line spacing ranges from tens to hundreds of kilometres, and some almost unsurveyed areas still exist. The seasonal distribution of the seismic profile lengths shows periods with increased survey activity between 1976/77 and 2001/02, but only moderate levels of activity between 2002/03 and 2010/11. The corresponding line spacing is large, and lines are widely distributed over the Southern Ocean. None of the eight Antarctic regions considered here have experienced seismic survey activity during all summer seasons in the last 35 years. Instead, periods with survey activity are interspersed by periods with no survey activity. The average survey length ranges from ∼2600 km per season off the Antarctic Peninsula to ∼260 km per season off Enderby Land. Compared to the industrial seismic exploration off Norway the acoustic impact of the seismic research activity in the Southern Ocean is at least ∼150 times lower.

Keywords

air gunsAntarcticamarine mammalsmarine seismicsocean noiseSeismic Data Library System for Cooperative Research
Type
Earth Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , February 2014 , pp. 80 - 92
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Current address: Department of Geosciences, Universität Bremen, Klagenfurter Straße, D-28359 Bremen, Germany

References

Boebel, O., Breitzke, M., Burkhardt, E. Bornemann, H. 2009. Strategic assessment of the risk posed to marine mammals by the use of air guns in the Antarctic Treaty Area. Information Paper IP 51, Agenda Item: CEP 8c, Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting XXXII, 6–17 April 2009, Baltimore, USA, 273 pp. http://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.32056.d001, accessed March 2013.Google Scholar
Boebel, O., Breitzke, M., Burkhardt, E. Bornemann, H. 2012. Strategic assessment of the risk posed to marine mammals by the use of air guns in the Antarctic: concepts, methods, results and controversies. In Popper, A.N. & Hawkins, A., eds. The effects of noise on aquatic life. New York: Springer, 529–531.Google Scholar
Breitzke, M. Bohlen, T. 2010. Modelling sound propagation in the Southern Ocean to estimate the acoustic impact of seismic research surveys on marine mammals. Geophysical Journal International, 181, 818–846.Google Scholar
Breitzke, M. Bohlen, T. 2012. Modeling cumulative sound exposure along a seismic line to assess the risk of seismic research surveys on marine mammals in the Antarctic Treaty area. In Popper, A.N. & Hawkins, A., eds. The effects of noise on aquatic life. New York: Springer, 609–611.Google Scholar
Breitzke, M., Boebel, O., El Naggar, S., Jokat, W. Werner, B. 2008. Broad-band calibration of marine seismic sources used by R/V Polarstern for academic research in polar regions. Geophysical Journal International, 174, 505–524.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caldwell, J. Dragoset, W. 2000. A brief overview of seismic air-gun arrays. The Leading Edge, 19, 898–902.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castellote, M. 2007. General review of protocols and guidelines for minimizing acoustic disturbance to marine mammals from seismic surveys. Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy, 10, 273–288.Google Scholar
Compton, R., Goodwin, L., Handy, R. Abbott, V. 2008. A critical examination of worldwide guidelines for minimizing the disturbance to marine mammals during seismic surveys. Marine Policy, 32, 255–262.Google Scholar
Cooper, A.K. & ANTOSTRAT Steering C ommittee. 1991. A SCAR seismic data library system for cooperative research (SDLS): summary report of the International Workshop on Antarctic Seismic Data. SCAR Report No. 9, 11–15 April 1991, Oslo, Norway, 11 pp. http://www.scar.org/publications/reports/9/, accessed March 2013.Google Scholar
Cunningham, A.P., Vanneste, L.E. & the ANTOSTRAT Antarctic Peninsula Regional Working Group. 1995. The ANTOSTRAT Antarctic Peninsula Regional Working Group digital navigation compilation. Antarctic Research Series, 68, 297–301.Google Scholar
Diebold, J., Tolstoy, M., Doermann, L., Nooner, S., Webb, S.C. Crone, T.J. 2010. R/V Marucs G. Langseth seismic source: modeling and calibration. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, 11, 12010.11029/12010GC003216.Google Scholar
Dragoset, W.H. 1990. Air-gun specs: a tutorial. The Leading Edge, 9, 24–32.Google Scholar
Dragoset, W.H. 2000. Introduction to air guns and air-gun arrays. The Leading Edge, 19, 892–897.Google Scholar
Gordon, J., Gillespie, D., Potter, J., Frantzis, A., Simmonds, M.P., Swift, R. Thompson, D. 2004. A review of the effects of seismic surveys on marine mammals. Marine Technology Society Journal, 37, 16–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, S.R., Richardson, W.J., Yazveno, S.B., Blokhin, S.A., Gailey, G., Jenkerson, M.R., Meier, S.K., Melton, H.R., Newcomer, M.W., Perlov, A.S., Rutenko, S.A., Würsig, B., Martin, C.R. Egging, D.E. 2007. A western gray whale mitigation and monitoring program for a 3-D seismic survey, Sakhalin Island, Russia. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 134, 1–29.Google Scholar
Johnston, R.C., Reed, D.H. Desler, J.F. 1988. Special report of the SEG Technical Standards Committee. SEG standards for specifying marine seismic energy sources. Geophysics, 53, 566–575.Google Scholar
Malakoff, D. 2002. Suit ties whale deaths to research cruise. Science, 298, 722–723.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCauley, R.D., Fewtrell, J., Duncan, A.J., Jenner, C., Jenner, M.N., Penrose, J.D., Prince, R.I.T., Adhitya, A., Murdoch, J. McCabe, K. 2000. Marine seismic surveys - a study of environmental implications. Australian Petroleum Production Exploration Association (APPEA) Journal, 40, 692–708.Google Scholar
Miller, H., Gohl, K., Uenzelmann-Neben, G., Müller, C. Jokat, W. 2002. Acoustic parameters and hydroacoustic equipment: natural noise, industrial exploration and basic science. Polarforschung, 72, 109–114.Google Scholar
National Marine Fisheries. 2008. Incidental takes of marine mammals during specified activities. Marine geophysical survey in Southeast Asia, March–July 2009. Federal Register, 73, 78 294–78 317.Google Scholar
Nowacek, D.P., Thorne, L.H., Johnston, D.W. Tyack, P.L. 2007. Responses of cetaceans to anthropogenic noise. Mammal Review, 37, 81–115.Google Scholar
Richardson, W.J., Greene, C.R., Malme, C.I. Thompson, D.H. 1995. Marine mammals and noise. San Diego: Academic Press, 576 pp.Google Scholar
Southall, B.L., Bowles, A.E., Ellison, W.T., Finneran, J.J., Gentry, R.L., Greene, C.R. Jr, Kastak, D., Ketten, D., Miller, J.H., Nachtigall, P.E., Richardson, W.J., Thomas, J.A. & Tyack, P.L. 2007. Marine mammal noise exposure criteria: initial scientific recommendations. Aquatic Mammals, 33, 411–521.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stone, C.J. Tasker, M.L. 2006. The effects of seismic airguns on cetaceans in UK waters. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, 8, 255–263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tolstoy, M., Diebold, J.B., Webb, S.C., Bohnenstiel, D.R., Chapp, E., Holmes, R.C. Rawson, M. 2004. Broadband calibration of R/V Ewing seismic sources. Geophysical Research Letters, 31, 14310.11029/12004GL020234.Google Scholar
Tolstoy, M., Diebold, J., Doermann, L., Nooner, S., Webb, S.C., Bohnenstiel, D.R., Crone, T.J. Holmes, R.C. 2009. Broadband calibration of R/V Marucs Langseth four-string seismic sources. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, 08010.01029/02009GC002451.Google Scholar
Wardell, N., Childs, J.R. Cooper, A.K. 2007. Advances through collaboration: sharing seismic reflection data via the Antarctic Seismic Data Library System for Cooperative Research (SDLS). In Cooper, A.K., Raymond, C.R. et al., eds. Antarctica: a keystone in a changing world - online proceedings of the 10th ISAES. USGS Open-File Report 2007-1047, Short Research Paper 001, 4 pp, 10.3133/of2007-1047.srp001.Google Scholar
Weir, C.R. Dolman, S.J. 2007. Comparative review of the regional marine mammal mitigation guidelines implemented during industrial seismic surveys, and guidance towards a worldwide standard. Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy, 10, 1–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wessel, P. Smith, W.H.F. 1991. Free software helps map and display data. EOS Transactions American Geophysical Union, 72, 441–446.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

Breitzke Supplementary Material

Appendix

Download Breitzke Supplementary Material(PDF)
PDF 25.1 KB