BOEM FY 2017 Environmental Studies Program

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The Environmental Studies Program (ESP) of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is offering a cooperative agreement opportunity to conduct research in topics that serve the public interest of safe and environmentally sound energy and mineral production on the nation's outer continental shelf. This announcement is specifically offered to announce intent to undertake the following project: "Spatial & Acoustic Ecology of Marine Megafauna" (SPAM). Eligible recipients are "affected" (coastal) state offices & public university members of the Piedmont-South Atlantic CESU that currently hold a marine mammal authorization permit from NMFS. BOEM is required to design and implement mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate impacts from regulated activities on protected and managed species, which is challenging due to a lack of data on infrequently observed, cryptic species. Deep-diving, acoustically sensitive cetaceans (e.g., sperm and beaked whales) and poorly sampled species, such as sei whales, are just such creatures, and they inhabit the shelf, shelf-break, and deep ocean waters of the U.S. OCS. The lack of information about their diving behavior and acoustic ecology creates a high degree of variability in their detection probabilities and the analysis of data from passive acoustic monitoring (PAM), which is one of BOEM's primary mitigation and monitoring tools for marine mammals. Verifying cue rates (i.e., a key for PAM analyses) for understudied marine mammals in diverse behavioral states and habitats is thus key in reinforcing BOEM passive acoustic studies nationally. BOEM requires robust, current data to (1) fully analyze and disclose the potential for significant impact from OCS activities at varying spatiotemporal scales pursuant to NEPA, (2) to provide better information for determining whether a species could be jeopardized by an activity and whether that activity could adversely affect designated critical habitat pursuant to the ESA, (3) to provide information that allows better estimation of the potential for incidental take of marine mammals stemming from BOEM-permitted activities to ensure compliance with the MMPA (4) to fulfill assessment and consultation requirements with other federal agencies, and (5) to aid BOEM in making every effort to maintain the health and stability of marine mammals and their ecosystem. This study will ensure BOEM acoustic monitoring, a tool vital to all programs, is based on the best available science.

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