Offshore Drilling and Atlantic Cetaceans XXXXXXXXXXX

MMarBiol

The Trump administration have proposed a large-

Cetaceans rely on sound to communicate, forage and avoid predation.

scale oil exploration of the entire east coast

Anthropogenic noise associated with drilling can fatally interrupt

of the USA, from Delaware to Florida. How might these behaviours:

this affect the resident cetaceans?

Delaware The noise associated with oil

exploration is very damaging

Shipping

to cetaceans. Already whale

Virginia

populations in the area are a

Levels of shipping activity have Marine industry

cause for concern:

increased fourfold from 1992 to Industrial particularly

2012. With such major oil effects the benthic

Activity

exploration, there will be yet ecosystem, resulting

more shipping activity and in a negative cascade

related noise in the Atlantic. through the food web

Seismic Airgun

Blasting Interrupted

navigation Conclusions

and communication

Georgia

• A number of

The right whale population

endangered

in the area is being tipped

cetaceans will

toward extinction.

Used during oil exploration to locate be affected

The depletion of Atlantic

reserves, this is one of the loudest should this

fish stocks has been anthropogenic marine noises, travelling up drilling occur.

correlated with a to 2500 miles from the source. 1 vessel can • Most Eastern

decline in the states have

carry up to 96 airguns and blasts are

feeding rates of realised the

repeated every 10-12 seconds for weeks at

Florida

sperm whales. a time. ~6 seismic surveys will be environmental

cost and are

happening at one time.

Increased whale mortality opposed to the

exploration.