United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement: Filling Data Gaps to Better Understand the Effects of Anthropogenic Noise on Marine Life

The offshore energy industries (both oil/gas and renewables) introduce anthropogenic noise into the marine environment through exploration (seismic), development and production (pile driving and drilling), decommissioning (explosives), and activities associated with these actions (i.e., icebreaking, support vessel traffic, and aircraft overflights). There are scientific uncertainties regarding how and what different marine animals hear, the behavioral and physiological effects of sound-producing activities on individual animals, and the significance of any effects to individuals on the populations. The uncertainties ultimately lead to more conservative protective measures, additional monitoring requirements, public criticism of environmental analyses and decision making, and, ultimately, litigation, additional costs, and delays in Bureau programs. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE; formerly the Minerals Management Service), the US federal bureau responsible for regulation of these offshore industries, has developed intricate, comprehensive, and effective research programs aimed at filling key information and data gaps so as to better inform regulatory decision making and developing technologies to minimize the amount of noise put into the water.