According to its last published notice, in April 2017 the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service intends to propose rules for “Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Conducting Geological and Geophysical Exploration of Mineral and Energy Resources on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico.” NMFS included the following “Abstract” in its notice:
“The National Marine Fisheries Service is taking this action in response to an April 18, 2011, application from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), to promulgate regulations and issue Letters of Authorization to take marine mammals incidental to oil and gas industry sponsored seismic surveys for purposes of geological and geophysical exploration on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico from approximately 2012 through 2017. BOEM states that underwater activities associated with sound sources (i.e., airguns, boomers, sparkers, and chirpers) may expose marine mammals in the area to noise and pressure.”
