Marine Mammal Survey

To reduce the risk of disturbance and injury to marine mammals from excessive noise, government bodies such as the JNCC (Joint Nature Conservancy Committee) in the UK, and the MMS (Minerals Management Service) in the USA, have established protocols that state that all vessels involved in seismic exploration or explosive activity carry a dedicated Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) and/or, during hours of darkness or low visibility, a Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) system. 

MMOs and PAM operators are required to observe marine mammals prior to any seismic survey or explosive activity and often maintain watch during operations. An MMO and PAM operator are present to advise party chiefs and client representatives on the use of the guidelines, ensuring that all mitigation procedures are followed correctly.  

Partrac provides experienced JNCC accredited MMOs and PAM operators for:

  • Seismic survey (2D, 3D, VSP, etc)
  • Windfarm piling operations
  • Explosive activity
  • Environmental baseline conditions
  • Data input into EIA

For further details, please contact Dr Kevin Black, kblack@partrac.com.