Understanding and Mitigation of Underwater Sound in the Arctic

Abstract

Every human activity in the offshore Arctic, or anywhere offshore for that matter, emits some level of sound into the marine environment. Depending on intensity, and to some extent frequency, underwater sound can be a nuisance or even physically harmful to marine life.The indigenous people of the Arctic Coastal Plain in Alaska depend on subsistence hunting of marine mammals for food and as an intrinsic part of their culture. Many have expressed concern that underwater sound from oil and gas industry activities may alter the behavior of these animals and make subsistence hunts more difficult or even permanently deflect the animals away from traditional hunting grounds. Understanding underwater sound and developing effective mitigation measures is important for operating in the Arctic marine environment.This paper presents a brief discussion of underwater sound, regulations governing underwater sound from oil and gas exploration activities, practical implication of those regulations and outlines Shell"s research program aimed at understanding underwater sound emitted by drilling operations offshore Alaska. Also presented are the concepts being developed to mitigate that sound. Although the research has been directed specifically at Alaska it is broadly applicable to other Arctic regions.