Arctic Open Water Meeting
Meeting Documents
Photo from 2009 Meeting
Photo from 2009 Meeting
Overview
When activities (such as oil and gas exploration and production or research seismic surveys) occur in Arctic waters and have the potential to affect the availability of a species or stock of marine mammals for subsistence uses, a monitoring plan for the proposed activity must be independently peer reviewed. Each spring, NOAA Fisheries holds a public Open Water Meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, that is designed to:
- share the results of monitoring programs from the previous year
- present the monitoring plans for activities proposed for the upcoming open water season
- allow for input and comments from Alaska Natives and other interested parties on the previous and upcoming monitoring plans
The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) allows for the incidental, but not intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S. citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial fishing) within a specified geographic region (Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D)).
For more information on incidental take of marine mammals, see the Incidental Take Authorizations page.
2013 Meeting Documents
The 2013 meeting will be held from March 5-7, 2013 in Anchorage, AK.
- 2013 Agenda [pdf]
- Reports from the Peer Review Panel
- 2013 Presentations
- Overview Map of Proposed Activities
- Interagency Compliance Monitoring Panel
- Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission Subsistence Harvest Updates
- Alaska Beluga Whale Committee Subsistence Harvest Updates
- Eskimo Walrus Commission
- BP 2012 Monitoring Results for Northstar and 2013 Operations and Monitoring Plans
- BP 2012 Monitoring Results for Beaufort Sea Seismic Survey Operations
- Shell 2012 Monitoring Results for Beaufort and Chukchi Seas Exploratory Drilling Programs
- Impacts of Seismic Surveys on Marine Mammals
- Monitoring Reports
- Cumulative Effects Workshop Overview
- Arctic Biological Important Areas
- Report Out from 2013 Peer Review Panel
- TGS 2013 Chukchi Sea Seismic Survey Operations and Monitoring Plans
- SA Exploration Inc. 2013 Beaufort Sea Seismic Survey Operations and Monitoring Plans
- ConocoPhillips 2014 Chukchi Sea Exploratory Drilling Operations and Monitoring Plans
- ION Geophysical Corporation 2012 Monitoring Results for Beaufort Sea In-ice Seismic Survey
- "Parking Lot" Issues
2012 Meeting Documents
- 2012 Meeting Report [pdf]
- 2012 Agenda [pdf]
- 2012 Shell Beaufort Sea Exploratory Drilling Program Peer Review Panel Report [pdf]
- 2012 Shell Chukchi Sea Exploratory Drilling Program Peer Review Panel Report [pdf]
- 2012 Meeting Presentations:
- NMFS Incidental Take Program Updates
- Interagency Compliance Monitoring
- Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission Subsistence Harvest Updates
- Alaska Beluga Whale Committee Subsistence Harvest Updates
- Eskimo Walrus Commission
- National Science Foundation 2011 Monitoring Results for Chukchi Sea
Seismic Survey - Statoil 2011 Monitoring Results for Chukchi Sea Marine Survey Program
- Report from 2012 Peer Review Panel
- ION Geophysical Corporation 2012 Operations and Monitoring Plans for
Beaufort Sea In-ice Seismic Survey - Shell 2012 Beaufort and Chukchi Seas Exploratory Drilling Programs and
Monitoring Plans - ConocoPhillips Future Chukchi Sea Exploration Activities
- Statoil Future Chukchi Sea Exploration Activities
- NMML Arctic Marine Mammal Studies Update
- Chukchi Sea Environmental Studies Program
2011 Meeting Documents
- 2011 Peer Review Panel Report [pdf]
- 2011 Agenda [pdf]
- 2011 Meeting Report [pdf]
- 2011 Presentations
- Alaska Beluga Whale Committee Subsistence Harvest Updates
- USGS 2010 Monitoring Results for Beaufort Sea Seismic Survey
- Statoil 2010 Monitoring for Chukchi Sea 3D Seismic Survey (4 presentations combined)
- Statoil 2011 Chukchi Sea Marine Survey Program Operations and Monitoring Plans
- ION Geophysical Corporation 2011 Operations and Monitoring Plans for Beaufort Seismic Survey and Icebreaking Activities
- NSF 2011 Chukchi Sea Seismic Survey and Monitoring Plans
- NMFS NMML Update: BWASP and COMIDA
- NMFS NMML Update: Acoustic Programs
2010 Meeting Documents
- 2010 Agenda [pdf]
- 2010 Meeting Report [pdf]
- 2010 Peer Review Panel Report [pdf]
- 2010 Presentations
- Incidental Take Program Updates [pdf]
- Alaska Beluga Whale Committee Subsistence Harvest Update [pdf]
- Statoil 2010 Chukchi Sea Seismic Survey [pdf]
- TGS 2010 Chukchi Sea Seismic Survey [pdf]
- USGS 2010 Beaufort Sea Seismic Survey [pdf]
- ION Geophysical 2010 Beaufort Sea Seismic Survey [pdf]
- Alaska Department of Fish & Game Science Update [pdf]
- NMML BOWFEST Update [pdf]
- NMML BWASP/COMIDA Update [pdf]
- NMML Ice Seal Surveys Update [pdf]
- NMML Acoustic Surveys Update [pdf]
- North Slope Science Initiative Overview [pdf]
- Minerals Management Service Science Update [pdf]
- ConocoPhillips/Shell Chukchi Sea Baseline Study Update [pdf]
- Cross Island Study [pdf]
2009 Meeting Documents
- 2009 Agenda [pdf]
- 2009 Meeting Report [pdf]
- 2009 Meeting Presentations
- Pioneer 2008 Results and 2009 Activity [pdf]
- ConocoPhillips Results for Chukchi Site Clearance Activities [pdf]
- Sound Source Verification Testing [pdf]
- Monitoring and Reporting of Injured and Dead Marine Mammals [pdf]
- North Slope Borough 2008 Stranding Report [pdf]
- Shipboard Observers in Monitoring [pdf]
Updated: April 11, 2013
