Marine Mammal Observers (MMOs) are the onboard technicians responsible for monitoring and mitigating offshore operations generating underwater marine noise with the potential to harm or disturb marine mammals.
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), were the first to issue “Guidelines for minimising acoustic disturbance to marine mammals from seismic surveys” in 1998. Since then, the regulators in some other countries have followed, either creating their own guidelines or using the JNCC’s guidance to mitigate offshore activities within their waters. The JNCC guidelines, require the completion of a course but do not require minimum field experience in marine mammal detection or identification to become a MMO. This procedure has created a high number of inexperienced MMOs entering the offshore environmental workforce, potentially putting at risk the well-being of marine mammal species (Gordon et al. 2003).
Several studies have shown that although individual observer performance can highly vary due to many factors, observers with more experience are up to two fold better in detecting marine mammals, species identification level and at greater distances (Stone 2003, Mori et al. 2003, Barlow et al. 2001, Barlow et al. 2006, Stone et al. 2015, Smith et al. 2020, Oliveira-Rodrigues et al. 2022).
For this role, we propose a set of minimum requirements to prove the expertise on marine mammals and practical experience that should be met to qualify as a professionally recognised observer.
1. Academic qualifications:
A relevant Bachelor degree in accordance to the role with a strong component in taught marine modules such as ecology, physiology, zoology and oceanography. Bachelors in natural sciences such as biology, marine sciences, and veterinary science would apply.
When not holding a relevant degree, appropriate courses on identification, behaviour and ecology of marine mammals must have been taken and equivalent time spent on a field job/activity that specifically includes practical experience of marine mammal detection, behaviour and identification, such as whale watching, marine mammal or sea bird surveys or fisheries observer (over at least 3 years).
2. Marine mammal field experience:
Apart from the academic qualifications, an (aspiring) MMO should be trained in the field identification and surveying of marine mammals. A total of nine months of proven marine mammal field experience, outside of a mitigation role. This can be done through research, volunteering, whale watching or fisheries observer where marine mammal data collection was part of the duties of the job.
MMOs should have completed at least 90 days in a given biogeographic zone region (e.g. Arctic, northern hemisphere cool temperate, northern hemisphere warm temperate, tropical/equatorial, southern hemisphere warm temperate, southern hemisphere cool temperate, Antarctic), or have demonstrable previous experience with the marine mammal species expected to occur in the geographic region, before they are able to work as a Lead MMO in that region.
3. Official MMO training course:
One of the approved training courses from Accobams, JNCC or BOEM must be completed to understand the industry and the mitigation guidelines to be implemented. Some countries require their own approved courses specifically designed for their regulatory guidance and marine mammal fauna, and appropriate courses should therefore be taken for the geographic region of work.
4. Language requirements:
English is the common language in the offshore industry and onboard the vessels. Proof of knowledge (oral and written) to communicate with seismic personnel regarding mitigation actions, recording data, and develop technical reports.
5. Survival at sea training:
Basic offshore safety training and medical certification for the geographic area being worked (these are a mandatory requirement for working in offshore industry).
Levels of expertise
To avoid a shortage of qualified observers, and according to the level of field experience and expertise, the observers would fall into two categories:
A) Senior MMO (all the mentioned above completed)
a. The senior observer would have a completed degree mentioned in section 1 or equivalent time spent on a field activity and relevant course,
b. Nine months of demonstrated non-mitigation field experience with marine mammals,
c. Attendance of an officially recognised MMO course,
d. A certificate of competence in English. If there is no certificate, an oral interview should be scheduled, and
e. The required offshore safety training for offshore workers
f. This observer can work alone and has at least 90 days of offshore work in the industry completed in the last 4 years at the time of the application
B) Trainee MMO (less than 9 months of non-mitigation field experience in marine mammals)
a. The Trainee observer would have a completed degree mentioned in section 1 or the equivalent time spent on the field
b. Less than nine months (but more than six months) of field experience with marine mammals,
a. Attendance of an officially recognised MMO course,
c. A certificate of competence in English. If there is no certificate, an oral interview should be scheduled, and
d. The required offshore safety training for offshore workers.
e. This observer should not work alone and always within a team of observers and has at least 90 days of offshore work in the industry in the last four years at the time of the application.
References:
Barlow, J., Ferguson, M.C., Perin, W.F., Balance, L., Gerrodette, T., Joyce, G., MacLeod, C.D., Mullin, K., Palka, D.L., Waring, G., 2006. Abundance and densities of beaked and bottlenose whales (family Ziphiidae). J. Cetacean Res. Manag. 7, 263–270.
Barlow, J., Gerrodette, T., and Forcada, J. 2001. Factors affecting perpendicular sighting distances on shipboard line-transect surveys for cetaceans. J. Cet. Res. Manage. 3(2): 201-212.
Gordon, J., Gillespie, D., Potter, J., Frantzis, A., Simmonds, M.P., Swift, R., Thompson, D., 2003. A review of the effects of seismic surveys on marine mammals. Mar. Technol. Soc. J. 37, 16–34.
Mori, M., Butterworth, D. S., Brandão, A., Rademeyer, R. A., Okamura, H., & Hiroyuki, M. (2003). Observer experience and minke whale sighting ability in the IWC/IDCR-SOWER surveys. J. CETACEAN RES. MANAGE. 5(1):1–1
Oliveira-Rodrigues, C., Correia, A.M., Valente, R. et al. Assessing data bias in visual surveys from a cetacean monitoring programme. Sci Data 9, 682 (2022).
Smith, H.R., Zitterbart, D.P., Norris, T.F., Flau, M., Ferguson, E.L., Jones, C.G., et al., 2020. A field comparison of marine mammal detections via visual, acoustic, and infrared (IR) imaging methods offshore Atlantic Canada. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 154,111026
Stone, C.J., 2003. The effects of seismic activity on marine mammals in UK waters, 1998-2000. JNCC Report No. 323.
Stone, C.J., 2015b. Implementation of and considerations for revisions to the JNCC guidelines for seismic surveys. In: JNCC Report, No. 463b.