title: Review of the Effects of Offshore Seismic Surveys in Cetaceans: Are Mass Strandings a Possibility?
abstract: Displacement of cetaceans is commonly reported during offshore seismic surveys. Speculation concerning possible links between seismic survey noise and cetacean strandings is available for a dozen events but without convincing causal evidence. This lack of evidence should not be considered conclusive but rather as reflecting the absence of a comprehensive analysis of the circumstances. Current mitigation guidelines are inadequate for long-range effects such as displacements and the potential for strandings. This review presents the available information for ten documented strandings that were possibly linked to seismic surveys and recommends initial measures and actions to further evaluate this potential link.
authors.affiliation: National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, WA, 98115, USA. manuel.castellote@noaa.gov.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castellote
authors.affiliation: Hydrographic Office, Oceanography Section, Spanish Navy, 11007, Cádiz, Spain. carlos.llorensarmengol@mail.uca.es.|Cazaminas "SELLA," Muelle de Poniente, Arsenal de Cartagena s/n, 30290, Cartagena, Spain. carlos.llorensarmengol@mail.uca.es.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Llorens
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002591:Cetacea / Q000502:physiology*; D013016:Sound; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Air gun; Anthropogenic noise; Displacement; Marine mammal