Apache contracted Marine Ventures International, Inc. to provide protected species monitoring and mitigation during vertical seismic profiling (VSP) operations. MVI provided two Marine Fauna Observers (MFOs), both trained and certified as Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)-approved Protected Species Observers (PSOs) and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) Operators. One dedicated MFO conducted visual observations during daylight hours, and one dedicated PAM Operator conducted monitoring during nighttime hours and periods of reduced visibility.
MFOs provided mitigation guidance and recorded data on all marine mammal, sea turtle, and whale shark detections during operations. A final report summarizing observation effort, mitigation events, and all detections of protected species was delivered to the client upon project completion.