MVI provided National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)-approved PSOs during high-resolution geophysical and geotechnical surveys in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Lease OCS-A 0508 area. Three vessels were utilized to conduct multi-phase characterization surveys in two areas, Kitty Hawk North (now CVOW South) and Kitty Hawk South. MVI provided Protected Species Observer (PSO) and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) Operator personnel for offshore and nearshore surveys.
All equipment—including Reticle binoculars, DSLR cameras, night vision devices, Mysticetus reporting hardware/software, and passive acoustic monitoring systems—and personnel were provided in a timely manner, and comprehensive georeferenced data reporting using Mysticetus reporting software was utilized. All reporting requirements and deliverables were delivered on time to the client and regulators. All North Atlantic right whale sightings were reported to regulators in official formats and within the required time frames.