Marine Mammal Behavioral Response to Tidal Turbine Sound Award Number: DE-EE0006385 CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.16 Water Power Technologies Office Date: 5/15/2017 Location(s): WA Office(s): Golden Field Office
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
May 23, 2017
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Marine Mammal Behavioral Response to Tidal Turbine Sound
Award Number: DE-EE0006385
CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.16
Water Power Technologies Office
Date: 5/15/2017
Location(s): WA
Office(s): Golden Field Office
The Department of Energy, (DOE) is proposing to provide funding to the University of Washington (UW) to characterize the behavioral response of harbor porpoises and pinnipeds to the sound produced by marine energy converters, using a simulated sound source. The proposed project would analyze the behavioral responses of marine mammals to marine energy converter sounds, as well as demonstrate the effectiveness of shoreline observers and localizing passive acoustics to describe the distribution and use of marine mammals around marine renewable energy projects.
Two previous NEPA determinations were completed for this award (GFO-0006385-01, December 5, 2013: GFO-0006385-02, May 11, 2016). The original review was based on a UW proposal to study behavioral responses of marine mammals around a pair of active tidal turbines which were to be deployed in northern Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, by the Public Utility District No. 1 of Snohomish County. However, the scope of the proposed project has significantly changed as the tidal turbines will no longer be deployed. No work was undertaken by UW on the original SOPO. UW submitted a new SOPO which was reviewed in the second NEPA determination identified above.