Marine Mammal Observers (MMO)
MMO's are personnel that are trained to observe and identify marine mammals and other protected marine wildlife in the vicinity of a range of offshore operations. If the observer confirms that animals have breached the mitigation zone around the sound source, then under most conditions a source shutdown is required.
MMO's must combine the ability to identify a range of marine species, accurately assess the range of the animal, effectively integrate into the offshore team as well as maintain the independence necessary in order to initiate further mitigation as required.
OceanEar MMO's come from a wide range of backgrounds that incorporates expertise in marine biology, oceanography and natural history. All are fully qualified in terms of offshore safety, sea survival and helicopter underwater escape training, with some having undergone the additional training required for work within the Norwegian sector. Many have experience of working offshore under a range of conditions and to varying mitigation protocols.
If personnel are newly qualified with little or no experience, OceanEar aims to team those personnel with experienced individuals (subject to client approval) for initial contract(s). This ensures that new team members can develop detailed knowledge of operations at sea, whilst fully supported by experienced personnel. OceanEar MMOs are provided with 7x50 reticule binoculars and a handheld GPS unit in order for them to accuratley record the marine animal sighting data.
Copyright © 2008 OceanEar Limited. All Rights Reserved. Last modified: 9 June, 2008.