NATO Undersea Research Centre human diver and marine mammal risk mitigation rules and procedures

Abstract

The NATO Marine Mammal Risk Mitigation project has as its goals the development of risk mitigation protocols, computer tools, and in-water devices to provide risk mitigation before sonar or other noisy experiments and naval exercises so as to avoid negative impact on human divers and marine mammals. This document outlines the procedures and marine mammal risk mitigation protocols that are in use by NURC at this time. This is an updated, public release version of the NURC Staff Instruction 77 (SI-77). As new information becomes available from continued research by the Marine Mammal Risk Mitigation Project as well as other documented sources these procedures are reevaluated and modified as appropriate.