No evidence of damage to the soft tissue or skeletal integrity of mesophotic corals exposed to a 3D marine seismic survey

Andrew Heyward; Jamie Colquhoun; Edward Cripps; Denise McCorry; Marcus Stowar; Ben Radford; Karen Miller; Ian Miller; Chris Battershill

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.01.057

No evidence of damage to the soft tissue or skeletal integrity of mesophotic corals exposed to a 3D marine seismic survey

Mar Pollut Bull. 2018 Apr;129(1):8-13. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.01.057. Epub 2018 Feb 8.

Authors

Andrew Heyward¹, Jamie Colquhoun², Edward Cripps³, Denise McCorry⁴, Marcus Stowar⁵, Ben Radford², Karen Miller², Ian Miller⁵, Chris Battershill⁵

Affiliations

¹ Australian Institute of Marine Science, M096 UWA, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley 6009, Australia; Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, WA 6009, Australia. Electronic address: a.heyward@aims.gov.au.
² Australian Institute of Marine Science, M096 UWA, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley 6009, Australia; Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, WA 6009, Australia.
³ School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
⁴ Environmental Resources Management, 16/F Berkshire House 25 Westlands Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong.
⁵ Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville, Qld 4810, Australia.

PMID: 29680570
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.01.057

Abstract

Scleractinian corals, primarily plate corals in families Agaricidae and Acroporidae, were monitored in situ before, during and after a 3D marine seismic survey. An initial four day seismic run, resulting in a maximum 24 h received sound exposure level (SEL₂₄) of 204 dB re 1 μPa²·s and received 0-to-peak pressure (PK Pressure) of 226 dB re 1 μPa, had no detectable effect on soft tissues or skeletal integrity. Subsequently, a full marine seismic survey (Maxima 3D MSS), proceeded over two months and included seismic acquisition lines at 240 m spacing over the broader reef lagoon (South Scott Reef), generating maximum received SEL₂₄ of 197 dB re 1 μPa²·s and received PK Pressure of 220 dB re 1 μPa at the coral monitoring sites. The analysis detected no effect of seismic activity measured as coral mortality, skeletal damage or visible signs of stress immediately after and up to four months following the 3D marine seismic survey.

Keywords: Coral; Coral reef; Damage; Seismic survey; Skeleton; Tissue.

MeSH terms

Animals
Anthozoa / growth & development*
Anthozoa / ultrastructure*
Australia
Coral Reefs*
Environmental Monitoring / methods*
Population Density
Pressure* / adverse effects
Remote Sensing Technology
Sound* / adverse effects
Surveys and Questionnaires