Department of the Navy: This is an image of the United States Department of the Navy logo

 

U.S. Marine Corps: This is an image of the United States Marine Corps logo.

U.S. Coast Guard: This is an image of the United States Coast Guard logo.

Department of the Army: This is an image of the United States Department of the Army logo.

Department of the Air Force: This is an image of the United States Department of the Air Force logo.

 

 
 

 

Audio Transcript

The military services are committed to avoiding, reducing, or minimizing effects on the marine environment from at-sea activities. Mitigation measures are established and adhered to with the aim of reducing effects on resources. Mitigation measures can be activity-based, visual, or geographic.

Protecting Marine Species

The military services are committed to avoiding, reducing, or minimizing effects on the marine environment from at-sea activities.

Some requirements for military readiness activities include:

  • Establishing activity-based mitigation zones
  • Posting qualified Lookouts to visually observe mitigation zones for marine species prior to and during activities
  • Maneuvering vessels to maintain distance from observed marine species
  • Implementing geographic mitigation areas with seasonal, monthly, or year-round restrictions

Photo Credit: NOAA permit no. 642-1536-03
issued to Joseph Mobley of HDR

 

The Navy uses the Protective Measures Assessment Protocol prior to training and testing activities to comply with mitigation requirements and protect marine resources.