ABSTRACT: Population growth and economic development in Latin America has led to an increase in seismic surveying to find new marine hydrocarbon reserves. However, most countries along the Pacific, Atlantic, and Caribbean lack the standards to minimize the impact of seismic exploration on marine organisms. We searched primary and secondary literature in major databases and consulted international authorities and oil companies to provide scientific evidence of the effects of seismic surveying on fish and cetaceans in order to propose minimum guidelines to reduce disturbance to marine organisms in Latin America. The results suggest that seismic surveys can disrupt basic life-cycle activities such as movement, communication, and feeding. Typical outcomes include sub-lethal effects such as escape behavior, habituation, temporary loss of hearing, and changes in vocalization behavior. In order to mitigate these impacts, we propose that oil companies must provide authorities with an environmental impact assessment that includes survey data, array specifications, and acoustic array properties before a hydrocarbon exploration license can be granted. Standard mitigation measures such as exclusion zones, marine mammal observers, and passive acoustic monitoring must be implemented to prevent potential adverse effects. Appropriate legislation and regulations must be designed and implemented, and environmental authorities should be privy to all activities by seismic vessels. Besides relevant regulations and continued monitoring, further investigation must be conducted to evaluate the impact of these activities on marine organisms. The adoption of these proposed minimum guidelines is highly recommended to minimize seismic surveying impact on fish and cetaceans in Latin American countries.

中文翻译：

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拉丁美洲海洋地震勘测应实施的缓解措施：基于鱼类和鲸类动物的审查

摘要：拉丁美洲的人口增长和经济发展导致地震勘探增加，以寻找新的海洋碳氢化合物储量。但是，太平洋，大西洋和加勒比海沿岸的大多数国家/地区都缺乏将地震勘探对海洋生物的影响降至最低的标准。我们在主要数据库中搜索了主要和次要文献，并咨询了国际主管部门和石油公司，以提供地震勘探对鱼类和鲸类动物影响的科学证据，从而提出减少拉丁美洲海洋生物干扰的最低准则。结果表明，地震勘测会破坏基本的生命周期活动，例如运动，沟通和进食。典型的后果包括亚致命效应，例如逃避行为，习惯，暂时性听力丧失，以及发声行为的变化。为了减轻这些影响，我们建议石油公司必须先向当局提供环境影响评估，其中包括调查数据，阵列规格和声学阵列特性，然后才能获得碳氢化合物勘探许可证。必须采取标准的缓解措施，例如禁区，海洋哺乳动物观察员和被动声监测，以防止潜在的不利影响。必须设计和执行适当的法律法规，并且环境主管部门应禁止地震船进行所有活动。除了相关法规和持续监控之外，还必须进行进一步调查以评估这些活动对海洋生物的影响。