Disko. Store Hellefiskebanke. Moulting Area: Sept. 9 - Oct Staging Area 2: Oct Oct >40m 30-40m 20-30m 10-20m 1-10m

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1 30 Moulting Area: Sept. 9 - Oct % of Time (TAD >40m 30-40m 20-30m 10-20m 1-10m Disko Staging Area 2: Oct Oct % of Time (TAD Staging Area 3: Nov Jan % of Time (TAD Store Hellefiskebanke Time of day 4-h time frame

2 Satellite tracking of Thick-billed Murre on swimming migration from the Colony Ritenbenk/Inaq

3 Walrus #56573 Adult female crossing the Davis Strait

4 Walrus tagging spring 2005 and 2006 Documented contact between West Greenland and Southeast Baffin walrus populations Documented contact between Store Hellefiske Banke and the banks west of Disko

5 Walrus tagging spring 2005 and 2006 Telemetry and the following ground trouthing have revealed and estimated population sizes of unknown important haul-out sites along SE Baffin Island

6 Bowhead whale Spring home range, Disko Bay, , n=11

7 Spring home range, Disko Bay, 2006

8 Satellite tagging (2002) including 8 month track of one whale

9 Satellite tagging ( ) spring migration across Baffin Bay

10 General Bowhead wintering areas in West Greenland and Canada

11 Protection areas

12 Baseline levels of contaminants The available knowledge on background levels of hydrocarbons in the assessment area is limited. PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) have been measured in different compartments (marine sediments and organisms), but samples are few. The general picture is that the levels are low. Natural seeps do occur. Further studies are ongoing. More data on natural levels of heavy metal avaiable (AMAP)

13 Preliminary Strategic impact assessment Evaluated on different scales: from individuals to populations, in duration from immediate over short term to long term, on geographical scale from local to regional scale Environmental impacts of explorations activities are related to Noise from seismic surveys and drilling, Cuttings and drilling mud, Different substances to be disposed, Emissions to the air, Placement of structures, Development and production activities solid and fluid waste materials to be disposed, placement of structures, noise from facilities and transport, emissions to air.

14 Noise from seismic surveys The potential environmental impacts from the seismic sound generators include: injuries disturbance/scaring that seismic sounds in the marine environment are neither completely without consequences nor are they certain to result in serious and irreversible harm to the environment (DFO 2004) Negative effects on fish stocks may occur if adult fish are scared away from localised spawning grounds during spawning season. Fish larvae and eggs Impact of seismic noise on fisheries offshore trawling for Greenland halibut

15 Impact of seismic noise on marine mammals Displacement from feeding grounds or migratory routes by marine mammals exposed to seismic sounds particularly if the mammals associate negative events with the noise, and in this respect white whales, narwhals and walruses in Greenland will be particularly sensitive In the Beaufort Sea autumn migrating bowhead whales avoided areas with noise from exploratory drilling and seismic surveys e.g. with a radius of 10 km around a drill ship (Richardson et al. 1990) Potential mitigation soft start or ramp up of the airgun array each time a new line is initiated delay shooting when whales are within a certain distance from the array close areas in sensitive periods

16 Trajectory of accidental oils spills Simulations were done for seven hypothetical spill locations all located in the shelf area west of Disko Island The crude oil Statfjord, a medium type crude oil was selected

17 Result of spill simulations When the spill is located far off-shore, the coast is not affected in any of the chosen wind conditions. Nearshore spills will result in coastal pollution under unfavourable wind conditions, and the near-shore tanker spills simulated will usually pollute the coast, except under very lucky wind conditions

18 Impacts from accidental oils spills on fish populations In the open sea, an oil spill will usually not cause oil concentrations in the water column that are lethal to adult fish, due to dispersion and dilution Larvae concentrations in the surface water vulnerable Estimated reduction and recovery in Barents Sea cod spawning biomass following large losses of egg and larvae due to large worst case oil spills. Gydebestand = spawning stock, År = year. Source: Anonymous 2003, Johansen et al. 2003

19 Oil spill impacts in coastal habitats In coastal areas where oil can be trapped in shallow bays and inlets, oil concentrations can build up in the water column to levels that are lethal to adult fish and invertebrates

20 Chronic impact on Harlequin Ducks 9 years after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in PWS: Induction of detoxification enzyme (CYP1A) Higher mortality rates on oiled beaches (22% vs 16%) Declining densities on oiled shores (5% p.a.) (Esler et al and 2002) Barrows goldeneye Pigeon guillemot Black oystercatcher