Contact: Scott Smullen FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/7/96
The Commerce Departmentþs National Marine Fisheries Service is seeking comment on an application and proposed authorization for Lockheed Environmental Systems and Technologies Company, of Las Vegas, to potentially disturb a small number of harbor seals located on rocks and beaches near Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., during satellite rocket launches during the next year.
Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Air Force applied for a permit to incidentally disturb a small number of harbor seals that may be on the rocks and beaches along the coastline south and southwest of Vandenberg AFB, and on the northern Channel Islands. Launch noise is expected over coastal habitats near the launch center at South Vandenberg AFB, and a sonic boom may be heard in waters off southern California, west of the Channel Islands. The seals are not classified as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Also, the noise will have no effect on marine mammals in the water.
Past monitoring studies of launches at the site show that launch sounds may cause a number of seals to move suddenly from the shoreline to the water, resulting in a negligible, short-term harassment. However, observations indicate that launch noise rarely causes the mass movement to take place in a "panic" and no mortality has been observed. According to the studies, visual stimuli such as humans and low-flying aircraft are much more likely to cause this movement response.
As a part of the proposed authorization, the National Marine Fisheries Service will ask the U.S. Air Force to monitor the effects of the launches and submit a report of the findings.
The Pacific harbor seal, which ranges from Baja California to the eastern Aleutian Islands, is the only marine mammal expected to be on the rocks and beaches near Vandenberg AFB during the launches and therefore the only species that may be affected. More than 25,000 Pacific harbor seals are found in California waters.
The fisheries service will accept written comments through June 3, 1996, at Chief, Marine Mammal Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Copies of the application may be obtained by writing the same address.
NOTE: All NOAA press releases, and links to other NOAA material, can be found on the NOAA Public Affairs World Wide Web home page,