Terms of Reference

Science Advisory Process on Update to September 2004 Review of Potential Impacts of Seismic Energy on Snow Crab

January 23, 2007
Moncton, New Brunswick

Chairperson: Michael Chadwick

Context

On 29 September 2004, a Science Advisory Process meeting was held to consider the potential effects on snow crab of a December 2003 seismic survey conducted off the west coast of Cape Breton Island. The following questions were considered:

1. Is there evidence that indicates irreversible harm (including death) to snow crab caused by these seismic operations?
2. Do these seismic operations produce mortality or morbidity in female snow crab carrying eggs?
3. Do these seismic operations produce short-term and medium-term experiment effects on the behaviour of female snow crab?
4. Do these seismic operations produce long-term effects on the characteristics and morphology in gills and internal organs of female snow crab?
5. Do these seismic operations produce effects on the hatch of embryos carried by exposed female snow crab and subsequent morphology and locomotion of larvae?
6. What further research is required, if any?
7. How applicable are the results and conclusions of this study to other crustacean species (e.g., other crabs and lobster)?

CSAS Habitat Status Report 2004/002 and CSAS Proceedings 2004/045 summarized responses to the above questions and identified outstanding issues that required clarification. Supplemental studies have been undertaken since 2004 to address these issues.

Objectives

A review of the following supplemental studies is required to determine if the outstanding issues from the September 2004 meeting have been resolved and if further research work is needed:

1. Verification by an independent histopathologist of interpretations made in September 2004 of gonad and hepatopancreas tissue from snow crab exposed and not exposed to seismic energy.
2. Testing of the hypothesis that fouling of gills resulted from dragging of cages.
3. Testing of the hypothesis that exposure to seismic energy was responsible for differences observed between snow crab caged within, and beyond, the area of seismic energy.
4. Testing of the hypothesis that exposure to seismic energy resulted in elevated levels of leg loss.
5. Testing of the hypothesis that the December 2003 seismic survey resulted in reduced abundance of snow crab in the survey area.
6. Estimation of sound pressure levels encountered by crabs in the December 2003 seismic survey and reference areas.
7. Testing of the hypothesis that sediments differed in the December 2003 seismic survey and reference areas.

Products

• CSAS Science Advisory Report summarizing the meeting conclusions.
• CSAS Proceedings documenting the meeting’s discussion.
• Primary publications in an issue of Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology that would provide the technical details of the conclusions.