Environmental Protections During Full Ship Shock Trials
Channel: U.S. Navy
Date: 2021-06-29

The United States Navy takes its stewardship responsibilities seriously when it comes to protecting life on and under the seas. The USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN 78) Full Ship Shock Trials were conducted within a narrow schedule that complies with environmental mitigation requirements, respecting known migration patterns of marine life in the test area. Multiple Protected Species Observers were lookouts posted on Ford, on a Marine Animal Response Team support vessels, and in marine mammal observation aircraft to monitor for and detect any marine mammal activity prior to, during, and after the explosive event. Explosive events were not conducted if marine mammals were in proximity.