§ 217.55 Requirements for monitoring and reporting. ( a ) PSOs must document any behavioral reactions in concert with distance from any project activity.
( b ) *Reporting* — ( 1 ) *Reporting frequency.* ( i ) The Society must submit a quarterly summary report to NMFS not later than 90 days following the end of each work quarter; after the first three quarterly submissions, NMFS will evaluate whether it is appropriate to modify to annual reports, and modify future LOAs as appropriate to indicate annual reporting requirements if so. The Society must provide a final report within 30 days following resolution of comments on each draft report.
( ii ) These reports must contain, at minimum, the following: ( A ) Dates and times (begin and end) of all marine mammal monitoring;
( B ) Activities occurring during all marine mammal monitoring (*e.g.,* helicopter takeoffs and landings, construction activities);
( C ) PSO locations during marine mammal monitoring;
( D ) Environmental conditions during monitoring periods (at beginning and end of PSO shift and whenever conditions change significantly), including Beaufort sea state and any other relevant weather conditions including cloud cover, fog, sun glare, and overall visibility to the horizon, and estimated observable distance;
( E ) Upon each flight, the following information: Name of PSO who sighted the animal(s) and PSO location and activity at time of sighting; time of sighting; identification of the animal(s) (*e.g.,* genus/species, lowest possible taxonomic level, or unidentified), PSO confidence in identification, and the composition of the group if there is a mix of species; distance and bearing of each marine mammal observed relative to the activity for each flight; estimated number of animals (min/max/best estimate); estimated number of animals by cohort (adults, juveniles, neonates, group composition, etc.); and description of any marine mammal behavioral observations (*e.g.,* observed behaviors such as feeding or traveling), including an assessment of behavioral responses thought to have resulted from the activity according to the 3-point scale as defined in the LOA (*e.g.,* no response or changes in behavioral state such as changing direction or flushing);
( F ) Number of marine mammals detected, by species; and
( G ) Detailed information about any implementation of any mitigation triggered, a description of specific actions that ensued, and resulting changes in behavior of the animal(s), if any.
( 2 ) The Society must submit a comprehensive summary report to NMFS not later than 90 days following the conclusion of marine mammal monitoring efforts described in this subpart.
( c ) *Reporting of injured or dead marine mammals.* ( 1 ) In the event that personnel involved in the construction activities discover an injured or dead marine mammal, the LOA-holder must immediately report the incident to the Office of Protected Resources (OPR) (*PR.ITP.MonitoringReports@noaa.gov*), NMFS and to West Coast Regional Stranding Coordinator as soon as feasible. If the death or injury was clearly caused by activities specified at § 217.50, the Society must immediately cease the specified activities until NMFS is able to review the circumstances of the incident and determine what, if any, additional measures are appropriate to ensure compliance with the terms of these regulations and LOAs. The LOA-holder must not resume their activities until notified by NMFS. The report must include the following information: ( i ) Time, date, and location (latitude/longitude) of the first discovery (and updated location information if known and applicable);
( ii ) Species identification (if known) or description of the animal(s) involved;
( iii ) Condition of the animal(s) (including carcass condition if the animal is dead);
( iv ) Observed behaviors of the animal(s), if alive;
( v ) If available, photographs or video footage of the animal(s); and
( vi ) General circumstances under which the animal was discovered.
( 2 ) [Reserved]