The Mississippi Delta region of the Gulf has water that is several thousand meters deep within 50 or 60 miles of the coast, Davis said, and sperm whales are typically found in these deeper waters along the continental shelf. The sperm whales are sharing these waters now with increasing numbers of oil and gas rigs. The project is set up as a basic science study that looks at the natural history of sperm whales in the northern Gulf of Mexico. But Davis says the study's findings will likely be of interest to the Marine Mammal Commission, National Marine Fisheries Service as well as the Minerals Management Service, which oversees development of offshore oil and gas deposits. The Endangered Species Act requires officials to monitor not only oil pollution but also noise pollution, which comes from boat traffic and seismic activity that is used to search for oil.
Researchers approach a deepwater oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
Last year began with 26 rigs working in deepwater, but that number continued to rise. By the end of the year, there were a record 40 rigs drilling in the deep waters of the Gulf. Now, just four months into 2001, a new record has been set. MMS defines deepwater as 1,000 feet of water or greater. Production from these deepwater wells has now surpassed production in shallow water, despite the fact that only four percent of all producing fields in the Gulf of Mexico are in deepwater.