Abstract
A critical part of BOEM’s mission is to protect the environment while ensuring the safe development of offshore energy and marine mineral resources on almost 2.5 billion acres of U.S. federal waters. With about 200 environmental staff members, including specialists in marine biology, ecology, and oceanography, BOEM works tirelessly to produce, evaluate, and incorporate the best available science in all of our management decisions. By driving original research to fill knowledge gaps and by oveseeing environmental reviews, BOEM has played a key role in improving the overall scientific understanding of the potential effects of anthropogenic (human-generated) sound on marine life. BOEM has also played an important role in adaptive management by constantly adjusting to evolving information and needs.