Part 2: On becoming a Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) and Passive Acoustic Monitor (PAM) operator

Hello again! This is the second blog post, with questions 2 and 3, to answer queries I've had about how to become an MMO/PAM operator. In the previous post I provided some information regarding what type of background, education and experience I think would be helpful to become an MMO/PAM for offshore industrial (and other!) projects. In this post I will address the safety training that is required to work in the offshore environment and what additional mitigation training is required to work as an MMO/PAM operator. 

So, getting straight to the point...here are my responses to questions 2 and 3: 

2) What safety training is required for this work?

• Depending on where you work you will probably need BOSIET and HUET certifications or some equivalent. BOSIET is the Basic Offshore Induction and Emergency Training course and usually incorporates the HUET (Helicopter Underwater Escape Training). You will also need to get an offshore medical exam, which must be renewed every two years, and proves you are physically fit to work in the offshore environment.

• BOSIET - This course introduces you to the dangers of the offshore environment and includes sections on sea survival (life jackets, life rafts etc), fire fighting and first aid.

• HUET - This course is usually included in the BOSIET course. You are trained in helicopter safety and escape because for many jobs crew are a taken to/from the ship by helicopter. The course is conducted in a pool using a model helicopter trainer. You are buckled in the trainer, immersed underwater and must demonstrate the necessary underwater escape skills...even after the helicopter has flipped over!

The helicopter trainer used for HUET courses which just started this year at the Johnson Space Centre, Houston

• OFFSHORE MEDICAL - This can often be done at the same location as the BOSIET and HUET training but in some places i.e. where I live in Canada, there are only certain places which can provide this certificate. The last time I did this I spent 500$ in one day... 125$ in flights to Vancouver and 375$ to get the medical done!

• OTHER SAFETY TRAINING - Depending on where you work you might need other safety certifications. For example additional training is required in some countries. 

• FOET - Once you have your BOSIET you will have to re-certify every four years; this course is called the Further Offshore Emergency Training and only takes one day to complete. The course refreshes you on your HUET, sea survival, fire fighting and first aid. I recently took this renewal course...and was lucky enough to do so at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston! We conducted our pool techniques in the same pool,  which contains a life size replica of the Space Station, the astronauts work in ...very cool!

Happy me...after completing the FOET course at NASA's Johnson Space Center

3) What training for marine mammal and sea turtle mitigation is required?

• JNCC MARINE MAMMAL OBSERVER (MMO) – This certification is required for any MMOs wishing to work in UK continental shelf waters but is regularly used (often with amendments) in regions around the world without their own guidelines. More information on the courses that are available can be found here and this website provides some more info on what you will learn in the course. 

• PROTECTED SPECIES OBSERVER (PSO) – To work as an MMO in the Gulf of Mexico you are required to have this certification. This certification can be obtained in a day (often alongside the JNCC MMO certification). More info on PSO courses can be found here.

• OTHER CERTIFICATIONS – As a start I would recommend getting the above mentioned certifications but, depending on where in the world you are working, you may be required to obtain other certifications specific to the region/country’s legislation, i.e. Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Brazil have their own set of guidelines.

• PASSIVE ACOUSTIC MONITOR – In addition to conducting visual observations for marine mammals MMOs are also often certified as PAM operators. PAM systems are used to acoustically detect marine mammals during periods of low visibility i.e. at night, in fog, or in conjunction with visual observations to aid in detection. 

A typical PAM cable deployment and equipment setup on a seismic survey vessel

 

Source

Conducting a PAM watch...listening for whales and dolphins :)

So that's it for the questions in this post. Once again, I hope you found it useful and if you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me or post! 

Next time I will provide some info on how to get the job once you have all those certifications: 

How do you get a contract and how does working as a freelance MMO work?