Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the authors and co-authors, we are pleased to announce the publication of a special issue on western gray whales and seismic operations in the journal of Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. The issue is dedicated to Rodger Melton who was instrumental towards establishing a long-term western gray whale research program off Sakhalin Island, Russia as well as mitigation and monitoring measures to minimize the impacts from oil and gas operations in the area. The issue summarizes the mitigation and monitoring approaches taken and assesses the impacts of seismic surveys that occurred near the gray whales feeding grounds off Sakhalin. The issue is open access and available online at https://link.springer.com/journal/10661/volumes-and-issues/194-1/supplement. Below are the individual papers. Streever, B. Western gray whales and seismic operations: an introduction to the topical selection and a tribute to the late Rodger Melton. *Environ Monit Assess* *194* (Suppl 1), 747 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10056-1 Aerts, L., Jenkerson, M.R., Nechayuk, V.E., Gailey, G, Racca, R., Blanchard, A.L., Schwartz, L.K., & Melton, H.R. Seismic surveys near gray whale feeding areas off Sakhalin Island, Russia: assessing impact and mitigation effectiveness. *Environ Monit Assess* *194* (Suppl 1), 746 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10016-9 Rutenko, A.N., Zykov, M.M., Gritsenko, V.A., Fershalov, M.Y., Jenkerson, M.R., Racca, R. & Nechayuk, V.E. Real-time acoustic monitoring with telemetry to mitigate potential effects of seismic survey sounds on marine mammals: a case study offshore Sakhalin Island. *Environ Monit Assess* *194* (Suppl 1), 745 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10019-6 Rutenko, A.N., Zykov, M.M., Gritsenko, V.A., Fershalov, M.Y., Jenkerson, M.R., Manulchev, D.S., Racca, R. & Nechayuk, V.E.*.* Acoustic monitoring and analyses of air gun, pile driving, vessel, and ambient sounds during the 2015 seismic surveys on the Sakhalin shelf. *Environ Monit Assess* *194* (Suppl 1), 744 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10021-y Blanchard, A.L., Demchenko, N.L., Aerts, L.A.M. Yazvenko, S.B. Ivin, V.V. & Shcherbakov, I.A.*.* Benthic studies adjacent to Sakhalin Island, Russia, 2015 I: benthic biomass and community structure in the nearshore gray whale feeding area. *Environ Monit Assess* *194* (Suppl 1), 743 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10017-8 Maresh, J.L., Blanchard, A.L., Demchenko, N.L., Shcherbakov, I., Aerts, L. & Schwartz, L.K.*.* Benthic studies adjacent to Sakhalin Island, Russia, 2015 II: energy content of the zoobenthos in western gray whale feeding grounds. *Environ Monit Assess* *194* (Suppl 1), 742 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10020-z Blanchard, A.L., Ainsworth, L., Gailey, G., Demchenko, N.L. & Shcherbakov, I.A*.* Benthic studies adjacent to Sakhalin Island, Russia 2015 III: benthic energy density spatial models in the nearshore gray whale feeding area. *Environ Monit Assess* *194* (Suppl 1), 741 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10018-7 Gailey, G., Sychenko, O., Zykov, M., Rutenko, A., Blanchard, A. & Melton, R.H. Western gray whale behavioral response to seismic surveys during their foraging season. *Environ Monit Assess* *194* (Suppl 1), 740 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10023-w Gailey, G., Zykov, M., Sychenko, O., Rutenko, A., Blanchard, A.L., Aerts, L. & Melton, R.H. Gray whale density during seismic surveys near their Sakhalin feeding ground. *Environ Monit Assess* *194* (Suppl 1), 739 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10025-8 Schwarz, L.K., Gailey, G., Tyurneva, O., Yakovlev, Y., Sychenko, O. van der Wolf, P. & Vertyankin, V.V. Western gray whales on their summer feeding ground off Sakhalin Island in 2015: who is foraging where? *Environ Monit Assess* *194* (Suppl 1), 738 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10022-x Schwarz, L., McHuron, E., Mangel, M., Gailey, G. & Sychenko, O*.* Gray whale habitat use and reproductive success during seismic surveys near their feeding grounds: comparing state-dependent life history models and field data. *Environ Monit Assess* *194* (Suppl 1), 733 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10024-9
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