The Environmental Risk Management Capability -^sSonar (ERMC(S)) is the first operational software package that provides a comprehensive risk assessment of the potential impact of sonar usage on marine fauna. The estimates of fauna density used by the ERMC(S) software are derived from a global model of density as a function of habitat suitability. Whilst this approach provides a good basis for prediction of fauna densities, the accuracy of the model can be substantially improved by the inclusion of additional data collected in real-time at the location of the operation. Platforms often carry trained observers and/or acoustic detection equipment that can provide real-time observations of marine fauna. However, incorporating these observations into density predictions with statistical validity is not straightforward. This paper will discuss possible techniques that could be employed to incorporate such real-time information to accurately predict the location of marine fauna within the surroundings both prior to and during an operation. Additionally, this paper will discuss how this data can be used to refine the ERMC(S) risk assessment and to evaluate whether such an approach would provide a more flexible, reliable and case-specific product.
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