More good news for marine life in the Atlantic and animals migrating through: the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has denied six pending permits for airgun seismic surveys in the Atlantic Ocean.

In part, BOEM said in its statement, the action was taken because there should be less need for the surveys given that President Barack Obama recently put offshore areas in the Atlantic, including the Hudson Canyon off the coast of New York, off limits to oil and gas development.

If they had been conducted, the noise and associated impacts from these surveys could have been a tipping point for North Atlantic right whales, which already face a number of severe threats. Whales and other marine mammals rely on sound to survive and prosper, using it to navigate the ocean and communicate with each other.

Thank you for speaking out on this issue in recent months. Your voices were heard!