The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (OGP) was engaged to manage the programme. 

The aim was to advance scientific understanding of the effects of sound generated by offshore oil and gas exploration and production operations on marine mammals, fish and reptiles through independent research projects - undertaken by some of the leading scientists and institutions in this field.

To accomplish this, a fund of USD 24 million was made available by JIP participants over a three-year commissioning period. Since then, JIP has allocated more than two-thirds of that amount to some 60 research projects spread across six categories: 

• Sound source characterisation and propagation
• Physical, physiological and hearing effects
• Behavioural reactions and biologically-significant effects
• Mitigation and monitoring
• Research tools
• Communication of results

The range of projects covered by JIP is impressive. They range from fieldwork in the Gulf of Mexico and defining the three-dimensional nature of sound made by a typical industry airgun array in scientific terms, to strategies for measuring hearing in whales that communicate at frequencies similar to those produced by air guns. 

As a result of these projects and others, JIP is now beginning to increase our understanding of the physical, physiological and behavioural issues associated with the sounds produced by offshore upstream activities.

To increase our knowledge base even more, the members of JIP are now discussing an extension of its funding period for another three years - which could effectively double the funding originally projected for new research projects to a total of USD 40-50 million over six years.