HOUSTON – In the first paragraph of an Aug. 21 story about how sperm whales may be affected by seismic testing for hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Mexico, The Associated Press overstated the conclusions of a federally funded study.

The paragraph said the acoustic devices have had no discernible effect on sperm whales. As noted elsewhere in the story, however, some whales during controlled seismic experiments reduced the rate at which they searched for food.