This document provides a summary of key developments regarding ocean noise science and regulation in 2007. Some highlights include the Marine Mammal Commission's report on managing ocean noise which called for improved research coordination and regulation of unmanaged noise sources. Research using DTAGs provided new insights into how moderate noise levels can disrupt whale foraging and behavior. Issues around Navy sonar use and its impacts on whales continued to be litigated. Chronic exposure to moderate noise levels was recognized as a growing concern, with studies finding it can damage whale hearing and alter behavior. Shipping noise was a major focus, with research exploring how it dominates ambient noise over large areas and efforts toward developing quieter ship designs and operations. Whale watching and recreational boating noise
The document discusses key developments in 2006 related to understanding the impacts of ocean noise on marine life. It highlights that chronic exposure to moderate noise levels, such as from shipping traffic, is increasingly recognized as a major threat due to its potential to cause masking of communication and navigation calls for marine animals as well as increased stress levels. Several studies in 2006 provided new evidence on the physiological and behavioral impacts of moderate noise from sources like boats and pile driving. These subtle impacts could accumulate over the long term to significantly disrupt populations, though more research is still needed on cumulative and population-level effects.
Oceanic noise pollution from shipping traffic, military exercises, and oil/gas exploration causes stress and communication problems in whale populations. Background noise raises stress levels and makes it difficult for whales to hunt and communicate over long distances. Loud sudden noises can cause hearing loss or physical injury, and have been linked to whale strandings. Potential solutions include a system of "smart buoys" that detect whale calls and warn ships to avoid those areas, though it has limitations. Increased ocean noise threatens already endangered whale species.
Moderate anthropogenic noise may disrupt foraging activity in whales and dolphins. Recent research has shown subtle behavioral responses to moderate noise levels, including interruptions to foraging. Repeated observations have found decreased foraging and animals remaining near the surface in response to activities like seismic airgun surveys, sonar, and boat noise. Foraging disruptions are a concern as they could negatively impact long-term individual and population health by reducing energy intake. More research is needed to better understand impacts, especially given inconsistent propagation patterns and variable responses observed between individuals and species. Systemic approaches that consider different levels of response across noise levels may provide a precautionary way to assess impacts until knowledge gaps are addressed.
overview of the ways that acoustic monitoring is being used by researchers and agencies to asses populations, guide policy, and monitor effects of human noise on wildlife
Prof Paul White - The behaviour of marine mammals - Cafe Scientifique - Mar 2018onthewight
Prof Paul White on ‘The Behaviour of Marine Mammals’, including how they communicate and hunt speaking to Isle of Wight Cafe Scientifique on 12 March 2018.
ATI Technical Training Short Course Underwater Acoustics for Biologists and C...Jim Jenkins
Underwater Acoustics for Biologists and Conservation Managers: A comprehensive tutorial designed for environmental professionals. This three-day course is designed for biologists, and conservation managers, who wish to enhance their understanding of the underlying principles of underwater and engineering acoustics needed to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic noise on marine life. This course provides a framework for making objective assessments of the impact of various types of sound sources. Critical topics are introduced through clear and readily understandable heuristic models and graphics.
This project examined how beach sand composition and tide levels affect the size and age distribution of butter clams. Samples were taken from beaches with varying elevations and sieved to determine sand composition. Statistical analysis found significant differences in clam age and size based on tide level, but not sand composition. The oldest clams were found at higher tide levels, while the youngest were at extreme high and low levels. This data on clam habitat requirements can inform sustainable harvest and farming strategies.
This document discusses developing a mathematical model to assess the collision risk of fish and marine mammals with horizontal tidal stream turbines in Scottish waters. The model calculates collision risk in two stages: 1) estimating the number of animals swimming through the rotor area, and 2) calculating the probability of animals being hit while passing through. Key factors influencing collision risk are species behaviors and distributions, turbine characteristics, hearing sensitivity, and visibility conditions. Further research is still needed, especially for large species and slow swimmers. Mitigation options like site selection and device visibility may help reduce risks.
The document discusses key developments in 2006 related to understanding the impacts of ocean noise on marine life. It highlights that chronic exposure to moderate noise levels, such as from shipping traffic, is increasingly recognized as a major threat due to its potential to cause masking of communication and navigation calls for marine animals as well as increased stress levels. Several studies in 2006 provided new evidence on the physiological and behavioral impacts of moderate noise from sources like boats and pile driving. These subtle impacts could accumulate over the long term to significantly disrupt populations, though more research is still needed on cumulative and population-level effects.
Oceanic noise pollution from shipping traffic, military exercises, and oil/gas exploration causes stress and communication problems in whale populations. Background noise raises stress levels and makes it difficult for whales to hunt and communicate over long distances. Loud sudden noises can cause hearing loss or physical injury, and have been linked to whale strandings. Potential solutions include a system of "smart buoys" that detect whale calls and warn ships to avoid those areas, though it has limitations. Increased ocean noise threatens already endangered whale species.
Moderate anthropogenic noise may disrupt foraging activity in whales and dolphins. Recent research has shown subtle behavioral responses to moderate noise levels, including interruptions to foraging. Repeated observations have found decreased foraging and animals remaining near the surface in response to activities like seismic airgun surveys, sonar, and boat noise. Foraging disruptions are a concern as they could negatively impact long-term individual and population health by reducing energy intake. More research is needed to better understand impacts, especially given inconsistent propagation patterns and variable responses observed between individuals and species. Systemic approaches that consider different levels of response across noise levels may provide a precautionary way to assess impacts until knowledge gaps are addressed.
overview of the ways that acoustic monitoring is being used by researchers and agencies to asses populations, guide policy, and monitor effects of human noise on wildlife
Prof Paul White - The behaviour of marine mammals - Cafe Scientifique - Mar 2018onthewight
Prof Paul White on ‘The Behaviour of Marine Mammals’, including how they communicate and hunt speaking to Isle of Wight Cafe Scientifique on 12 March 2018.
ATI Technical Training Short Course Underwater Acoustics for Biologists and C...Jim Jenkins
Underwater Acoustics for Biologists and Conservation Managers: A comprehensive tutorial designed for environmental professionals. This three-day course is designed for biologists, and conservation managers, who wish to enhance their understanding of the underlying principles of underwater and engineering acoustics needed to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic noise on marine life. This course provides a framework for making objective assessments of the impact of various types of sound sources. Critical topics are introduced through clear and readily understandable heuristic models and graphics.
This project examined how beach sand composition and tide levels affect the size and age distribution of butter clams. Samples were taken from beaches with varying elevations and sieved to determine sand composition. Statistical analysis found significant differences in clam age and size based on tide level, but not sand composition. The oldest clams were found at higher tide levels, while the youngest were at extreme high and low levels. This data on clam habitat requirements can inform sustainable harvest and farming strategies.
This document discusses developing a mathematical model to assess the collision risk of fish and marine mammals with horizontal tidal stream turbines in Scottish waters. The model calculates collision risk in two stages: 1) estimating the number of animals swimming through the rotor area, and 2) calculating the probability of animals being hit while passing through. Key factors influencing collision risk are species behaviors and distributions, turbine characteristics, hearing sensitivity, and visibility conditions. Further research is still needed, especially for large species and slow swimmers. Mitigation options like site selection and device visibility may help reduce risks.
The document discusses various topics related to hydrographic science and engineering including wave parameters, wave classification, factors affecting wind wave development, wave movement, wave regions, wave speed as a function of wavelength and depth, addition of waves, ideal waves, wave transformations, factors affecting wind wave development, wind wave developments, lateral spreading of wave energy, the importance of fetch, wave interference, wave steepness and breaking, waves approaching shore through refraction, diffraction and reflection, storm surge, and standing waves. It provides information on each topic in detail with examples and diagrams.
1. Reef shark populations in Palau's shark sanctuary showed large differences, with densities over 10 times higher in the Main Island Group compared to the remote Southwest Islands.
2. Shark densities were strongly negatively correlated with the density of derelict fishing gear on reefs, suggesting fishing impacts shark populations.
3. Sharks in the remote Southwest Islands were significantly smaller on average, further indicating fishing effects on these populations. Surveillance and enforcement are needed to effectively protect sharks within the sanctuary.
“Coral reefs represent some of the world's most spectacular beauty spots, but they are also the foundation of marine life: without them many of the seas most exquisite species will not survive”
~ Sheherazade Goldsmith
“Coral is a very beautiful and unusual animal. Each coral head consists of thousand individual polyps. These polyps are continually budding and branching into genetically identical neighbors”
~ Antony Garrett Lisi
“The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings etrnal joy to the soul”
~ Wyland
This document summarizes a study of 11 coral reef sites within Ihavandippolu atoll located in the Lakshadweep Islands off southwestern India. Phototransect and underwater visual census methods were used to analyze benthic cover and fish populations. The results showed that inner reefs protected from ocean swell had the healthiest coral communities with high coral cover and susceptible coral genera. Reefs in the lagoon center had low coral cover and were dominated by resistant genera. Outer reefs exposed to monsoons had unstable communities with low coral cover and dead coral. Abundant herbivorous fish prevented algal overgrowth. Increasing thermal stress may cause further coral decline and shifts to more
This report provides an overview of key socio-economic, management, and governance issues relating to conservation and sustainable use of deep-sea ecosystems and biodiversity. It highlights the current understanding and identifies knowledge gaps. The deep sea is home to diverse ecosystems and provides many goods and services. However, human activities like deep-sea fishing, oil and gas extraction, and mining are threatening habitats and increasing pressures. Effective governance is needed to balance conservation with sustainable use, but challenges include implementing an ecosystem approach, addressing uncertainties, and improving multi-level cooperation. Further research can help close knowledge gaps and better inform policymaking.
The document summarizes the research activities of various departments that are part of the Centre for Coastal and Estuarine Science (CCES). CCES aims to promote collaboration between participating departments from Radboud University Nijmegen and the Netherlands Institute of Ecology. It focuses on research related to coastal and estuarine systems using integrative approaches across various disciplines like microbiology, zoology, botany and environmental science. CCES also offers two master's programs in biology and environmental sciences to students.
This document analyzes beaked whale strandings around Australia compared to other cetaceans. It finds that 90% of beaked whale strandings involve a single animal, while the maximum for other species was much higher, up to 250. Beaked whale strandings were more common in southern Australia and January to April, following sea temperature cycles. The trends are similar worldwide. The document aims to understand spatial and temporal patterns of beaked whale strandings to inform decisions about potential impacts from human activities like naval sonar.
Ozone depletion occurred in 1992 when scientists discovered a hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica. The ozone layer is being destroyed mainly by chlorine-based compounds released into the atmosphere. As the ozone layer thins, more ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from the sun is able to pass through and reach the earth's surface. This increase in UVB exposure affects both living organisms and abiotic environmental factors. While international agreements aim to repair the damage, full recovery of the ozone layer will take significant time.
The document proposes transforming the unused ocean tank at Biosphere 2 into "The Desert Sea" - a living model of the Gulf of California highlighting the rich ecology and connection between the desert and sea. The Desert Sea would house diverse Gulf species and serve as a site for cutting-edge marine research while educating visitors. It describes plans to construct habitats like tidepools and a mangrove forest to build biological complexity. The project aims to understand how diversity develops and resilience to environmental change.
Utilising Magnetism as a means to reduce Elasmobranch bycatchThomas Overy
This document discusses research into using magnetism to reduce bycatch of elasmobranchs (sharks, rays, and chimeras). It summarizes that elasmobranchs have specialized electroreceptors called ampullae of Lorenzini that allow them to detect magnetic fields. Studies show some success using permanent magnets to deter lemon sharks from simulated fishing nets, but the sharks' response declined over time, suggesting they became accustomed to the constant magnetic field. More research is still needed to find magnetic solutions that can both effectively deter elasmobranchs in the long-term without impacting target fisheries or the environment.
This study used acoustic telemetry to track the vertical movement patterns and site fidelity of grey reef sharks at aggregation sites in Palau over two years. The key findings were:
1) Sharks displayed strong inter-annual residency at monitored sites, with greater attendance in summer than winter months.
2) Mean depths increased from 35m in winter to 60m in spring, correlating with increases in water temperature at 60m. Sharks descended deeper and used a wider depth range around full moons.
3) There were crepuscular cycles in mean depth, with sharks moving into shallower waters at dawn and dusk daily.
4) Cyclical vertical movement patterns appeared to optimize energetic budgets
This document summarizes research on using oysters as a best management practice (BMP) to improve water quality in Chesapeake Bay. It discusses how modeling and sampling of oyster aquaculture sites have helped develop nutrient removal estimates for oysters. The Chesapeake Bay Partnership's Oyster BMP Expert Panel now recommends nutrient removal credits for harvested oyster tissue from private aquaculture. This allows aquaculture harvest to be counted as a BMP in water quality plans. Models can also estimate ecosystem services from expanded aquaculture or restored oyster reefs to help set restoration goals.
1.1 mark spalding solving the crisis in the seas finalharrietys
This document discusses marine protected areas and whether they are effectively achieving conservation goals. It notes that while MPAs have provided massive benefits to biodiversity, only a small percentage of oceans are currently protected. To better conserve nature and support human needs, the document argues that MPAs need to be larger and networked together in a more strategic way that accounts for ecosystem services and aligns with areas important for coastal populations and biodiversity. Bringing ecosystem service values into the planning process and engaging local communities are seen as keys to improving how MPAs are established and managed going forward.
This document discusses a project by The Nature Conservancy to study the ecosystem services provided by oyster aquaculture in Chesapeake Bay. The goals are to scientifically measure the water quality benefits of oyster aquaculture through partnerships with research institutions and aquaculture operations. Methods include using sensors and sediment cores to analyze changes in water quality parameters, biodiversity, and habitat around aquaculture sites. Results will be shared through reports, videos, and outreach to support further expansion of the oyster aquaculture industry as a large-scale restoration strategy.
Paul Maxwell, AMSA 2013. Managing Seagrass Resilience: feedbacks and scalesaceas13tern
"I’m a phd student from Griffith University. Today I’m presenting the outcomes of a workshop I was lucky enough to attend which was funded by ACEAS, the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. I’m presenting on behalf of a host of co-authors who are listed here. I thank them for the opportunity to present on their behalf." -Paul Maxwell
The aim of the ACEAS workshop was to generate a framework that outlines how a sea grasses response to impact operates on multiple scales and how understanding that scale is vital for understanding how seagrass ecosystems develop, maintain and enhance their resilience to disturbances.
04 tm origin of sandstone tanzania session-8Monatom Mgl
(1) The document discusses uranium mineralization found in sandstone deposits in Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania and the environmental issues surrounding potential uranium mining in the area.
(2) Baseline studies were conducted to measure background radiation levels in soils, sediments, water, food crops, and vegetation to establish preliminary radiation levels before any mining occurs.
(3) The studies found slightly elevated uranium and thorium levels in some samples near the Mkuju River but generally radiation levels were comparable to control samples. These baseline measurements will be used to evaluate potential environmental impacts if the mine becomes operational.
This document provides information about ocean acidification and its threats to marine life. It discusses how ocean acidification is caused by carbon dioxide absorption from the atmosphere. This lowered pH makes it difficult for calcifying organisms like corals, shellfish, and plankton to build their shells and structures. The passage notes that ocean pH has dropped by 0.1 units since the Industrial Revolution and could decline by 0.45 more units by 2100. This threatens ocean ecosystems and is another reason to reduce fossil fuel emissions.
Rachel U. Shelley is a postdoctoral research fellow at LEMAR in France. She received her Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Plymouth University in the UK in 2011. Her research focuses on trace and major elements in aerosols and rainwater from various ocean campaigns, including projects in the North Atlantic, Arctic, and off the coast of Morocco. She has over 10 publications and has presented her work at numerous conferences.
A Review of Environmental Implications of Dredging ActivitiesIJAEMSJORNAL
Dredging is a global anthropogenic excavation activity of removing sediments from water bodies and depositing it elsewhere. It is a mixed blessing as it has both beneficial and adverse impacts. This paper is on a review of environmental implications of dredging. The objective of the paper is to review previous works by researchers on the environmental consequences of dredging. The method used is a review of academic/journal articles, internet materials, conference / workshop papers, textbooks, bulletins and publicly available materials on dredging activities. The results of the study revealed that previous authors whose works were reviewed have a convergent view that apart from the beneficial impacts of dredging (e.g. keeping waterways navigable, flood and storm protection and provision of materials for road construction and building), it has lots of adverse environmental impacts, including environmental pollution, erosion, widespread hydrological changes, reduction in the population of aquatic lives like destruction of fish spawning grounds and benthic organisms and resuspension of particulate matter column that has elevated levels of lead, copper, zinc and nickel in Phytoplankton. Recommendations of the study include: (1) establishment of environmental legislations and regulations for dredging operation; (2) use of green technology in dredging activities to minimize suspension of sediments and contamination/pollution of dredging environments; and (3) creation of awareness among dredging contractors, regulators and marine communities where dredging take place on the economic and ecological values of the marine ecosystems that are usually very sensitive, fragile and productive.
Advances in bio-optical sensing on robotic platforms to elucidate ecosystem p...SeaBirdScientific
ABSTRACT
The global view of ocean productivity has been defined for the past three decades by satellite-derived images of optical properties of the ocean’s surface layer. Yet in most of the ocean, zones of enhanced phytoplankton production and nutrient recycling are located at depths below the view of optical satellites. In the subtropical gyres, the almost ubiquitous deep chlorophyll maximum is often located at depths exceeding 100m, along density interfaces at a boundary between the down welling light flux and upward transport of nutrients. Below the chlorophyll maximum heterotrophic production is the dominant process resulting in strong oxygen consumption and dissolved nutrient regeneration. Observing the physical forcing and biogeochemical dynamics that drive this system at the relevant time scales ranging from the diel to the seasonal has been a long-standing challenge in oceanography. In particular, measuring the processes occurring through perturbations to relaxation has often been more happenstance than design. In this presentation we describe advances in sensor systems deployed on autonomous robotic profilers to quantify carbon, oxygen and nutrient cycling within the interior ocean and present examples from the subtropical Indian Ocean and western Mediterranean.
Acknowledgements: Funding for CSIRO provided through the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund, OCE Postdoctoral fellowship scheme and Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre.
This document provides a 3-page summary of the 2008 Acoustic Ecology Institute Special Report on ocean noise. It discusses four key developments in ocean noise issues that year: 1) Behavioral impacts replacing strandings as the primary concern regarding marine mammals and noise, 2) Continued legal issues around naval sonar but focus shifting to behavioral impacts, 3) Shipping noise becoming a major international concern, and 4) Scientific community entering a new phase of engagement around organizing ocean noise research priorities. The summary examines these developments and provides context and examples from research studies reported on in the full AEI Special Report.
This experiment studied the effects of noise on the anti-predation behaviors of two sympatric fish species, the three-spined stickleback and European minnow. Groups of fish were exposed to control sounds or additional noise recordings from nearby ports in a tank setup. Their responses to a predatory stimulus were then observed and analyzed. The results showed that sticklebacks exhibited heightened vigilance and shorter latency periods to the predator when exposed to noise, while minnows were less responsive possibly due to distraction by other fish. More research is still needed to understand noise impacts within natural environments.
The document discusses various topics related to hydrographic science and engineering including wave parameters, wave classification, factors affecting wind wave development, wave movement, wave regions, wave speed as a function of wavelength and depth, addition of waves, ideal waves, wave transformations, factors affecting wind wave development, wind wave developments, lateral spreading of wave energy, the importance of fetch, wave interference, wave steepness and breaking, waves approaching shore through refraction, diffraction and reflection, storm surge, and standing waves. It provides information on each topic in detail with examples and diagrams.
1. Reef shark populations in Palau's shark sanctuary showed large differences, with densities over 10 times higher in the Main Island Group compared to the remote Southwest Islands.
2. Shark densities were strongly negatively correlated with the density of derelict fishing gear on reefs, suggesting fishing impacts shark populations.
3. Sharks in the remote Southwest Islands were significantly smaller on average, further indicating fishing effects on these populations. Surveillance and enforcement are needed to effectively protect sharks within the sanctuary.
“Coral reefs represent some of the world's most spectacular beauty spots, but they are also the foundation of marine life: without them many of the seas most exquisite species will not survive”
~ Sheherazade Goldsmith
“Coral is a very beautiful and unusual animal. Each coral head consists of thousand individual polyps. These polyps are continually budding and branching into genetically identical neighbors”
~ Antony Garrett Lisi
“The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings etrnal joy to the soul”
~ Wyland
This document summarizes a study of 11 coral reef sites within Ihavandippolu atoll located in the Lakshadweep Islands off southwestern India. Phototransect and underwater visual census methods were used to analyze benthic cover and fish populations. The results showed that inner reefs protected from ocean swell had the healthiest coral communities with high coral cover and susceptible coral genera. Reefs in the lagoon center had low coral cover and were dominated by resistant genera. Outer reefs exposed to monsoons had unstable communities with low coral cover and dead coral. Abundant herbivorous fish prevented algal overgrowth. Increasing thermal stress may cause further coral decline and shifts to more
This report provides an overview of key socio-economic, management, and governance issues relating to conservation and sustainable use of deep-sea ecosystems and biodiversity. It highlights the current understanding and identifies knowledge gaps. The deep sea is home to diverse ecosystems and provides many goods and services. However, human activities like deep-sea fishing, oil and gas extraction, and mining are threatening habitats and increasing pressures. Effective governance is needed to balance conservation with sustainable use, but challenges include implementing an ecosystem approach, addressing uncertainties, and improving multi-level cooperation. Further research can help close knowledge gaps and better inform policymaking.
The document summarizes the research activities of various departments that are part of the Centre for Coastal and Estuarine Science (CCES). CCES aims to promote collaboration between participating departments from Radboud University Nijmegen and the Netherlands Institute of Ecology. It focuses on research related to coastal and estuarine systems using integrative approaches across various disciplines like microbiology, zoology, botany and environmental science. CCES also offers two master's programs in biology and environmental sciences to students.
This document analyzes beaked whale strandings around Australia compared to other cetaceans. It finds that 90% of beaked whale strandings involve a single animal, while the maximum for other species was much higher, up to 250. Beaked whale strandings were more common in southern Australia and January to April, following sea temperature cycles. The trends are similar worldwide. The document aims to understand spatial and temporal patterns of beaked whale strandings to inform decisions about potential impacts from human activities like naval sonar.
Ozone depletion occurred in 1992 when scientists discovered a hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica. The ozone layer is being destroyed mainly by chlorine-based compounds released into the atmosphere. As the ozone layer thins, more ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from the sun is able to pass through and reach the earth's surface. This increase in UVB exposure affects both living organisms and abiotic environmental factors. While international agreements aim to repair the damage, full recovery of the ozone layer will take significant time.
The document proposes transforming the unused ocean tank at Biosphere 2 into "The Desert Sea" - a living model of the Gulf of California highlighting the rich ecology and connection between the desert and sea. The Desert Sea would house diverse Gulf species and serve as a site for cutting-edge marine research while educating visitors. It describes plans to construct habitats like tidepools and a mangrove forest to build biological complexity. The project aims to understand how diversity develops and resilience to environmental change.
Utilising Magnetism as a means to reduce Elasmobranch bycatchThomas Overy
This document discusses research into using magnetism to reduce bycatch of elasmobranchs (sharks, rays, and chimeras). It summarizes that elasmobranchs have specialized electroreceptors called ampullae of Lorenzini that allow them to detect magnetic fields. Studies show some success using permanent magnets to deter lemon sharks from simulated fishing nets, but the sharks' response declined over time, suggesting they became accustomed to the constant magnetic field. More research is still needed to find magnetic solutions that can both effectively deter elasmobranchs in the long-term without impacting target fisheries or the environment.
This study used acoustic telemetry to track the vertical movement patterns and site fidelity of grey reef sharks at aggregation sites in Palau over two years. The key findings were:
1) Sharks displayed strong inter-annual residency at monitored sites, with greater attendance in summer than winter months.
2) Mean depths increased from 35m in winter to 60m in spring, correlating with increases in water temperature at 60m. Sharks descended deeper and used a wider depth range around full moons.
3) There were crepuscular cycles in mean depth, with sharks moving into shallower waters at dawn and dusk daily.
4) Cyclical vertical movement patterns appeared to optimize energetic budgets
This document summarizes research on using oysters as a best management practice (BMP) to improve water quality in Chesapeake Bay. It discusses how modeling and sampling of oyster aquaculture sites have helped develop nutrient removal estimates for oysters. The Chesapeake Bay Partnership's Oyster BMP Expert Panel now recommends nutrient removal credits for harvested oyster tissue from private aquaculture. This allows aquaculture harvest to be counted as a BMP in water quality plans. Models can also estimate ecosystem services from expanded aquaculture or restored oyster reefs to help set restoration goals.
1.1 mark spalding solving the crisis in the seas finalharrietys
This document discusses marine protected areas and whether they are effectively achieving conservation goals. It notes that while MPAs have provided massive benefits to biodiversity, only a small percentage of oceans are currently protected. To better conserve nature and support human needs, the document argues that MPAs need to be larger and networked together in a more strategic way that accounts for ecosystem services and aligns with areas important for coastal populations and biodiversity. Bringing ecosystem service values into the planning process and engaging local communities are seen as keys to improving how MPAs are established and managed going forward.
This document discusses a project by The Nature Conservancy to study the ecosystem services provided by oyster aquaculture in Chesapeake Bay. The goals are to scientifically measure the water quality benefits of oyster aquaculture through partnerships with research institutions and aquaculture operations. Methods include using sensors and sediment cores to analyze changes in water quality parameters, biodiversity, and habitat around aquaculture sites. Results will be shared through reports, videos, and outreach to support further expansion of the oyster aquaculture industry as a large-scale restoration strategy.
Paul Maxwell, AMSA 2013. Managing Seagrass Resilience: feedbacks and scalesaceas13tern
"I’m a phd student from Griffith University. Today I’m presenting the outcomes of a workshop I was lucky enough to attend which was funded by ACEAS, the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. I’m presenting on behalf of a host of co-authors who are listed here. I thank them for the opportunity to present on their behalf." -Paul Maxwell
The aim of the ACEAS workshop was to generate a framework that outlines how a sea grasses response to impact operates on multiple scales and how understanding that scale is vital for understanding how seagrass ecosystems develop, maintain and enhance their resilience to disturbances.
04 tm origin of sandstone tanzania session-8Monatom Mgl
(1) The document discusses uranium mineralization found in sandstone deposits in Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania and the environmental issues surrounding potential uranium mining in the area.
(2) Baseline studies were conducted to measure background radiation levels in soils, sediments, water, food crops, and vegetation to establish preliminary radiation levels before any mining occurs.
(3) The studies found slightly elevated uranium and thorium levels in some samples near the Mkuju River but generally radiation levels were comparable to control samples. These baseline measurements will be used to evaluate potential environmental impacts if the mine becomes operational.
This document provides information about ocean acidification and its threats to marine life. It discusses how ocean acidification is caused by carbon dioxide absorption from the atmosphere. This lowered pH makes it difficult for calcifying organisms like corals, shellfish, and plankton to build their shells and structures. The passage notes that ocean pH has dropped by 0.1 units since the Industrial Revolution and could decline by 0.45 more units by 2100. This threatens ocean ecosystems and is another reason to reduce fossil fuel emissions.
Rachel U. Shelley is a postdoctoral research fellow at LEMAR in France. She received her Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Plymouth University in the UK in 2011. Her research focuses on trace and major elements in aerosols and rainwater from various ocean campaigns, including projects in the North Atlantic, Arctic, and off the coast of Morocco. She has over 10 publications and has presented her work at numerous conferences.
A Review of Environmental Implications of Dredging ActivitiesIJAEMSJORNAL
Dredging is a global anthropogenic excavation activity of removing sediments from water bodies and depositing it elsewhere. It is a mixed blessing as it has both beneficial and adverse impacts. This paper is on a review of environmental implications of dredging. The objective of the paper is to review previous works by researchers on the environmental consequences of dredging. The method used is a review of academic/journal articles, internet materials, conference / workshop papers, textbooks, bulletins and publicly available materials on dredging activities. The results of the study revealed that previous authors whose works were reviewed have a convergent view that apart from the beneficial impacts of dredging (e.g. keeping waterways navigable, flood and storm protection and provision of materials for road construction and building), it has lots of adverse environmental impacts, including environmental pollution, erosion, widespread hydrological changes, reduction in the population of aquatic lives like destruction of fish spawning grounds and benthic organisms and resuspension of particulate matter column that has elevated levels of lead, copper, zinc and nickel in Phytoplankton. Recommendations of the study include: (1) establishment of environmental legislations and regulations for dredging operation; (2) use of green technology in dredging activities to minimize suspension of sediments and contamination/pollution of dredging environments; and (3) creation of awareness among dredging contractors, regulators and marine communities where dredging take place on the economic and ecological values of the marine ecosystems that are usually very sensitive, fragile and productive.
Advances in bio-optical sensing on robotic platforms to elucidate ecosystem p...SeaBirdScientific
ABSTRACT
The global view of ocean productivity has been defined for the past three decades by satellite-derived images of optical properties of the ocean’s surface layer. Yet in most of the ocean, zones of enhanced phytoplankton production and nutrient recycling are located at depths below the view of optical satellites. In the subtropical gyres, the almost ubiquitous deep chlorophyll maximum is often located at depths exceeding 100m, along density interfaces at a boundary between the down welling light flux and upward transport of nutrients. Below the chlorophyll maximum heterotrophic production is the dominant process resulting in strong oxygen consumption and dissolved nutrient regeneration. Observing the physical forcing and biogeochemical dynamics that drive this system at the relevant time scales ranging from the diel to the seasonal has been a long-standing challenge in oceanography. In particular, measuring the processes occurring through perturbations to relaxation has often been more happenstance than design. In this presentation we describe advances in sensor systems deployed on autonomous robotic profilers to quantify carbon, oxygen and nutrient cycling within the interior ocean and present examples from the subtropical Indian Ocean and western Mediterranean.
Acknowledgements: Funding for CSIRO provided through the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund, OCE Postdoctoral fellowship scheme and Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre.
This document provides a 3-page summary of the 2008 Acoustic Ecology Institute Special Report on ocean noise. It discusses four key developments in ocean noise issues that year: 1) Behavioral impacts replacing strandings as the primary concern regarding marine mammals and noise, 2) Continued legal issues around naval sonar but focus shifting to behavioral impacts, 3) Shipping noise becoming a major international concern, and 4) Scientific community entering a new phase of engagement around organizing ocean noise research priorities. The summary examines these developments and provides context and examples from research studies reported on in the full AEI Special Report.
This experiment studied the effects of noise on the anti-predation behaviors of two sympatric fish species, the three-spined stickleback and European minnow. Groups of fish were exposed to control sounds or additional noise recordings from nearby ports in a tank setup. Their responses to a predatory stimulus were then observed and analyzed. The results showed that sticklebacks exhibited heightened vigilance and shorter latency periods to the predator when exposed to noise, while minnows were less responsive possibly due to distraction by other fish. More research is still needed to understand noise impacts within natural environments.
Human impacts of the motorways of the seaDavid March
Maritime transport plays an important role in the world trade and economics development. In Europe the “motorways on the sea” concept has been an important issue since the launch of the EU Transport white paper (EC 2001). An enclosed sea such as the Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to ship-associated pressures due to a high-volume of shipping routes, long history of use, and sensitive shallow and deep-sea habitats. Negative impacts associated to maritime traffic include biodiversity loss, introduction of alien species, pollution, marine litter and underwater noise among others. The monitoring and characterization of the spatio-temporal patterns of marine traffic constitutes an important element for the effective management and assessment of environmental impacts of this activity.
Monitoring of real-time ship locations can be achieved through the Automated Identification System (AIS). The AIS is a VHF transmitter that broadcast the ship position, as well as additional information (eg. timestamp, speed, heading, boat type). All ocean-going commercial traffic >300 gross tons, or carrying more than 165 passengers, as well as tug/tows, are required to carry AIS transmitters (IALA 2004). In addition, the rest of the ships are able to carry on these transmitters on a voluntary basis.
In this work we present the development of an information system designed to store, manage, analyze and visualize historical AIS data based on open-source components. We analyse such data to assess and map multiple anthropogenic pressures. For example, segmented regression on speed distribution is carried out to identify and map fishing activity, whereas neighbourhood statistics and GIS methods are used to generate underwater noise maps. We will illustrate these products within the context of risk assessment on marine ecosystems at the Western Mediterranean Sea.
The information provided in this study can be incorporated into Decision Support Systems (DSS) for supporting the implementation of European and national policies for the assessment of environmental impacts and the interactions among human activities as well.
Biofouling refers to the undesirable attachment of microorganisms, plants, and animals to submerged surfaces, which can affect industries like shipping and aquaculture. Traditional antifouling technologies use toxic chemicals that harm the environment, but alternatives are being researched, including natural products, foul release coatings, and biological or mechanical controls. Finding effective and environmentally friendly alternatives faces barriers like a lack of globally approved options, unknown long term toxicity, and higher costs compared to traditional chemicals.
Effects Of Noise Pollution On Aquatic Animalscarmenbmancha
Noise pollution from ship engines and sonar systems affects aquatic animals by making it difficult for them to communicate, find food, and avoid hazards. It can also interrupt their natural habitats if sources of noise such as construction sites or concerts are near bodies of water. Excessive noise raises animals' heart rates, harms their metabolism, and prevents them from detecting prey or communicating with each other because they only hear human noise instead of sounds they emit. Noise pollution disturbs animals' environments and impacts their ability to focus in the same way that loud band practice outside a classroom would interfere with students' attention spans. Steps like installing barriers and limiting loud vehicles can help prevent noise pollution, as can simply placing soundproofing materials around sources of
Acid rain and aquatic organisms by Uwamose martinUwamose MNO
Acid rain is a broad term used to describe several ways that acids fall out of the atmosphere. Acid rain is a phenomenon that results from industrial activities where sulfuric and nitric acids are produced by the release of sulfuric oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere. This induces the acidification of inland waters which results in damage to aquatic ecosystems, including fish. Acid rain flows into streams, lakes, and marshes after falling on forests, fields, buildings, and roads. It also falls directly on aquatic habitats. Acid rain was first reported in Manchester, England, which was an important city during the Industrial Revolution. The term “acid rain” was first used by Robert Angus Smith in 1872.
This document summarizes a project report on the effects of anthropogenic noise pollution on marine species physiology and behavior. It introduces the need to understand noise pollution impacts to help create effective legislation protecting marine environments under criteria like the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. While chemical pollution is well-studied, noise pollution effects are less understood. The document reviews noise propagation properties in water and potential impacts on various taxa to motivate further research on a commercially important shellfish, Mytilus Edulis.
The use of SONAR by the U.S. Navy can injure or kill many whales and dolphins. SONAR systems emit intense sound waves at 235 decibels to detect submarines, which is louder than the world's loudest rock band. These high-intensity sounds, which can travel up to 300 miles, cause whales to rapidly change depths, resulting in bleeding from their eyes and ears. In 2005, 34 whales of different species stranded and died along North Carolina's coast during Navy training using SONAR. Environmental groups have sued the Navy, claiming that SONAR testing has caused over 170,000 marine mammal deaths, with over 500 whales suffering permanent injury and 8,000 experiencing temporary deaf
The document discusses the effects of sound pollution on fish. It describes how fish sense sound through lateral lines, swim bladders, and other organs. Anthropogenic noise from sources like boats, construction, and naval vessels is increasing underwater noise levels. This noise pollution can cause physiological stress, auditory masking, and changes in behavior in fish. It affects processes like reproduction, development of larvae, and orientation. Long-term exposure may impact populations by disrupting behaviors essential for survival like finding habitat and avoiding predators. The document calls for more research and regulation to assess and manage impacts on aquatic ecosystems.
, 20130104, published 27 March 20139 2013 Biol. Lett. Matt.docxmercysuttle
1) Cavefish species in the family Amblyopsidae have lost a significant portion of their hearing range compared to their surface-dwelling relatives. Cavefish can only hear up to 800Hz while surface fish can hear up to 2kHz.
2) Cavefish have lower hair cell densities in their ears compared to surface fish, which may contribute to their reduced hearing abilities.
3) Ambient noise measurements found high intensity noise peaks near 1kHz in cave streams, suggesting cavefish lost the ability to hear those frequencies as it provides no advantage underground.
Popper et al (2016) Effects of Exposure to the Sound from Seismic Airguns on ...John V. Young
This study examined the effects of exposure to sound from a seismic airgun array on endangered pallid sturgeon and paddlefish held in cages at different distances from the airguns. Fish were exposed to a single acoustic pulse and then monitored for seven days before examination. Necropsy results found no difference in mortality between exposed and control fish of either species. Exposure to a single pulse from a small airgun array was not lethal, but risks of exposure to multiple pulses or higher sound levels require further study.
Oceanographers and marine biologists are studying the many threats facing endangered whale populations, including noise pollution, fishing industry practices, and chemical pollution. These experts are working to implement solutions such as detecting whales with acoustic monitoring buoys to divert ship traffic, modifying fishing gear, and studying whale movements after oil spills to understand environmental impacts. By protecting whale habitats and populations, oceanographers help ensure the health of both ocean ecosystems and human communities.
This study investigated the effect of anthropogenic noise on shoaling cohesion in three-spined sticklebacks. The researcher exposed stickleback shoals to white noise playback and found that during noise exposure, the distance between fish in the shoal decreased significantly compared to silent control trials. This suggests that anthropogenic noise causes sticklebacks to group closer together, mirroring their anti-predatory response when threatened by a predator. The findings demonstrate that anthropogenic noise has the potential to influence anti-predatory behavior and vigilance in shoaling fish.
The Acoustic Ecology Institute has published its fourth annual Ocean Noise report summarizing new research and regulatory developments in ocean noise from 2009. The report covers ongoing issues like seismic surveys and naval sonars, and introduces new sections on shipping noise and passive acoustic monitoring technologies. It includes summaries of key research studies in 2009 and previews important issues for 2010. The full report and additional ocean noise resources can be found on the Institute's website.
“Coral reefs represent some of the worlds most spectacular beauty spots, but they are also the foundation of marine life: without them many of the seas most exquisite species will not survive.” ~ Sheherazade Goldsmith
“The oceans deserve our respect and care, but you have to know something before you can care about it.” ~ Sylvia Earle
Annual review from the Acoustic Ecology Institute, looking at key developments in ocean noise during 2009. Includes overview of the latest news in seismic surveys and Naval sonars, plus Resource Collections focused on shipping noise symposia and reports, and on new long-term recording platforms. Also: lay summaries of other research, and a look ahead at 2010's top ocean noise topics.
The Navy continues to develop Environmental Impact Statements for naval training ranges where mid-frequency active sonar is used. While the Navy proposes continuing sonar activity at current levels, critics argue the Navy is not properly assessing cumulative impacts or considering alternatives that protect biologically important habitats. Passive acoustic monitoring has advanced, improving understanding of impacts but also raising new questions. Overall, the field has matured, with all sides focusing more on solutions than arguments over impacts.
MarSci Aug 2014 pp14-17 Ecol Assess Offshore Wind FarmsBob Carling
The document discusses ecological impact assessments for offshore wind farms. It focuses on two key issues relating to underwater noise from construction: potential disturbance of fish spawning habitats and disruption of fish migration. Accurate baseline data on fish spawning locations and timing is important for assessment. Modeling is used to estimate noise impacts on fish behavior during piling. Precaution is needed due to uncertainties. Seasonal restrictions or noise reduction technologies may be used as mitigation.
1) The document discusses the ecological impact of sewage discharge on coral reefs. Sewage pollution introduces excess nutrients into coral reef ecosystems, which can cause eutrophication and algal overgrowth that damages corals.
2) A 3-year study found that doubling nutrient levels from sewage led to a doubling of coral bleaching events in Florida Keys reefs. Removing the nutrient pollution allowed for reef recovery.
3) About 96% of coral reef areas near human populations face sewage pollution problems. The majority of sewage in developing areas enters the ocean untreated. Even in developed nations, aging infrastructure can lead to sewage leaks that pollute coastal waters.
The International Journal of Engineering and Science (The IJES)theijes
The International Journal of Engineering & Science is aimed at providing a platform for researchers, engineers, scientists, or educators to publish their original research results, to exchange new ideas, to disseminate information in innovative designs, engineering experiences and technological skills. It is also the Journal's objective to promote engineering and technology education. All papers submitted to the Journal will be blind peer-reviewed. Only original articles will be published.
The papers for publication in The International Journal of Engineering& Science are selected through rigorous peer reviews to ensure originality, timeliness, relevance, and readability.
The International Journal of Engineering and Science (The IJES)theijes
The International Journal of Engineering & Science is aimed at providing a platform for researchers, engineers, scientists, or educators to publish their original research results, to exchange new ideas, to disseminate information in innovative designs, engineering experiences and technological skills. It is also the Journal's objective to promote engineering and technology education. All papers submitted to the Journal will be blind peer-reviewed. Only original articles will be published.
The papers for publication in The International Journal of Engineering& Science are selected through rigorous peer reviews to ensure originality, timeliness, relevance, and readability.
V8 Supercar Race, Sydney Olympic Park and Waterbird Impacts.Dr Stephen Ambrose
The document summarizes the results of waterbird surveys conducted before, during, and after a V8 Supercar race event near the Waterbird Refuge wetland in Sydney Olympic Park. The surveys found that waterbird species richness and abundances were similar across survey periods and showed expected daily and tidal patterns. Numbers of key species like teals and shorebirds at roost were generally stable or higher during the race event compared to before. This demonstrated that the race event did not significantly disturb or impact waterbird use of this important habitat.
Research Proposal - Are the Adélie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae, populations w...ElizabethHowarth1
Rational - The focus on this study is to evaluate how the population size and health of Adélie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae, colonies at Cape Royds, Cape Bird and Cape Crozier have changed over time, especially in relation to the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area, MPA, established in 2017 and considering major environmental and biological factors that could have an effect on these populations. We will continue to collect new data annually to look at any affects the Ross Sea region MPA is having on these populations. Using data about population sizes of colonies and health of individuals from within the colonies, we will evaluate the overall health of the colonies and predict how we expect them to change in the near future. This is an important study as P. adeliae are an indicator species for their local ecosystem – the health of the penguin colonies reflects the health of the local ecosystem.
Environmental impact of fishing and carbon footprinting due to fishingJEEVAN GOWDA
The document discusses the environmental impacts of fishing, including overfishing, bycatch, and effects on marine habitats. It provides details on how different fishing techniques can damage habitats and remove large amounts of seabed life. Bycatch is a major issue, with nets capturing mammals, sea turtles, sharks, and seabirds. The carbon footprint of fishing is also examined, with global fisheries estimated to emit 134 million tons of CO2 annually. The document concludes by stating that individuals and corporations can help mitigate climate change by reducing their carbon footprints through actions like purchasing carbon offsets.
Mercury in the Global OceanPURPOSE USE THE NEWS The followinAbramMartino96
Mercury in the Global Ocean
PURPOSE: USE THE NEWS: The following assignment uses real world data and news sources. Check your understanding of the material and then offer a well-supported response.- 25 pts
Although the days of odd behavior among hat makers are a thing of the past, the dangers mercury poses to humans and the environment persist today.
Mercury is a naturally occurring element as well as a by-product of such distinctly human enterprises as burning coal and making cement. Estimates of “bioavailable” mercury—forms of the element that can be taken up by animals and humans—play an important role in everything from drafting an international treaty designed to protect humans and the environment from mercury emissions, to establishing public policies behind warnings about seafood consumption.
Yet surprisingly little is known about how much mercury in the environment is the result of human activity, or even how much bioavailable mercury exists in the global ocean. Until now.
A new paper by a group that includes researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Wright State University, Observatoire Midi-Pyréneés in France, and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research appears in this week’s edition of the journal Nature and provides the first direct calculation of mercury in the global ocean from pollution based on data obtained from 12 sampling cruises over the past 8 years. The work, which was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the European Research Council and led by WHOI marine chemist Carl Lamborg, also provides a look at the global distribution of mercury in the marine environment.
“It would seem that, if we want to regulate the mercury emissions into the environment and in the food we eat, then we should first know how much is there and how much human activity is adding every year,” said Lamborg, who has been studying mercury for 24 years. “At the moment, however, there is no way to look at a water sample and tell the difference between mercury that came from pollution and mercury that came from natural sources. Now we have a way to at least separate the bulk contributions of natural and human sources over time.”
The group started by looking at data sets that offer detail about oceanic levels of phosphate, a substance that is both better studied than mercury and that behaves in much the same way in the ocean. Phosphate is a nutrient that, like mercury, is taken up into the marine food web by binding with organic material. By determining the ratio of phosphate to mercury in water deeper than 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) that has not been in contact with Earth’s atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution, the group was able to estimate mercury in the ocean that originated from natural sources such as the breakdown, or “weathering,” of rocks on land.
Their findings agreed with what they would expect to see given the known pattern of global ocean circulation. North Atlantic waters, for example, s ...
Saving High Quality Acoustic Habitat: Identifying areas of relative natural q...Acoustic Ecology Institute
Presentation from the 2016 Ecoacoustics Congress, held at Michigan State University.
Research overview of soundscape modeling and monitoring, both terrestrial and oceanic, with a focus on beginning to identify areas for protection from new sources of human-generated noise.
Research summary poster, current as of December 2014, prepared for the AWWI's 10th Wind and Wildlife Research Meeting. Addresses masking, changes in behavior, and physiological stress. Includes data on sage grouse, frogs, mammals, and songbirds, as well as discussion of other considerations, uncertainties, and future research needs.
This document provides an overview of wind farm noise issues from a science and policy perspective. It discusses wind farm development and community responses, describes visits to noise hot spots and wind farms, explains how wind turbine noise propagates at different distances, reviews community response surveys showing many close neighbors dislike the noise, examines recent recommendations and decisions around setback distances and noise limits, and provides overviews of previous research on topics like turbine sound characteristics, low frequency noise, and industry efforts to quiet turbines. Appendices include summaries of recent research on these topics. The report aims to provide context and address subtleties to help understand different perspectives in the polarized public dialogue around wind farm noise.
NOTE: Please see more recent reports for more in-depth coverage of many key issues; the 2012 report includes solid info on sound propagation distances, recent ordinances, and comprehensive summaries of new research on low frequency noise, and on health effects. The 2011 report remains useful, especially the section on cautionary acousticians and the Appendix summarizing AEI's NEWEEP presentation on community responses. PLEASE don't rely solely on this report; if you're going to read just one, make it the most recent one.
This is AEI's second overview of the issue, published June 2011. Fifty pages, primary focus is looking at how our familiar community noise standards are working with wind farm noise, with brief coverage of low-frequency noise, health, and property values.
**Revision1 uploaded 6/28/11. Minor edits; substantive additions on page 22-23**
**Revision2 uploaded 8/29/11. Minor edits**
Wind & Wildlife: Management implications of individual variability in noise s...Acoustic Ecology Institute
A detailed poster introducing what is known about individual variability to noise within animal populations, summarizing some impacts of moderate noise on wildlife, explaining noise levels around wind farms, and suggesting several situations in which noise impacts on a more-sensitive subset of the local population could be a factor in wind farm impact planning.
Presentation from the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life 2010 conference. Explores some fascinating indications that noise sensitivity patterns seen in the human population may apply in other species as well (20% very sensitive to noise, 50% very tolerant).
Presentation for the DOE-sponsored NEWEEP (New England Wind Energy Education Project) webinar on sound. Includes experiential reports of wind farm neighbors, assessment of research into annoyance rates, and discussion of factors that lead some to be very annoyed, and others not all that bothered. Bottom line: annoyance at fairly close range (sound at 40dB or more, roughly within a half mile) can affect a substantial minority (25-45% of those in this area).
NOTE: This report was written early in AEI's engagement with the wind farm noise issue. The more recent annual reports, also available here on SlideShare, are much more current and reflect a broader, deeper understanding of the complexities and subtleties of the issue. While this 2009 review is a decent introduction, the subsequent reports also stand no their own, and do not need this foundation. PLEASE do not rely solely on this report!!
A comprehensive and thoughtful overview of the current state of the wind farm noise controversy, centered on 10 pages of summaries of new research published in 2009.
1) A report by the American Wind Energy Association and Canadian Wind Energy Association concludes there are no health effects from wind turbine noise but omits discussion of sleep disruption, which is the most widely reported impact.
2) The report minimizes reports of annoyance from wind turbine noise and selectively interprets studies in a way that keeps annoyance rates below 10%.
3) While the report challenges theories linking low frequency wind turbine noise to health issues, it fails to address studies finding vibration and resonance in nearby homes from wind turbines.
This plenary presentation at the Alberta oil and gas industry 2007 Spring Noise Conference was clearly out of the ordinary, but got a good response (including an invite to return in 2009). While Alberta has strong noise regs, the presentation addressed the fact that when industrial noise is the loudest component in a quiet soundscape, neighbors ' experiences need to be considered--reliance on dB-level limits is not enough. A key part of the presentation looks at the evolution of the rural soundscape over the past three generations, the changing nature and context of human-made sound, and the natural changes in people's reactions to these changing noise sources.
Scientific Uncertainty, Evolving Management, and the Emergence of an Ethics o...Acoustic Ecology Institute
An overview of the ways that science, regulators, and public pressure have interacted to move gradually toward more consideration of the impacts of human sounds on wild habitats
Presentation to the Alberta oil and gas industry biannual Spring Noise Conference 2009, in which addresses the public and regulatory pressure toward increasingly stringent noise regulations, with a tip of the hat to industry representatives who recognize the benefits of using state of the art noise control.
An astonishing, first-of-its-kind, report by the NYT assessing damage in Ukraine. Even if the war ends tomorrow, in many places there will be nothing to go back to.
Essential Tools for Modern PR Business .pptxPragencyuk
Discover the essential tools and strategies for modern PR business success. Learn how to craft compelling news releases, leverage press release sites and news wires, stay updated with PR news, and integrate effective PR practices to enhance your brand's visibility and credibility. Elevate your PR efforts with our comprehensive guide.
Here is Gabe Whitley's response to my defamation lawsuit for him calling me a rapist and perjurer in court documents.
You have to read it to believe it, but after you read it, you won't believe it. And I included eight examples of defamatory statements/
El Puerto de Algeciras continúa un año más como el más eficiente del continente europeo y vuelve a situarse en el “top ten” mundial, según el informe The Container Port Performance Index 2023 (CPPI), elaborado por el Banco Mundial y la consultora S&P Global.
El informe CPPI utiliza dos enfoques metodológicos diferentes para calcular la clasificación del índice: uno administrativo o técnico y otro estadístico, basado en análisis factorial (FA). Según los autores, esta dualidad pretende asegurar una clasificación que refleje con precisión el rendimiento real del puerto, a la vez que sea estadísticamente sólida. En esta edición del informe CPPI 2023, se han empleado los mismos enfoques metodológicos y se ha aplicado un método de agregación de clasificaciones para combinar los resultados de ambos enfoques y obtener una clasificación agregada.
Acolyte Episodes review (TV series) The Acolyte. Learn about the influence of the program on the Star Wars world, as well as new characters and story twists.
Ocean Noise: Science Findings and Regulatory Developments in 2007
1. Acoustic Ecology Institute
Spotlight Report
Ocean Noise:
Science Findings and
Regulatory Developments in 2007
by
Jim Cummings
Executive Director, Acoustic Ecology Institute
AcousticEcology.org
505-466-1879
cummings@acousticecology.org
Photo credits: see p. 2, 7, 9
2. Ocean Noise:
Science Findings and Regulatory Developments in 2007
The oceans contain over 80% of the earth’s total volume of habitat; because
of limited light penetration, many ocean species rely heavily on sound for
navigation, finding food, and maintaining group relationships. For decades,
human activity has been increasing the noise levels in the oceans; over the
past few years, we have begun to pause and consider the effects of our
sounds on ocean life. The oil and gas industry, navies of the world, and field
biologists are all putting more time and money into these questions than ever
before. Here’s what was learned in 2007.
This year, ocean noise issues were dominated by the continuing legal challenges to Navy use
of active sonars (the high-intensity-sound poster child that has caused several whale
strandings and likely also unseen mortality over the past 15 years), and more modest but
growing efforts to address the effects of chronic exposure to moderate noise in the seas,
such as that caused by shipping or long-range propagation of oil and gas exploration noise.
This is AEI’s 2nd annual year-end review of ocean noise developments, and as with last year’s
edition, it’s designed as a fifteen-minute overview that offers concrete information in a
concise format. You’ll find many links to further information, both on the AEI website and on
agency and academic sites that provide the full reports and papers discussed here.
We’ll start with some highlights of the year, then proceed with coverage of each of the key
issues (active sonars, seismic surveys, and chronic moderate noise), and conclude with a few
odds and ends of particular importance.
Among the highlights of the year in ocean noise:
• Marine Mammal Commission report on Noise: As the final product of a two-year
process that involved representatives of academia, agencies, industry, the military,
and environmental groups, the US Marine Mammal Commission staff and scientists
submitted a report to Congress, entitled Marine Mammals and Noise: A Sound
Approach to Research and Management. This well-constructed overview of the
current state of research, understanding, and challenges also includes, as
appendixes, the final “caucus statements” of each of the groups that participated
(after failing to reach the hoped-for consensus), a report on a separate workshop
held in the UK on international efforts to address noise, and a report on
anthropogenic noise and beaked whales. Key MMC recommendations to Congress
included the creation of an inter-agency research effort overseen by the MMC, the
importance of addressing moderate, sub-lethal effects of noise such as masking and
behavioral disruption, and the need to provide unified regulation of ocean noise,
including currently unregulated activities such as recreational boating, whalewatching,
and use of acoustic deterrents at fish farms. Download report:
[http://www.mmc.gov/reports/workshop/pdf/fullsoundreport.pdf]
• DTAGs: Some impressive research is underway utilizing innovative suction-attached
“DTAGs,” which record the sounds heard by an animal while also tracking its dive
patterns. For the first time, this allows researchers to “observe” behaviors long
hidden underwater, and any changes that occur in response to noise. In addition to
revealing previously unknown details about normal behavior, the tags also provide a
much clearer picture of the effects of moderate noise exposures. The tags, which
remain on the animal for 6-18 hours before floating back to the surface for recovery,
are used for dive pattern studies without noise being a factor (though sometimes
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 1
3. noise sources happened to occur, providing a glimpse of behavioral effects); in recent
years, researchers have moved slowly into “controlled exposure” experiments (CEE),
in which airgun, sonar, and predator sounds are played into the water after animals
are tagged. These studies start with low intensity sound, and over the course of
several years of field work, gradually increase the sound levels only after careful
monitoring to assure no injuries are caused. This year will see the second season of
a Behavioral Response Study of beaked whales in the Bahamas. Some observers
question the value and ethics of intentionally exposing animals to any additional noise
or stress, so these studies are closely watched.
DTAG on a humpback whale, and track plot of DTAG data showing several hours of humpback
foraging data in 3D. Ribbon shows the track of the animals. Yellow ribbon sections indicate side
rolls. Red and blue polygons depict fluke
strokes. http://stellwagen.noaa.gov/science/DTAG.html
• Naval Sonar legal and regulatory activities: The legal and regulatory arena
regarding ocean noise was dominated again this year by issues surrounding the use
of mid-frequency and low frequency active sonars by the US Navy. After several
years of very limited deployment of low-frequency active sonar (LFAS) in the western
Pacific, the Navy released its court-ordered Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement and received NMFS authorization to use the system on two ships (soon to
be four), with free rein to travel throughout most of the world’s oceans. Meanwhile,
mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS)—deployed on roughly 300 US and NATO-ally
vessels—has continued to attract legal scrutiny, including court-ordered increased
safety measures to protect whales; at the same time, the Navy is proceeding with
Environmental Impact Statements meant to address these concerns in a legally-
binding way for future exercises in several training grounds around the world.
Chronic Exposure to Moderate Noise
We begin by focusing on the emerging issue of chronic exposure to moderate noise: human
sounds that are presumably not intense enough to immediately injure animals, but are loud
enough to disrupt communication or cause animals to avoid the sound. It is now well
established that the overall background ambient noise in the oceans has increased 10-20dB
over the past generation (a 10x to 100x increase in sound energy, which is perceived as a
doubling or quadrupling of sound level), with the most dramatic changes in areas close to
shipping lanes. The subtle effect of such gradual increases in background noise is that the
faintest and/or most long-distance calls and echoes important to fish and whale
communication are lost in the rising tide of noise, dramatically shrinking the effective
communication range of many animals.
As we stressed in last year’s report, research over the past few years has led to the
widespread acknowledgement that chronic exposure to moderate levels of noise is
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 2
4. likely to be causing more significant biological impacts than occasional exposures
to extremely loud noise. Rising ambient background noise levels can mask
communication and navigation calls, as well as increase stress. Meanwhile, avoidance of
boats and seismic surveys at distances where the noise is audible but not harmful can lead
to modest but repeated behavioral disruptions, which may keep animals away from preferred
feeding grounds or expend precious energy.
In 2006, NMFS attempted for the first time to protect migrating bowhead cow/calf pairs from
exposure to seismic survey noise at levels down to 120dB (the point at which they would be
likely to change course to avoid the sound). This was the first time that acoustic protection
moved beyond simply avoiding gross physical injury (such as temporary hearing loss, the
normal threshold for regulatory protection), and aimed to prevent behavioral disruption. The
new standard was challenged in court by Conoco (the case was never heard), but in 2007
one Shell survey proceeded with this exposure standard, which is to be used when conditions
warrant, according to the NMFS/MMS Draft EIS (the final EIS will be issued this year).
Bowhead cow and calf Photo courtesy National Marine Mammal Laboratory
http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/nmml/bowhead_iwc.php
Perhaps the most striking report to emerge this year was a study done in Spain which
indicated that two sperm whales that were killed by ferries were apparently
deafened to the very frequencies emitted by ships; the implication is that long-term
over-exposure to vessel noise had caused permanent hearing loss at those frequencies. “The
inner ear lesions we found in sperm whales came from two resident whales which died after
collisions. These lesions affected animals of different ages,” said Dr. Michel André of the
Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics, indicating the damage is due to an external factor, not to
ageing. The injuries also occurred at a place in the ear’s sensitive structure corresponding in
frequency with the sounds emitted by shipping. To test whether the wider whale population
was affected, his team played the same low-frequency range sounds to 215 sperm whales
around the Canaries; the whales failed to react. While it is impossible to be scientifically
certain, André felt that the correspondence between the sound frequency emitted by
shipping, the area of damage to the whales’ ears, and the lack of response by other whales
to sound broadcast at the same frequency built a compelling argument: “It is very likely that
these lesions are due to a long-term exposure to low-frequency sources.” [This research has
been presented at conferences, but not yet published in the scientific literature.]
André recently proposed a 5-minute protocol for testing the hearing of live, beached whales
and dolphins. Such a procedure would not only help build a richer data set regarding the
hearing sensitivity of wild cetaceans, but would also be helpful in determining whether the
animal is capable of being released back into the sea. In addition, since in fact most live
beached cetaceans end up dying soon after in recuperation facilities, auditory testing at the
time of recovery can often be followed up with post-mortem examinations of auditory
systems, and so help to shed light on the patterns and physiological causes of hearing loss
when it is encountered. [Michel André, Eric Deloy, Eduard Degollada, Josep-Maria Alonso, Joaquin
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 3
5. del Rio, Mike van der Schaar, Joan V. Castell, and Maria Morell. Identifying cetacean hearing
impairment at stranding sites. Aquatic Mammals 2007, 33(1), 100-109.]
As an example of moderate noise having a clear effect on behavior, the 2007 IWC Scientific
Committee report included mention of a 2006 D-tag study in which a beaked whale cut short
a deep foraging dive when a boat passed overhead. The animal experienced broad-band
received levels of just 135dB re 1uPa, and mid-frequency levels of 117db re 1uPa. Most
regulatory standards consider anything less than 180db to be acceptable sound exposure,
since sounds below this level do not tend to cause physical injury. A key finding was that the
ship noise included frequency components close to beaked whale clicks; the 15dB increase
in ambient noise levels caused by the ship would decrease the maximum effective
range of echolocation by more than half, and the maximum range of foraging
coordination vocalizations between whales by a factor of five. [Aguilar Soto, Johnson,
Madsen, Tyack, Bocconcelli, Baorsani. Does intense ship noise disrupt foraging in deep-diving Cuvier's
beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris)? MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, 22(3): 690–699 (July 2006)]
Shipping Noise and Vessel Quieting
In May 2007, NOAA hosted a symposium focused on “ship quieting” technologies, as part of
an ongoing program that began in 2004 with an international symposium on shipping noise
and marine mammals. Among the findings presented:
• The noise from a passing large ship dominates the soundscape across a range
of low frequencies from 10Hz to 1kHz for ten to twenty miles around; as the ship
moves further away, the higher end of these frequency components fade out,
leaving a “hump” of ship noise at 50-60Hz that remains until the ship moves
beyond about a hundred miles distant. The aggregated noise of such distant
ships creates low frequency background noise that is “prevalent over broad expanses
of the world’s ocean,” only at times overshadowed by nearby storms (wind and rain
sounds). [Dr. Roy Gaul, Effects of distant shipping on ambient noise in the open ocean]
• The Acoustical Society of America has begun work on a new professional standard for
“Underwater Noise Measurement of Ships,” designed to be a shared method for
evaluating vessel-radiated noise in water.
• Propeller cavitation (bubbles formed by turning propeller) is a major source of vessel
noise. A presentation by Neal Brown examined improved propeller designs, and also
urged that vessels be required to slow down in biologically important areas,
based on data that suggests that cutting cavitation noise will reduce a 10km-wide
zone of severe noise impacts to 2km wide. [Neal Brown]
Propeller cavitation Image courtesy: http://www.rcboataholic.com/hardware/prop.htm
• Harbour porpoise populations are increasing in waters around The Netherlands; it is
not known whether they are responding to improved conditions or being pushed
south due to degrading conditions in Northern European seas (including intensive oil
and gas development and shipping noise). Over a hundred porpoises died via
beaching in the first four months of 2007; is shipping part of the problem? By
measuring radiated ship noise and factoring in the hearing sensitivity of porpoises, it
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 4
6. appears that porpoises will begin to feel discomfort at about 350m, and can hear the
ships at up to 3km. In busy coastal waters, ships are often closer than 3km apart,
leaving no room to move away from the noise. [Willem Verboom]
For further information on the NOAA vessel quieting symposium:
A pdf of abstracts; offers a good sense of the topics covered:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/acoustics/symposium_abstracts.pdf
The full papers are also available, from this page:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/presentations.htm
Symposium website:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/shipnoise.htm
In 2008, the US delegation to the International Maritime Organization is planning to
submit an information paper on Vessel Quieting; the next steps at the IMO would be
consideration of the issue by the Ship Design and Construction Subcommittee. Kathy
Metcalf of the United States Chamber of Shipping, a trade organization, says “This will go a
long way in informing the maritime world that this is an emerging issue and bring global
expertise into seeing what can be done.”
Smaller boats: recreational and whale watching
The Marine Mammal Commission report, Marine Mammals and Noise: A Sound Approach
to Research and Management, pointedly noted that whale-watching and recreational boating
are both largely unregulated, despite the likelihood that marine mammals are directly
impacted by their noise.
Likewise, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) continued a multi-year effort to
better understand the effects of whale watching boat noise on marine mammals.
Numerous studies were discussed at the 2007 IWC meeting that looked at responses to
whalewatching in several different locations. Responses included reduction of time spent
foraging, increased disturbance with greater numbers of boats, short-range avoidance, and
traveling away from the area. Those especially interested in such effects are urged to read
the full Whalewatching subcommittee report. [DOWNLOAD (pdf):
http://www.iwcoffice.org/_documents/sci_com/SCRepFiles2007/Annex M Final.pdf]
At this summer’s IWC meeting, a special workshop will address whalewatching, with a
goal of designing a consistently applied global research methodology. Ad-hoc studies over
the past twenty years have raised significant concerns, but are difficult to compare.
A study of recreational boat noise in the intracoastal waterway of North Carolina showed that
less than half as many dolphins were observed on weekends, when boat noise was
most intense. Noise in the range of 5-25kHz, the primary range of dolphin social whistles,
was of particular concern. The researchers note that "mean hourly received levels (RLs)
exceeded 116 dB nearly every day surveyed, indicating bottlenose dolphins could be at risk
for noise exposure on a daily basis. High mean RLs were often recorded over consecutive
hours, making high sound levels the rule in this area during the summer, not the exception."
Further, they note that since bottlenose dolphins feed mainly on soniferous fishes (fish that
make noise), and that fish vocalizations are primarily below 1kHz, the range most dominated
by boat sounds, dolphins may well find it more difficult to hear and find prey.
[Haviland-Howell, Frankel, Powel, Bocconcelli, Herman, Sayigh. Recreational boating traffic: A chronic
source of anthropogenic noise in Wilmington, North Carolina Intracoastal Waterway. J. Acoust. Soc.
Am. 122 (1), July 2007, p.151-160. ]
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 5
7. Active Sonars
Legal and Regulatory Developments
The past two years have seen several important legal and regulatory dramas play out
involving training mission planning in Hawaii, North Carolina, and California; in addition, the
Department of Defense exempted sonar missions from Marine Mammal Protection Act
requirements (and thus MMPA-based legal challenges) while Environmental Impact
Statements are being written. Several court orders in recent years have imposed
additional safety measures on mid-frequency active sonar training, and the Navy
seems concerned that these so-far isolated rulings will shape what are likely to be
more wide-reaching legal decisions on the standards the Navy proposes in the EISs
they are working on. Thus, the Navy has continued to push back against additional
measures. The Navy argues that current operating procedures offer sufficient safety,
pointing at the very low number of incidents with whales, while environmental advocates
insist that "common sense" safety measures can provide more assurance of protection while
still allowing training to proceed.
In addition to moving forward with EIS preparation on several individual training ranges
where they have been active for years, the Navy is actively planning a new Undersea
Warfare Training Range (USWTR) off the US South Atlantic coast. In September, the
Navy announced plans to revise the Draft EIS for the USWTR; as they write the new DEIS,
the Navy is working with NOAA Fisheries (formerly NMFS) to implement a better way to
analyze the behavioral impacts of noise on marine mammals. NOAA’s formal comments on
the DEIS had been unusually direct in its critique of the Navy's previous approach, which
was based on a simple maximum sound level criterion; over the past couple of years, a
"dose response" approach has been developed, which accounts for the impact of lower sound
levels occurring over longer periods of time.
For more details on these interweaving story lines, including news summaries of all key
events, and relatively brief lay audience descriptions of the differing technologies and current
deployment of LFAS and MFAS, see the AEI Special Report: Active Sonars:
http://www.AcousticEcology.org/sractivesonars.html
Noise-related strandings
No new stranding events occurred in 2007 with any solid evidence of being related to sonar
transmissions, though some concerns have been raised in the Persian Gulf, where it appears
that cetacean strandings are on the rise, especially along the Iranian coast.
While most cetacean strandings are not noise related in any direct way (being the result of
infections or other health stressors), it has become clear that some strandings have taken
place after exposure to mid-frequency active sonar transmissions. Much research is
underway to determine what, exactly, is causing these strandings. The focus of many
studies is better understanding of the normal dive patterns of beaked whales (the family
most often found stranded after sonar exposure), and how these normal behaviors may be
disrupted by the sounds of mid-frequency sonar, causing physiological injuries that kill the
animals.
Some of the most interesting new work is taking a close look at ways that sonar
transmissions might be causing beaked whales to alter the ways that they recover
from their extraordinarily deep foraging dives, which take them down to a depth of
1000 to 1500 meters and last over an hour. Some sonar-exposed animals that strand have
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 6
8. tissue and organ damage caused by expanding nitrogen bubbles that looks much like the
injuries caused by “the bends” in human divers (generally called Decompression Sickness, or
DCS; a new term, “gas and fat embolic syndrome” has been coined to describe specific
tissue pathologies observed in some beached cetaceans). Early speculation focused on the
possibility that, like human divers who suffer the bends, these injuries may have been
caused by animals surfacing more quickly than usual. However, marine mammals have a
special trick that should protect them from this: as they dive beyond about 70 meters, lungs
and other tissues are compressed, removing nitrogen bubbles that could diffuse into the
bloodstream and cause such injuries while resurfacing. Still, the extreme depth of sperm
and beaked whale dives continues to suggest to some researchers that rapid ascents bear
further scrutiny.
Over the past two years, though, researchers have begun to look more closely at a series of
near-surface dives that beaked whales perform between their deep foraging forays. This
near-surface activity can last up to an hour between foraging dives, and includes both very
near-surface dives (to no more than 50m) and resting time at the surface, as well as
“bounce” dives down to 500m.
A Cuvier's beaked whale breaches off the coast of Italy.
Credit: Natacha Aguilar Soto/University of La Laguna, Spain with permit from the
Canary Islands Government.
While some have speculated that interrupting the recovery period near the surface might
cause the whales to dive deep while retaining more nitrogen than is healthy (see AEI Recent
Research lay summaries for 2006 [http://www.acousticecology.org/scienceresearch2006.html]) ,
more recent physiological modeling suggests that nitrogen buildup could occur during the
near-surface phase, especially if it is extended beyond the normal duration. [Walter, M.X.
Simmer, Peter L. Tyack. Repetitive shallow dives pose decompression risk in deep-diving beaked
whales. Marine Mammal Science, Volume 23 Issue 4 Page 888-925, October 2007.] One current
theory is that mid-frequency sonar transmission may be heard as a predator (there
is some similarity to orca hunting pulses), thus triggering a predator-response
pattern of dives that take them deep enough to avoid orcas and maximize
horizontal travel distance, but not deep enough to pressurize tissues and protect
them from DCS. This would be safe for short periods, such as might ensue when avoiding
orcas, but if extended for longer periods, due to continued presence of sonar transmissions,
nitrogen buildup could occur and cause DCS. The relatively long distances between deep-
water feeding areas where sonar exposure presumably begins and shorelines where beaked
whales beach also suggests the possibility that beaked whales fleeing a perceived predator
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 7
9. simply run out of room and end up ashore, especially if struggling with DCS injuries. (see
AEI Recent Research summaries for 2007 for more detail:
http://www.AcousticEcology.org/scienceresearch2007.html) This has led to the suggestion
that injury related to mid-frequency sonar exposure might be avoided by keeping sonar
transmission periods short enough to not cause nitrogen build up should the whales begin to
flee near the surface.
In an effort to better prepare “first responders” to assess possible noise-related physiological
injuries in stranded marine mammals (such as tissue lesions and ear damage), NOAA held a
workshop in late 2006 on New Techniques to Diagnose Possible Noise-Related
Standings. In 2007, the workshop participants produced two valuable documents and a
great reading list.
• A very cogent short narrative overview of the mechanisms by which noise may cause
physiological damage or behavioral responses that lead to tissue damage and
stranding:
https://reefshark.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/mm/sysadmin/nrsworkshop/terms.cfm
• A detailed final report that includes three protocols for use in responding to stranded
cetaceans, aimed at enhancing the ability to differentiate acoustic trauma from other
causes of death, including specific protocols for the removal and preservation of ear
tissues and diagnostic imaging of marine mammals.
https://reefshark.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/mm/sysadmin/nrsworkshop/docs/protocols.pd
f
• A reading list of downloadable documents, including key research reports on beaked
whale necropsies, gas-bubble lesions, and many other related topics:
https://reefshark.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/mm/sysadmin/nrsworkshop/background.cfm
New research this year related to sonar:
LFA sonar uses frequencies (100-500Hz) that many fish can detect, often the range of most
sensitive hearing. Trout (standing in for their close relatives the salmon) exposed to LFAS
sounds while in cages had some notable hearing loss (17-24db) that lasted for at least 48
hours, the end of the experiment (though researchers note a fair degree of variability, with
some study groups showing little hearing loss and such shifts varying widely at different
frequencies). The fish did not incur injuries as severe as those previously seen in similar
studies using sounds of pile-driving or seismic surveys, both of which caused seemingly
permanent injury to ear hair cells. [Popper, Halvorsen, Kane, Miller, Smith, Song, Stein, Wysocki.
The effects of high-intensity, low-frequency active sonar on rainbow trout. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 122 1 ,
July 2007. p. 623-635.]
First recordings were made of a new kind of beaked whale call, made near the surface and in
the same frequency ranges as mid-frequency sonars. These calls are lower in frequency than
the better-known beaked whale foraging echolocation clicks, having a tonal sweep not unlike
dolphin calls, and observed here between mother/calf pairs. This provides better
opportunities for identifying beaked whales in passive listening systems used in conjunction
with Naval operations, as well as confirming that beaked whales hear and use the same
frequencies used by MFA Sonar. [Rankin, Barlow. Sounds recorded in the presence of Blainville's
beaked whales, Mesoplodon densirostris, near Hawai'i. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 122 (1) , July 2007, p. 42-
45.]
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 8
10. LFAS expanded deployment
In August, the US Navy received the necessary permits to allow re-deployment of
low frequency active sonar on its ships in most of the world’s oceans. Since 2003,
LFAS deployment had been limited to a remote area of the West Pacific, in accordance with a
court-ordered settlement of a challenge to its previous Environmental Impact Statement.
This year, the Navy released a Supplemental EIS that aimed to address the shortcomings
cited by the court; still, a challenge to the new EIS and permits is possible by the same
plaintiffs (NRDC). Two US Navy ships are outfitted with LFAS now, with plans to expand that
to four by 2011. In practice, LFAS transmitters will be operating for roughly 36 hours
per month per vessel; these sounds are designed to locate quiet submarines at ranges of
several hundred miles, and can be audible for over a thousand miles from their source.
These low-frequency sounds are far below the range used by smaller whales and dolphins,
but may have some overlap with the sounds of large whales.
AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low-Frequency Sonar (ALFS) deployed from a
US Navy MH-60R multi-mission helicopter (US Navy photo)
Operating rules for LFAS will require sound levels to be less than 180dB (re 1 uPa(rms))
within 22km (12 nautical miles) of coastlines, and within 1km of several designated areas of
special biological importance. Interestingly, levels must be kept significantly lower (145dB)
within known recreational or commercial dive sites.
In addition, a safety zone around the ships will be monitored so that marine mammals at sea
are exposed to no more than 180dB. The Navy will use NMFS-approved visual observers,
passive listening devices, and active high-frequency “fish-finder” sonar to watch for nearby
whales.
Navy site detailing approved range and restrictions
http://www.surtass-lfa-eis.com/Measures/index.htm
Record of Decision approving expanded deployment
http://www.surtass-lfa-eis.com/docs/FSEIS_ROD__8-15-07.pdf
2007 Supplemental EIS, Executive Summary
http://www.surtass-lfa-eis.com/docs/SEISEXECSUM.pdf
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 9
11. Seismic Surveys
Evidence continues to mount that seismic surveys are audible over long distances,
increasing the concern that surveys may mask the faint calls of distant
communication or navigation calls of large whales.
Image: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Arrays of airguns are towed behind survey vessels as they explore for oil and gas
reservoirs, releasing coordinated bursts of pressurized air every 10-20 seconds;
hydrophones on cables up to 3km long record the echoes of these high-intensity
sounds as they bounce back from sub-seafloor geological formations. Most surveys
last for several weeks, with the survey vessel passing back and forth in a fairly
limited area of 100-500 square kilomteters. There are hundreds of oil and gas
surveys per year worldwide, along with a handful of academic surveys
Little public or advocacy attention was directed toward seismic surveys in 2007, but those
closer to the situation are certainly increasing their efforts to understand the scope of these
sounds and their impacts. Biologists are analyzing the data contained in various
autonomous recorders throughout the world, assessing them for the presence of airgun
noise. Meanwhile, an oil and gas industry-funded research program funded several
new studies during 2007, its first full year, with initial publications and reports due to be
released during 2008, including a review of existing data on sound produced by the industry,
and a report on a workshop held in 2007 on technology innovations that could reduce the
noise produced by oil exploration and production. (see Joint Industry Program Sound and Marine
Life website: http://www.soundandmarinelife.org)
Academic research using seismic surveys will pick up again this year, thanks to the
launch of the R/V Langseth, which replaces the R/V Ewing as Lamont-Doherty Earth
Observatory’s flagship vessel. LDEO, Columbia University’s highly-regarded earth science
program, provides the platform for a wide range of National Science Foundation-funded
geology research, and their field measurements of airgun sound propagation has contributed
to the recognition that safety zones must often be larger than previously considered
necessary, especially in shallow waters. During the last couple years of the Ewing’s
operational life, LDEO surveys became the target of significant public scrutiny, perhaps in
part because of the relatively greater opportunities for public input, compared to industrial
surveys. The Langseth’s first survey of 2008 will take place off both the Pacific and
Caribbean coasts of Panama in February and March.
(http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/fac/oma/langseth/index.html)
Industry exploration continues apace, as well, with roughly a hundred seismic
survey vessels plying coastlines worldwide. While West Africa, South America, the
North Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Indonesia remain hot spots for new exploration, public and
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 10
12. scientific concern has centered largely on the North Slope of Alaska and Australia. A survey
approved off Victoria, Australia this winter (summer locally) has raised local and scientific
concern that blue whales may avoid a key feeding ground due to the noise, and native and
environmental organizations in Alaska continue to challenge increasing exploration in the
Beaufort and Chuckchi Seas.
New Research on Airgun Noise
A new paper presented to the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee shared
data collected over large portions of the Southern Ocean between Australia and Antarctica,
which indicated that surveys taking place over 2500km away, off the coast of
Tasmania, were audible in the Southern Ocean. Another set of acoustic receivers off
eastern Antarctica regularly recorded repeated low-frequency pulses similar to seismic shots,
but final analysis to confirm that the source was airguns remains to be completed.
[SC/59/SH5. Gedamke, J., Gales, N., Hildebrand, J. and Wiggins, S. Seasonal occurrence of low
frequency whale vocalisations across eastern Antarctic and southern Australian waters, February 2004
to February 2007. 9pp.]
In addition, preliminary results from a study using data from 22 autonomous recorders
deployed in the Chuckchi Sea during the summer of 2006 suggest that airgun noise is often
audible along the northwest coast of Alaska, up to 120km offshore. This data compilation
project is ongoing and may be more formally published or presented this year.
Airguns firing Photo: Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association
A report from Scotland looked at a 1998 study of fin and sei whale distributions in two areas:
in the relatively quiet Faroe-Shetland Channel, the largest numbers of whales ever
seen there were counted, while west of the Hebrides, where seismic survey activity
was four times higher, no whales were observed. Changes in fin and sei whale
migration patterns, and changes in abundance of prey could not be ruled out as causes;
nevertheless, the authors expressed concern about increasing oil and gas development,
including seismic surveys, in areas important to cetaceans. [Macleod, K., M.P. Simmonds and E.
Murray. 2006. Abundance of fin (Balaenoptera physalus) and sei whales (B. borealis) amid oil and gas
exploration and development off northwest Scotland. J. Cetacean Res. Manage. 8(3): 247-254. Stone,
C.J and M.L. Tasker. 2006. The effects of seismic airguns on cetaceans in UK waters. J. Cetacean Res.
Manage. 8(3): 247-254.]
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 11
13. Odds and Ends of Special Interest
Recreational scuba divers may become a new force championing quiet seas
In the US, there are about a million active recreational divers, with several hundred
thousand more being certified each year (many do not become active divers). Advances in
air tank technology are creating much quieter equipment: Closed Circuit Rebreathers emit
virtually no bubbles near the divers’ head. This both reduces the noise impact of scuba
divers on fish (reducing the range at which their noise is audible by fish from over 200m to
less than 20m), but also allows divers to hear the underwater acoustic environment for the
first time. [presentation at NOAA vessel quieting symposium by Steven H. Sellers, President,
American Academy of Underwater Sciences, and Director of Diving and Underwater Safety, East
Carolina University]
Current population monitoring methods are unlikely to notice even precipitous
declines
An open secret among biologists is that we do not have a solid count of most marine
mammal species’ global or regional populations. More disturbing is that current population
survey techniques do not offer a very good chance of noticing population declines, even
precipitous declines (50% over 15 years, the official level at which a stock is considered
“depleted”). A new study used statistical analysis to determine that the percentage of
precipitous declines that would not be detected as declines by current survey techniques
and frequency was 72% for large whales, 90% for beaked whales, and 78% for
dolphins/porpoises. At the heart of the problem is that the current standard of statistical
certainty used to determine management criteria is set very high, so that while we miss
many stock declines, there is only a 5% chance that we might “over-protect” a stock (i.e.,
perceive a decline when none actually is occurring). That is, the standard is weighted to
assure that we do not over-react to phantom stock changes, leaving us in a
position of almost always under-responding to real stock declines. The researchers
suggest several practical approaches to rectifying this situation, including more diligent focus
on assessing the stocks of indicator species, designing techniques aimed at seeing trends
rather than absolute numbers, and, most significantly, loosening the decision-criteria so that
we equally over- and under-protect. This would allow us to correctly perceive 80% of stock
declines (failing to notice and respond to declines 20% of the time), while correctly
identifying 80% of healthy stocks (thus perhaps implementing unnecessary stock protection
policies 20% of the time). [Barbara L. Taylor, Melissa Martinez, Tim Gerrodette, Jay Barlow, Yvana
N. Hrovat. Lessons from monitoring trends in abundance of marine mammals. Marine Mammal Science,
23(1): 157–175 (January 2007)]
Habituation to noise may be overstated
An important paper presented to the IWC Scientific Committee in 2007 suggested that what
is generally termed “habituation” (wherein responses to a noise source decrease over time,
so that we assume that whole communities animals are “getting used to it” and going on
with their normal activities), is more often an observation of differences in tolerance between
individual animals in a population. That is, individuals with low tolerance leave or move
further away, while those with higher tolerance are observed remaining nearby, so that the
fact that many animals are not be able to tolerate the sound is generally missed. The
Scientific Committee “welcomed this new perspective, and further emphasized that the
absence of response does not necessarily mean an absence of impacts, i.e., there may be
unseen population level impacts due to stress.” [SC/59/WW2. Bejder, L., Samuels, A.,
Whitehead, A. and Allen, S. An ethological framework for defining habituation, sensitisation and
tolerance to anthropogenic stimuli. 12pp.]
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 12
14. Marine Conservation on Paper
A commentary by Giovanni Bearzi, Tethys Research Institute, Milano, Italy
Published in the journal Conservation Biology [Volume 21, No. 1, p.1–3]
email: bearzi@inwind.it
http://www.tethys.org/download/pdf/Bearzi_2007.pdf
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00635.x
(edits, emphasis added)
Sadly, conservation-oriented research and action plans and the call for more workshops,
meetings, studies, and reports risk adding up to nothing more than “conservation on paper.”
Scientists and conservationists spend much of their life frantically writing
documents and recommendations, but little or nothing happens in the real world. Is
paper, and then more paper, all that governments really want from us? When will the time
for action come? Are we allowing ourselves to be lost in the illusion of doing
conservation while in fact we are mostly just producing conservation tools that are
rarely used?
There is always a good reason to call for another report, a more detailed investigation, a new
meeting. These are fine initiatives, but only if they lead, eventually, to concrete steps that
improve the status of the animals. Unfortunately, this is a rare outcome. Even sanctuaries
and protected areas sometimes function as an excuse, as a way of allowing officials to say,
“Look, we just created a new protected area—what more do you want?” But the questions
we should all be asking are: Did the cetaceans living in the protected area get any benefits
from the new designation? Have conservation measures actually been implemented? Has the
environment improved? or Is this just one more paper park, a high-profile gesture that will
be used to justify another decade of studies, meetings, and inaction?
….
There will always be something left undone. Some evidence may be missing, and a declining
trend in a graph may be due to environmental shifts rather than human impact. In response,
one does what is needed, but finds—again—the case is not made. Perhaps this time the
human impact is clear, but the socioeconomic aspects were not considered or the needs of
all the stakeholders were not taken into account.
This seems to be the game today. We are charged with documenting the problem,
communicating it to the public and the institutions, proposing mitigation measures, and
approaching the right managers and institutions to convince them that they should do
something. But the bottom line is that few decision makers are willing to face the big
challenge of affecting people to protect the environment. ….
This is not to say that government people are all uncaring. Governments have many faces,
as do human societies. Some managers, particularly in environmental departments, are
highly committed and do care. Still, they must confront the much stronger powers of the
fishery, commerce, or defense departments because they are concerned primarily with
economic and political issues….
In addition to solid science and well-conceived action plans, what is desperately needed
to promote marine conservation is public pressure. Politicians and governments are
highly concerned with signals coming from their electorate. If the public were more
demanding and managed to raise their collective voice in calling for serious efforts on the
part of governments to preserve marine ecosystems and animal populations, regardless of
the social and economic costs, there would be a greater chance for the action plans to
be removed from the drawer and put back on the agenda.
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 13
15. What to Listen for in 2008
Active Sonars to Enter New Regulatory Phase
2008 could be the year that clarifies the future operating conditions for Naval active sonar. For the
past several years, Federal court challenges have forced the Navy to implement additional safety
measures to specific training operations in a piecemeal fashion. In response to such legal pressure,
centered on the claim that mid-frequency active sonar operations cause impacts significant enough to
require more comprehensive examination, in 2006 the Navy initiated a broad program to do
Environmental Impact Statements for all operations, including active sonar use, in long-established and
new Training Ranges in US waters.
With these first-ever EISs for mid-frequency sonar operations, the Navy is aiming to make
the scientific case for a set of operating procedures that will withstand legal challenge. The
first EIS to be released will be for the Hawaii Range Complex, due to be completed early in 2008. Draft
EISs will be released for 5 other ranges, with the possibility of finalizing some of those this year as
well.
Of course, there is a good chance that environmental watchdogs will press hard for the sorts of
additional safety measures that, so far, the Navy has considered unnecessary. The NRDC, the Navy's
most consistent challenger, has called for "common sense" measures that they claim will not impinge
the military's readiness bit will make a difference in whale safety, such as larger buffer zones, special
care (lower power or halts in training) in times of poor visibility or acoustically-enhanced ocean
conditions, and avoidance of areas with high concentrations of marine mammals, especially beaked
whales. In previous court challenges, the NRDC has either convinced judges to impose such measures
(as is currently occurring in California waters), or to demand the Navy and NRDC work out mutually
agreeable solutions in settlements (as occurred in Hawaii in 2006 and in relation to Low-Frequency
Active Sonar in 2003). Therefore, the Hawaii Range Complex final EIS, due out in early 2008,
will give a sense of how far the Navy will move in its formal proposals. Any challenges to that
EIS will surely shape the ones to follow. The Southern California Range Complex Draft EIS is the next
scheduled release, to be followed by Drafts of EISs for four Atlantic Coast Ranges. For more
information on the specific Ranges, see AEI's Special Report on Active Sonars:
http://www.AcousticEcology.org/sractivesonars.html
In addition, the newly expanded LFAS deployment may also be challenged; some observers do not
agree that the revised EIS on which current worldwide deployment is based has addressed the legal
issues that forced the Navy to constrain training missions to a small portion of the west Pacific from
2003-7.
Shipping
The US delegation to the International Maritime Organization is preparing to initiate discussion at the
IMO on the needs and potentials for ship quieting technologies.
This spring's International Whaling Commission meeting will include a workshop on whale watching on
May 30 and 31, which may initiate the first global assessment of the impacts of whale watching
operations on the targets of their attention.
Seismic Surveys
The main thing to keep an eye on here is further studies looking at long-range propagation of airgun
noise, or the sound-footprint in specific areas (i.e. how much of the time airguns are audible). These
sorts of papers tend to appear at the IWC Scientific Committee meeting, taking place this year in Chile
during June. IWC 2008 Meeting website: [http://iwcoffice.org/meetings/meeting2008.htm]
In addition, keep an eye on the Joint Industry Program research papers, which are due to begin rolling
out this year as well. See the seismic survey section of this report for more details.
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 14
16. Links for more detailed information
The Acoustic Ecology Institute is the only comprehensive national
clearinghouse for information on sound and the environment. We focus
largely on ocean noise and public lands management, and also have smaller
programs dedicated to education and the interface between science and sound
art. AEI’s website offers a wide spectrum of reliable information, including
links to advocates on all sides of key issues. Our online Special Reports are
designed to offer a solid “ten minute version” on key issues, with links to
source material and more in-depth information.
To receive occasional news updates (3 or 4 per year), contact
cummings@acousticecology.org
http://www.AcousticEcology.org/scienceresearch2007.html
Lay summaries of recent field research Studies from 2007 are summarized;
similar pages available for 2004-6.
http://www.AcousticEcology.org/news.html
AEI News Digest The latest updates on continuing issues, new research, and other
sound-related news; includes links to original press reports
http://www.AcousticEcology.org/ocean.html
AEI’s main Ocean Issues portal Links to government and NGO ocean noise
reports, ocean acoustics primer, and overviews of key issues
http://www.AcousticEcology.org/sractivesonars.html
AEI Special Report on naval active sonars Includes information on the
differences between systems, news updates, effects on wildlife, and links to
government and NGO resources.
http://www.AcousticEcology.org/sr_mmc.html
AEI Special Report on the Marine Mammal Commission’s Advisory Committee
on Acoustic Impacts on Marine Mammals Including a summary of themes stressed
by each “caucus group” in their final statements, and apparent sticking points blocking
consensus.
http://www.AcousticEcology.org/specialreports.html
AEI Special Reports index Links to Special Reports on all topics, including
snowmobile and OHV management, noise effects of coalbed methane development, and
ocean topics, including annual summaries of IWC science reports regarding noise.
http://www.AcousticEcology.org/
AEI’s Home Page Coverage of ocean, wildlands, urban issues, as well as recent
science and comprehensive resource links (research programs, advocacy organizations,
government agencies).
Acoustic Ecology Institute: Ocean Noise 2007 Page 15