Modeling the aggregated exposure and responses of bowhead whales Balaena mysticetus to multiple sources of anthropogenic underwater sound

Endangered species research

Robert Suydam^13²  Christopher W. Clark^3³  Melania Guerra^3,17⁴  Matthias Leu^11⁵  Len Thomas^15⁶  Joel Berger^8,9,16⁷  Roberto Racca^2⁸  Erica Fleishman^6⁹  Bill Streever^4^1,10  Adam S. Frankel^5^1,11  William T. Ellison^1^1,12  Robyn Angliss^7^1,13  Megan McKenna^12^1,14  Darlene Ketten^10^1,15  Todd Sformo^13^1,16  Brandon Southall^14^1,17 

[1] Applied Physics Lab, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40^17;Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modeling and School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St. Andrews, The Observatory, St. Andrews KY16 9LZ, UK ^15;Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850, USA ^3;Curtin University, Kent St., Bentley, WA 6102, Australia ^10;Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, 540 Landrum Dr., Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA ^11;Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, 1474 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA ^16;Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 598011, USA ^8;JASCO Applied Sciences, Suite 2305, 4464 Markham St., Victoria, BC V8Z 7X8, Canada ^2;John Muir Institute of the Environment, The Barn, One Shields Ave., University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA ^6;LAMA Ecological, 4311 Edinburgh Drive, Anchorage, AK 99502, USA ^4;Marine Acoustics, Inc., 4350 Fairfax Drive, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22203, USA ^5;Marine Acoustics, Inc., PO Box 6698, Portsmouth, NH 03802, USA ^1;National Marine Mammal Laboratory, AFSC / NMFS / NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98103, USA ^7;National Park Service, Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA ^12;North American Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bozeman, MT 59715, USA ^9;North Slope Borough, Box 69, Barrow, AK 99723, USA ^13;Southall Environmental Associates, Inc., 9099 Soquel Drive, Suite 8, Aptos, CA 95003, USA ^14

关键词: Arctic;    Cumulative effects;    Harassment;    Incidental take;    Marine mammals;    Negligible impact;   

DOI  :  10.3354/esr00727

学科分类：动物科学

来源: Inter-Research

【 摘 要 】

Potential responses of marine mammals to anthropogenic underwater sound are usually assessed by researchers and regulators on the basis of exposure to a single, relatively loud sound source. However, marine mammals typically receive sounds from multiple, dynamic sources. We developed a method to aggregate modeled sounds from multiple sources and estimate the sound levels received by individuals. To illustrate the method, we modeled the sound fields of 9 sources associated with oil development and estimated the sound received over 47 d by a population of 10000 simulated bowhead whales Balaena mysticetus on their annual migration through the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. Empirical data were sufficient to parameterize simulations of the distribution of individual whales over time and their range of movement patterns. We ran 2 simulations to estimate the sound exposure history and distances traveled by bowhead whales: one in which they could change their movement paths (avert) in response to set levels of sound and one in which they could not avert. When animals could not avert, about 2% of the simulated population was exposed to root mean square (rms) sound pressure levels (SPL) ≥180 dB re 1 µPa, a level that regulators in the U.S. often associate with injury. When animals could avert from sound levels that regulators often associate with behavioral disturbance (rms SPL >160 dB re 1 µPa), <1% of the simulated population was exposed to levels associated with injury. Nevertheless, many simulated bowhead whales received sound levels considerably above ambient throughout their migration. Our method enables estimates of the aggregated level of sound to which populations are exposed over extensive areas and time periods.

【 授权许可】

Unknown