SEA Blog

BRS Presentations from 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Available

There were six formal presentations of results from the Behavioral Response Study (BRS) conducted in the Bahamas in 2007-08 given at the recent conference of the Society of Marine Mammalogy.  These included an overview of the combined methodologies and results, simultaneous biological and oceanographic measurements, detailed movement analysis of whale responses, analyses of vocal repertoires of pilot whales prior to and following sound exposures, and responses of other target cetaceans to sound exposure. 

The .pdf versions of these presentations and much more related information is available on the "Our Science" page of the SEA website http://www.sea-inc.net/science/  Related links to the partnering organizations may also be found there.  Keep an eye out for forthcoming scientific publications arising from the large amount of collective research efforts from our international BRS team.

Workshop on Acoustic Mitigation and Monitoring Systems for Marine Mammals

Last week, I attended the Workshop on the Status and Application of Mitigation and Monitoring Systems for Marine Mammals in Boston, Massachusetts.  This meeting was sponsored by the U.S. Minerals Management service and was a fascinating mix of scientists, engineers, industry operators, government managers, and environmentalists.  The meeting focused on the current and evolving technologies in detecting marine mammals around offshore industrial developments, and what to do with that information in minimizing impacts and improving our knowledge base about their distribution and responses.

Subject areas focused on the status and direction of remote listening ("passive") technologies, including both "fixed" (i.e., mounted in the ocean somewhere) and "towed" (i.e., pulled behind something) listening systems.  There was also discussion of the considerable technology development and capabilities of "active" systems that project sound into the environment to detect animals that may not be vocalizing (and thus not detectable with passive sensors).  Additionally, the rapidly evolving field of acoustic signal processing was discussed in detail, including some very promising developments in recognition and data archiving.  The meeting was a very interactive and engaging afair, somewhat uniquely so for a crowd of about 200 people.  It concluded with a round-table forum on the outcomes and directions of this exciting field.  There was a general consensus at the conclusion that there is sufficient interest in and rapid evolution of the technologies and application of acoustic systems in monitoring and mitigation of marine mammals that subsequent, similar meetings will likely occur.

Presentations from the meeting and other information (including the meeting report eventually) will be available at the meeting website, which is: www.acousticmonitoring.org

B. Southall chairs planning meeting for SOCAL BRS project

Earlier this week, I chaired a team planning meeting for a behavioral response study (BRS) planned for next fall in southern California.  This project (notionally referred to as SOCAl-10) is an extension of BRS efforts in the Bahamas and Mediterranean (see: http://www.sea-inc.net/science/#brs) integrated into several ongoing marine mammal monitoring and research efforts with partners already working in these biologically-important areas.

The meeting was hosted by the National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center in LaJolla, CA and was attended by members of the interdisciplinary teams that will be involved in the project.  Additional information regarding the project will be available as the planning progresses, but details of what has been proposed for a federal research permit can be found by going to https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov and selecting file #14534 from the list of available applications.

Minerals Management Service to Host Workshop on Acoustic Mitigation and Monitoring

The U.S. Minerals Management Service is hosting what promises to be an exciting and important workshop in Boston, Massachusetts from 17-19 November.  This workshop will consider current and evolving tools, technologies, and scientific questions regarding how to use sounds (both by just listening and by directing signals) to learn more about the marine environment and animals in it that may be affected by offshore industrial activity.  Dr. Southall has been involved in the steering committee for this meeting and will be in attendance and on several panels during the meeting. 

A workshop invitation is included here; please note the website and contact information for further information.

Workshop on the Status and Applications of Acoustic Mitigation and Monitoring Systems for Marine Mammals

November 17-19, 2009

Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers

50 Park Plaza at Arlington Street
Boston, MA 02116

 

The Minerals Management Service of the US Department of Interior is sponsoring a three-day workshop on the Status and Applications for Acoustic Monitoring of Marine Mammals.  The workshop will focus on the capabilities, applicability, feasibility and availability of current acoustic monitoring systems.

 

A thorough examination of hardware and software available, the capabilities and limitations of the systems, the requirements for operation and use, and the current and future applications to offshore industries will allow MMS and other regulatory agencies to determine the usefulness and appropriateness of passive and active acoustic monitoring for a variety of mitigation and monitoring situations. 

 

To register, see the draft agenda, book a hotel room and find a link to background documents, please go to: www.acousticmonitoring.org

 

For additional information, please contact Forsyth Kineon, RESOLVE ([email protected] or 202.965.6216). 

B. Southall to give BRS overview presentation at Naval Postgraduate School

I will be giving an invited presentation to the Oceanography Department at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California later this week.  The announcement and presentation abstract is given below.  Please email me [email protected] if you have any questions about this presentation.  If you are interested in attending, please note the advance notice for the security gate required, as noted in the introduction.

Seminar Announcement

Oceanography Department

Naval Postgraduate School

 

SPEAKER: Dr. Brandon Southall

AFFILIATIONS: Southall Environmental Associates, Inc. and University of California, Santa Cruz

TITLE: Behavioral Response Studies: Studying Reactions of Marine Mammals (including beaked whales) to Anthropogenic Sounds (including military sonar)

DATE: Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009

TIME: 12:00 PM

PLACE: Spanagel 316

 

ABSTRACT

Beaked whales have mass stranded during a few military exercises involving the transmission of active, mid-frequency tactical sonar, but the cause is unknown. A series of inter-disciplinary experiments ("BRS07-08") was conducted during 2007 & 2008 on a specialized acoustic range [including 80+ elements on the U.S. Navy's AUTEC range capable of recording up to ~48 kHz covering ~600 sq. miles] in the Tongue of the Ocean, Bahamas to provide empirical measurements of the behavioral responses of beaked whales and other odontocete cetaceans to simulated mid-frequency military sonar signals and other sounds (including killer whale (Orcinus orca) and pseudo-random noise signals). A total of nine playback sequences (including measurements during "control" and "exposure" intervals) were conducted on four species of odontocete cetacean [Blainville's beaked whale, Mesoplodon densirostris (n=2); Melon-headed whale, Peponocephala electra (n=1); short-finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus (n=4); false killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens (n=2)]. The beaked whale results demonstrated statistically significant changes in most dive variables measured following both MFA and control exposures, but no difference in those measured before playbacks Responses were similar irrespective of the sound played and there was evidence of directed swimming away from the sound source location following controlled exposures. Other species tested appeared less sensitive to MFA and control sounds than beaked whales. A follow-on study ("MED-09") was conducted in several areas of the western Mediterranean Sea in 2009, based on the NATO research vessel Alliance, to address similar questions but with the main species in which strandings have occurred around military sonar exercises (Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris) and in areas with less frequent military sonar use than the Bahamas study site. While there were significant accomplishments from MED-09 that will be discussed, we were unable to conduct exposure studies with beaked whales during this project. Our combined results demonstrate that useful scientific information can be obtained safely through controlled exposure experiments on beaked whales and other species without causing maladaptive responses. However, small sample sizes mean that additional studies, including directed playback studies integrated with opportunistic studies around real operations, are required to confirm the generality of these results. Related studies planned for the U.S. Navy's SCORE range in southern California beginning in 2010 will also be discussed.

NOTE: Gate access requires 48 hour notice. Please notify the oceanography office (656-2553) if you need to be placed on the gate access list.