Ocean Noise and Marine Mammals (2003) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-11
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The conventional assumption is that this trend has continued in recent times as well, but there is only limited scientific evidence to support this hypothesis. Many factors have combined to escalate the awareness of and concern for noise impacts on marine mammals and on their habitat, supporting communication systems, and behavior.
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When examining the possible effects of ocean noise on marine mammals noise from specific sources is also important; therefore, the term "ocean noise" will be used in this report to refer to all types of noise sources.
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Although evidence on long-term trends in ocean noise characteristics is very limited and there is even less evidence on the effects of ocean noise on marine life, present data are sufficient to warrant increased research and attention to trends in ocean noise. There are very limited observations concerning the effects of ocean noise on marine mammals.
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From page 6... ...
Models of marine mammal habitats and distribution patterns, as well as effects models linking dosage and response, are severely limited by a paucity of data. To provide a product that is useful for understanding and managing interactions between marine mammals and noise, existing databases must be expanded, updated, and coordinated to allow the integration of both marine mammal and ocean noise models.
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RECOMMENDATIONS A federal agency should be mandated to investigate and monitor marine noise and the possible long-term effects on marine life by serving as a sponsor for research on ocean noise, the effects of noise on marine mammals, and long-term trends in ocean noise. Federal leadership is needed to (1)
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From page 8... ...
Experiments that expose marine mammals to variations in these characteristics should be conducted in order to determine the physiological and behavioral responses to different characteristics. Particular attention should be paid to the sources that are likely to be the large contributors to ocean noise in especially significant geographical areas and to sources suspected of having significant impacts on marine life.
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From page 9... ...
Research should be conducted to determine subtle changes in marine mammal behavior, as well as failure to detect calls from other animals or echoes from their own echolocation, that might result from masking of biologically important acoustic information by anthropogenic sounds. Short-term responses of marine mammals to anthropogenic noise sources have been documented to a limited degree; however, long-term effects of marine noise on the behavior of marine mammals have received less attention.
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From page 10... ...
As cohabitants of the marine ecosystem and as members of the same food web, noise impacts on marine fish could, in turn, affect marine mammals. Modeling efforts that integrate acoustic sources, propagation, and marine mammals should be continued and fully supported.
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From page 11... ...
The committee encourages the acoustical oceanography community, marine mammal biologists, marine bioacousticians, and other users of sound in the ocean, such as the military and oil industry, to make greater efforts to raise public awareness of fundamental acoustic concepts in marine biology and ocean science so that they are better able to understand the problems, the need for research, and the considerable potential for solving noise problems. The public, including environmental advocates, are very interested in anthropogenic noise in the ocean and its effect on marine animals.
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