Ocean Noise and Marine Mammals (2003) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix D: Research Recommendations from Previous NRC Reports
Appendix D: Research Recommendations from Previous NRC Reports
Pages 163-172
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From page 163... ...
Although we do have some knowledge about the behavior and reactions of certain marine mammals in response to sound, as well as about the hearing capabilities of a few species, the data are extremely limited and cannot constitute the basis for informed prediction or evaluation of the effects of intense low-frequency sounds on any marine species. Changes in the Proposed Regulatory Structure It is the committee's judgment that the regulatory system governing marine mammal "taking" by research actively discourages and delays the acquisition of scientific knowledge that would benefit conservation of marine mammals, their food sources, and their ecosystems.
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From page 164... ...
To develop means of using in-place acoustic monitoring devices to study marine mammal movement and behavior on an ocean basin scale and of following individuals or groups of animals for extended periods and distances. To develop procedures for rapid determinations of hearing capabilities
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From page 165... ...
Because studies of ocean acoustics and marine mammal behavior are very challenging, successful experiments will require a closer collaboration between biologists and acousticians than has been the case in the past for many field studies. Success will also require continued refinement of techniques for making acoustic and visual observations, such as methods for locating vocalizing marine mammals and development of tags that can monitor received levels at the tagged animal.
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From page 166... ...
Any research that includes relatively loud sound sources should monitor sound levels around the source site to gather data to calibrate their acoustic propagation models. Acoustic studies focused on topics other than marine mammals should try to keep sound sources away from marine mammal "hotshots," even if this complicates logistics, increases costs, and/or decreases the efficiency of the experiments.
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From page 167... ...
Multiagency Research Support Recommendations: If government funding shortages and priorities continue to constrain budgets for marine mammal research in the foreseeable future, management of sound in the ocean should remain conservative (and should incorporate management of all sources of human-generated noise in the sea, including industrial sources) , in the absence of required knowledge.
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From page 168... ...
The design and implementation of auditory research on marine mammals ideally should be an interdisciplinary enterprise. Valuable contributions can be made by physical acousticians on the choice of sound stimuli to be used, by electronics experts on the choice and calibration of transducers for presenting the stimuli, by marine biologists on the choice of species and/or the best season and location for testing, by psychoacousticians on the testing procedures, and by statisticians on initial design and eventual data analysis and presentation.
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From page 169... ...
Although publication in peer-reviewed journals is the standard by which most research is judged, applied research output from projects like the Marine Mammals Research Project (MMRP) is not necessarily suitable for publication in available academic journals and the results may need to be used for regulatory decisions within a shorter amount of time than the normal journal paper cycle.
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From page 170... ...
National Captive Marine Mammal Research Facility Recommendations: If the studies described in Chapter 3 and Box 5.1 (NRC, 2000) are of sufficient priority to reduce uncertainties in the regulation of human-generated sound in the ocean, federal agencies should establish a national facility for the study of marine mammal hearing and behavior.
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From page 171... ...
Regulatory Reform Recommendations: Congress should change the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and/or NOAA should change the implementing legislation of the MMPA to allow incidental take authorization based solely on negligible impact on the population.
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From page 172... ...
than those that are less at risk. Basic research regarding what is significant about critical habitats and what factors have population-level effects for example, food supply, water quality, and noise levels and characteristicswill prove much more effective for protecting marine mammals than merely attempting to regulate individual human activities that may potentially cause changes in the behavior of an individual marine mammal.
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