NOAA Programs on Marine Mammals and Noise

Roger L. Gentry, Ph. D

NMFS Office of Protected Resources

Silver Spring, MD

• A “federal agency” should: – Collect and centralize existing data on

ocean noise – Establish a long-term noise monitoring

program (for trend)– Sponsor research on marine noise and

long-term effects of noise on marine mammals

Recommendations from recent NRC Panel on Ocean Noise

Noise Standards: Types of Sound

• Single short sounds (including explosions)

• Multiple short sounds (sonar, airguns)

• Single long sounds (shipping)

• Multiple long sounds (ATOC-like)

Noise Standards: Hearing groups(126 species)

• Pinnipeds (seals) in air

• Pinnipeds under water

• Low frequency cetaceans (large whales)

• High frequency cetaceans (harbor porpoise)

• Mid frequency cetaceans (all other species)

• Turtles, polar bears, sea otters, and manatees not included

Information Available on Hearing and Noise Effects (for 130 species)

• Normal hearing, 22 species

• Slight hearing impairment, 6 species

• Tissue injury (on cadavers), 2 species

• Behavioral reaction, 12 species

• No information on large whales except behavioral reaction

Noise Standards: Information Need

• Four noise types paired against five hearing groups in matrix format = 20 cells

• each cell defines “take” by level A (injury) and level B harassment (behavioral disturbance)

• Total = 40 definitions of “take” provided

• No definition is fully supported by science

The Costs of information Gaps in Hearing and Noise Effects

• Frequent hill briefings and hearings• Law suits

– LWAD (littoral antisubmarine experiment)– SURTASS LFA– NSF airgun array (geology and ocean drilling)– Tyack high frequency sonar

• Added requests for MMPA authorizations (larger NMFS staff needed)

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Airgun noise in the mid-Atlantic Ocean

1999 2000 2001 1999 2000 2001

Figure: Sharon L. Nieukirk and Christopher G. Fox

Annual Federal Budget for Noise Effects (e) and Measurements (m)

• Navy/ONR (e) ……...……....…….…......$8 m

• Oil industry (e)…………...………......…$2 m

• NSF (e) …….…...………...……..….....$1 m

• MMC (e) .……...…………………...…...$1 m

• MMS (e)……...…………..…………....$0.5 m • NOAA (e) ..……………..……..…..…....$0.2 m

• (m)…………..…………………...…$0.0 m• purchase multibeam sonar ……....…$3 m

Web Sites and Documents About NOAA Acoustics Programs

• Available at ww.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot_res/ – Interim Report Bahamas Marine Mammal Stranding of

14-16 March 2000.

– Report of the Workshop on Acoustic Resonance as a Source of Tissue Trauma in Cetaceans.

– Whale Conservation Setback (rebuttal to the Tyack high frequency sonar decision)

• OAR Acoustics Program

– ww.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/acoustics

Blast or Acoustic Sources NMFS Processes:1 (S = Stopped, D = deaths)

• Ship shock trial (explosion) S

• Construction explosion

• Explosive rig removal S,D

• Ship sinking exercise S

• SUS explosive sonobuoy

• Mine or UXO disposal S

• Fireworks displays

Blast or Acoustic Sources: 2

• Rocket launch

• Sonic boom

• Artillery shelling (5 inch) S

• Gunnery (small caliber)

• Oil/gas exploration airgun arrays S

• Geological research, airgun arrays S,D?

• Pulsed power (plasma discharge) S

Blast or Acoustic Sources:3

• Pile driving S• Acoustic harassment devices S• Low frequency sonar SURTASS LFA S• Mid frequency sonar D• High frequency (mitigation) sonar S• Shallow water submarine experiment S • High frequency propagation experiment S

Blast or Acoustic Sources:4

• Oceanographic research, ATOC S

• Acoustic modem

• Jet skis S

• Ice breaking (Arctic)

• Boat races

• Note the absence of commercial shipping, the largest source of human noise