Marine Mammal Research
Abstract
The Navy has been and will continue to be subject to litigation with regard to the potential injuring, killing or biologically significant disturbance of marine animals by the use of intense underwater sound. Since Fleet operation and training areas coincide with known or probable habitats, migration routes, or breeding areas of marine mammals and other protected marine species, the possibility exists that such incidents are likely to continue in the future. The increasing public interest and pressure has resulted in escalating Fleet costs. For example, Fleet and SYSCOM development activities have been interrupted; modified, or altogether cancelled and environmental regulations have, among other things, required new ship construction shock trials to obtain Federal permits and conduct extensive environmental planning that can take several years to complete. The incorporation of mitigation measures in Fleet training operations to minimize the potential adverse effects on protected marine animals can significantly reduce the realism of these operations. In addition, the testing, evaluation, and deployment of new sonar detection and monitoring systems that use active acoustics are under intense public scrutiny for their potential adverse effects on whales and other marine mammals. Navy needs scientific evidence to substantiate its claims of limited or inconsequential adverse effects to marine life from operations. This project primarily focuses on the development of planning, monitoring, and mitigating tools to aid the Fleet in minimizing contact with and the potential harassment of protected marine animals during operations, exercises, training, and undersea surveillance and weapons testing. These new capabilities will encompass historical and newly acquired data and analytical models that together can predict marine animal habitats (where they are likely to be), and their natural and expected behavior (diving patterns, prey localization, calling activity, etc.). This project consists of three major areas that will help ensure Navy compliance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA). These areas are (1) Marine Ecology and Population Dynamics determine the likelihood of the presence of marine mammals or other pretected species during observed and forecast oceanographic conditions by developing habitat and ecological models. Refine marine animal survey techniques to optimize the accuracy of abundance estimates in small ocean regions of Navy interest. (2) Criteria, Thresholds, and Mitigation - Establish criteria and thresholds from which to measure potential impact on marine mammals and other marine species from Navy training operations. Determine the effectiveness and usefulness of various mitigation measures in relation to the potential impact of Navy operations on marine mammals; and (3) Passive Acoustic Monitoring - Conduct Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Marine Mammals, particularly on Navy undersea ranges. Several feasibility demonstrations reveal the potential of passive acoustic monitoring as a unique form of mitigation and a special tool to obtain critical information about normal marine mammal behavior. Any impact of Navy operations on marine mammals, particularly behavior modification, will be derived after normal variations in marine mammal behavior resulting from natural factors are determined. Several remaining unknowns must be addressed before passive acoustic monitoring techniques are developed as an institutionalized system available to the Fleet. Accurate and timely monitoring and predicting the movement of whales and other protected marine animals plus an enhanced knowledge of how marine animals may react to Fleet activities (e.g., physiological and behavioral effects) will reduce Navy interaction with these animals; minimize the risk that legally-imposed monitoring and avoidance measures will adversely affect Fleet operations and exercises; minimize the substantial costs associated with operations, exercises, and tests that have to be modified or curtailed as a result of concerns about protected marine animals; and will reduce the likelihood of litigation related to actual or anticipated compliance problems with protected animals.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2014
- Source ID
- 9204_0603721N_4_1319_PB_2014
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