Quantifying Effects of Mid-Frequency Sonar Transmissions on Fish and Whale

Abstract

There are two high-level goals: to understand and quantify effects of mid-frequency (MF) sonar on fish and whale behavior through direct observation, and to investigate the potential usefulness of MF sonar in acoustic measurements of fish, including stock assessments. The initial objectives are to prove the usefulness of the Kongsberg TOPAS PS18 sub-bottom profiling parametric sonar for observing fish in the water column, and to establish protocols for calibrating the difference-frequency band of this sonar. The TOPAS parametric sonar will then be used as a mid-frequency (MF) sound source, with the aim of collecting data on herring in situ in the Norwegian Sea and ex situ in pens at the Austevoll Aquaculture Research Station. The data will be analyzed to determine possible behavioral responses of herring to MF sonar transmissions. Ultimately it is the aim to integrate acoustic data on herring with independently collected tagging data from whales to quantify behavioral effects of MF sonar.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2010
Accession Number
ADA541699

Entities

People

  • Kenneth G. Foote

Organizations

  • Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustic Measurement
  • Acoustic Properties
  • Acoustics
  • Aluminum Alloys
  • Calibration
  • Data Analysis
  • Difference Frequency
  • Education
  • Fish
  • Frequency
  • Frequency Bands
  • Measurement
  • Norwegian Sea
  • Probability Density Functions
  • Sonar
  • Sound Pressure
  • Standards

Readers

  • Acoustical Oceanography.
  • Aquatic Ecology
  • Marine Mammal Biology