3S2 - Behavioral Response Studies of Cetaceans to Navy Sonar Signals in Norwegian Waters
Abstract
One primary goal of this international cooperative research program is to investigate behavioral reactions and the sound exposures required to elicit them of three species of whales: bottlenose whales, minke whales, and humpback whales to Naval Active Sonar signals in the 1-10 kHz range. The results will be interpreted to generate dose-response functions, in order to help establish safety limits for sonar operations for these species. Another primary goal of the program is to experimentally assess the effectiveness of "ramp-up," a common mitigation protocol in which source levels are gradually increased prior to the onset of full-level transmissions. Ramp-up is designed to give nearby animals some time to move away before sonar transmissions reach maximum levels. However, it is unknown whether or not this protocol is actually effective for animals in their natural environment. We have developed and implemented an experimental design to test whether the ramp-up procedure is an effective protocol to reduce risk of harm from sonar activities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA573921
Entities
People
- Peter Tyack
Organizations
- University of St Andrews