Population Consequences of Acoustic Disturbance of Blainville's Beaked Whales at AUTEC

Abstract

Atypical strandings and behavioral responses of beaked whales have been associated with the use of Navy mid-frequency active (MFA) sonar (e.g. Simmonds and Lopez-Juraco 1991, Evans and England 2001, McCarthy et al. 2011, Tyack et al. 2011). Yet MFA sonar operations occur repeatedly on Navy ranges that are known beaked whale habitat. The Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation (BMMRO) has been studying beaked whales in the northern Bahamas (Claridge 2006, 2013), including a population of Blainville s beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) found at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) range. These data are providing critical information on abundance, survival, and reproductive rates which are being used to model the population consequences of acoustic disturbances at AUTEC. The long-term goal of this project is to develop a methodology for monitoring the long-term health of populations that are repeatedly exposed to sonar. This work is important for the continued operational integrity of Navy ranges.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2013
Accession Number
ADA598386

Entities

People

  • Charlotte A. Dunn
  • Diane E. Claridge

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustic Detection
  • Active Sonar
  • Cetaceans
  • Data Sets
  • Department Of Defense
  • Detection
  • Diving
  • Ecology
  • Identification
  • Mammals
  • Marine Mammals
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Navy
  • Odontocetes
  • Sonar
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Undersea Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Marine Mammal Biology