The Effects of Behavioral Change in Response to Acoustic Disturbance on the Health of the Population of Blainville's Beaked Whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) in the Tongue of the Ocean

Abstract

The primary objective of this research is to: Develop a predictive model for population health of Blainville s beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris, Md) in the Tongue Of The Ocean (TOTO), Bahamas, using data from passive acoustic monitoring collected around and during active sonar operations. MFA sonar operations occur repeatedly on Navy ranges that are known to contain populations of Blainville s (Mesoplodon densirostris, Md) and Cuvier s (Ziphius cavirostris, Zc) beaked whales. Strandings of these species have been associated with the use of Navy sonar [1], [2]. A population of Md is known to use the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) range in the Tongue Of The Ocean (TOTO), Bahamas [3], and a population of Zc has been documented on the Southern California Offshore Range (SCORE) off San Clemente Island in California [4]. Developing a methodology for monitoring the long-term health of populations such as these, that are repeatedly exposed to sonar, is important for the continued operational integrity of these ranges.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2014
Accession Number
ADA616551

Entities

People

  • David J. Moretti
  • Diane Claridge
  • John Harwood
  • Len Thomas

Organizations

  • Naval Undersea Warfare Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Sensors
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustic Detection
  • Acoustics
  • Active Sonar
  • Animals
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Cetaceans
  • Data Analysis
  • Detection
  • Hydrophones
  • Mammals
  • Marine Mammals
  • Oceans
  • Odontocetes
  • Sonar
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Tongue Of The Ocean
  • Transfer Functions

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Marine Mammal Biology