Abstract
Public concern about the effects of underwater noise on marine mammals has steadily increased over the past few decades. Research programs have been developed around the globe to investigate noise impacts. Government departments in many countries regulate underwater noise emission. Industries, in particular the oil and gas industry, undertake environmental impact assessments of underwater noise expected from planned marine activities and submit these to regulatory agencies as part of a permit application process. Lawsuits have been brought against the Navy in an attempt to protect marine mammals from sonar testing. The number and diversity of stakeholders in the management of noise and marine animals is great. Marine Mammals and Noise (Richardson et al. 1995) was the first book to review and synthesize research on the noise effects on marine mammals. In the 15 years since then, a handful of review projects have been undertaken, with focus on specific aspects (e.g., Committee on Characterizing Biologically Significant Marine Mammal Behavior 2005; Committee on Potential Impacts of Ambient Noise in the Ocean on Marine Mammals 2003; National Research Council 2000; Nowacek et al. 2007; Southall et al. 2007).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Committee on Characterizing Biologically Significant Marine Mammal Behavior (2005) Marine mammal populations and ocean noise: Determining when noise causes biologically significant effects. National Academies Press, Washington, DC.
Committee on Potential Impacts of Ambient Noise in the Ocean on Marine Mammals (2003) Ocean noise and marine mammals. National Academies Press, Washington, DC.
Cosens SE, Dueck LP (1988) Responses of migrating narwhal and beluga to icebreaker traffic at the Admiralty Inlet ice-edge, N.W.T. in 1986. In: Sackinger WM, Jeffries MO (eds) Port and ocean engineering under arctic conditions. Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, pp 39–54.
Erbe C (2000) Detection of whale calls in noise: Performance comparison between a beluga whale, human listeners and a neural network. J Acoust Soc Am 108:297–303.
Erbe C (2002) Underwater noise of whale-watching boats and potential effects on killer whales (Orcinus orca), based on an acoustic impact model. Mar Mamm Sci 18:394–418.
Erbe C (2008) Critical ratios of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) and masked signal duration. J Acoust Soc Am 124:2216–2223.
Erbe C (2009) Underwater noise from pile driving in Moreton Bay, QLD. Acoust Aust 37:87–92.
Erbe C (2010) Underwater acoustics: Noise and the effects on marine mammals, 3rd edn. Pocketbook, printed by JASCO Applied Sciences, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Erbe C, Farmer DM (1998) Masked hearing thresholds of a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) in icebreaker noise. Deep Sea Res II Top Stud Oceanogr 45:1373–1388.
Erbe C, Farmer DM (2000) Zones of impact around icebreakers affecting beluga whales in the Beaufort Sea. J Acoust Soc Am 108:1332–1340.
Erbe C, King AR (2009) Modeling cumulative sound exposure around marine seismic surveys. J Acoust Soc Am 125:2443–2451.
Erbe C, King AR, Yedlin M, Farmer DM (1999) Computer models for masked hearing experiments with beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas). J Acoust Soc Am 105:2967–2978.
Finley KJ, Miller GW, Davis RA, Greene CR (1990) Reactions of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) and narwhals (Monodon monoceros) to ice-breaking ships in the Canadian High Arctic. Can Bull Fish Aquat Sci 224:97–117.
Lucke K, Siebert U, Lepper PA, Blanchet MA (2009) Temporary shift in masked hearing thresholds in a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) after exposure to seismic airgun stimuli. J Acoust Soc Am 125:4060–4070.
National Research Council (2000) Marine mammals and low-frequency sound. National Academies Press, Washington, DC.
Nowacek DP, Thorne LH, Johnston DW, Tyack PL (2007) Responses of cetaceans to anthropogenic noise. Mamm Rev 37:81–115.
Richardson WJ, Greene CR Jr, Malme CI, Thomson DH (1995) Marine mammals and noise. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.
Ross D (1976) Mechanics of underwater noise. Pergamon Press, New York.
Scrimger P, Heitmeyer RM (1991) Acoustic source-level measurements for a variety of merchant ships. J Acoust Soc Am 89:691–699.
Southall BL, Bowles AE, Ellison WT, Finneran JJ, Gentry RL, Greene CR, Kastak D, Ketten DR, Miller JH, Nachtigall PE, Richardson WJ, Thomas JA, Tyack PL (2007) Marine mammal noise exposure criteria: Initial scientific recommendations. Aquat Mamm 33:412–522.
US Department of the Navy (2009) Atlantic fleet active sonar training environmental impact statement/overseas environmental impact statement. Available via http://afasteis.gcsaic.com/docs.aspx. Accessed 5 April 2010.
Wright AJ, Deak T, Parsons ECM (2009) Size matters: Management of stress responses and chronic stress in beaked whales and other marine mammals may require larger exclusion zones. Mar Pollut Bull 31 December 2009. Available via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.11.024:1879-3363.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this paper
Cite this paper
Erbe, C. (2012). Effects of Underwater Noise on Marine Mammals. In: Popper, A.N., Hawkins, A. (eds) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 730. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7311-5_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7311-5_3
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-7310-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-7311-5
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)