Characterization of impact pile driving signals during installation of offshore wind turbine foundations.

Impact pile driving creates intense, impulsive sound that radiates into the surrounding environment. Piles driven vertically into the seabed generate an azimuthally symmetric underwater sound field whereas piles driven on an angle will generate an azimuthally dependent sound field. Measurements were made during pile driving of raked piles to secure jacket foundation structures to the seabed in waters off the northeastern coast of the U.S. at ranges between 500 m and 15 km. These measurements were analyzed to investigate variations in rise time, decay time, pulse duration, kurtosis, and sound received levels as a function of range and azimuth. Variations in the radiated sound field along opposing azimuths resulted in differences in measured sound exposure levels of up to 10 dB and greater due to the pile rake as the sound propagated in range. The raked pile configuration was modeled using an equivalent axisymmetric FEM model to describe the azimuthally dependent measured sound fields. Comparable sound level differences in the model results confirmed that the azimuthal discrepancy observed in the measured data was due to the inclination of the pile being driven relative to the receiver.

Fin whale singing decreases with increased swimming speed.

The attributes of male acoustic advertisement displays are often related to a performer's age, breeding condition and motivation, but these relationships are particularly difficult to study in free-ranging marine mammals. For fin whale singers, we examined the relationships between a singer's swimming speed, song duration and amount of singing. We used a unique set of fin whale singing and swimming data collected in support of the US Navy's marine mammal monitoring programme associated with the Navy's Integrated Undersea Surveillance System. A goal of the programme is to improve understanding of the potential effects of anthropogenic sound sources on baleen whale behaviours and populations. We found that as whales swam faster, some continued to sing, while others did not. If swimming speed is an indication of male stamina, then singing while swimming faster could be a display by which females and/or other males assess a singer's physical fitness and potential reproductive quality. Results have implications for interpreting fin whale singing behaviour and the possible influences of anthropogenic sounds on fin whale mating strategies and breeding success.

Stochastic Modeling of Behavioral Response to Anthropogenic Sounds.

The effect of anthropogenic sounds on marine wildlife is typically assessed by convolving the spatial, temporal, and spectral properties of a modeled sound field with a representation of animal distribution within the field. Both components benefit from stochastic modeling techniques based on field observations. Recent studies have also highlighted the effect of context on the probability and severity of the animal behavioral response to sound. This paper extends the stochastic approach to three modeling scenarios, including key contextual variables in aversion from a given level of sound and as a means of evaluating the effectiveness of passive acoustic monitoring.

Whistle source levels of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins and Atlantic spotted dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico.

Whistles of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) in the eastern Gulf of Mexico were recorded and measured with a calibrated towed hydrophone array. Surveys encountered groups of both bottlenose (N = 10) and spotted dolphins (N = 5). Analysis of those data produced 1695 bottlenose dolphin whistles and 1273 spotted dolphin whistles with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Whistle frequency metrics were lower in bottlenose than spotted dolphins, while whistle duration was longer in spotted dolphins, data that may help inform automatic classification algorithms. Source levels were estimated by determining the range and bearing of an individual dolphin from the array and then adding the predicted transmission loss to the calculated received level. The median bottlenose dolphin source level was 138 dB re 1µPa at 1 m with a range of 114-163 dB re 1µPa at 1 m. The median spotted dolphin source level was 138 dB re 1µPa at 1 m with a range of 115-163 dB re 1µPa at 1 m. These source level measurements, in conjunction with estimates of vocalization rates and transmission loss models, can be used to improve passive acoustically determined dolphin abundance estimates in the Gulf of Mexico.

Quantifying loss of acoustic communication space for right whales in and around a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary.

The effects of chronic exposure to increasing levels of human-induced underwater noise on marine animal populations reliant on sound for communication are poorly understood. We sought to further develop methods of quantifying the effects of communication masking associated with human-induced sound on contact-calling North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) in an ecologically relevant area (~10,000 km(2) ) and time period (peak feeding time). We used an array of temporary, bottom-mounted, autonomous acoustic recorders in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to monitor ambient noise levels, measure levels of sound associated with vessels, and detect and locate calling whales. We related wind speed, as recorded by regional oceanographic buoys, to ambient noise levels. We used vessel-tracking data from the Automatic Identification System to quantify acoustic signatures of large commercial vessels. On the basis of these integrated sound fields, median signal excess (the difference between the signal-to-noise ratio and the assumed recognition differential) for contact-calling right whales was negative (-1 dB) under current ambient noise levels and was further reduced (-2 dB) by the addition of noise from ships. Compared with potential communication space available under historically lower noise conditions, calling right whales may have lost, on average, 63-67% of their communication space. One or more of the 89 calling whales in the study area was exposed to noise levels ≥120 dB re 1 µPa by ships for 20% of the month, and a maximum of 11 whales were exposed to noise at or above this level during a single 10-min period. These results highlight the limitations of exposure-threshold (i.e., dose-response) metrics for assessing chronic anthropogenic noise effects on communication opportunities. Our methods can be used to integrate chronic and wide-ranging noise effects in emerging ocean-planning forums that seek to improve management of cumulative effects of noise on marine species and their habitats.

A description of sounds recorded from melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra) off Hawai'i.

Between 2004 and 2006, large groups of melon-headed whales were recorded off the Big Island of Hawai'i. No other odontocete species were sighted in these groups. Recordings contained echolocation clicks, burst-pulse sounds, and whistles. Echolocation clicks typically contained energy beginning at 13 kHz and continued strongly to the frequency cutoff of the recording system, suggesting that the frequency content of the clicks continued well beyond 24 kHz. Burst-pulse sounds were typically short, with a mean duration of 586 ms with a mean inter-pulse interval of 2.47 ms. The distribution of numbers of pulses was skewed toward fewer pulses, with a mean of 46.7 pulses. Overall, whistles were relatively simple frequency-modulated downsweeps, upsweeps, and sinusoidal signals. Fundamental frequencies ranged from 890 Hz to 23.5 kHz. Most whistles had smooth contours, although frequency steps were observed. Whistles were generally short, with a mean duration of 586 ms. The acoustic characteristics of these whistles were similar to those in the only previously published descriptions of melon-headed whale vocalizations [Watkins et al. (1997). Caribbean J. Sci. 33, 34-40; Janik and Curran (2007). 17th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Capetown, South Africa] and were shown to be distinguishable from whistles of other odontocete species.

Depth dependent variation of the echolocation pulse rate of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

Trained odontocetes appear to have good control over the timing (pulse rate) of their echolocation clicks; however, there is comparatively little information about how free-ranging odontocetes modify their echolocation in relation to their environment. This study investigates echolocation pulse rate in 14 groups of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) at a variety of depths (2.4-30.1 m) in the Gulf of Mexico. Linear regression models indicated a significant decrease in mean pulse rate with mean water depth. Pulse rates for most groups were multi-modal. Distance to target estimates were as high as 91.8 m, assuming that echolocation was produced at a maximal rate for the target distance. A 5.29-ms processing lag time was necessary to explain the pulse rate modes observed. Although echolocation is likely reverberation limited, these results support the hypotheses that free-ranging bottlenose dolphins in this area are adapting their echolocation signals for a variety of target detection and ranging purposes, and that the target distance is a function of water depth.

Vocalizations produced by humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) calves recorded in Hawaii.

Although humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) calves are reported to vocalize, this has not been measurably verified. During March 2006, an underwater video camera and two-element hydrophone array were used to record nonsong vocalizations from a mother-calf escort off Hawaii. Acoustic data were analyzed; measured time delays between hydrophones provided bearings to 21 distinct vocalizations produced by the male calf. Signals were pulsed (71%), frequency modulated (19%), or amplitude modulated (10%). They were of simple structure, low frequency (mean=220 Hz), brief duration (mean=170 ms), and relatively narrow bandwidth (mean=2 kHz). The calf produced three series of "grunts" when approaching the diver. During winters of the years 2001-2005 in Hawaii, nonsong vocalizations were recorded in 109 (65%) of 169 groups with a calf using an underwater video and single (omnidirectional) hydrophone. Nonsong vocalizations were most common (34 of 39) in lone mother-calf pairs. A subsample from this dataset of 60 signals assessed to be vocalizations provided strong evidence that 10 male and 18 female calves vocalized based on statistical similarity to the 21 verified calf signals, proximity to an isolated calf (27 of 28 calves), strong signal-to-noise ratio, and/or bubble emissions coincident to sound.

Recreational boating traffic: a chronic source of anthropogenic noise in the Wilmington, North Carolina Intracoastal Waterway.

The majority of attention on the impact of anthropogenic noise on marine mammals has focused on low-frequency episodic activities. Persistent sources of mid-frequency noise pollution are less well studied. To address this data gap, the contribution of 25 physical, biological and anthropogenic factors to the ambient noise levels in the Wilmington, North Carolina Intracoastal Waterway were analyzed using a principal components analysis and least squares regression. The total number of recreational vessels passing through the waterway per hour is the factor that had the single greatest influence on environmental noise levels. During times of high boat traffic, anthropogenic noise is continuous rather than episodic, and occurs at frequencies that are biologically relevant to bottlenose dolphins. As a daily part of resident bottlenose dolphins' acoustic environment, recreational boating traffic may represent a chronic source of acoustic harassment.