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The NOAA/NMFS
Office of Protected Resources and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of
Natural
History (Department of Vertebrate Zoology in conjunction with the
Office of
Education and National Outreach Program) are pleased to announce that
Dr.
Brandon Southall (SEA, Inc., and UC-Santa Cruz) will be giving a
lecture this
week in Washington, DC on the research he and colleagues conducted last
year for
the "SOCAL-10" project to evaluate the behavioral responses of
cetaceans to underwater human sounds. The lecture at the Smithsonian
will
be available to the public in real-time via live video stream on the
Web, and
will be archived for future viewing as well. Following,
below, are the details about Dr. Southall’s
presentation and
how to access it online. We hope you
can join us and Dr. Southall via the Web!
Trevor Spradlin and Amy Scholik-Schlomer Charles Potter
Office of Protected Resources
Collection
Manager, Marine Mammals
National Marine Fisheries Service
National
Museum of Natural History
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Smithsonian
Institution
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New
Findings on the Effects of Noise on the Behavior of Whales and Dolphins
Brandon Southall, Ph.D.
President and Senior Scientist for Southall
Environmental
Associates, Inc., and Research Associate with the University of
California,
Santa Cruz (UCSC)
Date: Thursday, January 6,
2011
Time: 2 pm ET
Location: Live video stream from the
Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History at:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/smithsonian-national-museum-of-natural-history#events
Abstract
SOCAL-10 was a scientific research project conducted in Aug-Sept 2010
in
important biological areas near southern California. It extended
previous
studies in the Bahamas (2007-08) and Mediterranean Sea (2009) of
whether and
how marine mammals change their behavior when they hear different
sounds.
Each of these efforts has integrated behavioral response studies to
controlled
sound exposures with ongoing research on diving, foraging, and social
behavior. The overall objective was to provide a better basic
understanding of marine mammal behavior, while providing direct
scientific
information for the Navy and regulatory agencies to estimate risk and
minimize
the impact of human sounds, particularly military sonar. SOCAL-10 was
the
first in a five-year dedicated effort to study a variety of marine
mammal
species in areas around the southern California coast and Channel
Islands.
SOCAL-10 involved an interdisciplinary collaboration of experts in
marine
mammal biology, behavior, and communication, as well as underwater
acousticians
and specialized field researchers. During a preliminary scouting phase
and two research legs on several different research vessels, SOCAL-10
observed,
photographed, and/or tracked in detail, individuals of 21 different
marine
mammal species. Sixty-two tags (of six different varieties) were
successfully secured on 44 individual animals of nine different marine
mammal
species, including several which had never been studied using tag
technologies
previously. Scientists also conducted 28 controlled sound exposure
experiments; in these experiments, animals were monitored with suction
cup
acoustic sensors, remote listening devices and specialized observers
with
high-powered binoculars. Sounds were then played under specific
protocols
and protective measures (to ensure animals were not harmed) and changes
in
behavior were recorded.
Preliminary results based primarily on clearly observable behavior in
the field
and from initial data assessment indicate variable responses, depending
on
species, type of sound, and behavioral state during the experiments.
Some
observations in certain conditions suggest avoidance responses, while
in other
cases subjects seemed to not respond, at least overtly. Additional
analysis and interpretation is underway of the nearly 400 hours of tag
data
from the project, as well as thousands of marine mammal observations,
photographs, tissue samples, and acoustic measurements.
For additional information, please see:
SOCAL-10 website http://www.sea-inc.net/SOCAL10/
SOCAL-10 blog http://sea.typepad.com/sea-blog/
SOCAL-10 Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Behavioral-Response-Studies-of-Marine-Mammals/153316228012219
--
____________________________________
Amy R. Scholik-Schlomer, Ph.D.
Fishery Biologist (Protected Resources Acoustic Coordinator)
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service
Office of Protected Resources
Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Conservation Division
1315 East-West Highway
SSMC3, Room 13605
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Email: m("noaa.gov","Amy.Scholik");">
Phone: (301) 713-2322 x167
Fax: (301) 713-4060
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/
______________________________________
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