4/7/2023 0 Comments Whale soundsNOAA’s Role in Understanding and Managing Underwater Noise NOAA scientists use computer models to quantify the loss in “listening space” or “communication space.” This helps us understand how whale communication may be limited in different areas and circumstances due to the impact from ocean noises.Īll of these impacts, if experienced repeatedly over longer durations or together with other types of stressors, can affect the health, reproductive success, and survival of whales and other species. This is called “masking.” These effects are especially notable in areas of persistent and heavy human use, such as commercial shipping lanes and busy ports. Resting individuals, mom-calf pairs, or individuals exposed to a new noise source may be more easily disturbed.Īlso, increases in background noise can make it more difficult for whales to communicate, navigate, and hear critical sounds from predators and prey. Often, what animals are doing at the time of exposure or their previous experience with noises can determine how they respond to the noise. Deep-diving toothed whales, such as beaked whales, may alter their dive and feeding behavior in the presence of active sonar or other sonar-like sounds, such as those used for military training and testing. Credit: NOAA Fisheriesįor example, large baleen whales, such as gray whales or humpback whales, may change their migratory path to avoid exposure to loud noises such as seismic airgun surveys or industrial noise. The marine soundscape illustrating the sound contributions from geological sources (such as earthquakes, weather), biological sources (such as fishes, marine mammals), and human sources (such as ships, echosounders, wind farm development). They can also result in longer term effects, such as the masking of critical sounds or increased stress. For whales, exposure to these noises can cause immediate effects such as behavioral disruption and impacts on hearing. These human activities and the sounds they generate have been on the rise.Īs the amount of ocean noise grows, so does the concern over the potential impacts on marine species and habitats. Human-made noise also includes unintentional sounds from activities like vessels and construction activities (e.g., pile driving associated with coastal construction or wind farms). Ocean noises include sounds produced for specific purposes, such as active military or research sonar and seismic air guns from geophysical surveys to find oil and gas products. The ocean soundscape includes many sounds generated from human activities that are important to our economy and national security. Human Noise Influences Global Soundscapes This spectrogram was displayed in the Sound Circle application produced by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's Passive Acoustic Research Group. A visual depiction of a humpback whale vocalization when the sound waves are made into a picture called a spectrogram.
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