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
************************************
*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
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