Dear MARMAM, On behalf of my co-authors, I am happy to announce the publication of two review papers that recently published in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering's Special Issue on Ocean Noise: From Science to Management<https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jmse/special_issues/ocean_noise>. Guan S, Brookens T. The Use of Psychoacoustics in Marine Mammal Conservation in the United States: From Science to Management and Policy. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 2021; 9(5):507. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9050507
Abstract: Underwater sound generated from human activities has been long recognized to cause adverse effects on marine mammals, ranging from auditory masking to behavioral disturbance to hearing impairment. In certain instances, underwater sound has led to physical injuries and mortalities. Research efforts to assess these impacts began approximately four decades ago with behavioral observations of large whales exposed to seismic surveys and rapidly progressed into the diverse field that today includes studies of behavioral, auditory, and physiological responses of marine mammals exposed to anthropogenic sound. Findings from those studies have informed the manner in which impact assessments have been and currently are conducted by regulatory agencies in the United States. They also have led to additional questions and identified information needed to understand more holistically the impacts of underwater sound, such as population- and species-level effects, long-term, chronic, and cumulative effects, and effects on taxa for which little or no information is known. Despite progress, the regulatory community has been slow to incorporate the best available science in marine mammal management and policy and often has relied on outdated and overly simplified methods in its impact assessments. To implement conservation measures effectively, regulatory agencies must be willing to adapt their regulatory scheme to ensure that the best available scientific information is incorporated accordingly. Guan S, Brookens T, Vignola J. Use of Underwater Acoustics in Marine Conservation and Policy: Previous Advances, Current Status, and Future Needs. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 2021; 9(2):173. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9020173 Abstract: The interdisciplinary field of assessing the impacts of sound on marine life has benefited largely from the advancement of underwater acoustics that occurred after World War II. Acoustic parameters widely used in underwater acoustics were redefined to quantify sound levels relevant to animal audiometric variables, both at the source and receiver. The fundamental approach for assessing the impacts of sound uses a source-pathway-receiver model based on the one-way sonar equation, and most numerical sound propagation models can be used to predict received levels at marine animals that are potentially exposed. However, significant information gaps still exist in terms of sound source characterization and propagation that are strongly coupled with the type and layering of the underlying substrate(s). Additional challenges include the lack of easy-to-use propagation models and animal-specific statistical detection models, as well as a lack of adequate training of regulatory entities in underwater acoustics. Although the papers are open access, feel free to contact Shane or me with any questions that you may have. Thanks, Tiff Tiffini J. Brookens Biologist Marine Mammal Commission 4340 East-West Highway, Room 700 Bethesda, MD 20814 Phone: 301.504.0087 Fax: 301.504.0099
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