Ships and Whales:Ships and Whales: Stellwagen Bank National Marine SanctuaryStellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

as a Case Study for Regional Characterization and as a Case Study for Regional Characterization and Management of Underwater Noise.Management of Underwater Noise.

Leila Hatch, Ph DLeila Hatch, Ph D SBNMS/NOS/NOAASBNMS/NOS/NOAA

US National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationUS National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Human Commerce is NoisyHuman Commerce is NoisyChronic Background Noise (Chronic Background Noise (i.e. i.e. Commercial Shipping) Commercial Shipping)

Fin whale song

Clark, Ellison, Southall, Hatch, Van Parijs, Frankel, Ponirakis, (2009) Marine Ecology Progress Series

NO SHIPPING:GULF OF CALIFORNIA

HEAVY SHIPPING:MEDITERRANEAN SEA

24 hours in two fin whale acoustic habitats

Background Noise: Background Noise: Long Term TrendsLong Term Trends

North Pacific Ambient Noise at 40 HzNorth Pacific Ambient Noise at 40 Hz

Shipping noise has increased ~3 dB/decadeShipping noise has increased ~3 dB/decadeModified from McDonald et al. (2006) Modified from McDonald et al. (2006)

MASKING

Figures: B. Southall, US NOAA & C. Clark, Cornell University

Frequency overlap between marine animal communication and shipping noise

Predicted reduction in a blue whale’s communication range between ~1950 & today

Here we are

Stellwagen Bank

NMS

638 square nm2,188 square km

Boston

Cape Ann

Cape Cod

AtlanticOcean

Stellwagen Bank

MASSACHUSETTS

BaleenWhales

1970-2005

NOAA – NCCOS (Figure excerpted from Pittman et al., 2006)

SBNMS

Ship Strike

Approximate Distribution of

Ship Struck Baleen Whales

along the Eastern

Seaboard of the U.SLocations inferred from Jensen &

Silber 2003

SBNMS

% Total Time Spent by AIS Vessels in % Total Time Spent by AIS Vessels in SanctuarySanctuary

Cruise/ Passengern=87

Containers & Tankersn=306

Service & Researchn=31

Tugs &Bargesn=113

Shipping Noise: Variation in Space and Time

Tankers Containers Tugs & Barges

Cruise/Passenger Service & Research ALL

Hatch, Clark, Merrick, Van Parijs, Ponirakis, Schwehr, Thompson & Wiley (2008) Environmental Management

Shipping Noise: Variation in Frequency and Amplitude

Acoustic Propagation ModelingAcoustic Propagation Modeling

Bottom-Bottom-Mounted Mounted Acoustic Acoustic Recording UnitsRecording Units

AIS Ship AIS Ship TracksTracks

Ship Noise Profile: LNG vesselShip Noise Profile: LNG vessel

Ship Noise Profile: Research VesselShip Noise Profile: Research Vessel

Received sound levels (71-224 Hz, dB re 1µPa) during a time with one distant (left) versus three central (right) AIS-tracked commercial ships.

Clark, Hatch, VanParijs, Ponirakis and Frankel (in prep)

NOAA-led US submission to the IMO’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC)

Accepted by member nations in October 2008 Creation of MEPC

Correspondence Group tasked with developing guidelines to quiet commercial ships US (NOAA) chaired 50+ nation/org participants