1. NOAA Programs on Marine Mammals and Noise Roger L. Gentry, Ph. D NMFS Office of Protected Resources Silver Spring, MD

2. A “federal agency” should: –Collect and centralize existing data on ocean noise –Establish a long-term noise monitoring program (for trend) –Sponsor research on marine noise and long-term effects of noise on marine mammals Recommendations from recent NRC Panel on Ocean Noise

6. Noise Standards: Types of Sound Single short sounds (including explosions) Multiple short sounds (sonar, airguns) Single long sounds (shipping) Multiple long sounds (ATOC-like)

7. Noise Standards: Hearing groups (126 species) Pinnipeds (seals) in air Pinnipeds under water Low frequency cetaceans (large whales) High frequency cetaceans (harbor porpoise) Mid frequency cetaceans (all other species) Turtles, polar bears, sea otters, and manatees not included

8. Information Available on Hearing and Noise Effects (for 130 species) Normal hearing, 22 species Slight hearing impairment, 6 species Tissue injury (on cadavers), 2 species Behavioral reaction, 12 species No information on large whales except behavioral reaction

9. Noise Standards: Information Need Four noise types paired against five hearing groups in matrix format = 20 cells each cell defines “take” by level A (injury) and level B harassment (behavioral disturbance) Total = 40 definitions of “take” provided No definition is fully supported by science

12. The Costs of information Gaps in Hearing and Noise Effects Frequent hill briefings and hearings Law suits –LWAD (littoral antisubmarine experiment) –SURTASS LFA –NSF airgun array (geology and ocean drilling) –Tyack high frequency sonar Added requests for MMPA authorizations (larger NMFS staff needed)

13. Airgun noise in the mid-Atlantic Ocean 199920002001199920002001 Figure: Sharon L. Nieukirk and Christopher G. Fox

14. Annual Federal Budget for Noise Effects (e) and Measurements (m) Navy/ONR (e) ……...……....…….…......$8 m Oil industry (e)…………...………......…$2 m NSF (e) …….…...………...……..….....$1 m MMC (e).……...…………………...…...$1 m MMS (e)……...…………..…………....$0.5 m NOAA (e)..……………..……..…..…....$0.2 m (m)…………..…………………...…$0.0 m purchase multibeam sonar ……....…$3 m

15. Web Sites and Documents About NOAA Acoustics Programs Available at ww.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot_res/ –Interim Report Bahamas Marine Mammal Stranding of 14-16 March 2000. –Report of the Workshop on Acoustic Resonance as a Source of Tissue Trauma in Cetaceans. –Whale Conservation Setback (rebuttal to the Tyack high frequency sonar decision) OAR Acoustics Program –ww.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/acoustics

16. Blast or Acoustic Sources NMFS Processes:1 (S = Stopped, D = deaths) Ship shock trial (explosion) S Construction explosion Explosive rig removal S,D Ship sinking exercise S SUS explosive sonobuoy Mine or UXO disposal S Fireworks displays

17. Blast or Acoustic Sources: 2 Rocket launch Sonic boom Artillery shelling (5 inch) S Gunnery (small caliber) Oil/gas exploration airgun arrays S Geological research, airgun arrays S,D? Pulsed power (plasma discharge) S

18. Blast or Acoustic Sources:3 Pile driving S Acoustic harassment devices S Low frequency sonar SURTASS LFA S Mid frequency sonar D High frequency (mitigation) sonar S Shallow water submarine experiment S High frequency propagation experiment S

19. Blast or Acoustic Sources:4 Oceanographic research, ATOC S Acoustic modem Jet skis S Ice breaking (Arctic) Boat races Note the absence of commercial shipping, the largest source of human noise