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Hearing thresholds of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) for playbacks of seal scarer signals, and effects of the signals on behavior

  • OFFSHORE WIND FARM IMPACTS
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Abstract

Acoustic Mitigation Devices (AMDs) are used to deter marine mammals from construction sites, in order to prevent hearing injury by offshore pile driving noise. To estimate the distance at which two AMDs designed as ‘seal scarers’ (Ace Aquatec and Lofitech) are detected by harbor porpoises, the 50% hearing detection thresholds for playbacks of recordings of the AMD sounds were assessed. Both became audible at a received broadband sound pressure level (SPL) of 55 dB re 1 μPa. The effect of the AMDs on porpoise behavior was quantified at three SPLs determined during a pre-test: one which just did not cause a behavioral change, one which caused a small change in surfacing and swimming pattern, and one which caused the harbor porpoise to swim away from the transducers. The corresponding mean received SPLs in the pool were respectively: Ace Aquatec: 77, 117, and 139 dB re 1 μPa; and: Lofitech: 91, 121, and 151 dB re 1 μPa. As the mean received SPL increased, greater displacement occurred, and higher numbers of surfacings and increased swimming speed occurred in test periods than in associated baseline periods. By combining these results with the source level, the current local propagation conditions and the background noise, the deterring distance at sea for the AMDs can be calculated.

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Acknowledgments

We thank research assistant Martijn Dieleman, students Stefan van Baest, Amy Verhoeven and Tess van der Drift, and volunteers Brigitte Slingerland, Jesse Dijkhuizen and Saskia Roose, for their help in collecting the data. We thank Rob Triesscheijn for making the figures, and Bert Meijering (Topsy Baits) for providing space for the SEAMARCO Research Institute. We thank Erwin Jansen (TNO) for the acoustic calibration measurements. We thank Veenhuis Medical Audio (Marco Veenhuis and Herman Walstra) for donating and modifying the audiometer. We thank Arie Smink for the construction and maintenance of the electronic equipment. We thank Subacoustech Ltd, UK, for providing the original recordings of the AMD sounds. We also thank Wim Verboom (JunoBioacoustics) and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable constructive comments on this manuscript. The harbor porpoise was trained and tested under authorization of the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Department of Nature Management, with Endangered Species Permit no. FF/75A/2009/039. We thank Jan van Spaandonk (Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands) for his assistance in making the harbor porpoise available for this project. Funding for this project was obtained from Collaborative Offshore Windfarm Research Into the Environment (COWRIE, UK, contract AMD-08-09). We thank Eleanor Partridge (NatureBureau) for her guidance on behalf of the commissioner.

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Author notes

  1. Robin Gransier

    Present address: KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, ExpORL, Herestraat 49 bus 721, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sea Mammal Research Company (SEAMARCO), Julianalaan 46, 3843 CC, Harderwijk, The Netherlands

    Ronald A. Kastelein, Lean Hoek & Robin Gransier

  2. TNO, Acoustics and Sonar, Oude Waalsdorperweg 63, 2597 AK, Den Haag, The Netherlands

    Christ A. F. de Jong

  3. Department of Biology, The University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 5050, Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada

    John M. Terhune

  4. Dotmoth, 1 Mendip Villas, Crabtree Lane, Dundry, Bristol, BS41 8LN, UK

    Nancy Jennings

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  1. Ronald A. Kastelein
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  2. Lean Hoek
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  4. Christ A. F. de Jong
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Correspondence to Ronald A. Kastelein.

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Guest editors: Steven Degraer, Jennifer Dannheim, Andrew B. Gill, Han Lindeboom & Dan Wilhelmsson / Environmental impacts of offshore wind farms

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Kastelein, R.A., Hoek, L., Gransier, R. et al. Hearing thresholds of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) for playbacks of seal scarer signals, and effects of the signals on behavior. Hydrobiologia 756, 89–103 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-014-2035-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-014-2035-x

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