Ships and air guns reduce social interactions in humpback whales at greater ranges than other behavioral impacts
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd Understanding the interactions between human activity in the ocean and marine mammals is a fundamental step to developing responsible mitigation measures and informing policy. Here, the response of migrating humpback whales to vessels towing seismic air gun arrays (on or off)...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
2020
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/80231 |
| _version_ | 1848764183662821376 |
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| author | Dunlop, R.A. McCauley, Robert Noad, M.J. |
| author_facet | Dunlop, R.A. McCauley, Robert Noad, M.J. |
| author_sort | Dunlop, R.A. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Understanding the interactions between human activity in the ocean and marine mammals is a fundamental step to developing responsible mitigation measures and informing policy. Here, the response of migrating humpback whales to vessels towing seismic air gun arrays (on or off) was quantified as a reduction in their likelihood of socially interacting (joining together). Groups were significantly less likely to participate in a joining interaction in the presence of a vessel, regardless of whether or not the air guns were active. This reduction was especially pronounced in groups within a social environment that favored joining, that is, when singing whales or other groups were nearby. Seismic survey mitigation practices are designed primarily to prevent damage to whales' hearing from close-by sources. Here, we found potentially detrimental behavioral changes at much greater ranges, and much lower received levels, than those used for current mitigation recommendations. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:15:18Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-80231 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:15:18Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publisher | PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-802312020-09-03T05:27:03Z Ships and air guns reduce social interactions in humpback whales at greater ranges than other behavioral impacts Dunlop, R.A. McCauley, Robert Noad, M.J. Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Environmental Sciences Marine & Freshwater Biology Environmental Sciences & Ecology Anthropogenic noise Baleen whale Dose-response Humpback whale Seismic survey Social behavior MEGAPTERA-NOVAEANGLIAE COMMUNICATION SPACE ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION MALE COMPETITION MARINE MAMMALS VESSEL NOISE SONAR AVOIDANCE © 2020 Elsevier Ltd Understanding the interactions between human activity in the ocean and marine mammals is a fundamental step to developing responsible mitigation measures and informing policy. Here, the response of migrating humpback whales to vessels towing seismic air gun arrays (on or off) was quantified as a reduction in their likelihood of socially interacting (joining together). Groups were significantly less likely to participate in a joining interaction in the presence of a vessel, regardless of whether or not the air guns were active. This reduction was especially pronounced in groups within a social environment that favored joining, that is, when singing whales or other groups were nearby. Seismic survey mitigation practices are designed primarily to prevent damage to whales' hearing from close-by sources. Here, we found potentially detrimental behavioral changes at much greater ranges, and much lower received levels, than those used for current mitigation recommendations. 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/80231 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111072 English PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD restricted |
| spellingShingle | Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Environmental Sciences Marine & Freshwater Biology Environmental Sciences & Ecology Anthropogenic noise Baleen whale Dose-response Humpback whale Seismic survey Social behavior MEGAPTERA-NOVAEANGLIAE COMMUNICATION SPACE ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION MALE COMPETITION MARINE MAMMALS VESSEL NOISE SONAR AVOIDANCE Dunlop, R.A. McCauley, Robert Noad, M.J. Ships and air guns reduce social interactions in humpback whales at greater ranges than other behavioral impacts |
| title | Ships and air guns reduce social interactions in humpback whales at greater ranges than other behavioral impacts |
| title_full | Ships and air guns reduce social interactions in humpback whales at greater ranges than other behavioral impacts |
| title_fullStr | Ships and air guns reduce social interactions in humpback whales at greater ranges than other behavioral impacts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ships and air guns reduce social interactions in humpback whales at greater ranges than other behavioral impacts |
| title_short | Ships and air guns reduce social interactions in humpback whales at greater ranges than other behavioral impacts |
| title_sort | ships and air guns reduce social interactions in humpback whales at greater ranges than other behavioral impacts |
| topic | Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Environmental Sciences Marine & Freshwater Biology Environmental Sciences & Ecology Anthropogenic noise Baleen whale Dose-response Humpback whale Seismic survey Social behavior MEGAPTERA-NOVAEANGLIAE COMMUNICATION SPACE ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION MALE COMPETITION MARINE MAMMALS VESSEL NOISE SONAR AVOIDANCE |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/80231 |