Odontocete Studies on the Pacific Missile Range Facility in July/August 2013: Satellite-Tagging, Photo-Identification, and Passive Acoustic Monitoring

Abstract

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Assessment of Modeled Received Sound Pressure Levels and Movements of Satellite-Tagged Odontocetes Exposed to Mid-Frequency Active Sonar at the Pacific Missile Range Facility: February 2011 Through February 2013

“…During these efforts, data were obtained from 23 tagged individuals of four species: short-finned pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, rough-toothed dolphins, and false killer whales (Baird et al 2013a(Baird et al , 2013c; Table 1). While PAM acoustic recordings have been made for all of the SCCs since 2011, overlap with tag data is variable and in some cases limited recorded data is available before the SCCs.…”

“…Details on field methods are available in Baird et al (2013aBaird et al ( , 2013c. Four of the five efforts were timed to coincide with SCC training events, with the first effort starting at the end of the February 2011 SCC, and efforts starting before the August 2011, February 2012, and February 2013 SCCs.…”

“…To visualize the dive and surfacing data, a pseudotrack was developed, using similar methods to those noted in Baird et al (2013a).…”

“…PMRF is instrumented with 219 bottom-mounted hydrophones that allow for passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) capabilities in real-time and/or with recorded acoustic data, to detect and localize vocalizing marine mammals or other sources of sound (e.g., Tiemann et al 2006;Martin et al 2013;Baird et al 2013a). Multi-species boat-based studies of odontocetes off Kaua'i and Ni'ihau have been undertaken since 2003 (Baird et al 2013b).…”

“…In recent years, boat-based studies involving deployment of Low-Impact Minimally Percutaneous External-electronics Transmitter (LIMPET) satellite tags on odontocete cetaceans on and around PMRF, combined with real-time PAM (in conjunction with the Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges project) to increase boat-based encounter rates, have allowed for assessments of habitat use and range of several different odontocete species (Baird et al 2013a(Baird et al , 2013c. Information obtained from these studies have provided evidence for resident, islandassociated populations of rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis), common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) off Kaua'i and Ni'ihau, with each species varying in movement patterns and habitat use (Baird et al 2008(Baird et al , 2009(Baird et al , 2013a(Baird et al , 2013cMartien et al 2011). …”