Seismic operations have variable effects on dive-cycle behavior of bowhead whales in the Beaufort Sea

Robertson, Frances C.; Koski, William R.; Thomas, Tannis A.; Richardson, W. John; Würsig, Bernd; Trites, Andrew W.

doi:10.3354/esr00515

Cited by 35 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 46 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A number of behavioural studies of baleen whale responses to potential anthropogenic disturbance have found that response is highly dependent on the context of the exposure, e.g. factors such as season or an animal's behavioural state and reproductive status (Beale & Monaghan 2004, Beale 2007, Nowacek et al 2007, Southall et al 2007, Ellison et al 2012, Dunlop et al 2013, Robertson et al 2013. Therefore, both 'natural' (e.g.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural responses of western gray whales to a 4-D seismic survey off northeastern Sakhalin Island, Russia

Gailey

Sychenko

McDonald³

et al. 2016

Endang. Species. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A seismic survey was conducted off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island, Russia in 2010. The survey area was adjacent to the only known near-shore feeding ground of the Critically Endangered population of western gray whales Eschrichtius robustus in the western Pacific south of the Aleutian Islands. This study examined the effectiveness of efforts to minimize the behavioural responses of the whales to vessel proximity and sound during the survey. Two shore-based behavioural observation teams monitored whale movements and respirations pre-, during and post-seismic survey. Theodolite tracking and focal-animal follow methods were used to collect behavioural data. Mixed linear models were used to examine deviations from 'normal' patterns in 10 movement and 7 respiration response variables in relation to vessel proximity, vessel/ whale relative orientations and 8 received sound metrics to examine if seismic survey sound and/or vessel activity influenced the whales' behaviour. Behavioural state and water depth were the best 'natural' predictors of whale movements and respiration. After considering natural variation, none of the response variables were significantly associated with seismic survey or vessel sounds. A whale's distance from shore and its orientation relative to the closest vessel were found to be significantly influenced by vessel proximity, which suggested some non-sound related disturbance. The lack of evidence that the whales responded to seismic survey sound and vessel traffic by changing either their movement or respiration patterns could indicate that the current mitigation strategy is effective. However, power analyses suggest that our sample sizes were too small to detect subtle to moderate changes in gray whale behaviour. Endang Species Res 30: 53-71, 2016 recovered and remains a small remnant of what it was in the 19 th century. Around 140 (CI: 134−146) non-calf individuals regularly occur off Sakhalin Island, Russia, with 36 reproductive females and an annual population rate of increase of 3.3% (Cooke et al. 2013), although issues regarding population structure remain (see IWC 2015). The western gray whale population is considered to be one of the most endangered baleen whale populations (Clapham & Baker 2002, Weller et al. 2002 and is currently listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN and Category I in the Red Book of Russia (Red Book of the Russian Federation 2000, Baillie et al. 2004).Human activities, particularly those related to oil and gas exploration and development, have been increasing in the past 15 yr off northeastern Sakhalin Island, on and near the only known major feeding area of this population of gray whales. To minimize the impacts of such activity on the whales, several mitigation and monitoring plans (MMP) have been implemented targeting specific activities, such as seismic surveys, platform installation, dredging and pipeline placement (Johnson et al. 2007, SEIC 2005, 2006. Despite efforts to reduce overall sound exposure levels, responses by the whales wer...

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural responses of western gray whales to a 4-D seismic survey off northeastern Sakhalin Island, Russia

Gailey

Sychenko

McDonald³

et al. 2016

Endang. Species. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Localized and short-term behavioral responses such as movement toward or away from the sound source or a change in vocalization rates have been reported for some cetaceans during seismic surveys (Richardson et al, 1995;Gordon et al, 1998;Nowacek et al, 2007;Southall et al, 2007;Barry, Cucknell, & Clark, 2012;Castellote, Clark, & Lammers, 2012;Blackwell et al, 2013Blackwell et al, , 2015Thompson et al, 2013;Robertson et al, 2013;Cerchio, Strindberg, Collins, Bennett, & Rosenbaum, 2014;Pirotta, Brookes, Graham, & Thompson, 2014;Wole & Myade, 2014;Dunlop et al, 2015Dunlop et al, , 2016Muir et al, 2015Muir et al, , 2016Finneran et al, 2015;Gailey et al, 2016). However, the long-term consequences of airgun sounds on marine mammals are mostly unknown, and the effectiveness of mitigation measures are largely uncertain (Cato et al, 2013;Nowacek et al, 2013;Wright & Consentino, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cetacean sightings and acoustic detections during a seismic survey off Nicaragua and Costa Rica, November-December 2004

Holst¹,

Smultea

Koski³

et al. 2017

RBT

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although the wider Eastern Tropical Pacific has been systematically surveyed during summer/fall, relatively little effort has focused on shelf and slope waters of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Such data are useful for establishing baseline information and assessing potential changes in cetacean occurrence and distribution relative to natural (e.g., El Niño-Southern Oscillation, climate change) and anthropogenic factors. A visualacoustic survey for cetaceans occurred as part of a monitoring and mitigation program during an academic geophysical seismic study off Nicaragua and Costa Rica, during November-December 2004. Approximately 2 067 cetaceans representing at least seven species were seen in 75 groups during 373 h (3 416 km) of daytime observations from the seismic research vessel (R/V) Maurice Ewing. The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) and the pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) were the most frequently sighted species (30 % of all groups sighted); both were seen in shelf waters < 100 m deep and in slope waters. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus; 10 % of sightings) was the third most frequently sighted species and was only seen in water > 100 m deep. In addition, sightings were made of spinner dolphins (S. longirostris), short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus), short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), and unidentified dolphins and whales. Unconfirmed sightings of a minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and a pod of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) were also recorded. An additional six groups of dolphins (50 % confirmed to species, all pantropical spotted dolphins) were made during 187 h (1 549 km) of observation effort during darkness, two of which were detected within 30 m of the vessel bow using a night vision device. A total of 217 cetacean detections occurred during 633 h of passive acoustic monitoring. A small concentration of 12 humpback whales was seen in eight groups, and two humpbacks were recorded singing in the Gulf of Fonseca on 9 December 2004. To our knowledge, such concentrations of humpback whales, particularly singing humpbacks, have not been previously reported in this specific area. In addition, a humpback mother-calf pair, likely from the Northern Hemisphere population, was seen off Northern Costa Rica on 25 November 2004. Although cetacean sighting rates were significantly different during seismic and non-seismic periods even when corrected for differential detection probability related to sea conditions, our survey results do provide information to address previous data gaps on cetacean occurrence in shelf and slope waters off the Pacific coast of Central America during late fall. Rev. Biol. Trop. 65 (2): 599-611. Epub 2017 June 01.Key words: geophysical survey, passive acoustic monitoring, marine mammal, Eastern Tropical Pacific, Central America. Cetacean distribution and abundance in deep pelagic waters of the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) has been systematically studied for > ...

show abstract

“…For example, targeted studies to examine pathology of stranded animals in areas with/without seismic activities could lend insights into physiological impacts of animals exposed to sound. All of these types of studies could be conducted in areas of recurring surveys, such as around Sakhalin Island, Russia (Bröker et al 2015, Muir et al 2015, West Africa (DeRuiter & Doukara 2012), and the Beaufort Sea (Richardson & Miller 2013, Robertson et al 2013, to name just a few places. Ideally, this type of information would be collected at an individual-and population-level setting to determine demographic consequences from surveys.…”

Section: Examine the Extent And Duration Of Avoidance Behavior And Hmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical information gaps remain in understanding impacts of industrial seismic surveys on marine vertebrates

Elliott¹,

Read²,

Godley³

et al. 2019

Endang. Species. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Anthropogenic noise is increasing throughout the world's oceans. One major contributor is industrial seismic surveys -a process typically undertaken to locate and estimate the quantity of oil and gas deposits beneath the seafloor -which, in recent years, has increased in magnitude and scope in some regions. Regulators permit this activity despite widespread uncertainties regarding the potential ecological impacts of seismic surveys and gaps in baseline information on some key species of conservation concern. Research to date suggests that impacts vary, from displacement to direct mortality, but these effects remain poorly understood for most species. Here, we summarize potential effects of seismic surveys, describe key knowledge gaps, and recommend broad-scale research priorities for 3 impacted taxonomic groups: fish, marine mammals, and sea turtles. We also suggest further technological advances, improved mitigation measures, and better policy and management structures to minimize the ecological impacts of seismic surveys in light of scientific uncertainty.

show abstract

Seismic operations have variable effects on dive-cycle behavior of bowhead whales in the Beaufort Sea

Cited by 35 publications

References 46 publications

Behavioural responses of western gray whales to a 4-D seismic survey off northeastern Sakhalin Island, Russia

Behavioural responses of western gray whales to a 4-D seismic survey off northeastern Sakhalin Island, Russia

Cetacean sightings and acoustic detections during a seismic survey off Nicaragua and Costa Rica, November-December 2004

Critical information gaps remain in understanding impacts of industrial seismic surveys on marine vertebrates

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About