Echolocation Devices and Marine Mammal Impact Mitigation

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Language of the publication
English
Date
2020-01-08
Type
Report
Author(s)
  • Phillips, B.
  • Kendrick, A.

Abstract

The impact on marine mammals of underwater radiated noise (URN) from vessel traffic is under active international study and of increasing concern. The focus has been on “passive” URN from machinery, hull, propulsion, and flow noise. Active acoustic radiation from echolocation devices has received little attention, although these devices are pervasive, mandated for a wide range of vessels and contribute significantly to the overall URN signature within the most sensitive portions of the hearing ranges of some threatened whale species. It is concluded that a highly effective mitigation measure, in step with market trends, would be a move from traditional low frequency devices to 200+ kHz operation with broadband (chirp, typically) waveforms, a high degree of power control and the ability to temporarily deactivate lower frequency channels in the case of multi-frequency devices. The most rapid benefits can be achieved by encouraging this in the unregulated sector comprising recreational vessels and vessels with displacement less than 150 GT. The regulated sector above 150 GT can also benefit over a longer time scale, due primarily to type-approval requirements and associated schedules and costs. Recommendations are provided for a way ahead, including a program of further interaction with manufacturers and users to highlight these issues and further develop the operational and technical solutions in a manner that is quickly and easily deployed across all fleets.

Description

This report characterizes Underwater Radiated Noise (URN) from echolocation sources used on commercial and recreational vessels, and develops recommendations for design and operational measures which may mitigate the URN impact on marine mammals.

Subject

  • Transport

Keywords

  • underwater radiated noise,
  • echolocation devices,
  • echolocation,
  • masking,
  • Southern Resident killer whale,
  • sonars,
  • sonar noise,
  • Salish Sea,
  • noise effects on marine mammals,
  • echosounder impacts,
  • echolocation device mitigation,
  • shallow water,
  • VARD,
  • VARD Marine

Rights

Pagination

i-xiv, 1-79, A1-B4

Peer review

Internal Review

Open access level

Not Applicable

Identifiers

Government document number
TP 15437e
ISBN
978-0-660-33932-0

Project

Project name
Marine RD&D Program
Project number
B17X

Sponsors

Innovation Centre, Transport Canada

Citation(s)

Phillips, B., & Kendrick, A. (2020). Echolocation Devices and Marine Mammal Impact Mitigation, (TP 15437e), Transport Canada (sponsor).

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Collection(s)

Marine transportation

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