Sharing the waters: Application of a marine spatial planning approach to conserve and restore the acoustic habitat of endangered beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in and around the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park

Sharing the waters: Application of a marine spatial planning approach to conserve and restore the acoustic habitat of endangered beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in and around the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park

Anthropogenic underwater noise degrades the quality of whale habitats, affecting vital functions which may compromise the recovery of species at risk exposed to chronic vessel-based activities. The endangered St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) lives downstream from industrial...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 175; p. 113325
Main Authors: Ménard, Nadia, Turgeon, Samuel, Conversano, Manuela, Martins, Cristiane C.A.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2022
Elsevier BV
Subjects:
Acoustics
Animals
Anthropogenic factors
Anthropogenic underwater noise
Aquatic mammals
Beluga Whale
Coastal environments
Coastal zone
Cohabitation
Compliance management
Conservation
Conservation areas
Delphinapterus leucas
Disturbance
Ecosystem
Ecotourism
Environmental planning
Environmental restoration
Estuaries
Estuarine dynamics
Habitats
Industrial areas
Marine mammal habitat conservation
Marine mammals
Marine parks
Marine protected areas
Marine resources
Place-based conservation measures
Shipping
Ships
Spatial planning
Underwater
Underwater noise
Vessels
Whale-watching
Whales
Whales & whaling
Anthropogenic underwater noise
Marine protected areas
Marine mammal habitat conservation
Compliance management
Place-based conservation measures
Disturbance
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Description
Summary:Anthropogenic underwater noise degrades the quality of whale habitats, affecting vital functions which may compromise the recovery of species at risk exposed to chronic vessel-based activities. The endangered St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) lives downstream from industrial activities in a highly accessible coastal environment. Many approaches were deployed in the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park to address the issue of cohabitation between whales and vessels. Place-based conservation measures aimed at protecting and restoring the tranquility of key areas of SLE beluga critical habitat by managing vessel-based activities were implemented through a marine spatial planning approach. They involved protecting the quietness of the South Channel by avoiding rerouting shipping, establishing of a regulatory area closure in Baie Sainte-Marguerite and of a beluga conservation area without commercial whale-watching in the Upper SLE. Compliance monitoring show that these efforts are effective to enhance the protection and restoration of the acoustic habitat. •Cohabitation between marine mammals and vessel-based activities is a key issue.•Place-based conservation was designed through marine spatial planning.•Sound science and stakeholder participation are key to MSP.•Compliance monitoring show that conservation measures are effective.•Increasing tranquility areas may provide more resilience to the endangered beluga.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0025-326X
1879-3363
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113325