High thresholds for avoidance of sonar by free-ranging long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas)

•Pilot-whale sonar response thresholds higher than found for other cetaceans.•No effect of sonar frequency or previous exposures on probability of response.•US Navy dose–response underestimates probability of pilot-whales avoidance at long ranges. The potential effects of exposing marine mammals to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 83; no. 1; pp. 165 - 180
Main Authors:	Antunes, R., Kvadsheim, P.H., Lam, F.P.A., Tyack, P.L., Thomas, L., Wensveen, P.J., Miller, P.J.O.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15-06-2014 Elsevier
Subjects:	Animal and plant ecology Animal, plant and microbial ecology Animals Applied ecology Avoidance Behavior, Animal - radiation effects Biological and medical sciences Cetacea Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation Dose–response Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution Exposure Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology Globicephala Globicephala melas Mammalia Marine Marine and brackish environment Marine mammals Naval engineering Navy Noise Noise - adverse effects Pilot-whales Pilots Sea water ecosystems Sonar Synecology Thresholds Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution Whales Whales, Pilot - psychology Dose–response Noise Sonar Pilot-whales Marine mammals Marine environment Vertebrata Mammalia Whale Dose-response Cetacea Avoidance Dose activity relation
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Summary:	•Pilot-whale sonar response thresholds higher than found for other cetaceans.•No effect of sonar frequency or previous exposures on probability of response.•US Navy dose–response underestimates probability of pilot-whales avoidance at long ranges. The potential effects of exposing marine mammals to military sonar is a current concern. Dose–response relationships are useful for predicting potential environmental impacts of specific operations. To reveal behavioral response thresholds of exposure to sonar, we conducted 18 exposure/control approaches to 6 long-finned pilot whales. Source level and proximity of sonar transmitting one of two frequency bands (1–2kHz and 6–7kHz) were increased during exposure sessions. The 2-dimensional movement tracks were analyzed using a changepoint method to identify the avoidance response thresholds which were used to estimate dose–response relationships. No support for an effect of sonar frequency or previous exposures on the probability of response was found. Estimated response thresholds at which 50% of population show avoidance (SPLmax=170dB re 1μPa, SELcum=173dB re 1μPa2s) were higher than previously found for other cetaceans. The US Navy currently uses a generic dose–response relationship to predict the responses of cetaceans to naval active sonar, which has been found to underestimate behavioural impacts on killer whales and beaked whales. The navy curve appears to match more closely our results with long-finned pilot whales, though it might underestimate the probability of avoidance for pilot-whales at long distances from sonar sources.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0025-326X 1879-3363
DOI:	10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.03.056