December 2007 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Fwd: new RFP on fixed passive acoustic
by Dave Mellinger 06 Dec '07

06 Dec '07

The Sound and Marine Life Joint Industry Programme (JIP) of the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (OGP) has posted a new Request for Proposals (RFP) about passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) on its web site. In part, the RFP says this: --------------------------------------------- Current fixed PAM technology requires further development in order to provide an effective long term monitoring tool (detection, classification and localisation) and therefore increase its usefulness to Industry and the scientific community. There are a number of autonomous buoy systems currently in use, all of which collect data over extended periods of time, which are then collected and analysed post data recording. A potential area of interest may be the development of highspeed data links from fixed PAM installations to vessel or shore-based stations for real-time data processing and analysis of acoustic data over wide areas. The OGP E&P Sound and Marine Life JIP is requesting proposals that address: * Compiling a detailed inventory of fixed PAM technologies and methods that are currently available and potential new technologies and methods currently being developed. * Conducting a critical review and assessment of fixed PAM capabilities and their application during E&P activities offshore. * Identifying potential areas of further development in order to improve both effectiveness and accuracy of detecting/classifying/ localising marine mammals at sea. --------------------------------------------- To learn more, see the JIP web site at http://www.soundandmarinelife.org

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whale seasonal distribution in the Gulf of Alaska
by Dave Mellinger 05 Dec '07

05 Dec '07

The following paper has just been published: Stafford, K.M., D.K. Mellinger, S.E. Moore, and C.G. Fox. 2007. Seasonal variability and detection range modeling of baleen whale calls in the Gulf of Alaska, 1999-2002. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 122:3378-3390. Five species of large whales, including the blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fin (B. physalus), sei (B. borealis), humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), and North Pacific right (Eubalaena japonica), were the target of commercial harvests in the Gulf of Alaska (GoA) during the 19th through mid-20th Centuries. Since this time, there have been a few summertime visual surveys for these species, but no overview of year-round use of these waters by endangered whales primarily because standard visual survey data are difficult and costly. From October 1999-May 2002, moored hydrophones were deployed in six locations in the GoA to record whale calls. Reception of calls from fin, humpback, and blue whales and an unknown source, called Watkins’ whale, showed seasonal and geographic variation. Calls were detected more often during the winter than during the summer, suggesting that animals inhabit the GoA year-round. To estimate the distance at which species-diagnostic calls could be heard, par abolic equation propagation loss models for frequencies characteristic of each of each call type were run. Maximum detection ranges in the subarctic North Pacific ranged from 45 to 250 km among three species (fin, humpback, blue), although modeled detection ranges varied greatly with input parameters and choice of ambient noise level. Reprints are available at ftp://newportftp.pmel.noaa.gov/newport/mellinger/Stafford07-GoAWhalesAndDet…

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Melon head whales stranding in Cape Verde
by salvadorvet＠sapo.pt 04 Dec '07

04 Dec '07

I'm a DVM working now in Portugal and I'm collaborating in the rehab of stranded dolphins in this country. I was born in Cape Verde, so I'm very aware of problems that are happening there. Right now I'm really shocked about a mass stranding of Melon Head Whales at Boavista Island, on Cape Verde the last November 18th during the night. 265 dolphins came ashore and stranded and died in spite of all the efforts made by the authorities and civilians. But the weird thing happened after: they buried all the dolphins before anyone could collect any organ or blood. Therefore no necropsy was performed. On the next day more 6 Melon Head Whales died and the biologist in charge at that island told to newspapers that when she came to the beach where they stranded, all the dolphins had been taken by people to be eaten, so she could not get any sample. The previous day the US nuclear submarine USS Annapolis (SSN760) departed from the S.Vicente Island that is one of the ten islands of Cape Verde. This submarine is there in charge against illegal immigration and drug traffic. By this time we don't have any explanation from the authorities or from the US Navy or any effort are in progress to find out the true. That appear to be too much coincidence and there are many strandings around the world related to such coincidence. All of us are aware of the bad consequences of military sonar and cetaceans, specially to "deep divers". I would like to ask if anybody has information connecting submarine sonar to cetaceans. Thank you for your help. Best regards. Salvador St.Aubyn Mascarenhas, DVM

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New educational website on the effects of marine noise pollution
by sonsdemar＠lab.upc.edu 03 Dec '07

03 Dec '07

Dear All, We would like to draw your attention to an initiative from the Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics (LAB) of the Technical University of Catalonia, to present, explain and promote the research conducted on the effects of artificial noise on the marine environment. We have designed an interface (www.sonsdemar.eu; Catalan for 'sounds of the sea') where the visitors, in addition to learn about the acoustic processes in cetaceans, will be able to listen to natural, biological and anthropogenic sound sources that are nowadays co-existing in the oceans, experiencing the need of research to get back to a natural acoustic balance of the seas. With kind regards, The Sons de Mar Staff Laboratori d'Aplicacions Bioacústiques Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) info(a)lab.upc.edu http://www.lab.upc.es Centre Tecnològic de Vilanova i la Geltrú Avda. Rambla Exposició, s/n 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú Barcelona, Espanya tel: +34 - 93 896 7227/ 00 fax: +34 - 93 896 7201

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Deadline POSTPONED for abstract submission ECS 2008 conference
by Jan Willem Broekema 02 Dec '07

02 Dec '07

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