MARMAM followers, Please note the following information about a behavioral response study about to begin in southern California to study diving, foraging, and vocal behavior in various marine mammals and their responses to controlled sound exposures. This project, called SOCAL-10, will focus on various mysticete and odontocete cetaceans, and is intended to provide both baseline and experimental data relevant to understanding how marine mammals may be affected by human sounds, with a particular focus on mid-frequency military sonar signals. SOCAL-10 is an interdisciplinary collaboration of experts in marine mammal biology and behavior with extensive field experience in safely measuring responses to controlled sound exposures (please see the links below for a full list of participants and sponsors). This project will take place during August and September 2010 in coastal areas from San Diego to Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands, as well as an offshore area on and around the U.S. Navy’s training range near San Clemente Island. It is being conducted under NMFS permit # 14534, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary permit #2010-004, and a federal consistency determination (CD-29-10) from the California Coastal Commission. For more information on the project, please go to <www.sea-inc.net/SOCAL10> where you will find: - A one-page overview, slightly more detailed summary, and frequently asked questions about the project <http://www.sea-inc.net/resources/SOCAL10_summary.pdf> - An even more detailed summary of the project with additional references and connections to other work <http://www.sea-inc.net/resources/SOCAL10_summaryext.pdf> - A slide presentation discussing the objectives, experimental design, protocols, and other information about SOCAL-10 <http://www.sea-inc.net/resources/SOCAL10_overview.pdf>. A video version of this presentation being explained will be available shortly as well. - Links to other information, including a from-the-field blog on the project that will begin around the beginning of the project on 22 August <http://sea.typepad.com/> *SOCAL-10 Project Overview* SOCAL-10 is the first phase of a multi-year effort (~2010-2015), notionally referred to as SOCAL-BRS (Behavioral Response Study). This research collaboration is designed to increase understanding of marine mammal behavior and reactions to sound. Direct, scientific information about these responses to different human sounds is very limited, but critically needed by both regulatory agencies to support informed conservation management decisions and requirements and militaries for effective operational planning to minimize environmental risk. This project extends previous BRS efforts conducted in the Bahamas and Mediterranean Sea in 2007-2009 and is being coordinated with related and successful field efforts (e.g., population surveys of Navy range areas, satellite tagging before active sonar operations) underway in southern California. SOCAL- 10 will use controlled exposure experiments (CEE) to carefully measure behavioral responses of individual animals to sound exposure. It is part of an integrated, international effort using similar experimental approaches and observational tracking of animals during real activities. Each method has pros and cons, but a comprehensive approach is proving useful in addressing difficult questions. Project participants have presented and discussed SOCAL-10 in over a dozen public events thusfar and the project will remain committed to open, transparent, and timely communication of results both with the general public and with military and regulatory agencies. Thanks for your interest and I encourage you to track our progress on the project blog. Brandon Southall SOCAL-10 chief scientist on behalf of our co-PIs and other SOCAL-10 team members Brandon L. Southall, Ph.D. President, Senior Scientist, SEA, Inc. Research Associate, University of California, Santa Cruz 911 Center Street, Suite B, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA 831.427.9529 (office); 831.427.9542 (fax) Brandon.Southall@sea-inc.net; www.sea-inc.net