MARMAM, In consultation with colleagues involved in the SOCAL Behavioral Response Study (BRS), I would like to comment on Renee Owens recent MARMAM post. Constructive dialog on this issue is welcome and I appreciate her expressing her views and MARMAM for providing a forum in this regard. The purpose of the project is to provide scientific data on how marine mammals react to various sounds (following specific protective protocols), including simulated military sonar, to inform decision-making both for operational planning and regulatory assessments. I am not entirely clear what Renee is referring to in terms of "sound buffering" or sonar "alternatives", but clearly our work does not override or circumvent ongoing efforts to mitigate any adverse effects of sonar training exercises. Rather, we are providing some of the first direct empirical data on behavioral responses in various species that will directly inform how mitigation and conservation management related to the effects of human sounds in the ocean should best be accomplished. The SOCAL BRS project is supported by different parts of the U.S. Navy, but none of the results from this project are classified and the Navy has exerted no data rights or restrictions on their release or publication. The project is closely partnered with NOAA who has been involved in various elements of planning, permitting, and field work. Most of the scientists involved in the project are from academic or private research organizations. We are committed to the fair and open transmissions of results to Navy and NOAA as well as the scientific and environmental communities working in these areas, regardless of their potential implications for the Navy or anyone else. Along these lines, in addition to the many open public presentations and discussions on this project, there are multiple sources of additional information on previous research efforts (for instance, see: <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/behavior.htm>). For the SOCAL BRS project specifically, we have also developed a variety of ways to relate information on the SOCAL BRS goals and results specifically, including: - Simple project summary and frequency asked questions <http://www.sea-inc.net/resources/SOCAL10_summary.pdf> - Detailed project summary <http://www.sea-inc.net/resources/SOCAL10_summaryext.pdf> - A from-the-field blog of our daily activities (start at: <http://sea.typepad.com/sea-blog/2010/08/socal-10-behavioral-response-study-hits-the-water.html>) - A Facebook page with photos and short videos demonstrating aspects of the project <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Behavioral-Response-Studies-of-Marine-Mammals/153316228012219> A publicly-available summary report of the project will be available at <www.sea-inc.net/SOCAL10> sometime in February; many of the results and preliminary conclusions in this report were included in the Smithsonian summary presentation available online. Sincerely, Brandon Southall SOCAL BRS project chief scientist -- PLEASE NOTE: New mailing address and office/FAX #s for SEA, Inc. Brandon L. Southall, Ph.D. President, Senior Scientist, SEA, Inc. Research Associate, University of California, Santa Cruz 9099 Soquel Drive, Suite 8, Aptos, CA 95003, USA 831.332.8744 (mobile); 831.661.5177 (office); 831.661.5178 (fax) Brandon.Southall@sea-inc.net; www.sea-inc.net