Dear Colleagues

I would kindly draw your attention to a review article that just came out in a Springer book on Animal Communication and Noise (see http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/behavioural/book/978-3-642-41493-0). Its broadly dealing with noise impacts but there is a lot of focus on marine mammals and thus, I believe, relevant to this forum. I also think it’s the first time that the issue has been addressed by a team of scientists from different disciplines (bird / behavior / mammals).

Reprints are available on request (frth@dhigroup.com).

Anthropogenic Noise and Conservation

Peter K. McGregor, Andrew G. Horn, Marty L. Leonard

and Frank Thomsen

Abstract Anthropogenic noise is a common but evolutionarily recent influence on

communicating animals and evidence is accumulating of its adverse impacts on

human health, therefore it has potential relevance to conservation. However,

demonstrating that this potential is realised is not straightforward. A particular

issue is the difficulty of assessing likely impacts from the limited evidence on the

main factors influencing impacts—from the hearing abilities of animals of conservation

concern through to the characteristics of emitted sound fields in natural

environments. Further issues include the likely underestimation of behavioural

effects, and a lack of knowledge of how animals trade off costs and benefits. In this

chapter, we aim to highlight the main themes emerging from the growing interest

in the effects of anthropogenic noise on conservation. We predominantly consider

the marine environment (with examples drawn mainly from marine mammals) and

the terrestrial environment (with bird examples). An important consideration that

emerges from the increasing levels of anthropogenic noise and difficulties in

assessing specific impacts is the need to develop interim guidance, while more

detailed information is gathered and assessed.

Best regards,
Frank Thomsen
Ph.D.
Senior Marine Scientist CSci CMarSci FIMarEST
DK-EED
DHI
Agern Allé 5
DK-2970 Hørsholm
Denmark
Tel:	+45 4516 9200
Direct:	+45 4516 9446
Mobile:	+45 29404355
frth@dhigroup.com
www.dhigroup.com
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