Dear Colleagues, I d´like to know if there is any report or publication on effects of ships anchorage towards cetaceans, specially dolphins. The main concern is about the noise from the ship, while it is anchored and spilling ballast water, since it keeps the secondary engine on. In Sepetiba Bay, the Brazilian Navy has created two areas of ship anchorage right on the main area of dolphins' aggregations.
From three year analyses of distribution of the dolphins we found that 54% of the large aggregations sightings were inside the new areas of ship anchorage. Besides, there was no sightings of dolphins' aggregations on the areas were ships anchorage already existed, during this three year monitoring.
The Brazilian environmental government is trying to move those areas, but we are afraid of the lack of studies to support our concern about the long-term effects on the distribution and activities of the dolphin’s aggregations. Please any reports, suggestions or opinions will be greatly appreciated. Best regards, Leonardo Flach Projeto Boto Cinza Rua St. Terezinha, 531 - Mangaratiba Rio de Janeiro-Brazil -CEP 23860000 Tel:21 7846-6364 E-mail: flachleo@hotmail.com www.projetobotocinza.com.br _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live™ SkyDrive: Get 25 GB of free online storage. http://windowslive.com/online/skydrive?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_skydrive_032009