Dear all, I have some additional information on activities taking place in the Ionian Sea that may be associated with yesterday's mass stranding.
From November 27 through today (Dec. 2), the Italian Navy has been conducting a major exercise known as "Mare Aperto" in the central-southern Tyrrhenian, Ionian, and southern Adriatic. The exercise includes maritime surveillance and force projection from the sea. In past years, Mare Aperto has involved as many as 12 ships including frigates and aircraft carriers.
At least one of the participating ships in this year's exercise is an Italian Maestrale-class frigate called the Scirocco. The Maestrale class is reportedly equipped with two active sonar systems: the hull-mounted DE 1160B, which, according to Jane's Underwater Warfare, is basically identical to the U.S. Navy's AN/AQS-56; and VDS DE 1164, which is a variable-depth version of the same system. Of course, the exercise covered a wide area, and we don't yet know how closely it may be correlated in space and time with the mass strandings. All possible causes, including other anthropogenic noise sources, should be investigated. But I would urge ACCOBAMS, and anyone with contacts in the region, to request specific information from the Italian Navy on the nature, timing, and location of activities associated with Mare Aperto, including the use of active acoustic systems. Best to all, Michael Michael Jasny Senior Policy Analyst Natural Resources Defense Council 4479 W. 5th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6R1S4 tel. 604-736-9386 mob. 310-560-5536 fax 310-434-2399 mjasny@nrdc.org