My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of the
following manuscript:
Nieukirk, S.L., Mellinger, D.K., Moore, S.E., Klinck, K., Dziak,
R.P. and Goslin, J. 2012. Sounds from airguns and fin whales
recorded in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, 1999–2009. J. Acoust. Soc.
Am. 131:1349-1358.
Between 1999 and 2009, autonomous hydrophones were deployed to
monitor seismic activity from 16° N to 50° N along the Mid-Atlantic
Ridge. These data were examined for airgun sounds produced during
offshore surveys for oil and gas deposits, as well as the 20 Hz
pulse sounds from fin whales, which may be masked by airgun noise.
An automatic detection algorithm was used to identify airgun sound
patterns, and fin whale calling levels were summarized via long-term
spectral analysis. Both airgun and fin whale sounds were recorded at
all sites. Fin whale calling rates were higher at sites north of 32°
N, increased during the late summer and fall months at all sites,
and peaked during the winter months, a time when airgun noise was
often prevalent. Seismic survey vessels were acoustically located
off the coasts of three major areas: Newfoundland, northeast Brazil,
and Senegal and Mauritania in West Africa. In some cases, airgun
sounds were recorded almost 4000 km from the survey vessel in areas
that are likely occupied by fin whales, and at some locations airgun
sounds were recorded more than 80% days/month for more than 12
consecutive months.
URL: http://link.aip.org/link/?JAS/131/1102
DOI: 10.1121/1.3672648
Please feel free to contact me for a pdf of the manuscript if you
are unable to access the link at JASA.
Sharon Nieukirk
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Sharon Nieukirk
Senior Faculty Research Assistant
CIMRS/NOAA
Hatfield Marine Science Center
2115 SE OSU Drive
Newport OR 97365-5258
email: sharon.nieukirk@noaa.gov
phone: 541-867-0268
fax: 541-867-3907