All,

This summer, a series of experiments to study deep-diving cetaceans was conducted in the Tongue of the Ocean, just off Andros Island in the Bahamas.  In addition to extensive photo-identification efforts, specialized archival tags ("D-tags" from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) were deployed on both Blainville's beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) and short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) to determine baseline diving, foraging, and social behavior.  Using careful protocols and monitoring, controlled sound exposures were used in two occassions to obtain detailed information regarding the behavioral reactions of these species to both natural and artificial sounds in the mid-frequency (1-10 kHz) band.  The initial results, while admittedly limited in several regards, demonstrate that these kinds of established procedures can be applied safely to deep-diving cetaceans using mid-frequency sounds and yield detailed information about behavioral responses.

The BRS scientific team has prepared a short cruise report summary for BRS-07 that is now publically available at: <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/brs-07.htm>  Please note that this is not a peer-reviewed document and is not intended for citation.  It is simply a summary of the results of the first phase of BRS at a relatively early stage of analysis.  Additional analyses are underway and results will be subjected to the scientific peer-review process in due course.  A complete cruise report will be available, on request, at a later point.  Anyone interested in the initial results should contact the contributing scientists on the BRS team for permission and direction regarding appropriate referencing of information in the interim.

Regards,
Brandon Southall (principal investigator)
    on behalf of the BRS core science team:
Ian Boyd
Christopher Clark
Peter Tyack
Diane Claridge

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brandon L. Southall, Ph.D.
Director, NOAA Ocean Acoustics Program
National Marine Fisheries Service
Office of Science and Technology
1315 East West Hwy, SSMC III #12539
Silver Spring, MD 20910-6233
Brandon.Southall@noaa.gov
301-713-2363 x163 (office)
301-713-1875 (FAX)
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/ 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brandon L. Southall, Ph.D.
Director, NOAA Ocean Acoustics Program
National Marine Fisheries Service
Office of Science and Technology
1315 East West Hwy, SSMC III #12539
Silver Spring, MD 20910-6233
Brandon.Southall@noaa.gov
301-713-2363 x163 (office)
301-713-1875 (FAX)
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/ 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~