Browsing by Subject "bioacoustics"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Blue whale vocalizations off the Scotian Shelf: analysis and management implications
    (2016-04-29) Rubin, Bette
    The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is found in every ocean and is the largest animal to have ever lived on earth. The Atlantic population of blue whales is listed as Endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, which requires the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to outline measures to help the species recover. DFO is investigating how and when blue whales use the Scotian Shelf, and is identifying research and data gaps in order to determine whether or not the area could be important habitat for blue whales. My work focused on passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) data, specifically data collected at three points along the Scotian Shelf over a period of two years. The overall goal of the project is to better understand how and when blue whales use the area, and identify research and data gaps for future study, so that eventually DFO may have enough information to identify and designate critical habitat for blue whales. My objectives were to look for interannual, seasonal, diel, and spatial trends in blue whale vocalizations, and in general, to consider the effectiveness of PAM as a means of identifying important blue whale habitat.
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    Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Fin Whales (Balaenoptera physalus) Near Offshore Wind Farm Areas Off the Coast of New Jersey
    (2023-04-27) Pepper, Britney
    Increased interest in renewable energy has led to recent development of offshore wind energy; however, very little is known about the impacts that construction of wind farms may have on the maritime environment along the U.S. east coast. Large baleen whales are of particular concern due to limited knowledge of their populations, hearing abilities, and responses to human activity. This study explores the occurrence of fin whales by processing approximately nine months of acoustic data from 2008 collected by Marine Autonomous Recording Units off the coast of New Jersey that were located in what is now wind energy lease areas. Machine learning using automated detectors captured data from acoustic events, and visual confirmations of spectrograms were used in the analysis. The times with most presence and greatest quantity of vocalizations were during the late summer to the middle fall and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., respectively. The Automatic Identification System data from cargo ships in 2009 and 2019 were analyzed to help provide understanding of the potential acoustic detection ranges and masking of the recording units. The results from this study give insight to the population of fin whales, and their presence and call patterns can be used for wind farm construction recommendations and other forms of ocean construction that may impact the species while also providing a baseline for future studies.
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    Practical Approaches for Reducing Ocean Noise: Opportunities using systemic evidence synthesis, multi-sectoral dialogues, and ‘Smart Shipping’ technology to protect marine mammals from anthropogenically produced sound
    (2022-04-22) Lee, Juliette
    This Master’s Project presents data-informed strategies to minimize anthropogenic ocean noise. With the blue acceleration—the driver of human development through the use of ocean resources—we can mitigate impacts of ocean noise using technology and multi-sectoral collaboration. Anthropogenic ocean noise can be generated by offshore renewable energy development, shipping, and geophysical exploration, three key components of the blue economy. Anthropogenic ocean noise from these point sources threatens marine mammals throughout their life functions, including communication, feeding, and defense. Since the production and reception of sound is centrally important to these species, noise pollution can lead to significant consequences. Congruent with the mission of the Global Alliance for Managing Ocean Noise (GAMeON), three different approaches are presented that explore ways to proactively identify emerging concerns and solutions, to create inclusive multi-sectoral dialogues, and to map existing and emerging technologies to solve the pressing ocean challenge of human produced noise. These three approaches include evidence synthesis, multi-sectoral dialogues, and ‘smart shipping’ geospatial technology.