Presentation
Use of Passive Acoustic Monitoring to Track Marine Mammals at Offshore Windfarm Sites
SessionWildlife - Impacts
DescriptionThere is significant public and scientific concern that the construction and operations of
offshore windfarms (OSWF) may affect local marine wildlife populations, including
cetaceans such as dolphins, whales, and porpoises. Stressors that have been reported to cause
changes in the distribution and abundance of different cetacean species include anthropogenic
noise and the low-frequency noise generated by working turbines. Furthermore, there is
public concern that the electric and magnetic fields produced by OSWF-associated submarine
cables may adversely affect marine species, mirroring the public concern over alleged human
health effects. However, unlike other aquatic species (i.e., fish, along with pelagic and benthic
invertebrates), cetacean populations are notably difficult to track and quantify in oceanic
environments as a result of large home ranges, seasonal and migratory habitat usage,
avoidance behaviors, and protection under the Marine Mammal Protection Act that limits
permits and types of studies that can be conducted. Traditional visual count survey methods
can be costly, often have a low detection probability, and also often fail to accurately quantify
cetacean populations. Aerial and vessel-based surveys also present potential safety hazards or
can be limited by inclement weather; such studies also cannot be conducted at night.
However, cetaceans produce a wide range of species-specific vocalizations, including lowfrequency moans and high-frequency clicks. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) uses stateof-the-art technology to simultaneously record and analyze vocalizations from multiple
species and can provide species-specific estimates of population density and seasonal
movements. PAM data can differentiate sounds made for communication between individuals
from sounds made during foraging attempts, and various regulatory agencies and industry
groups are currently using this approach to document the presence and abundance of
cetaceans and potentially to identify new species. PAM was successfully used in conjunction
with aerial surveys and satellite tracking to assess potential injury to cetaceans following the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill and is currently being implemented in pre-construction
assessments at windfarms along the U.S. Atlantic coast. Advances in PAM technology also
allow for additional analysis on fish species and boat traffic using the same acoustic data.
When employed at OSWF sites, PAM can provide key baseline cetacean population data, and
collection of data during the operation phase will allow for complex assessment of whether
OSWFs have significant effects on cetaceans. For projects with high likelihoods of regulatory
action or public interest in cetaceans, collection of such data may prove useful in cases of
allegations of OSWF projects causing harm (either physically or behaviorally) to cetacean
populations. If pre-existing PAM is underway within a proposed project area (such as
government or academic monitoring programs), cooperation between these standing programs
and OSWF companies can bolster data collection and usability and maximize the ability to
protect cetaceans.
offshore windfarms (OSWF) may affect local marine wildlife populations, including
cetaceans such as dolphins, whales, and porpoises. Stressors that have been reported to cause
changes in the distribution and abundance of different cetacean species include anthropogenic
noise and the low-frequency noise generated by working turbines. Furthermore, there is
public concern that the electric and magnetic fields produced by OSWF-associated submarine
cables may adversely affect marine species, mirroring the public concern over alleged human
health effects. However, unlike other aquatic species (i.e., fish, along with pelagic and benthic
invertebrates), cetacean populations are notably difficult to track and quantify in oceanic
environments as a result of large home ranges, seasonal and migratory habitat usage,
avoidance behaviors, and protection under the Marine Mammal Protection Act that limits
permits and types of studies that can be conducted. Traditional visual count survey methods
can be costly, often have a low detection probability, and also often fail to accurately quantify
cetacean populations. Aerial and vessel-based surveys also present potential safety hazards or
can be limited by inclement weather; such studies also cannot be conducted at night.
However, cetaceans produce a wide range of species-specific vocalizations, including lowfrequency moans and high-frequency clicks. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) uses stateof-the-art technology to simultaneously record and analyze vocalizations from multiple
species and can provide species-specific estimates of population density and seasonal
movements. PAM data can differentiate sounds made for communication between individuals
from sounds made during foraging attempts, and various regulatory agencies and industry
groups are currently using this approach to document the presence and abundance of
cetaceans and potentially to identify new species. PAM was successfully used in conjunction
with aerial surveys and satellite tracking to assess potential injury to cetaceans following the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill and is currently being implemented in pre-construction
assessments at windfarms along the U.S. Atlantic coast. Advances in PAM technology also
allow for additional analysis on fish species and boat traffic using the same acoustic data.
When employed at OSWF sites, PAM can provide key baseline cetacean population data, and
collection of data during the operation phase will allow for complex assessment of whether
OSWFs have significant effects on cetaceans. For projects with high likelihoods of regulatory
action or public interest in cetaceans, collection of such data may prove useful in cases of
allegations of OSWF projects causing harm (either physically or behaviorally) to cetacean
populations. If pre-existing PAM is underway within a proposed project area (such as
government or academic monitoring programs), cooperation between these standing programs
and OSWF companies can bolster data collection and usability and maximize the ability to
protect cetaceans.
Event Type
Paper
TimeWednesday, May 15th8:20am - 8:40am CDT
Location278-280
Remediation