Library:Implications of wind and vessel noise on the sound fields experienced by southern resident killer whales Orcinus orca in the Salish Sea (research)
The Implications of wind and vessel noise on the sound fields experienced by southern resident killer whales Orcinus orca in the Salish Sea is a study by Rianna E. Burnham, Svein Vagle, Pramod Thupaki, and Sheila J. Thornton from the journal “Endangered Species Research”.
The study was on the sound fields experienced by southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea, and explores the potential implications of wind and vessel noise on these sound fields.
Purpose
The purpose of the study was to characterize the acoustic landscape experienced by southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea, focusing on the frequencies used for communication and echolocation. The study aimed to explore the potential implications of wind and vessel noise on the sound fields experienced by these whales, and how different noise scenarios may reduce communication or echolocation ranges. This work forms part of a baseline evaluation of the acoustic environmental quality of the Salish Sea for southern resident killer whales.
Findings
The study found that the soundscape of critical habitat for southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea is shaped by wind and wave noise as well as heavy commercial and recreational vessel traffic. Mid-frequency wind noise was prevalent in winter sound fields, whereas higher-frequency noise levels associated with increased numbers of recreational vessels increased during summer. Commercial vessel presence was consistent, with acoustic inputs prevalent in the western part of the study area. The study suggests that vessel noise could negatively impact a whale’s ability to search for and pursue prey at each step of foraging by foreshortening distances over which conspecifics can coordinate feeding behaviours.
Conclusions
The study concluded that the presence and impact of vessel noise was greater than wind-derived additions, with the greatest impacts around shipping lanes. Impacts were found for southern resident killer whale foraging areas, with implications for group cohesion and feeding success. The study suggests that altered soundscapes due to wind and vessel noise could have potential implications for southern resident killer whales, including reduced communication or echolocation ranges. This interpretation of the influence of natural and vessel noise more clearly demonstrates the potential implications of altered soundscapes for southern resident killer whales.