Ocean noise and marine mammals / / Committee on Potential Impacts of Ambient Noise in the Ocean on Marine Mammals, Ocean Studies Board, Division on Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council of the National Academies

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910957302303321
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Washington, D.C., : National Academic Press, c2003
• ISBN: 9786610183180; 9780309133159; 0309133157; 9781280183188; 1280183187; 9780309506946; 0309506948
• Edizione: [1st ed.]
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (219 p.)
• Disciplina: 571.9/75195
• Soggetti: Marine mammals - Effect of noise on; Marine mammals - Vocalization
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references.
• Nota di contenuto: Intro -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- Executive Summary -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Sources of Sound in the Ocean and Long-Term Trends in Ocean Noise -- 3 Effects of Noise on Marine Mammals -- 4 Modeling and Databases of Noise in the Marine Environment -- 5 Findings and Recommendations -- References -- Appendix A Committee and Staff Biographies -- Appendix B Acronym List -- Appendix C Examples of Underwater Acoustics Noise Models -- Appendix D Research Recommendations from Previous NRC Reports (1994, 2000) -- Appendix E Glossary of Terms -- Appendix F Biological Terms -- Color Plates.
• Sommario/riassunto: For the 119 species of marine mammals, as well as for some other aquatic animals, sound is the primary means of learning about the environment and of communicating, navigating, and foraging. The possibility that human-generated noise could harm marine mammals ; or significantly interfere with their normal activities is an issue of increasing concern. Noise and its potential impacts have been regulated since the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Public awareness of the issue escalated in 1990s when researchers began using high-intensity sound to measure ocean climate changes. More recently, the stranding of beaked whales in proximity to Navy sonar use has again put the issue in the spotlight. Ocean Noise and Marine Mammals reviews sources of noise in the ocean environment, what is known of the responses of marine mammals to acoustic disturbance, and what models exist for describing ocean noise and marine mammal responses. Recommendations are made for future data gathering efforts, studies of marine mammal behavior and physiology, and modeling efforts necessary to determine what the long- and short-term impacts of ocean noise on marine mammals.