Whales and Ship Strikes : Whales and Ship Strikes Peter L. Tyack
Biology Department
Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst
First Lego League
Science Presentations
15 Nov 2005
Concerns whales and vessel collision : Concerns whales and vessel collision Can some species not hear low freq vessel noise?
Problems with localizing low freq vessel noise?
Is reaction distance too close?
Is reaction too slow?
Whale Response to Natural Sounds Prove that they can hear and localize sound : Whale Response to Natural Sounds Prove that they can hear and localize sound Courtesy of Susan Parks
How does a right whale behave or respond in the presence of a vessel? : How does a right whale behave or respond in the presence of a vessel? Does a whale respond to approaching ships? If so, how?
At what distance does it start to respond?
Does it respond only to certain types of ships? Loud ships?
How does current behavior affect response? Sleeping? Feeding?
Slide5 : Records audio, pitch, roll, heading and depth.
6.6 GByte of memory allows 16 hours of audio recording Tag to Study Whale Behavior Developed by
Mark Johnson,
Research Engineer,
WHOI
Slide6 : Tag Is Attached With Suction Cups Using a 40’ Pole Pole technique courtesy of Michael Moore
We have noticed few responses to ANY vessel approaches : We have noticed few responses to ANY vessel approaches Whale call playbacks demonstrate right whales can hear, locate, and remember sound sources very well
Lack of responses to vessels prevents us from identifying contexts of higher or lower risk
Vessel Noise is a constant part of the environment of whales in US coastal waters : Vessel Noise is a constant part of the environment of whales in US coastal waters If they reacted every time they heard a vessel, this would interfere with feeding etc
If the vessel noise is not associated with a negative effect, whales likely to habituate
This may delay or interfere with reaction during the rare close dangerous approach
What happens as a ship closes on a whale 500-100-50-10 m? : What happens as a ship closes on a whale 500-100-50-10 m? This is the most critical issue for collision.
When do whales initiate an avoidance response?
How effective is it?
Can only be replicated safely with a smaller vessel – need to use own propulsion noise and/or playback sounds of ship.
Slide10 : Observation Vessel Tagging and Playback Vessel Field work in the Bay of Fundy
Control Alerting/Alarm Stimulus : Control Alerting/Alarm Stimulus To test experimental design, we need some stimulus likely to evoke a response
Selected based upon literature on alarms for humans
Chosen to be novel stimulus for whales – no habituation or sensitization
Frequency chosen for good hearing and localization Nowacek, D., Johnson, M., and P. Tyack. 2004 ‘North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) ignore ships but respond to alarm stimuli’, Proc. R. Soc. B., 271:227-231.
Alarm Stimulus : Alarm Stimulus
Dive Responses of Tagged Whales : Dive Responses of Tagged Whales Silent
Control Whale Calls Vessel Noise Alerting Control Nowacek, D., Johnson, M., and P. Tyack. 2004 ‘North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) ignore ships but respond to alarm stimuli’, Proc. R. Soc. B., 271:227-231.
Slide14 : Alarm Playback Dive and Fluking behavior during entire alarm playback
Effect of Alarm Response on Risk of Collision : Effect of Alarm Response on Risk of Collision Pros
5/6 Whales Move Rapidly Away
Start avoidance at low received level
Cons
1/6 whales did not respond
Whales stay 0-5 m, but only visible about 30% of time
Energetically costly response
Surfacing Response to Alerting Playback May Increase Collision Risk : Surfacing Response to Alerting Playback May Increase Collision Risk Whale normally at surface <20% of time During alarm at surface 68% ALERT
Energetic Cost of Response to Alarm : Energetic Cost of Response to Alarm More than twice the fluke rate
Continuous fluking
Energetic cost likely to be many times increased while whale hears alarm
Likely to affect all whales within several km, as ship moves through area, may affect many whales each time a ship passes with alarm on
THIS IS A REAL CONCERN IF SIGNAL IS COMMON, AS REDUCED FORAGING MAY ALREADY BE IMPACTING REPRODUCTION
Forward Directed Beam : Forward Directed Beam 1-2 km 200 m Could cause whales in cone to accelerate, move away, and come to surface. Away? Only audible in danger zone? We do not know whether combination of vertical and horizontal avoidance would increase or decrease risk Would need to study responses of whales to real ships moving at realistic speeds with and without alerting signal.
Caution re use of ship-based alarms : Caution re use of ship-based alarms Unknown effectiveness – surfacing response could increase risk of collision
Known costs to whale in lost energy and time
Needs further study
Reducing Risk of Vessel Collision : Reducing Risk of Vessel Collision Reroute ships away from whales
Ongoing whale surveys
Ships must report when enter whale waters
Successful Canadian effort to move shipping lanes
Speed restrictions
Unclear how risk scales with speed
Whale detection sonar
Unlikely to detect whales early enough
Alerting Sounds
Effectiveness must be studied
Acknowledgements: Funding : Acknowledgements: Funding Cecil and Ida Green Award,
International Fund for Animal Welfare,
Mass Environmental Trust,
Mitsubishi Co.,
National Marine Fisheries Service,
Northeast Consortium,
Office of Naval Research
Acknowledgements: Data collection : Acknowledgements: Data collection International Fund for Animal Welfare – Song of the Whale Crew
S. Brown, T. Lewis, J. Matthews, R. McLanaghan, A. Moscrop and others
New England Aquarium Right Whale Research
H. Chichester, J. Ciano, L. Conger, P. Hamilton, S. Kraus, A. Knowlton, S. Martin, B.Pike
The WHOI DTAG team
D. Allen, E. Argo, N. Biassoni, A. Bocconcelli, C. Carson, M. Johnson, A. Lohr, D. Nowacek, J. Partan, A. Shorter, P. Tyack, D. Waples and others
UNC - Ann Pabst, Bill McClellan
Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station
The WHOI Hannah T crew - M. Moore, C. Miller In memory of Emily Argo, a member of our right whale field team, and Jackie Ciano, of the New England Aquarium, who lost their lives in the crash of a survey aircraft working to protect right whales from vessel collision.