Leisure boating noise as a trigger for the displacement of the bottlenose dolphins of the Cres–Lošinj archipelago (northern Adriatic Sea, Croatia)

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 68; no. 1-2; pp. 77 - 84
• Main Authors: Rako, Nikolina, Fortuna, Caterina Maria, Holcer, Draško, Mackelworth, Peter, Nimak-Wood, Maja, Pleslić, Grgur, Sebastianutto, Linda, Vilibić, Ivica, Wiemann, Annika, Picciulin, Marta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15.03.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acoustic noise; Acoustics; Adriatic Sea; Animal and plant ecology; Animal Migration; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Anthropogenic noise; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; boating; Boats; Bottle-Nosed Dolphin - physiology; Bottlenose dolphin distribution; Cres–Lošinj; Croatia; data collection; Dolphins; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Leisure Activities; Leisure boating impact; Mammalia; Marine; Marine and brackish environment; Noise; Noise, Transportation - statistics & numerical data; Sea ambient noise; Sea water ecosystems; Seasons; Ships - statistics & numerical data; Stations; Styrene acrylonitrile resins; summer; Synecology; temporal variation; traffic; Tursiops truncatus; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; water pollution; Europe; Southern Europe; Mediterranean Sea; Balkan Peninsula; Adriatic Sea; Mediterranean Basin; Croatia; MED, Adriatic Sea; MED, Croatia; Sea ambient noise; Anthropogenic noise; Leisure boating impact; Bottlenose dolphin distribution; Cres–Lošinj; Noise; Displacement; Tursiops truncatus; Marine environment; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Leisure; Cres-Losinj; Cetacea; Anthropogenic factor
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.12.019

► Leisure boating is the major source of anthropogenic noise in the sea. ► Leisure boating noise affects dolphin distribution in the study area. ► Dolphin displacements are reported during the season of highest boat presence. ► Highest sea ambient noise levels characterizes areas of the most intense boating. ► Reduced dolphin presence characterizes area of highest sea ambient noise. The waters of the Cres–Lošinj archipelago are subject to intense boat traffic related to the high number of leisure boats frequenting this area during the summer tourist season. Boat noise dominates the acoustic environment of the local bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population. This study investigates the spatial and temporal change in the underwater noise levels due to intense boating, and its effect on the distribution of the bottlenose dolphins. In the period 2007–2009 sea ambient noise (SAN) was sampled across ten acoustic stations. During data collection the presence of leisure boats was recorded if they were within 2km of the sampling station. Bottlenose dolphin spatial distribution was monitored in the same period. Results showed a strong positive correlation between high SAN levels and boat presence, particularly in the tourist season. Dolphin distribution indicated significant seasonal displacements from noisy areas characterized by the intense leisure boating.