Lack of behavioural responses of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) indicate limited effectiveness of sonar mitigation

• Published in: Journal of experimental biology Vol. 220; no. 22; pp. 4150 - 4161
• Main Authors: Wensveen, Paul J., Kvadsheim, Petter H., Lam, Frans-Peter A., Benda-Beckmann, Alexander M., Sivle, Lise D., Visser, Fleur, Cure, Charlotte, Tyack, Peter L., Miller, Patrick J. O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Company of Biologists 01.01.2017
• Subjects: Environmental Sciences; ACLI; FAUNE; ANTHROPOGENIC NOISE; CEREMA; BALEEN WHALE; IMPACT; NAVAL SONAR; HEARING LOSS; BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSE; RAMP-UP; RISQUE; INTERNATIONAL; AUDITION

Exposure to underwater sound can cause permanent hearing loss and other physiological effects in marine animals. To reduce this risk, naval sonars are sometimes gradually increased in intensity at the start of transmission (?ramp-up'). Here, we conducted experiments in which tagged humpback wha...