Large Vessel Activity and Low-Frequency Underwater Sound Benchmarks in United States Waters
Chronic low-frequency noise from commercial shipping is a worldwide threat to marine animals that rely on sound for essential life functions. Although the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recognizes the potential negative impacts of shipping noise in marine environments, there ar...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-11-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.669528/full |
| _version_ | 1817986221144539136 |
|---|---|
| author | Samara M. Haver Samara M. Haver Jeffrey D. Adams Leila T. Hatch Sofie M. Van Parijs Robert P. Dziak Joseph Haxel Scott A. Heppell Megan F. McKenna David K. Mellinger David K. Mellinger Jason Gedamke |
| author_facet | Samara M. Haver Samara M. Haver Jeffrey D. Adams Leila T. Hatch Sofie M. Van Parijs Robert P. Dziak Joseph Haxel Scott A. Heppell Megan F. McKenna David K. Mellinger David K. Mellinger Jason Gedamke |
| author_sort | Samara M. Haver |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Chronic low-frequency noise from commercial shipping is a worldwide threat to marine animals that rely on sound for essential life functions. Although the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recognizes the potential negative impacts of shipping noise in marine environments, there are currently no standard metrics to monitor and quantify shipping noise in U.S. marine waters. However, one-third octave band acoustic measurements centered at 63 and 125 Hz are used as international (European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive) indicators for underwater ambient noise levels driven by shipping activity. We apply these metrics to passive acoustic monitoring data collected over 20 months in 2016–2017 at five dispersed sites throughout the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone: Alaskan Arctic, Hawaii, Gulf of Mexico, Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument (Northwest Atlantic), and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Northeast Pacific). To verify the relationship between shipping activity and underwater sound levels, vessel movement data from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) were paired to each passive acoustic monitoring site. Daily average sound levels were consistently near to or higher than 100 dB re 1 μPa in both the 63 and 125 Hz one-third octave bands at sites with high levels of shipping traffic (Gulf of Mexico, Northeast Canyons and Seamounts, and Cordell Bank). Where cargo vessels were less common (the Arctic and Hawaii), daily average sound levels were comparatively lower. Specifically, sound levels were ∼20 dB lower year-round in Hawaii and ∼10-20 dB lower in the Alaskan Arctic, depending on the season. Although these band-level measurements can only generally facilitate differentiation of sound sources, these results demonstrate that international acoustic indicators of commercial shipping can be applied to data collected in U.S. waters as a unified metric to approximate the influence of shipping as a driver of ambient noise levels, provide critical information to managers and policy makers about the status of marine environments, and to identify places and times for more detailed investigation regarding environmental impacts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T00:07:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4bbae5ffe2944faa98cce3f6556b5024 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T00:07:37Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-4bbae5ffe2944faa98cce3f6556b50242022-12-22T02:23:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452021-11-01810.3389/fmars.2021.669528669528Large Vessel Activity and Low-Frequency Underwater Sound Benchmarks in United States WatersSamara M. Haver0Samara M. Haver1Jeffrey D. Adams2Leila T. Hatch3Sofie M. Van Parijs4Robert P. Dziak5Joseph Haxel6Scott A. Heppell7Megan F. McKenna8David K. Mellinger9David K. Mellinger10Jason Gedamke11Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesCooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Resources Studies, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and Oregon State University, Newport, OR, United StatesOffice of Protected Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, Silver Spring, MD, United StatesStellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Scituate, MA, United StatesNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, MA, United StatesNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR, United StatesCoastal Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sequim, WA, United StatesDepartment of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesHopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, United StatesCooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Resources Studies, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and Oregon State University, Newport, OR, United StatesMarine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, United States0Office of Science and Technology, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, Silver Spring, MD, United StatesChronic low-frequency noise from commercial shipping is a worldwide threat to marine animals that rely on sound for essential life functions. Although the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recognizes the potential negative impacts of shipping noise in marine environments, there are currently no standard metrics to monitor and quantify shipping noise in U.S. marine waters. However, one-third octave band acoustic measurements centered at 63 and 125 Hz are used as international (European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive) indicators for underwater ambient noise levels driven by shipping activity. We apply these metrics to passive acoustic monitoring data collected over 20 months in 2016–2017 at five dispersed sites throughout the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone: Alaskan Arctic, Hawaii, Gulf of Mexico, Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument (Northwest Atlantic), and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Northeast Pacific). To verify the relationship between shipping activity and underwater sound levels, vessel movement data from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) were paired to each passive acoustic monitoring site. Daily average sound levels were consistently near to or higher than 100 dB re 1 μPa in both the 63 and 125 Hz one-third octave bands at sites with high levels of shipping traffic (Gulf of Mexico, Northeast Canyons and Seamounts, and Cordell Bank). Where cargo vessels were less common (the Arctic and Hawaii), daily average sound levels were comparatively lower. Specifically, sound levels were ∼20 dB lower year-round in Hawaii and ∼10-20 dB lower in the Alaskan Arctic, depending on the season. Although these band-level measurements can only generally facilitate differentiation of sound sources, these results demonstrate that international acoustic indicators of commercial shipping can be applied to data collected in U.S. waters as a unified metric to approximate the influence of shipping as a driver of ambient noise levels, provide critical information to managers and policy makers about the status of marine environments, and to identify places and times for more detailed investigation regarding environmental impacts.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.669528/fullpassive acoustic monitoringanthropogenic noisesoundscapeautomatic information systemsbiologically important areas |
| spellingShingle | Samara M. Haver Samara M. Haver Jeffrey D. Adams Leila T. Hatch Sofie M. Van Parijs Robert P. Dziak Joseph Haxel Scott A. Heppell Megan F. McKenna David K. Mellinger David K. Mellinger Jason Gedamke Large Vessel Activity and Low-Frequency Underwater Sound Benchmarks in United States Waters Frontiers in Marine Science passive acoustic monitoring anthropogenic noise soundscape automatic information systems biologically important areas |
| title | Large Vessel Activity and Low-Frequency Underwater Sound Benchmarks in United States Waters |
| title_full | Large Vessel Activity and Low-Frequency Underwater Sound Benchmarks in United States Waters |
| title_fullStr | Large Vessel Activity and Low-Frequency Underwater Sound Benchmarks in United States Waters |
| title_full_unstemmed | Large Vessel Activity and Low-Frequency Underwater Sound Benchmarks in United States Waters |
| title_short | Large Vessel Activity and Low-Frequency Underwater Sound Benchmarks in United States Waters |
| title_sort | large vessel activity and low frequency underwater sound benchmarks in united states waters |
| topic | passive acoustic monitoring anthropogenic noise soundscape automatic information systems biologically important areas |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.669528/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samaramhaver largevesselactivityandlowfrequencyunderwatersoundbenchmarksinunitedstateswaters AT samaramhaver largevesselactivityandlowfrequencyunderwatersoundbenchmarksinunitedstateswaters AT jeffreydadams largevesselactivityandlowfrequencyunderwatersoundbenchmarksinunitedstateswaters AT leilathatch largevesselactivityandlowfrequencyunderwatersoundbenchmarksinunitedstateswaters AT sofiemvanparijs largevesselactivityandlowfrequencyunderwatersoundbenchmarksinunitedstateswaters AT robertpdziak largevesselactivityandlowfrequencyunderwatersoundbenchmarksinunitedstateswaters AT josephhaxel largevesselactivityandlowfrequencyunderwatersoundbenchmarksinunitedstateswaters AT scottaheppell largevesselactivityandlowfrequencyunderwatersoundbenchmarksinunitedstateswaters AT meganfmckenna largevesselactivityandlowfrequencyunderwatersoundbenchmarksinunitedstateswaters AT davidkmellinger largevesselactivityandlowfrequencyunderwatersoundbenchmarksinunitedstateswaters AT davidkmellinger largevesselactivityandlowfrequencyunderwatersoundbenchmarksinunitedstateswaters AT jasongedamke largevesselactivityandlowfrequencyunderwatersoundbenchmarksinunitedstateswaters |