Assessment of bioacoustic impact of ships on humpback whales in Glacier Bay, Alaska
Erbe C. 2003. Assessment of bioacoustic impact of ships on humpback whales in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Gustavus, AK
The objective of this study was to assess whether ships travelling in Glacier Bay, Alaska, had any acoustic impact on humpback whales. The type of bioacoustic impact and impact ranges were determined. This study made use of a software package that had originally been developed by the author for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, for the purpose of assessing anthropogenic (human-caused), bioacoustic impact on the marine environment. However, due to limitations in knowledge about the hearing thresholds of humpback whales, the model is based on a transfer of data from odontocetes, pinnipeds and terrestrial mammals to humpback whales. The feasibility and accuracy of such an interspecies transfer is highly debatable. Therefore, the results of this modeling exercise should not be used for environmental decision-making.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Erbe, Christine
- Date of Issue
- 2003-05
- Publisher
- Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
- Units
- GLBA
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Bioacoustics, Mammalia (Mammals), Soundscape