Vocal count responses of narwhals to bulk carrier noise in Milne Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
Abstract Concerns were raised about possible behavioral disturbance to narwhals ( Monodon monoceros ) when exposed to shipping noise in Milne Inlet, Baffin Island, Canada. We deployed passive acoustic recorders in August and September 2018 and 2019, along and adjacent to the nominal shipping corrido...
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crwiley:10.1111/mms.13028 2024-09-15T17:57:05+00:00 Vocal count responses of narwhals to bulk carrier noise in Milne Inlet, Nunavut, Canada Radtke, Crystal L. Terhune, John M. Frouin‐Mouy, Héloïse Rouget, Philippe A. University of New Brunswick 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.13028 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/mms.13028 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Marine Mammal Science volume 39, issue 4, page 1057-1075 ISSN 0824-0469 1748-7692 journal-article 2023 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.13028 2024-08-30T04:10:53Z Abstract Concerns were raised about possible behavioral disturbance to narwhals ( Monodon monoceros ) when exposed to shipping noise in Milne Inlet, Baffin Island, Canada. We deployed passive acoustic recorders in August and September 2018 and 2019, along and adjacent to the nominal shipping corridor. We measured broadband (0.01–25 kHz) sound pressure levels (SPL) after correcting for the auditory weighting function of high frequency cetaceans. Received SPLs and counts of Whistles, Buzzes, and Knocks were compared in a before‐during‐after study of individual bulk carrier transits, relative to periods with no ships. Narwhal call counts were generally lower once bulk carriers were within line‐of‐sight, including when ship noise levels were just above ambient noise levels. Call counts varied both “before” and “after” individual bulk carriers passed by the recorders. There was no evidence of a behavioral threshold SPL below which a response did not occur. We did not observe call count reductions to the same extent in 2019 compared to 2018 as higher ambient noise levels in 2019 likely masked some individual ship noise. There was no evidence of habituation or sensitization to the bulk carrier noise within or between years. Continued acoustic monitoring is recommended, especially if bulk carrier transits increase. Article in Journal/Newspaper Baffin Island Baffin Monodon monoceros narwhal* Nunavut Wiley Online Library Marine Mammal Science 39 4 1057 1075 |
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Abstract Concerns were raised about possible behavioral disturbance to narwhals ( Monodon monoceros ) when exposed to shipping noise in Milne Inlet, Baffin Island, Canada. We deployed passive acoustic recorders in August and September 2018 and 2019, along and adjacent to the nominal shipping corridor. We measured broadband (0.01–25 kHz) sound pressure levels (SPL) after correcting for the auditory weighting function of high frequency cetaceans. Received SPLs and counts of Whistles, Buzzes, and Knocks were compared in a before‐during‐after study of individual bulk carrier transits, relative to periods with no ships. Narwhal call counts were generally lower once bulk carriers were within line‐of‐sight, including when ship noise levels were just above ambient noise levels. Call counts varied both “before” and “after” individual bulk carriers passed by the recorders. There was no evidence of a behavioral threshold SPL below which a response did not occur. We did not observe call count reductions to the same extent in 2019 compared to 2018 as higher ambient noise levels in 2019 likely masked some individual ship noise. There was no evidence of habituation or sensitization to the bulk carrier noise within or between years. Continued acoustic monitoring is recommended, especially if bulk carrier transits increase. |
author2 |
University of New Brunswick |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Radtke, Crystal L. Terhune, John M. Frouin‐Mouy, Héloïse Rouget, Philippe A. |
spellingShingle |
Radtke, Crystal L. Terhune, John M. Frouin‐Mouy, Héloïse Rouget, Philippe A. Vocal count responses of narwhals to bulk carrier noise in Milne Inlet, Nunavut, Canada |
author_facet |
Radtke, Crystal L. Terhune, John M. Frouin‐Mouy, Héloïse Rouget, Philippe A. |
author_sort |
Radtke, Crystal L. |
title |
Vocal count responses of narwhals to bulk carrier noise in Milne Inlet, Nunavut, Canada |
title_short |
Vocal count responses of narwhals to bulk carrier noise in Milne Inlet, Nunavut, Canada |
title_full |
Vocal count responses of narwhals to bulk carrier noise in Milne Inlet, Nunavut, Canada |
title_fullStr |
Vocal count responses of narwhals to bulk carrier noise in Milne Inlet, Nunavut, Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
Vocal count responses of narwhals to bulk carrier noise in Milne Inlet, Nunavut, Canada |
title_sort |
vocal count responses of narwhals to bulk carrier noise in milne inlet, nunavut, canada |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.13028 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/mms.13028 |
genre |
Baffin Island Baffin Monodon monoceros narwhal* Nunavut |
genre_facet |
Baffin Island Baffin Monodon monoceros narwhal* Nunavut |
op_source |
Marine Mammal Science volume 39, issue 4, page 1057-1075 ISSN 0824-0469 1748-7692 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.13028 |
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Marine Mammal Science |
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39 |
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4 |
container_start_page |
1057 |
op_container_end_page |
1075 |
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1810433270991552512 |