6 THE EFFECTS OF SEISMIC SURVEYS ON MARINE MAMMALS

• Main Authors: Jonathan C. D. Gordon, Douglas Gillespie, John Potter, Ros Frantzis, Mark P. Simmonds, Rene Swift
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: baleen whales
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.203.5209; http://www.arl.nus.edu.sg/objects/Final_paper.pdf

The intense sounds produced during seismic surveys may potentially have physical, physiological and behavioural effects on marine mammals. In addition, there may be longterm consequences due to chronic exposure, and sound could affect marine mammals indirectly by changing the accessibility of their prey species. The most likely physical/physiological effects are thought to be shifts in hearing thresholds and auditory damage. No studies have attempted to measure this directly but there are indications that, for sensitive species at least, this may occur at short to moderate ranges. Behavioural responses, including fright, avoidance and changes in behaviour and vocal behaviour, have been observed in baleen whales, odontocetes and pinnipeds; in