Ships and air guns reduce social interactions in humpback whales at greater ranges than other behavioral impacts

• Published in: Marine Pollution Bulletin
• Main Authors: Dunlop, R.A., McCauley, Robert, Noad, M.J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD 2020
• Subjects: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Environmental Sciences; Marine & Freshwater Biology; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Anthropogenic noise; Baleen whale; Dose-response; Humpback whale; Seismic survey; Social behavior; MEGAPTERA-NOVAEANGLIAE; COMMUNICATION SPACE; ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION; MALE COMPETITION; MARINE MAMMALS; VESSEL NOISE; SONAR; AVOIDANCE; baleen whale; Humpback Whale; Megaptera novaeangliae
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/80231; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111072

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd Understanding the interactions between human activity in the ocean and marine mammals is a fundamental step to developing responsible mitigation measures and informing policy. Here, the response of migrating humpback whales to vessels towing seismic air gun arrays (on or off) was quantified as a reduction in their likelihood of socially interacting (joining together). Groups were significantly less likely to participate in a joining interaction in the presence of a vessel, regardless of whether or not the air guns were active. This reduction was especially pronounced in groups within a social environment that favored joining, that is, when singing whales or other groups were nearby. Seismic survey mitigation practices are designed primarily to prevent damage to whales' hearing from close-by sources. Here, we found potentially detrimental behavioral changes at much greater ranges, and much lower received levels, than those used for current mitigation recommendations.