Data from: Harbour seals avoid tidal turbine noise: implications for collision risk ...

• Main Authors: Hastie, Gordon D., Russell, Debbie J. F., Lepper, Paul, Elliott, Jim, Wilson, Ben, Benjamins, Steven, Thompson, Dave
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2017
• Subjects: Tidal turbines; Renewable energy; Seals; Pinnipeds; Marine spatial planning; Underwater noise; Marine mammals; Avoidance; Phoca vitulina; Collision risk; Behavioural responses
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vt2b3; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.vt2b3

1. Tidal stream energy converters (turbines) are currently being installed in tidally energetic coastal sites. However, there is currently a high level of uncertainty surrounding the potential environmental impacts on marine mammals. This is a key consenting risk to commercial introduction of tidal energy technology. Concerns derive primarily from the potential for injury to marine mammals through collisions with moving components of turbines. To understand the nature of this risk, information on how animals respond to tidal turbines is urgently required. 2. We measured the behaviour of harbour seals in response to acoustic playbacks of simulated tidal turbine sound within a narrow coastal channel subject to strong, tidally induced currents. This was carried out using data from animal-borne GPS tags and shore-based observations, which were analysed to quantify behavioural responses to the turbine sound. 3. Results showed that the playback state (silent control or turbine signal) was not a significant ... : JApEcol_Hastie_etal_observation_data_DryadLand based observer data (.xlsx) used in the analysis of seal responses to tidal turbine sounds. This is effectively counts of seals observed in the water during acoustic playbacks of tidal turbine sound and silent controls. Data were collected by a series of observers located on a clifftop overlooking the study area (Kyle Rhea, Isle of Skye, Scotland) README file is provided as a tab in the file.JApEcol_Hastie_etal_seal_telemetry_data_DryadHarbour seal telemetry data (.xlsx) used in the analysis of changes in usage with distance from the location of playbacks of tidal turbine sound. The data are regularised lat-lon locations from 10 individual harbour seals tagged with GPS telemetry devices. README is provided as a tab in the file.STIMweighted_J11_1hour_withRampSound file (.wav) used during playbacks of simulated tidal turbine sound to harbour seals to investigate avoidance responses. The file has a 10 second ramp at the start and end of the file, and is frequency ...