Five year noise study planned

In the most extensive project of its kind, US scientists will soon be heading to the Santa Barbara Channel to begin a five-year study on how whales, dolphins and other marine mammals react to man-made sounds such as Navy sonar, ship engines and oil drilling.

Researchers from the Nation Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are leading the study with contributions from federal agencies, including the Navy, National Science Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Although there has been extensive research on whale sounds and underwater acoustics, this is the first study in which scientists will play back various sounds while monitoring how wild mammals react in the water. The study will extend from just north of Point Conception down to the Mexican Border. The researchers plan to focus much of their work on the Santa Barbara Channel and in and around San Clemente Island, owned by the Navy. The animals tagged will include blue whales, fin whales, gray whales and beaked whales, as well as several dolphin species. Two similar studies have taken place in the Mediterranean and Bahamas.

With the study playing back certain noises at low-levels and observing how the species react, the California Coastal Commission is set to look at the proposed study to ensure that it?s consistent with rules governing the study of marine mammals, particularly endangered marine mammals. The aim is to use the data to establish solid scientific support for regulating things such as Navy sonar tests, depth finders used by commercial vessels and ship engine noise.