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Reducing Impacts of Noise from Human Activities on Cetaceans Knowledge Gap Analysis and Recommendations

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Reducing Impacts of Noise from Human Activities on Cetaceans Knowledge Gap Analysis and Recommendations 2014 Reducing Impacts of Noise from Human Activities on Cetaceans Knowledge Gap Analysis and Recommendations Prepared by Andrew J. Wright, Ph.D. For WWF Published in February 2014 by WWF, Gland, Switzerland. Any reproduction in full or in part must mention the title and credit the above-mentioned publisher as copyright holder. Text © 2014 A. J. Wright / WWF Written by Andrew J. Wright, Department of Environmental Science & Policy, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, U.S.A. Cover image: © John Calambokidis, Cascadia Research Suggested citation Wright, A.J. 2014. Reducing Impacts of Human Ocean Noise on Cetaceans: Knowledge Gap Analysis and Recommendations. WWF International, Gland, Switzerland Prepared under contract for WWF International, Avenue du Mont-Blanc 27, 1196 Gland, Switzerland Authors Acknowledgements Thanks to WWF International for funding this report. Additionally, many thanks to Jakob Tougaard and Courtney Smith for extensive helpful discussions on a number of the topics and details contained within these pages. I am also grateful to Mikhail Babenko, Louise Blight and Aimée Leslie of WWF, as well as Thea Bechshøft, Chris Parsons and Leslie Walsh for their helpful comments on earlier versions of the report. Finally, thanks to Mark Simmonds and Naomi Rose for their help and advice with the overview and direc- tion of this report, and to Richard Greene and Michael Jasny for their assistance with tracking down various documents and publications. About WWF Since 1992, WWF’s Global Arctic Programme has been working with our partners across the Arctic to com- bat threats to the Arctic and to preserve its rich biodiversity in a sustainable way. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. CONTENTS Foreword v From the author vii Executive Summary viii Background 1 1. Introduction 2 2. A Brief Review of Sound, Noise and Cetaceans 5 3. Legal Status of Noise 8 Current Management and Mitigation 11 4. Management Tools 12 4.1. The Management Process 12 4.2. Marine Spatial Planning and Marine Protected Areas 13 4.3. Alternative Technologies 14 4.4. Planning and Environmental Impact Assessments 15 4.5. Science and Society in the Management Process 16 4.6. Noise Exposure Thresholds 17 4.7. Monitoring and Reintegration of Information 19 4.8. Compliance and Enforcement 20 5. Mitigation Options 21 5.1. Visual Observers, Safety/Exclusion Zones and Shutdowns 21 5.2. Passive Acoustic Monitoring 23 5.3. Active Acoustic Monitoring 24 5.4. Ramp-Ups / Soft Starts 24 5.5. Mitigation Sources 27 5.6. Bubbles, Cofferdams and Isolation Casings 28 5.7. Operational Measures 29 6. Current Management and Mitigations by Activity 30 6.1. Oil and Gas Activities 30 6.2. Military Exercises 34 6.3. Commercial Shipping 38 6.4. Pile Driving 40 6.5. Other Human Activities 44 A Path Forward 47 7. Addressing Scientific Knowledge Gaps 48 8. Main Recommendations 52 8.1. Cross-Purpose Long-Term Solutions 52 8.2. Cross-Purpose Medium- and Short-Term Solutions 54 8.3. Medium- and Short-Term Solutions for Oil and Gas 56 8.4. Medium- and Short-Term Solutions for Shipping 58 8.5. Medium- and Short-Term Solutions for Pile Driving 60 8.6. Solutions for Naval Activity 61 8.7. Solutions for Other Human Activities 62 8.8. Special Considerations 64 9. An Example of Regional Considerations: Applicability to the Arctic 67 References 73 Appendix 1: Glossary of Abbreviations 83 “The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased; and not impaired in value.” President Theodore Roosevelt “Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute.” Henry Wheeler Shaw (under the name Josh Billings) “A noise annoys an oyster, But a noisy noise annoys an oyster more.” R.P. Weston and Bert Lee, from the song “A Noise Annoys an Oyster” iv Reducing Impacts of Noise from Human Activities on Cetaceans We are living in a period of major and rapid change – FOREWORD technological change, climate change, attitude change, consumption pattern change. These changes have driven human activities into areas previously pristine and si- lent, affecting ecosystems and wildlife, which in turn affect us. The ocean is one of the frontiers experiencing increasing human activity in forms including shipping, oil and gas development, and deep-water mining. Many human activities in the ocean create significant noise. The impacts of noise on different marine species are increasingly being documented and understood (although much has yet to be confirmed regarding the significance of these ef- fects). Previously silent ocean areas such as the Arctic are now exposed to noise pollution. When this exposure is added to stress from climate change, acidifica- tion, and other pressures, the consequences add up for life in the Arctic Ocean, and other oceans too. WWF’s objective in commissioning this report was to collate available knowledge about noise and cetaceans, examples of good regulations, and analyze the different mitigation measures currently available to address this complex issue. We believe that current knowledge needs to be translated into new policy and practical ac- tions now, with a focus on the reduction of noise at the source through industry guidelines, technology improvements and regulation at a national and internation- al level. Companies that want to be seen as responsible can adopt best practices immediately. Governments that want to be seen as responsible can immediately begin work on regulating sources of ocean noise. Many stressors that affect natural systems and the people who rely on them are complex and difficult to resolve. Reducing ocean noise is relatively simple and eminently achievable. WWF International iv Reducing Impacts of Noise from Human Activities on Cetaceans Reducing Impacts of Noise from Human Activities on Cetaceans v Killer whale Off the coast of Kamchatka Peninsula, Russian Federation © Kevin Schafer / WWF-Canon vi Reducing Impacts of Noise from Human Activities on Cetaceans Human activity in and on the oceans introduces noise into the FROM THE marine environment that affects the lives of marine mammals and AUTHOR other marine species. The topic of marine mammals and underwater noise is a subject that has been addressed in a number of previous reports, books and assorted literature. Almost invariably, these docu- ments have included some level of introduction to a number of the basic concepts involved in acoustics or the study of sound. Although worthy in their intent, the pages that followed these primers have typically included increasing amounts of jargon and references to specific levels of sound. The latter is of particular note as this can lead many uninitiated readers into difficulties. There are many reasons for this, not least of which is the fact that there are a large number of different ways to measure sound. Although sound is typically associated with the unit decibel (dB), this is a relative measure (like a percentage) rather than absolute one. Fur- thermore, scientists may report levels of sound in terms of pressure, energy, or intensity and may measure and report those values in different ways over different times. As a result, many scientists may occasionally miss a clarification or even mix things up themselves, making their results difficult to interpret or apply. This report is intended for policy makers, who are not expected to have a back- ground in acoustics. It is not intended to be an extensive review of the impacts of noise on marine mammals. Instead, it is intended to provide information about the various options available to managers for reducing the human contribution to underwater noise. As a result, I have attempted to exclude unnecessary jargon and leave out specific values in favour of plain language and relative statements, such as louder or quieter. Specific values are not necessary to instil in a reader the un- derstanding that one action introduces a certain amount of noise into the marine environment. Nor are they needed to convey the idea that a second action might be able to reduce the noise levels that move, or propagate, away from the original source and into the marine environment. Therefore, some of the many subtleties presented in other reviews or original scientific reports may have been glossed over in favour of a more widely acces- sible presentation of the most relevant information. To address this minor limita- tion, references to other reports as well as the primary literature are presented to readers so that any who are interested in learning more will be quickly able to look further into the subject. It is my intention that this report should provide a means of access into these materials for both policy makers and the general public. Finally this report contains a number of various recommendations for actions that may help reduce underwater noise. Some of these are quite forward looking, while others are more immediately applicable. Although some have been mentioned elsewhere, I have also attempted to consider the wider picture and offer some more original suggestions. I hope these recommendations will help guide policy decisions that benefit marine life in general by reducing human-introduced ocean noise, while not constraining commercial activities to any great extent. As always, the content of these pages represents just another step forward in the developing process of managing human impact on the environment. I look forward to any discourse these recommendations may generate. Andrew J. Wright, Ph.D. 1st October, 2013 vi Reducing Impacts of Noise from Human Activities on Cetaceans Reducing Impacts of Noise from Human Activities on Cetaceans vii Due to the physics of the underwater environment and EXECUTIVE factors such as turbidity, sound travels much further than light in the oceans.
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