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Martin M, Gridley T, Elwen S, Charrier I. Inter-site variability in the Cape fur seal's behavioural response to boat noise exposure. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 196:115589. [PMID: 37776738 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
The impact of man-made noise on wildlife is recognised as a major global concern affecting many taxa in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, with the degree of impact varying among individuals or species. Understanding the factors inducing intra-species differences in response to noise is essential for the development of adapted and effective mitigation measures. This study compares the behavioural response of Cape fur seals to boat noise exposures at two study sites showing differences in their level of exposure to anthropogenic activities, and individual composition. Increased vigilance was found for Lambert's Bay seals exposed to high noise level (70-80 dB) compared to those tested at Cape Town harbour. Comparisons with a similar study performed in Namibia were made. Intrinsic factors such as individuals' age-class, sex or arousal state as well as extrinsic factors such as the ambient noise and the nature/extent of human-seal interactions were suggested to induce such variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Martin
- Université Paris-Saclay, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, CNRS, 91400 Saclay, France; Sea Search Research and Conservation NPC, Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Tess Gridley
- Sea Search Research and Conservation NPC, Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Simon Elwen
- Sea Search Research and Conservation NPC, Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Isabelle Charrier
- Université Paris-Saclay, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, CNRS, 91400 Saclay, France
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2
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Jerem P, Mathews F. Trends and knowledge gaps in field research investigating effects of anthropogenic noise. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:115-129. [PMID: 32277776 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is a globally widespread sensory pollutant, recognized as having potentially adverse effects on function, demography, and physiology in wild animals. Human population growth and associated changes in urbanization, transportation, and resource extraction all contribute to anthropogenic noise and are predicted to increase in the coming decades. Wildlife exposure to anthropogenic noise is expected to rise correspondingly. Data collected through field research are uniquely important in advancing understanding of the real-world repercussions of human activity on wildlife. We, therefore, performed a systematic review of literature published from 2008 to 2018 that reported on field investigations of anthropogenic noise impacts. We evaluated publication metrics (e.g., publication rates and journal type), geographical distribution of studies, study subject, and methods used. Research activity increased markedly over the assessment period. However, there was a pronounced geographical bias in research, with most being conducted in North America or Europe, and a notable focus on terrestrial environments. Fewer than one-fifth of terrestrial studies were located in rural areas likely to experience urbanization by 2030, meaning data on ecosystems most likely to be affected by future changes are not being gathered. There was also bias in the taxonomic groups investigated. Most research was conducted on birds and aquatic mammals, whereas terrestrial mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates received limited attention. Almost all terrestrial studies examined diurnal species, despite evidence that nocturnality is the prevailing animal activity pattern. Nearly half the studies investigated effects of road or urban noise; the bulk of research was restricted to functional, rather than physiological or demographic consequences. Few experimental studies addressed repercussions of long-term exposure to anthropogenic noise or long-term postexposure effects, and multiple noise types or levels were rarely compared. Tackling these knowledge gaps will be vital for successful management of the effects of increasing wildlife exposure to anthropogenic noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Jerem
- Department of Evolution, Behaviour and Environment, University of Sussex, John Maynard Smith Building, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG, U.K
| | - Fiona Mathews
- Department of Evolution, Behaviour and Environment, University of Sussex, John Maynard Smith Building, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG, U.K
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3
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Above and below: Military Aircraft Noise in Air and under Water at Whidbey Island, Washington. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse8110923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Military operations may result in noise impacts on surrounding communities and wildlife. A recent transition to more powerful military aircraft and a national consolidation of training operations to Whidbey Island, WA, USA, provided a unique opportunity to measure and assess both in-air and underwater noise associated with military aircraft. In-air noise levels (110 ± 4 dB re 20 µPa rms and 107 ± 5 dBA) exceeded known thresholds of behavioral and physiological impacts for humans, as well as terrestrial birds and mammals. Importantly, we demonstrate that the number and cumulative duration of daily overflights exceed those in a majority of studies that have evaluated impacts of noise from military aircraft worldwide. Using a hydrophone deployed near one runway, we also detected sound signatures of aircraft at a depth of 30 m below the sea surface, with noise levels (134 ± 3 dB re 1 µPa rms) exceeding thresholds known to trigger behavioral changes in fish, seabirds, and marine mammals, including Endangered Southern Resident killer whales. Our study highlights challenges and problems in evaluating the implications of increased noise pollution from military operations, and knowledge gaps that should be prioritized with respect to understanding impacts on people and sensitive wildlife.
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4
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von Benda-Beckmann AM, Wensveen PJ, Prior M, Ainslie MA, Hansen RR, Isojunno S, Lam FPA, Kvadsheim PH, Miller PJO. Predicting acoustic dose associated with marine mammal behavioural responses to sound as detected with fixed acoustic recorders and satellite tags. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 145:1401. [PMID: 31067938 DOI: 10.1121/1.5093543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
To understand the consequences of underwater noise exposure for cetaceans, there is a need for assessments of behavioural responses over increased spatial and temporal scales. Bottom-moored acoustic recorders and satellite tags provide such long-term and large spatial coverage of behaviour compared to short-duration acoustic-recording tags. However, these tools result in a decreased resolution of data from which an animal response can be inferred, and no direct recording of the sound received at the animal. This study discusses the consequence of the decreased resolution of data from satellite tags and fixed acoustic recorders on the acoustic dose estimated by propagation modelling and presents a method for estimating the range of sound levels that animals observed with these methods have received. This problem is illustrated using experimental results obtained during controlled exposures of northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus) exposed to naval sonar, carried out near Jan Mayen, Norway. It is shown that variability and uncertainties in the sound field, resulting from limited sampling of the acoustic environment, as well as decreased resolution in animal locations, can lead to quantifiable uncertainties in the estimated acoustic dose associated with the behavioural response (in this case avoidance and cessation of foraging).
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Affiliation(s)
- A M von Benda-Beckmann
- Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - P J Wensveen
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - M Prior
- Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - M A Ainslie
- Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - R R Hansen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - S Isojunno
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - F P A Lam
- Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - P H Kvadsheim
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), Defence Systems, Horten, Norway
| | - P J O Miller
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
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5
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Dunlop RA, Noad MJ, McCauley RD, Kniest E, Slade R, Paton D, Cato DH. A behavioural dose-response model for migrating humpback whales and seismic air gun noise. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 133:506-516. [PMID: 30041344 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The behavioural responses of migrating humpback whales to an air gun, a small clustered seismic array and a commercial array were used to develop a dose-response model, accounting for the presence of the vessel, array towpath relative to the migration and social and environmental parameters. Whale groups were more likely to show an avoidance response (increasing their distance from the source) when the received sound exposure level was over 130 dB re 1 μPa2·s and they were within 4 km of the source. The 50% probability of response occurred where received levels were 150-155 dB re 1 μPa2·s and they were within 2.5 km of the source. A small number of whales moving rapidly close to the source vessel did not exhibit an avoidance response at the highest received levels (160-170 dB re 1 μPa2·s) meaning it was not possible to estimate the maximum response threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Dunlop
- Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia.
| | - Michael J Noad
- Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia
| | | | - Eric Kniest
- School of Engineering, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Robert Slade
- Blue Planet Marine, P.O. Box 919, Canberra ACT 2614, Australia
| | - David Paton
- Blue Planet Marine, P.O. Box 919, Canberra ACT 2614, Australia
| | - Douglas H Cato
- School of Geosciences, University of Sydney and Defence Science and Technology Group, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Harris CM, Thomas L, Falcone EA, Hildebrand J, Houser D, Kvadsheim PH, Lam FA, Miller PJO, Moretti DJ, Read AJ, Slabbekoorn H, Southall BL, Tyack PL, Wartzok D, Janik VM. Marine mammals and sonar: Dose‐response studies, the risk‐disturbance hypothesis and the role of exposure context. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Catriona M. Harris
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling The Observatory University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | - Len Thomas
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling The Observatory University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | | | - John Hildebrand
- Scripps Institute of Oceanography UC San Diego La Jolla CA USA
| | | | - Petter H. Kvadsheim
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) Maritime Systems Horten Norway
| | - Frans‐Peter A. Lam
- Acoustics & Sonar Research Group Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) The Hague The Netherlands
| | - Patrick J. O. Miller
- Sea Mammal Research Unit Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Peter L. Tyack
- Sea Mammal Research Unit Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | - Douglas Wartzok
- Department of Biological SciencesFlorida International UniversityMiamiFLUSA
| | - Vincent M. Janik
- Sea Mammal Research Unit Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
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7
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Houser DS, Yost W, Burkard R, Finneran JJ, Reichmuth C, Mulsow J. A review of the history, development and application of auditory weighting functions in humans and marine mammals. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 141:1371. [PMID: 28372133 DOI: 10.1121/1.4976086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This document reviews the history, development, and use of auditory weighting functions for noise impact assessment in humans and marine mammals. Advances from the modern era of electroacoustics, psychophysical studies of loudness, and other related hearing studies are reviewed with respect to the development and application of human auditory weighting functions, particularly A-weighting. The use of auditory weighting functions to assess the effects of environmental noise on humans-such as hearing damage-risk criteria-are presented, as well as lower-level effects such as annoyance and masking. The article also reviews marine mammal auditory weighting functions, the development of which has been fundamentally directed by the objective of predicting and preventing noise-induced hearing loss. Compared to the development of human auditory weighting functions, the development of marine mammal auditory weighting functions have faced additional challenges, including a large number of species that must be considered, a lack of audiometric information on most species, and small sample sizes for nearly all species for which auditory data are available. The review concludes with research recommendations to address data gaps and assumptions underlying marine mammal auditory weighting function design and application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorian S Houser
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92106, USA
| | - William Yost
- Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Robert Burkard
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, University at Buffalo, 510 Kimball Tower, Buffalo, New York 14214, USA
| | - James J Finneran
- United States Navy Marine Mammal Program, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, Code 71510, 53560 Hull Street, San Diego, California 92152, USA
| | - Colleen Reichmuth
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA
| | - Jason Mulsow
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92106, USA
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Gomez C, Lawson J, Wright A, Buren A, Tollit D, Lesage V. A systematic review on the behavioural responses of wild marine mammals to noise: the disparity between science and policy. CAN J ZOOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2016-0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Noise can cause marine mammals to interrupt their feeding, alter their vocalizations, or leave important habitat, among other behavioural responses. The current North American paradigm for regulating activities that may result in behavioural responses identifies received levels (RL) of sound at which individuals are predicted to display significant behavioural responses (often termed harassment). The recurrent conclusion about the need for considering context of exposure, in addition to RL, when assessing probability and severity of behavioural responses led us to conduct a systematic literature review (370 papers) and analysis (79 studies, 195 data cases). The review summarized the critical and complex role of context of exposure. The analysis emphasized that behavioural responses in cetaceans (measured via a linear severity scale) were best explained by the interaction between sound source type (continuous, sonar, or seismic/explosion) and functional hearing group (a proxy for hearing capabilities). Importantly, more severe behavioural responses were not consistently associated with higher RL and vice versa. This indicates that monitoring and regulation of acoustic effects from activities on cetacean behaviour should not exclusively rely upon generic multispecies RL thresholds. We recommend replacing the behavioural response severity score with a response/no response dichotomous approach that can represent a measure of impact in terms of habitat loss and degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Gomez
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Marine Mammal Section, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, St. John’s, NL A1C 5X1, Canada
| | - J.W. Lawson
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Marine Mammal Section, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, St. John’s, NL A1C 5X1, Canada
| | - A.J. Wright
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - A.D. Buren
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Marine Mammal Section, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, St. John’s, NL A1C 5X1, Canada
| | - D. Tollit
- SMRU Consulting North America, 510-1529 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6J 1R1, Canada
| | - V. Lesage
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Maurice Lamontagne Institute, Mont-Joli, QC G5H 3Z4, Canada
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9
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Shannon G, McKenna MF, Angeloni LM, Crooks KR, Fristrup KM, Brown E, Warner KA, Nelson MD, White C, Briggs J, McFarland S, Wittemyer G. A synthesis of two decades of research documenting the effects of noise on wildlife. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 91:982-1005. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 392] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Revised: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Graeme Shannon
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Megan F. McKenna
- Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division; National Park Service; Fort Collins CO 80525 U.S.A
| | - Lisa M. Angeloni
- Department of Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Kevin R. Crooks
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Kurt M. Fristrup
- Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division; National Park Service; Fort Collins CO 80525 U.S.A
| | - Emma Brown
- Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division; National Park Service; Fort Collins CO 80525 U.S.A
| | - Katy A. Warner
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Misty D. Nelson
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Cecilia White
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Jessica Briggs
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Scott McFarland
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - George Wittemyer
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
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Wensveen PJ, von Benda-Beckmann AM, Ainslie MA, Lam FPA, Kvadsheim PH, Tyack PL, Miller PJO. How effectively do horizontal and vertical response strategies of long-finned pilot whales reduce sound exposure from naval sonar? MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 106:68-81. [PMID: 25795075 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2015.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2014] [Revised: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The behaviour of a marine mammal near a noise source can modulate the sound exposure it receives. We demonstrate that two long-finned pilot whales both surfaced in synchrony with consecutive arrivals of multiple sonar pulses. We then assess the effect of surfacing and other behavioural response strategies on the received cumulative sound exposure levels and maximum sound pressure levels (SPLs) by modelling realistic spatiotemporal interactions of a pilot whale with an approaching source. Under the propagation conditions of our model, some response strategies observed in the wild were effective in reducing received levels (e.g. movement perpendicular to the source's line of approach), but others were not (e.g. switching from deep to shallow diving; synchronous surfacing after maximum SPLs). Our study exemplifies how simulations of source-whale interactions guided by detailed observational data can improve our understanding about motivations behind behaviour responses observed in the wild (e.g., reducing sound exposure, prey movement).
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Wensveen
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, United Kingdom; Acoustics & Sonar Research Group, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), PO Box 96864, The Hague, 2509 JG, The Netherlands.
| | - Alexander M von Benda-Beckmann
- Acoustics & Sonar Research Group, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), PO Box 96864, The Hague, 2509 JG, The Netherlands
| | - Michael A Ainslie
- Acoustics & Sonar Research Group, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), PO Box 96864, The Hague, 2509 JG, The Netherlands
| | - Frans-Peter A Lam
- Acoustics & Sonar Research Group, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), PO Box 96864, The Hague, 2509 JG, The Netherlands
| | - Petter H Kvadsheim
- Maritime Systems, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), NO-3191, Horten, Norway
| | - Peter L Tyack
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick J O Miller
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, United Kingdom
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