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Frankish CK, von Benda-Beckmann AM, Teilmann J, Tougaard J, Dietz R, Sveegaard S, Binnerts B, de Jong CAF, Nabe-Nielsen J. Ship noise causes tagged harbour porpoises to change direction or dive deeper. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 197:115755. [PMID: 37976591 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Shipping is the most pervasive source of marine noise pollution globally, yet its impact on sensitive fauna remains unclear. We tracked 10 harbour porpoises for 5-10 days to determine exposure and behavioural reactions to modelled broadband noise (10 Hz-20 kHz, VHF-weighted) from individual ships monitored by AIS. Porpoises spent a third of their time experiencing ship noise above ambient, to which they regularly reacted by moving away during daytime and diving deeper during night. However, even ships >2 km away (noise levels of 93 ± 14 dB re 1 μPa2) caused animals to react 5-9 % of the time (∼18.6 ships/day). Ships can thus influence the behaviour and habitat use of cetaceans over long distances, with worrying implications for fitness in coastal areas where anthropogenic noise from dense ship traffic repeatedly disrupt their natural behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin K Frankish
- Marine Mammal Research Section, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Alexander M von Benda-Beckmann
- Acoustics and Sonar Research Group, Netherlands Organization for Applied and Scientific Research (TNO), The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Jonas Teilmann
- Marine Mammal Research Section, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jakob Tougaard
- Marine Mammal Research Section, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Marine Mammal Research Section, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Signe Sveegaard
- Marine Mammal Research Section, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Bas Binnerts
- Acoustics and Sonar Research Group, Netherlands Organization for Applied and Scientific Research (TNO), The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Christ A F de Jong
- Acoustics and Sonar Research Group, Netherlands Organization for Applied and Scientific Research (TNO), The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Jacob Nabe-Nielsen
- Marine Mammal Research Section, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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2
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Nielsen LR, Tervo OM, Blackwell SB, Heide‐Jørgensen MP, Ditlevsen S. Using quantile regression and relative entropy to assess the period of anomalous behavior of marine mammals following tagging. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9967. [PMID: 37056694 PMCID: PMC10085821 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Tagging of animals induces a variable stress response which following release will obscure natural behavior. It is of scientific relevance to establish methods that assess recovery from such behavioral perturbation and generalize well to a broad range of animals, while maintaining model transparency. We propose two methods that allow for subdivision of animals based on covariates, and illustrate their use onN = 20 narwhals (Monodon monoceros) andN = 4 bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus), captured and instrumented with Acousonde™ behavioral tags, but with a framework that easily generalizes to other marine animals and sampling units. The narwhals were divided into two groups based on handling time, short (t < 58 min) and long (t ≥ 58 min), to measure the effect on recovery. Proxies for energy expenditure (VeDBA) and rapid movement (jerk) were derived from accelerometer data. Diving profiles were characterized using two metrics (target depth and dive duration) derived from depth data. For accelerometer data, recovery was estimated using quantile regression (QR) on the log-transformed response, whereas depth data were addressed using relative entropy (RE) between hourly distributions of dive duration (partitioned into three target depth ranges) and the long-term average distribution. Quantile regression was used to address location-based behavior to accommodate distributional shifts anticipated in aquatic locomotion. For all narwhals, we found fast recovery in the tail of the distribution (<3 h) compared with a variable recovery at the median (∼1-10 h) and with a significant difference between groups separated by handling time. Estimates of bowhead whale recovery times showed fast median recovery (<3 h) and slow recovery at the tail (>6 h), but were affected by substantial uncertainty. For the diving profiles, as characterized by the component pair (target depth, dive duration), the recovery was slower (narwhals-long:t < 16 h; narwhals-short:t < 10 h; bowhead whales: <9 h) and with a difference between narwhals with short vs long handling times. Using simple statistical concepts, we have presented two transparent and general methods for analyzing high-resolution time series data from marine animals, addressing energy expenditure, activity, and diving behavior, and which allows for comparison between groups of animals based on well-defined covariates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Reiter Nielsen
- Data Science LaboratoryDepartment of Mathematical SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Outi M. Tervo
- Greenland Institute of Natural ResourcesNuukGreenland
- Greenland Institute of Natural ResourcesCopenhagenDenmark
| | | | - Mads Peter Heide‐Jørgensen
- Greenland Institute of Natural ResourcesNuukGreenland
- Greenland Institute of Natural ResourcesCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Susanne Ditlevsen
- Data Science LaboratoryDepartment of Mathematical SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
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3
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Puig-Pons V, Soliveres E, Pérez-Arjona I, Espinosa V, Poveda-Martínez P, Ramis-Soriano J, Ordoñez-Cebrián P, Moszyński M, de la Gándara F, Bou-Cabo M, Cort JL, Santaella E. Monitoring of Caged Bluefin Tuna Reactions to Ship and Offshore Wind Farm Operational Noises. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21216998. [PMID: 34770305 PMCID: PMC8588185 DOI: 10.3390/s21216998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Underwater noise has been identified as a relevant pollution affecting marine ecosystems in different ways. Despite the numerous studies performed over the last few decades regarding the adverse effect of underwater noise on marine life, a lack of knowledge and methodological procedures still exists, and results are often tentative or qualitative. A monitoring methodology for the behavioral response of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) when exposed to ship and wind turbine operational noises was implemented and tested in a fixed commercial tuna feeding cage in the Mediterranean sea. Fish behavior was continuously monitored, combining synchronized echosounder and video recording systems. Automatic information extracted from acoustical echograms was used to describe tuna reaction to noise in terms of average depth and vertical dimensions of the school and the indicators of swimming speed and tilt direction. Video recordings allowed us to detect changes in swimming patterns. Different kinds of stimuli were considered during bluefin tuna cage monitoring, such as noise generated by feeding boats, wind farm operational noise, and other synthetic signals projected in the medium using a broadband underwater projector. The monitoring system design was revealed as a successful methodological approach to record and quantify reactions to noise. The obtained results suggested that the observed reactions presented a strong relationship with insonification pressure level and time. Behavioral changes associated with noise are difficult to observe, especially in semi-free conditions; thus, the presented approach offered the opportunity to link anthropogenic activity with possible effects on a given marine species, suggesting the possibility of achieving a more realistic framework to assess the impacts of underwater noise on marine animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Puig-Pons
- Intitut d’Investigació per a la Gestió Integrada de Zones Costaneres, Universitat Politécnica de València, C/Paranimf 1, Grau de Gandia, 46730 València, Spain; (E.S.); (I.P.-A.); (V.E.)
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Tecnología para Estudios Marinos IEO-UPV (UTEM), Muelle Frutero, Port de Gandia, Grau de Gandia, 46730 València, Spain; (F.d.l.G.); (M.B.-C.); (J.L.C.); (E.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Ester Soliveres
- Intitut d’Investigació per a la Gestió Integrada de Zones Costaneres, Universitat Politécnica de València, C/Paranimf 1, Grau de Gandia, 46730 València, Spain; (E.S.); (I.P.-A.); (V.E.)
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Tecnología para Estudios Marinos IEO-UPV (UTEM), Muelle Frutero, Port de Gandia, Grau de Gandia, 46730 València, Spain; (F.d.l.G.); (M.B.-C.); (J.L.C.); (E.S.)
| | - Isabel Pérez-Arjona
- Intitut d’Investigació per a la Gestió Integrada de Zones Costaneres, Universitat Politécnica de València, C/Paranimf 1, Grau de Gandia, 46730 València, Spain; (E.S.); (I.P.-A.); (V.E.)
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Tecnología para Estudios Marinos IEO-UPV (UTEM), Muelle Frutero, Port de Gandia, Grau de Gandia, 46730 València, Spain; (F.d.l.G.); (M.B.-C.); (J.L.C.); (E.S.)
| | - Victor Espinosa
- Intitut d’Investigació per a la Gestió Integrada de Zones Costaneres, Universitat Politécnica de València, C/Paranimf 1, Grau de Gandia, 46730 València, Spain; (E.S.); (I.P.-A.); (V.E.)
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Tecnología para Estudios Marinos IEO-UPV (UTEM), Muelle Frutero, Port de Gandia, Grau de Gandia, 46730 València, Spain; (F.d.l.G.); (M.B.-C.); (J.L.C.); (E.S.)
| | - Pedro Poveda-Martínez
- Institut Universitari de Física Aplicada a les Ciències i les Tecnologies, Universitat d’Alacant, Ap. de Correus 99, 03080 Alacant, Spain; (P.P.-M.); (J.R.-S.)
| | - Jaime Ramis-Soriano
- Institut Universitari de Física Aplicada a les Ciències i les Tecnologies, Universitat d’Alacant, Ap. de Correus 99, 03080 Alacant, Spain; (P.P.-M.); (J.R.-S.)
| | | | - Marek Moszyński
- Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, Politechnika Gdańska, Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12, 80233 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Fernando de la Gándara
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Tecnología para Estudios Marinos IEO-UPV (UTEM), Muelle Frutero, Port de Gandia, Grau de Gandia, 46730 València, Spain; (F.d.l.G.); (M.B.-C.); (J.L.C.); (E.S.)
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Ocenográfico de Murcia, C/Varadero, 1, San Pedro del Pinatar, 30740 Murcia, Spain
| | - Manuel Bou-Cabo
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Tecnología para Estudios Marinos IEO-UPV (UTEM), Muelle Frutero, Port de Gandia, Grau de Gandia, 46730 València, Spain; (F.d.l.G.); (M.B.-C.); (J.L.C.); (E.S.)
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Ocenográfico de Murcia, C/Varadero, 1, San Pedro del Pinatar, 30740 Murcia, Spain
| | - José L. Cort
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Tecnología para Estudios Marinos IEO-UPV (UTEM), Muelle Frutero, Port de Gandia, Grau de Gandia, 46730 València, Spain; (F.d.l.G.); (M.B.-C.); (J.L.C.); (E.S.)
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Ocenográfico de Murcia, C/Varadero, 1, San Pedro del Pinatar, 30740 Murcia, Spain
| | - Eladio Santaella
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Tecnología para Estudios Marinos IEO-UPV (UTEM), Muelle Frutero, Port de Gandia, Grau de Gandia, 46730 València, Spain; (F.d.l.G.); (M.B.-C.); (J.L.C.); (E.S.)
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Ocenográfico de Murcia, C/Varadero, 1, San Pedro del Pinatar, 30740 Murcia, Spain
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Shuert CR, Marcoux M, Hussey NE, Watt CA, Auger-Méthé M. Assessing the post-release effects of capture, handling and placement of satellite telemetry devices on narwhal (Monodon monoceros) movement behaviour. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coaa128. [PMID: 33659061 PMCID: PMC7905160 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Animal-borne telemetry devices have become a popular and valuable means for studying the cryptic lives of cetaceans. Evaluating the effect of capture, handling and tagging procedures remains largely unassessed across species. Here, we examine the effect of capture, handling and tagging activities on an iconic Arctic cetacean, the narwhal (Monodon monoceros), which has previously been shown to exhibit an extreme response to extended capture and handling. Using accelerometry-derived metrics of behaviour, including activity level, energy expenditure and swimming activity, we quantify the post-release responses and time to recovery of 19 individuals following capture and tagging activities considering the intrinsic covariates of sex and individual size and the extrinsic covariates of handling time and presence of a 'bolt-on' satellite telemetry device. From accelerometer-derived behaviour, most narwhals appeared to return to mean baseline behaviour (recovery) within 24 hours after release, which was supported by longer-term measures of diving data. None of the covariates measured, however, had an effect on the time individuals took to recover following release. Using generalized additive models to describe changes in behaviour over time, we found handling time to be a significant predictor of activity levels, energy expenditure and swimming behaviour following release. Individuals held for the longest period (>40 min) were found to display the largest effect in behaviour immediately following release with respect to swimming behaviour and activity levels. We also found some support for relationships between activity levels, energy expenditure and swimming activity and two other covariates: sex and the attachment of a bolt-on configuration satellite tags. Our results indicate that narwhals recover relatively quickly following capture, handling and tagging procedures, but we suggest that researchers should minimize handling time and further investigation is needed on how to mitigate potential effects of bolt-on satellite tags in these sensitive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney R Shuert
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Marianne Marcoux
- Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Nigel E Hussey
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Cortney A Watt
- Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Marie Auger-Méthé
- Department of Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Institute for the Oceans & Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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5
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Siebert U, Blanchet MA, Teilmann J, Anderson Hansen K, Kristensen J, Bunskoek P, Dietz R, Desforges JP, Sonne C, Desportes G. Haematology and clinical blood chemistry in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the inner Danish waters. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 143:105937. [PMID: 32673908 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the Baltic Sea are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic activities, which affect the overall health of populations. Individuals' haematologic and biochemistry parameters are known to be linked to a population's health status and are therefore useful tools for cross-population comparisons and to assess health patterns of a population through time. However, it is often difficult to acquire data representing the full range of values and assess the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Here, we present the range of haematology and blood chemistry values obtained from 46 wild (n = 54 blood samples) individuals incidentally caught in pound-nets and five porpoises in long-term human care (n = 449 blood samples) from an outdoor semi-open facility in Denmark. Although it was not possible to formally test the differences between samples from free-ranging and captive individuals, lymphocyte values were lower for free-ranging animals whereas eosinophils and white blood cell values were higher in captive individuals. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanin aminotransferase values were also lower for captive individuals compared to free-ranging ones. Age group did not influence any of the blood parameters tested for free-ranging individuals. Sodium values were higher for males compared to females. Values were higher and lower in the fall for platelets and lactic acid dehydrogenase, respectively, compared to the other seasons. Based on samples yielded by individuals in long-term human care, haemoglobin, mean cell volume, white blood cells, absolute lymphocyte count, and alkaline phosphatase values were all influenced by health status based on clinical examination. These are therefore candidate parameters to assess health status of wild porpoises. Our results underline that it is essential to obtain ranges of reference values for all haematologic and biochemistry markers in order to assess health status of free-ranging individuals. Individuals in human care provide the opportunity to observe biological and ecological determinates (e.g. age, season) of long-term biomarker response patterns and to assess the suite of biomarkers best suited to predict individual health status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Büsum, Germany; Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Marie-Anne Blanchet
- Fjord and Belt, Kerteminde, Denmark; Norwegian College of Fishery Science, the Arctic University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Jonas Teilmann
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Kirstin Anderson Hansen
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Büsum, Germany; Fjord and Belt, Kerteminde, Denmark
| | | | | | - Rune Dietz
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jean-Pierre Desforges
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Christian Sonne
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Geneviève Desportes
- Fjord and Belt, Kerteminde, Denmark; North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission, Tromsø, Norway
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6
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Graham IM, Merchant ND, Farcas A, Barton TR, Cheney B, Bono S, Thompson PM. Harbour porpoise responses to pile-driving diminish over time. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190335. [PMID: 31312495 PMCID: PMC6599776 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Estimating impacts of offshore windfarm construction on marine mammals requires data on displacement in relation to different noise levels and sources. Using echolocation detectors and noise recorders, we investigated harbour porpoise behavioural responses to piling noise during the 10-month foundation installation of a North Sea windfarm. Current UK guidance assumes total displacement within 26 km of pile driving. By contrast, we recorded a 50% probability of response within 7.4 km (95% CI = 5.7-9.4) at the first location piled, decreasing to 1.3 km (95% CI = 0.2-2.8) by the final location; representing 28% (95% CI = 21-35) and 18% (95% CI = 13-23) displacement of individuals within 26 km. Distance proved as good a predictor of responses as audiogram-weighted received levels, presenting a more practicable variable for environmental assessments. Critically, acoustic deterrent device (ADD) use and vessel activity increased response levels. Policy and management to minimize impacts of renewables on cetaceans have concentrated on pile-driving noise. Our results highlight the need to consider trade-offs between efforts to reduce far-field behavioural disturbance and near-field injury through ADD use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isla M. Graham
- Lighthouse Field Station, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, George Street, Cromarty, Ross-shire IV11 8YL, UK
| | - Nathan D. Merchant
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Adrian Farcas
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Tim R. Barton
- Lighthouse Field Station, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, George Street, Cromarty, Ross-shire IV11 8YL, UK
| | - Barbara Cheney
- Lighthouse Field Station, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, George Street, Cromarty, Ross-shire IV11 8YL, UK
| | - Saliza Bono
- Lighthouse Field Station, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, George Street, Cromarty, Ross-shire IV11 8YL, UK
| | - Paul M. Thompson
- Lighthouse Field Station, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, George Street, Cromarty, Ross-shire IV11 8YL, UK
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7
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van Beest FM, Mews S, Elkenkamp S, Schuhmann P, Tsolak D, Wobbe T, Bartolino V, Bastardie F, Dietz R, von Dorrien C, Galatius A, Karlsson O, McConnell B, Nabe-Nielsen J, Olsen MT, Teilmann J, Langrock R. Classifying grey seal behaviour in relation to environmental variability and commercial fishing activity - a multivariate hidden Markov model. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5642. [PMID: 30948786 PMCID: PMC6449369 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42109-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Classifying movement behaviour of marine predators in relation to anthropogenic activity and environmental conditions is important to guide marine conservation. We studied the relationship between grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) behaviour and environmental variability in the southwestern Baltic Sea where seal-fishery conflicts are increasing. We used multiple environmental covariates and proximity to active fishing nets within a multivariate hidden Markov model (HMM) to quantify changes in movement behaviour of grey seals while at sea. Dive depth, dive duration, surface duration, horizontal displacement, and turning angle were used to identify travelling, resting and foraging states. The likelihood of seals foraging increased in deeper, colder, more saline waters, which are sites with increased primary productivity and possibly prey densities. Proximity to active fishing net also had a pronounced effect on state occupancy. The probability of seals foraging was highest <5 km from active fishing nets (51%) and decreased as distance to nets increased. However, seals used sites <5 km from active fishing nets only 3% of their time at sea highlighting an important temporal dimension in seal-fishery interactions. By coupling high-resolution oceanographic, fisheries, and grey seal movement data, our study provides a scientific basis for designing management strategies that satisfy ecological and socioeconomic demands on marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floris M van Beest
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Sina Mews
- Department of Business Administration and Economics, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Svenja Elkenkamp
- Department of Business Administration and Economics, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Patrick Schuhmann
- Department of Business Administration and Economics, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Dorian Tsolak
- Department of Business Administration and Economics, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Till Wobbe
- Department of Business Administration and Economics, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Valerio Bartolino
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lysekil, SE-45321, Sweden
| | - Francois Bastardie
- National Institute for Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Kgs. Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Christian von Dorrien
- Thünen Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries, Alter Hafen Süd 2, D-18069, Rostock, Germany
| | - Anders Galatius
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Olle Karlsson
- Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bernie McConnell
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, United Kingdom
| | - Jacob Nabe-Nielsen
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Morten Tange Olsen
- Evolutionary Genomics Section, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, DK-1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Jonas Teilmann
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Roland Langrock
- Department of Business Administration and Economics, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
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8
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Mikkelsen L, Johnson M, Wisniewska DM, van Neer A, Siebert U, Madsen PT, Teilmann J. Long-term sound and movement recording tags to study natural behavior and reaction to ship noise of seals. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:2588-2601. [PMID: 30891202 PMCID: PMC6405890 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of anthropogenic noise on marine fauna is of increasing conservation concern with vessel noise being one of the major contributors. Animals that rely on shallow coastal habitats may be especially vulnerable to this form of pollution.Very limited information is available on how much noise from ship traffic individual animals experience, and how they may react to it due to a lack of suitable methods. To address this, we developed long-duration audio and 3D-movement tags (DTAGs) and deployed them on three harbor seals and two gray seals in the North Sea during 2015-2016.These tags recorded sound, accelerometry, magnetometry, and pressure continuously for up to 21 days. GPS positions were also sampled for one seal continuously throughout the recording period. A separate tag, combining a camera and an accelerometer logger, was deployed on two harbor seals to visualize specific behaviors that helped interpret accelerometer signals in the DTAG data.Combining data from depth, accelerometer, and audio sensors, we found that animals spent 6.6%-42.3% of the time hauled out (either on land or partly submerged), and 5.3%-12.4% of their at-sea time resting at the sea bottom, while the remaining time was used for traveling, resting at surface, and foraging. Animals were exposed to audible vessel noise 2.2%-20.5% of their time when in water, and we demonstrate that interruption of functional behaviors (e.g., resting) in some cases coincides with high-level vessel noise. Two-thirds of the ship noise events were traceable by the AIS vessel tracking system, while one-third comprised vessels without AIS.This preliminary study demonstrates how concomitant long-term continuous broadband on-animal sound and movement recordings may be an important tool in future quantification of disturbance effects of anthropogenic activities at sea and assessment of long-term population impacts on pinnipeds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark Johnson
- Sea Mammal Research UnitUniversity of St. AndrewsSt. AndrewsUK
- Department of BioscienceAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
| | - Danuta Maria Wisniewska
- Department of BioscienceAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
- Hopkins Marine StationStanford UniversityStanfordCalifornia
| | - Abbo van Neer
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW)University of Veterinary Medicine HannoverFoundationGermany
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW)University of Veterinary Medicine HannoverFoundationGermany
| | - Peter Teglberg Madsen
- Department of BioscienceAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
- Aarhus Institute for Advanced StudiesAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
| | - Jonas Teilmann
- Department of BioscienceAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
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van Beest FM, Teilmann J, Dietz R, Galatius A, Mikkelsen L, Stalder D, Sveegaard S, Nabe-Nielsen J. Environmental drivers of harbour porpoise fine-scale movements. MARINE BIOLOGY 2018; 165:95. [PMID: 29725140 PMCID: PMC5924767 DOI: 10.1007/s00227-018-3346-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying intraspecific variation in movement behaviour of marine predators and the underlying environmental drivers is important to inform conservation management of protected species. Here, we provide the first empirical data on fine-scale movements of free-ranging harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in their natural habitat. Data were obtained from six individuals, tagged in two areas of the Danish North Sea, that were equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) and dive recorder units (V-tags). We used multi-model inference and model averaging to evaluate the relative importance of various static and dynamic environmental conditions on the movement characteristics: speed, turning angle, dive duration, dive depth, dive wiggliness (a proxy for prey chasing behaviour), and post-dive duration. Despite substantial individual differences in horizontal and vertical movement patterns, we found that all the tracked porpoises responded similar to variation in environmental conditions and displayed movements that indicate a higher likelihood of foraging behaviour in shallower and more saline waters. Our study contributes to the identification of important feeding areas for porpoises and can be used to improve existing movement-based simulation models that aim to assess the impact of anthropogenic disturbance on harbour porpoise populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floris M. van Beest
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jonas Teilmann
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Anders Galatius
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Lonnie Mikkelsen
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Dominique Stalder
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Signe Sveegaard
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jacob Nabe-Nielsen
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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