1. Trends in ocean ambient noise across ocean basins
Ana Širović
Scripps Institution of Oceanography

2. Einstein or Mozart?

3. Einstein or Mozart?

4. Importance of sound & impact of noise
Sound vital for biologically important functions
Mating/spawning
Foraging
Navigation
Territorial defense
Impact of noise
Masking
Behavioral
Physiological
Images of animals
Physiological impact: hearing impact, stress
Behavioral: disruption of foraging, displacement, reduction of calling

5. Noise monitoring strategies
How well can we describe ocean noise levels?
NOAA Ocean Noise Strategy
Addressing ocean noise impacts
Guide science and management actions
EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive
Mandates ocean noise monitoring
NOAA: data archive, monitoring network, mapping of noise (2016)
EU MSFD (adopted in 2008): protection of marine environment and achieving “good environmental status”; noise guidelines: underwater noise energy that does not adversely affect the marine environment
Monitoring: 1/3 octave bands 63 and 125 Hz
Source: NOAA

6. Noise in Southern California
Pacific
Noise in Southern California
W of San Nicolas Island: noise increase ~3 dB/decade since 60’s
Shipping
Site ‘open’ to N Pacific
McDonald et al. 2006

7. Seasonal noise changes: 2009-10
Pacific
Seasonal noise changes:
Summer 2009
Decrease in shipping noise over this time: great recession!
Storminess in July: short time period
Sep: start of fin whales

8. Seasonal noise changes: 2009-10
Pacific
Seasonal noise changes:
Fall – Winter
Increased levels at few 100 Hz range: more storms/wind

9. Seasonal noise changes: 2009-10
Pacific
Seasonal noise changes:
Fall – Winter
Peaks for fin whales (into fall)

10. Seasonal noise changes: 2009-10
Pacific
Seasonal noise changes:
Fall – Winter
Peaks for blue whales (late summer

11. Seasonal noise changes: 2009-10
Pacific
Seasonal noise changes:
Fall – Winter
Peaks for humpbacks

12. Seasonal noise changes: 2009-10
Pacific
Seasonal noise changes:
Spring 2010
Shipping same as fall/winter, fins going away; leftover fish

13. Long-term trends at San Nicolas
Pacific
Long-term trends at San Nicolas
Noise continued to decrease! Only summer data in 2014 & 15
2009: July-Dec; 2010: Jan-Nov
2014: Jul & Aug
2015: Jun-Sept
McDonald et al. 2006

14. Noise in shallow waters
Pacific
Noise in shallow waters
Navy data from 50’s & 60’s
Local ships: noise increase ~5-10 dB
McDonald et al. 2008

15. Pacific
Noise across SOCAL a
ships
no ships

16. central & western Pacific
Ladd: June Others: June 2010

17. noise across central & western Pacific
Mean difference:
@ 50 Hz: 1.5 dB
Ladd: only partial data
Southern exposure for all but Ladd
Širović et al. 2013

18. Quiet if compared to the eastern Pacific
West of San Nicolas Island, CA
Jan 2010
McDonald et al. 2006
Širović et al. 2013

19. Other areas – North Pacific
Gulf of Alaska
Off Washington state a
I don’t have historic location/data – exact location is very important; depth and lat, long

20. Long term noise trends at Bermuda
Atlantic
Long term noise trends at Bermuda
1966 vs
Bermuda
HARP
Hard to get a baseline
Hildebrand 2009

21. Long term noise trends at Bermuda
Atlantic
Long term noise trends at Bermuda
Max increase ~0.5 dB/decade
Širović et al. 2016

22. Panama canal & global shipping trends
Atlantic
Panama canal & global shipping trends
1982: completion of the Trans-Panama pipeline facilitated oil transfer between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, and reduced the number of tanker transits
Širović et al. 2016

23. Elsewhere in the Atlantic…

24. Gulf of Mexico: industrial basin

25. Noise in the Gulf of Mexico
Wiggins et al. 2016

26. Ocean noise across basins

27. Ocean noise across basins

28. Ocean noise across basins

29. Ocean noise across basins

30. Long-term changes @ 50 Hz Gulf of Mexico
Arctic
Gulf of Mexico
Spectrum level (dB re: 50Hz)
Adapted from Ross 2005

31. Looking into the Future
Baseline characterization
Access to historic data
Shifting baselines
Opening of the Arctic
Experimental and observational studies of noise impact
Determine locations of sources
Propagation modeling

32. Looking into the Future
Baseline characterization
Access to historic data
Shifting baselines
Opening Arctic
Experimental and observational studies of noise impact
Determine locations of sources
Propagation modeling

33. Thank you!
Don Ross
John Hildebrand, Sean Wiggins, and Scripps Whale Acoustics Lab
Chief of Naval Operations N45 (Frank Stone & Ernie Young), Naval Postgraduate School (John Joseph), Pacific Fleet (Chip Johnson)
NOAA Office of Science and Technology (Jason Gedamke), NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (Erin Oleson)