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EFFE C T S OF SONAR ON MARINE MAMMAL S
ALISON STIMPERT
MOSS LANDING MARINE LABORATORIES Alison Stimpert studies marine mam-
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE mals and their unique reliance on underwater
SPONSOR: CASCADIA RESEARCH sound for communication and navigation. To the
concern of Stimpert and her fellow scientists,
COLLECTIVE, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND whales and dolphins are not the only ones mak-
ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA) ing noise in the ocean.
FISHERIES
Human noise generated by military and
commercial sources can interfere with the sounds
of the mammals, and may change their be havior.
“Commercial shipping is one of the
biggest contributors,” Stimpert says, “and
overlaps with the frequency range used by most
baleen whales. Navy sonar and seismic airguns
used for oil explora tion can also have strong
effects.”
Stimpert’s research seeks to under-
stand the impact of human noise. One multi-
year project, a collaboration with the U.S. Navy
and several other academic, government and
non-profit institutions, involves tagging marine
mammals off the California coast. Another,
working with NOAA, characterizes the acoustic
impact of demersal fish survey gear. With tags,
sonar exposure and passive acoustic recording,
Stim pert’s team generates large sets of acoustic
data that shed new light on the behavior of
several species, including blue whales and
Risso’s dol phins.
Stimpert sees her research as part of a
larger conservation effort. “I became interested in
marine mammals because they are an excellent
ambassador species for conveying messages
of conservation. Whales and dolphins are very
char ismatic, and people want to protect them.
Fortu nately, changes that we make to help
whales and dolphins help other species in the
ocean as well.”
I am researching killer whale and
Risso’s dolphin acoustics. Studying
at Moss Landing Marine Labs has provided
me with extensive field work opportunities,
and I have been fortunate to do thesis work
in such a dynamic area as Monterey Bay.
Brijonnay Madrigal, '18 MS Marine Science
Aboard the MLML Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat
14 ANNU AL REP OR T 2018
