Guest guest Posted June 19, 2001 Report Share Posted June 19, 2001 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2001/06/18/MN 11010.DTL Global Sonar Navy's latest ocean surveillance system could be lethal to whales Jane Kay, Chronicle Environment Writer Monday, June 18, 2001 The Navy wants to deploy a global surveillance system to hunt for a new generation of silent enemy submarines. But marine scientists and environmentalists are fighting the proposal, saying it could prove lethal to whales and other marine mammals. A disturbing number of whale strandings last year near Navy sonar maneuvers in the northern Bahama Islands, critics say, was just the latest evidence that the system can disrupt whale migration routes, damage whale hearing and cause hemorrhages in the brain. For decades, the Navy has used sonar - the underwater equivalent of radar - to hunt for submarines. The technology involves beaming a sound signal that bounces off objects and sends back information to receivers. The Navy's latest request involves a technology called " low frequency active " sonar, or LFA. The system can scan hundreds of thousands of square miles of ocean with sound in the way a huge spotlight would search on land. At issue is what damage the sound can do to animals that depend on hearing to live. The technology is already approved by all states except California for use in their coastal waters. But the Navy wants the go-ahead from the National Marine Fisheries Service to deploy it beyond coastal waters. A decision is expected within the next few months. The Navy withdrew its application for use in California, where it faced heavy opposition from the California Coastal Commission. Mark Delaplaine, a program head at the commission, said the Navy had failed to show that the technology would not harm marine mammals. " Hearing to whales is what sight is to humans. Whales communicate thousands of miles using low-frequency sound, " Delaplaine said. " They've evolved to take advantage of the fact that no one else uses that frequency. Using their niche is sort of like tinkering with evolution. In a sense, we're using their turf. " The Navy started developing LFA in the 1980s, and has already used it in two dozen tests around the world. Detects silent submarines Navy officials say they need the technology because the passive sonar systems of the past no longer work with new silent submarines. The decision on whether or not to deploy the LFA system must balance environmental concerns against national security needs. In its latest proposal, the Navy wants to use four sonar ships in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. On each ship, an array of 18 loudspeakers, each the size of a Volkswagen, hang into the ocean to a depth of about 200 feet. Each ship's array operates at a frequency range of 250 to 500 hertz and emits sound at 215 decibels. When the sound strikes an object, echoes return and get picked up by a couple of hundred underwater microphones, trailing off the back of the vessel. A computer determines if the object is a submarine and how far away and how fast it's moving. At close range, the sonar's noise level is well above the maximum level considered safe for a whale's hearing, which according to the Navy is 180 decibels. But the Navy says that beyond a kilometer from the sound array, the noise drops below that level. The Navy says it plans to use observers to scout out whales and other marine mammals and stop the operations when the animals are within range. The Navy acknowledges that the sound level may still be high enough to disrupt whale migrations, which scientists say can occur at 120 decibels. Even 100 miles from the sound array, sound level would be from 150 to 160 decibels. " There's a possibility that it could disrupt whale communication, " said Navy spokesman Lt. Douglas Spencer. " But these systems are operated for a short period of time (about 430 hours a year) and they're mobile. It's highly unlikely there would be a permanent long-term effect. " Indeed the Navy argues that the cumulative effects of LFA on marine mammals would be extremely small. Particularly sensitive areas, such as marine sanctuaries and a region of the East Coast used by northern right whales would be off limits to the technology. Marine mammal studies But critics say the Navy's studies to determine the effects on marine mammals were flawed. They complain that researchers studied only four species of marine mammals for a month and tested decibel levels far below what the system would actually deliver to ocean life. " The Navy's conclusions that the low-frequency sonar will work are premature and based on inadequate data, " said Naomi Rose, a marine mammal biologist at the Humane Society of the United States in Washington. Some critics estimate that the LFA would produce a much higher sound intensity than the Navy discloses. The effective source level of the system, they say, might be somewhere between 230 to 240 decibels, the equivalent of the sound generated by an exploding rocket. Pinpointing the correct decibel levels is particularly important, critics argue, because decibel levels are measured on a logarithmic scale: every increase of 10 decibels means a 10-fold increase in intensity or power. At close range, the noise that LFA produces is millions of times more intense than the Navy considers safe for human divers (145 decibels) and billions of times more intense than the level known to throw gray whales off their migration routes (120 decibels), some marine scientists say. Whale beachings Last year, an unprecedented stranding of 16 beaked and minke whales and one spotted dolphin in the Bahamas occurred in the vicinity of a Navy sonar testing maneuver. These strandings resulted in nine whale deaths. Necropsies on six of the animals showed no signs of blunt trauma that might have resulted from a collision with a vessel. But they did turn up signs of brain hemorrhaging, which is consistent with injury from sound, said Darlene Ketten, a scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Kenneth Balcomb, founder of the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, Wash., and leader of the Bahamas Marine Mammal Survey, concluded that some whales died from a vibration in their cranial air spaces that tore delicate tissues around the brain and ears. The LFA sonar could cause the same damage, he believes. But Navy spoesman Lt. Spencer said that " we don't have enough data to determine " what caused the strandings. Moreover, the sonar system the Navy used in the Bahamas was a mid-range frequency sonar, not a low frequency sonar, and so the effects would be different. Still, the whale strandings in the Bahamas triggered an outpouring of concern about the Navy's proposal. Twenty-six congressional representatives sent a letter urging that the Defense Department withdraw the project request. And last month, 44 scientists representing 13 universities and research institutions signed a petition also requesting a withdrawal and the creation of an international panel to form regulations. The Bahamas incidents have led some to speculate military uses of the sonar technology might explain other mysterious strandings. " The Navy could very well have been causing these kind of traumas all over the world, " Rose said. " Now comes a technology that is more likely to affect baleen whales. It's as loud or louder. Because it's a lower frequency, it's going to travel farther over a larger area. And it's never been out there before. " Undersea sound A recent study by the U.S. Navy concluded that its new, low-frequency, sonar system will not have a negative impact on marine life. Some environmentalists disagree. A look at the new technology: Navy sonar ship: Carries Low-Frequency Active Sonar equipment capable of detecting near-silent enemy submarines. Receive array: Incoming echoes analyzed to determine whether targets are man- made. Source array: 18 Volkswagen-sized speakers rhythmically emit 215-decibel pulses. Sonar: " Pings " fan out and bounce off a target. Source: U.S. Navy Associated Press Graphic ================================================================ http://www.smh.com.au/news/0106/18/national/national14.html Backs to the wind, eyes to the pod parade Whale watcher Wayne Reynolds, at Cape Solander ... " When you are out here you forget about everything. " By James Woodford, Environment Writer Warmed against a southerly gale by a vacuum flask of coffee, seatting on fold-out chairs, armed with cut lunches and thousand-dollar binoculars, Sydney's cetacean junkies turn their backs on the rest of Australia. Suffering the cold, they wait for a moment of epiphany - the sight of a humpback whale surfing down the face of a storm swell, a mother and calf playing in deep clear water just metres offshore, or a pod of 15 steaming to breeding grounds thousand of kilometres northwards. On a day like yesterday, when the sea is a boiling mess of whitecaps, whale watching is nature's equivalent of a Where's Wally children's book. The only giveaway is a puff of spray camouflaged by an ocean of foam. But if you don't see a whale at Cape Solander, on the south side of Botany Bay, you're guaranteed of seeing Wayne Reynolds, a national parks volunteer, who will spend every waking moment until the first week in August counting anything with a blowhole. In the past three weeks he has spotted 177 whales - an average of one whale for every hour and a half of staring in the direction of New Zealand. advertisement Mr Reynolds's instructions just after dawn yesterday were to look for " funny-shaped white caps " and before most of Sydney had opened their eyes, he had added another three whales to his tally. Each winter one of the world's great mammal migrations - the movement of hundreds of humpbacks from Antarctica to the tropics - takes place off Sydney's coast. In 1997, 140 were counted, in 1998 290, 424 the next year and 566 in 2000. The count is regarded as invaluable field research by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, which runs a volunteer whale-watching program and co-ordinates the data collection. Wildlife management officer Mr Geoff Ross said the number of humpbacks appeared to be increasing. " Any member of the public can come out here and learn to watch whales, " he said. Even in the foulest weather a community of Sydneysider whale watchers turns up to keep Mr Reynolds company and help with the count. They come from all professions, from across the city, and they arrive on foot, by bike or sit privately in their cars, binoculars glued to their faces. Whale watchers reserve their greatest criticism for those who drive to the edge of the precipice and leave a few minutes later complaining they haven't seen anything. The diehards promise that patience will be rewarded with anything from a tornado-like waterspout to a pair of 48-tonne whales breaching like missiles. Mr Peter Harris recalls his astonishment at discovering that such an awesome natural phenomenon occurs so close to Sydney. " I came down here once and asked what all the fuss was about and I have been hooked ever since, " he said. Shark tracks north for warmer waters After an autumn spent cruising for food in Bass Strait, Neale, the 2.4-metre great white shark carrying a CSIRO satellite transmitter, is heading up the NSW coast, probably to join other young members of the species which spend the colder months looking for food in waters of southern Queensland, according to researcher Mr Barry Bruce. Neale, named after fisherman Mr Neale Blunden, who hooked him off Port Albert in eastern Victoria on May 1, passed Sydney Heads about a week ago and was last plotted north of Port Stephens. He has been tracked for at least 101 days over 2,634 kilometres. The transmitter will send out signals for up to a year and Mr Bruce hopes to find out why the fish prefers particular areas, and to get an idea of population trends. Andrew Darby ======================================================================= http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1392000/1392353.stm Killer whales swim into city Marine experts are monitoring the whales Hundreds of people have gathered along the River Lee in Cork in the Irish Republic to see three killer whales. Crowds lined Union Quay in the city centre to see the giant mammals who made their way up the river into the South Channel area. The whales entered the inner harbour at about 2100 BST on Friday and began swimming up river towards the city centre. Marine experts from University College Cork's Dolphin Research Unit are at the scene and are monitoring the situation. They are not unduly concerned for the safety of the whales at this stage. Worldwide population They are hopeful the whales will be able to make their way to the mouth of the harbour with the tide. Killer whales are regularly spotted in Irish waters, but it is very unusual for three of them to venture into polluted, narrow waters such as Cork Harbour. The name killer came from sailors who saw the whales killing humpback whales and called them " whale killers " . Over the centuries, the name has been switched to killer whale. They prey mostly on fish, but also eat squid, sea turtles, seabirds and other whales. Although the worldwide population is unknown, in the Antarctic alone there are about 180,000 killer whales. ================================================================== http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-618whales.story?coll=sfla %2Dnews%2Dflorida Two whales beach themselves at Vero Beach Associated Press Posted June 18 2001, 8:35 AM EDT VERO BEACH -- An adult beaked whale died and a younger whale was euthanized after coming on shore. The adult female whale, which was 14 feet long and about 2,000 pounds, was already dead when marine rescue officials arrived at the Vero Beach location Sunday. The younger whale _ a 10-foot-long, 1,500-pound male _ was found alive, but officials euthanized it because it was so ill. Necropsies were performed on both beaked whales, but the cause of death was not immediately determined. Both were malnourished, said Gregory Bossart, director of marine mammal research and conservation at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Fort Pierce. The younger whale showed signs of kidney and liver trauma, he said. Bossart said the deaths may be linked to U.S. Navy tests of sonar equipment conducted off the Florida coast this past week. The National Marine Fisheries Service has asked officials to be on the lookout for an increase in strandings. Last year, dozens of beaked whales were stranded in the Bahamas after similar tests were conducted by the Navy near there. Sonar would not have immediately killed the whales, but would have rendered them incapable of eating, Bossart said. The heads of the whales were sent to Harvard University for further testing. Results should be available in two to three weeks, Bossart said. A spokesman with the Navy's Jacksonville office could not be reached for comment, The Stuart News reported. 2001, South Florida Sun-Sentinel ======================================================================= (Published June 18, 2001) Rescuers fail in efforts to untangle whales http://www.adn.com/metro/story/0,2633,275511,00.html A mother humpback whale and her calf found tangled in fishing gear in the Gulf of Alaska outside Kodiak triggered several futile rescue attempts over the weekend. The whales were first seen Friday morning by Petty Officer 2nd Class Craig Macauley during a helicopter training mission. A buoy and fishing line trailed from the whales' mouths, possibly lines from a crab or cod pot or a subsistence fishing net. The mother whale also had line around her back, Macauley said. The helicopter crew radioed the whales' position to Air Station Kodiak and remained on scene until the rescuers arrived in the National Marine Fisheries Service enforcement patrol boat Katmai. The rescuers -- Robert Foy, Kate Wynne and Brianna Lawson of the University of Alaska Fairbanks marine mammal response team and NMFS biologist Amy Van Atten -- tried cutting the line for hours Friday afternoon using a j-hook-shaped device. But the mother whale was too protective of the calf and wouldn't let them remain close enough, Macauley said. The rescuers finally secured a radio transmitter to the whales, so they could be located later. On Saturday the rescuers tried moving the effort to the Coast Guard Cutter Spar, then en route to Kodiak. During the flight out in a helicopter, an engine warning light on board indicated a problem, forcing the aircraft to return to base for repairs and inspection. The group hoped to track the whales down Sunday and continue to try to cut the lines, the Coast Guard said Sunday. -- Anchorage Daily News ================================================================= http://www.abc.net.au/news/regionals/goldc/reggc-18jun2001-4.htm Sharks blamed for minke whale death It is believed sharks played a large part in the death of a baby whale on the Gold Coast last night. The rare three-metre minke, believed to be three months old, was found floating towards the shore at Kirra Beach. Hundreds of locals joined in an effort to save the minke, but the whale died within an hour of reaching the shore. Sea World's Guy Bedford says sharks were probably largely responsible for the whale's death. " I would suspect one of two scenarios took place " . " It got disoriented, separated from its mother, and then possibly sharks came across it and were having their evil way with it. " Or alternatively some sharks came across it and actually separated it from its mother, and then it ended up on the beach basically. " ============================================================ " Someone has been watching too much SIMPSONS :-) " http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9 & si=454728 & issue_id= 4676 Whale of a time as Orcas go to harbour THREE Orca killer whales, nicknamed Homer, Marge and Lisa have made their way back to Cork Harbour after a two-day stay in the River Lee. The whales followed fish up the river and are believed to have returned to the town of Cobh, where they have attracted hundreds of visitors since their arrival just over a week ago. Gardai in Cork are pleased that the whales have returned to Cobh as it was feared that motorists in the city would throw commonsense out the window in their efforts to get a look at the unusual trio. The Orcas, who range from a 30ft male to a young 15ft female, have been in confined waters for over a week, an unusual occurence for Orcas. The last time an Orca was seen in Irish waters was in 1974 when a whale spent three days feeding in Lough Foyle. Marine biologists believe that the Orcas came to Cobh to teach their young to navigate and find fish. A spokesperson for the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group has advised people not to attempt to swim or dive with the whales, as they are immensely powerful and are capable of inflicting serious injuries, even unintentionally. Olivia Kelleher ============================================================== 15/06/2001 14:59 Help free the La Paz Seven! Emotions are reeling over the constantly changing fate of " the La Paz dolphins " (seven bottlenose dolphins held captive in deplorable conditions in a sea pen facility - the Dolphin Learning Centre or FINS - in La Paz, Mexico), with almost daily reports published in Canada's Toronto Star. Cheers went up when Mexico's environment enforcement agency ruled to close the facility and moves were made to secure the release of the dolphins, only to have hopes dashed by a judge's decision to declare the agency's decision overruled and allow the facility to continue operating its swim with dolphins programme. There are growing fears for the health and welfare of the dolphins, held in shallow, coastal waters, as summer approaches. The Mexican environment ministry is now calling for public pressure to save the dolphins. Please write to Sr. Leonel Cota Montaño, Governor of Baja California Sur. - Request the closure of the FINS facility and the release of the dolphins. Sr. Leonel Cota Montaño Gobernador, Baja California Sur Palacio de Gobierno Isabel La Catolica, entre Bravo y Allende La Paz, Baja California Sur BCS 23007 Mexico Fax: 52-112-5-41-90 Email: gobernador Please send copies of your letters to: Environment Minister Victor Lichtinger Email: vlichtinger " If you need help translating your message into Spanish, I will help you " Winston Thank you for your help! ============================================================================ = posted Thursday, June 14, 2001 Mystery surrounds dolphin's death HILTON HEAD ISLAND: Ailing creature's head wounds could have been caused by rocks or a boat, scientist says. By Rob Dewig Carolina Morning News Wayne McFee isn't sure what killed the 8-foot bottlenose dolphin that washed up on North Forest Beach on Monday, but one thing's certain: It was not a healthy animal. The dolphin's lungs were congested, pointing to the early stages of pneumonia, McFee said. It hadn't eaten for days; its stomach was completely empty. McFee said he also found evidence of a stomach infection when he performed a necropsy on the dolphin Wednesday in Charleston. McFee is a wildlife biologist with the National Ocean Service in Charleston. The mystery, McFee said, surrounds the head injuries the dolphin sustained before it died. It had hematomas around its right eye, the right side of its face was badly bruised and its blowhole was bleeding. McFee paints two scenarios. First, he said, the dolphin could have been hit by a boat. Second, it could have smashed into rocks after it stranded itself on Monday. But there are no rocks near where it was found, where Gannet Street meets the beach. The 425-pound male dolphin was more than 20 years old, but McFee does not consider that to be old. Dolphins can live into their 30s; McFee has seen them as old as 40. The dolphin was the 34th reported on South Carolina's beaches this year, McFee said. That's almost as many the state's yearly average of 35 to 40. About 10 whales wash ashore each year, as well. McFee said the increase in dolphin strandings could mean two things: Either more dolphins are dying for some unknown reason, or more dolphin deaths are being reported. He doesn't know which to believe. =================================================== No wildlife died in NZ rat poison spill - official ( " yet " Winston) NEW ZEALAND: June 15, 2001 WELLINGTON - Tests have found no evidence to show marine life was killed by an 18-tonne rat poison spill at a popular New Zealand tourist spot renowned as a feeding ground for whales and dolphins, conservation officials said yesterday. They said the poison, which tumbled into the sea last month after the truck it was being carried on was in an accident near Kaikoura, around 200 km (125 miles) north of Christchurch, appeared to have been dispersed quickly in the rough seas. " The loss of a contaminant like this into the environment is of extreme concern. Thankfully, from the results to hand, the impact appears to have been minimal, " said Bob Simpson, a regional enforcement officer with the Environment Canterbury agency. Toxicology tests revealed no traces of the poison in four dead seabirds and two seals found several kilometres from the site, while shellfish showed very low levels of the rodent bait, he said. Investigations into the accident were continuing but it was not clear if an environmental prosecution would result, Simpson added in a statement. REUTERS NEWS SERVICE =============================================================== 14/06/2001 Seychelles - Fishermen lament loss of catch to whales The Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) continues to conduct different forms of research to help ward off False killer whales which rob long liner fishermen of their overnight catches. Fishermen are losing up to 4 tonnes of whale at a time to the whales which are protected in the region. Fishermen are now altering their methods in an attempt to alleviate the problem. =================================================================== Surprise, surprise :-) Whale watching Key data used by Norway to help decide quotas for killing minke whales could be double the true value Key data used by Norway to help decide quotas for killing minke whales could be double the true value, Scottish research suggests. This means Norway is probably vastly over-estimating the size of the minke population. The current commercial fishing quotas - and population estimates - are based on surveys taken by boats in the north Atlantic. But data on the number of times a minke whale surfaces is vital for extrapolating the number of whale sightings into an estimate of the total population. Research by Chris Parsons and a team from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, based on the Isle of Mull, and Aberdeen University shows Norway is not using accurate surfacing data. " From our research, the data they are using could potentially lead to a big over-estimation of the how many whales there are, " Parsons told New Scientist. Richard Page, an anti-whaling campaigner at Greenpeace, says: " These findings don't surprise me at all. There has been considerable controversy in the past over Norwegian estimates for minke whale populations. But very good population surveys do not exist. " Breathing pattern The team studied the behaviour of minke whales in north-west Scotland. They found that the frequency with which a whale surfaces varies dramatically from month to month. The Norwegians use data taken in October, when the whales surface about every 80 seconds. But they use this data to help them extrapolate from sighting surveys taken in July. The new study found that minke whales surface about every 40 seconds in June and July. The Norwegians - and the International Whaling Commission - estimate that there are about 112,000 minke whales in the north east Atlantic. The real figure could be as low as 40,000, says Parsons. The variation in surfacing rates at different times of the year is probably down to changes in feeding patterns, he says. " The whales seem to be feeding at different depths, so they are spending different amounts of time underwater. " Page says: " What this shows once again is that we now remarkably little about whales and whale populations. " Population growth? Much more research on the whales' behaviour is needed to create accurate population estimates, says Parsons. The minke whale is listed under CITES - the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Trading to other countries within the EU is banned and most of Norway's minke meat is sold to Japan. The International Whaling Commission will meet in July to decide quotas for whale catches. It also plans to launch a new survey of minke whale numbers in 2002. But estimating whale populations is incredibly difficult, says Page. " Norway claims the minke whale population is growing. Without proper surveys it is not possible to say that, " he says. More at: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (vol 81, p189) Correspondence about this story should be directed to latestnews 0945 GMT, 12 June 2001 =========================================================== 12/06/2001 Norway - Arctic threatened by industrialization Norwegian scientists have warned that 80% of the polar area could be damaged by 2050 if industrialization is allowed to continue in the region. This will pose a threat to animal and plant life as well as the indigenous people. ====================================================================== Gray whales with Winston http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Jungle/1953/index.html Save the Whales http://www.homestead.com/savethewhales/index.html _______________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com To change list options, or , go to http://www.topica.com. Or send e-mail to swk-, swk-. Visit our site: http://www.stopwhalekill.org .... Ask a friend today to join our list! ... ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE http://topica.com/u/?b1demT.b1jvh4 Or send an email swk- This email was sent to: tacitus T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================ * SWK and List Info In Footer * ...... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2001/06/18/MN 11010.DTL Global Sonar Navy's latest ocean surveillance system could be lethal to whales Jane Kay, Chronicle Environment Writer Monday, June 18, 2001 The Navy wants to deploy a global surveillance system to hunt for a new generation of silent enemy submarines. But marine scientists and environmentalists are fighting the proposal, saying it could prove lethal to whales and other marine mammals. A disturbing number of whale strandings last year near Navy sonar maneuvers in the northern Bahama Islands, critics say, was just the latest evidence that the system can disrupt whale migration routes, damage whale hearing and cause hemorrhages in the brain. For decades, the Navy has used sonar - the underwater equivalent of radar - to hunt for submarines. The technology involves beaming a sound signal that bounces off objects and sends back information to receivers. The Navy's latest request involves a technology called " low frequency active " sonar, or LFA. The system can scan hundreds of thousands of square miles of ocean with sound in the way a huge spotlight would search on land. At issue is what damage the sound can do to animals that depend on hearing to live. The technology is already approved by all states except California for use in their coastal waters. But the Navy wants the go-ahead from the National Marine Fisheries Service to deploy it beyond coastal waters. A decision is expected within the next few months. The Navy withdrew its application for use in California, where it faced heavy opposition from the California Coastal Commission. Mark Delaplaine, a program head at the commission, said the Navy had failed to show that the technology would not harm marine mammals. " Hearing to whales is what sight is to humans. Whales communicate thousands of miles using low-frequency sound, " Delaplaine said. " They've evolved to take advantage of the fact that no one else uses that frequency. Using their niche is sort of like tinkering with evolution. In a sense, we're using their turf. " The Navy started developing LFA in the 1980s, and has already used it in two dozen tests around the world. Detects silent submarines Navy officials say they need the technology because the passive sonar systems of the past no longer work with new silent submarines. The decision on whether or not to deploy the LFA system must balance environmental concerns against national security needs. In its latest proposal, the Navy wants to use four sonar ships in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. On each ship, an array of 18 loudspeakers, each the size of a Volkswagen, hang into the ocean to a depth of about 200 feet. Each ship's array operates at a frequency range of 250 to 500 hertz and emits sound at 215 decibels. When the sound strikes an object, echoes return and get picked up by a couple of hundred underwater microphones, trailing off the back of the vessel. A computer determines if the object is a submarine and how far away and how fast it's moving. At close range, the sonar's noise level is well above the maximum level considered safe for a whale's hearing, which according to the Navy is 180 decibels. But the Navy says that beyond a kilometer from the sound array, the noise drops below that level. The Navy says it plans to use observers to scout out whales and other marine mammals and stop the operations when the animals are within range. The Navy acknowledges that the sound level may still be high enough to disrupt whale migrations, which scientists say can occur at 120 decibels. Even 100 miles from the sound array, sound level would be from 150 to 160 decibels. " There's a possibility that it could disrupt whale communication, " said Navy spokesman Lt. Douglas Spencer. " But these systems are operated for a short period of time (about 430 hours a year) and they're mobile. It's highly unlikely there would be a permanent long-term effect. " Indeed the Navy argues that the cumulative effects of LFA on marine mammals would be extremely small. Particularly sensitive areas, such as marine sanctuaries and a region of the East Coast used by northern right whales would be off limits to the technology. Marine mammal studies But critics say the Navy's studies to determine the effects on marine mammals were flawed. They complain that researchers studied only four species of marine mammals for a month and tested decibel levels far below what the system would actually deliver to ocean life. " The Navy's conclusions that the low-frequency sonar will work are premature and based on inadequate data, " said Naomi Rose, a marine mammal biologist at the Humane Society of the United States in Washington. Some critics estimate that the LFA would produce a much higher sound intensity than the Navy discloses. The effective source level of the system, they say, might be somewhere between 230 to 240 decibels, the equivalent of the sound generated by an exploding rocket. Pinpointing the correct decibel levels is particularly important, critics argue, because decibel levels are measured on a logarithmic scale: every increase of 10 decibels means a 10-fold increase in intensity or power. At close range, the noise that LFA produces is millions of times more intense than the Navy considers safe for human divers (145 decibels) and billions of times more intense than the level known to throw gray whales off their migration routes (120 decibels), some marine scientists say. Whale beachings Last year, an unprecedented stranding of 16 beaked and minke whales and one spotted dolphin in the Bahamas occurred in the vicinity of a Navy sonar testing maneuver. These strandings resulted in nine whale deaths. Necropsies on six of the animals showed no signs of blunt trauma that might have resulted from a collision with a vessel. But they did turn up signs of brain hemorrhaging, which is consistent with injury from sound, said Darlene Ketten, a scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Kenneth Balcomb, founder of the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, Wash., and leader of the Bahamas Marine Mammal Survey, concluded that some whales died from a vibration in their cranial air spaces that tore delicate tissues around the brain and ears. The LFA sonar could cause the same damage, he believes. But Navy spoesman Lt. Spencer said that " we don't have enough data to determine " what caused the strandings. Moreover, the sonar system the Navy used in the Bahamas was a mid-range frequency sonar, not a low frequency sonar, and so the effects would be different. Still, the whale strandings in the Bahamas triggered an outpouring of concern about the Navy's proposal. Twenty-six congressional representatives sent a letter urging that the Defense Department withdraw the project request. And last month, 44 scientists representing 13 universities and research institutions signed a petition also requesting a withdrawal and the creation of an international panel to form regulations. The Bahamas incidents have led some to speculate military uses of the sonar technology might explain other mysterious strandings. " The Navy could very well have been causing these kind of traumas all over the world, " Rose said. " Now comes a technology that is more likely to affect baleen whales. It's as loud or louder. Because it's a lower frequency, it's going to travel farther over a larger area. And it's never been out there before. " Undersea sound A recent study by the U.S. Navy concluded that its new, low-frequency, sonar system will not have a negative impact on marine life. Some environmentalists disagree. A look at the new technology: Navy sonar ship: Carries Low-Frequency Active Sonar equipment capable of detecting near-silent enemy submarines. Receive array: Incoming echoes analyzed to determine whether targets are man- made. Source array: 18 Volkswagen-sized speakers rhythmically emit 215-decibel pulses. Sonar: " Pings " fan out and bounce off a target. Source: U.S. Navy Associated Press Graphic ================================================================ http://www.smh.com.au/news/0106/18/national/national14.html Backs to the wind, eyes to the pod parade Whale watcher Wayne Reynolds, at Cape Solander ... " When you are out here you forget about everything. " By James Woodford, Environment Writer Warmed against a southerly gale by a vacuum flask of coffee, seatting on fold-out chairs, armed with cut lunches and thousand-dollar binoculars, Sydney's cetacean junkies turn their backs on the rest of Australia. Suffering the cold, they wait for a moment of epiphany - the sight of a humpback whale surfing down the face of a storm swell, a mother and calf playing in deep clear water just metres offshore, or a pod of 15 steaming to breeding grounds thousand of kilometres northwards. On a day like yesterday, when the sea is a boiling mess of whitecaps, whale watching is nature's equivalent of a Where's Wally children's book. The only giveaway is a puff of spray camouflaged by an ocean of foam. But if you don't see a whale at Cape Solander, on the south side of Botany Bay, you're guaranteed of seeing Wayne Reynolds, a national parks volunteer, who will spend every waking moment until the first week in August counting anything with a blowhole. In the past three weeks he has spotted 177 whales - an average of one whale for every hour and a half of staring in the direction of New Zealand. advertisement Mr Reynolds's instructions just after dawn yesterday were to look for " funny-shaped white caps " and before most of Sydney had opened their eyes, he had added another three whales to his tally. Each winter one of the world's great mammal migrations - the movement of hundreds of humpbacks from Antarctica to the tropics - takes place off Sydney's coast. In 1997, 140 were counted, in 1998 290, 424 the next year and 566 in 2000. The count is regarded as invaluable field research by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, which runs a volunteer whale-watching program and co-ordinates the data collection. Wildlife management officer Mr Geoff Ross said the number of humpbacks appeared to be increasing. " Any member of the public can come out here and learn to watch whales, " he said. Even in the foulest weather a community of Sydneysider whale watchers turns up to keep Mr Reynolds company and help with the count. They come from all professions, from across the city, and they arrive on foot, by bike or sit privately in their cars, binoculars glued to their faces. Whale watchers reserve their greatest criticism for those who drive to the edge of the precipice and leave a few minutes later complaining they haven't seen anything. The diehards promise that patience will be rewarded with anything from a tornado-like waterspout to a pair of 48-tonne whales breaching like missiles. Mr Peter Harris recalls his astonishment at discovering that such an awesome natural phenomenon occurs so close to Sydney. " I came down here once and asked what all the fuss was about and I have been hooked ever since, " he said. Shark tracks north for warmer waters After an autumn spent cruising for food in Bass Strait, Neale, the 2.4-metre great white shark carrying a CSIRO satellite transmitter, is heading up the NSW coast, probably to join other young members of the species which spend the colder months looking for food in waters of southern Queensland, according to researcher Mr Barry Bruce. Neale, named after fisherman Mr Neale Blunden, who hooked him off Port Albert in eastern Victoria on May 1, passed Sydney Heads about a week ago and was last plotted north of Port Stephens. He has been tracked for at least 101 days over 2,634 kilometres. The transmitter will send out signals for up to a year and Mr Bruce hopes to find out why the fish prefers particular areas, and to get an idea of population trends. Andrew Darby ======================================================================= http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1392000/1392353.stm Killer whales swim into city Marine experts are monitoring the whales Hundreds of people have gathered along the River Lee in Cork in the Irish Republic to see three killer whales. Crowds lined Union Quay in the city centre to see the giant mammals who made their way up the river into the South Channel area. The whales entered the inner harbour at about 2100 BST on Friday and began swimming up river towards the city centre. Marine experts from University College Cork's Dolphin Research Unit are at the scene and are monitoring the situation. They are not unduly concerned for the safety of the whales at this stage. Worldwide population They are hopeful the whales will be able to make their way to the mouth of the harbour with the tide. Killer whales are regularly spotted in Irish waters, but it is very unusual for three of them to venture into polluted, narrow waters such as Cork Harbour. The name killer came from sailors who saw the whales killing humpback whales and called them " whale killers " . Over the centuries, the name has been switched to killer whale. They prey mostly on fish, but also eat squid, sea turtles, seabirds and other whales. Although the worldwide population is unknown, in the Antarctic alone there are about 180,000 killer whales. ================================================================== http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-618whales.story?coll=sfla %2Dnews%2Dflorida Two whales beach themselves at Vero Beach Associated Press Posted June 18 2001, 8:35 AM EDT VERO BEACH -- An adult beaked whale died and a younger whale was euthanized after coming on shore. The adult female whale, which was 14 feet long and about 2,000 pounds, was already dead when marine rescue officials arrived at the Vero Beach location Sunday. The younger whale _ a 10-foot-long, 1,500-pound male _ was found alive, but officials euthanized it because it was so ill. Necropsies were performed on both beaked whales, but the cause of death was not immediately determined. Both were malnourished, said Gregory Bossart, director of marine mammal research and conservation at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Fort Pierce. The younger whale showed signs of kidney and liver trauma, he said. Bossart said the deaths may be linked to U.S. Navy tests of sonar equipment conducted off the Florida coast this past week. The National Marine Fisheries Service has asked officials to be on the lookout for an increase in strandings. Last year, dozens of beaked whales were stranded in the Bahamas after similar tests were conducted by the Navy near there. Sonar would not have immediately killed the whales, but would have rendered them incapable of eating, Bossart said. The heads of the whales were sent to Harvard University for further testing. Results should be available in two to three weeks, Bossart said. A spokesman with the Navy's Jacksonville office could not be reached for comment, The Stuart News reported. 2001, South Florida Sun-Sentinel ======================================================================= (Published June 18, 2001) Rescuers fail in efforts to untangle whales http://www.adn.com/metro/story/0,2633,275511,00.html A mother humpback whale and her calf found tangled in fishing gear in the Gulf of Alaska outside Kodiak triggered several futile rescue attempts over the weekend. The whales were first seen Friday morning by Petty Officer 2nd Class Craig Macauley during a helicopter training mission. A buoy and fishing line trailed from the whales' mouths, possibly lines from a crab or cod pot or a subsistence fishing net. The mother whale also had line around her back, Macauley said. The helicopter crew radioed the whales' position to Air Station Kodiak and remained on scene until the rescuers arrived in the National Marine Fisheries Service enforcement patrol boat Katmai. The rescuers -- Robert Foy, Kate Wynne and Brianna Lawson of the University of Alaska Fairbanks marine mammal response team and NMFS biologist Amy Van Atten -- tried cutting the line for hours Friday afternoon using a j-hook-shaped device. But the mother whale was too protective of the calf and wouldn't let them remain close enough, Macauley said. The rescuers finally secured a radio transmitter to the whales, so they could be located later. On Saturday the rescuers tried moving the effort to the Coast Guard Cutter Spar, then en route to Kodiak. During the flight out in a helicopter, an engine warning light on board indicated a problem, forcing the aircraft to return to base for repairs and inspection. The group hoped to track the whales down Sunday and continue to try to cut the lines, the Coast Guard said Sunday. -- Anchorage Daily News ================================================================= http://www.abc.net.au/news/regionals/goldc/reggc-18jun2001-4.htm Sharks blamed for minke whale death It is believed sharks played a large part in the death of a baby whale on the Gold Coast last night. The rare three-metre minke, believed to be three months old, was found floating towards the shore at Kirra Beach. Hundreds of locals joined in an effort to save the minke, but the whale died within an hour of reaching the shore. Sea World's Guy Bedford says sharks were probably largely responsible for the whale's death. " I would suspect one of two scenarios took place " . " It got disoriented, separated from its mother, and then possibly sharks came across it and were having their evil way with it. " Or alternatively some sharks came across it and actually separated it from its mother, and then it ended up on the beach basically. " ============================================================ " Someone has been watching too much SIMPSONS :-) " http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9 & si=454728 & issue_id= 4676 Whale of a time as Orcas go to harbour THREE Orca killer whales, nicknamed Homer, Marge and Lisa have made their way back to Cork Harbour after a two-day stay in the River Lee. The whales followed fish up the river and are believed to have returned to the town of Cobh, where they have attracted hundreds of visitors since their arrival just over a week ago. Gardai in Cork are pleased that the whales have returned to Cobh as it was feared that motorists in the city would throw commonsense out the window in their efforts to get a look at the unusual trio. The Orcas, who range from a 30ft male to a young 15ft female, have been in confined waters for over a week, an unusual occurence for Orcas. The last time an Orca was seen in Irish waters was in 1974 when a whale spent three days feeding in Lough Foyle. Marine biologists believe that the Orcas came to Cobh to teach their young to navigate and find fish. A spokesperson for the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group has advised people not to attempt to swim or dive with the whales, as they are immensely powerful and are capable of inflicting serious injuries, even unintentionally. Olivia Kelleher ============================================================== 15/06/2001 14:59 Help free the La Paz Seven! Emotions are reeling over the constantly changing fate of " the La Paz dolphins " (seven bottlenose dolphins held captive in deplorable conditions in a sea pen facility - the Dolphin Learning Centre or FINS - in La Paz, Mexico), with almost daily reports published in Canada's Toronto Star. Cheers went up when Mexico's environment enforcement agency ruled to close the facility and moves were made to secure the release of the dolphins, only to have hopes dashed by a judge's decision to declare the agency's decision overruled and allow the facility to continue operating its swim with dolphins programme. There are growing fears for the health and welfare of the dolphins, held in shallow, coastal waters, as summer approaches. The Mexican environment ministry is now calling for public pressure to save the dolphins. Please write to Sr. Leonel Cota Montaño, Governor of Baja California Sur. - Request the closure of the FINS facility and the release of the dolphins. Sr. Leonel Cota Montaño Gobernador, Baja California Sur Palacio de Gobierno Isabel La Catolica, entre Bravo y Allende La Paz, Baja California Sur BCS 23007 Mexico Fax: 52-112-5-41-90 Email: gobernador Please send copies of your letters to: Environment Minister Victor Lichtinger Email: vlichtinger " If you need help translating your message into Spanish, I will help you " Winston Thank you for your help! ============================================================================ = posted Thursday, June 14, 2001 Mystery surrounds dolphin's death HILTON HEAD ISLAND: Ailing creature's head wounds could have been caused by rocks or a boat, scientist says. By Rob Dewig Carolina Morning News Wayne McFee isn't sure what killed the 8-foot bottlenose dolphin that washed up on North Forest Beach on Monday, but one thing's certain: It was not a healthy animal. The dolphin's lungs were congested, pointing to the early stages of pneumonia, McFee said. It hadn't eaten for days; its stomach was completely empty. McFee said he also found evidence of a stomach infection when he performed a necropsy on the dolphin Wednesday in Charleston. McFee is a wildlife biologist with the National Ocean Service in Charleston. The mystery, McFee said, surrounds the head injuries the dolphin sustained before it died. It had hematomas around its right eye, the right side of its face was badly bruised and its blowhole was bleeding. McFee paints two scenarios. First, he said, the dolphin could have been hit by a boat. Second, it could have smashed into rocks after it stranded itself on Monday. But there are no rocks near where it was found, where Gannet Street meets the beach. The 425-pound male dolphin was more than 20 years old, but McFee does not consider that to be old. Dolphins can live into their 30s; McFee has seen them as old as 40. The dolphin was the 34th reported on South Carolina's beaches this year, McFee said. That's almost as many the state's yearly average of 35 to 40. About 10 whales wash ashore each year, as well. McFee said the increase in dolphin strandings could mean two things: Either more dolphins are dying for some unknown reason, or more dolphin deaths are being reported. He doesn't know which to believe. =================================================== No wildlife died in NZ rat poison spill - official ( " yet " Winston) NEW ZEALAND: June 15, 2001 WELLINGTON - Tests have found no evidence to show marine life was killed by an 18-tonne rat poison spill at a popular New Zealand tourist spot renowned as a feeding ground for whales and dolphins, conservation officials said yesterday. They said the poison, which tumbled into the sea last month after the truck it was being carried on was in an accident near Kaikoura, around 200 km (125 miles) north of Christchurch, appeared to have been dispersed quickly in the rough seas. " The loss of a contaminant like this into the environment is of extreme concern. Thankfully, from the results to hand, the impact appears to have been minimal, " said Bob Simpson, a regional enforcement officer with the Environment Canterbury agency. Toxicology tests revealed no traces of the poison in four dead seabirds and two seals found several kilometres from the site, while shellfish showed very low levels of the rodent bait, he said. Investigations into the accident were continuing but it was not clear if an environmental prosecution would result, Simpson added in a statement. REUTERS NEWS SERVICE =============================================================== 14/06/2001 Seychelles - Fishermen lament loss of catch to whales The Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) continues to conduct different forms of research to help ward off False killer whales which rob long liner fishermen of their overnight catches. Fishermen are losing up to 4 tonnes of whale at a time to the whales which are protected in the region. Fishermen are now altering their methods in an attempt to alleviate the problem. =================================================================== Surprise, surprise :-) Whale watching Key data used by Norway to help decide quotas for killing minke whales could be double the true value Key data used by Norway to help decide quotas for killing minke whales could be double the true value, Scottish research suggests. This means Norway is probably vastly over-estimating the size of the minke population. The current commercial fishing quotas - and population estimates - are based on surveys taken by boats in the north Atlantic. But data on the number of times a minke whale surfaces is vital for extrapolating the number of whale sightings into an estimate of the total population. Research by Chris Parsons and a team from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, based on the Isle of Mull, and Aberdeen University shows Norway is not using accurate surfacing data. " From our research, the data they are using could potentially lead to a big over-estimation of the how many whales there are, " Parsons told New Scientist. Richard Page, an anti-whaling campaigner at Greenpeace, says: " These findings don't surprise me at all. There has been considerable controversy in the past over Norwegian estimates for minke whale populations. But very good population surveys do not exist. " Breathing pattern The team studied the behaviour of minke whales in north-west Scotland. They found that the frequency with which a whale surfaces varies dramatically from month to month. The Norwegians use data taken in October, when the whales surface about every 80 seconds. But they use this data to help them extrapolate from sighting surveys taken in July. The new study found that minke whales surface about every 40 seconds in June and July. The Norwegians - and the International Whaling Commission - estimate that there are about 112,000 minke whales in the north east Atlantic. The real figure could be as low as 40,000, says Parsons. The variation in surfacing rates at different times of the year is probably down to changes in feeding patterns, he says. " The whales seem to be feeding at different depths, so they are spending different amounts of time underwater. " Page says: " What this shows once again is that we now remarkably little about whales and whale populations. " Population growth? Much more research on the whales' behaviour is needed to create accurate population estimates, says Parsons. The minke whale is listed under CITES - the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Trading to other countries within the EU is banned and most of Norway's minke meat is sold to Japan. The International Whaling Commission will meet in July to decide quotas for whale catches. It also plans to launch a new survey of minke whale numbers in 2002. But estimating whale populations is incredibly difficult, says Page. " Norway claims the minke whale population is growing. Without proper surveys it is not possible to say that, " he says. More at: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (vol 81, p189) Correspondence about this story should be directed to latestnews 0945 GMT, 12 June 2001 =========================================================== 12/06/2001 Norway - Arctic threatened by industrialization Norwegian scientists have warned that 80% of the polar area could be damaged by 2050 if industrialization is allowed to continue in the region. This will pose a threat to animal and plant life as well as the indigenous people. ====================================================================== Gray whales with Winston http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Jungle/1953/index.html Save the Whales http://www.homestead.com/savethewhales/index.html _______________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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