Biological and Behavioral Response Studies of Marine Mammals in Southern California, 2010 (SOCAL-10")"

Abstract

Abstract : SOCAL-10 was a scientific research project conducted in Aug-Sept 2010 in the Southern California Bight. The overall objective was to provide a better understanding of marine mammal behavior, while providing direct scientific data for the Navy and regulatory agencies to estimate risk and minimize adverse effects of human sounds, particularly military sonar. SOCAL-10 extended previous studies in the Bahamas (2007-08) and Mediterranean Sea (2009) of whether and how marine mammals change their behavior when they hear different sounds; each effort integrated behavioral response studies (BRS) with ongoing research on diving, foraging, and social behavior. SOCAL-10 was the first in a five-year dedicated effort to study a variety of marine mammals in this area. Like previous behavioral response studies (BRS) using controlled (sound) exposure experiment (CEE) methods, SOCAL-10 involved an interdisciplinary collaboration of experts in marine mammal biology, behavior, and communication, as well as underwater acousticians and specialized field researchers. During a preliminary scouting phase and two research legs on different research vessels, SOCAL-10 observed, photographed, and/or tracked in detail, individuals of 21 different marine mammal species. Sixty-three tags (of six different varieties) were successfully secured on 44 individual animals of at least eight different marine mammal species, including several for which little or no comparable tag data previously existed.