Abstract
To set safety criteria for levels of sounds produced during pile driving for offshore wind parks, temporary hearing threshold shifts (TTSs) were studied in a harbor porpoise and two harbor seals. A psychoacoustic behavioral technique was used to quantify TTS and hearing recovery in the animals exposed to underwater sounds (white noise in a 1/1‐octave band around 4 kHz). Hearing thresholds were determined once a day for a narrow‐band frequency swept sine wave (3.9–4.1 kHz) before and after exposure to the fatiguing noise, which was offered at two sound pressure levels (131 and 119 dB re 1 μPa for the porpoise and 151 and 139 dB re 1 μPa for the seals) each at four durations (15, 30, 60, and 120 min). Recovery was quantified by measuring hearing thresholds at 4, 8, 12, and 48 min after the noise exposure. The results show that TTS in harbor porpoises occurred at a sound exposure level threshold approximately 20 dB below the threshold for which TTS occurred in harbor seals.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
