Abstract
Before operating air guns in Alaska, industry is usually required to model underwater sound isopleths, some of which have implications for the mitigation and monitoring of potential marine mammal impacts. Field measurements are often required to confirm or revise model predictions. We compared modeled and measured air gun sound isopleths from 2006 to 2012 and found poor agreement. Natural variability in the marine environment, application of precautionary correction factors, and data interpretation in the generation of circular isopleths all contributed to the observed poor agreement. A broader understanding of the realities of modeled and measured underwater sound isopleths will contribute to improved mitigation practices.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the National Marine Fisheries Service for posting the various reports used for this study on a publicly available Web site. Caryn Rea, ConocoPhillips, Anchorage, AK, and Amy MacKenzie, BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc., Anchorage, AK, provided valuable comments on this manuscript. We also thank the Alaska Marine Science Symposium and participants in the 2013 workshop “Acoustic Modeling and Measurements for Marine Mammal Mitigation: Challenges and Potential Innovations” for supporting the initial effort that led to this paper.
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Aerts, L.A.M., Streever, B. (2016). Modeled and Measured Underwater Sound Isopleths and Implications for Marine Mammal Mitigation in Alaska. In: Popper, A., Hawkins, A. (eds) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 875. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2981-8_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2981-8_2
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