Scripps dives into study of marine sounds

SignOn San Diego: Scripps dives into study of marine sounds

A team of scientists including some at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have collected loads of data about the effects of sound on marine mammals, with special focus in whether naval sonar can harm them.

With sensors, the group of biologists and acoustic experts spent two months tagging seven species of marine mammals, including blue whales and killer whales, off the Southern California coast.

It was the first time scientists have done a controlled sound-exposure experiment with a Cuvier's beaked whale, an elusive animal most commonly associated with strandings possibly related to naval sonar. Read about that here.

Scientists across several disciplines worked closely with the U.S. Navy to locate Cuvier's beaked whales, said John Hildebrand, a professor of oceanography at Scripps, which is part of the University California of San Diego.

It also was the first time tags were deployed on sei whales and Baird's beaked whales on the West Coast of the United States.

Researchers will take months to analyze nearly 400 hours of data from tags, and thousands of photographs of the marine mammals.

The two-month project is part of a five-year study funded by the Navy and mainly conducted by academics and researchers with coordination by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.