Page 38 - Summer 2015

Amy R. Scholik-Schlomer
Postal:
National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1315 East-West Highway Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 USA
Email:
amy.scholik@noaa.gov
Where the Decibels
Hit the Water: Perspectives on the Application of Science to Real-World Underwater Noise and Marine Protected Species Issues
It is critical to try to avoid or mitigate potential impacts of man-made sounds on protected marine species.
Understanding the potential impacts of man-made underwater sound on the ma- rine environment is a complicated and often controversial issue. Working as a sci- entist for over eight years at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a US federal agency, has afforded me a unique perspective on the importance and challenges of ap- plying science to real-world issues associated with underwater noise and marine protected species. This article shares and highlights some of those aspects.
Role of the NMFS in Protecting Marine Species
from Human Impacts
The Office of Protected Resources in the NMFS, where I work, is responsible for conserving, protecting, and recovering species and their habitat under two pri- mary US environmental statutes, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) (NMFS, 2014a,b). We do this with our nation- wide five regional offices and six science centers and in partnership with environ- mental and industry groups, other federal and state agencies, and the academic community.
NMFS has jurisdiction over approximately 212 protected marine species, of which 125 are listed under the ESA as endangered or threatened. These species range from seagrass and invertebrates (e.g., abalones and corals) to fishes, sea turtles, and marine mammals (cetaceans: whales, dolphins, and porpoises; pinnipeds: seals and sea lions). One of our primary responsibilities is to protect marine species and their habitats from threats associated with human activities such as bycatch in fishing gear, habitat destruction, overfishing, and ship strikes. Our responsibilities also include exposure to man-made underwater sounds, which is the focus of this article.
History of NMFS Acoustic Thresholds
and US Regulation of Underwater Noise
The underwater marine acoustic environment is inherently noisy as a result of many natural (e.g., wind, earthquakes, and biologics) and man-made sound sourc- es (Wenz, 1962; National Research Council, 2003). These man-made sounds are produced either intentionally for a particular purpose, as in the case of tactical and scientific sonar or air guns used for geophysical or scientific exploration, or
36 | Acoustics Today | Summer 2015, volume 11, issue 3 ©2015 Acoustical Society of America. All rights reserved.