Assessing auditory masking for management of underwater anthropogenic noise

• DOI: 10.1121/10.0001218
• Publication Date: 2020-05-12T15:05:08Z
• Authors: Matthew K. Pine; Katrina Nikolich; Bruce Martin; Corey Morris; Francis Juanes
• Keywords: Communication source; Audiogram

Masking is often assessed by quantifying changes, due to increasing noise, an animal's communication or listening range. While the methods used measure ranges are functionally similar if for vocalizations, they differ in their approaches: range focused on sender's call, while centered listener's ability perceive any signal. How these two use and output important management recommendations. Therefore it was investigated how may alter conclusions of masking assessments based Atlantic cod calls presence a commercial air gun array. The diverged with distance from noise source maximum effects lasting longer between pulses terms than Reductions cod's were sensitive fluctuations call's level. That instability not observed Overall, changes more conservative but very call A high level confidence therefore required, receiver's audiogram soundscape required method.