Identifying Modeled Ship Noise Hotspots for Marine Mammals of Canada's Pacific Region

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089820
• Publication Date: 2014-03-05T21:21:33Z
• Authors: Christine Erbe; Rob Williams; Doug Sandilands; Erin Ashe
• Keywords: Marine mammal; Marine protected area; Marine habitats; Hotspot (geology)

The inshore, continental shelf waters of British Columbia (BC), Canada are busy with ship traffic. South coast heavily trafficked by ships using the ports Vancouver and Seattle. North less busy, but expected to get busier based on proposals for container port liquefied natural gas development expansion. Abundance estimates density surface maps available 10 commonly seen marine mammals, including northern resident killer whales, fin humpback other species at-risk status under Canadian legislation. Ship noise is dominant anthropogenic contributor soundscape BC, it chronic. Underwater now being considered in habitat quality assessments some countries spatial planning. We modeled propagation underwater from weighted received levels species-specific audiograms. overlaid audiogram-weighted audibility animal maps. result a series so-called "hotspot" all mammal species, cumulative energy average distribution boreal summer. (Juan de Fuca Haro Straits) hotspots that use area, irrespective their hearing sensitivity, simply due ubiquitous Secondary were found central north coasts (Johnstone Strait region around Prince Rupert). These can identify where predicted have above-average impact habitat, mitigation measures may be most effective. This approach guide effective without requiring fleet-wide modification sites no animals present or area used relatively insensitive noise.