Presentation Abstract
The Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program is a Vancouver Fraser Port Authority-led initiative aimed at better understanding and managing the impact of shipping activities on at-risk whales throughout the southern coast of BC. Between August 7 and October 6, 2017, the ECHO Program managed a voluntary vessel slowdown trial in Haro Strait, located between Vancouver Island in British Columbia and San Juan Island in Washington State. Haro Strait is an important summer feeding area for southern resident killer whales, and a busy international shipping route. Through extensive consultation and collaboration with the Pacific Pilotage Authority, BC Coast Pilots, regional shipping associations and agents, as well as international vessel owners and operators, the overall reported participation rate for piloted commercial vessels at the conclusion of the trial was over 60%. Temporary, deep-water listening stations in the shipping lanes of Haro Strait, a shallow hydrophone off Lime Kiln State Park, and the long-term listening station in the Strait of Georgia were all used to collect data on underwater noise during the trial. Due to the excellent vessel participation rates, the ECHO program team and our consultants at JASCO Applied Sciences and SMRU Consulting were able to obtain a robust data set to evaluate: how reduced speed changes the underwater noise (source level) generated by specific vessels and by vessel classes; how reduced vessel speed changes the total ambient noise; and how these changes in noise may impact the killer whale. The trial results will help the ECHO Program and the Government of Canada make informed decisions on how to reduce the impact of vessel noise on endangered whales. These learnings will be of interest globally to those looking to manage vessel noise in sensitive whale habitats.
Session Title
Collaborating to Reduce Impacts of Underwater Noise from Vessels on SKRW: Understanding and Managing Underwater Noise from Vessel Activities
Keywords
Vessel slowdown, Managing underwater noise, Haro Strait
Conference Track
SSE14: Vessel Traffic: Risks and Impacts
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE14-169
Start Date
6-4-2018 10:30 AM
End Date
6-4-2018 10:45 AM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Ship sounds--Haro Strait (B.C. and Wash.); Shipping--Research--Haro Strait (B.C. and Wash.); Marine mammals--Effect of human beings on--Haro Strait (B.C. and Wash.); Marine mammals--Effect of noise on--Haro Strait (B.C. and Wash.); Whales--Behavior--Haro Strait (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Haro Strait (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Understanding and managing underwater noise: results from the Haro Strait vessel slowdown trial
The Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program is a Vancouver Fraser Port Authority-led initiative aimed at better understanding and managing the impact of shipping activities on at-risk whales throughout the southern coast of BC. Between August 7 and October 6, 2017, the ECHO Program managed a voluntary vessel slowdown trial in Haro Strait, located between Vancouver Island in British Columbia and San Juan Island in Washington State. Haro Strait is an important summer feeding area for southern resident killer whales, and a busy international shipping route. Through extensive consultation and collaboration with the Pacific Pilotage Authority, BC Coast Pilots, regional shipping associations and agents, as well as international vessel owners and operators, the overall reported participation rate for piloted commercial vessels at the conclusion of the trial was over 60%. Temporary, deep-water listening stations in the shipping lanes of Haro Strait, a shallow hydrophone off Lime Kiln State Park, and the long-term listening station in the Strait of Georgia were all used to collect data on underwater noise during the trial. Due to the excellent vessel participation rates, the ECHO program team and our consultants at JASCO Applied Sciences and SMRU Consulting were able to obtain a robust data set to evaluate: how reduced speed changes the underwater noise (source level) generated by specific vessels and by vessel classes; how reduced vessel speed changes the total ambient noise; and how these changes in noise may impact the killer whale. The trial results will help the ECHO Program and the Government of Canada make informed decisions on how to reduce the impact of vessel noise on endangered whales. These learnings will be of interest globally to those looking to manage vessel noise in sensitive whale habitats.
