Presentation Abstract
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority-led Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program is a regional collaborative initiative to better understand and reduce the cumulative effects of commercial shipping activities on at-risk whales along BC's southern coast. Bringing together over 100 U.S. and Canadian partners and advisors from across government, the marine transportation industry, Indigenous communities, scientists, and environmental groups. The ECHO Program advances research and implements voluntary seasonal initiatives that encourage ship operators to slow down or stay distanced while transiting through key foraging areas of the endangered southern resident killer whale (SRKW) population. In 2020, these voluntary initiatives achieved record-breaking participation rates that resulted in a nearly 50% reduction in sound intensity in key SRKW habitat areas. In addition to leading voluntary seasonal underwater noise reduction efforts for the last five years, the ECHO Program spearheads research and education efforts to better understand underwater noise and inform the development and adoption of vessel noise-quieting technologies. The ECHO Program's presentation will summarize some of the key insights and lessons learned from the program's voluntary initiatives and research projects to date, including: results of its underwater noise reduction efforts in the Salish Sea; trends in ambient noise and mammal presence in the area; results of ongoing studies investigating how factors such as vessel traffic, currents, water temperature, and weather affect ambient underwater noise and which vessel design characteristics contribute to underwater noise emissions.
Session Title
Transboundary Vessel Impacts Coordination
Conference Track
SSE5: Southern Resident Killer Whales and Vessel Impacts
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-traditionals-77
Start Date
28-4-2022 8:30 AM
End Date
28-4-2022 10:00 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)
Underwater acoustics--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Killer whale--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Endangered species--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Wildlife conservation--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
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
The ECHO Program: Key learnings at 5-year anniversary of vessel slowdown for at-risk whales off BC's southern coast
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority-led Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program is a regional collaborative initiative to better understand and reduce the cumulative effects of commercial shipping activities on at-risk whales along BC's southern coast. Bringing together over 100 U.S. and Canadian partners and advisors from across government, the marine transportation industry, Indigenous communities, scientists, and environmental groups. The ECHO Program advances research and implements voluntary seasonal initiatives that encourage ship operators to slow down or stay distanced while transiting through key foraging areas of the endangered southern resident killer whale (SRKW) population. In 2020, these voluntary initiatives achieved record-breaking participation rates that resulted in a nearly 50% reduction in sound intensity in key SRKW habitat areas. In addition to leading voluntary seasonal underwater noise reduction efforts for the last five years, the ECHO Program spearheads research and education efforts to better understand underwater noise and inform the development and adoption of vessel noise-quieting technologies. The ECHO Program's presentation will summarize some of the key insights and lessons learned from the program's voluntary initiatives and research projects to date, including: results of its underwater noise reduction efforts in the Salish Sea; trends in ambient noise and mammal presence in the area; results of ongoing studies investigating how factors such as vessel traffic, currents, water temperature, and weather affect ambient underwater noise and which vessel design characteristics contribute to underwater noise emissions.
