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TitleBeluga vocalizations decrease in response to vessel traffic in the Mackenzie River estuary
 
AuthorHalliday, W; Scharffenberg, K; MacPhee, S; Hilliard, R C; Mouy, X; Whalen, DORCID logo; Loseto, L L; Insley, S
SourceArctic vol. 72, no. 4, 2019 p. 337-484, https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic69294 Open Access logo Open Access
Image
Year2019
Alt SeriesNatural Resources Canada, Contribution Series 20200769
PublisherThe Arctic Institute of North America
Documentserial
Lang.English
Mediapaper; on-line; digital
File formatpdf
ProvinceNorthwest Territories; Northern offshore region
NTS107C/06; 107C/07; 107C/10; 107C/11
AreaMackenzie River; Mackenzie Delta; Kugmallit Bay; Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area
Lat/Long WENS-134.5000 -133.0000 69.7500 69.2500
Subjectsgeophysics; environmental geology; Nature and Environment; Science and Technology; Transport; marine environments; estuaries; geophysical surveys; acoustic surveys, marine; Delphinapterus leucas; Marine biology; Aquatic animals; Mammals; Whales; Water transport; Environmental protection; Environmental management
Illustrationslocation maps; tables; time series; plots
ProgramClimate Change Geoscience Coastal Infrastructure
Released2019 12 18
AbstractVessel traffic negatively affects marine mammals by causing behavioural disturbance, acoustic masking, contamination (i.e., oil spills), and ship strikes. Few studies have examined the effects of vessels on marine mammals in the Arctic, but beluga whales appear to be especially sensitive to vessel traffic. We examine how the vocalizations of belugas are impacted by vessel traffic in the Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area in the Mackenzie River estuary of the western Canadian Arctic. Between one and four acoustic recorders were deployed between June and August each year between 2015 and 2018 near the only shipping channel at this site. We examined beluga vocalizations from acoustic recordings over four summers and assessed how the distance to the nearest vessel passing the acoustic recorder affected the number of vocalizations. Beluga vocalizations within the range of the acoustic recorder decreased significantly when vessels were within 5 km of the acoustic recorder. This result suggests either that belugas are avoiding the vessel or that they reduce their vocalization in response to vessel traffic. Future work is needed to assess exactly how belugas are reacting to vessel traffic in this area and what the long-term consequences of these reactions are. Management measures for reducing these impacts must be carefully considered, especially since these vessels are very restricted in where they can travel, and many of the vessels are necessary for the livelihoods of local communities.
Summary(Plain Language Summary, not published)
Vessel traffic negatively affects marine mammals by causing behavioural disturbance, acoustic masking, contamination (i.e., oil spills), and ship strikes. Few studies have examined the effects of vessels on marine mammals in the Arctic, but beluga whales appear to be especially sensitive to vessel traffic. We examine how the vocalizations of belugas are impacted by vessel traffic in the Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area in the Mackenzie River estuary of the western Canadian Arctic. Beluga vocalizations within the range of the acoustic recorder decreased significantly when vessels were within 5 km of the acoustic recorder. This result suggests either that belugas are avoiding the vessel or that they reduce their vocalization in response to vessel traffic.
GEOSCAN ID328150

 
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