Download or read book Sound and Human Impacts on Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet Alaska written by Rachael E. Blevins and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cook Inlet beluga whales (CIBs) are a geographically and genetically isolated population residing in Cook Inlet, Alaska year round. The population declined by approximately 50% between 1994 and 1998 and was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2008. The original decline was attributed to overharvest; however, the population has failed to rebound despite the virtual absence of harvest since 1998. This suggests that other factors, such as declining prey availability, increased predation, contaminants, disease, climate change, catastrophic events, habitat loss, unauthorized take, and underwater noise pollution, may be limiting the population's recovery. The goal of this dissertation research was to study the potential impacts of underwater noise on the CIB population. The objective of Chapter 1 was to study CIB acoustic behavior to gain a greater understanding of how CIBs utilize sound. The objective of Chapter 2 was to measure underwater sound levels in Cook Inlet to understand the background noise levels with which CIBs must cope. The objective of Chapter 3 was to document reactions of CIBs to noise disturbance utilizing local ecological knowledge to allow insight into the potential impacts of noise on beluga behavior. The results of Chapter 1 showed that belugas exhibit significant seasonal and spatial variation in calling behavior which suggested differences in habitat usage or differences in the surrounding environment, including background noise levels. The results of Chapter 2 showed that root mean square sound pressure levels exhibited high variation with the highest levels recorded in the 100 Hz frequency band. The seasonal differences in sound levels observed in this study were likely due to greater small vessel traffic and oil and gas development activities in the summer than the winter. In Chapter 3, participants reported observations of CIBs exhibiting avoidance reactions to noise sources including boats, planes, explosions, pile driving, construction, and cars. The results of this chapter showed that noise is perceived to alter beluga behavior and possibly beluga distribution in Cook Inlet. This dissertation research showed that underwater noise has the potential to affect CIBs, however the cost of this impact remains unclear and warrants further study. In light of the lack of support for many of the proposed factors limiting the population and the need for further research for many of these factors, it would be valuable to consider the cumulative effects of these multiple stressors. While their potential impact may be small individually, when combined, these factors may have a synergistic and significant impact on individual whales and, in turn, on the CIB population. Management of cumulative effects may be necessary to ensure the recovery of this endangered population.
Download or read book Federal Actions Associated with Management and Recovery of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Distribution of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales Delphinapterus Leucas in Winter written by Donald J. Hansen and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Draft Federal Actions Associated with Management and Recovery of the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale written by United States. National Marine Fisheries Service. Alaska Regional Office and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Addresses actions taken by the National Marine Fisheries Service to manage and recover the Cook Inlet, Alaska, stock of beluga whales. The principle management action proposed is to limit Native subsistence harvest of Cook Inlet beluga whales.
Download or read book Acoustic Monitoring of Beluga Whale Interactions with Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project written by and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cook Inlet, Alaska is home to some of the greatest tidal energy resources in the U.S., as well as an endangered population of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas). Successfully permitting and operating a tidal power project in Cook Inlet requires a biological assessment of the potential and realized effects of the physical presence and sound footprint of tidal turbines on the distribution, relative abundance, and behavior of Cook Inlet beluga whales. ORPC Alaska, working with the Project Team--LGL Alaska Research Associates, University of Alaska Anchorage, TerraSond, and Greeneridge Science--undertook the following U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) study to characterize beluga whales in Cook Inlet - Acoustic Monitoring of Beluga Whale Interactions with the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project (Project). ORPC Alaska, LLC, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC, (collectively, ORPC). ORPC is a global leader in the development of hydrokinetic power systems and eco-conscious projects that harness the power of ocean and river currents to create clean, predictable renewable energy. ORPC is developing a tidal energy demonstration project in Cook Inlet at East Foreland where ORPC has a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) preliminary permit (P-13821). The Project collected baseline data to characterize pre-deployment patterns of marine mammal distribution, relative abundance, and behavior in ORPC's proposed deployment area at East Foreland. ORPC also completed work near Fire Island where ORPC held a FERC preliminary permit (P-12679) until March 6, 2013. Passive hydroacoustic devices (previously utilized with bowhead whales in the Beaufort Sea) were adapted for study of beluga whales to determine the relative abundance of beluga whale vocalizations within the proposed deployment areas. Hydroacoustic data collected during the Project were used to characterize the ambient acoustic environment of the project site pre-deployment to inform the FERC pilot project process. The Project compared results obtained from this method to results obtained from other passive hydrophone technologies and to visual observation techniques performed simultaneously. This Final Report makes recommendations on the best practice for future data collection, for ORPC's work in Cook Inlet specifically, and for tidal power projects in general. This Project developed a marine mammal study design and compared technologies for hydroacoustic and visual data collection with potential for broad application to future tidal and hydrokinetic projects in other geographic areas. The data collected for this Project will support the environmental assessment of future Cook Inlet tidal energy projects, including ORPC's East Foreland Tidal Energy Project and any tidal energy developments at Fire Island. The Project's rigorous assessment of technology and methodologies will be invaluable to the hydrokinetic industry for developing projects in an environmentally sound and sustainable way for areas with high marine mammal activity or endangered populations. By combining several different sampling methods this Project will also contribute to the future preparation of a comprehensive biological assessment of ORPC's projects in Cook Inlet.
Download or read book Acoustic Measurements in Cook Inlet Alaska During August 2001 written by Susanna B. Blackwell and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 41 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During August 2001 Greeneridge Sciences, Inc., made underwater and in-air recordings of various sound sources in Cook Inlet, Alaska, in order to quantify the acoustic environment that beluga whales may be subjected to in the Inlet.
Download or read book Movement and Dive Behavior of Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet Alaska written by Alaska Fisheries Science Center Nationa and published by BiblioGov. This book was released on 2013-06 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the 1970's the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was made to manage our oceanic and atmospheric resources. The Alaska Fisheries Science Center is the research branch for marine life and coastal oceans off parts of the U.S. west coast and Alaska. This includes the Eastern Bering Sea where some the worlds most important commercial fishing takes place. Their mission is to develop and maintain scientific exploration to help understand and manage that region's environment. Over the years there have been many reports published which discuss their findings; this is one of them.
Download or read book Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet Alaska written by Huntington Consulting and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 13 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Subsistence Harvest Management of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales written by United States. National Marine Fisheries Service. Alaska Regional Office and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Cook Inlet Planning Area Alaska OCS Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Sale 149 written by and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 618 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Cook Inlet Planning Area Oil and Gas Lease Sales 191 and 199 written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Movement and Dive Behavior of Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet Alaska written by Kimberly T. Goetz and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Limited information exists on the foraging behavior of the endangered population of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Cook Inlet, Alaska, especially during the winter months with heavy ice-cover. We used satellite telemetry to record the movement (n = 14) and diving (n = 11) behavior of whales across 3 years (1999-2003), including the winter months. Whales remained in Cook Inlet the entire time they were tracked. Mean dive depths across the entire tracking period ranged from 1.6 (SD ± 2.1) to 6.7 (SD ± 10.4) m and mean dive duration ranged from 1.1 (SD ± 1.3) to 6.9 (SD ± 9.5) minutes. Overall, dives were significantly shorter in the near-shore areas of Chickaloon Bay, Susitna Delta, Knik Arm, Turnagain Arm, and Trading Bay. This type of dive behavior, in combination with significantly slower transit rates suggests that whales are likely foraging in these areas. While belugas tended to prefer shallow inshore waters throughout the year, the presence of sea ice between December and May may prevent access to coastal areas. Preference for pack ice, despite the large proportions of Cook Inlet remaining ice-free, may be an indication of belugas attempting to access coastal areas despite increased ice concentration. With the declining abundance of Cook Inlet belugas, identifying potential foraging areas during ice-covered and ice-free periods is critical to the recovery of this endangered population.
Download or read book Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement written by United States. Minerals Management Service and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Summer Habitat Preference of Beluga Whales Delphinapterus Leucas in Cook Inlet Alaska written by Kimberly T. Goetz and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Regulatory Impact initial Flexibility Analysis of Proposed Inshore offshore Allocation Alternatives Amendment 18 23 to Groundfish Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Fisheries Management Plan FMP and Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Fisheries Management Plan FMP written by and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 852 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Gulf of Alaska Cook Inlet Sale No 88 written by and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 664 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Construction Impacts on the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Delphinapterus Leucas at the Port of Anchorage Marine Terminal Redevelopment Project written by Lindsey Saxon Kendall and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
