WWF Canada hosted a workshop on ocean noise in Canada’s Pacific Ocean on Jan 31 and Feb 1st 2012, with the goal of better understanding ocean noise pollution and how it is managed. Participants included experts from the U.S., Australia and the U.K.

The workshop looked at current and emerging sources of man-made noise off the British Columbia coast, as well as conservation concerns related to noise pollution and the ability to monitor and research ocean noise in the region. The workshop also identified key actions to further the understanding of man-made noise in B.C., and ensure that underwater noise pollution is considered in ocean policy, management and planning in BC.

Overall, the majority of the participants at the meeting agreed that:

" Ocean Noise is a growing concern and its impacts must be considered in the management and planning of current and future activities in the marine waters off British Columbia. There is a need to protect quiet areas and reduce anthropogenic noise levels, especially in ecologically important area."

 

Workshop Presentations

Jan 31st 2012 – Day 1

SESSION I - INTRODUCTION

• An overview of ocean ambient noise (John Hildebrand)
• Marine Mammals of British Columbia: Current Status, Distribution and Critical Habitats (John Ford)
• Potential effects of noise on fish (Francis Juanes)
• Ecological constraints on sound production in marine animals: the importance of listening (Lance Barrett-Lennard)

Session II – MONITORING IN AND AROUND B.C.

• Low frequency ambient noise measurements and trends in offshore BC waters (Ross Chapman)
• Assessing Long Term Sound Profiles Including Noise from Anthropogenic Sources in Important Resident Killer Whale Habitat (Harald Yurk)
• The Salish Sea Hydrophone Network (Scott Veirs)
• Using pop-ups to measure underwater noise levels in 12 important whale habitats along the BC coast (Rob Williams)
• A summary of over 40 years of acoustic monitoring in Johnstone Strait (Paul Spong and Helena Symonds)
• The Heiltsuk Hydrophone Network: Monitoring underwater acoustics on the Central Coast (Diana Chan and Jenny Brown)
• Orca, humpback and fin whale acoustics of northern BC (Janie Wray)
• VENUS - Monitoring ocean sound on cabled ocean observatories (Richard Dewey)

Session III – ACTIIVITIES IN B.C.

• AUVs: an autonomous underwater vehicle overview (Doug Wilson)
• Shipping Trends and Future Activity on BC North Coast (Jason Scherr)
• Sustainable Port Growth and Marine Mammal Protection Initiatives in the Port of Vancouver (Darrell Desjardin)
• Emerging Marine Projects in BC (Ben Wheeler)

Feb 1st 2012 – Day 2

Session III - NOISE MAPPING

• The US NOAA Underwater Sound Field Mapping Working Group: Developing geospatial tools to inform management of cumulative impacts on marine mammals (Leila Hatch)
• Modelling Cumulative Underwater Noise from Shipping in British Columbia (Christine Erbe)

Session IV – CASE STUDIES

• Integrating underwater noise within coastal and marine spatial planning frameworks: 
Lessons from Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Leila Hatch)
• How the Gully MPA is managed for underwater noise (Lindy Weilgart)
• Studies of vessel noise off Southern California (John Hildebrand)
• An overview of the International Quiet Ocean Experiment (Christine Erbe)
• Rapid evolution: progress and trends in noise mitigation (Michael Jasny)
• Canada’s Approach to Oceans Management & Current Status on Ocean Noise Initiatives (Mike Stoneman and Heather Danielson)