March 13, 2020: Frontiers in Marine Science, a peer-reviewed scientific publication, just published a study by Simonis et al. entitled “Seal Bomb Noise as a Potential Threat to Monterey Bay Harbor Porpoise.” To access the paper, click here.
Abstract of paper: Anthropogenic noise is a known threat to marine mammals. Decades of research have shown that harbor porpoises are particularly sensitive to anthropogenic noise, and geographic displacement is a common impact from noise exposure. Small, localized populations may be particularly vulnerable to impacts associated with displacement, as animals that are excluded from their primary habitat may have reduced foraging success and survival, or be exposed to increased threats of predation or by-catch. Seal bombs are underwater explosives used in purse seine fisheries to deter marine mammals during fishery operations. Pinnipeds are believed to be the primary target for seal bomb use, however there may be indirect impacts on harbor porpoises. Active purse seine fishing using seal bombs in the greater Monterey Bay area may, at times, span the entire range of the Monterey Bay harbor porpoise stock, which may lead to negative impacts for this population. In this contribution, we review anthropogenic noise as a threat to harbor porpoises, with a focus on the potential for impacts from seal bomb noise exposure in the Monterey Bay region.
Funding was provided by the NOAA Ocean Acoustics Program, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation through a grant to Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and the Southwest Fisheries Science Center.
To learn more about the Harbor Porpoise, visit this NOAA website.