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Fig. 6.10
Soundscape as
determined by 19 recorded
positions in a Massachusetts
bay at three different
frequency bands: 18-28 Hz
fin whale (
Balaenoptera
physalus
) band
(
A
); 224-708 Hz humpback
whale (
Megoptera
novaeangliae
) band
(
B
); 71-224 Hz right whale
(
Eubalaena glacialis
) band
(
C
). In (
A
) and (
C
), the peak
at the center is the result of
construction noise.
In (
A
) the sonic activity is
from a singing fin whale.
In (
B
) and (
C
), there was
no acoustic activity during
the sampling of humpback
or right whales (Reproduced
with permission from Clark
et al.
2009
)
6.14 Ship and Boat Traffic Impacts on Marine Wildlife
In the marine environment, noise produced by outboard and inboard engines creates
complete sonic conditions in which many animals can suffer direct hearing injury or
masking of communications. Au and Green (
2000
) have evaluated that the presence
of boats close to a group of humpback whales (
Megaptera novaeangliae
) could
create problems in these animals during the singing season (February-April) in
Hawaiian waters. During the singing season the amount of sound is high, creating
continuous choruses, but measurements on visitor boats used to watch whales were
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