Temporary hearing threshold shifts and recovery in a harbor porpoise and two harbor seals after exposure to continuous noise and playbacks of pile driving sounds

Report

Title: Temporary hearing threshold shifts and recovery in a harbor porpoise and two harbor seals after exposure to continuous noise and playbacks of pile driving sounds

Author:

Kastelein, A.; Hoek, L.; Gransier, R.; Wensveen, P.; Macleod, A.; Olthuis, J.; Triesscheijn, R.; Smink, A.; Jennings, N.; Terhune, J; de Jong, C.; Jansen, E.; Verboom, W.

Publication Date:

August 1, 2011

Pages:

Place Published:

Netherlands

Affiliation

Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (Rijkswaterstaat), SEAMARCO

Sponsoring Organization:

Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (Rijkswaterstaat)

Technology:

Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind

Stressor:

Noise

Receptor:

Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds

Document Access

Website:

External Link

Attachment:

Access File

Citation

Kastelein, A.; Hoek, L.; Gransier, R.; Wensveen, P.; Macleod, A.; Olthuis, J.; Triesscheijn, R.; Smink, A.; Jennings, N.; Terhune, J; de Jong, C.; Jansen, E.; Verboom, W. (2011). Temporary hearing threshold shifts and recovery in a harbor porpoise and two harbor seals after exposure to continuous noise and playbacks of pile driving sounds. Report by Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (Rijkswaterstaat). Report for Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (Rijkswaterstaat).

@techreport{Kastelein-2011-2080551,
author = {Kastelein, A and Hoek, L and Gransier, R and Wensveen, P and Macleod, A and Olthuis, J and Triesscheijn, R and Smink, A and Jennings, N and Terhune, J and de Jong, C and Jansen, E and Verboom, W},
title = {Temporary hearing threshold shifts and recovery in a harbor porpoise and two harbor seals after exposure to continuous noise and playbacks of pile driving sounds},
institution = {Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (Rijkswaterstaat)},
year = {2011},
month = {aug},
address = {Netherlands},
url = {https://www.noordzeeloket.nl/en/@171528/final-short-report-tts-seals-porpoise/},
keywords = {Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Noise, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds},
}

Export Citation to BibTex

TY - RPRT
TI - Temporary hearing threshold shifts and recovery in a harbor porpoise and two harbor seals after exposure to continuous noise and playbacks of pile driving sounds
AU - Kastelein, A
AU - Hoek, L
AU - Gransier, R
AU - Wensveen, P
AU - Macleod, A
AU - Olthuis, J
AU - Triesscheijn, R
AU - Smink, A
AU - Jennings, N
AU - Terhune, J
AU - de Jong, C
AU - Jansen, E
AU - Verboom, W
AB - Safety criteria for underwater sound caused by offshore pile driving are needed to protect marine mammals from dangerous sound exposure. However, little is known about temporary hearing threshold shifts (TTS) induced by non-impulsive and impulsive sounds in marine mammals. To gain insight into the occurrence of and recovery from TTS in two species of marine mammal, the study was divided in two parts, namely exposure to a noise band (non-impulsive sound) and exposure to playbacks of recorded pile drive strike sounds (impulsive sounds).The marine mammals species used in the present study were the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) which has its most sensitive hearing between 16 and 140 kHz, and the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), which has its most sensitive hearing between 0.5 and 40 kHz.To assess the effects of noise bands on TTS, a young male harbor porpoise and two young female harbor seals were exposed to fatiguing noise at eight combinations of sound pressure levels (SPL) and duration. Their temporary hearing threshold shifts (TTSs) and hearing recovery were quantified by using a psychophysical technique (they were trained to respond in a particular way when it detected a sound). Octave-band white noise (OBN) centered at 4 kHz was used as the fatiguing stimulus at two mean received SPLs per species (136 and 124 dB re 1 µPa for the porpoise, and 148 and 136 dB re 1 µPa for the seals), each offered at four durations (15, 30, 60 and 120 minutes). Received sound exposure levels (SELs) were in the range of 154 to 175 dB re 1 µPa2 s for the porpoise, and in the range of 166 to 187 dB re 1 µPa2 s for the seals. Hearing thresholds were determined for a narrow-band frequency-swept sine wave (3.9-4.1 kHz; 1 s) before exposure to the fatiguing noise, and at 1- 4, 4-8, 8-12 and 48 minutes after exposure in the porpoise and in seal 01, and at 12-16, 16-20, 20-24 and 60 minutes after exposure in seal 02 (as seal 02 was always tested after 01). TTS and recovery of hearing were quantified by subtracting the pre-exposure hearing thresholds from the post-exposure hearing thresholds.In the next phases of this research program, playbacks of pile driving sounds at a higher SPL could provide data on the TTS onset level, and behavioral response studies with playbacks of pile driving sounds at the normal strike rate could serve to make the estimates of deterring distances at sea more accurate.
CY - Netherlands
DA - 2011/08//
PY - 2011
SP - 20
PB - Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (Rijkswaterstaat)
UR - https://www.noordzeeloket.nl/en/@171528/final-short-report-tts-seals-porpoise/
LA - English
KW - Wind Energy
KW - Fixed Offshore Wind
KW - Noise
KW - Marine Mammals
KW - Cetaceans
KW - Pinnipeds
ER -

Export Citation to RIS

Abstract

Safety criteria for underwater sound caused by offshore pile driving are needed to protect marine mammals from dangerous sound exposure. However, little is known about temporary hearing threshold shifts (TTS) induced by non-impulsive and impulsive sounds in marine mammals. To gain insight into the occurrence of and recovery from TTS in two species of marine mammal, the study was divided in two parts, namely exposure to a noise band (non-impulsive sound) and exposure to playbacks of recorded pile drive strike sounds (impulsive sounds).

The marine mammals species used in the present study were the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) which has its most sensitive hearing between 16 and 140 kHz, and the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), which has its most sensitive hearing between 0.5 and 40 kHz.

To assess the effects of noise bands on TTS, a young male harbor porpoise and two young female harbor seals were exposed to fatiguing noise at eight combinations of sound pressure levels (SPL) and duration. Their temporary hearing threshold shifts (TTSs) and hearing recovery were quantified by using a psychophysical technique (they were trained to respond in a particular way when it detected a sound). Octave-band white noise (OBN) centered at 4 kHz was used as the fatiguing stimulus at two mean received SPLs per species (136 and 124 dB re 1 µPa for the porpoise, and 148 and 136 dB re 1 µPa for the seals), each offered at four durations (15, 30, 60 and 120 minutes). Received sound exposure levels (SELs) were in the range of 154 to 175 dB re 1 µPa2 s for the porpoise, and in the range of 166 to 187 dB re 1 µPa2 s for the seals. Hearing thresholds were determined for a narrow-band frequency-swept sine wave (3.9-4.1 kHz; 1 s) before exposure to the fatiguing noise, and at 1- 4, 4-8, 8-12 and 48 minutes after exposure in the porpoise and in seal 01, and at 12-16, 16-20, 20-24 and 60 minutes after exposure in seal 02 (as seal 02 was always tested after 01). TTS and recovery of hearing were quantified by subtracting the pre-exposure hearing thresholds from the post-exposure hearing thresholds.

In the next phases of this research program, playbacks of pile driving sounds at a higher SPL could provide data on the TTS onset level, and behavioral response studies with playbacks of pile driving sounds at the normal strike rate could serve to make the estimates of deterring distances at sea more accurate.