posted on 2012-03-29, 12:30authored byKlaus Lucke, Paul LepperPaul Lepper, Marie-Anne Blanchet, Bert Hoeve, E. Everaats, Niels van Elk, Ursula Siebert
The effects of offshore wind turbines on harbour porpoises (Phocoena
phocoena) can be studied from different perspectives. Line transect surveys and
static or towed acoustic monitoring are valuable tools to describe the status or trend
in distribution and abundance of these animals within certain areas and telemetry
studies provide insight in the behaviour and habitat use of individual animals. These
methods are indispensable in many respects but they are descriptive by nature and
can not explain or predict why extend the observed effects occur. In this sense they
are complimentary to studies on the cause-effect relationship of the presence of or
emissions from offshore wind turbines (OWT’s) and their direct effect on individual
animals. Electromagnetic and visual inputs from OWT’s are likely to be negligible in
this context, either because of their low strength of emissions or comparatively low
sensitivity of harbour porpoises to such stimuli. In contrast the OWT-related acoustic
emissions can repeatedly reach extreme intensities. There is a direct and highly
relevant link between acoustic emissions and harbour porpoises as these animals
have a very acute hearing and rely vitally on this sense. The understanding of noiseinduced
effects and data on the tolerance of the animals hearing system to such
sounds is critical for the assessment of the overall effect of OWT’s on harbour
porpoises.
History
School
Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering
Citation
LUCKE, K. ... et al., 2008. Auditory studies on harbour porpoises in relation to offshore wind turbines. Presented at the 15th ASCOBANS Advisory Committee Meeting, 31st March - 3rd April 2008, Bonn, Germany, Document 42.
This report was presented at the 15th Meeting of the ASCOBANS Advisory Committee. The definitive version is available at: http://www.ascobans.org/pdf/ac15/ac15-42.pdf