| Abstract |
This report presents behavioral responses of dolphins and white whales exposed to 1-s tones. The U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) (N45) have sponsored research programs to investigate the auditory effects of high intensity sounds on marine mammals. In addition to auditory effects, these studies reported behavioral reactions as the subjects were exposed to sounds of increasing intensity. The most common reactions were attempts by the subjects to avoid the site of previous noise exposures, or attempts to avoid an exposure in-progress. Schlundt et al.(star) gave a brief summary of the more significant behavioral changes they observed in dolphins and white whales exposed to intense pure tones. This report presents a more detailed summary of behavioral responses of dolphins and white whales exposed to 1-s tones. (star)(Schlundt, C. E., Finneran, J. J., Carder, D. A., and Ridgway, S. H. (2000). 'Temporary shift in masked hearing thresholds (MTTS) of bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, and white whales, Deiphinapterus leucas, after exposure to intense tones,' J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 107(6), 3496-3508.). |
