Southall Environmental Associates News

08 Jul 2014

U.S. Navy: Marine Mammal Project Breaks New Ground

Dolphins jump out of the water near the Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3) during an underway replenishment with the guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106), not pictured. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Hooper/Released)

The U.S. Navy said that a newly released scientific report demonstrates the viability of a new method to estimate received sound levels during real scenarios and analyzes movements of satellite-tagged individuals of three species of marine mammals exposed to Navy mid-frequency active sonar around Kauai's Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF). "This is exciting news in several ways, not least of which is the promise this new integrated approach holds for learning how sonar affects marine mammals," said Julie Rivers, natural and marine resources program manager for the U.S.