Interference of Communication and Echolocation of Southern Resident Killer Whales

Human use of aquatic environments is increasing, elevating ambient sound levels through the introduction of more man-made noise. The implications of marine mammal species being subject to increased noise levels can range from masking of ecologically important signals to injury and even death. Successful mitigation relies on characterizing the risk and understanding the level of disturbance on the focal species. Considering the noise-induced changes in effective conspecific communication and echolocation by cetaceans, for example, could be a useful metric for managers when considering both the level of effect and efficacy of control or prevention measures. The estimated reduction in range from a maximum, under minimum ambient or historical conditions, gives a means to quantify impact and make comparisons over time and space. This may add to evidence-based means to design and test mitigation measures aimed at reducing acoustic disturbance for cetacean species.