Shipping noise in whale habitat: characteristics, sources, budget, and impact on belugas in Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park hub.

Multi-agent modelling of whale-watching excursions in the Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park (SSLMP) in Quebec, Canada

Conceptualization and implementation of a multi-agent model to simulate whale-watching tours in the St. Lawrence Estuary in Quebec, Canada

The Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park (SSLMP) and the adjacent Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the St. Lawrence Estuary, in Quebec, cover a territory of exceptional biodiversity including 12 species of marine mammals, nearly half of which are considered to be endangered species. Whale-watching trips and other human activities related to commercial shipping, tourism, and recreation generate very ...

Stable isotope and trace element status of subsistence-hunted bowhead and beluga whales in Alaska and gray whales in Chukotka.

Tissues of bowhead, beluga, and gray whales were analyzed for Ag, Cd, Cu, Se, Zn, THg and MeHg (belugas only). Delta15N and delta13C in muscle were used to estimate trophic position and feeding habitat, respectively. Trace element concentrations in tissues were significantly different among whale species. Hepatic Ag was higher in belugas than bowheads and gray whales. Gray whales had lower Cd c...

Making Marine Noise Pollution Impacts Heard: The Case of Cetaceans in the North Sea within Life Cycle Impact Assessment

Oceans represent more than 95% of the world’s biosphere and are among the richest sources of biodiversity on Earth. However, human activities such as shipping and construction of marine infrastructure pose a threat to the quality of marine ecosystems. Due to the dependence of most marine animals on sound for their communication, foraging, protection, and ultimately their survival, the effects o...

Signal Processing Enhances Environmental Sensing

S ensors and other data sources, combined with sophisticated signal processing techniques, promise to help scientists better observe and analyze various types of environmental data. Biologist Nathan Merchant, for example , has created a method for tracking ships and monitoring underwater noise levels in protected marine mammal habitats. Merchant, senior scientist for underwater noise at the U.K...