10.5061/DRYAD.DR7SQV9ZB
Jones-Todd, Charlotte
0000-0003-1201-2781
University of Auckland
Pirotta, Enrico
Washington State University
Durban, John
Southall Environmental Associates (United States)
Claridge, Diane
Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation
Baird, Robin
Cascadia Research
Falcone, Erin
Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research
Schorr, Greg
Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research
Watwood, Stephanie
Naval Undersea Warfare Center
Thomas, Len
Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling
Discrete-space continuous-time models of marine mammal exposure to Navy sonar
Dryad
dataset
2021
FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
Office of Naval Research
https://ror.org/00rk2pe57
N00014-16-1-2858
2021-06-14T00:00:00Z
2021-06-14T00:00:00Z
en
107324 bytes
3
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Assessing the patterns of wildlife attendance to specific areas is
relevant across many fundamental and applied ecological studies,
particularly when animals are at risk of being exposed to stressors within
or outside the boundaries of those areas. Marine mammals are increasingly
being exposed to human activities that may cause behavioural and
physiological changes, including military exercises using active sonars.
Assessment of the population-level consequences of anthropogenic
disturbance requires robust and efficient tools to quantify the levels of
aggregate exposure for individuals in a population over biologically
relevant time frames. We propose a discrete-space, continuous-time
approach to estimate individual transition rates across the boundaries of
an area of interest, informed by telemetry data collected with
uncertainty. The approach allows inferring the effect of stressors on
transition rates, the progressive return to baseline movement patterns,
and any difference among individuals. We apply the modelling framework to
telemetry data from Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon
densirostris) tagged in the Bahamas at the Atlantic Undersea Test and
Evaluation Center (AUTEC), an area used by the US Navy for fleet readiness
training. We show that transition rates changed as a result of exposure to
sonar exercises in the area, reflecting an avoidance response. Our
approach will support the assessment of the aggregate exposure of
individuals to sonar and the resulting population-level consequences. The
approach has potential applications across many applied and fundamental
problems where telemetry data are used to characterise animal occurrence
within specific areas.
Data are satellite telemetry data from seven Blainville's beaked
whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) tagged between 2009 and 2015 within or
near the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC), in the
Bahamas. This region is regularly used by the U.S. Navy to carry out
military exercises with active sonar. Tagging was carried out in advance
of large-scale exercises (Submarine Command Courses) to monitor resulting
changes in the animals' movement behavior. Animals were fitted with
Wildlife Computers SPLASH transmitters (n = 2, Mk-10; Wildlife Computers
Inc., Redmond, WA, USA) and SPOT model tags (n = 5, AM‐S240A‐C; Wildlife
Computers Inc.) in the Low Impact Minimally Percutaneous
External-electronics Transmitter (LIMPET) configuration. Tags were
attached on or near the dorsal fin from distances of 5-25 m using a
crossbow or black powder gun. Location estimates of tagged whales were
provided by the Argos system based on the Kalman filtering method. See
manuscript for further details.