Monitoring underwater sound at the Seattle Aquarium

Research proposal discussionWednesday, July 19, 2006

Scott Veirs | scott@beamreach.org | (206) 251-5554

Goals for this meeting+

• Discuss logistics of deploying a hydrophone system at the Seattle Aquarium

• Continue considering potential educational benefits (and funding opportunities)

• Monitor and study ambient noise and biological (endangered orca) sound

Outline• Puget Sound hydrophone network overview

– History, precedents, and progress– Proposed nodes and funding status– Research results to date

• The proposed Aquarium node– Components and constraints– Installation and maintenance

• Potential educational benefits– Listening/learning station (pier end, Great Hall)?– Puget Soundscape concept

Building a hydrophone network in the Pacific

Northwest

Extant and proposed nodes in Haro Strait

Collaboration with Val Veirs

(Colorado College/Orcasound with TWM/SeaSound)

4+ phones, ~30m offshore, ~10m depth

Calibrated to measure sound pressure levels

5+ year lifetimes18+ months (4/04-

11/05)results

Orcasound

HaroStrait

SanJuanIsland

Victoria

Lime Kiln

Other precedents(and potential nodes)

• OrcaLab, Hanson Island, BC (Paul Spong)• Race Rocks, southern Vancouver Island, BC• Vashon Hydrophone project, west side Vashon

Island (Ann Stateler and Joe Olson)• Buoyed systems for Humpbacks

– Whalesong Project, Hawai’i– Jupiter Foundation, Hawai’I and Alaska

Proposed new nodes in Puget Sound and funding status

• Seattle Aquarium• Port Townsend Marine Science Center

• $25,000 from NOAA for initial implementation• Exploring funding from WDFW• Prospecting for streaming sponsor

Proven monitoring system

Hydrophones: ITC-4066

Bandwidth: 100Hz – 15kHz

Digitizing rate: 44,100 sec-1

Averaging time: 2 seconds

Reporting interval: 30 minutes

• Monitors continuously

• Detects and records automatically

• Computes statistical summaries

• Localizes sound sources

24 hrs

24 hours of ambient sound in Haro Strait

Seal?

??

Orcas

Ferry

Winter ambient sound Jan 11 – Jan 13, 2005

~ 20 Large Commercial Ships Pass Each Day

dB

1/11

1/12

1/13

8 am 8 pm 8 am

Day Night

100

120

100

120

100

120

date

8 am 8 pm 8 am

Day Night

7/3

7/4

7/5

7/6

Commercial ships dominate at nightRecreational boats dominate during day

Jul 03 – Jul 06, 2004

Summer ambient sound

100

120dB

100

120

100

120

100

120

date

114

114.5

115

115.5

116

116.5

117

117.5

118

June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov

dB re 1

μ (0.1-15 ) Pa kHz

Monthly pattern of ambient noiseJune 2004 – November 2005

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Hour in Day

dB re 1

μ (0.1-20 )Pa kHz

Not Summer

Summer

Diurnal pattern of ambient noiseNon-summer is October-April | Summer is July-August

Conclusions about ambient noisein Haro Strait

• Overall SPL: minimum~95dB; average ~115dB.

• Typical maximum SPL~130dB; maximum~144.

• Ships are dominant source during winters and during summer nights (raising average ~20dB above minimum).

• Boats make significant contribution during summer days (raise average by ~2dB during summer afternoons)

The proposed node at the Seattle Aquarium

USGS

Components and costs

2 hydrophones and cable $500PC computer $1,500installation hardware $200

Hydrophone deployment 8 $100 $800Node installation/configuration 12 $50 $600

Cost per node $3,600

• 2 hydrophones, single cable (+ protectors)

• PC (or laptop), power, Internet access

• Diver for installation (1 hour) and annual maintenance

Sighting and potential benefits

Puget Soundscape concept

Explore via link at http://beamreach.org/051/