Title
Underwater noise from ship traffic near Cambridge Bay, Nunavut in 2017 and 2018. Report written for Transport Canada
Author(s)
W.D. Halliday
Published
2021
Abstract
Underwater noise from ship traffic is an increasing concern in the Arctic as ship traffic continues to increase throughout the region. In this report, we analyzed ship noise from passive acoustic data that was recorded near Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, in 2017 and 2018. We estimated the influence of the presence and number of ships, distance to the nearest ship, and speed of the nearest ship on sound pressure levels. We also estimated the source levels of eight individual ships, including multiple estimates for some ships, for a total of 14 source level estimates. Finally, we examined marine mammal and fish vocalizations between August and October (i.e. the shipping season) within the datasets to estimate the exposure to underwater noise for different species. 15 unique ships with AIS transponders (or a GPS track) came within 10 km of the acoustic recorder in 2017, and 12 unique ships in 2018. Of these, there were a total of 14 passages by eight unique ships within 2.5 km of the acoustic recorder, which were used to measure the source levels of individual ships. The number of ships within 10 km of the recorder, as well as the distance to the nearest ship, were both important predictors of underwater noise levels. Estimated ship source levels ranged from 163.3 to 185.6 dB re 1 μPa at 1 m (bandwidth: 20 Hz to 48 kHz), with the higher source levels belonging to large ships like tankers and bulk carriers, and the lower levels for smaller ships like tugs and research ships. Both ringed seal and fish vocalizations were common in August-October, and typically occurred on the same days that ship noise was present. Bearded seal vocalizations were also common in early August 2018, and similarly occurred in close proximity to ship noise. These species therefore are likely exposed to all of the ship noise occurring at this site. Beluga whales were present on a single day in this study period, and are not frequently encountered in this area. Overall, these results provide the first measurements of ship noise in this region, provide estimates of the exposure of marine animals to ship noise, and provide context for future work on underwater noise in this region.
Full Citation
Halliday, W.D. (2021). Underwater noise from ship traffic near Cambridge Bay, Nunavut in 2017 and 2018. Report written for Transport Canada. Toronto, Canada: Wildlife Conservation Society, Canada.
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