Are we making too much noise?

Belugas depend to a large extent on their sense of hearing to communicate, to orient themselves and to hunt. Their habitat is becoming more and more noisy, to the point that we often use the term noise pollution when referring to their environment. But, what is really going on? Are the St. Lawrence belugas being exposed to so much sound that it is damaging their hearing?

To go through the looking glass

Scientists use hydrophones and sound projectors to characterise noise levels and measure sound propagation in various St. Lawrence beluga whale habitats. Radio tracking of 44 individual beluga whales—carried out between 2000 and 2005—combined with visual tracking of pods since 1986 will enable researchers to determine the amount of time that beluga whales spend near loud noises.

In short     

Initial results have demonstrated that there is a real risk of permanent damage to beluga whale ears in certain habitats and at certain times of the day. Sound recordings will allow researchers to extend the analysis and create maps of the beluga whale’s sound environment in both space and time. Beluga whale tracking data will be used to “swim” the whales through these sound maps and evaluate with greater precision the risks that they face when exposed to noise.

News from the field :

A new phase in an ambitious project: sound pollution and beluga whales (2004)

Researching the Acoustic Environment of the Beluga Whale (2003)

The Beluga Radio-Tagging Project (2002)

Project collaborators:

Peter Scheifele, University of Connecticut, Robert Michaud and Pierre Béland, SLNIE and GREMM, Véronique Lesage, François Saucier and Ian McQuinn of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Maurice Lamontagne Institute and James Theriault of the Department of National Defence in Halifax.

Partners:

World Wildlife Fund Canada, Canadian Humane Society, Croisières AML Cruises and Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park.

Other research projects