Validation of the auditory tolerance limit in harbour porpoises for exposure to construction noise from windmill turbines
Overview
| Title: | Validation of the auditory tolerance limit in harbour porpoises for exposure to construction noise from windmill turbines |
| Duration: |
Dec 2009-Dec 2011 |
| Sponsor: |
Forschungs- und Technologiezentrum Westkueste |
| Keywords: | electronic and electrical engineering, harbour porpoise, underwater noise, wind farm construction, marine piling |
Abstract
The construction of offshore wind turbines (OWTs) in the German North and Baltic Sea can result in significant sound emissions into the marine environment as most foundations are constructed using impulsive pile driving. The emitted sound energies are high enough to potentially impair or damage the hearing system of harbour porpoises.
Auditory studies (MINOS+ project) revealed for the first time a threshold value for the tolerance of the auditory system of this toothed whale species, the only resident whale species in German waters. This threshold value will be further assessed in this study using wild harbour porpoises to increase its scientific and legal validity. Besides hearing response to impulsive pile driving other techniques, e.g. vibratory pile driving, also used to install foundations for offshore wind turbines at sea will be accessed. The characteristics of emissions from vibratory piling will likely differ from that of impulses generated by percussive pile driving. It is therefore planned to also study the effect of the different construction techniques on the auditory threshold level in the harbour porpoise.
People
Partners
Dr. Klaus Lucke
Forschungs- und Technologiezentrum Westkueste
Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet zu Kiel
Hafentoern 1
25761 Buesum
Publications
Lucke, K., Lepper, P.A., Hoeve, B., Everaarts, E., van Elk, N. and Siebert, U., ''Perception of Low-frequency Acoustic Signals by a Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in the Presence of Simulated Offshore Wind Turbine Noise'', Aquatic Mammals, 331, May 2007, pp 55-68, ISSN 0167-5427. DOI: 10.1573/AM.331.2007.55
Lucke, K., Lepper, P.A., Blanchet, M. and Siebert, U., ''Testing the acoustic tolerance of harbour porpoise hearing for impulsive sounds'', Bioacoustics: The International Journal of Sound & Recording, 17(1-3), 2008, 329-331, ISSN 0952-4622.
Lucke, K., Siebert, U., Lepper, P.A. and Blanchet, M.A., ''Temporary shift in masked hearing thresholds in a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) after exposure to seismic airgun stimuli'', Journal Acoustical Society of America, 125(6), June 2009, pp 4060-4070, ISSN 10.1121/1.3117443.