Whales unhurt
by sea lab’s sounds

Early research shows no ill effects
from the underwater studies

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By Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com

LAHAINA >> Emitting low-frequency sounds to measure ocean temperatures off northern Kauai does not appear to affect the migration of humpback whales, according to a whale researcher's preliminary results.

"They're not going down. They're not running away from the sounds," said whale researcher Joe Mobley. "Thus far, I've seen no response."

Mobley, who has been conducting a federally funded study, said his preliminary findings indicate the noise from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography's North Pacific Acoustic Laboratory on Kauai does not seem to affect the humpbacks presence in the waters.

He said the number of humpback whale sightings increased this year while the North Pacific Acoustic Laboratory was emitting periodic low-frequency sounds.

An official with Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, which has been critical of the use of low-frequency sounds, said his group has not seen the study and would need to consult with scientists to evaluate the information.

Earthjustice staff attorney David Henkin said he was skeptical about the use of a whale count to determine the impact of low-frequency sounds and the source of the study funded by NPAL and the Office of Naval Research.

"It doesn't give me any degree of confidence," Henkin said.

Mobley, a University of Hawaii professor specializing in animal behavior psychology, said the number of humpback whale sightings in waters off northern Kauai totaled 83 this year compared with 75 last year when the sound was off.

Mobley said the increase seems to follow his previous observations of an average of a 7 percent increase annually in whale sightings.

Mobley said the sound from the laboratory, located eight miles north of Hanalei Bay, was about 195 decibels at the source, a little less than the 200 decibels produced by an oil tanker.

He said the sound was on for 20-minute periods with a four-hour break a day every fourth day.

He said he conducted aerial surveys on an airplane within 25 miles of the source once a week for eight weeks from Feb. 1 through March 30.

Mobley said his findings are preliminary and could change as he continues to gather more information during the five-year study.

He said the results of his survey have been turned over to the National Marine Fisheries Service and the state Department of Land & Natural Resources.