"The blue whale's ear bone is studied to help understand how whales communicate. It can also be applied to help protect whales from human technology, such as sonar that leads to the animal's death in some cases as they beach themselves out of confusion. Allison Fuller, a 24-year-old biology grad student who also participated in the beach necropsy, said this whale was definitely not affected by sonar because blue whales do not communicate using sonar."
Something is definitely wrong with this statement!!
(My comment to this article is below)
Taffy Williams
www.ny4whales.org
A Whale of a Task: Beached Whale Gives Students Hands-on Experience
I added a comment to this article
Taffy Williams
Wed Nov 11 2009 00:53
"Allison Fuller, a 24-year-old biology grad student who also participated in the beach necropsy, said this whale was definitely not affected by sonar because blue whales do not communicate using sonar."
Fuller's statement fails to take into account well-known acoustic trauma that can damage, and even obliterate, internal organs and certainly disable an animal enough to allow itself to be slammed (and sliced up) by a research vessel's propellers. Just because a whale "does not communicate using sonar" (even if that were true of the blues which is not conclusive) does not negate those impacts from underwater sound waves powerful enough for geologic mapping. Seismic pulses, which comprise the work of this vessel, are capable of emitting decibel levels at 250+ and are known to impact whales in the vicinity, and beyond. We know these powerful acoustic waves attenuate (weaken or diffuse) little underwater, even at hundreds of km from the source. What would the received levels be if the whales were within 1 km of the source? Consider if the whales acted as "biological diffusers" of these powerful unattenuating acoustic waves, what would those effects be? These grad students and their mentors should make predictions of the expected acoustic impacts that could result from this specific ship's activities, and follow the evidence during necropsy. In other words, let's not throw out the obvious; all possibilities must be investigated for a credible necropsy.
Taffy Williams, Director
New York Whale and Dolphin Action League
www.ny4whales.org
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