Scientists
say it's the food
Date: January 29, 2019
Source: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Using data
from underwater robots, scientists have discovered that beaked whales prefer to
feed within parts of a Navy sonar test range off Southern California that have
dense patches of deep-sea squid. A new study published in the Journal of
Applied Ecology, shows that beaked whales need these prey hotspots to survive,
and that similar patches do not exist in nearby "sonar-free" areas.
For decades,
the U.S. Navy has used high-powered sonar during anti-submarine training and
testing exercises in various ocean habitats, including the San Nicolas Basin
off Southern California. Beaked whales are particularly sensitive to these
kinds of military sonars, which sometimes result in mass stranding events.
Following legal action from environmental activists related to these risks, the
Navy modified some training activities, created "sonar-free" areas,
and spent more than a decade and tens of millions of dollars trying to find
ways to reduce the harm to beaked whales and other mammals.
The new
research, led by Brandon Southall at the University of California, Santa Cruz,
and Kelly Benoit-Bird at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, aimed to
better understand why whales keep returning to the test range despite the
risks.
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