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Marine Mammal Protection
Protective Measures for Marine Mammals
Protective measures are part of the Navy’s commitment to the environment. By implementing mandatory protective measures, the Navy firmly believes that it can simultaneously maintain the required level of training while providing substantial protection to marine resources across a variety of environmental conditions.
Read a briefing on the Protective Measures Assessment Protocol (PMAP) implemented by the Navy for use in the protection of the marine environment.
Marine Mammal Spotters
Navy lookouts receive extensive on-the-job training before they are qualified to stand a lookout watch and are skilled at spotting objects at sea under all conditions. Lookouts are trained to recognize signs of marine mammal presence and to take appropriate actions when marine mammals are sighted. During exercises, lookouts are required to scan and report all marine mammal sightings continously. Through common sense and training, sailors understand that the Navy’s activity at sea, including the use of sonar systems, has the potential to affect marine mammals. This awareness and training minimizes the likelihood of negative effects.
Passive sonar for marine mammal detection
Passive acoustic monitoring using hydrophones (underwater microphones) is used to listen for vocalizing marine mammals.
Exercise Planning
Navy ships consider the geographic area and density of marine mammals when planning exercise training events.
Buffer zone
When whales or dolphins are detected by any means (aircraft, lookout, or aurally) within 450 yards of the sonar dome (the bow), the ship or submarine will limit active transmission levels to at least 6 dB below the equipment’s normal operating level for sector search modes. Within the water depths encountered in Hawaii, a 6-dB reduction in ping levels would reduce the range of potential acoustic effects to about half of its original distance. This, in turn, would reduce the area of acoustic effects to about one quarter of its original size.
Helicopters observe/survey the vicinity of an event location for 10 minutes before deploying active (dipping) sonar in the water. Helicopters do not dip their sonar within 200 yards of a marine mammal and cease pinging if a marine mammal closes within 200 yards after pinging has begun.
Shut-down procedures
Ships and submarines would continue to limit maximum ping levels by the 6-dB factor until they assess that the marine mammal is no longer within 450 yards of the sonar dome. Should the marine mammal be detected closing to inside 200 yards of the sonar dome, active sonar transmissions will cease.
When a marine mammal or sea turtle is detected closing to inside approximately 200 yards of the sonar dome, the principal risk becomes potential physical injury from collision. Accordingly, ships and submarines shall maneuver to avoid collision if the marine species closes within 200 yards, to the extent possible, with safety of the vessel being paramount.
Marine Mammal Research
Purpose of research
The more we learn about marine mammals, the more we realize that different species of animals hear and react differently to man made sounds, including Navy sonar.
Benefits of research to marine mammals
Research is a necessity to help the Navy understand the potential effects of their use of sonar on the ocean environment and particularly on marine mammals. The Navy can use the results of research to understand the conditions under which training exercises must be altered, moved to a different location, or rescheduled.
Navy-funded marine mammal research covers many areas, including:
- Sound energy source and propagation characteristics
- Estimating the location and abundance of marine mammals
- Effects of sound on hearing, physiology, and behavior
- Tools for risk analysis and management
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The Navy is dedicated to marine mammal research
The Navy is a world leader in marine mammal research and dedicates nearly $10 million per year. In fact, the Navy sponsors 70% of all U.S. research on the effects of human-generated sound on marine mammals and 50% of such research conducted worldwide. The Navy takes its environmental responsibilities seriously, and will continue to do so. This commitment is evident in the Department of the Navy’s $777 million (FY 06) environmental protection budget.
Navy Research partnerships
The U.S. Navy funds marine mammal research at universities, research institutions, federal laboratories and private companies. This research is conducted independently and not influenced by the Navy. The Office of Naval Research has not restricted the interpretation or publication of any research it has supported.
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Protective Measures Highlights
 Quick Facts
Highly qualified Navy lookouts are on the lookout for marine mammals 24/7 when a ship is moving through the water.
If a marine mammal is detected within 200 yards of the sonar dome, active sonar transmissions are stopped.
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