Andrew J Wright

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, Canada · Ocean and Ecosystem Sciences Division

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are designed to evaluate all reasonably foreseeable environmental consequences of human activities. Appropriate governmental scientists traditionally produced EIAs for management agencies in many countries. However, many EIAs are now contracted out, often to the lowest bidder without due consideration of expe...

An unprecedented 85 harbour porpoises stranded freshly dead along approximately 100 km of Danish coastline from 7-15 April, 2005. This total is considerably above the mean weekly stranding rate for the whole of Denmark, both for any time of year, 1.23 animals/week (ranging from 0 to 20 during 2003-2008, excluding April 2005), and specifically in Ap...

Much is unknown about humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) song. The behaviour is limited almost exclusively to males, occurs almost exclusively on the calving grounds and is identical within a population, although it changes periodically throughout the season. Much of current thinking associates humpback whale song with breeding, although it is...

Marine mammals are protected under dedicated taxonomic legislation, endangered species legislation, and general environmental stewardship laws in many countries. Governments and agencies within those countries are tasked with assessing and limiting human impacts in accordance with their own laws, including those arising from underwater noise emissi...

Technical Guidance from the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service recommends Federal agencies use estimated thresholds for peak sound pressure levels and weighted cumulative sound exposure levels for the onset of permanent (and temporary) hearing threshold shifts in marine mammals. These dual metrics were developed to inform impact assessments wit...

This introduction to a special issue on approaches to managing underwater noise in Canada provides a brief overview of recent efforts to better understand and reduce anthropogenic underwater noise. Recent programs have aimed to increase understanding of anthropogenic noise in the habitats of highly endangered whales and have supported management ac...

To estimate river dolphin habitat preference through density, as well as which habitats were preferred for feeding in the Pacaya- Samiria National Reserve, surveys were conducted during the high- to low-water season transition, from 2016 to 2018, in the channels, lakes, and confluences of the Samiria River. Both the Amazon river dolphin and tucuxi...

Anthropogenic underwater noise has been identified as a potentially serious stressor for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale (NARW). The Government of Canada is undertaking steps to better characterize the noise sources of most concern and their associated impacts, but there is currently an insufficient understanding of which noise...

Abstract Knowing the abundance of a population is a crucial component to assess its conservation status and develop effective conservation plans. For most cetaceans, abundance estimation is difficult given their cryptic and mobile nature, especially when the population is small and has a transnational distribution. In the Baltic Sea, the number of...

Knowing the abundance of a population is a crucial component to assess its conservation status and develop effective conservation plans. For most cetaceans, abundance estimation is difficult given their cryptic and mobile nature, especially when the population is small and has a transnational distribution. In the Baltic Sea, the number of harbour p...

Recent years have seen the rapid development of tools and approaches to model the population consequences of disturbance in several marine mammal populations from high-amplitude, acute sound sources. Ocean noise from shipping and other maritime activities is now recognised as a chronic, habitat-level stressor. Advances are needed in several key are...

A previously published analytical method demonstrated the quantification of the hormone cortisol in cetacean skin. However, little is known about the transfer of hormones between blood and skin. Recognizing that such information is essential to effectively using skin samples within marine mammal stress research, the primary goals of this study were...

Often perceived as environmentally benign, 'green' renewable energy technologies have ecological costs that are often overlooked, especially those occurring below the waterline. After briefly discussing the impacts of hydropower on freshwater and marine organisms, we focus this review on the impacts of marine renewable energy devices (MREDs) on und...

Critically endangered Māui dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) are found exclusively off the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. One important data gap troubling efforts to reduce the current unsustainable level of bycatch is the limited information on the offshore and alongshore limits of their range. Passive acoustic monitoring studies c...

Humans have reached a point where we must take action or face our own decline, if not extinction. We possess technologies that have been inducing changes in the climate of our planet in ways that threaten to at very least displace large portions of the human race, as well as weapons capable of eliminating millions and rendering large swaths of the...

Europe intends to make Open Access publishing mandatory for recipients of their agencies’ research funding and seeks to build a coalition of funding institutions willing to do the same. By covering the costs of Open Access publishing, the idea is that ‘no science should be locked behind paywalls.’ However, not all environmental science receives fun...

All animals sleep and it is essential for maintaining optimal brain function. However, cetaceans engage in the unusual practice of unihemispherical sleep, where only half of their brain sleeps at a time, due to their constant need for movement and breathing. Most studies of sleep in cetaceans have occurred in captivity. However, tagging devices hav...

Individual identification plays a major role in our understanding of the biology, ecology and behavior in cetaceans. Being able to tell individuals apart can provide invaluable insight into basic biological and scientific questions, but is also highly relevant to science-based conservation. Given the importance of individual identification, it appe...

The small resident population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Dolphin Bay, Bocas del Toro, is the target of the largest dolphin-watching industry in Panama. Previous work has shown that intense dolphin-watching activity is negatively affecting this dolphin population. Thus, understanding tourist’s preferences and views on dolphin wat...

Ambient noise in broad areas of the ocean has increased significantly over the past half-century from the introduction of tens of thousands of commercial ships continuously transiting the sea. Ship-radiated noise is predominately low frequency (<1000 Hz) other than close to vessels, and aggregate noise can dominate low-frequency bands, even well ou...

This is an unofficial copy of the Draft of New Zealand Department of Conservation’s Revised Code of Conduct for Minimising Acoustic Disturbance to Marine Mammals from Seismic Survey Operations. It was compiled by myself and others at the Department of Conservation through a stakeholder process. It has been through several rounds of stakeholder revi...

Noise can cause marine mammals to interrupt their feeding, alter their vocalizations, or leave important habitat, among other behavioural responses. The current North American paradigm for regulating activities that may result in behavioural responses identifies received sound levels (RL), at which individuals are predicted to display significant b...

Despite advances in marine conservation research, policy, and management, human activities continue to negatively affect marine species, habitats, and ecosystems, and the people who rely on them for needed resources. This begs the question: What is preventing us from being more effective in conserving marine species, habitats, and ecosystems? Answe...

Since its establishment in 1946 as the international body intended to manage whaling, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has expanded its areas of interest to ensure the wider conservation of whales. Several key conservation topics have been taken forward under its auspices including climate change, chemical and noise pollution, marine debr...

On April 14th, 2016, Animal Behavior and Cognition lost its Editor-in-Chief. But the scientific community and the friends and colleagues of Stanley ‘Stan’ Kuczaj III lost so much more. As many know, Stan began his career in Developmental Psychology, making enormous contributions in the area of language development, but became best known for his man...

In Bocas del Toro, Panama, unregulated dolphin-watching tourism has resulted in international concern. There are less than 100 resident bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) in Bocas del Toro that are genetically isolated from other populations in the Caribbean. Over just three years (2012-2014), at least 10 resident dolphins have died due to boat co...

Anthropogenic noise is a by-product from human activity that impacts protected species and is increasingly being considered in environmental management decisions. Offshore energy development presents a navigational hazard to existing shipping, making the locations of these two sources of noise mutually exclusive. This fact means that licensing deci...

Cite as: Wright, A.; Robertson, F.; Cosentino, A.M. (eds) 2016. Incorporating new mitigation technologies into guidelines for seismic surveys and other underwater acoustic activities: Producing performance standards. Marine Species and Threats, Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand. Cover photo: nocturnal detection on an infrared moni...

Despite a major research effort, no generally accepted exposure limits are available for harbor porpoises. Recent studies of the temporary threshold shift (TTS) in porpoises indicate that the sound exposure levels (SELs) required to induce low levels of TTS depend on stimulus frequency and roughly parallel the shape of the audiogram. A number of st...

Shallow, low-activity, low-biosonar parabolic-shaped dives were observed in biologging data from tagged harbor porpoises in Danish waters and identified as potential sleeping behavior. This behavioral state merits consideration in assessing the context for noise exposure and passive acoustic monitoring studies. Similar dives have also been reported...

Establishing noise exposure criteria for marine mammals has proven to be a difficult and contentious issue. Over the last decade, several attempts have been made to provide scientifically-based exposure criteria. While representing the “best available science” on the issue, these criteria, and the assumptions underpinning them, have led to consider...

Anthropogenic underwater noise is now recognized as a worldwide problem, and recent studies have shown a broad range of negative effects in a variety of taxa. Underwater noise from shipping is increasingly recognized as a significant and pervasive pollutant with the potential to impact marine ecosystems on a global scale. We reviewed six regional c...

Addressing impacts from human activities requires the change of current practices. However, reaching a target audience about conservation issues and influencing their behaviour is not easy in a world where people are continually bombarded with information, and distractions are permanently available. Although not typically considered to be part of t...

The terms " good science, " " bad science, " and especially " sound science " are frequently used in the policy arena. Most often, this is so parties with interests (usually economic) in the outcome of a political decision can promote certain results and attempt to discredit others. It has been argued that the terms " sound science " and " junk sci...

We developed a chemical analytical procedure for sampling, extracting and determining epidermal skin cortisol concentrations (SCCs) in the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) using gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. In brief, this involved a pressurized liquid extraction with a two-step solid-phase clean-up. A derivatization step was con...

Limited resources and increasing environmental concerns have prompted calls to identify the critical questions that most need to be answered to advance conservation, thereby providing an agenda for scientific research priorities. Cetaceans are often keystone indicator species but also high profile, charismatic flagship taxa that capture public and...

Science was once pure, unadulterated, and a source of public entertainment. Entertainment is now driven by celebrity, and choice is everywhere. Yet, many scientists still believe decision-makers will find and use their research to make science-based decisions. However, this is simply not the case. Articles are written in an inaccessible style, and...

The impact of underwater noise on marine life calls for identification of exposure criteria to inform mitigation. Here we review recent experimental evidence with focus on the high-frequency cetaceans and discuss scientifically-based initial exposure criteria. A range of new TTS experiments suggest that harbour and finless porpoises are more sensit...

Human pressure on the environment is expanding and intensifying, especially in coastal and offshore areas. Major contributors to this are the current push for offshore renewable energy sources, which are thought of as environmentally friendly sources of power, as well as the continued demand for petroleum. Human disturbances, including the noise al...

SAMBAH (Static Acoustic Monitoring of the Baltic Sea Harbor Porpoise) is an EU LIFE + -funded project with the primary goal of estimating the abundance and distribution of the critically endangered Baltic Sea harbor porpoise. From May 2011 to April 2013, project members in all EU countries around the Baltic Sea undertook a static acoustic survey us...

The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) faces increasing pressure from commercial shipping traffic and proposed marine renewable energy developments. Drawing upon the successful Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary model, we propose a multi-stakeholder marine spatial planning process that considers both appropriate positioning of...

Cetaceans have evolved to use sound as their primary means for communication, foraging, navigating, and generally perceiving features in the environment around them. Sound from human activities represents unwanted noise to these species. This noise can disrupt their natural activities, induce stress responses, degrade their environment and, in the...

Detailed methods used to produce the 71 questions (Appendix S1) are available online. The authors are solely responsible for the content and functionality of these materials. Queries (other than absence of the material) should be directed to the corresponding author.

Over the last two decades, marine noise pollution has become increasingly recognized as an issue of major significance. The issue has become a primary focus of marine mammal research, but is also of concern to the public and policy makers. The result has been efforts involving a variety of disciplines, and relevant legislation and associated gui...

The ocean provides food, economic activity, and cultural value for a large proportion of humanity. Our knowledge of marine ecosystems lags behind that of terrestrial ecosystems, limiting effective protection of marine resources. We describe the outcome of 2 workshops in 2011 and 2012 to establish a list of important questions, which, if answered, w...

Foreword by WWF International: We are living in a period of major and rapid change - technological change, climate change, attitude change, consumption pattern change. These changes have driven human activities into areas previously pristine and silent, affecting ecosystems and wildlife, which in turn affect us. The ocean is one of the frontiers...

CONTENTS 1. Dolman, S.J. et al. Overview and Workshop Recommendations ................................................ 1 2. Simmonds, M. P. Stricken Marine Mammals - A human responsibility: An Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 4 3. V...

The language barrier between science and policy is as large and often underestimated as that between British and American English. Although most of the words are the same, they often carry different meaning. One good example of this is the term theory, which has caused much trouble for policy makers in relation to school curricula on evolution. How...

Variability of the 88 species-ICES area combinations captured in PC1 and PC2. Biplot showing the relationship between the various species-ICES area combinations in the plane of PC1 and PC2 in grey. Species of particular interest in terms of prey or bycatch are highlighted and labelled in red, as are the species-ICES area combinations that have the...

Details of the Loyal Mariner 2005 exercise from enquiries. A summary of the most pertinent information obtained from the navies of the various countries involved in the Loyal Mariner 2005 exercise regarding their activities. Note that it was not possible to confirm or refute temporal overlap in the stranding area for most navies based upon the lack...

Summary of naval activity in Danish waters 2003–2008. A summary of all the information obtained regarding military activity in Danish waters for the analysis period. All websites were accessed last on 12th July 2012. (DOCX)

Details of the principal component analysis. Statistical details and components for each of the selected principal component analysis axes. Area-species catch data with loadings of ±0.5 or more in any particular axis are highlighted in bold and underlined. Species of particular interest in terms of prey or bycatch are highlighted in italics. (DOCX)

The harbour porpoise is thought to be in decline in Danish waters and is a protected species in European waters. Effective protection requires information not only on the threats present, but also their impacts, which in turn relies upon sufficient knowledge of the normal behaviour of the species. Tagging studies have begun to provide some of the n...

Sublethal impacts of noise may suppress reproduction or accumulate to invisibly increase mortality rates. Chronic stress in humans has been linked with coronary disease, immune suppression, anxiety and depression, cognitive difficulties, and infertility (see Wright et al. 2007a and references therein). It is reasonable to assume that prolonged or r...

Marine mammal management traditionally focuses on lethal takes, but non-lethal (or not immediately lethal) impacts of human disturbance, such as prolonged or repeated activation of the stress response, can also have serious conservation implications. The physiological stress response is a life-saving combination of systems and events that maximises...

The adoption of endangered species laws in various nations has intensified efforts to better understand, and protect, at-risk species or populations, and their habitats. In many countries, delineating a portion of a species' habitat as particularly worthy of protection has become a mantra of these laws. Unfortunately, the laws themselves often prov...

Cumulative impact assessments (CIAs) are an often unmet requirement in many environmental impact assessment processes. However, marine mammals are typically exposed to multiple human activities and pollutants including noise, which can combine in various ways including through chronic stress responses. To address the issue, the Okeanos Foundation h...

Cumulative impact assessment (CIA; also called cumulative effect assessment: CEA) is a required component of many environmental impact assessment processes around the world. These CIAs are generally obliged to consider the impacts of a proposed project or action upon the environment in combination with past, present and sometimes also reasonably fo...

The management of marine mammals traditionally focuses on lethal takes, such as in bycatch, vessel collisions and strandings. However, we are beginning to realise that non-lethal impacts of human disturbance can also have serious conservation implications, indicating that mortality counts only reveal a fraction of the picture. Possibly the most imp...

The United Kingdom's statutory conservation agency, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), developed guidelines in 1995 to minimise acoustic disturbance of marine mammals by oil and gas industry seismic surveys. These were the first national guidelines to be developed and have subsequently become the standard, or basis, of international mi...

Cetacean mass stranding events associated with naval mid-frequency sonar use have raised considerable conservation concerns. These strandings have mostly involved beaked whales, with common pathologies, includin