Working group on ‘‘The effects of sound on fish and turtles’’: An update

In order to develop acoustic exposure criteria for fish and marine turtles based on scientific evidence, an ASA Standards Working Group was formed with a membership that includes basic scientists expert on fish and turtle bioacoustics, physical acousticians with special expertise in marine bioacoustics, and several individuals with expertise on effects of anthropogenic sound in the marine environment. This presentation is a summary of the group’s progress to date. One of the Working Group’s goals is to publish several papers, one on what is known about damage risks due to exposure to underwater noise (e.g., from pile driving, seismic exploration, sonar systems), and one assessing the efficacy of various measures to mitigate adverse effects of noise exposure. The working group has tentatively decided that the fish potentially affected should be categorized with respect to their hearing sensitivity (potential for auditory system damage) and whether the species is known to detect sound pressure or acoustic particle motion. Over the next year to 18 months, the Working Group will be evaluating the known effects of sound sources on fish and turtles, identifying areas in which further research is needed, and beginning to develop noise exposure criteria for both turtles and fish.