Are the 1/3-Octave Band 63- and 125-Hz Noise Levels Predictive of Vessel Activity? The Case in the Cres-Lošinj Archipelago (Northern Adriatic Sea, Croatia)

Marta Picciulin; Linda Sebastianutto; Caterina Maria Fortuna; Peter Mackelworth; Draško Holcer; Nikolina Rako Gospić

doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-2981-8_101

Are the 1/3-Octave Band 63- and 125-Hz Noise Levels Predictive of Vessel Activity? The Case in the Cres-Lošinj Archipelago (Northern Adriatic Sea, Croatia)

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2016:875:821-8. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2981-8_101.

Authors

Marta Picciulin¹, Linda Sebastianutto², Caterina Maria Fortuna³, Peter Mackelworth⁴, Draško Holcer^{5

6}, Nikolina Rako Gospić⁷

Affiliations

¹ Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kastel 24, Veli Lošinj, 51551, Croatia. marta.picciulin@gmail.com.
² Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kastel 24, Veli Lošinj, 51551, Croatia. l.sebastianutto@gmail.com.
³ Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Rome, 00144, Italy. caterina.fortuna@isprambiente.it.
⁴ Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kastel 24, Veli Lošinj, 51551, Croatia. peter.mackelworth@blue-world.org.
⁵ Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kastel 24, Veli Lošinj, 51551, Croatia. drasko.holcer@blue-world.org.
⁶ Croatian Natural History Museum, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia. drasko.holcer@blue-world.org.
⁷ Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kastel 24, Veli Lošinj, 51551, Croatia.

PMID: 26611038
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2981-8_101

Abstract

A 3-years sea ambient-noise (SAN) monitoring was carried out in the Cres-Lošinj Archipelago (Croatia), where a bottlenose dolphin population is threatened by unregulated nautical tourism. A total of 540 5-min SAN samples were collected and analyzed in an Indicator 11.2.1 (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) perspective. The 1/3-octave band center frequencies of 63 and 125 Hz (re 1 μPa.rms) proved to be predictive of local predominant ship type over time. However, the noisiest band level was centered on 200 Hz. We therefore suggest measuring a wider frequency band than those requested in Indicator 11.2.1.

Keywords: Boat; Dolphins; Noise.

MeSH terms

Croatia
Noise*
Pressure
Seasons
Ships*
Spatial Analysis
Time Factors