A study of the behavioural response of whales to the noise of seismic air guns: design, methods and progress

The concern about the effects of the noise of human activities on marine mammals, particularly whales, has led to a substantial amount of research but there is still much that is not understood, particularly in terms of the behavioural responses to noise and the longer term biological consequences of these responses. There are many challenges in conducting experiments that adequately assess behavioural reactions of whales to noise. These include the need to obtain an adequate sample size with the necessary controls and to measure the range of variables likely to affect the observed response. Analysis is also complex. Well designed experiments are complex and logistically difficult, and thus expensive. This paper discusses the challenges involved and how these are being met in a major series of experiments in Australian waters on the response of humpback whales to the noise of seismic airgun arrays. The project is known as BRAHSS (Behavioural Response of Australian Humpback whales to Seismic Surveys) and aims to provide the information that will allow seismic surveys to be conducted efficiently with minimal impact on whales. It also includes a study of the response to ramp-up in sound level which is widely used at the start of operations, but for which there is little information to show that it is effective. BRAHSS also aims to infer the longer term biological significance of the responses from the results and the knowledge of normal behaviour. The results are expected to have relevance to other sources and species

Toward a Consistent Description of the PNC Experiments in A=18-21 Nuclei

The experimental PNC results in $^{18}$F, $^{19}$F, $^{21}$Ne and the current theoretical analysis show a discrepancy . If one interprets the small limit of the experimentally extracted PNC matrix element for $^{21}$Ne as a destructive interference between the isoscalar and the isovector contribution, then it is difficult to understand why the isovector contribution in $^{18}$F is so small while the isoscalar + isovector contribution in $^{19}$F is relatively large. In order to understand the origin of this discrepancy a comparison of the calculated PNC matrix elements was performed. It is shown that the $^{18}$F and $^{21}$Ne matrix elements contain important contributions from 3$\hbar \omega$ and 4$\hbar \omega$ configuration and that the (0+1)$\hbar \omega$ calculations give distorted results.Comment: REVTEX, 16 pages, 1 postscriptum figure uuencoded and appende

Creating a positive casual academic identity through change and loss

Neoliberalism has significantly impacted higher education institutes across the globe by increasing the number of casual and non-continuing academic positions. Insecure employments conditions have not only affected the well-being of contingent staff, but it has also weakened the democratic, intellectual and moral standing of academic institutions. This chapter provides one practitioner’s account of the challenges of casual work, but rather than dwelling on the negativities, it outlines the potential richness of an identity based on insecurity and uncertainty. This exploration draws on the literature of retired academics and identity theory to illustrate the potential generative spaces within an undefined and incoherent identity

A study of the behavioural response of whales to the noise of seismic air guns: Design, methods and progress

The concern about the effects of the noise of human activities on marine mammals, particularly whales, has led to a substantial amount of research but there is still much that is not understood, particularly in terms of the behavioural responses to noise and the longer term biological consequences of these responses. There are many challenges in conducting experiments that adequately assess behavioural reactions of whales to noise. These include the need to obtain an adequate sample size with the necessary controls and to measure the range of variables likely to affect the observed response. Analysis is also complex. Well designed experiments are complex and logistically difficult, and thus expensive. This paper discusses the challenges involved and how these are being met in a major series of experiments in Australian waters on the response of humpback whales to the noise of seismic airgun arrays. The project is known as BRAHSS (Behavioural Response of Australian Humpback whales to Seismic Surveys) and aims to provide the information that will allow seismic surveys to be conducted efficiently with minimal impact on whales. It also includes a study of the response to ramp-up in sound level which is widely used at the start of operations, but for which there is little information to show that it is effective. BRAHSS also aims to infer the longer term biological significance of the responses from the results and the knowledge of normal behaviour. The results are expected to have relevance to other sources and species

Digital Photogrammetry And Microscope Photographs

The feasibility of applying commercial digital photogrammetric software to the measurement of small objects photographed through an optical microscope has been examined. The objects, about 20 mm across, were photographed using a 35 mm film camera (at the lowest magnification setting of the Olympus microscope) giving photographs at a scale of 2;1. The photographs were then scanned before processing with the VirtuoZo digital photogrammetric system. Various problems needed to be overcome, some due to the limited options available with the highly automated digital system which was not designed for such measurement tasks. The unusual image scales, the uncommon pixel sizes and the unconventional and uncertain imaging geometry, all impeded immediate photogrammetric implementation. Photographic problems with the microscope were also faced, as with all microscope photogrammetry. Creating control points and independently assessing the accuracy of results at these scales were also difficult opera..

Non-invasive three-dimensional recording of Aboriginal rock art using cost-effective digital photogrammetry

Inexpensive digital cameras combined with appropriate ans accessible photogrammetric software are now capable of generating accurate and dense three-dimensional records of rock art using automated methods. This paper describes the development of a system of recording rock art that is portable, inexpensive, non-invasive and does not require extensive photogrammetric experience. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated for two petroglyphs in New South Wales, Australia; results are presented ans accuracies assessed

Beestjes in het ziekenhuis

Naast de gebruikelijke routine zijn de afgelopen zomer allerhande beestjes ons laboratorium binnengekomen, vaak in doodgeslagen toestand. Hun aard en overlast zal u misschien niet erg interesseren, ware het niet dat een aantal afkomstig was uit ons eigen ziekenhuis. Zo'n vondst wordt soms te zwaar, soms Ie licht beoordeeld en altijd vindt men het maar vies. Vermoedelijk komt het meeste 'ongedierte' nooit bij ons terecht en gaat er meteen de insecticidespuit overheen. Dat lijkt ons lang niet altijd terecht, vandaar deze bloemlezing uit de avonturen in de zomer van 1984, voorzover deze met het AZU te maken hadden

Woonhygiëne en Cara : Wat staat waar?

No abstract

Prurigo parasitaria en zoofiele dermatomycosen, een demonstratie van inlandse oorzaken

No abstract

Behavioral responses of humpback whales to seismic air guns

A study of the response of humpback whales to seismic air guns is being conducted in Australian waters and two of four major experiments have been completed. It aims to assess the impact of seismic surveys on the whales and the effectiveness of ramp-up in mitigation. In separate trials, whales were exposed to a 20 cu in air gun, ramp-up in level from 20 cu in to 440 cu in with an air gun array, and a 'hard start' of 140 cu in. Whales were tracked using theodolites on high points ashore and behavioral observations were made from these points and from three small vessels and the source vessel. Vocalising whales were tracked with an array of hydrophones. DATGs were attached to some whales. Observations were made before, during and after exposure. Trials exposing whales to air gun treatments were balanced by controls without air guns firing. Characterization of the sound field throughout the area and the exposure at each whale were determined from propagation measurements and recordings on the hydrophone array and several moored acoustic recording systems. © 2013 Acoustical Society of America