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2017 ; 7
(1
): 16305
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Avoidance of seismic survey activities by penguins
#MMPMID29176687
Pichegru L
; Nyengera R
; McInnes AM
; Pistorius P
Sci Rep
2017[Nov]; 7
(1
): 16305
PMID29176687
show ga
Seismic surveys in search for oil or gas under the seabed, produce the most
intense man-made ocean noise with known impacts on invertebrates, fish and marine
mammals. No evidence to date exists, however, about potential impacts on
seabirds. Penguins may be expected to be particularly affected by loud underwater
sounds, due to their largely aquatic existence. This study investigated the
behavioural response of breeding endangered African Penguins Spheniscus demersus
to seismic surveys within 100?km of their colony in South Africa, using a
multi-year GPS tracking dataset. Penguins showed a strong avoidance of their
preferred foraging areas during seismic activities, foraging significantly
further from the survey vessel when in operation, while increasing their overall
foraging effort. The birds reverted to normal behaviour when the operation
ceased, although longer-term repercussions on hearing capacities cannot be
precluded. The rapid industrialization of the oceans has increased levels of
underwater anthropogenic noises globally, a growing concern for a wide range of
taxa, now also including seabirds. African penguin numbers have decreased by 70%
in the last 10 years, a strong motivation for precautionary management decisions,
including the exclusion of seismic exploratory activities within at least 100?km
of their breeding colonies.