Greetings BIOACOUSTIC List Serv,
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is announcing the availability of proposed changes to the "Draft NOAA Guidance for Assessing the Effects of Anthropogenic Sound on Marine Mammal Hearing: Acoustic Threshold Levels for Onset of Permanent and Temporary Threshold Shifts" for a *third 14-day public comment period that opens March 16, 2016* . The changes are a result of a further evaluation of the methodology within the July 2015 Draft Acoustic Guidance. NOAA has developed draft acoustic guidance for assessing the effects of anthropogenic sound on marine mammal species under NOAA’s jurisdiction. The guidance provides updated received levels, or acoustic threshold levels, based on the best available science, at which individual marine mammals are predicted to experience changes in their hearing sensitivity (either temporary or permanent) for all underwater anthropogenic sound sources. This guidance is intended to be used by NOAA analysts and managers and other relevant user groups and stakeholders, including other federal agencies, when seeking to determine whether and how their activities are expected to result in particular types of impacts to marine mammals via acoustic exposure. The proposed changes to the acoustic guidance appear as a stand-alone document for consideration during this 14-day public comment period. There is no need to reiterate or resubmit comments made on other sections of the guidance and/or made during the first or second public comment periods (i.e., all substantive public comments made during all three public comment periods will be addressed as part of the acoustic guidance’s finalization process). NOTE: This public comment document will be available tomorrow (March 16), when the public comment period opens. If you run into issues obtaining this document, please contact me (Amy). Electronic copies of the document containing the proposed changes to the acoustic guidance can be found on March 16 at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/guidelines.htm and the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov. Comments may also be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal (http://www.regulations.gov, search for NOAA-NMFS-2013-0177). Thank you for your interest in the guidance document. For more information, please contact Amy Scholik-Schlomer (amy.scho...@noaa.gov or 301 427-8449). *Amy R. Scholik-Schlomer, Ph.D.* Fishery Biologist (Protected Resources Acoustic Coordinator) NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Division 1315 East-West Hwy. SSMC3, Rm. 13605 Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301) 427-8449 Email: *amy.scho...@noaa.gov <amy.scho...@noaa.gov>http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/ <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/>*
