Dear bioacoustics-list, I'd like to forward following query from Klaus-Richard Sperling <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> . Please respond directly to him.
Thanks! Ursula _______________________________ Question: Are there any indications giving reasons for assuming that smaller marine mammals could be sensitive to infrasonic noise? Comment: I am involved in the permission procedure for offshore windfarms. In that context, the question arose whether or not efforts are justified to avoid the "contamination" of the sea by infrasonic noise. The large size of the windmills (and the hollow spaces therein which would act as resonators) make it likely that they will be a source of infrasonic noise. Is it justified to make efforts to suppress such noise? To my knowledge the latter is, in particular, transported over long distances in the sea. At the places where the windfarms shall be built smaller marine mammals and some fishes might be affected. General opinion is that large whales react to deep frequency noise, smaller ones to higher frequencies only. That is the reason why some people believe that efforts for the avoidance of infrasonic noise are superfluous. Infrasonic noise is difficult to measure. That is the reason why as far as I know hitherto no proof could be given for the sensitivity or insensitivity of smaller marine mammals to infrasonic noise. And that is the reason for my question, if there are any facts, who at least give rise to the suspicion, that they are sensitive or not. Klaus-Richard Sperling [EMAIL PROTECTED]
