Navy needs a contractor to survey how beaked whales, fin whales and other species behave near sonar devices

The US Navy will conduct on-water surveys at the Southern California Antisubmarine Warfare Range (SOAR) that combine photo-identification, biopsy, and tagging of Cuvier’s beaked whales, fin whales and other species.

The project will examine how sonar technology is affecting the animals, according to a Navy announcement. Proposals for the project are due August 27.  

A combination of the realtime Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges (M3R) program and visual surveys on SOAR can help maximize the Navy’s need to conduct marine mammal monitoring as part of the Navy’s Integrated Comprehensive Monitoring Program, according to the announcement. 

The Navy also has a need to continue long-term demographic studies within SCORE to assess population status of various species. The work will satisfy the regulatory need to discern the behavioral responses of whales to Navy Mid Frequency Active (MFA) sonar. 

Individual responses to real Navy sound sources, as recorded by satellite tags such as the Sound Motion and Recording Tag (SMRT), will inform Navy Take Estimates, a key aspect of NOAA/NMFS regulatory requirements. Satellite tag data collected by the contractor can be reviewed and compared against existing sonar data to estimate received levels on tagged whales and interpret any possible response.

Proposals are due August 27. View the full request HERE.