There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story.
Linda Hogan

Ears Wide Open

The Quarterly Bulletin of the Acoustic Ecology Institute

Number 4
November 2006

CONTENTS

»	Introduction
»	Institute Update
»	Recent Science Findings
»	Soundbytes
»	Listening on the Web
»	Join Acoustic Ecology Institute

Greetings, and welcome to the fourth edition of Ears Wide Open. This quarterly online publication offers a distilled version of AEI's website, giving our members a quick overview of the recent work of the Institute. You can also follow the links at the top of the page into the full website, which continues to grow.

This week, as I was preparing my official comments on the Navy's plans to expand deployment of their low-frequency active sonar system, I was left dumbstruck by a detail in their planned measures to minimize harm caused by the intense signals to be emitted by the units. The principles underlying it are not new or unexpected, but something about the casual matter-of-factness of the dichotomy still brought me up short. The standards set for acceptable exposure levels for humans were "based on psychological aversion testing," with operational guidelines designed to avoid exposure to sound above 145dB in known recreational diving areas. Meanwhile, though the Navy's own research suggests that "the risk of a significant change in a biologically important behavior could begin at 119dB," the proposed operational guidelines only protect whales from exposure to sounds over 180db. This is justified by the fact that changes in whale behavior are temporary and considered minor; in practice, the regulations are aimed at preventing physical harm, not modest behavioral disruption (which is, almost by definition, a clear indication of "psychological aversion").

How is it that we offer more protection to humans engaged in a voluntary recreational pursuit, than to the native inhabitants of the habitat that we wish to ensonify with our technologies?

In the spirit of diligent and good-hearted consideration of the effects of human actions on the well-being of other species, I thank you for your membership support for the work of the Institute. It is my sincere hope that we can continue to offer clear and objective information to the public and press, while also realizing that these issues are framed not only by facts, but also by empathy.

Jim Cummings
AEI Founder

P.S.
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