BMMRO_SOW___091914.pdf

Statement of Work

PR 1300450078

1. Background. Recent data indicate that beaked whales of the genera Mesoplodon and

Ziphius exhibit behavioral responses to anthropogenic noise, including Navy sonar (Cox et al.

2006; Tyack et al. 2011). A key requirement for effective management and mitigation is to document under what conditions and to what extent these behavioral responses occur, and if these result in biologically significant effects on individuals and/or populations. To address this need, contractor services are required to deploy satellite tags on whales and conduct photo identification studies on and around the operations range at the US Navy’s Atlantic Undersea

Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) in the northern Bahamas. The contractor shall work in collaboration with the Protected Resources Division of NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science

Center (SWFSC; lead on telemetry) and the US Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC; lead on acoustic monitoring and detection).

This collaboration aims to monitor the movements and diving behavior of whales relative to Navy exercises involving the use of active sonar. The primary target species is Blainville’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris): this species is regularly detected and observed in the deep water canyons of the northern Bahamas (Claridge and Durban, 2009), including the Tongue of the Ocean east of Andros Island, site of the AUTEC Weapons Range, where sonars are used regularly (DiMarzio et al. 2008).

In this study two methods shall be used to monitor cetacean species of concern at

AUTEC: satellite telemetry with additional context provided by photo-identification. This work is building on photo-identification and tagging data that have already been collected at AUTEC from Blainville’s beaked whales, Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris), sperm whales

(Physeter macrocephalus), short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra) . The effort will increase sample sizes to identify and describe individual behavioral responses to sonar and contribute to the assessment of population level effects. Tissue samples shall be collected from individuals using remote biopsy sampling methods for use in other studies.

2. Scope. The contractor shall monitor the movements and diving behavior of beaked whales and other odontocete cetaceans relative to sonar exposure at AUTEC. The contractor shall deploy satellite tags onto several species of whales and conduct photo identification studies.

In addition, the contractor shall obtain tissue samples from individual animals using remote biopsy methods.

3. Applicable Documents.

3.1 Claridge, D.E. and Durban, J.W. 2009. Distribution, abundance and population structuring of beaked whales in the Great Bahama Canyon. ONR Program Review 7-10

December 2009, Alexandria, VA.

3.2 Cox, T.M. et al. 2006. Understanding the impacts of anthropogenic sound on beaked whales

J. Cetacean Res. Manage. 7: 177-187.

3.3 DiMarzio, N. D., et al. 2008. Passive acoustic measurement of dive vocal behavior and group size of Blainville’s beaked whale (Mesopolodon densirostris) in the Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO). Canadian Acoustics 36, 166-173.

3.4 Moretti D., Morissey R., DiMarzio N. and Ward J. 2006. Verified passive acoustic detection of beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) using bottom-mounted hydrophones in the Tongue of the Ocean, Bahamas. Appl Acoust 67:1091–1105.

3.5 Tyack P.L., Zimmer W.M.X., Moretti D., Southall B.L., Claridge D.E., et al. 2011.

Beaked whales respond to simulated and actual Navy sonar. PLoS ONE 6(3): e17009.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017009.

4. Requirements. Field work shall be scheduled at AUTEC for two weeks in October-

November 2014 and for two weeks in April-May 2015 preceding the start of Submarine

Commander’s Course exercises and two weeks in July 2015. Acoustic technicians from the

Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) will vector the contractor tagging team on a contractor provided 6.8 m rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) to vocalizing whales, increasing the opportunities for locating animals and data collection.

4.1 Task A. The contractor shall conduct tagging and photo identification operations at

AUTEC.

NUWC technicians shall vector the field team onboard the RHIB to locations where vocalizing whales have been detected. The contractor shall attach satellite tags, take biopsy samples, and photograph animals when they are on the surface.

4.1.1 Deliverable Product. The contractor shall provide a summary report providing details of the field effort, including number of approaches attempted, tags successfully deployed, animals photographed and days that were cancelled due to weather conditions. The report shall be delivered IAW CDRL A001.

4.2 Task B. The movements and diving behavior of beaked whales and other odontocete cetaceans shall be monitored using satellite telemetry, before, during, and after scheduled sonar exercises at AUTEC.

4.2.1 Deliverable Product. Using transmissions from the satellite tags, the contractor shall calculate animal locations and infer diving behavior. The contractor shall provide satellite position data and estimated movement tracks for whales tagged during this effort. The data shall be delivered IAW CDRL A002.

4.3 Task C. The contractor shall compare photographs taken during field work with those in their existing data set to photo-identify as many individual animals as possible in each group encountered.

4.3.1 Deliverable Product. The contractor shall provide a summary report of photo-identifications obtained, including information on re-sightings of individuals. The report shall be delivered IAW CDRL A003.

4.6 Task E: Program Review Support

As required by NAVFAC, the contractor shall attend one 3-day Program Review. The program reviews shall take place in either Port Hueneme or San Diego, CA.

5. Progress Reports. Upon completion of the project, the contractor shall provide a report summarizing all work completed, and all data collected. The report shall be delivered

IAW CDRL A004.