NMFS Biological Opinion on U.S. Navy training ... - Govsupport.us

More documents

Recommendations

Info

FINAL PROGRAMMATIC BIOLOGICAL OPINION ON U.S. NAVY ACTIVITIES IN THE HAWAII RANGE COMPLEX 2008-2013 exposed to higher received levels of active sonar (received levels greater than 195 dB) at a faster rate than they would avoid lower received levels; we simulated avoidance by reducing marine mammal densities exponentially over time; 3. a scenario focused on humpback whales and assumed that humpback whale densities varied over the winter season in Hawai'i. Specifically, this scenario assumed that humpback whale densities during the winter months would be described by a standard normal distribution with densities increasing from zero starting in October, reaching a maximum between late-February through March, then declining to zero again through the spring. Every scenario assumed ship speeds of 10 knots (or 18.25 kilometers per hour), which is the same assumption contained in the Navy’s models. The “sensory field” (2r) for every scenario represented the U.S. Navy’s estimates of the area that would be ensonified at different received levels presented in the U.S. Navy’s Environmental Impact Statements for the Hawai’i Range Complex, adjusted to eliminate overlap (U.S. Navy 2007, 2008). Finally, every scenario was based on the Navy’s estimates of the number of hours of the different kinds of active sonar that would be employed in the different exercises (future Rim of the Pacific Exercises and other anti-submarine warfare exercises). 2.2.2 Response Analyses As discussed in the introduction to this section of this <strong>Opinion</strong>, our response analyses are designed to identify the physical, physiological, and behavioral responses of endangered or threatened species that are likely to be exposed to stressors produced by an action. Because the responses of animals to a potential stressor are influenced by the animal’s pre-existing physical, physiological, or behavioral state, our response analyses consider the Status of the Species and the impacts of the Environmental Baseline. The potential stressors associated with the training exercises the U.S. Navy proposes to conduct in the Hawai'i Range Complex are likely to produce two general classes of responses: 1. responses that are influenced by an animal’s assessment of whether a potential stressor poses a threat or risk (see Figure 3: Animal Does Not Respond, Stress Response, and Behavioral Response). For example, an animal’s behavioral response to active sonar or an approaching vessel will depend on whether (a) an animal detects the some physical, visual, or acoustic cue from the sonar or vessel and (b) the animal classifies those cues as a potential threat (Blumstein and Bouskila 1996). The results of that assessment, which is influenced by the animal’s physical and physiological state, can trigger physiological stress responses or lead to the animal to execute a behavioral response from its behavioral repertoire using a decision-making process that weighs the costs and benefits of alternative behaviors and recognizes the existing of trade-offs (Beale 2007, Blumstein and Bouskila 1996). 2. responses that are not influenced by the animal’s assessment of whether a potential stressor poses a threat or risk (see Figure 3: Physical Damage, Mask Signal Reception, and Impair Call/Song Transmission). Figure 3 illustrates the structure of our response analyses and shows the relationships between exposures, responses, and potential fitness consequences to individual animals that experience or exhibit particular responses or sets of 72
FINAL PROGRAMMATIC BIOLOGICAL OPINION ON U.S. NAVY ACTIVITIES IN THE HAWAII RANGE COMPLEX 2008-2013 Figure 3. Conceptual model of the potential responses of endangered and threatened species upon being exposed to active sonar and the pathways by which those responses might affect the fitness of individual animals that have been exposed. See text contained in “Application of this Approach” and “Response Analyses” for an explanation and supporting literature. 73
Page 4 and 5:
FINAL PROGRAMMATIC BIOLOGICAL OPINI
Page 6 and 7:
Page 8 and 9:
Page 10 and 11:
Page 12 and 13:
Page 14 and 15:
Page 16 and 17:
Page 18 and 19:
Page 20 and 21:
Page 22 and 23:
Page 24 and 25: FINAL PROGRAMMATIC BIOLOGICAL OPINI
Page 124 and 125:
Page 126 and 127:
Page 128 and 129:
Page 130 and 131:
Page 132 and 133:
Page 134 and 135:
Page 136 and 137:
Page 138 and 139:
Page 140 and 141:
Page 142 and 143:
Page 144 and 145:
Page 146 and 147:
Page 148 and 149:
Page 150 and 151:
Page 152 and 153:
Page 154 and 155:
Page 156 and 157:
Page 158 and 159:
Page 160 and 161:
Page 162 and 163:
Page 164 and 165:
Page 166 and 167:
Page 168 and 169:
Page 170 and 171:
Page 172 and 173:
Page 174 and 175:
Page 176 and 177:
Page 178 and 179:
Page 180 and 181:
Page 182 and 183:
Page 184 and 185:
Page 186 and 187:
Page 188 and 189:
Page 190 and 191:
Page 192 and 193:
Page 194 and 195:
Page 196 and 197:
Page 198 and 199:
Page 200 and 201:
Page 202 and 203:
Page 204 and 205:
Page 206 and 207:
Page 208 and 209:
Page 210 and 211:
Page 212 and 213:
Page 214 and 215:
Page 216 and 217:
Page 218 and 219:
Page 220 and 221:
Page 222 and 223:
Page 224 and 225:
Page 226 and 227:
Page 228 and 229:
Page 230 and 231:
Page 232 and 233:
Page 234 and 235:
Page 236 and 237:
Page 238 and 239:
Page 240 and 241:
Page 242 and 243:
Page 244 and 245:
Page 246 and 247:
Page 248 and 249:
Page 250 and 251:
Page 252 and 253:
Page 254 and 255:
Page 256 and 257:
Page 258 and 259:
Page 260 and 261:
Page 262 and 263:
Page 264 and 265:
Page 266 and 267:
Page 268 and 269:
Page 270 and 271:
Page 272 and 273:
Page 274 and 275:
Page 276 and 277:
Page 278 and 279:
Page 280 and 281:
Page 282 and 283:
Page 284 and 285:
Page 286 and 287:
Page 288 and 289:
Page 290 and 291:
Page 292 and 293:
Page 294 and 295:
Page 296 and 297:
Page 298 and 299:
Page 300 and 301:
Page 302 and 303:
Page 304 and 305:
Page 306 and 307:
Page 308 and 309:
Page 310 and 311:
Page 312 and 313:
Page 314 and 315:
Page 316:
show all

NMFS Biological Opinion on U.S. Navy training ... - Govsupport.us

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?