Broadband calibration of R/V Ewing seismic sources

The effects of anthropogenic sound sources on marine mammals are of increasing interest and controversy [ e. g., Malakoff, 2001]. To understand and mitigate better the possible impacts of specific sound sources, well-calibrated broadband measurements of acoustic received levels must be made in a variety of environments. In late spring 2003 an acoustic calibration study was conducted in the northern Gulf of Mexico to obtain broad frequency band measurements of seismic sources used by the R/V Maurice Ewing. Received levels in deep water were lower than anticipated based on modeling, and in shallow water they were higher. For the marine mammals of greatest concern ( beaked whales) the 1 - 20 kHz frequency range is considered particularly significant [ National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and U. S. Navy, 2001; Frantzis et al., 2002]. 1/3-octave measurements show received levels at 1 kHz are similar to 20 - 33 dB ( re: 1 muPa) lower than peak levels at 5 - 100 Hz, and decrease an additional similar to 20 - 33 dB in the 10 - 20 kHz range.