1 | Program Name or Ancillary Texteere.energy.gov Water Power Peer Review Acoustic Monitoring of Beluga Whale Interactions with Cook Inlet Tidal Energy

1 | Program Name or Ancillary Text eere.energy.gov

Water Power Peer Review

Acoustic Monitoring of Beluga Whale Interactions with Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project

Monty Worthington

ORPC [email protected] 1-3, 2011

2 | Wind and Water Power Program eere.energy.gov

Purpose, Objectives, & Integration

Key Knowledge Gaps

• There is currently little data on the interactions between marine mammals and tidal energy devices

• There is limited data on the distribution of the endangered Cook Inlet beluga population particularly in winter and at ORPC’s Cook Inlet Project sites


Purpose, Objectives, & Integration

Relation to Program’s Goals• This project will accelerate and

diversify tidal energy project deployments through developing technology and methodology to monitor marine mammal interactions with tidal energy devices

• This will allow for prudent implementation in areas where marine mammals, endangered or otherwise, coincide with potential tidal energy projects


Technical Approach

Technical Approach• Objective 1: to develop and

implement the technology to acoustically detect and locate beluga whales by recording their vocalizations

• In collaboration with Greeneridge Sciences, the Directional Autonomous Seafloor Acoustic Recorder (DASAR), has been adapted to the Cook Inlet environment for beluga detection


Technical Approach

Technical Approach• Objective 2: to compare this

technology and methodology with other passive hydroacoustic technologies, and with visual observation techniques and methodologies

– In collaboration with LGL Alaska Research Associates, ORPC has performed two years of visual observations at the Fire Island site overlapping with DASAR test deployments.

– In collaboration with Cook Inlet Beluga Acoustics (Team CIBA) and Ecological Acoustic Recorder (EAR) and C-Pod hydrophone package was co-located at the Fire Island site.

– Data correlations between these methodologies has begun.


Technical Approach

Key Issues and Unique Aspects• The DASAR had the potential to collect data on

vocalizations and the bearing from which they originated, allowing localization with an array deployment

• The innovative Short Baseline Hydrophone Array within the DASAR has proven effective in filtering pseudo noise, but so far has not been able to generate bearing measurements

• Data correlation between differing technologies and modalities• So far correlations of detection rates have

been extremely low, with different technologies and methodologies detecting belugas at different times


Plan, Schedule, & Budget

Schedule

• Initiation date: February 1, 2010• Planned completion date: January 31, 2013

– This is delayed due to delays in data collection efforts due to challenges adapting technology to Cook Inlet.

• Milestones for FY 10 and FY 11– Analyze 2009 data– Continue Visual Observation Program– Deploy and Test Dasar and Acousonde– Operate DASAR– Report on Monitoring efforts

• Go/no-go decision points for FY12 and FY13: No date established.

Budget

• The original budget underestimated filed operations for DASAR deployment and retrieval, hence deployments have been reduced testing two devices in an array rather than four, acoustic analysis has also been more costly than anticipated.

• To date $499,887 has been spent leaving $100,113 to complete the project.

Budget History

FY2009 FY2010 FY2011

DOE Cost-share DOE Cost-share DOE Cost-share

$0 $0 $371,731.18 $0 $128,156.44 $0


Accomplishments and Results

Technical Accomplishments• Visual observations collected over two years

• Allows for comparison of visual and hyrdroacoustic monitoring

• Two years of data from Team CIBA EAR/C-Pod deployments gathered• Allows for comparison of DASAR with other technologies

• DASARs successfully tested and modified for Cook Inlet Environment• First step in developing hydroacoustic technology to detect belugas

• DASARs successfully deployed, operated, and retrieved over six month winter deployment

• Verification of successful long term data collection in Cook Inlet and successful beluga detection

• Rigorous Ambient acoustic environment data collected and analyzed• Achieved Benchmark of successfully characterizing ambient acoustic

environment in areas with high tidal current velocities


Challenges to Date

Critical Challenges• Adaptation of DASAR to Cook Inlet

– Design and implementation of mooring for successful deployment and retrieval and reduced self noise in high energy tidal environment

– Adaptation of DASAR to reduce self noise and filter pseudo noise induced by tidal currents to increase detection capability

• Reaching agreement for transparent data sharing with project partners– Differing goals of partner organizations complicated data sharing

process• Memorandum of Understanding outlining goals of

organizations led to ability to freely share data without risk of its misuse or compromise of partner objectives


Next Steps

Moving Forward• Complete data correlation effort and report on efficacy of

differing technologies and methodologies• Determine best practice for moving forward with monitoring and

consulting with Agencies on approval for data collection plan• Begin data collection effort at East Foreland site in Spring 2012,

targeting one year of pre-deployment data collection

Future Possible Steps• Continue monitoring after TidGen™ deployment in July 2013• Adding Active Acoustic Monitoring (AAM) component

Documents

1 | Program Name or Ancillary Texteere.energy.gov Water Power Peer Review Acoustic Monitoring of Beluga Whale Interactions with Cook Inlet Tidal Energy