Data from: Acoustic monitoring of coastal dolphins and their response to naval mine neutralization exercises

To investigate the potential impacts of naval mine neutralization exercises (MINEX) on odontocete cetaceans, a long-term passive acoustic monitoring study was conducted at a U.S. Navy training range near Virginia Beach, USA. Bottom-moored acoustic recorders were deployed in 2012-2016 near the epicentre of MINEX training activity and were refurbished every 2-4 months. Recordings were analysed for the daily presence/absence of dolphins and dolphin acoustic activity was quantified in detail for the hours and days before and after 31 MINEX training events. Dolphins occurred in the area year-round, but there was clear seasonal variability, with lower presence during winter months. Dolphins exhibited a behavioural response to underwater detonations. Dolphin acoustic activity near the training location was lower during the hours and days following detonations, suggesting that animals left the area and/or reduced their signalling. Concurrent acoustic monitoring farther away from the training area suggested that the radius of response was between 3-6 km. A generalised additive model indicated that the predictors that explained the greatest amount of deviance in the data were the day relative to the training event, the hour of the day, and circumstances specific to each training event.

为探究海军水雷扫除演习（MINEX）对齿鲸类（odontocete cetaceans）的潜在影响，研究团队于美国弗吉尼亚海滩附近的美国海军训练靶场开展了一项长期被动声学监测研究。2012至2016年间，研究人员在MINEX演习活动的核心区域附近布设了海底锚定声学记录仪，并每2至4个月对设备进行一次维护校准。研究人员对录制的声学数据进行分析，以确定该区域内海豚的每日出现情况，并针对31次MINEX演习前后的数小时至数天时段，详细量化了海豚的声学活动水平。该区域全年均有海豚活动，但存在显著的季节变化特征，冬季的海豚出现频次较低。海豚对水下爆破行动表现出明确的行为响应：演习区域附近的海豚声学活动在爆破后的数小时至数天内出现下降，表明海豚要么离开该区域，要么减少了发声行为。同时在训练区域外更远位置开展的声学监测结果显示，海豚的响应范围介于3至6千米之间。广义加性模型分析结果表明，对数据偏差解释度最高的三个预测变量分别为：距演习事件的相对天数、当日时段，以及各演习事件特有的具体情境。