Low-Frequency Sound and Marine Mammals: Current Knowledge and Research Needs

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TABLE A-1 Typical Airborne Sounds and Some Sound Levels of Marine Mammals

Typical sound in air/ marine mammal sound	Water standard (dB re 1 μPa)	Air standard (dB re 20 μPa SPL)
Threshold of human hearing (1,000 Hz)	[26]	0
Very quiet living room	[66]	40
Seal threshold underwater (1,000 Hz)	80	[54]
Normal speech (1 meter)	[86]	60
Beluga threshold (1,000 Hz)	100	[74]
Lion's roar (10 meters)	[116]	90
Jet airliner (10 meters)	[130]	104
Fin whale call (100 meters)	140	[114]
Human threshold of pain (at ear drum)	[166]	140
Some military artillery	[186]	160
Beluga echolocation call (1 meter)	220	[194]
Source: Adapted from Kryter (1985) and Richardson et al. (1991). NOTE: Bracketed levels are nominal levels after conversion to alternate medium.

References

Kryter, K.D. 1985. The effects of noise on man, 2nd ed. Academic Press, Orlando, FL. 688 pp.

Richardson, W.J., C.R. Greene, Jr., C.I. Malme, and D.H. Thomson. 1991. Effects of noise on marine mammals. OCS Study MMS 90-0093; LGL Rep. TA834-1. Rep. from LGL Ecol. Res. Assoc. Inc., Bryan, TX, for U.S. Minerals Manage. Serv., Atlantic OCS Reg., Herndon, VA. 462 pp. NTIS PB91-168914.

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