[CINC] REMINDER: CINC Special Session May 14 "You Navy and Marine Mammal Resources"

[Shauna Bingham]

REMINDER: Please Join Us for a Special Training Session for CINC Volunteers*

*"Your Navy and Marine Mammal Resources"
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
6:30 p.m., Chase Palm Park Building, Santa Barbara
*

The director of the Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Readiness 
Division will speak to the Channel Islands Naturalist Corps volunteers 
at 6:30 p.m. on 14 May 2008 at the Chase Palm Park Auditorium in Santa 
Barbara, Calif.
Rear Admiral Lawrence Rice will discuss the Navy's commitment to 
environmental stewardship, especially marine mammal protection, and how 
it is directly tied to mission readiness.  He will also share the Navy's 
lessons learned from past use of active sonar and how those lessons 
impact the Navy's use of sonar today, describe why the Navy is 
considered to be a world leader in marine mammal research, and explain 
the numerous protective measures taken to minimize risk to marine mammals.

The Navy's Environmental Readiness Division shapes and leads the Navy's 
environmental programs to enable and sustain Navy readiness while 
protecting the environment. 

Below are some key points to consider:

    * Approximately 15,000 large ships make use of the world's oceans
      daily.  In contrast, only about 125 U.S. Navy ships are presently
      underway,/ which is less than 1 percent of ships at sea/.
    * About 60 percent of U.S. Navy ships and all subs are equipped with
      active sonar, which is used sparingly because it reveals the
      sending ship's position.  Navy vessels prefer to use passive sonar
      the majority of the time.
    * The U.S Navy recognizes that active sonar may affect marine
      mammals under certain conditions.  Worldwide naval use of active
      sonar for all countries has been correlated with the stranding
      deaths of approximately 40 marine mammals during the 10-year
      period from 1996-2006. 
    * More than 3,500 strandings occur each year on U.S. shores.  In
      most cases, the causes of such strandings are unknown.  However,
      the most common causes have been identified as pollution, disease,
      parasite infestation, ship strikes, trauma, and starvation.
    * The U.S. Navy exercises caution when operating in areas likely to
      contain marine mammals.  Efforts to minimize potential effects on
      mammals include posting lookouts, listening for marine mammals,
      and reducing or ceasing use of active sonar when a marine mammal
      is detected at prescribed distances.
    * The U.S. Navy is a world leader in marine mammal research --
      funding over* $18 million* on such research in FY07 alone.  Such
      research is designed to determine the distribution and abundance
      of protected marine species and their habitats, improve
      understanding of effects of sound on marine mammals, and help
      improve marine mammal protection measures to lessen such effects,
      among other things.

A question and answer session will follow Rice's presentation.  
Additional information can be found at _www.navy.mil/oceans_ 
<http://www.navy.mil/oceans>.


*Note this meeting is _in addition_ to our regularly scheduled CINC 
meeting on Tuesday, May 20 and is _separate_ from the May 14 /From Shore 
to Sea Lecture/ which will take place in Ventura the same evening as the 
Navy talk. If you wish to attend the May/ From Shore to Sea Lecture/, it 
will also be offered on Tuesday, May 13 at the Santa Barbara Maritime 
Museum.

 

-- 
Shauna Bingham 
Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator
NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
3600 S. Harbor Blvd. #111
Oxnard, CA 93035
Shauna.Bingham at noaa.gov
(805) 382-6149 ext. 102
Fax (805) 382-9791
http://channelislands.noaa.gov

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