Global Marine Mammal Density Geodatabase and Geoprocessing Tool for Modeling Acoustic Energy Accumulation

Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) requires that the U.S. Navy assess the potential impact of Navy sonar on marine mammals during at-sea exercises. Assessing the effects of the acoustic energy on the marine environment is a key function of the Marine Species Modeling team at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport (NUWCDIVNPT).

The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic and The Environmental Planning Lab within the Mission Environmental Planning Program at NUWCDIVNPT developed a Global Marine Mammal Density Database and an integrated geoprocessing toolset within ArcGIS to provide input data for acoustic and explosive modeling that measures the environmental impact associated with exposure to Navy-generated underwater acoustic energy.

Courtesy of U.S. Navy.

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