Global concern over the possible deleterious effects of noise on marine organisms was catalyzed when toothed whales stranded and died in the presence of high intensity sound. The lack of knowledge about mechanisms of hearing in toothed whales prompted our group to study the anatomy and build a finite element model to simulate sound reception in odontocetes. The primary auditory pathway in toothed whales is an evolutionary novelty, compensating for ...
A series of finite element model simulations are compared against results from various real world marine bioacoustics experiments with the bottlenose dolphin. Three significant results are revealed. 1) Changes in relative position of fat bodies can adjust echolocation beam direction. This is the first evidence of this. 2) Beam direction is consistent despite several elements being present within the sound transmission system within the dolphin's forehead. This suggests that the ...
The objectives of this study were to assess the impact of the acid deposition expected from rocket launches on natural coastal vegetation and soils. Interest was directed primarily toward the longer-term and more subtle effects of acidity, and the degree of sensitivity of different soil-plant systems. A study area was established along a topographic chronosequence that ranged from stabilized dunes to residual soils over bedrock. Soils and plants were collected ...
This is a report of a study carried out on Vandenberg AFB and directed primarily towards one species--the Surf thistle (Cirsium rhothophilum)--a rare plant restricted to the coastal dunes of Santa Barbara and southern San Luis Obispo Counties. The study was undertaken in the belief that this species can be protected without having to impose unrealistically severe restrictions on the operation of the base. But even though the scope of ...
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