ROGER GENTRY

Roger Gentry is coordinator of the Acoustics Team for NMFS. After an M.A. on underwater hearing in sea lions at San Francisco State in 1966, he did a Ph.D. on social behavior of Steller sea lions at UCSC in 1970. Following a post-doctoral stint at the University of Adelaide, he worked as a field biologist at the National Marine Mammal Lab in Seattle from 1974 to 1998, publishing two books and numerous papers on social behavior, maternal strategies and foraging ecology of eared seals. In 1995 he resumed work on acoustics as NMFS technical advisor on ATOC. Since 1998 he has worked at the NMFS headquarters office establishing acoustic policy, acoustic standards, and a national research program on sound and its effects on higher marine vertebrates. He is NMFS liaison with the oil industry and U.S. Navy on acoustics and explosions.

ABSTRACT

This presentation describes the current state of the acoustics problem as seen by the NMFS headquarters. Several government agencies and the oil industry have recognized marine noise and its effects on animals as subjects of great and immediate concern. Five entities found new funding for research in 2000. A new NRC panel has been convened on ambient noise; several workshops are planned. Agencies coordinate their efforts through three unofficial committees on noise and some international connections. The main factor now slowing the pace of research in this field is a paucity of laboratories and researchers. Science-based guidelines for acoustics and explosions are being drafted. NMFS is building a global network to monitor ocean noise.