Passive acoustic monitoring reveals stable occurrence and foraging in harbour porpoises after shipping rerouting, suggesting resilience despite elevated underwater noise.
Key Points
Monthly presence and foraging behaviour of harbour porpoises showed no detectable changes following shipping rerouting, despite documented increases in vessel traffic.
Passive acoustic monitoring across 15 stations over two years tracked local underwater noise and porpoise echolocation activity before and after the maritime lane realignment.
Highlights that long-term underwater noise may still impair echolocation, communication, or physiological stress, requiring targeted investigation into individual health impacts.