the people

Leadership Committee

The Quiet Sound Leadership Committee will engage with the Quiet Sound Working Groups and other stakeholders to move forward with the program and ultimately reduce the impact of large commercial vessels on Southern Resident Killer Whales in Washington waters.

collaborative program
collaborative program
collaborative program
collaborative program
collaborative program
collaborative program
collaborative program
collaborative program
collaborative program
collaborative program
collaborative program
collaborative program
collaborative program

Working Groups

Vessel Operations & Incentives

Use maritime expertise to propose voluntary measures for large commercial vessels to reduce acoustic and physical threats to SRKWs. 

Members:
Marine Exchange
Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA)
Washington State Ferries
Puget Sound Pilots
Port of Seattle
Port of Tacoma/NWSA
Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC)
Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO)
Green Marine
US Navy
Cooperative Vessel Traffic Service (CVTS)

Evaluation & Adaptive Management Working Group

Use the best available science to evaluate program effectiveness and provide recommendations for operational improvements, and evaluate program impacts with regards to treaty rights and provide recommendations for operational improvements.

Members:
NOAA
Puget Sound Partnership (PSP)
Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
Oceans Initiative
Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC)
The Whale Museum
Seattle Aquarium

Monitoring Whales & Vessel Noise Working Group

Collect and interpret data to inform effective Quiet Sound initiatives.

Members:
PSP
NOAA
Seattle Aquarium
Oceans Initiative
SMRU
Port of Seattle
Ocean Wise
US Navy
PSEMP
Orcasound

Innovation & Vessel Quieting Working Group

Engage in research, development, and implementation/commercialization of technologies to address vessel quieting and whale sensing.

Members:
Washington Maritime Blue
Natural Resources Defense Council
Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA)
Univ. of WA – Applied Physics Lab (UW-APL)
Washington State Ferries
Noise Control Engineering
NOAA PMEL
Allen AI Institue/Vulcan
Kongsberg
US Navy

Whale Notification System to Vessels Working Group

Promote the distribution of real-time sightings of Southern Resident Killer Whales to commercial mariners.

Members:
Washington State Ferries
Puget Sound Pilots
Marine Exchange
PMSA
Kitsap Transit
Port of Seattle
Canadian Coast Guard
Ocean Wise
US Navy
American Waterways Operators (tug and tow)

Program Structure

Monitoring Whales & Vessel Noise Work Group

Chairs – Puget Sound Partnership, NOAA and co-chair Seattle Aquarium

Whale Notification System Work Group

Chair – Washington State Ferries

Evaluation and Adaptive Management for Tribal Treaty Rights and SRKW Objectives Work Group

Chairs – Puget Sound Partnership, NOAA and co-chair Seattle Aquarium

Vessel Operations & Incentives Work Group

Chairs – Marine Exchange and Pacific Merchant Shipping Association

Innovation & Vessel Quieting Work Group

Chair – Washington Maritime Blue

Interested in Getting involved?

Quiet Sound is a nonregulatory coalition whose goal is to better understand and reduce the cumulative effects of acoustic and physical disturbance from large commercial vessels (such as cargo, cruise, ferries, fish processors, tugs/barges) on Southern Resident Killer Whales throughout their range in Washington state. To learn more about Quiet Sound, click the button below to get in touch.
Quiet Sound

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