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Noise
Kinds of Noise Terms modified by Noise Selected AbstractsTHE RELIABILITY OF NAÏVE ASSESSORS IN SENSORY EVALUATION VISUALIZED BY PRAGMATICAL MULTIVARIATE ANALYSISJOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 5 2002M.G. O'SULLIVAN The first part of this paper demonstrates a simple graphical way to visualize estimated variances, in terms of a plot of the total initial variance ("SIGNAL") versus residual variance ("NOISE"), as a pragmatic alternative to tables of F-tests. The recently developed Procrustes rotation in the bilinear "jack-knifing" form is then presented as a method for simplifying the comparison of PLS Regression models from different data sets. These methods are applied to sensory data in order to study if naïve (untrained) sensory panelists can produce reliable descriptions of systematic differences between various test meals. The results confirm that three panels of 15 naïve assessors each could give repeatable intersubjective description of the most dominant sensory variation dimensions. [source] DOES INTENSE SHIP NOISE DISRUPT FORAGING IN DEEP-DIVING CUVIER'S BEAKED WHALES (ZIPHIUS CAVIROSTRIS)?MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2006Natacha Aguilar Soto First page of article [source] EFFECTS OF WATERCRAFT NOISE ON THE ACOUSTIC BEHAVIOR OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS, TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS, IN SARASOTA BAY, FLORIDAMARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2004Kara C. Buckstaff Abstract Watercraft may provide the greatest source of anthropogenic noise for bottlenose dolphins living in coastal waters. A resident community of about 140 individuals near Sarasota, Florida, are exposed to a vessel passing within 100 m approximately every six minutes during daylight hours. I investigated the circumstances under which watercraft traffic may impact the acoustic behavior of this community, specifically looking for short-term changes in whistle frequency range, duration, and rate of production. To analyze whistles and received watercraft noise levels, acoustic recordings were made using two hydrophones towed from an observation vessel during focal animal follows of 14 individual dolphins. The duration and frequency range of signature whistles did not change significantly relative to vessel approaches. However, dolphins whistled significantly more often at the onset of approaches compared to during and after vessel approaches. Whistle rate was also significantly greater at the onset of a vessel approach than when no vessels were present. Increased whistle repetition as watercraft approach may simply reflect heightened arousal, an increased motivation for animals to come closer together, with whistles functioning to promote reunions. It may also be an effective way to compensate for signal masking, maintaining communication in a noisy environment. [source] LOCAL WELL-POSEDNESS OF MUSIELA'S SPDE WITH LÉVY NOISEMATHEMATICAL FINANCE, Issue 3 2010Carlo Marinelli We determine sufficient conditions on the volatility coefficient of Musiela's stochastic partial differential equation driven by an infinite dimensional Lévy process so that it admits a unique local mild solution in spaces of functions whose first derivative is square integrable with respect to a weight. [source] INFORMATION AND NOISE IN FINANCIAL MARKETS: EVIDENCE FROM THE E-MINI INDEX FUTURESTHE JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2008Alexander Kurov Abstract I examine the informational contributions and effects on transitory volatility of trades initiated by different types of traders in three actively traded index futures markets. The results show that trades initiated by exchange member firms account for more than 60% of price discovery during the trading day. These institutional trades appear to be more informative than trades of individual exchange members or off-exchange traders. I also find that off-exchange traders introduce more noise into the prices than do exchange members. My findings provide new evidence on the role of different types of traders in the price formation process. [source] The Effect of Noise in the Emergency DepartmentACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 7 2005Leslie S. Zun MD Abstract Background: It is hypothesized that high ambient noise in the emergency department (ED) adversely affects the ability of the examiner to hear heart and lung sounds. Objective: To determine the ability of various examiners to hear heart tones and lung sounds at the high end of loudness typically found in the ED setting. Methods: The study was divided into two parts. First, sound levels in the ED were measured over various times during the months of January through June 2001, using a sound level monitor. The second part of the study was the determination of the ability to hear heart and lung sounds on a young healthy volunteer using the same Littmann lightweight stethoscope at a predetermined ambient noise level of 90 dB. The results were entered into a database and analyzed using SPSS version 10 (Chicago, IL). Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, frequencies, and correlation were calculated using this program. Results: Two hundred five sound measurements were taken in the ED during the study period in three locations at various hours. The mean noise level at the nursing station was 57.60 dB, with a minimum of 45.00 dB and a maximum of 70.00 dB. Four of the 104 test subjects (3.8%) were unable to hear the heart tones, and nine of the 104 (8.7%) were unable to hear the lung sounds. Fifty percent (27 of 54) of the test subjects reported diminished lung sounds and eight of 15 (53.3%) reported diminished heart sounds. No significant difference was found between hearing heart sounds and years of experience, age, professional position, and quality of the sound. Significant differences were found between hearing lung sounds and years of experience and professional position, but not with age, gender, and sound quality. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that most of the tested examiners have the ability to hear heart and lung sounds at the extreme of loudness found in one ED. [source] Filtering Out the NoiseACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 5 2003Michelle H. Biros MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Improved imaging with phase-weighted common conversion point stacks of receiver functionsGEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2010A. Frassetto SUMMARY Broad-band array studies frequently stack receiver functions to improve their signal-to-noise ratio while mapping structures in the crust and upper mantle. Noise may produce spurious secondary arrivals that obscure or mimic arrivals produced by P -to- S conversions at large contrasts in seismic impedance such as the Moho. We use a Hilbert transform to calculate phase-weights, which minimize the constructive stacking of erroneous signal in receiver function data sets. We outline this approach and demonstrate its application through synthetic data combined with different types of noise, a previously published example of signal-generated noise, and a large data set from the Sierra Nevada EarthScope Project. These examples show that phase-weighting reduces the presence of signal-generated noise in receiver functions and improves stacked data sets. [source] The Impact of Airport Noise and Proximity on Residential Property ValuesGROWTH AND CHANGE, Issue 3 2000Molly Espey The hedonic price method is used to estimate the relationship between residential property values and airport noise and proximity to the airport in the Reno-Sparks area. Empirical results suggest there is a statistically significant negative relationship between airport noise and residential property values, with the average home in areas where noise levels are 65 decibels or high selling for about $2400 less than equivalent homes in quieter areas. However, in direct contrast to the study by Tomkins et al.(1998) who found proximity to the Manchester airport to be an amenity, this study finds proximity to the Reno-Sparks airport to have a significant negative value. [source] Finding the Signal by Adding Noise: The Role of Noncontrastive Phonetic Variability in Early Word LearningINFANCY, Issue 6 2010Gwyneth C. Rost It is well attested that 14-month-olds have difficulty learning similar sounding words (e.g., bih/dih), despite their excellent phonetic discrimination abilities. By contrast, Rost and McMurray (2009) recently demonstrated that 14-month-olds' minimal-pair learning can be improved by the presentation of words by multiple talkers. This study investigates which components of the variability found in multitalker input improved infants' processing, assessing both the phonologically contrastive aspects of the speech stream and phonologically irrelevant indexical and suprasegmental aspects. In the first two experiments, speaker was held constant while cues to word-initial voicing were systematically manipulated. Infants failed in both cases. The third experiment introduced variability in speaker, but voicing cues were invariant within each category. Infants in this condition learned the words. We conclude that aspects of the speech signal that have been typically thought of as noise are in fact valuable information,signal,for the young word learner. [source] Noise in lossless microwave multiportsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RF AND MICROWAVE COMPUTER-AIDED ENGINEERING, Issue 2 2004Q. García-García Abstract This article addresses the noise behaviour (noise temperature and noise figure) of some passive microwave multiport circuits. The analysis method is based on the noise-wave formulation. With the exception of the attenuator case, which is used as a reference, the circuit elements considered are lossless devices, in the sense that neither conductive nor dielectric losses are accounted for. The analysis shows that, when connected to matched loads in some of their ports, these multiports circuits lose their lossless nature and their scattering matrix is not unitary; therefore, they generate thermal noise. The article addresses and formalizes mathematically the noise properties of a number of lossless microwave devices such as N -port power splitters, circulators, and hybrid couplers. While the noise-wave mathematical formulation may be cumbersome in some cases, all the devices and configurations analyzed in this work have been characterized in terms of noise figure and noise temperature, which is a much more practical approach in most situations. Some implications of the use of these devices and configurations in antenna arrays for antenna noise temperature evaluations have been also addressed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 14, 99,110, 2004. [source] Effects of construction noise on behaviour of and exhibit use by Snow leopards Uncia uncia at Basel zooINTERNATIONAL ZOO YEARBOOK, Issue 1 2008C. E. SULSER Noise caused by human activities can cause stress in animals. We examined whether noise from construction sites affects the behaviour of and exhibit use by three Snow leopards Uncia uncia at Basel zoo. The behaviour and location of the animals were recorded at 1 minute intervals, using the instantaneous scan sampling method over a period of 216 hours (104 hours on noisy days and 112 hours on quiet days). The animals differed individually in their responses to the construction noise. On noisy days, the Snow leopards generally spent less time in locomotion and more time resting, but even on quiet days, resting was the predominant behaviour performed. Under noisy conditions, they increased social resting and decreased resting alone. Walking and social walking were also reduced on noisy days. Furthermore, the Snow leopards spent considerably more time in the remote off-exhibit enclosure under noisy conditions. Independent of background noise, they stayed more than half of the time in the caves and the forecourts of the outdoor enclosure. On quiet days, the Snow leopards used more sectors of their exhibit than on noisy days. The results indicate that the Snow leopards responded to construction noise by increasing the amount of time spent resting and by withdrawing to the remote parts of their exhibit. [source] Introduction: White Noise: Bringing Language into Whiteness StudiesJOURNAL OF LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 1 2001Sara Trechter [source] Apparent wall thickening of cystic renal lesions on MRIJOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING, Issue 1 2008Vikas Gulani MD Abstract Purpose To show that cystic renal lesions that would otherwise meet criteria for simple cysts can demonstrate perceptible walls or increased wall thickness on MRI, sometimes causing these lesions to be "upgraded." It was hypothesized that thickening of cyst walls on MRI can be artifactual, due to data truncation, applied filtering, and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Materials and Methods k-Space data for a 4-cm cyst were created in a 40-cm field of view (FOV) (512 × 512 matrix). Additional data sets were created using the central 512 × 256 and 512 × 128 points. Noise was simulated so that the cyst SNR was approximately 7, 14, and 20, respectively. Actual wall thickness was set at 0.25 mm, and cyst:wall signal at 1:4. An inverse two-dimensional (2D) fast Fourier transform (FFT) yielded simulated images. A Fermi filter was applied to reduce ringing. Images/projections were examined for wall thickening. Seven patients with initially thick-walled cysts on fat-saturated spoiled gradient-echo (FS-SPGR) images were scanned with increasing resolution (256 × 128 and 256 × 256; four patients were also scanned with 512 × 512). Average wall thickness at each resolution was compared using a two-tailed paired Student's t -test. Results Simulations showed apparent wall thickening at low resolution, improving with higher resolutions. Low SNR and application of the Fermi filter made it difficult to identify ringing as the cause of this thickening. The simulation results were confirmed on seven patients, whose cyst walls proved to be artifactually thickened (P < 0.01). Conclusion Thickening of cyst walls on MRI can be artifactual. Upon encountering thick-walled cystic renal lesions, high-resolution images can be acquired to exclude apparent thickening. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;28103,110. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Noise and background removal in Raman spectra of ancient pigments using wavelet transformJOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 9 2005Pablo Manuel Ramos Abstract The wavelet transform was applied to Raman spectra to remove heteroscedastic noise from ancient pigments such as azurite and ultramarine blue. Wavelets from the Daubechies, Coiflet and Symmlet families were evaluated. Two different thresholding strategies on the detail coefficients were applied; the first is a one-dimensional variance adaptive thresholding and the second is a block threshold denoising. The block thresholding strategy removes the noise and preserves the band shapes best. Background removal during the denoising process was also investigated and the results were very good when the block thresholding strategy was used to suppress background at the optimal level of the denoising process. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Signal-to -Noise: Funding StructureVersus Ethics as a Solution to Conflict-of -InterestMARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2005Linda Weilgart [source] Evaluation of 08CH18N10T stainless steel corrosion in subcritical water by electrochemical noise analysisMATERIALS AND CORROSION/WERKSTOFFE UND KORROSION, Issue 9 2008P. Ku Abstract The corrosion behaviour of pressurized water reactor (PWR) steam generator tube material (08CH18N10T steel) was studied by electrochemical noise (EN) measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in high-temperature water at 280,°C and 8 MPa. Long-term measurements were performed in two electrolytes: (i) deionised water alkalized to pH25,=,9.5 by KOH; (ii) the same electrolyte with 200 ppm of chlorides added (as KCl). The noise data were processed by two filtering methods and the noise resistance and spectral noise resistance values were calculated. Different contributions to the total impedance were identified and the polarization resistance values were calculated from EIS data. Noise and polarization resistances were compared and the influence of filtering methods was discussed. Instantaneous corrosion data were transformed to integral ones and comparison with mean corrosion current estimated from the oxide thickness was made. It was confirmed that the crucial point of EN analysis is selection of proper cut-off frequency in high-pass fast Fourier transform (HP-FFT). [source] Modern Noise, Fluid Genres: Popular Music in Indonesia, 1997,2001 by Jeremy WallachAMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 1 2010Henry Spiller No abstract is available for this article. [source] Modern Noise, Fluid Genres: Popular Music in Indonesia, 1997,2001 by Jeremy WallachAMERICAN ETHNOLOGIST, Issue 1 2010WALTER E. LITTLE No abstract is available for this article. [source] Effect of Noise on T-Wave Alternans Measurement in Ambulatory ECGs Using Modified Moving Average versus Spectral MethodPACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 5 2009RAJA J. SELVARAJ M.D. Background: The modified moving average (MMA) and spectral method (SM) are commonly used to measure T-wave alternans (TWA), but their accuracy has not been compared in ambulatory electrocardiograms (ECGs) where TWA signal-to-noise ratio is low. Our objective was to compare the effect of noise and signal nonstationarity on the accuracy of TWA measurement using MMA versus SM when applied to synthetic and ambulatory ECGs. Methods: Periodic and nonperiodic noise were added to noiseless synthetic ECGs. Simulated TWA (0,20 ,V) was added to synthetic ECGs and ambulatory ECG recordings. TWA was measured using SM and MMA, and the measurement error relative to added TWA was compared. An MMA ratio was used to discriminate TWA signal from noise. Signal nonstationarity was simulated by changing heart rate, TWA magnitude, and TWA phase. Results: With no added TWA, MMA falsely measured TWA in synthetic and ambulatory ECGs, while false measurement was not seen with SM. An MMA ratio > 1.2 eliminated false TWA detection. In the presence of low TWA magnitude (<10 ,V), TWA was overestimated by MMA and underestimated by SM in proportion to the noise level. In synthetic ECGs with periodic noise and 10-,V added TWA, MMA was less accurate than SM. The effects of simulated signal nonstationarity on the TWA magnitude measured with MMA versus SM were similar using a 64-beat analysis window. Conclusions: In the presence of noise, MMA falsely detects or overestimates simulated TWA in ambulatory ECG recordings. In this setting, the proposed MMA ratio improves the specificity of MMA. [source] Assessment of Noise in Digital ElectrocardiogramsPACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2002VELISLAV BATCHVAROV BATCHVAROV, V., et al.: Assessment of Noise in Digital Electrocardiograms. Technically related noise in 12-lead ECGs recorded with ambulatory recorders has never been systematically compared with that in ECGs recorded with conventional ECGs. This study compared serial 10-second ECGs obtained in ten healthy men, age 22,45 years, who were recorded in the supine resting position using a (1) MAC VU recorder, (2) digital ambulatory SEER MC recorder with a Multi-Link detachable ECG cable, and (3) digital ambulatory SEER MC recorder with a light ambulatory ECG cable. In each ECG, averaged sinus rhythm cycles of the entire recording were realigned with the native signal and subtracted. The resulting "residuum" was quantified by computing its standard deviation and root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD). While the RMSSD residuum values were significantly lower with the MAC VU recorder (6.27 ± 0.98 ,V) than with the SEER MC recorder with either ECG cables (7.29 ± 1.31 and 7.17 ± 1.31 ,V, P < 0.003 and p < 0.02), the difference was practically negligible and there was no detectable difference in the standard deviation residuum values. The study concludes that valid ECG investigations of serial ECG testing may be conducted using the ambulatory SEER MC recorders providing the biological sources of ECG noise are controlled. The available technology for noise assessment suggests that studies involving advanced analysis of serial ECGs (e.g., of drug related changes), should incorporate objective characterisation of ECG quality. [source] Modeling of Active Noise and Vibration Control with Finite Elements and Boundary ElementsPROCEEDINGS IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS & MECHANICS, Issue 1 2009Stefan Ringwelski A recently developed coupled finite element-boundary element modeling scheme for the design of active noise and vibration control of multi-coupled structural-acoustic systems is presented. The approach allows the computation of structural vibrations and resulting sound fields. By means of an example, the paper describes the theoretical background of the coupled approach. In order to show the performance of the developed approach, test simulations are carried out in the frequency domain. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] A Lepskij,type Stopping-Rule for Newton-type Methods with Random NoisePROCEEDINGS IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS & MECHANICS, Issue 1 2005Frank Bauer Regularized Newton methods are one of the most popular approaches for the solution of inverse problems in differential equations. Since these problems are usually ill-posed, an appropriate stopping rule is an essential ingredient of such methods. In this paper we suggest an a-posteriori stopping rule of Lepskij-type which is appropriate for data perturbed by random noise. The numerical results for this look promising. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] The Noise Prediction Model SATINPROCEEDINGS IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS & MECHANICS, Issue 1 2003J. Ostertag Dipl.-Ing. This paper presents the noise prediction model SATIN (Statistical Approach to Turbulence Induced Noise) which is based on Lighthill's acoustic analogy. It allows to predict both, the far-field noise radiation as well as near-field wall-pressure fluctuations. Far-field noise radiation may result from the scattering of wall-pressure fluctuations at geometrical discontinuities and is therefore important for many practical problems. Within this paper, we focus on the calculation of far-field noise radiation. The required input values of SATIN are local properties of turbulence, namely the turbulent kinetic energy and the integral length scale which can be obtained by steady solutions of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with a two equation turbulence model. It is assumed that the turbulence is axisymmetric and homogenous, which is taken into account by introducing two anisotropy parameters. The validation of SATIN is done for trailing-edge noise originating from a thin flat plate using measurements of a phased array. As expected, the anisotropic formulation of SATIN improves the prediction quality considerably compared to isotropic turbulence. [source] Listen to the noise: noise is beneficial for cognitive performance in ADHDTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 8 2007Göran Söderlund Background:, Noise is typically conceived of as being detrimental to cognitive performance. However, given the mechanism of stochastic resonance, a certain amount of noise can benefit performance. We investigate cognitive performance in noisy environments in relation to a neurocomputational model of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dopamine. The Moderate Brain Arousal model (MBA; Sikström & Söderlund, 2007) suggests that dopamine levels modulate how much noise is required for optimal cognitive performance. We experimentally examine how ADHD and control children respond to different encoding conditions, providing different levels of environmental stimulation. Methods:, Participants carried out self-performed mini tasks (SPT), as a high memory performance task, and a verbal task (VT), as a low memory task. These tasks were performed in the presence, or absence, of auditory white noise. Results:, Noise exerted a positive effect on cognitive performance for the ADHD group and deteriorated performance for the control group, indicating that ADHD subjects need more noise than controls for optimal cognitive performance. Conclusions:, The positive effect of white noise is explained by the phenomenon of stochastic resonance (SR), i.e., the phenomenon that moderate noise facilitates cognitive performance. The MBA model suggests that noise in the environment, introduces internal noise into the neural system through the perceptual system. This noise induces SR in the neurotransmitter systems and makes this noise beneficial for cognitive performance. In particular, the peak of the SR curve depends on the dopamine level, so that participants with low dopamine levels (ADHD) require more noise for optimal cognitive performance compared to controls. [source] Information and Noise in U.K. Futures MarketsTHE JOURNAL OF FUTURES MARKETS, Issue 8 2004Phil Holmes This paper examines the extent to which futures price changes are driven by noise and information for three U.K. futures contracts by utilizing T. Andersen's (1996) specification of the mixture of distributions hypothesis. Use of the generalized method of moments approach demonstrates that the link between futures volume and volatility can be attributed to the flow of information. More importantly, it is shown that price movements are dominated by informed rather than noise trading for the FTSE-100, the Long Gilt, and the Brent Oil futures contracts. The results suggest that further regulation based on the notion that noise traders dominate futures trading is unwarranted. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 24:711,731, 2004 [source] Noise in the MRI scannerANAESTHESIA, Issue 12 2000G. Morton No abstract is available for this article. [source] Nondipolar Content of T Wave Derived from a Myocardial Source Simulation with Increased Repolarization InhomogeneityANNALS OF NONINVASIVE ELECTROCARDIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Milos Kesek M.D., Ph.D. Background: Several conditions with repolarization disturbances are associated with increased level of nondipolar components of the T wave. The nondipolar content has been proposed as a measure of repolarization inhomogeneity. This computer simulation study examines the link between increased nondipolar components and increased repolarization inhomogeneity in an established model. Methods: The simulation was performed with Ecgsim software that uses the equivalent double-layer source model. In the model, the shape of transmembrane potential is derived from biological recordings. Increased repolarization inhomogeneity was simulated globally by increasing the variance in action potential duration and locally by introducing changes mimicking acute myocardial infarction. We synthesized surface ECG recordings with 12, 18, and 300 leads. The T-wave residue was calculated by singular value decomposition. The study examined the effects of the number of ECG leads, changes in definition of end of T wave and random noise added to the signal. Results: Normal myocardial source gave a low level of nondipolar content. Increased nondipolar content was observed in the two types of increased repolarization inhomogeneity. Noise gave a large increase in the nondipolar content. The sensitivity of the result to noise increased when a higher number of principal components were used in the computation. Conclusions: The nondipolar content of the T wave was associated with repolarization inhomogeneity in the computer model. The measure was very sensitive to noise, especially when principal components of high order were included in the computations. Increased number of ECG leads resulted in an increased signal-to-noise ratio. [source] Noise in the operating theatre: how much is too much?ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 6 2010Michael Barakate MS FRACS No abstract is available for this article. [source] Averting the baiji syndrome: conserving habitat for critically endangered dolphins in Eastern Taiwan StraitAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 6 2010Peter S. Ross Abstract 1.Numbering no more than 100 individuals and facing many threats, the geographically isolated Eastern Taiwan Strait population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) is in peril. The estuarine and coastal waters of central-western Taiwan have historically provided prime habitat for these dolphins, but environmental conditions today bear little resemblance to what they were in the past. 2.The humpback dolphins must share their habitat with thousands of fishing vessels and numerous factories built upon thousands of hectares of reclaimed land. 3.They are exposed to chemicals and sewage released from adjacent terrestrial activities. Noise and disturbance associated with construction, vessel traffic and military activities are features of everyday life for these animals. 4.Measures to slow the pace of habitat deterioration and reduce the many risks to the dolphins are urgently needed. As one practical step in this direction, this paper describes the habitat needs of these small cetaceans so that decision makers will be better equipped to define ,priority habitat' and implement much needed protection measures under the terms of local legislation. 5.The preferred habitat of these dolphins in Taiwan consists of shallow (<30,m), near-shore marine waters with regular freshwater inputs. 6.For such a small, isolated and threatened population, ,priority habitat' should not be limited to areas of particularly intensive dolphin use or high dolphin density, but rather it should encompass the entire area where the animals have been observed (their current ,habitat'), as well as additional coastal areas with similar bio-physical features (,suitable habitat'). Such a precautionary approach is warranted because the loss of only a few individuals could have serious population-level consequences. 7.While conventional socio-economic analysis might suggest that implementing protection measures over an area stretching ,350,km north,south along Taiwan's west coast and ,3,km out to sea would be too ,costly', the loss of this charismatic species from Taiwan's waters would send a troubling message regarding our collective ability to reconcile human activities with environmental sustainability. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||