Jason Wood

Principal Scientist & Deputy Director – Technology

Email: jw@smruconsulting.com

Jason is the Principal Scientist & Deputy Director of Technology at SMRU Consulting. He has over 20 years of experience studying acoustic ecology and behaviour in airborne, substrate (i.e., seismic), and waterborne communication. Following his PhD at the University of California, Davis, he held post-doctoral fellowships at Stanford University in the Geophysics and Otolaryngology departments. Following this, he taught an undergraduate field-based bioacoustics course through the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories for Beam Reach. He also led the research department at The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor. For the past fifteen years, his work has focused on marine mammals and the potential impacts of anthropogenic sounds on these animals. These studies have involved the development of complex study designs and the implementation of acoustic, statistical, and spatial analyses and modelling. In his spare time, Jason is a keen sailor, diver, and kayaker.

    • Noise monitoring and impact analysis studies: design and analysis of acoustic and behavioural studies to monitor noise and evaluate both acoustic and behavioural responses to that noise

    • Passive acoustic localization: design of towed and fixed acoustic arrays and analysis for localization and depth measurements of vocalizing cetaceans including for marine renewable energy projects

    • Passive acoustic monitoring: detection and classification of signals and cues to determine presence and abundance across various temporal and spatial scales

    • Spatial distribution analysis: this has involved both tools available in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyse spatial distribution as well as time series analyses to understand spatial and temporal patterns in habitat use

    • In the field: experienced marine mammal observer, scuba diver, boat handler

    • Project management: proven experience in designing and managing large and complex environmental research programs.

  • Malinka C.E., Tollit, D.J., Trounce, K. and Wood, J. D. (2023). Evaluating the Benefits of Noise Reduction Mitigation: The ECHO Program. In: Popper, A.N., Sisneros, J., Hawkins, A., Thomsen, F. (eds) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life. Springer, Cham. pp. 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10417-6_100-1

    O'Connell-Rodwell, C.E., Sandri, M. N., Berezin, J. L., Munevar, J. M., Kinzley, C., Wood, J. D., Wiśniewska, M., & Werner Kilian, J. (2022). Male African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) behavioral responses to estrous call playbacks may inform conservation management tool. Animals, 12, 1162. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12091162

    Palmer, K. J., Tabbutt, S., Gillespie, D., Turner, J., King, P., Tollit, D., Thompson, J., & Wood, J. (2022). Evaluation of a coastal acoustic buoy for cetacean detections, bearing accuracy and exclusion zone monitoring. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 00, 1– 12

    Rand, Z. R., Wood, J. D., & Oswald, J. N. (2022). Effects of duty cycles on passive acoustic monitoring of southern resident killer whale (Orcinus orca) occurrence and behavior. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 151, 1651-1660. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0009752

    Eickmeier, J., Tollit, D., Trounce, K., Warner, G., Wood, J., MacGillivray, A., & Zizheng, L. (2021) Salish Sea Ambient Noise Study: Best Practices (2021). Vancouver, British Columbia, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program, 50pp. Ocean Best Practices. http://dx.doi.org/10.25607/OBP-1068

    Vergara, V., Wood, J., Lesage, V., Ames, A., Mikus, M-A., & Michaud, R. (2021). Can you hear me? Impacts of underwater noise on communication space of adult, sub-adult and calf contact calls of endangered St. Lawrence belugas (Delphinopterus leucas). Polar Research, 40, 5521. https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v40.5521

    Williams, R., Ashe, E., Yruretagoyena, L., Mastick, N., Siple, M., Wood, J., Joy, R., Langrock, R., Mews, S., & Finne, E. (2021). Reducing vessel noise increases foraging in endangered killer whales. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 171, 112976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112976

    Tollit, D.J., Joy, R., Wood, J., Redden, A., Booth, C., Boucher, T., Porskamp, P., & Oldreive, M. (2019). Baseline presence of and effects of tidal turbine installation and operations on the Harbour porpoise of Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy, Canada. Journal of Ocean Technology 14: 24-48.

    Joy, R., Wood. J., Sparling, C., Tollit, D. J., Copping, A., & McConnell, B. (2018). Empirical measures of harbor seal behavior and avoidance of an operational tidal turbine. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 136, November 2018, Pages 92-106.

    Olson, J. K., Wood, J., Osborne, R. W., Barrett-Lennard, L., & Larson, S. (2018). Sightings of southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea 1976-2014: the importance of a long-term opportunistic dataset. Endangered Species Research, 37, 105-118. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00918

    Heise, K., Barrett-Lennard, L., Chapman, R., Dakin, T., Erbe, C., Hannay, D., Merchant, N., Pilkington, J., Thornton, S., Tollit, D., Vagle, S., Veirs, V., Vergara, V., Wood, J., Wright, B., & Yurk, H. (2017). Proposed Metrics for the Management of Underwater Noise for Southern Resident Killer Whales. Coastal Ocean Report Series Volume 2017/2 (31 pp). DOI: 10.25317/CORI20172

    Viers, S., Viers, V., & Wood, J.D. (2016) Ship noise extends to frequencies used for echolocation by endangered killer whales. PeerJ, 4:e1657; DOI 10.7717/peerj.1657

    Wood, J., Tollit, D.J., Redden A., Porskamp, P., Broome, J., Fogarty, L., Booth, C., & Karsten, R. (2013) Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Cetacean Activity Patterns and Movements in Minas Passage: Pre-Turbine Baseline Conditions (2011-2012). Final Report for OERA and FORCE. SMRU Ltd Report number NA0713Acadia, pp 71.

    Beneze, E. L., Wood, J. D., Veirs, S., & Veirs, V. (2011). Are click rates in killer whales an indicator of group behavior and foraging hotspots? Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 129, 2607.

    Lehmann, K. D., & Wood, J. D. (2008). Killer whales (Orcinus orca) and Bell Laboratories: What can information theory tell us about the communication system of this species? Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 123, 3363.

    O’Connell-Rodwell, C. E., & Wood, J. D. (2010). Vibration generation, propagation and detection in elephants, In C. E. O’Connell-Rodwell (Ed.), The use of vibrations in communication: properties, mechanisms and function across taxa., Transworld Research Network, pp. 183–200.

    Polagye, B., Wood, J. D., Bassett, C., Tollit, D., & Thomson, J. (2011). Behavioral responses of harbor porpoise to vessel noise in a tidal strait. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 129, 2368.

    Veirs, V., Veirs, S., & Wood, J. D. (2011). Shipping noise signatures. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 129, 2368.

    Veirs, S., Veirs, V., & Wood, J. D. (2008). Spatial confirmation of vocal communication between a killer whale calf and its natal family. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 123, 3362–3363.

    Wood, J. D., Foreman, P., Veirs, V., & Veirs, S. (2011). Shipping noise and vocal compensation by Southern Resident killer whales: Haro Strait as a study case. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 129, 2607.

    Wood, J. D., & O’Connell-Rodwell, C. E. (2010). Studying vibrational communication: Equipment options, recording, playback and analysis techniques in C. E. O’Connell-Rodwell (Ed.), The use of vibrations in communication: Properties, mechanisms and function across taxa., Transworld Research Network, pp. 163–181.

  • Key Projects

    • Commercial vessel noise monitoring and mitigation assessments for the Port of Vancouver’s ECHO program, including the summer 2017 Haro Strait voluntary vessel slow down trial.

    • Comparing the disturbance effects of large vessel noise and whale watch boat noise on Southern Resident Killer whale for Port of Vancouver’s ECHO program

    • Environmental Effects Monitoring Program for FORCE at a tidal turbine demonstration site in the Bay of Fundy

    • Effects of ship noise on calling behaviour or humpback whales in British Columbia

    • Southern resident killer whale population consequences of disturbance (PCoD) for Hemmera and Port Metro Vancouver

    • Southern resident killer whale underwater noise exposure and acoustic masking study for Hemmera and Port Metro Vancouver

    • Southern resident killer whale acoustic detection synthesis for Hemmera and Port Metro Vancouver

    • Ambient noise and baseline killer whale detections in core critical habitat of southern resident killer whales in Haro Strait for Hemmera and Port Metro Vancouver

    • Determination of southern resident killer whale behavioural response thresholds (dose-response curves) for Hemmera and Port Metro Vancouver

    • Southern resident killer whale habitat use in the Salish sea for Hemmera and Port Metro Vancouver

    • Auto-detections of southern resident killer whale sounds at Roberts Bank and Haro Strait and comparison of auto detector and classifier performance for Hemmera and Port Metro Vancouver

    • Potential for masking of southern resident killer whale calls and echolocation clicks due to underwater noise for Hemmera and Port Metro Vancouver

    • Ship sound signature analysis for Hemmera and Port Metro Vancouver

    • Real time acoustic monitoring for marine mammals and noise measurements near Prince Rupert for Golder Associates.

    • 3D seismic survey marine mammal Environmental Impact Review on behalf of California State Land Commission

    • Noise effects study at the Admiralty Inlet tidal site in Washington state on behalf of the US Department of Energy, collaborating with NNMREC and PNNL

    • Passive acoustic monitoring baseline study at the Minas Passage tidal site in Nova Scotia on behalf of FORCE and OERA, collaborating with the University of Acadia

    • Marine mammal monitoring and killer whale risk assessment for Admiralty Inlet tidal site in Washington state on behalf of Snohomish PUD and HDR-DTA

    • Passive Acoustic Monitoring study at the Admiralty Inlet tidal site in Washington state on behalf of Snohomish PUD, collaborating with University of Washington

  • Phone: + 1 (360) 370-5493

    Email: jw@smruconsulting.com

    Mail: 815 D Spring St. Unit 1

    Friday Harbor, WA 98250