Honolulu Star-Bulletin from Honolulu, Hawaii • 4

Star-JJullctin A-4 Saturday. September 4. 1993 I I Pi I -4 Scientists' pisa: Mo swimming with mcrlne memmois Please, people, don't disturb the marine mammals in the ocean pens off of Coconut Island. This is the plea of scientists worried about the exposed new home of the dolphins and false killer whales they're moving across Kaneohe Bay. People want to swim with dolphins, which disrupts experiments, researchers say.

Feeding them is also harmful. The Marine Mammal Protection Act also requires that they be left aione, and people who don't may be prosecuted. DOLPHINS UNCLASSIFIED Stories by Helen Altonn Star-Bulletin DOLPHINS: 8 studied on Coconut Isle Continued from Page A-l so's dolphins and a false killer whale. "We're really lucky here," Nachtigall said. "Very few labs in the world have more than one species.

Also, they're more in tune with the environment than animals in other labs because they're in floating ocean enclosures rather than in tanks. Louisiana Lou, a Risso's dolphin, and Andrea and B.J., Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins, already have settled in. Nachtigall's team has been monitoring the environment to ensure it is suitable for the animals and that they won't cause any problems for the coral or smaller organisms. "It's great because a lot of our data was gathered over the years in this particular environment, with the same water temperature and snapping shrimp background noise." Although the Navy program was classified because of work on applied systems, Nachtigall said he and Au "have always been very open about our basic research." They have written or co authored numerous science books and articles and they are known internationally for their work. "We just don't advertise much," Nachtigall said.

Their program is funded primarily by the Office of Naval Research, which suggested shifting it to the UH. The group will continue to use a freezer, fish preparation and veterinary lab at Kaneohe that the Army will maintain. Some of the animals were 1 Poul E. Nachtigall, who formerly headed the classified Navy mammal research program at Kaneohe, shows Louisiana Lou some lines to test her perceptual skills. After the move to Coconut Island is complete, Nachtigall will direct the University of Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology's mammal research program.

diseased when the scientists got them, but they're in great shape now due to their fish diet and good animal husbandry, said Pawloski. Monthly blood samples are taken on the false killer whale and Risso's dolphins, he said. Blood samples are taken from the other animals every six months when the animals get a complete medical checkup. "This is sort of like the Mayo Clinic of marine mammals," Pawloski said. "We do constant medical research on the animals.

We are a reference for a lot of aquariums. We don't sit on the information." Initially, the scientists tried all sorts of things to get the animals to breed, including artificial insemination, Nachtigall said. Then they found they didn't have to do anything. "Very healthy, comfortable animals do well making babies." (I Photo by Kotftrr Imdtr, Star-Bulletin 66 We're really lucky here. Very few labs in the world have more than one species.

99 Paul Nachtigall -'A "WW i (Coconut Island) ''K jpiHII Photo by Kn graphic by Thomoi Kim, Star-Bulletin v. v. 9 A Jl- Risso's soulful eyes offer insight on ages Why doesn't dolphins' sonar pick up nefs? Navy scientists attempt to demystify the phenomenon NAVY scientists are trying to solve some "really fun mysteries" about dolphins and false killer whales, says psychologist Paul Nachtigall. For example, why do they get caught in drift-nets when they have a highly sensitive and sophisticated sonar system? "It's a very confusing issue," says Whitlow W. L.

Au, electrical engineer and dolphin sonar expert who wrote the book, "The Sonar of Dolphins." "We don't know how they get entangled unless they're fishing and not paying attention." The scientists have applied for federal funds to tackle the net mystery after they complete a move from the Naval Ocean Systems Center about a mile across Kaneohe Bay to the Institute of Marine Biology at Coconut Island. They're taking seven dolphins and a false killer whale for continued research on the animals' echolocation, or sonar system. "It's an amazing sense," Nachtigall said, describing how the animals can locate objects by projecting pulses of sound, actual clicks, that return as echoes. Dolphins are able to echolocate a 3-inch, water-filled, stainless steel sphere at a distance farther than a football field, he said. "Dolphins and small whales have absolutely great biosensors far superior to any man-made sonar developed," Nachtigall said.

The researchers are trying to find out how good it is and adapt it to building better sonars, he said. A true test of echolocation is how well the animal tells one thing from another, not how well it finds things, Nachtigall said. He said dolphins can tell the difference down to 0.01 of an inch in thickness of walls in 5-inch-tall cylinders 25 feet away. A false killer whale, which doesn't hear as well as a dolphin, tested even better, he said. "We were quite shocked.

First of all, we didn't believe our own data we were trying to disprove it. But the false killer whale was correct and was doing it." Au, who has done many tests on the dolphins' ability to distinguish features or properties of targets, said most should be able to detect drift-nets. Yet, they get snared. The group is doing a series of experiments looking at various types of nets, comparing them to see if the animals can detect them with acoustics. Au developed a simulated dolphin echolocation system, a transducer that produces dolphin-sounding clicks that bounce off the nets, to see 66 This is sort of like the Mayo Clinic of marine mammals.

We are a reference for a lot of aquariums. 99 Jeff Pawloski Despite her odd appearance, Louisiana Lou, a Risso's dolphin rarely seen by the public, has won the hearts of her trainers with her playful ways. which is more detectable. With federal funding, they would be able to work with real animals. The net-snaring problem is so serious that several fisheries might be curtailed, Au said.

The scientists couldn't address such problems while working for the Navy, he said. But with their university affiliation, "We want to apply our expertise to help them." The team has proposed a study looking at the reflectivity of nets used off New England where harbor porpoises have been trapped by fishing nets. It isn't known yet how often dolphins use sonar in their daily routine. "I would think in a familiar area they're not using it unless they're hunting," Au said. Added Nachtigall: "Do they echolocate when they're swimming around? What attracts their attention to echolocate?" Those questions are still unanswered, although hearing and vision tests are producing some intriguing findings, the scientists said.

They know the animals hear high-frequency sounds and now they're trying to learn how well they hear low-frequency sounds. They said Walter Monk of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography is leading a project to play very loud low-frequency sounds in the ocean and measure their speed from Hawaii to the Antarctic and other areas to determine cyclical temperature changes and study global warming. "Our concern is what do low-frequency sounds do to animals, to whales," Nachtigall said. Initial research indicates that a false killer whale hears sounds as low as 60 hertz (cycles per second), he said. "An animal underwater probably hears us talking." The scientists have been conducting behavioral tests in which they play various sounds and the animals press a paddle if they hear them.

They're trying to develop a new test using suction cups on the animal to measure its brain waves when it hears particular sounds. They want a procedure that can be used to determine the hearing threshold on big whales that become stranded or trapped. The Hawaii group is working with a Boston University scientist whose name, coincidentally, is Bill Dolphin, Nachtigall said. turn in Risso's dolphins, so the scratch marks are prominent on their dark skin as they age. Lou was found stranded on a mud flat near Boston in August 1980 and taken to the New England Aquarium, he said.

Because of possible long-term health problems, Lou was transferred in January 1982 to Hawaii, arriving in style on then-President Ronald Reagan's backup plane. Lou was diseased when rescued and weighed only 500 pounds. Her 9-foot body now carries a healthy 746 pounds. Lou is unusual because she doesn't hear well, which is probably why she got trapped, Nachtigall said. But what she lacks in hearing, she makes up with good vision.

Her eyes at night are a lot brighter than a cat's eyes. "She has extremely high pressure in her eyes. If it was a person, it would be glaucoma," he said. "It is fascinating for us and very, very practical to be able to focus on her eyes and find out how old she is." If the method works, the scientists hope to use it to determine the age of stranded bigger whales. LOUISIANA Lou may not be a good candidate for an oceanarium with her eight teeth, battered-looking skin and strange V-ridged forehead.

But even though the Risso's dolphin isn't as sleek or toothsome as her Atlantic and Pacific bottle-nosed cousins (with 88 teeth), she is playful, bright and has the soulful eyes of a bassett hound. She's also a research treasure for scientists relocating to the University of Hawaii research center at Coconut Island, who have have submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation to study her eyes. "The lenses are really fascinating," said researcher Paul Nachtigall. The onionlike layers in the lens potentially could be used to tell an animal's age. Lou was the first Risso's dolphin in captivity and is one of two in the naval research program.

Although rarely seen by the public, Risso's dolphins are in all the world's oceans, including waters off Hawaii. Their battered appearance comes from playful scratching with their teeth, Nachtigall said. The pigment doesn't re The animals consume roughly 60,000 to 70,000 pounds of fish per year. The false killer whale's favorite foods are mackerel and herring. The animals' fish is probably inspected more than the fish people buy at the market.

Tasty tidbits: The eight marine mammals eat capelin, a saltwater smelt. While herring and smelt are favorites, Risso's dolphins especially like squid. POLICE which had a street value of $200,000, police said. Guereca-Almadovar was charged with promoting a dangerous drug, police said. Five police officers fired for disciplinary reasons Five Honolulu police officers were fired and eight others suspended without pay in disciplinary action taken by the Honolulu Police Department in August.

Police Department figures show that 33 of the 59 officers investigated for alleged violations of department rules were disciplined. California men arrested In 5-pound cocaine bust A California man was held on $50,000 bail today for allegedly carrying a bag containing nearly 5 pounds of cocaine at Honolulu Airport, police said. Celso Guereca Almadovar was arrested Wednesday after getting off a TWA lipht from Los Angeles, police said. lie was acting suspiciously and was stopped and questioned, police said. A search dog later indicated drugs were in his carry-on bag and a search turned up the illegal drug, The officers fired were cited for failing to follow directives and unprofessional conduct.

Two suspended officers were off duty for five days, and the others were suspended for one day. Eight other officers received written reprimands, one received an oral reprimand and 11 were counseled. Under police department policy, none of the officers was identified. Army identifies soldier killed in traffic accident The Army yesterday identified a 21-year-old man who died in a traffic accident Thursday as Pvt. Daniel R.

Belton of Prichard, Ala. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks Headquarters Battery, 7th Battalion, 8th Field Artillery. Police said the car Belton was riding in on Kunia Road crossed the center line and was broadsided by a pickup traveling in the opposite direction. The car's driver, Pfc. Kendrich Kimble, 20, of Springfield, is in satisfactory condition at Tripler Hospital.

Kimble suffered a fractured jaw and a collapsed lung. He is also assigned to the 7th Battalion. A Waipahu man and his wife were occupants of the pickup. He was treated and released from St. Francis West-Hospital.

His wife is in fair condition at the hospital. Haleiwa man killed in crash is named The medical examiner's office today identified one of two Haleiwa men who died in a car crash Tuesday near Wahiawa as Andrew James Grutgen, 25. He and another man were ejected from a pickup truck that crossed the center line and collided head-on with a car on Kaukona-hua Road near Wilikina Drive, police said. Police to sell mopeds, bicycles on Sept. 18 About 100 bicycles and mopeds held in police custody will be auctioned Sept.

18 at the parking lot at South Hotel and Kealamakai streets, behind the new police headquarters. The public can view the two-wheelers at 8 a.m.; the auction starts at 9 a.m. Items will be sold as is for cash, must be paid for in full and picked up immediately. All sales are final. From staff and wire reports A.