51
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Burnham RE. Fin Whale Call Presence and Type Used to Describe Temporal Distribution and Possible Area Use of Clayoquot Sound. NORTHWEST SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.3955/046.093.0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rianna E. Burnham
- Whale Research Lab, Department of Geography, University of Victoria, PO Box 3060 STN CSC, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 3P5, Canada
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52
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Leroy EC, Samaran F, Stafford KM, Bonnel J, Royer JY. Broad-scale study of the seasonal and geographic occurrence of blue and fin whales in the Southern Indian Ocean. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2018. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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53
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Balieiro F, Monticelli PF. Evidence of individual discrimination in the maned wolf long-distance extended-bark. Behav Processes 2018; 158:219-227. [PMID: 30528636 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The acoustic channel is an efficient long-distance signalling system that may be especially effective for animals moving in the dark in a vast home range. The maned wolf's extended-bark is a long-range vocalization that functions as a mechanism to increase spatial distance among conspecifics as well as to enable pair-mate reunion. Individual variations in this vocalization have been reported, but the possibility that they can be perceived and used by the species has never been tested. In our study, we used ABAB playback experiments to test if captive maned wolves could perceive individual variations. We ran 19 playback sessions with ten different subjects from six different zoos. After discarding nine sessions that did not fulfil minimal experimental conditions, in all except two of the ten valid trials, the subjects responded with displaying Oriented Attention. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that the maned wolf is capable of discriminating among extended-barks of different individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora Balieiro
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Science and Letter of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
| | - Patrícia Ferreira Monticelli
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Science and Letter of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
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54
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Nikolich K, Towers JR. Vocalizations of common minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in an eastern North Pacific feeding ground. BIOACOUSTICS 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2018.1555716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jared R. Towers
- Marine Education and Research Society, Port McNeill, BC, Canada
- Bay Cetology, Alert Bay, BC, Canada
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55
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Miksis-Olds JL, Nieukirk SL, Harris DV. Two unit analysis of Sri Lankan pygmy blue whale song over a decade. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 144:3618. [PMID: 30599686 DOI: 10.1121/1.5084269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Sri Lankan pygmy blue whale song consists of three repeated units: (1) low frequency pulsive unit, (2) frequency modulated (FM) upsweep, and (3) long tonal downsweep. The Unit 2 FM unit has up to three visible upsweeps with energy concentrated at approximately 40, 50, and 60 Hz, while the Unit 3 (∼100 Hz) tonal downsweep is the most distinct unit lasting 20-30 s. Spectral characteristics of the Units 2 and 3 song elements, along with ocean sound levels, were analyzed in the Indian Ocean from 2002 to 2013. The peak frequency of the tonal Unit 3 calls decreased from approximately 106.5 to 100.7 Hz over a decade corresponding to a 5.4% decrease. Over the same time period, the frequency content of the Unit 2 upsweeps did not change as dramatically with only a 3.1% change. Ambient sound levels in the vocalization bands did not exhibit equivalent patterns in amplitude trends. Analysis showed no increase in the ambient sound or compensated peak amplitude levels of the tonal downsweeps, eliminating the presence of a Lombard effect. Here it is proposed that each song unit may convey different information and thus may be responding to different selective pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Miksis-Olds
- School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, University of New Hampshire, 24 Colovos Road, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA
| | - Sharon L Nieukirk
- Oregon State University and NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Hatfield Marine Science Center, 2030 South East Marine Science Drive, Newport, Oregon 97365, USA
| | - Danielle V Harris
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9LZ, United Kingdom
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56
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Cholewiak D, Clark CW, Ponirakis D, Frankel A, Hatch LT, Risch D, Stanistreet JE, Thompson M, Vu E, Van Parijs SM. Communicating amidst the noise: modeling the aggregate influence of ambient and vessel noise on baleen whale communication space in a national marine sanctuary. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2018. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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57
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Varga LM, Wiggins SM, Hildebrand JA. Behavior of singing fin whales Balaenoptera physalus tracked acoustically offshore of Southern California. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2018. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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58
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Spatial and temporal trends in fin whale vocalizations recorded in the NE Pacific Ocean between 2003-2013. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186127. [PMID: 29073230 PMCID: PMC5657628 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to study the long-term stability of fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) singing behavior, the frequency and inter-pulse interval of fin whale 20 Hz vocalizations were observed over 10 years from 2003–2013 from bottom mounted hydrophones and seismometers in the northeast Pacific Ocean. The instrument locations extended from 40°N to 48°N and 130°W to 125°W with water depths ranging from 1500–4000 m. The inter-pulse interval (IPI) of fin whale song sequences was observed to increase at a rate of 0.54 seconds/year over the decade of observation. During the same time period, peak frequency decreased at a rate of 0.17 Hz/year. Two primary call patterns were observed. During the earlier years, the more commonly observed pattern had a single frequency and single IPI. In later years, a doublet pattern emerged, with two dominant frequencies and IPIs. Many call sequences in the intervening years appeared to represent a transitional state between the two patterns. The overall trend was consistent across the entire geographical span, although some regional differences exist. Understanding changes in acoustic behavior over long time periods is needed to help establish whether acoustic characteristics can be used to help determine population identity in a widely distributed, difficult to study species such as the fin whale.
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59
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Crance JL, Berchok CL, Keating JL. Gunshot call production by the North Pacific right whale Eubalaena japonica in the southeastern Bering Sea. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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60
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Fin whale song variability in southern California and the Gulf of California. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10126. [PMID: 28860617 PMCID: PMC5579205 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09979-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Songs are distinct, patterned sounds produced by a variety of animals including baleen whales. Fin whale songs, which consist of short pulses repeated at regular interpulse intervals (IPIs), have been suggested as a tool to distinguish populations. Fin whale songs were analyzed from data collected from 2000–2012 in Southern California and from 2004–2010 in the Gulf of California using autonomous acoustic recorders. IPIs were measured for each identifiable song sequence during two random days of each month with recordings. Four distinct song types were identified: long doublet, short doublet, long triplet, and short triplet. Long and short doublets were the dominant songs in Southern California, while long and short triplets were dominant in the Gulf of California. An abrupt change in song type occurred in both areas during the monitoring period. We argue that each song type is unique to a population and these changes represent a shift in the primary population in the monitoring area. Occasional temporal and spatial song overlap indicated some exchange or visitation among populations. Fin whales appear to synchronize and gradually modify song rhythm over long time scales. A better understanding of the evolutionary and ecological importance of songs to fin whale populations is needed.
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61
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Bittencourt L, Lima IMS, Andrade LG, Carvalho RR, Bisi TL, Lailson-Brito J, Azevedo AF. Underwater noise in an impacted environment can affect Guiana dolphin communication. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 114:1130-1134. [PMID: 27765406 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study focused on whistles produced by Guiana dolphin under different noise conditions in Guanabara Bay, southeastern Brazil. Recording sessions were performed with a fully calibrated recording system. Whistles and underwater noise levels registered during two behavioral states were compared separately between two areas. Noise levels differed between the two areas across all frequencies. Whistle duration differed between areas and was negatively correlated with noise levels. Whistling rate was positively correlated with noise levels, showing that whistling rate was higher in noisier conditions. Results demonstrated that underwater noise influenced Guiana dolphin acoustic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lis Bittencourt
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores Profª Izabel Gurgel (MAQUA) Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Isabela M S Lima
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores Profª Izabel Gurgel (MAQUA) Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luciana G Andrade
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores Profª Izabel Gurgel (MAQUA) Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael R Carvalho
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores Profª Izabel Gurgel (MAQUA) Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tatiana L Bisi
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores Profª Izabel Gurgel (MAQUA) Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - José Lailson-Brito
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores Profª Izabel Gurgel (MAQUA) Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alexandre F Azevedo
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores Profª Izabel Gurgel (MAQUA) Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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62
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Leroy EC, Samaran F, Bonnel J, Royer JY. Seasonal and Diel Vocalization Patterns of Antarctic Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia) in the Southern Indian Ocean: A Multi-Year and Multi-Site Study. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163587. [PMID: 27828976 PMCID: PMC5102468 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Passive acoustic monitoring is an efficient way to provide insights on the ecology of large whales. This approach allows for long-term and species-specific monitoring over large areas. In this study, we examined six years (2010 to 2015) of continuous acoustic recordings at up to seven different locations in the Central and Southern Indian Basin to assess the peak periods of presence, seasonality and migration movements of Antarctic blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia). An automated method is used to detect the Antarctic blue whale stereotyped call, known as Z-call. Detection results are analyzed in terms of distribution, seasonal presence and diel pattern of emission at each site. Z-calls are detected year-round at each site, except for one located in the equatorial Indian Ocean, and display highly seasonal distribution. This seasonality is stable across years for every site, but varies between sites. Z-calls are mainly detected during autumn and spring at the subantarctic locations, suggesting that these sites are on the Antarctic blue whale migration routes, and mostly during winter at the subtropical sites. In addition to these seasonal trends, there is a significant diel pattern in Z-call emission, with more Z-calls in daytime than in nighttime. This diel pattern may be related to the blue whale feeding ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle C. Leroy
- University of Brest and CNRS, Laboratoire Geosciences Brest, IUEM, 29280 Plouzané, France
- UMR CNRS 6285 Lab-STICC, ENSTA Bretagne, 29806 Brest, France
| | - Flore Samaran
- UMR CNRS 6285 Lab-STICC, ENSTA Bretagne, 29806 Brest, France
| | - Julien Bonnel
- UMR CNRS 6285 Lab-STICC, ENSTA Bretagne, 29806 Brest, France
| | - Jean-Yves Royer
- University of Brest and CNRS, Laboratoire Geosciences Brest, IUEM, 29280 Plouzané, France
- * E-mail:
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63
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Vocalization Source Level Distributions and Pulse Compression Gains of Diverse Baleen Whale Species in the Gulf of Maine. REMOTE SENSING 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/rs8110881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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64
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Notarbartolo di Sciara G, Castellote M, Druon JN, Panigada S. Fin Whales, Balaenoptera physalus: At Home in a Changing Mediterranean Sea? ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2016; 75:75-101. [PMID: 27770993 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - M Castellote
- National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center/NOAA, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - J-N Druon
- European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre, Directorate D-Sustainable Resources, Unit D.02 Water and Marine Resources, Ispra, Italy
| | - S Panigada
- Tethys Research Institute, Acquario Civico, Milano, Italy
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65
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Garrett JK, Blondel P, Godley BJ, Pikesley SK, Witt MJ, Johanning L. Long-term underwater sound measurements in the shipping noise indicator bands 63Hz and 125Hz from the port of Falmouth Bay, UK. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 110:438-448. [PMID: 27393210 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Chronic low-frequency anthropogenic sound, such as shipping noise, may be negatively affecting marine life. The EU's Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) includes a specific indicator focused on this noise. This indicator is the yearly average sound level in third-octave bands with centre frequencies at 63Hz and 125Hz. These levels are described for Falmouth Bay, UK, an active port at the entrance to the English Channel. Underwater sound was recorded for 30min h(-1) over the period June 2012 to November 2013 for a total of 435days. Mean third-octave levels were louder in the 125-Hz band (annual mean level of 96.0dB re 1μPa) than in the 63-Hz band (92.6dB re 1 μPa). These levels and variations are assessed as a function of seasons, shipping activity and wave height, providing comparison points for future monitoring activities, including the MSFD and emerging international regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J K Garrett
- College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - Ph Blondel
- Department of Physics, University of Bath, Claverton Down, BA2 7AY, UK.
| | - B J Godley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK; Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - S K Pikesley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - M J Witt
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - L Johanning
- College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK.
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66
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Vilela R, Pena U, Esteban R, Koemans R. Bayesian spatial modeling of cetacean sightings during a seismic acquisition survey. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 109:512-520. [PMID: 27210556 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A visual monitoring of marine mammals was carried out during a seismic acquisition survey performed in waters south of Portugal with the aim of assessing the likelihood of encountering Mysticeti species in this region as well as to determine the impact of the seismic activity upon encounter. Sightings and effort data were assembled with a range of environmental variables at different lags, and a Bayesian site-occupancy modeling approach was used to develop prediction maps and evaluate how species-specific habitat conditions evolved throughout the presence or not of seismic activity. No statistical evidence of a decrease in the sighting rates of Mysticeti by comparison to source activity was found. Indeed, it was found how Mysticeti distribution during the survey period was driven solely by environmental variables. Although further research is needed, possible explanations may include anthropogenic noise habituation and zone of seismic activity coincident with a naturally low density area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Vilela
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Africa program, Battery IV, seated CIMA, BP7847 Libreville, Gabon.
| | - Ursula Pena
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Africa program, Battery IV, seated CIMA, BP7847 Libreville, Gabon
| | - Ruth Esteban
- CIRCE (Conservation Information and Research on Cetaceans), C/Cabeza de Manzaneda 3, Pelayo-Algeciras, 11390 Cádiz, Spain
| | - Robin Koemans
- Repsol Exploracion, Méndez Álvaro, 44, 28045 Madrid, Spain
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67
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Thomisch K, Boebel O, Clark CW, Hagen W, Spiesecke S, Zitterbart DP, Van Opzeeland I. Spatio-temporal patterns in acoustic presence and distribution of Antarctic blue whales Balaenoptera musculus intermedia in the Weddell Sea. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2016. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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68
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Towards population-level conservation in the critically endangered Antarctic blue whale: the number and distribution of their populations. Sci Rep 2016; 6:22291. [PMID: 26951747 PMCID: PMC4782106 DOI: 10.1038/srep22291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Population-level conservation is required to prevent biodiversity loss within a species, but it first necessitates determining the number and distribution of populations. Many whale populations are still depleted due to 20th century whaling. Whales are one of the most logistically difficult and expensive animals to study because of their mobility, pelagic lifestyle and often remote habitat. We tackle the question of population structure in the Antarctic blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia) – a critically endangered subspecies and the largest extant animal – by capitalizing on the largest genetic dataset to date for Antarctic blue whales. We found evidence of three populations that are sympatric in the Antarctic feeding grounds and likely occupy separate breeding grounds. Our study adds to knowledge of population structure in the Antarctic blue whale. Future research should invest in locating the breeding grounds and migratory routes of Antarctic blue whales through satellite telemetry to confirm their population structure and allow population-level conservation.
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69
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Wang D, Garcia H, Huang W, Tran DD, Jain AD, Yi DH, Gong Z, Jech JM, Godø OR, Makris NC, Ratilal P. Vast assembly of vocal marine mammals from diverse species on fish spawning ground. Nature 2016; 531:366-70. [PMID: 26934221 DOI: 10.1038/nature16960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Observing marine mammal (MM) populations continuously in time and space over the immense ocean areas they inhabit is challenging but essential for gathering an unambiguous record of their distribution, as well as understanding their behaviour and interaction with prey species. Here we use passive ocean acoustic waveguide remote sensing (POAWRS) in an important North Atlantic feeding ground to instantaneously detect, localize and classify MM vocalizations from diverse species over an approximately 100,000 km(2) region. More than eight species of vocal MMs are found to spatially converge on fish spawning areas containing massive densely populated herring shoals at night-time and diffuse herring distributions during daytime. We find the vocal MMs divide the enormous fish prey field into species-specific foraging areas with varying degrees of spatial overlap, maintained for at least two weeks of the herring spawning period. The recorded vocalization rates are diel (24 h)-dependent for all MM species, with some significantly more vocal at night and others more vocal during the day. The four key baleen whale species of the region: fin, humpback, blue and minke have vocalization rate trends that are highly correlated to trends in fish shoaling density and to each other over the diel cycle. These results reveal the temporospatial dynamics of combined multi-species MM foraging activities in the vicinity of an extensive fish prey field that forms a massive ecological hotspot, and would be unattainable with conventional methodologies. Understanding MM behaviour and distributions is essential for management of marine ecosystems and for accessing anthropogenic impacts on these protected marine species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delin Wang
- Laboratory for Ocean Acoustics and Ecosystem Sensing, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Heriberto Garcia
- Laboratory for Ocean Acoustics and Ecosystem Sensing, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Wei Huang
- Laboratory for Ocean Acoustics and Ecosystem Sensing, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Duong D Tran
- Laboratory for Ocean Acoustics and Ecosystem Sensing, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Ankita D Jain
- Laboratory for Undersea Remote Sensing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Dong Hoon Yi
- Laboratory for Undersea Remote Sensing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Zheng Gong
- Laboratory for Ocean Acoustics and Ecosystem Sensing, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,Laboratory for Undersea Remote Sensing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - J Michael Jech
- Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
| | - Olav Rune Godø
- Institute of Marine Research, Post Office Box 1870, Nordnes, N-5817 Bergen, Norway
| | - Nicholas C Makris
- Laboratory for Undersea Remote Sensing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Purnima Ratilal
- Laboratory for Ocean Acoustics and Ecosystem Sensing, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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70
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Erbe C, Reichmuth C, Cunningham K, Lucke K, Dooling R. Communication masking in marine mammals: A review and research strategy. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 103:15-38. [PMID: 26707982 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 12/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Underwater noise, whether of natural or anthropogenic origin, has the ability to interfere with the way in which marine mammals receive acoustic signals (i.e., for communication, social interaction, foraging, navigation, etc.). This phenomenon, termed auditory masking, has been well studied in humans and terrestrial vertebrates (in particular birds), but less so in marine mammals. Anthropogenic underwater noise seems to be increasing in parts of the world's oceans and concerns about associated bioacoustic effects, including masking, are growing. In this article, we review our understanding of masking in marine mammals, summarise data on marine mammal hearing as they relate to masking (including audiograms, critical ratios, critical bandwidths, and auditory integration times), discuss masking release processes of receivers (including comodulation masking release and spatial release from masking) and anti-masking strategies of signalers (e.g. Lombard effect), and set a research framework for improved assessment of potential masking in marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Erbe
- Centre for Marine Science & Technology, Curtin University, PO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.
| | - Colleen Reichmuth
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.
| | - Kane Cunningham
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.
| | - Klaus Lucke
- Centre for Marine Science & Technology, Curtin University, PO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.
| | - Robert Dooling
- University of Maryland, 2123D Biology-Psychology Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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Sciacca V, Caruso F, Beranzoli L, Chierici F, De Domenico E, Embriaco D, Favali P, Giovanetti G, Larosa G, Marinaro G, Papale E, Pavan G, Pellegrino C, Pulvirenti S, Simeone F, Viola S, Riccobene G. Annual Acoustic Presence of Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) Offshore Eastern Sicily, Central Mediterranean Sea. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141838. [PMID: 26581104 PMCID: PMC4651369 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, an increasing number of surveys have definitively confirmed the seasonal presence of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in highly productive regions of the Mediterranean Sea. Despite this, very little is yet known about the routes that the species seasonally follows within the Mediterranean basin and, particularly, in the Ionian area. The present study assesses for the first time fin whale acoustic presence offshore Eastern Sicily (Ionian Sea), throughout the processing of about 10 months of continuous acoustic monitoring. The recording of fin whale vocalizations was made possible by the cabled deep-sea multidisciplinary observatory, "NEMO-SN1", deployed 25 km off the Catania harbor at a depth of about 2,100 meters. NEMO-SN1 is an operational node of the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water-column Observatory (EMSO) Research Infrastructure. The observatory was equipped with a low-frequency hydrophone (bandwidth: 0.05 Hz-1 kHz, sampling rate: 2 kHz) which continuously acquired data from July 2012 to May 2013. About 7,200 hours of acoustic data were analyzed by means of spectrogram display. Calls with the typical structure and patterns associated to the Mediterranean fin whale population were identified and monitored in the area for the first time. Furthermore, a background noise analysis within the fin whale communication frequency band (17.9-22.5 Hz) was conducted to investigate possible detection-masking effects. The study confirms the hypothesis that fin whales are present in the Ionian Sea throughout all seasons, with peaks in call detection rate during spring and summer months. The analysis also demonstrates that calls were more frequently detected in low background noise conditions. Further analysis will be performed to understand whether observed levels of noise limit the acoustic detection of the fin whales vocalizations, or whether the animals vocalize less in the presence of high background noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Sciacca
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche e Ambientali, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania, Italy
| | - Francesco Caruso
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche e Ambientali, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania, Italy
| | - Laura Beranzoli
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Roma, Italy
- EMSO Interim Office c/o Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Roma, Italy
| | - Francesco Chierici
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Istituto di Radioastronomia (INAF-IRA), Bologna, Italy
| | - Emilio De Domenico
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche e Ambientali, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Davide Embriaco
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Roma, Italy
| | - Paolo Favali
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Roma, Italy
- EMSO Interim Office c/o Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppina Larosa
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Elena Papale
- Bioacoustics Lab, IAMC Capo Granitola, National Research Council, Torretta Granitola (TP), Italy
| | - Gianni Pavan
- Centro Interdisciplinare di Bioacustica e Ricerche Ambientali (CIBRA), Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell’Ambiente, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Carmelo Pellegrino
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) - Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia Università di Bologna, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sara Pulvirenti
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Salvatore Viola
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania, Italy
| | - Giorgio Riccobene
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania, Italy
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72
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Širovic A, Rice A, Chou E, Hildebrand JA, Wiggins SM, Roch MA. Seven years of blue and fin whale call abundance in the Southern California Bight. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2015. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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73
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Synchronous seasonal change in fin whale song in the North Pacific. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115678. [PMID: 25521493 PMCID: PMC4270802 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) song consists of down-swept pulses arranged into stereotypic sequences that can be characterized according to the interval between successive pulses. As in blue (B. musculus) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), these song sequences may be geographically distinct and may correlate with population boundaries in some regions. We measured inter-pulse intervals of fin whale songs within year-round acoustic datasets collected between 2000 and 2006 in three regions of the eastern North Pacific: Southern California, the Bering Sea, and Hawaii. A distinctive song type that was recorded in all three regions is characterized by singlet and doublet inter-pulse intervals that increase seasonally, then annually reset to the same shorter intervals at the beginning of each season. This song type was recorded in the Bering Sea and off Southern California from September through May and off Hawaii from December through April, with the song interval generally synchronized across all monitoring locations. The broad geographic and seasonal occurrence of this particular fin whale song type may represent a single population broadly distributed throughout the eastern Pacific with no clear seasonal migratory pattern. Previous studies attempting to infer population structure of fin whales in the North Pacific using synchronous individual song samples have been unsuccessful, likely because they did not account for the seasonal lengthening in song intervals observed here.
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74
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Risch D, Castellote M, Clark CW, Davis GE, Dugan PJ, Hodge LEW, Kumar A, Lucke K, Mellinger DK, Nieukirk SL, Popescu CM, Ramp C, Read AJ, Rice AN, Silva MA, Siebert U, Stafford KM, Verdaat H, Van Parijs SM. Seasonal migrations of North Atlantic minke whales: novel insights from large-scale passive acoustic monitoring networks. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2014; 2:24. [PMID: 25709833 PMCID: PMC4337769 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-014-0024-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about migration patterns and seasonal distribution away from coastal summer feeding habitats of many pelagic baleen whales. Recently, large-scale passive acoustic monitoring networks have become available to explore migration patterns and identify critical habitats of these species. North Atlantic minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) perform seasonal migrations between high latitude summer feeding and low latitude winter breeding grounds. While the distribution and abundance of the species has been studied across their summer range, data on migration and winter habitat are virtually missing. Acoustic recordings, from 16 different sites from across the North Atlantic, were analyzed to examine the seasonal and geographic variation in minke whale pulse train occurrence, infer information about migration routes and timing, and to identify possible winter habitats. RESULTS Acoustic detections show that minke whales leave their winter grounds south of 30° N from March through early April. On their southward migration in autumn, minke whales leave waters north of 40° N from mid-October through early November. In the western North Atlantic spring migrants appear to track the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream along the continental shelf, while whales travel farther offshore in autumn. Abundant detections were found off the southeastern US and the Caribbean during winter. Minke whale pulse trains showed evidence of geographic variation, with longer pulse trains recorded south of 40° N. Very few pulse trains were recorded during summer in any of the datasets. CONCLUSION This study highlights the feasibility of using acoustic monitoring networks to explore migration patterns of pelagic marine mammals. Results confirm the presence of minke whales off the southeastern US and the Caribbean during winter months. The absence of pulse train detections during summer suggests either that minke whales switch their vocal behaviour at this time of year, are absent from available recording sites or that variation in signal structure influenced automated detection. Alternatively, if pulse trains are produced in a reproductive context by males, these data may indicate their absence from the selected recording sites. Evidence of geographic variation in pulse train duration suggests different behavioural functions or use of these calls at different latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Risch
- />Under Contract with Northeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Woods Hole, MA USA
- />Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, Argyll, Scotland UK
| | - Manuel Castellote
- />National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Christopher W Clark
- />Bioacoustics Research Program, Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA
| | - Genevieve E Davis
- />Under Contract with Northeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Woods Hole, MA USA
| | - Peter J Dugan
- />Bioacoustics Research Program, Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA
| | | | - Anurag Kumar
- />Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic, Norfolk, VA USA
| | - Klaus Lucke
- />IMARES Wageningen UR, Ecosystem Department, Den Burg, Texel Netherlands
- />Centre for Marine Science & Technology, Curtin University, Perth, WA Australia
| | - David K Mellinger
- />NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Newport, OR USA
- />Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies, Oregon State University, Newport, OR USA
| | | | - Cristian Marian Popescu
- />Bioacoustics Research Program, Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA
| | - Christian Ramp
- />Mingan Island Cetacean Study, Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, QC Canada
| | - Andrew J Read
- />Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC USA
| | - Aaron N Rice
- />Bioacoustics Research Program, Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA
| | - Monica A Silva
- />MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre and IMAR-Institute of Marine Research, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
- />Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA USA
| | - Ursula Siebert
- />Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Büsum Germany
| | | | - Hans Verdaat
- />IMARES Wageningen UR, Ecosystem Department, Den Burg, Texel Netherlands
| | - Sofie M Van Parijs
- />Northeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Woods Hole, MA USA
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75
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Kameyama S, Akamatsu T, Dede A, Öztürk AA, Arai N. Acoustic discrimination between harbor porpoises and delphinids by using a simple two-band comparison. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014; 136:922-929. [PMID: 25096126 DOI: 10.1121/1.4884763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
A simple discrimination method between Delphinidae and Phocoenidae based on the comparison of the intensity ratios of two band frequencies (130 and 70 kHz) is proposed. Biosonar signals were recorded at the Istanbul Strait (Bosphorus) in Turkey. Simultaneously, the presence of the species was confirmed by visual observation. Two types of thresholds of two-band intensity ratios, fixed and dynamic threshold, were tested for identification. The correct detection and false alarm rates for porpoises were 0.55 and 0.06 by using the fixed threshold and 0.74 and 0.08 by using the dynamic threshold, respectively. When the dynamic threshold was employed, the appropriate threshold changed depending on the mix ratio of recorded sounds from both Delphinidae and Phocoenidae. Even under biased mix ratios from 26% to 82%, the dynamic threshold worked with >0.80 correct detection and <0.20 false alarm rates, whereas the fixed threshold did not. The proposed method is simple but quantitative, which can be applicable for any broadband recording system, including a single hydrophone with two frequency band detectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saho Kameyama
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tomonari Akamatsu
- National Research Institute of Fisheries Engineering, Hasaki, Kamisu, Ibaraki 314-0408, Japan
| | - Ayhan Dede
- Faculty of Fisheries, Istanbul University, Ordu Cad, No. 200, Laleli, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ayaka Amaha Öztürk
- Faculty of Fisheries, Istanbul University, Ordu Cad, No. 200, Laleli, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nobuaki Arai
- Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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76
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Castellote M, Clark CW, Lammers MO. Dispersal of North Atlantic fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) into the Mediterranean Sea and exchange between populations: response to Giménez et al., Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2013, 27, 1801-1806. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2014; 28:665-667. [PMID: 24519830 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.6819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2013] [Revised: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/24/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Castellote
- UCM Group for the Study of Animal and Human Behaviour (Gecah), Departamento de Psicobiología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223, Madrid, Spain; National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center/NOAA, 7600 Sand PointWay N.E. F/AKC3, Seattle, WA, 98115-6349, USA
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77
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Wilcock WSD, Stafford KM, Andrew RK, Odom RI. Sounds in the ocean at 1-100 Hz. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2014; 6:117-40. [PMID: 23876176 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-121211-172423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Very-low-frequency sounds between 1 and 100 Hz propagate large distances in the ocean sound channel. Weather conditions, earthquakes, marine mammals, and anthropogenic activities influence sound levels in this band. Weather-related sounds result from interactions between waves, bubbles entrained by breaking waves, and the deformation of sea ice. Earthquakes generate sound in geologically active regions, and earthquake T waves propagate throughout the oceans. Blue and fin whales generate long bouts of sounds near 20 Hz that can dominate regional ambient noise levels seasonally. Anthropogenic sound sources include ship propellers, energy extraction, and seismic air guns and have been growing steadily. The increasing availability of long-term records of ocean sound will provide new opportunities for a deeper understanding of natural and anthropogenic sound sources and potential interactions between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- William S D Wilcock
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195;
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78
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Palacios DM, Baumgartner MF, Laidre KL, Gregr EJ. Beyond correlation: integrating environmentally and behaviourally mediated processes in models of marine mammal distributions. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2013. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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79
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Harris D, Matias L, Thomas L, Harwood J, Geissler WH. Applying distance sampling to fin whale calls recorded by single seismic instruments in the northeast Atlantic. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2013; 134:3522-3535. [PMID: 24180763 DOI: 10.1121/1.4821207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Automated methods were developed to detect fin whale calls recorded by an array of ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs) deployed off the Portuguese coast between 2007 and 2008. Using recordings collected on a single day in January 2008, a standard seismological method for estimating earthquake location from single instruments, the three-component analysis, was used to estimate the relative azimuth, incidence angle, and horizontal range between each OBS and detected calls. A validation study using airgun shots, performed prior to the call analysis, indicated that the accuracy of the three-component analysis was satisfactory for this preliminary study. Point transect sampling using cue counts, a form of distance sampling, was then used to estimate the average probability of detecting a call via the array during the chosen day. This is a key step to estimating density or abundance of animals using passive acoustic data. The average probability of detection was estimated to be 0.313 (standard error: 0.033). However, fin whale density could not be estimated due to a lack of an appropriate estimate of cue (i.e., vocalization) rate. This study demonstrates the potential for using a sparse array of widely spaced, independently operating acoustic sensors, such as OBSs, for estimating cetacean density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Harris
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 9LZ, United Kingdom
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80
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Single neuron and population coding of natural sounds in auditory cortex. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2013; 24:103-10. [PMID: 24492086 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2013.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Revised: 08/29/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The auditory system drives behavior using information extracted from sounds. Early in the auditory hierarchy, circuits are highly specialized for detecting basic sound features. However, already at the level of the auditory cortex the functional organization of the circuits and the underlying coding principles become different. Here, we review some recent progress in our understanding of single neuron and population coding in primary auditory cortex, focusing on natural sounds. We discuss possible mechanisms explaining why single neuron responses to simple sounds cannot predict responses to natural stimuli. We describe recent work suggesting that structural features like local subnetworks rather than smoothly mapped tonotopy are essential components of population coding. Finally, we suggest a synthesis of how single neurons and subnetworks may be involved in coding natural sounds.
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81
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Passive acoustic tracking of singing humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) on a northwest Atlantic feeding ground. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61263. [PMID: 23593447 PMCID: PMC3622601 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Passive acoustic tracking provides an unobtrusive method of studying the movement of sound-producing animals in the marine environment where traditional tracking methods may be costly or infeasible. We used passive acoustic tracking to characterize the fine-scale movements of singing humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) on a northwest Atlantic feeding ground. Male humpback whales produce complex songs, a phenomenon that is well documented in tropical regions during the winter breeding season, but also occurs at higher latitudes during other times of year. Acoustic recordings were made throughout 2009 using an array of autonomous recording units deployed in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Song was recorded during spring and fall, and individual singing whales were localized and tracked throughout the array using a correlation sum estimation method on the time-synchronized recordings. Tracks were constructed for forty-three song sessions, revealing a high level of variation in movement patterns in both the spring and fall seasons, ranging from slow meandering to faster directional movement. Tracks were 30 min to 8 h in duration, and singers traveled distances ranging from 0.9 to 20.1 km. Mean swimming speed was 2.06 km/h (SD 0.95). Patterns and rates of movement indicated that most singers were actively swimming. In one case, two singers were tracked simultaneously, revealing a potential acoustic interaction. Our results provide a first description of the movements of singers on a northwest Atlantic feeding ground, and demonstrate the utility of passive acoustic tracking for studying the fine-scale movements of cetaceans within the behavioral context of their calls. These methods have further applications for conservation and management purposes, particularly by enhancing our ability to estimate cetacean densities using passive acoustic monitoring.
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82
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Soule DC, Wilcock WSD. Fin whale tracks recorded by a seismic network on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, Northeast Pacific Ocean. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2013; 133:1751-1761. [PMID: 23464044 DOI: 10.1121/1.4774275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Fin whale calls recorded from 2003 to 2004 by a seafloor seismic network on the Endeavour segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge were analyzed to determine tracks and calling patterns. Over 150 tracks were obtained with a total duration of ~800 h and swimming speeds from 1 to 12 km/h. The dominant inter-pulse interval (IPI) is 24 s and the IPI patterns define 4 categories: a 25 s single IPI and 24/30 s dual IPI produced by single calling whales, a 24/13 s dual IPI interpreted as two calling whales, and an irregular IPI interpreted as groups of calling whales. There are also tracks in which the IPI switches between categories. Call rates vary seasonally with all the tracks between August and April. From August to October tracks are dominated by the irregular IPI and are predominantly headed to the northwest, suggesting that a portion of the fin whale population does not migrate south in the fall. The other IPI categories occur primarily from November to March. These tracks have slower swimming speeds, tend to meander, and are predominantly to the south. The distribution of fin whales around the network is non-random with more calls near the network and to the east and north.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dax C Soule
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, P.O. Box 357940, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
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83
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Weirathmueller MJ, Wilcock WSD, Soule DC. Source levels of fin whale 20 Hz pulses measured in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2013; 133:741-9. [PMID: 23363093 DOI: 10.1121/1.4773277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Source levels of fin whale calls can be used to determine range to recorded vocalizations and to model maximum communication range between animals. In this study, source levels of fin whale calls were estimated using data collected on a network of eight ocean bottom seismometers in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. The acoustic pressure levels measured at the instruments were adjusted for the propagation path between the calling whales and the instruments using the call location and estimating losses along the acoustic travel path. A total of 1241 calls were used to estimate an average source level of 189 ± 5.8 dB re 1μPa at 1 m. This variability is largely attributed to uncertainties in the horizontal and vertical position of the fin whale at the time of each call and the effect of these uncertainties on subsequent calculations. Variability may also arise from station to station differences within the network. For call sequences produced by a single vocalizing whale, no consistent increase or decrease in source level was observed over the duration of a dive. Calls within these sequences that immediately followed gaps of 27 s or longer were classified as backbeat calls and were consistently lower in both frequency and amplitude.
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84
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Širović A, Williams LN, Kerosky SM, Wiggins SM, Hildebrand JA. Temporal separation of two fin whale call types across the eastern North Pacific. MARINE BIOLOGY 2013; 160:47-57. [PMID: 24391281 PMCID: PMC3873066 DOI: 10.1007/s00227-012-2061-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2012] [Accepted: 08/27/2012] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) produce a variety of low-frequency, short-duration, frequency-modulated calls. The differences in temporal patterns between two fin whale call types are described from long-term passive acoustic data collected intermittently between 2005 and 2011 at three locations across the eastern North Pacific: the Bering Sea, off Southern California, and in Canal de Ballenas in the northern Gulf of California. Fin whale calls were detected at all sites year-round, during all periods with recordings. At all three locations, 40-Hz calls peaked in June, preceding a peak in 20-Hz calls by 3-5 months. Monitoring both call types may provide a more accurate insight into the seasonal presence of fin whales across the eastern North Pacific than can be obtained from a single call type. The 40-Hz call may be associated with a foraging function, and temporal separation between 40- and 20-Hz calls may indicate the separation between predominately feeding behavior and other social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Širović
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0205 USA
| | - Lauren N. Williams
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0205 USA
| | - Sara M. Kerosky
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0205 USA
| | - Sean M. Wiggins
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0205 USA
| | - John A. Hildebrand
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0205 USA
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85
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Tervo OM, Christoffersen MF, Simon M, Miller LA, Jensen FH, Parks SE, Madsen PT. High source levels and small active space of high-pitched song in bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus). PLoS One 2012; 7:e52072. [PMID: 23300591 PMCID: PMC3530606 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2012] [Accepted: 11/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The low-frequency, powerful vocalizations of blue and fin whales may potentially be detected by conspecifics across entire ocean basins. In contrast, humpback and bowhead whales produce equally powerful, but more complex broadband vocalizations composed of higher frequencies that suffer from higher attenuation. Here we evaluate the active space of high frequency song notes of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in Western Greenland using measurements of song source levels and ambient noise. Four independent, GPS-synchronized hydrophones were deployed through holes in the ice to localize vocalizing bowhead whales, estimate source levels and measure ambient noise. The song had a mean apparent source level of 185±2 dB rms re 1 µPa @ 1 m and a high mean centroid frequency of 444±48 Hz. Using measured ambient noise levels in the area and Arctic sound spreading models, the estimated active space of these song notes is between 40 and 130 km, an order of magnitude smaller than the estimated active space of low frequency blue and fin whale songs produced at similar source levels and for similar noise conditions. We propose that bowhead whales spatially compensate for their smaller communication range through mating aggregations that co-evolved with broadband song to form a complex and dynamic acoustically mediated sexual display.
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Affiliation(s)
- Outi M Tervo
- Arctic Station, University of Copenhagen, Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland.
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86
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Charlton BD, Ellis WA, Brumm J, Nilsson K, Fitch WT. Female koalas prefer bellows in which lower formants indicate larger males. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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87
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Morano JL, Salisbury DP, Rice AN, Conklin KL, Falk KL, Clark CW. Seasonal and geographical patterns of fin whale song in the western North Atlantic Ocean. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2012; 132:1207-1212. [PMID: 22894239 DOI: 10.1121/1.4730890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Male fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus, produce a song consisting of 20 Hz notes at regularly spaced time intervals. Previous studies identified regional differences in fin whale internote intervals (INI), but seasonal changes within populations have not been closely examined. To understand the patterns of fin whale song in the western North Atlantic, the seasonal abundance and acoustic features of fin whale song are measured from two years of archival passive acoustic recordings at two representative locations: Massachusetts Bay and New York Bight. Fin whale 20 Hz notes are detected on 99% of recorded days. In both regions, INI varies significantly throughout the year as two distinct periods: a "short-INI" season in September-January (9.6 s) and a "long-INI" season in March-May (15.1 s). February and June-August are transitional-INI months, with higher variability. Note abundance decreases with increasing INI, where note abundance is significantly lower in April-August than in September-January. Short-INI and high note abundance correspond to the fin whale reproductive season. The temporal variability of INI may be a mechanism by which fin whale individuals encode and communicate a variety of behaviorally relevant information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle L Morano
- Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA.
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88
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Sarasa M, Soriguer RC, Granados J‐E, Casajus N, Pérez JM. Mismeasure of secondary sexual traits: an example with horn growth in the
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berian ibex. J Zool (1987) 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2012.00937.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Sarasa
- Grupo Biología de las Especies Cinegéticas y Plagas Sevilla Spain
| | - R. C. Soriguer
- Grupo Biología de las Especies Cinegéticas y Plagas Sevilla Spain
- Estación Biológica de Doñana Sevilla Spain
| | - J. ‐E. Granados
- Grupo Biología de las Especies Cinegéticas y Plagas Sevilla Spain
- Espacio Natural Sierra Nevada, Pinos Genil Granada Spain
| | - N. Casajus
- Chaire de Recherche du Canada en Conservation des Écosystèmes Nordiques et Centre d'Études Nordiques Université du Québec à Rimouski Rimouski QC Canada
| | - J. M. Pérez
- Grupo Biología de las Especies Cinegéticas y Plagas Sevilla Spain
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología Universidad de Jaén Jaén Spain
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89
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Nieukirk SL, Mellinger DK, Moore SE, Klinck K, Dziak RP, Goslin J. Sounds from airguns and fin whales recorded in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, 1999-2009. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2012; 131:1102-12. [PMID: 22352485 DOI: 10.1121/1.3672648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Between 1999 and 2009, autonomous hydrophones were deployed to monitor seismic activity from 16° N to 50° N along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. These data were examined for airgun sounds produced during offshore surveys for oil and gas deposits, as well as the 20 Hz pulse sounds from fin whales, which may be masked by airgun noise. An automatic detection algorithm was used to identify airgun sound patterns, and fin whale calling levels were summarized via long-term spectral analysis. Both airgun and fin whale sounds were recorded at all sites. Fin whale calling rates were higher at sites north of 32° N, increased during the late summer and fall months at all sites, and peaked during the winter months, a time when airgun noise was often prevalent. Seismic survey vessels were acoustically located off the coasts of three major areas: Newfoundland, northeast Brazil, and Senegal and Mauritania in West Africa. In some cases, airgun sounds were recorded almost 4000 km from the survey vessel in areas that are likely occupied by fin whales, and at some locations airgun sounds were recorded more than 80% days/month for more than 12 consecutive months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon L Nieukirk
- Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies, Oregon State University and NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, Oregon 97365, USA.
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90
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Parks SE, Searby A, Célérier A, Johnson MP, Nowacek DP, Tyack PL. Sound production behavior of individual North Atlantic right whales: implications for passive acoustic monitoring. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2011. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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91
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Oswald JN, Au WWL, Duennebier F. Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) boings detected at the Station ALOHA Cabled Observatory. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2011; 129:3353-3360. [PMID: 21568435 DOI: 10.1121/1.3575555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in the tropical North Pacific are elusive and difficult to detect visually. The recent association of a unique sound called the "boing" to North Pacific minke whales has made it possible to use passive acoustics to investigate the occurrence of this species in Hawaiian waters. One year of recordings (17 February 2007-18 February 2008) made at the Station ALOHA Cabled Observatory were examined to investigate the characteristics of boings and temporal patterns in their occurrence at this site, located 100 km north of Oahu. Characteristics of boings exhibited low variability. Pulse repetition rate and duration measurements matched those for "central" or "Hawaii" boing types. Boings were detected from October until May, with a peak in March. Although no boings were detected from June to September, the absence of boings does not necessarily indicate the absence of minke whales. Significant diel variation in boing rate was not observed. The absence of a diel pattern in boing production suggests that day- or night-time acoustic surveys are equally acceptable methods for studying minke whale occurrence. Future research should include efforts to determine what other sounds are produced by minke whales in this area, and which age/sex classes produce boings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie N Oswald
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, PO Box 1106, Kailua 96374, Hawaii, USA.
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92
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Dudzinski KM, Brown SJ, Lammers M, Lucke K, Mann DA, Simard P, Wall CC, Rasmussen MH, Magnúsdóttir EE, Tougaard J, Eriksen N. Trouble-shooting deployment and recovery options for various stationary passive acoustic monitoring devices in both shallow- and deep-water applications. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2011; 129:436-448. [PMID: 21303023 DOI: 10.1121/1.3519397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Deployment of any type of measuring device into the ocean, whether to shallow or deeper depths, is accompanied by the hope that this equipment and associated data will be recovered. The ocean is harsh on gear. Salt water corrodes. Currents, tides, surge, storms, and winds collaborate to increase the severity of the conditions that monitoring devices will endure. All ocean-related research has encountered the situations described in this paper. In collating the details of various deployment and recovery scenarios related to stationary passive acoustic monitoring use in the ocean, it is the intent of this paper to share trouble-shooting successes and failures to guide future work with this gear to monitor marine mammal, fish, and ambient (biologic and anthropogenic) sounds in the ocean-in both coastal and open waters.
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93
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Wrege PH, Rowland ED, Thompson BG, Batruch N. Use of acoustic tools to reveal otherwise cryptic responses of forest elephants to oil exploration. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2010; 24:1578-1585. [PMID: 20666800 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01559.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Most evaluations of the effects of human activities on wild animals have focused on estimating changes in abundance and distribution of threatened species; however, ecosystem disturbances also affect aspects of animal behavior such as short-term movement, activity budgets, and reproduction. It may take a long time for changes in behavior to manifest as changes in abundance or distribution. Therefore, it is important to have methods with which to detect short-term behavioral responses to human activity. We used continuous acoustic and seismic monitoring to evaluate the short-term effects of seismic prospecting for oil on forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) in Gabon, Central Africa. We monitored changes in elephant abundance and activity as a function of the frequency and intensity of acoustic and seismic signals from dynamite detonation and human activity. Elephants did not flee the area being explored; the relative number of elephants increased in a seasonal pattern typical of elsewhere in the ecosystem. In the exploration area, however, they became more nocturnal. Neither the intensity nor the frequency of dynamite blasts affected the frequency of calling or the daily pattern of elephant activity. Nevertheless, the shift of activity to nocturnal hours became more pronounced as human activity neared each monitored area of forest. This change in activity pattern and its likely causes would not have been detected through standard monitoring methods, which are not sensitive to behavioral changes over short time scales (e.g., dung transects, point counts) or cover a limited area (e.g., camera traps). Simultaneous acoustic monitoring of animal communication, human, and environmental sounds allows the documentation of short-term behavioral changes in response to human disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter H Wrege
- The Elephant Listening Project, Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850-1923, USA.
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94
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Simon M, Stafford KM, Beedholm K, Lee CM, Madsen PT. Singing behavior of fin whales in the Davis Strait with implications for mating, migration and foraging. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2010; 128:3200-10. [PMID: 21110615 DOI: 10.1121/1.3495946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Most baleen whales undertake migrations between low-latitude breeding grounds and high-latitude feeding grounds. Though little is known about the timing of their migration from the Arctic, fin whales are assumed to undertake a similar migratory pattern. To address questions about habitat use and migrations, the acoustic activity of fin whales in Davis Strait, between Greenland and Canada, was monitored continuously for two years using three bottom-moored acoustic recorders. The acoustic power in the fin whale call frequencies peaked in November-December, showing that fin whales are present in Davis Strait much later in the year than previously expected. The closely timed peaks in song activity and conception time imply that not all fin whales migrate south to mate, but rather start mating at high latitudes rather than or before migrating. Singing activity was strongly linked to daylight hours, suggesting that fin whales might feed during the few daylight hours of the late fall and early Arctic winter. A negative correlation between the advancing sea ice front and power in fin whale frequencies indicates that future changes in sea ice conditions from global warming might change the distribution and migratory patterns of fin whales near the poles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malene Simon
- Department of Birds and Mammals, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, PO boks 570, Kivioq 2, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
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95
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Hoffman MD, Garfield N, Bland RW. Frequency synchronization of blue whale calls near Pioneer Seamount. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2010; 128:490-494. [PMID: 20649243 DOI: 10.1121/1.3446099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Vocalizations of blue whales were recorded with a cabled hydrophone array at Pioneer Seamount, 50 miles off the California coast. Most calls occurred in repeated sequences of two-call pairs (A, then B). The B call is a frequency-modulated tone highly repeatable in form and pitch. A model of this sound is described which permits detecting very small frequency shifts. B calls are found to be aligned in frequency to about one part in 180. This requires very fine pitch discrimination and control over calling frequency, and suggests that synchronizing to a common frequency pattern carries some adaptive advantage. Some possibilities for acoustic sensing by whales requiring this fine frequency resolution are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Hoffman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California 94132, USA
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96
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Delarue J, Laurinolli M, Martin B. Bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) songs in the Chukchi Sea between October 2007 and May 2008. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2009; 126:3319-3328. [PMID: 20000946 DOI: 10.1121/1.3257201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
This paper reports on the acoustic detection of bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) songs from the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort stock, including the first recordings of songs in the fall and early winter. Bowhead whale songs were detected almost continuously in the Chukchi Sea between October 30, 2007 and January 1, 2008 and twice from April 16 to May 5, 2008 during a long-term deployment of five acoustic recorders moored off Point Lay and Wainwright, AK, between October 21, 2007 and August 3, 2008. Two complex and four simple songs were detected. The complex songs consisted of highly stereotyped sequences of four units. The simple songs were primarily made of sequences of two to three moan types whose repetition patterns were constant over short periods but more variable over time. Multiple song types were recorded simultaneously and there is evidence of synchronized song variation over time. The implications of the spatiotemporal distribution of song detection with respect to the migratory and mating behavior of western Arctic bowheads are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Delarue
- JASCO Applied Sciences, Suite 432, 1496 Lower Water Street, Halifax B3J 1R9, Canada.
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97
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Tervo OM, Parks SE, Miller LA. Seasonal changes in the vocal behavior of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in Disko Bay, Western-Greenland. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2009; 126:1570. [PMID: 19739770 DOI: 10.1121/1.3158941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Singing behavior has been described from bowhead whales in the Bering Sea during their annual spring migration and from Davis Strait during their spring feeding season. It has been suggested that this spring singing behavior is a remnant of the singing during the winter breeding season, though no winter recordings are available. In this study, the authors describe recordings made during the winter and spring months of bowhead whales in Disko Bay, Western-Greenland. A total of 7091 bowhead whale sounds were analyzed to describe the vocal repertoire, the singing behavior, and the changes in vocal behavior from February to May. The vocal signals could be divided into simple (frequency-modulated) calls (n=483), complex (amplitude-modulated) calls (n=635), and song notes (n=5973). Recordings from the end of February to middle of March were characterized by higher call rates with a greater diversity of call types than recordings made later in the season. This study is the first description of bowhead song from the stock in Western-Greenland during both the winter and spring months, and provides support for the hypothesis that song during the winter months contains more song notes than song from the spring making the winter song more variable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Outi M Tervo
- Arctic Station, University of Copenhagen, Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland.
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98
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MIZROCH SALLYA, RICE DALEW, ZWIEFELHOFER DENNY, WAITE JANICE, PERRYMAN WAYNEL. Distribution and movements of fin whales in the North Pacific Ocean. Mamm Rev 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2907.2009.00147.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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99
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Delarue J, Todd SK, Van Parijs SM, Di Iorio L. Geographic variation in Northwest Atlantic fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) song: implications for stock structure assessment. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2009; 125:1774-82. [PMID: 19275334 DOI: 10.1121/1.3068454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Passive acoustic data are increasingly being used as a tool for helping to define marine mammal populations and stocks. Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) songs present a unique opportunity to determine interstock differences. Their highly stereotyped interpulse interval has been shown to vary between geographic areas and to remain stable over time in some areas. In this study the structure of songs recorded at two geographically close feeding aggregations in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL) and Gulf of Maine (GoM) was compared. Recordings were made from September 2005 through February 2006 in the GSL and intermittently between January 2006 and September 2007 at two locations in the GoM. 6257 pulse intervals corresponding to 19 GSL and 29 GoM songs were measured to characterize songs from both areas. Classification trees showed that GSL songs differ significantly from those in the GoM. The results are consistent with those derived from other stock structure assessment methodologies, such as chemical signature and photoidentification analysis, suggesting that fin whales in these areas may form separate management stocks. Song structure analysis could therefore provide a useful and cost-efficient tool for defining conservation units over temporal and geographical scales relevant to management objectives in fin whales.
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100
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McDonald MA, Hildebrand JA, Wiggins SM, Ross D. A 50 year comparison of ambient ocean noise near San Clemente Island: a bathymetrically complex coastal region off Southern California. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2008; 124:1985-1992. [PMID: 19062838 DOI: 10.1121/1.2967889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Repeated ocean ambient noise measurements at a shallow water (110 m) site near San Clemente Island reveal little increase in noise levels in the absence of local ships. Navy reports document ambient noise levels at this site in 1958-1959 and 1963-1964 and a seafloor recorder documents noise during 2005-2006. When noise from local ships was excluded from the 2005-2006 recordings, median sound levels were essentially the same as were observed in 1958 and 1963. Local ship noise, however, was present in 31% of the recordings in 1963 but was present in 89% of the recordings in 2005-2006. Median levels including local ships are 6-9 dB higher than median levels chosen from times when local ship noise was absent. Biological sounds and the sound of wind driven waves controlled ambient noise levels in the absence of local ships. The median noise levels at this site are low for an open water site due to the poor acoustic propagation and low average wind speeds. The quiet nature of this site in the absence of local ships allows correlation of wind speed to wave noise across the 10-220 Hz spectral band of this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A McDonald
- WhaleAcoustics, 11430 Rist Canyon Road, Bellvue, Colorado 80512, USA
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