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Pu W, Liu S, Qing X, Qiao G, Mazhar S, Ma T. Automated extraction of baleen whale calls based on the pseudo-Wigner-Ville distribution. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 153:1564. [PMID: 37002084 DOI: 10.1121/10.0017457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Baleen whales produce a wide variety of frequency-modulated calls. Extraction of the time-frequency (TF) structures of these calls forms the basis for many applications, including abundance estimation and species recognition. Typical methods to extract the contours of whale calls from a spectrogram are based on the short-time Fourier transform and are, thus, restricted by a fixed TF resolution. Considering the low-frequency nature of baleen whale calls, this work represents the contours using a pseudo-Wigner-Ville distribution for a higher TF resolution at the cost of introducing cross terms. An adaptive threshold is proposed followed by a modified Gaussian mixture probability hypothesis density filter to extract the contours. Finally, the artificial contours, which are caused by the cross terms, can be removed in post-processing. Simulations were conducted to explore how the signal-to-noise ratio influences the performance of the proposed method. Then, in experiments based on real data, the contours of the calls of three kinds of baleen whales were extracted in a highly accurate manner (with mean deviations of 5.4 and 0.051 Hz from the ground-truth contours at sampling rates of 4000 and 100 Hz, respectively) with a recall of 75% and a precision of 78.5%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangyi Pu
- Acoustic Science and Technology Laboratory, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Songzuo Liu
- Acoustic Science and Technology Laboratory, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Xin Qing
- Acoustic Science and Technology Laboratory, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Gang Qiao
- Acoustic Science and Technology Laboratory, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Suleman Mazhar
- Acoustic Science and Technology Laboratory, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Tianlong Ma
- Acoustic Science and Technology Laboratory, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
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2
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Amorim TOS, Castro FRD, Ferreira GA, Neri FM, Duque BR, Mura JP, Andriolo A. Acoustic identification and classification of four dolphin species in the Brazilian marine area affected by the largest tailings dam failure disaster. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 152:3204. [PMID: 36586872 DOI: 10.1121/10.0016358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is an increasingly used technique to access the occurrence, distribution, and abundance of cetaceans that may be visually unavailable most of the time. The largest tailings dam failure disaster occurred on 5 November 2015, when the Fundão dam collapsed, releasing over 50 million cubic meters of tailings into the Doce River basin; 14 days later, the tailings plume reached the Atlantic Ocean. PAM was implemented in the concerned area and cetacean species were acoustically identified. Whistles and clicks of visual and acoustic matches were used to predict and classify exclusive acoustic records through random forest models. The identified species were Guiana, rough-toothed, and bottlenose dolphins. Additionally, the franciscana, the most threatened cetacean in the western South Atlantic Ocean, was also acoustically identified. The whistle classifier had 86.9% accuracy with final frequency, duration, and maximum frequency ranked as the most important parameters. The clicks classifier had 86.7% accuracy with peak frequency and 3 dB bandwidth as the most important parameters for classifying species. Considering the potential effect of the increase in turbidity on sound transmission, such as attenuation, the presented classifier should be continuously improved with novel data collected from long-term acoustic monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago O S Amorim
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Bioacústica, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, s/n - São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, 36036-900, MG, Brazil
| | - Franciele R de Castro
- Instituto Aqualie, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, salas 110, 112, 114, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, 36036-330, MG, Brazil
| | - Giovanne A Ferreira
- Instituto Aqualie, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, salas 110, 112, 114, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, 36036-330, MG, Brazil
| | - Fernanda M Neri
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Bioacústica, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, s/n - São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, 36036-900, MG, Brazil
| | - Bruna R Duque
- Instituto Aqualie, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, salas 110, 112, 114, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, 36036-330, MG, Brazil
| | - João P Mura
- Instituto Aqualie, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, salas 110, 112, 114, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, 36036-330, MG, Brazil
| | - Artur Andriolo
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Bioacústica, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, s/n - São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, 36036-900, MG, Brazil
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3
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Sun Z, Jiang J, Li Y, Li C, Li Z, Fu X, Duan F. An automated piecewise synthesis method for cetacean tonal sounds based on time-frequency spectrogram. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 151:3758. [PMID: 35778203 DOI: 10.1121/10.0011551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bionic signal waveform design plays an important role in biological research, as well as bionic underwater acoustic detection and communication. Most conventional methods cannot construct high-similarity bionic waveforms to match complex cetacean sounds or easily modify the time-frequency structure of the synthesized bionic signals. In our previous work, we proposed a synthesis and modification method for cetacean tonal sounds, but it requires a lot of manpower to construct each bionic signal segment to match the tonal sound contour. To solve these problems, an automated piecewise synthesis method is proposed. First, based on the time-frequency spectrogram of each tonal sound, the fundamental contour and each harmonic contour of the tonal sound is automatically recognized and extracted. Then, based on the extracted contours, four sub power frequency modulation bionic signal models are combined to match cetacean sound contours. Finally, combining the envelopes of the fundamental frequency and each harmonic, the synthesized bionic signal is obtained. Experimental results show that the Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) between all true cetacean sounds and their corresponding bionic signals are higher than 0.95, demonstrating that the proposed method can automatically imitate all kinds of simple and complex cetacean tonal sounds with high similarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongbo Sun
- State Key Lab of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Jiajia Jiang
- State Key Lab of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Yao Li
- Systems Engineering Research Institute, China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), Beijing, 100036, China
| | - Chunyue Li
- State Key Lab of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Zhuochen Li
- State Key Lab of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xiao Fu
- State Key Lab of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Fajie Duan
- State Key Lab of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
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4
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Acoustic Presence of Dolphins through Whistles Detection in Mediterranean Shallow Waters. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse9010078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The evaluation of acoustic temporal rhythms in wide-ranging cetaceans can reveal patterns in animal spatial presence and the occurrence of periodical phenomena. Here, we aimed at assessing the temporal patterns of dolphin’s acoustic presence in a shallow-water area in the Sicily Strait (Mediterranean Sea). Whistles were collected continuously for 14 months from an acoustic monitoring station installed aboard of an elastic seamark. Over a total of 6955 h of recording, 14,048 signals were identified using both automatic and visual methods. Three parameters were analyzed: hourly presence (HP), used as a proxy of the presence of dolphins in the area; detection rate (DR), indicating the acoustic activity rate of dolphins measured per hour in the entire dataset; and detection rate in presence of dolphins (DRD), indicating the acoustic activity rate of dolphins considering only the hours when whistles were recorded. The highest values of both HP and DR were reached during the night, and the Autumn and Winter months, suggesting an increase in the dolphin’s occurrence and a possible moving away and towards the monitoring station potentially following prey. DRD, instead, showed an almost uniform distribution throughout the day implying that when the animals are close to the monitoring station, the acoustic activity does not show any pattern. However, possible changes in the communication exchange along the seasons were suggested. This study complements other work on this subject, improving the knowledge of dolphins’ acoustic activity in the area.
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Integrative bioacoustics discrimination of eight delphinid species in the western South Atlantic Ocean. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217977. [PMID: 31170251 PMCID: PMC6553770 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This study presents an integrative bioacoustics approach to discriminate eight species of odontocetes found on the outer continental shelf and slope of the western South Atlantic Ocean. Spinner, Atlantic spotted, rough-toothed, Risso's, bottlenose, short-beaked common dolphins, killer and long-finned pilot whales were visually confirmed during recordings with a 3-element omnidirectional hydrophone array. Spectral and time parameters of whistles and echolocation clicks were used in a discriminant function analysis and a classification tree model. As a first step, whistles and clicks were analysed separately; a further analysis consisted of both vocalisations jointly classified. All species showed species-specific properties in their vocalisations. Whistles had greater misclassification rates when compared to clicks. The correct classification was enhanced by the joint step, given the 5.8% error in the discriminant function analysis and a misclassification rate of 18.8% in the tree model. In addition, Receiver Operating Characteristic curves resulting from the tree algorithm analysis exhibited better model efficiency for all species in the joint classification. These findings on acoustical discrimination of such abundant and cosmopolitan species contribute to delphinid classification systems.
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Parisi I, de Vincenzi G, Torri M, Papale E, Mazzola S, Bonanno A, Buscaino G. Underwater vocal complexity of Arctic seal Erignathus barbatus in Kongsfjorden (Svalbard). THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 142:3104. [PMID: 29195481 DOI: 10.1121/1.5010887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In this study the description of underwater vocal repertoire of bearded seal in Svalbard (Norway) was extended. Two autonomous passive acoustic recorders were deployed for one year (August 2014-July 2015) in the inner and outer parts of the Kongsfjorden, and 1728 h were recorded and 17 220 vocalizations were found. Nine different vocalization classes were identified and characterized using ten acoustic parameters. The calls showed heterogeneous spectral features, but share the descending trend of frequency modulation. The different classes emerged were discriminated primarily by bandwidth and duration, and then by minimum frequency, central frequency, and maximum frequency in this order. This study represents a step forward to improve the understanding of the acoustic behaviour and the social function of these calls, and identified long passive acoustic monitoring as an effective method to assess vocal complexity and the ecology of marine species producing sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignazio Parisi
- National Research Council, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Bioacousticslab Capo Granitola, Via del Mare, Campobello di Mazara (TP), 6-91021 Torretta Granitola, Italy
| | - Giovanni de Vincenzi
- National Research Council, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Bioacousticslab Capo Granitola, Via del Mare, Campobello di Mazara (TP), 6-91021 Torretta Granitola, Italy
| | - Marco Torri
- National Research Council, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Via del Mare, Campobello di Mazara (TP), 6-91021 Torretta Granitola, Italy
| | - Elena Papale
- National Research Council, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Bioacousticslab Capo Granitola, Via del Mare, Campobello di Mazara (TP), 6-91021 Torretta Granitola, Italy
| | - Salvatore Mazzola
- National Research Council, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Bioacousticslab Capo Granitola, Via del Mare, Campobello di Mazara (TP), 6-91021 Torretta Granitola, Italy
| | - Angelo Bonanno
- National Research Council, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Via del Mare, Campobello di Mazara (TP), 6-91021 Torretta Granitola, Italy
| | - Giuseppa Buscaino
- National Research Council, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Bioacousticslab Capo Granitola, Via del Mare, Campobello di Mazara (TP), 6-91021 Torretta Granitola, Italy
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7
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Erbs F, Elwen SH, Gridley T. Automatic classification of whistles from coastal dolphins of the southern African subregion. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 141:2489. [PMID: 28464668 DOI: 10.1121/1.4978000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is commonly used to generate information on the distribution, abundance, and behavior of cetacean species. In African waters, the utilization of PAM lags behind most other continents. This study examines whether the whistles of three coastal delphinid species (Delphinus delphis, Tursiops truncatus, and Tursiops aduncus) commonly encountered in the southern African subregion can be readily distinguished using both statistical analysis of standard whistle parameters and the automated detection and classification software PAMGuard. A first account of whistles recorded from D. delphis from South Africa is included. Using PAMGuard, classification to species was high with an overall mean correct classification rate of 87.3%. Although lower, high rates of correct classification were also found (78.4%) when the two T. aduncus populations were included separately. Classification outcomes reflected patterns observed in standard whistle parameters. Such acoustic discrimination may be useful for confirmation of morphologically similar species in the field. Classification success was influenced by training and testing the classifier with data from different populations, highlighting the importance of locally collected acoustic data to inform classifiers. The small number of sampling populations may have inflated the classification success, therefore, classification trials using a greater number of species are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Erbs
- Sea Search Africa, 4 Bath Road, Muizenberg, Cape Town 7945, South Africa
| | - Simon H Elwen
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Tess Gridley
- Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
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8
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La Manna G, Rako Gospić N, Manghi M, Picciulin M, Sarà G. Assessing geographical variation on whistle acoustic structure of three Mediterranean populations of common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). BEHAVIOUR 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Whistles are acoustic signals produced particularly during social interactions. Here, we compare whistles by bottlenose dolphins from three Mediterranean areas (Croatia, Sicily and Sardinia) to investigate the presence of acoustic divergence and to discuss the possible causes of variability. Whistle parameters differ significantly between populations, but PCA highlights that the majority of variability is due to a limited number of frequency parameters. Cluster and DFA show that the Croatian population is acoustically divergent from the western populations of Sicily and Sardinia. This divergence could be consistent with geographical isolation, and a possible genetic differentiation between populations, and/or an adaptation to the acoustic environment. Moreover, in a comparison of whistle parameters of different Mediterranean populations with those of previously published Atlantic populations, it was revealed that the Sicilian population was acoustically closer to Atlantic populations. Our results represent a contribution to identifying acoustically differentiated populations of bottlenose dolphins in the Mediterranean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella La Manna
- MareTerra Onlus–Environmental Research and Conservation, Regione Salondra 9, Alghero, Italy
| | - Nikolina Rako Gospić
- Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kaštel 24, Veli Lošinj, Croatia
| | - Michele Manghi
- Nauta Ricerca e Consulenza Scientifica, Strada della Carità 8, Milano, Italy
| | - Marta Picciulin
- Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kaštel 24, Veli Lošinj, Croatia
| | - Gianluca Sarà
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare, Via delle Scienze ed. 16, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Buscaino G, Ceraulo M, Pieretti N, Corrias V, Farina A, Filiciotto F, Maccarrone V, Grammauta R, Caruso F, Giuseppe A, Mazzola S. Temporal patterns in the soundscape of the shallow waters of a Mediterranean marine protected area. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34230. [PMID: 27677956 PMCID: PMC5039702 DOI: 10.1038/srep34230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of marine soundscapes is an emerging field of research that contributes important information about biological compositions and environmental conditions. The seasonal and circadian soundscape trends of a marine protected area (MPA) in the Mediterranean Sea have been studied for one year using an autonomous acoustic recorder. Frequencies less than 1 kHz are dominated by noise generated by waves and are louder during the winter; conversely, higher frequencies (4–96 kHz) are dominated by snapping shrimp, which increase their acoustic activity at night during the summer. Fish choruses, below 2 kHz, characterize the soundscape at sunset during the summer. Because there are 13 vessel passages per hour on average, causing acoustic interference with fish choruses 46% of the time, this MPA cannot be considered to be protected from noise. On the basis of the high seasonal variability of the soundscape components, this study proposes a one-year acoustic monitoring protocol using the soundscape methodology approach and discusses the concept of MPA size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppa Buscaino
- National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment - Bioacousticslab Capo Granitola, Via del Mare, 6 - 91021 Torretta Granitola, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy
| | - Maria Ceraulo
- National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment - Bioacousticslab Capo Granitola, Via del Mare, 6 - 91021 Torretta Granitola, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy.,Department of Pure and Applied Sciences (DiSPeA) - University of Urbino- Campus Scientifico "Enrico Mattei"- 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - Nadia Pieretti
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences (DiSPeA) - University of Urbino- Campus Scientifico "Enrico Mattei"- 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - Valentina Corrias
- National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment - Bioacousticslab Capo Granitola, Via del Mare, 6 - 91021 Torretta Granitola, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy
| | - Almo Farina
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences (DiSPeA) - University of Urbino- Campus Scientifico "Enrico Mattei"- 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - Francesco Filiciotto
- National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment - Bioacousticslab Capo Granitola, Via del Mare, 6 - 91021 Torretta Granitola, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy
| | - Vincenzo Maccarrone
- National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment - Bioacousticslab Capo Granitola, Via del Mare, 6 - 91021 Torretta Granitola, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy
| | - Rosario Grammauta
- National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment - Bioacousticslab Capo Granitola, Via del Mare, 6 - 91021 Torretta Granitola, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy
| | - Francesco Caruso
- National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment - Bioacousticslab Capo Granitola, Via del Mare, 6 - 91021 Torretta Granitola, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy
| | - Alonge Giuseppe
- ENEA - Observations and Analyses of Earth and Climate -Via Principe di Granatelli, 24 - 90139 Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatore Mazzola
- National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment - Bioacousticslab Capo Granitola, Via del Mare, 6 - 91021 Torretta Granitola, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy
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Kerem D, Goffman O, Elasar M, Hadar N, Scheinin A, Lewis T. The Rough-Toothed Dolphin, Steno bredanensis, in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea: A Relict Population? ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2016; 75:233-258. [PMID: 27770986 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2016.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Only recently included among the cetacean species thought to regularly occur in the Mediterranean, the rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) is an obscure and enigmatic member of this ensemble. Preliminary genetic evidence strongly indicates an Atlantic origin, yet the Mediterranean distribution for this species is conspicuously detached from the Atlantic, with all authenticated records during the last three decades being east of the Sicilian Channel and most within the bounds of the Levantine Basin. These dolphins are apparently a small, relict population, probably the remnant of a larger one, contiguous with that in the Atlantic and nowadays entrapped in the easternmost and warmest province. Abundance data are lacking for the species in the Mediterranean. Configuring acoustic detection software to recognise the apparently idiosyncratic vocalisations of rough-toothed dolphins in past and future acoustic recordings may prove useful for potential acoustic monitoring. Evidence accumulated so far, though scant, points to seasonal occupation of shallow coastal waters. Vulnerability to entanglement in gill-nets, contaminants in the region, and the occurrence of mass strandings (possibly in response to anthropogenic noise), are major conservation concerns for the population in the Mediterranean Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Kerem
- School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center (IMMRAC), Haifa, Israel.
| | - O Goffman
- School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center (IMMRAC), Haifa, Israel
| | - M Elasar
- School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center (IMMRAC), Haifa, Israel
| | - N Hadar
- Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center (IMMRAC), Haifa, Israel
| | - A Scheinin
- School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center (IMMRAC), Haifa, Israel
| | - T Lewis
- North Atlantic & Mediterranean Sperm Whale Catalogue (NAMSC), London, United Kingdom
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11
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Temple AJ, Tregenza N, Amir OA, Jiddawi N, Berggren P. Spatial and Temporal Variations in the Occurrence and Foraging Activity of Coastal Dolphins in Menai Bay, Zanzibar, Tanzania. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0148995. [PMID: 26934473 PMCID: PMC4774871 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148995] [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: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding temporal patterns in distribution, occurrence and behaviour is vital for the effective conservation of cetaceans. This study used cetacean click detectors (C-PODs) to investigate spatial and temporal variation in occurrence and foraging activity of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose (Tursiops aduncus) and Indian Ocean humpback (Sousa plumbea) dolphins resident in the Menai Bay Conservation Area (MBCA), Zanzibar, Tanzania. Occurrence was measured using detection positive minutes. Inter-click intervals were used to identify terminal buzz vocalisations, allowing for analysis of foraging activity. Data were analysed in relation to spatial (location) and temporal (monsoon season, diel phase and tidal phase) variables. Results showed significantly increased occurrence and foraging activity of dolphins in southern areas and during hours of darkness. Higher occurrence at night was not explained by diel variation in echolocation rate and so were considered representative of occurrence patterns. Both tidal phase and monsoon season influenced occurrence but results varied among sites, with no general patterns found. Foraging activity was greatest during hours of darkness, High water and Flood tidal phases. Comparisons of echolocation data among sites suggested differences in the broadband click spectra of MBCA dolphins, possibly indicative of species differences. These dolphin populations are threatened by unsustainable fisheries bycatch and tourism activities. The spatial and temporal patterns identified in this study have implications for future conservation and management actions with regards to these two threats. Further, the results indicate future potential for using passive acoustics to identify and monitor the occurrence of these two species in areas where they co-exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Temple
- School of Marine Science & Technology, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Nick Tregenza
- Chelonia Limited, The Barkhouse, North Cliff, Mousehole, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Omar A. Amir
- Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Nyangumi House, Maruhubi Street, Zanzibar, Tanzania
| | - Narriman Jiddawi
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Dar es Salaam University, Zanzibar, Tanzania
| | - Per Berggren
- School of Marine Science & Technology, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
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12
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Comazzi C, Mattiello S, Friard O, Filacorda S, Gamba M. Acoustic monitoring of golden jackals in Europe: setting the frame for future analyses. BIOACOUSTICS 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2016.1152564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Comazzi
- Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica, via Celoria 10, Milano, Italy
- Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italy
| | - Silvana Mattiello
- Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica, via Celoria 10, Milano, Italy
| | - Olivier Friard
- Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italy
| | - Stefano Filacorda
- Università degli Studi di Udine, Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, via Sondrio 2/a, Udine, Italy
| | - Marco Gamba
- Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italy
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13
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Zsebők S, Czabán D, Farkas J, Siemers BM, von Merten S. Acoustic species identification of shrews: Twittering calls for monitoring. ECOL INFORM 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2015.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Dolphins adjust species-specific frequency parameters to compensate for increasing background noise. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121711. [PMID: 25853825 PMCID: PMC4390328 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
An increase in ocean noise levels could interfere with acoustic communication of marine mammals. In this study we explored the effects of anthropogenic and natural noise on the acoustic properties of a dolphin communication signal, the whistle. A towed array with four elements was used to record environmental background noise and whistles of short-beaked common-, Atlantic spotted- and striped-dolphins in the Canaries archipelago. Four frequency parameters were measured from each whistle, while Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) of the background noise were measured at the central frequencies of seven one-third octave bands, from 5 to 20 kHz. Results show that dolphins increase the whistles’ frequency parameters with lower variability in the presence of anthropogenic noise, and increase the end frequency of their whistles when confronted with increasing natural noise. This study provides the first evidence that the synergy among SPLs has a role in shaping the whistles' structure of these three species, with respect to both natural and anthropogenic noise.
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