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Agustí C, Manteca X, García-Párraga D, Tallo-Parra O. Validating a Non-Invasive Method for Assessing Cortisol Concentrations in Scraped Epidermal Skin from Common Bottlenose Dolphins and Belugas. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1377. [PMID: 38731382 PMCID: PMC11083227 DOI: 10.3390/ani14091377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Society is showing a growing concern about the welfare of cetaceans in captivity as well as cetaceans in the wild threatened by anthropogenic disturbances. The study of the physiological stress response is increasingly being used to address cetacean conservation and welfare issues. Within it, a newly described technique of extracting cortisol from epidermal desquamation may serve as a non-invasive, more integrated measure of a cetacean's stress response and welfare. However, confounding factors are common when measuring glucocorticoid hormones. In this study, we validated a steroid hormone extraction protocol and the use of a commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test to measure cortisol concentrations in common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) epidermal samples. Moreover, we examined the effect of sample mass and body location on cortisol concentrations. Validation tests (i.e., assay specificity, accuracy, precision, and sensitivity) suggested that the method was suitable for the quantification of cortisol concentrations. Cortisol was extracted from small samples (0.01 g), but the amount of cortisol detected and the variability between duplicate extractions increased as the sample mass decreased. In common bottlenose dolphins, epidermal skin cortisol concentrations did not vary significantly across body locations while there was a significant effect of the individual. Overall, we present a contribution towards advancing and standardizing epidermis hormone assessments in cetaceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Agustí
- Animal Welfare Education Centre (AWEC), School of Veterinary Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (X.M.); (O.T.-P.)
| | - Xavier Manteca
- Animal Welfare Education Centre (AWEC), School of Veterinary Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (X.M.); (O.T.-P.)
| | - Daniel García-Párraga
- Fundación Oceanogràfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, Research Department, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, 46013 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Oriol Tallo-Parra
- Animal Welfare Education Centre (AWEC), School of Veterinary Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (X.M.); (O.T.-P.)
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2
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Johnston ST, Painter KJ. Avoidance, confusion or solitude? Modelling how noise pollution affects whale migration. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:17. [PMID: 38374001 PMCID: PMC10875784 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00458-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Many baleen whales are renowned for their acoustic communication. Under pristine conditions, this communication can plausibly occur across hundreds of kilometres. Frequent vocalisations may allow a dispersed migrating group to maintain contact, and therefore benefit from improved navigation via the "wisdom of the crowd". Human activities have considerably inflated ocean noise levels. Here we develop a data-driven mathematical model to investigate how ambient noise levels may inhibit whale migration. Mathematical models allow us to simultaneously simulate collective whale migration behaviour, auditory cue detection, and noise propagation. Rising ambient noise levels are hypothesised to influence navigation through three mechanisms: (i) diminished communication space; (ii) reduced ability to hear external sound cues and; (iii) triggering noise avoidance behaviour. Comparing pristine and current soundscapes, we observe navigation impairment that ranges from mild (increased journey time) to extreme (failed navigation). Notably, the three mechanisms induce qualitatively different impacts on migration behaviour. We demonstrate the model's potential predictive power, exploring the extent to which migration may be altered under future shipping and construction scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart T Johnston
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Kevin J Painter
- Dipartimento Interateneo di Scienze, Progetto e Politiche del Territorio (DIST), Politecnico di Torino, 39, 10125, Turin, Italy
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3
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Kügler A, Lammers MO, Pack AA, Tenorio-Hallé L, Thode AM. Diel spatio-temporal patterns of humpback whale singing on a high-density breeding ground. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:230279. [PMID: 38269074 PMCID: PMC10805604 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Humpback whale song chorusing dominates the marine soundscape in Hawai'i during winter months, yet little is known about spatio-temporal habitat use patterns of singers. We analysed passive acoustic monitoring data from five sites off Maui and found that ambient noise levels associated with song chorusing decreased during daytime hours nearshore but increased offshore. To resolve whether these changes reflect a diel offshore-onshore movement or a temporal difference in singing activity, data from 71 concurrently conducted land-based theodolite surveys were analysed. Non-calf pods (n = 3082), presumably including the majority of singers, were found further offshore with increasing time of the day. Separately, we acoustically localized 217 nearshore singers using vector-sensors. During the day, distances to shore and minimum distances among singers increased, and singers switched more between being stationary and singing while travelling. Together, these findings suggest that the observed diel trends in humpback whale chorusing off Maui represent a pattern of active onshore-offshore movement of singers. We hypothesize that this may result from singers attempting to reduce intraspecific acoustic masking when densities are high nearshore and avoidance of a loud, non-humpback, biological evening chorus offshore, creating a dynamic of movement of singers aimed at increasing the efficiency of their acoustic display.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Kügler
- University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Bioacoustics and Behavioral Ecology Lab, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Oceanwide Science Institute, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Marc O. Lammers
- Oceanwide Science Institute, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Kīhei, HI, USA
| | - Adam A. Pack
- University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Hilo, HI, USA
- The Dolphin Institute, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - Ludovic Tenorio-Hallé
- Marine Physical Laboratory, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Aaron M. Thode
- Marine Physical Laboratory, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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4
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Ogawa M, Kimura SS. Variations in echolocation click characteristics of finless porpoise in response to day/night and absence/presence of vessel noise. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288513. [PMID: 37540693 PMCID: PMC10403093 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Small odontocetes produce echolocation clicks to feed and navigate, making it an essential function for their survival. Recently, the effect of vessel noise on small odontocetes behavior has attracted attention owing to increase in vessel activities; however, the effects of the surrounding environmental factor, vessel noise, and day/night on echolocation click characteristics have not been well studied. Here, we examined the effects of vessel noise and day/night on variations in echolocation clicks and click trains parameters. Passive acoustic monitoring of on-axis echolocation clicks produced by free-ranging finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis sunameri) was performed at two sites in Japan, Seto Inland Sea and Mikawa Bay, in June-September 2021 and March-August 2022, using A-tag and SoundTrap 300HF. Generalized Linear Model was used to elucidate the effect of vessel noise, day/night, and surrounding environmental factors (water temperature, synthetic flow velocity, and noise level) on echolocation click and click train parameters. Echolocation click and click train parameters were strongly affected by day/night, whereas the absence/presence vessel noise did not exhibit statistically significant influence. Particularly, -3 dB bandwidth was wider, click duration was shorter, and inter-click intervals in a train were shorter at night, which may facilitate information processing at night, thereby compensating for the lack of visual information. The interaction between day/night and the absence/presence of vessel noise affected the source level of finless porpoises, with higher levels observed in the absence of vessel noise during the daytime compared to other conditions at the site with low vessel traffic. Overall, these results suggest that echolocation clicks by finless porpoise were likely to fluctuate to adapt with surrounding complex environmental conditions, especially day/night.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayu Ogawa
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Distinguished Doctoral Program of Platforms (WISE), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Satoko S Kimura
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Distinguished Doctoral Program of Platforms (WISE), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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5
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Girola E, Dunlop RA, Noad MJ. Singing humpback whales respond to wind noise, but not to vessel noise. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230204. [PMID: 37161338 PMCID: PMC10170193 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal communication systems evolved in the presence of noise generated by natural sources. Many species can increase the source levels of their sounds to maintain effective communication in elevated noise conditions, i.e. they have a Lombard response. Human activities generate additional noise in the environment creating further challenges for these animals. Male humpback whales are known to adjust the source levels of their songs in response to wind noise, which although variable is always present in the ocean. Our study investigated whether this Lombard response increases when singing males are exposed to additional noise generated by motor vessels. Humpback whale singers were recorded off eastern Australia using a fixed hydrophone array. The source levels of the songs produced while the singers were exposed to varying levels of wind noise and vessel noise were measured. Our results show that, even when vessel noise is dominant, singing males still adjust the source levels of their songs to compensate for the underlying wind noise, and do not further increase their source levels to compensate for the additional noise produced by the vessel. Understanding humpback whales' response to noise is important for developing mitigation policies for anthropogenic activities at sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Girola
- Cetacean Ecology Group, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia
| | - R A Dunlop
- Cetacean Ecology Group, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - M J Noad
- Cetacean Ecology Group, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia
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Girola E, Dunlop RA, Noad MJ. Singing in a noisy ocean: vocal plasticity in male humpback whales. BIOACOUSTICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2022.2122560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. Girola
- Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia
| | - R. A. Dunlop
- Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - M. J. Noad
- Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia
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Palmer KJ, Tabbutt S, Gillespie D, Turner J, King P, Tollit D, Thompson J, Wood J. Evaluation of a coastal acoustic buoy for cetacean detections, bearing accuracy and exclusion zone monitoring. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sam Tabbutt
- SMRU Consulting Friday Harbor Washington USA
| | - Douglas Gillespie
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute University of St. Andrews St. Andrews UK
| | | | - Paul King
- SMRU Consulting Friday Harbor Washington USA
| | | | | | - Jason Wood
- SMRU Consulting Friday Harbor Washington USA
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Barlow DR, Estrada Jorge M, Klinck H, Torres LG. Shaken, not stirred: blue whales show no acoustic response to earthquake events. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220242. [PMID: 35845856 PMCID: PMC9277279 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying how animals respond to disturbance events bears relevance for understanding consequences to population health. We investigate whether blue whales respond acoustically to naturally occurring episodic noise by examining calling before and after earthquakes (27 040 calls, 32 earthquakes; 27 January-29 June 2016). Two vocalization types were evaluated: New Zealand blue whale song and downswept vocalizations ('D calls'). Blue whales did not alter the number of D calls, D call received level or song intensity following earthquakes (paired t-tests, p > 0.7 for all). Linear models accounting for earthquake strength and proximity revealed significant relationships between change in calling activity surrounding earthquakes and prior calling activity (D calls: R 2 = 0.277, p < 0.0001; song: R 2 = 0.080, p = 0.028); however, these same relationships were true for 'null' periods without earthquakes (D calls: R 2 = 0.262, p < 0.0001; song: R 2 = 0.149, p = 0.0002), indicating that the pattern is driven by blue whale calling context regardless of earthquake presence. Our findings that blue whales do not respond to episodic natural noise provide context for interpreting documented acoustic responses to anthropogenic noise sources, including shipping traffic and petroleum development, indicating that they potentially evolved tolerance for natural noise sources but not novel noise from anthropogenic origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn R. Barlow
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon, USA
| | - Mateo Estrada Jorge
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Holger Klinck
- K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon, USA
| | - Leigh G. Torres
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon, USA
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9
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Maiditsch IP, Ladich F. Effects of noise on acoustic and visual signalling in the Croaking Gourami: differences in adaptation strategies in fish. BIOACOUSTICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2022.2086174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Friedrich Ladich
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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10
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Palmer KJ, Wu GM, Clark C, Klinck H. Accounting for the Lombard effect in estimating the probability of detection in passive acoustic surveys: Applications for single sensor mitigation and monitoring. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 151:67. [PMID: 35105031 DOI: 10.1121/10.0009168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The detection range of calling animals is commonly described by the passive sonar equations. However, the sonar equations do not account for interactions between source and ambient sound level, i.e., the Lombard effect. This behavior has the potential to introduce non-linearities into the sonar equations and result in incorrectly predicted detection ranges. Here, we investigate the relationship between ambient sound and effective detection ranges for North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) in Cape Cod Bay, MA, USA using a sparse array of acoustic recorders. Generalized estimating equations were used to model the probability that a call was detected as a function of distance between the calling animal and the sensor and the ambient sound level. The model suggests a non-linear relationship between ambient sound levels and the probability of detecting a call. Comparing the non-linear model to the linearized version of the same model resulted in 12 to 25% increases in the effective detection range. We also found evidence of the Lombard effect suggesting that it is the most plausible cause for the non-linearity in the relationship. Finally, we suggest a simple modification to the sonar equation for estimating detection probability for single sensor monitoring applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J Palmer
- School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, Sir Harold Mitchell Building, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH, United Kingdom
| | - Gi-Mick Wu
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15 Leipzig, 04318, Germany
| | - Christopher Clark
- K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
| | - Holger Klinck
- K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
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11
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Farina A, Mullet TC, Bazarbayeva TA, Tazhibayeva T, Bulatova D, Li P. Perspectives on the Ecological Role of Geophysical Sounds. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.748398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans categorize unwanted sounds in the environment as noise. Consequently, noise is associated with negative human and ecological values, especially when it is derived from an anthropogenic source. Although evidence confirms that many machine-generated anthropogenic sounds have negative impacts on animal behavior and communication, natural sources of non-biological sound, such as wind, rain, running water, and sea waves (geophonies) have also been categorized as noise and are frequently dismissed or mischaracterized in acoustic studies as an outside factor of acoustic habitats rather than an integrated sonic component of ecological processes and species adaptations. While the proliferation of machine-generated sound in the Biosphere has become an intrusive phenomenon in recent history, geophony has shaped the Earth’s sonic landscapes for billions of years. Therefore, geophonies have very important sonic implications to the evolution and adaptation of soniferous species, forming essential ecological and semiotical relationships. This creates a need to distinguish geophonies from machine-generated sounds and how species respond to each accordingly, especially given their acoustic similarities in the frequency spectrum. Here, we introduce concepts and terminology that address these differences in the context of ecoacoustics. We also discuss how Acoustic Complexity Indices (ACIs) can offer new possibilities to quantifiably evaluate geophony in relation to their sonic contest.
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12
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Videsen SKA, Simon M, Johnson M, Madsen PT, Christiansen F. Cryptic vocal behavior of foraging humpback whales on feeding grounds in West Greenland. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 150:2879. [PMID: 34717496 DOI: 10.1121/10.0006735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) sing in mating aggregations in the form of song displays, but much less is known about how both sexes use sound on their feeding grounds. Here, we test different hypotheses about the function of vocalizations in 14 foraging humpback whales tagged with sound and movement recording Dtags in Greenland. We show that this population of foraging humpback whales have an overall low call rate of 11.9 calls h-1 (inter-quartile range = 12.1) with no support for the hypotheses that they employ sound in the localization or manipulation of prey nor in the coordination of lunge feeding. The calls had a mean received level of 135 ± 5dB re 1 μPa, which is some 30 dB lower than maximum levels of song recorded on similar deployed tags, suggesting a much smaller active space of these vocalizations. This reduced active space might, in concert with low call rates, serve to mitigate eavesdropping by predatory killer whales or conspecifics competing for the same prey resources. We conclude that feeding humpback whales in Greenland produce low level, infrequent calls suggesting that calling is not a prerequisite for successful feeding, but likely serves to mediate within group social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone K A Videsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Malene Simon
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 570, Kivioq 2, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Mark Johnson
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, United Kingdom
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13
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Abstract
Collective migration occurs throughout the animal kingdom, and demands both the interpretation of navigational cues and the perception of other individuals within the group. Navigational cues orient individuals towards a destination, while it has been demonstrated that communication between individuals enhances navigation through a reduction in orientation error. We develop a mathematical model of collective navigation that synthesizes navigational cues and perception of other individuals. Crucially, this approach incorporates uncertainty inherent to cue interpretation and perception in the decision making process, which can arise due to noisy environments. We demonstrate that collective navigation is more efficient than individual navigation, provided a threshold number of other individuals are perceptible. This benefit is even more pronounced in low navigation information environments. In navigation ‘blindspots’, where no information is available, navigation is enhanced through a relay that connects individuals in information-poor regions to individuals in information-rich regions. As an expository case study, we apply our framework to minke whale migration in the northeast Atlantic Ocean, and quantify the decrease in navigation ability due to anthropogenic noise pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- S T Johnston
- Systems Biology Laboratory, School of Mathematics and Statistics, and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - K J Painter
- Dipartimento Interateneo di Scienze, Progetto e Politiche del Territorio (DIST) Politecnico di Torino, Viale Pier Andrea Mattioli, Torino 39 10125, Italy
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