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Ceballos V, Taggart C, Johnson H. Comparison of visual and acoustic surveys for the detection and dynamic management of North Atlantic right whales (
Eubalaena glacialis
) in Canada. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hansen Johnson
- Oceanography Department Dalhousie University Halifax Nova Scotia Canada
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Cerchio S, Weir CR. Mid-frequency song and low-frequency calls of sei whales in the Falkland Islands. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220738. [PMID: 36405635 PMCID: PMC9653223 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Although sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) are distributed throughout the globe, their behaviour and vocal repertoire are poorly described. We used passive acoustic monitoring to describe the vocal behaviour of sei whales in the Falkland Islands, between December 2018 and April 2019. We isolated more than 2000 low-frequency calls for manual classification, of which 510 calls with high signal-to-noise ratio were quantitatively measured. Five categories of stereotyped call types in the 15-230 Hz range were described, some with multiple subcategories. These included some similar to previously described calls (e.g. downsweeps), but others that were novel in acoustic structure and frequency band. In the mid-frequency range, we documented a highly stereotyped, hierarchically structured and rhythmically repetitive song display. Songs were arranged in phrases with a structure composed of repetitive sub-phrases, and a diverse variety of sounds in the 1-5 kHz range. Singing commenced in late February, despite the presence of whales and calls since early December, and continued through April. These acoustic properties and behavioural characteristics indicate that this is likely a male breeding display similar to songs and singing of other balaenopterids. This is the first detailed description of a song display for sei whales, highlighting the importance of the Falkland Islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Cerchio
- African Aquatic Conservation Fund, P.O. Box 366, Chilmark, MA 02535, USA
| | - Caroline R. Weir
- Falklands Conservation, Jubilee Villas, Ross Road, Stanley FIQQ 1ZZ, Falkland Islands
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Rossi-Santos MR, Filun D, Soares-Filho W, Paro AD, Wedekin LL. “Playing the beat”: Occurrence of Bio-duck calls in Santos Basin (Brazil) reveals a complex acoustic behaviour for the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0255868. [PMID: 36107936 PMCID: PMC9477358 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) (AMW) is one of the smallest species among baleen whales, occurring in the southern hemisphere from Antarctica to near the equator, and performing seasonal migrations from polar to tropical waters. Information about (AMW) occurrence in the winter breeding grounds is scarce, mostly coming from old records from whaling stations before the 1960’s international moratorium, such as Costinha Station in Northeastern Brazil (6° S / 34° W) and some sightings from few dedicated visual surveys. Acoustic methods can provide important data on the occurrence and distribution of migratory species. This work describes the occurrence of the Antarctic minke whale through acoustic detections of their “Bioduck” vocalisations in the Santos Basin, South-Southeastern Brazil (22° and 28° S / 42° and 48° W). Data was recorded between November 12 and December 19, 2015. AMW calls were detected for 12 days. We detected and classified 9 different Bio-duck calls in Brazilian coastal waters, evidencing a highly diverse acoustic behavior for the minke whale breeding ground. This is the first attempt to describe the acoustic diversity of AMW vocalizations in lower latitudes, contributing important information for future conservation efforts and management of AMW populations and their habitat. Therefore, our study presents the foremost acoustic evidence of the Antarctic minke whale in Brazilian coastal waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos R. Rossi-Santos
- Laboratório de Ecologia Acústica e Comportamento Animal/ Acoustic Ecology and Animal Behaviour Laboratory, Centro de Ciências Agrarias, Ambientais e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brazil
- Projeto de Monitoramento de Cetáceos da Bacia de Santos- Petrobras/ Cetacean Monitoring Project in Santos Basin, Socioambiental Consultores Associados, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- * E-mail: (MRRS); (DF)
| | - Diego Filun
- Ocean Acoustics Lab, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
- * E-mail: (MRRS); (DF)
| | - William Soares-Filho
- Projeto de Monitoramento da Paisagem Acústica Submarina da Bacia de Santos- Petrobras/ Underwater Soundscape Monitoring Project in Santos Basin, Instituto de Pesquisas da Marinha, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alexandre D. Paro
- Projeto de Monitoramento de Cetáceos da Bacia de Santos- Petrobras/ Cetacean Monitoring Project in Santos Basin, Socioambiental Consultores Associados, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Marine Biotechnology Program, Instituto de Estudo do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira, Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leonardo L. Wedekin
- Projeto de Monitoramento de Cetáceos da Bacia de Santos- Petrobras/ Cetacean Monitoring Project in Santos Basin, Socioambiental Consultores Associados, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
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Premus VE, Abbot PA, Kmelnitsky V, Gedney CJ, Abbot TA. A wave glider-based, towed hydrophone array system for autonomous, real-time, passive acoustic marine mammal monitoring. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 152:1814. [PMID: 36182329 DOI: 10.1121/10.0014169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
An autonomous surface vehicle known as a wave glider, instrumented with a low-power towed hydrophone array and embedded digital signal processor, is demonstrated as a viable low-noise system for the passive acoustic monitoring of marine mammals. Other key design elements include high spatial resolution beamforming on a 32-channel towed hydrophone array, deep array deployment depth, vertical motion isolation, and bandwidth-efficient real-time acoustic data transmission. Using at-sea data collected during a simultaneous deployment of three wave glider-based acoustic detection systems near Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in September 2019, the capability of a low-frequency towed hydrophone array to spatially reject noise and to resolve baleen whale vocalizations from anthropogenic acoustic clutter is demonstrated. In particular, mean measured array gain of 15.3 dB at the aperture design frequency results in a post-beamformer signal-to-noise ratio that significantly exceeds that of a single hydrophone. Further, it is shown that with overlapping detections on multiple collaborating systems, precise localization of vocalizing individuals is achievable at long ranges. Last, model predictions showing a 4× detection range, or 16× area coverage, advantage of a 32-channel towed array over a single hydrophone against the North Atlantic right whale upcall are presented for the continental shelf environment south of Martha's Vineyard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent E Premus
- Ocean Acoustical Services and Instrumentation Systems, Inc., a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of ThayerMahan, Inc., 5 Militia Drive, Lexington, Massachusetts 02421, USA
| | - Philip A Abbot
- Ocean Acoustical Services and Instrumentation Systems, Inc., a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of ThayerMahan, Inc., 5 Militia Drive, Lexington, Massachusetts 02421, USA
| | - Vitaly Kmelnitsky
- Ocean Acoustical Services and Instrumentation Systems, Inc., a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of ThayerMahan, Inc., 5 Militia Drive, Lexington, Massachusetts 02421, USA
| | - Charles J Gedney
- Ocean Acoustical Services and Instrumentation Systems, Inc., a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of ThayerMahan, Inc., 5 Militia Drive, Lexington, Massachusetts 02421, USA
| | - Ted A Abbot
- Ocean Acoustical Services and Instrumentation Systems, Inc., a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of ThayerMahan, Inc., 5 Militia Drive, Lexington, Massachusetts 02421, USA
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