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Pagliani B, Amorim TOS, de Castro FR, Andriolo A. Sounds in common: Time-frequency as the classification parameters for pulsed sounds produced by Delphinus delphis. Behav Processes 2024; 221:105091. [PMID: 39173976 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Sounds produced by dolphins can be grouped into tonal (whistles) and pulsed sounds (e.g., echolocation clicks and burst sounds). Clicks are broadband pulses temporarily spaced to allow echo processing between the sound source and the object. Echolocation is related mainly to prey detection and environmental recognition. Echolocation click trains tend to present a decreasing inter-click interval due to a continuous changing of the target's location when the animal approaches to capture the prey. In addition to foraging and feeding contexts, burst pulsed sounds have been associated with short social communication. Although echolocation clicks are relatively well documented, there is no consensus regarding the broad variety of the burst pulsed signals. The present study analyzed time-frequency characteristics by conducting a clustering and discrimination analysis to classify pulsed sounds. A total of 64 click trains were analyzed from short-beaked common dolphins recorded in the slope region of the western South Atlantic Ocean. Three analyses (time; frequency; and combined time-frequency parameters) were compared through k-means clustering and posterior cluster validation using Random forest analysis. The k-means clustering resulted in four clusters for all groups of analysis. The time parameters were the most accurate among the comparisons, with the first two-dimensional axis corresponding to 87 % (Dim1 = 70.2 % and Dim2 = 17.2 %). The random forest analysis showed that the time-frequency dataset was the best classification of pulsed sounds in D. delphis (Accuracy = 84.6 %; confidence interval CI = 65.1 %-95.6 %; p < 0.01). This result considers the animal an acoustical identity, emphasizing the importance of certain parameters that influence this identity and thus reflecting the energy-cost optimization for sound production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Pagliani
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Bioacústica, Departamento De Zoologia, Instituto De Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil.
| | - Thiago O S Amorim
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Bioacústica, Departamento De Zoologia, Instituto De Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Franciele R de Castro
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Bioacústica, Departamento De Zoologia, Instituto De Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Artur Andriolo
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Bioacústica, Departamento De Zoologia, Instituto De Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
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2
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Owen K, Carlström J, Eriksson P, Andersson M, Nordström R, Lalander E, Sveegaard S, Kyhn LA, Griffiths ET, Cosentino M, Tougaard J. Rerouting of a major shipping lane through important harbour porpoise habitat caused no detectable change in annual occurrence or foraging patterns. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 202:116294. [PMID: 38537499 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Shipping is one of the largest industries globally, with well-known negative impacts on the marine environment. Despite the known negative short-term (minutes to hours) impact of shipping on individual animal behavioural responses, very little is understood about the long-term (months to years) impact on marine species presence and area use. This study took advantage of a planned rerouting of a major shipping lane leading into the Baltic Sea, to investigate the impact on the presence and foraging behaviour of a marine species known to be sensitive to underwater noise, the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Passive acoustic monitoring data were collected from 15 stations over two years. Against predictions, no clear change occurred in monthly presence or foraging behaviour of the porpoises, despite the observed changes in noise and vessel traffic. However, long-term heightened noise levels may still impact communication, echolocation, or stress levels of individuals, and needs further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie Owen
- Department of Population Analysis and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativägen 40, Stockholm 104 05, Sweden.
| | - Julia Carlström
- Department of Population Analysis and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativägen 40, Stockholm 104 05, Sweden
| | - Pia Eriksson
- Department of Population Analysis and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativägen 40, Stockholm 104 05, Sweden
| | - Mathias Andersson
- Department of Defence Technology, FOI-Swedish Defence Research Agency, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Robin Nordström
- Department of Defence Technology, FOI-Swedish Defence Research Agency, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emilia Lalander
- Department of Defence Technology, FOI-Swedish Defence Research Agency, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Signe Sveegaard
- Section for Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Line A Kyhn
- Section for Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Emily T Griffiths
- Section for Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Mel Cosentino
- Section for Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jakob Tougaard
- Section for Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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3
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Uebel AS, Pedersen MB, Beedholm K, Stidsholt L, Skalshøi MR, Foskolos I, Madsen PT. Daubenton's bats maintain stereotypical echolocation behaviour and a lombard response during target interception in light. BMC ZOOL 2024; 9:9. [PMID: 38679717 PMCID: PMC11057132 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-024-00200-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Most bats hunt insects on the wing at night using echolocation as their primary sensory modality, but nevertheless maintain complex eye anatomy and functional vision. This raises the question of how and when insectivorous bats use vision during their largely nocturnal lifestyle. Here, we test the hypothesis that the small insectivorous bat, Myotis daubentonii, relies less on echolocation, or dispenses with it entirely, as visual cues become available during challenging acoustic noise conditions. We trained five wild-caught bats to land on a spherical target in both silence and when exposed to broad-band noise to decrease echo detectability, while light conditions were manipulated in both spectrum and intensity. We show that during noise exposure, the bats were almost three times more likely to use multiple attempts to solve the task compared to in silent controls. Furthermore, the bats exhibited a Lombard response of 0.18 dB/dBnoise and decreased call intervals earlier in their flight during masking noise exposures compared to in silent controls. Importantly, however, these adjustments in movement and echolocation behaviour did not differ between light and dark control treatments showing that small insectivorous bats maintain the same echolocation behaviour when provided with visual cues under challenging conditions for echolocation. We therefore conclude that bat echolocation is a hard-wired sensory system with stereotyped compensation strategies to both target range and masking noise (i.e. Lombard response) irrespective of light conditions. In contrast, the adjustments of call intervals and movement strategies during noise exposure varied substantially between individuals indicating a degree of flexibility that likely requires higher order processing and perhaps vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Saermark Uebel
- Section for Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | | | - Kristian Beedholm
- Section for Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Laura Stidsholt
- Section for Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Ilias Foskolos
- Section for Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Wildlife Ecology, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Teglberg Madsen
- Section for Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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4
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Di Nardo F, De Marco R, Lucchetti A, Scaradozzi D. A WAV file dataset of bottlenose dolphin whistles, clicks, and pulse sounds during trawling interactions. Sci Data 2023; 10:650. [PMID: 37739950 PMCID: PMC10517007 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02547-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally, interactions between fishing activities and dolphins are cause for concern due to their negative effects on both mammals and fishermen. The recording of acoustic emissions could aid in detecting the presence of dolphins in close proximity to fishing gear, elucidating their behavior, and guiding potential management measures designed to limit this harmful phenomenon. This data descriptor presents a dataset of acoustic recordings (WAV files) collected during interactions between common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and fishing activities in the Adriatic Sea. This dataset is distinguished by the high complexity of its repertoire, which includes various different typologies of dolphin emission. Specifically, a group of free-ranging dolphins was found to emit frequency-modulated whistles, echolocation clicks, and burst pulse signals, including feeding buzzes. An analysis of signal quality based on the signal-to-noise ratio was conducted to validate the dataset. The signal digital files and corresponding features make this dataset suitable for studying dolphin behavior in order to gain a deeper understanding of their communication and interaction with fishing gear (trawl).
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Nardo
- Dipartimento di ingegneria dell'informazione, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Rocco De Marco
- Institute of Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnology (IRBIM), National Research Council (CNR), Ancona, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Lucchetti
- Institute of Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnology (IRBIM), National Research Council (CNR), Ancona, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - David Scaradozzi
- Dipartimento di ingegneria dell'informazione, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
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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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6
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Todd NRE, Kavanagh AS, Rogan E, Jessopp MJ. What the F-POD? Comparing the F-POD and C-POD for monitoring of harbor porpoise ( Phocoena phocoena). Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10186. [PMID: 37304366 PMCID: PMC10256617 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is a cost-effective method for monitoring cetacean populations compared with techniques such as aerial and ship-based surveys. The Cetacean POrpoise Detector (C-POD) has become an integral tool in monitoring programs globally for over a decade, providing standardized metrics of occurrence that can be compared across time and space. However, the phasing out of C-PODs following the development of the new Full waveform capture POD (F-POD) with increased sensitivity, improved train detection, and reduced false-positive rates represents an important methodological change in data collection, particularly when being introduced into existing monitoring programs. Here, we compare the performance of the C-POD with that of its successor, the F-POD, co-deployed in a field setting for 15 months, to monitor harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). While similar temporal trends in detections were found for both devices, the C-POD detected only 58% of the detection-positive minutes (DPM), recorded by the F-POD. Differences in detection rates were not consistent through time making it difficult to apply a correction factor or directly compare results obtained from the two PODs. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to test whether these differences in detection rates would have an effect on analyses of temporal patterns and environmental drivers of occurrence. No differences were found in seasonal patterns or the environmental correlates of porpoise occurrence (month, diel period, temperature, environmental noise, and tide). However, the C-POD failed to detect sufficient foraging rates to identify temporal patterns in foraging behavior, which were shown by the F-POD. Our results suggest that the switch to F-PODs will have little effect on determining broad-scale seasonal patterns of occurrence but may improve our understanding of fine-scale behaviors such as foraging. We highlight how care must be taken interpreting F-POD results as indicative of increased occurrence when used in time-series analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Rose Eileen Todd
- MaREI CentreEnvironmental Research Institute, University College CorkCorkIreland
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences (BEES)University College CorkCorkIreland
| | | | - Emer Rogan
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences (BEES)University College CorkCorkIreland
| | - Mark John Jessopp
- MaREI CentreEnvironmental Research Institute, University College CorkCorkIreland
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences (BEES)University College CorkCorkIreland
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7
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Moss CF, Ortiz ST, Wahlberg M. Adaptive echolocation behavior of bats and toothed whales in dynamic soundscapes. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245450. [PMID: 37161774 PMCID: PMC10184770 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Journal of Experimental Biology has a long history of reporting research discoveries on animal echolocation, the subject of this Centenary Review. Echolocating animals emit intense sound pulses and process echoes to localize objects in dynamic soundscapes. More than 1100 species of bats and 70 species of toothed whales rely on echolocation to operate in aerial and aquatic environments, respectively. The need to mitigate acoustic clutter and ambient noise is common to both aerial and aquatic echolocating animals, resulting in convergence of many echolocation features, such as directional sound emission and hearing, and decreased pulse intervals and sound intensity during target approach. The physics of sound transmission in air and underwater constrains the production, detection and localization of sonar signals, resulting in differences in response times to initiate prey interception by aerial and aquatic echolocating animals. Anti-predator behavioral responses of prey pursued by echolocating animals affect behavioral foraging strategies in air and underwater. For example, many insect prey can detect and react to bat echolocation sounds, whereas most fish and squid are unresponsive to toothed whale signals, but can instead sense water movements generated by an approaching predator. These differences have implications for how bats and toothed whales hunt using echolocation. Here, we consider the behaviors used by echolocating mammals to (1) track and intercept moving prey equipped with predator detectors, (2) interrogate dynamic sonar scenes and (3) exploit visual and passive acoustic stimuli. Similarities and differences in animal sonar behaviors underwater and in air point to open research questions that are ripe for exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia F. Moss
- Johns Hopkins University, Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience and Mechanical Engineering, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Sara Torres Ortiz
- Marine Biological Research Center, University of Southern Denmark, Hindsholmvej 11, 5300 Kerteminde, Denmark
| | - Magnus Wahlberg
- Marine Biological Research Center, University of Southern Denmark, Hindsholmvej 11, 5300 Kerteminde, Denmark
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8
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Beedholm K, Ladegaard M, Madsen PT, Tyack PL. Latencies of click-evoked auditory responses in a harbor porpoise exceed the time interval between subsequent echolocation clicks. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 153:952. [PMID: 36859123 DOI: 10.1121/10.0017163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Most auditory evoked potential (AEP) studies in echolocating toothed whales measure neural responses to outgoing clicks and returning echoes using short-latency auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) arising a few ms after acoustic stimuli. However, little is known about longer-latency cortical AEPs despite their relevance for understanding echo processing and auditory stream segregation. Here, we used a non-invasive AEP setup with low click repetition rates on a trained harbor porpoise to test the long-standing hypothesis that echo information from distant targets is completely processed before the next click is emitted. We reject this hypothesis by finding reliable click-related AEP peaks with latencies of 90 and 160 ms, which are longer than 99% of click intervals used by echolocating porpoises, demonstrating that some higher-order echo processing continues well after the next click emission even during slow clicking. We propose that some of the echo information, such as range to evasive prey, is used to guide vocal-motor responses within 50-100 ms, but that information used for discrimination and auditory scene analysis is processed more slowly, integrating information over many click-echo pairs. We conclude by showing theoretically that the identified long-latency AEPs may enable hearing sensitivity measurements at frequencies ten times lower than current ABR methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Beedholm
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark
| | - M Ladegaard
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark
| | - P T Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark
| | - P L Tyack
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, Scotland
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9
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Amundin M, Carlström J, Thomas L, Carlén I, Teilmann J, Tougaard J, Loisa O, Kyhn LA, Sveegaard S, Burt ML, Pawliczka I, Koza R, Arciszewski B, Galatius A, Laaksonlaita J, MacAuley J, Wright AJ, Gallus A, Dähne M, Acevedo‐Gutiérrez A, Benke H, Koblitz J, Tregenza N, Wennerberg D, Brundiers K, Kosecka M, Tiberi Ljungqvist C, Jussi I, Jabbusch M, Lyytinen S, Šaškov A, Blankett P. Estimating the abundance of the critically endangered Baltic Proper harbour porpoise ( Phocoena phocoena) population using passive acoustic monitoring. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8554. [PMID: 35222950 PMCID: PMC8858216 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowing the abundance of a population is a crucial component to assess its conservation status and develop effective conservation plans. For most cetaceans, abundance estimation is difficult given their cryptic and mobile nature, especially when the population is small and has a transnational distribution. In the Baltic Sea, the number of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) has collapsed since the mid-20th century and the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN and HELCOM; however, its abundance remains unknown. Here, one of the largest ever passive acoustic monitoring studies was carried out by eight Baltic Sea nations to estimate the abundance of the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise for the first time. By logging porpoise echolocation signals at 298 stations during May 2011-April 2013, calibrating the loggers' spatial detection performance at sea, and measuring the click rate of tagged individuals, we estimated an abundance of 71-1105 individuals (95% CI, point estimate 491) during May-October within the population's proposed management border. The small abundance estimate strongly supports that the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise is facing an extremely high risk of extinction, and highlights the need for immediate and efficient conservation actions through international cooperation. It also provides a starting point in monitoring the trend of the population abundance to evaluate the effectiveness of management measures and determine its interactions with the larger neighboring Belt Sea population. Further, we offer evidence that design-based passive acoustic monitoring can generate reliable estimates of the abundance of rare and cryptic animal populations across large spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia Carlström
- AquaBiota Water ResearchStockholmSweden
- Present address:
Department of Environmental Research and MonitoringSwedish Museum of Natural HistoryStockholmSweden
| | - Len Thomas
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental ModellingUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Ida Carlén
- AquaBiota Water ResearchStockholmSweden
- Present address:
Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Jonas Teilmann
- Marine Mammal ResearchDepartment of BioscienceAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
| | - Jakob Tougaard
- Marine Mammal ResearchDepartment of BioscienceAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
| | - Olli Loisa
- Turku University of Applied SciencesTurkuFinland
| | - Line A. Kyhn
- Marine Mammal ResearchDepartment of BioscienceAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
| | - Signe Sveegaard
- Marine Mammal ResearchDepartment of BioscienceAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
| | - M. Louise Burt
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental ModellingUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Iwona Pawliczka
- Prof. Krzysztof Skóra Hel Marine StationDepartment of Oceanography and GeographyUniversity of GdańskHelPoland
| | - Radomil Koza
- Prof. Krzysztof Skóra Hel Marine StationDepartment of Oceanography and GeographyUniversity of GdańskHelPoland
| | - Bartlomiej Arciszewski
- Prof. Krzysztof Skóra Hel Marine StationDepartment of Oceanography and GeographyUniversity of GdańskHelPoland
| | - Anders Galatius
- Marine Mammal ResearchDepartment of BioscienceAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
| | | | - Jamie MacAuley
- School of BiologyBute BuildingUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
- Present address:
Department of Biology ‐ ZoophysiologyAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Andrew J. Wright
- Marine Mammal ResearchDepartment of BioscienceAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
- Present address:
Fisheries and Oceans CanadaMaritimes, DartmouthNova ScotiaCanada
| | | | | | | | | | - Jens Koblitz
- German Oceanographic MuseumStralsundGermany
- Present address:
Max Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorKonstanzGermany
- Present address:
Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective BehaviourUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Present address:
Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | | | - Daniel Wennerberg
- Kolmarden Wildlife ParkKolmårdenSweden
- Present address:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Core ServicesNorrköpingSweden
| | | | - Monika Kosecka
- Prof. Krzysztof Skóra Hel Marine StationDepartment of Oceanography and GeographyUniversity of GdańskHelPoland
- Present address:
Scottish Association for Marine ScienceUniversity of Highlands and IslandsObanUK
| | - Cinthia Tiberi Ljungqvist
- Kolmarden Wildlife ParkKolmårdenSweden
- Present address:
County Administrative Board of StockholmStockholmSweden
| | - Ivar Jussi
- ProMare NPOVintriku Saula küla, Kose valdHarjumaaEstonia
| | | | | | - Aleksej Šaškov
- Marine Research instituteKlaipėda UniversityKlaipėdaLithuania
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10
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Siebert U, Stürznickel J, Schaffeld T, Oheim R, Rolvien T, Prenger-Berninghoff E, Wohlsein P, Lakemeyer J, Rohner S, Aroha Schick L, Gross S, Nachtsheim D, Ewers C, Becher P, Amling M, Morell M. Blast injury on harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the Baltic Sea after explosions of deposits of World War II ammunition. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 159:107014. [PMID: 34883460 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.107014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Harbour porpoises are under pressure from increasing human activities. This includes the detonation of ammunition that was dumped in large amounts into the sea during and after World War II. In this context, forty-two British ground mines from World War II were cleared by means of blasting in the period from 28 to 31 August 2019 by a NATO unit in the German Exclusive Economic Zone within the marine protected area of Fehmarn Belt in the Baltic Sea, Germany. Between September and November 2019, 24 harbour porpoises were found dead in the period after those clearing events along the coastline of the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein and were investigated for direct and indirect effects of blast injury. Health evaluations were conducted including examinations of the brain, the air-filled (lungs and gastrointestinal tract) and acoustic organs (melon, acoustic fat in the lower jaw, ears and their surrounding tissues). The bone structure of the tympano-periotic complexes was examined using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT). In 8/24 harbour porpoises, microfractures of the malleus, dislocation of middle ear bones, bleeding, and haemorrhages in the melon, lower jaw and peribullar acoustic fat were detected, suggesting blast injury. In addition, one bycaught animal and another porpoise with signs of blunt force trauma also showed evidence of blast injury. The cause of death of the other 14 animals varied and remained unclear in two individuals. Due to the vulnerability and the conservation status of harbour porpoise populations in the Baltic Sea, noise mitigation measures must be improved to prevent any risk of injury. The data presented here highlight the importance of systematic investigations into the acute and chronic effects of blast and acoustic trauma in harbour porpoises, improving the understanding of underwater noise effects and herewith develop effective measures to protect the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany.
| | - Julian Stürznickel
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Lottestr. 59, 22529 Hamburg, Germany; Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Division of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Schaffeld
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Ralf Oheim
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Lottestr. 59, 22529 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tim Rolvien
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Lottestr. 59, 22529 Hamburg, Germany; Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Division of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ellen Prenger-Berninghoff
- Institute for Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Frankfurter Str. 85-87, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Peter Wohlsein
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jan Lakemeyer
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Simon Rohner
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Luca Aroha Schick
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Stephanie Gross
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Dominik Nachtsheim
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Christa Ewers
- Institute for Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Frankfurter Str. 85-87, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Paul Becher
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Michael Amling
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Lottestr. 59, 22529 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Morell
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany
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11
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Wright BM, Deecke VB, Ellis GM, Trites AW, Ford JKB. Behavioral context of echolocation and prey-handling sounds produced by killer whales ( Orcinus orca) during pursuit and capture of Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.). MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE 2021; 37:1428-1453. [PMID: 34690418 PMCID: PMC8519075 DOI: 10.1111/mms.12836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Availability of preferred salmonid prey and a sufficiently quiet acoustic environment in which to forage are critical to the survival of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the northeastern Pacific. Although piscivorous killer whales rely on echolocation to locate and track prey, the relationship between echolocation, movement, and prey capture during foraging by wild individuals is poorly understood. We used acoustic biologging tags to relate echolocation behavior to prey pursuit and capture during successful feeding dives by fish-eating killer whales in coastal British Columbia, Canada. The significantly higher incidence and rate of echolocation prior to fish captures compared to afterward confirms its importance in prey detection and tracking. Extremely rapid click sequences (buzzes) were produced before or concurrent with captures of salmon at depths typically exceeding 50 m, and were likely used by killer whales for close-range prey targeting, as in other odontocetes. Distinctive crunching and tearing sounds indicative of prey-handling behavior occurred at relatively shallow depths following fish captures, matching concurrent observations that whales surfaced with fish prior to consumption and often shared prey. Buzzes and prey-handling sounds are potentially useful acoustic signals for estimating foraging efficiency and determining if resident killer whales are meeting their energetic requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna M. Wright
- Pacific Biological StationFisheries and Oceans CanadaNanaimoBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Marine Mammal Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and FisheriesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Volker B. Deecke
- Institute of Science, Natural Resources and Outdoor StudiesUniversity of CumbriaAmblesideCumbriaUnited Kingdom
| | - Graeme M. Ellis
- Pacific Biological StationFisheries and Oceans CanadaNanaimoBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Andrew W. Trites
- Marine Mammal Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and FisheriesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - John K. B. Ford
- Pacific Biological StationFisheries and Oceans CanadaNanaimoBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Marine Mammal Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and FisheriesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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12
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Malinka CE, Rojano-Doñate L, Madsen PT. Directional biosonar beams allow echolocating harbour porpoises to actively discriminate and intercept closely spaced targets. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:271830. [PMID: 34387665 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Echolocating toothed whales face the problem that high sound speeds in water mean that echoes from closely spaced targets will arrive at time delays within their reported auditory integration time of some 264 µs. Here, we test the hypothesis that echolocating harbour porpoises cannot resolve and discriminate targets within a clutter interference zone given by their integration time. To do this, we trained two harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) to actively approach and choose between two spherical targets at four varying inter-target distances (13.5, 27, 56 and 108 cm) in a two-alternative forced-choice task. The free-swimming, blindfolded porpoises were tagged with a sound and movement tag (DTAG4) to record their echoic scene and acoustic outputs. The known ranges between targets and the porpoise, combined with the sound levels received on target-mounted hydrophones revealed how the porpoises controlled their acoustic gaze. When targets were close together, the discrimination task was more difficult because of smaller echo time delays and lower echo level ratios between the targets. Under these conditions, buzzes were longer and started from farther away, source levels were reduced at short ranges, and the porpoises clicked faster, scanned across the targets more, and delayed making their discrimination decision until closer to the target. We conclude that harbour porpoises can resolve and discriminate closely spaced targets, suggesting a clutter rejection zone much shorter than their auditory integration time, and that such clutter rejection is greatly aided by spatial filtering with their directional biosonar beam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe E Malinka
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Laia Rojano-Doñate
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Peter T Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
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13
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Malinka CE, Tønnesen P, Dunn CA, Claridge DE, Gridley T, Elwen SH, Teglberg Madsen P. Echolocation click parameters and biosonar behaviour of the dwarf sperm whale ( Kogia sima). J Exp Biol 2021; 224:224/6/jeb240689. [PMID: 33771935 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.240689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sima) are small toothed whales that produce narrow-band high-frequency (NBHF) echolocation clicks. Such NBHF clicks, subject to high levels of acoustic absorption, are usually produced by small, shallow-diving odontocetes, such as porpoises, in keeping with their short-range echolocation and fast click rates. Here, we sought to address the problem of how the little-studied and deep-diving Kogia can hunt with NBHF clicks in the deep sea. Specifically, we tested the hypotheses that Kogia produce NBHF clicks with longer inter-click intervals (ICIs), higher directionality and higher source levels (SLs) compared with other NBHF species. We did this by deploying an autonomous deep-water vertical hydrophone array in the Bahamas, where no other NBHF species are present, and by taking opportunistic recordings of a close-range Kogia sima in a South African harbour. Parameters from on-axis clicks (n=46) in the deep revealed very narrow-band clicks (root mean squared bandwidth, BWRMS, of 3±1 kHz), with SLs of up to 197 dB re. 1 µPa peak-to-peak (μPapp) at 1 m, and a half-power beamwidth of 8.8 deg. Their ICIs (mode of 245 ms) were much longer than those of porpoises (<100 ms), suggesting an inspection range that is longer than detection ranges of single prey, perhaps to facilitate auditory streaming of a complex echo scene. On-axis clicks in the shallow harbour (n=870) had ICIs and SLs in keeping with source parameters of other NBHF cetaceans. Thus, in the deep, dwarf sperm whales use a directional, but short-range echolocation system with moderate SLs, suggesting a reliable mesopelagic prey habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe E Malinka
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Pernille Tønnesen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Charlotte A Dunn
- Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation (BMMRO), Sandy Point, Abaco, Bahamas.,Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Diane E Claridge
- Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation (BMMRO), Sandy Point, Abaco, Bahamas.,Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Tess Gridley
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7605, South Africa.,Sea Search Research and Conservation, Muizenberg, Cape Town 7945, South Africa
| | - Simon H Elwen
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7605, South Africa.,Sea Search Research and Conservation, Muizenberg, Cape Town 7945, South Africa
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14
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Serres A, Xu C, Hao Y, Wang D. The Click Production of Captive Yangtze Finless Porpoises ( Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaorientalis) Is Influenced by Social and Environmental Factors. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11020511. [PMID: 33669231 PMCID: PMC7919832 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Yangtze finless porpoises’ high-frequency clicks have often been studied and used for wild population surveys. However, the influence of captive environmental and social variables on Yangtze finless porpoises’ production of such signals has never been investigated. In the present study, the click production of a group of captive Yangtze finless porpoises was analyzed across various contexts. This click production was significantly impacted by temporal factors (season), social factors (social separation), and environmental factors (training sessions, presence of enrichment, noise, presence of visitors). The patterns found in this study may be useful for further monitoring of the welfare of captive groups of Yangtze finless porpoises (e.g., welfare assessments) as well as for improving wild surveys (e.g., more accurate interpretation of click density). Abstract Yangtze finless porpoises use high-frequency clicks to navigate, forage, and communicate. The way in which click production may vary depending on social or environmental context has never been investigated. A group of five captive Yangtze finless porpoises was monitored for one year, and 107 h of audio recordings was collected under different conditions. Using a MATLAB-generated interface, we extracted click density (i.e., number of clicks per minute) from these recordings and analyzed its variation depending on the context. As expected, click density increased as the number of animals present increased. The click density did not exhibit diurnal variations but did have seasonal variations, with click density being highest in summer and fall. Yangtze finless porpoises produced more clicks when socially separated than when not (136% more), during training/feeding sessions than outside of such sessions (312% more), when enrichment was provided (265% more on average), and when noisy events occurred rather than when no unusual event occurred (22% more). The click density decreased when many visitors were present in the facility (up to 35% less). These results show that Yangtze finless porpoises modulate their click production depending on the context and suggest that their echolocation activity and their emotional state may be linked to these changes. Such context-dependent variations also indicate the potential usefulness of monitoring acoustical activity as part of a welfare assessment tool in this species. Additionally, the click density variation found in captivity could be useful for understanding click rate variations of wild populations that are hardly visible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agathe Serres
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430000, China;
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100864, China
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (Y.H.)
| | - Chen Xu
- School of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China;
| | - Yujiang Hao
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430000, China;
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (Y.H.)
| | - Ding Wang
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430000, China;
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Dähne M, Bär T, Gallus A, Benke H, Herold E, Stilz P. No need to shout? Harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) echolocate quietly in confined murky waters of the Wadden Sea. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 148:EL382. [PMID: 33138503 DOI: 10.1121/10.0002347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Porpoise echolocation parameters may vary depending on their acoustic habitat and predominant behavior. Research was conducted in the Wadden Sea, an acoustically complex, tidally driven habitat with high particle resuspension. Source levels and echolocation parameters of wild harbor porpoises were estimated from time-of-arrival-differences of a six-element hydrophone array. The back-calculated peak-to-peak apparent source level of 169 ± 5 dB re 1 μPa was significantly lower than reported from Inner Danish Waters (-20 dB) and British Columbia (-9 dB) with narrower bandwidth. Porpoises therefore reduce their source level in the Wadden Sea under acoustically complex conditions suggesting an avoidance of cluttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Dähne
- Deutsches Meeresmuseum, Katharinenberg 14-20, 18439 Stralsund, Germany
| | - Tom Bär
- Deutsches Meeresmuseum, Katharinenberg 14-20, 18439 Stralsund, Germany
| | - Anja Gallus
- Deutsches Meeresmuseum, Katharinenberg 14-20, 18439 Stralsund, Germany
| | - Harald Benke
- Deutsches Meeresmuseum, Katharinenberg 14-20, 18439 Stralsund, Germany
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16
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Macaulay JDJ, Malinka CE, Gillespie D, Madsen PT. High resolution three-dimensional beam radiation pattern of harbour porpoise clicks with implications for passive acoustic monitoring. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 147:4175. [PMID: 32611133 DOI: 10.1121/10.0001376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The source properties and radiation patterns of animal vocalisations define, along with propagation and noise conditions, the active space in which these vocalisations can be detected by conspecifics, predators, prey, and by passive acoustic monitoring (PAM). This study reports the 4π (360° horizontal and vertical) beam profile of a free-swimming, trained harbour porpoise measured using a 27-element hydrophone array. The forward echolocation beam is highly directional, as predicted by a piston model, and is consistent with previous measurements. However, at off-axis angles greater than ±30°, the beam attenuates more rapidly than the piston model and no side lobes are present. A diffuse back beam is also present with levels about -30 dB relative to the source level. In PAM, up to 50% of detections can be from portions of the beam profile with distorted click spectra, although this drops substantially for higher detection thresholds. Simulations of the probability of acoustically detecting a harbour porpoise show that a traditional piston model can underestimate the probability of detection compared to the actual three-dimensional radiation pattern documented here. This highlights the importance of empirical 4π measurements of beam profiles of toothed whales, both to improve understanding of toothed whale biology and to inform PAM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie D J Macaulay
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of Saint Andrews, East Sands, Saint Andrews, Fife, KY16 9LB, United Kingdom
| | - Chloe E Malinka
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Douglas Gillespie
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of Saint Andrews, East Sands, Saint Andrews, Fife, KY16 9LB, United Kingdom
| | - Peter T Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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17
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Castellote M, Small RJ, Lammers MO, Jenniges J, Mondragon J, Garner CD, Atkinson S, Delevaux JMS, Graham R, Westerholt D. Seasonal distribution and foraging occurrence of Cook Inlet beluga whales based on passive acoustic monitoring. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2020. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A paucity of information on the basic biology and ecology of Cook Inlet beluga whales Delphinapterus leucas remains a decade after the species was listed as endangered in 2008. The causes of its continued decline remain unclear. This lack of knowledge limits our understanding of, and ability to manage, potential threats impeding the recovery of this endangered population. Seasonal distribution and foraging ecology, particularly during winter, are currently among the most basic gaps in knowledge. Therefore, we conducted a year-round passive acoustic monitoring program from 2008-2013, monitoring 13 locations within the belugas’ critical habitat. We identified seasonal occurrence patterns across years at most locations. Detections were higher in the upper inlet during summer, peaking in known concentration areas. The occurrence of whales in the upper inlet when ice coverage peaked during winter was more prevalent than previously suggested. We documented seasonal differences in foraging habitat preference, with foraging behavior more prevalent during summer, particularly near upper inlet rivers, than during winter. Foraging peaks coincided with the presence of different anadromous fish runs from spring to fall. Low levels of feeding activity in winter suggest a lack of feeding aggregation areas, feeding in non-monitored offshore waters, or increased effort on benthic prey. These results represent a substantial contribution to our knowledge of Cook Inlet beluga seasonal distribution and foraging ecology, which will strengthen conservation and management strategies and thus more effectively promote recovery of this endangered population.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Castellote
- Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO), University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
| | - RJ Small
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Juneau, AK 99811, USA
| | - MO Lammers
- Oceanwide Science Institute, Honolulu, HI 96839, USA
| | - J Jenniges
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Douglas, AK 99824, USA
| | - J Mondragon
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Juneau, AK 99811, USA
| | - CD Garner
- Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, US Air Force Conservation Department, 673 CES CEIEC, JBER, Anchorage, AK 99506, USA
| | - S Atkinson
- School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
| | - JMS Delevaux
- Oceanwide Science Institute, Honolulu, HI 96839, USA
| | - R Graham
- Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1490, USA
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18
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Interacting effects of vessel noise and shallow river depth elevate metabolic stress in Ganges river dolphins. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15426. [PMID: 31659202 PMCID: PMC6817857 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51664-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In riverine ‘soundscapes’, complex interactions between sound, substrate type, and depth create difficulties in assessing impacts of anthropogenic noise pollution on freshwater fauna. Underwater noise from vessels can negatively affect endangered Ganges river dolphins (Platanista gangetica), which are ‘almost blind’ and rely entirely on high-frequency echolocation clicks to sense their environment. We conducted field-based acoustic recordings and modelling to assess acoustic responses of Platanista to underwater noise exposure from vessels in the Ganga River (India), which is now being transformed into a major waterway. Dolphins showed enhanced activity during acute noise exposure and suppressed activity during chronic exposure. Increase in ambient noise levels altered dolphin acoustic responses, strongly masked echolocation clicks, and more than doubled metabolic stress. Noise impacts were further aggravated during dry-season river depth reduction. Maintaining ecological flows, downscaling of vessel traffic, and propeller modifications to reduce cavitation noise, could help mitigate noise impacts on Ganges river dolphins.
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Maezawa T, Matsuishi T, Ito K, Kaji S, Tsunokawa M, Kawahara JI. The Effects of Visual Impediment on the Approaching Behavior of Harbor Porpoise, Phocoena phocoena. MAMMAL STUDY 2019. [DOI: 10.3106/ms2019-0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomoki Maezawa
- Department of Psychology, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takashi Matsuishi
- Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education, Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Kiyohide Ito
- Department of Media Architecture, Future University Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan
| | | | | | - Jun I. Kawahara
- Department of Psychology, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
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20
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Smith AB, Pacini AF, Nachtigall PE, Laule GE, Aragones LV, Magno C, Suarez LJA. Transmission beam pattern and dynamics of a spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris). THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 145:3595. [PMID: 31255135 DOI: 10.1121/1.5111347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Toothed whales possess a sophisticated biosonar system by which ultrasonic clicks are projected in a highly directional transmission beam. Beam directivity is an important biosonar characteristic that reduces acoustic clutter and increases the acoustic detection range. This study measured click characteristics and the transmission beam pattern from a small odontocete, the spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostis). A formerly stranded individual was rehabilitated and trained to station underwater in front of a 16-element hydrophone array. On-axis clicks showed a mean duration of 20.1 μs, with mean peak and centroid frequencies of 58 and 64 kHz [standard deviation (s.d.) ±30 and ±12 kHz], respectively. Clicks were projected in an oval, vertically compressed beam, with mean vertical and horizontal beamwidths of 14.5° (s.d. ± 3.9) and 16.3° (s.d. ± 4.6), respectively. Directivity indices ranged from 14.9 to 27.4 dB, with a mean of 21.7 dB, although this likely represents a broader beam than what is normally produced by wild individuals. A click subset with characteristics more similar to those described for wild individuals exhibited a mean directivity index of 23.3 dB. Although one of the broadest transmission beams described for a dolphin, it is similar to other small bodied odontocetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam B Smith
- Marine Mammal Research Program, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Kaneohe, Hawaii 96744, USA
| | - Aude F Pacini
- Marine Mammal Research Program, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Kaneohe, Hawaii 96744, USA
| | - Paul E Nachtigall
- Marine Mammal Research Program, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Kaneohe, Hawaii 96744, USA
| | - Gail E Laule
- Ocean Adventure, Camayan Wharf, West Ilanin Forest, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines
| | - Lemnuel V Aragones
- Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Carlo Magno
- Ocean Adventure, Camayan Wharf, West Ilanin Forest, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines
| | - Leo J A Suarez
- Ocean Adventure, Camayan Wharf, West Ilanin Forest, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines
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21
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Zein B, Woelfing B, Dähne M, Schaffeld T, Ludwig S, Rye JH, Baltzer J, Ruser A, Siebert U. Time and tide: Seasonal, diel and tidal rhythms in Wadden Sea Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213348. [PMID: 30893334 PMCID: PMC6426179 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Odontocetes have evolved a rich diversity of prey- and habitat-specific foraging strategies, which allows them to feed opportunistically on locally and temporally abundant prey. While habitat-specific foraging strategies have been documented for some odontocete species, this is less known for the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). We collected multiple years of acoustic data using echolocation click loggers to analyse porpoise occurrence and buzzing behaviour, indicating feeding, in the German Wadden Sea (North Sea). Seasonal, diel and tidal effects were studied using Generalised Estimating Equations (GEE-GAMs). Locally season, time of day and tidal time significantly influenced the probability of porpoise detections and detection of foraging sequences (buzzes). Hunting strategies, and therefore frequency of buzzes, were likely affected by prey distribution and large differences between POD locations indicated that porpoises used highly specific behaviour adapted to tide and time of day to efficiently feed on the available prey. Strong seasonal and spatial variation in diel and tidal effects underline the importance of long-term observations. Studies on porpoise behaviour are often based on short-term observations and might rather reflect a seasonal than a general pattern. The results of this study show clearly that significant changes in porpoise behaviour can be found in short and long-term observations. Here some features are based on short term determinants and others are stable over years and care should be taken about drawing general conclusions based on local patterns. Highly variable spatio-temporal patterns indicate a high flexibility of porpoises in a highly variable environment and address a challenge for complex conservation management plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beate Zein
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Büsum, Germany
- School of Geography & Geosciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Benno Woelfing
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Büsum, Germany
| | - Michael Dähne
- German Oceanographic Museum, Stralsund, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
| | - Tobias Schaffeld
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Büsum, Germany
| | - Stefan Ludwig
- German Navy Headquarters, Geo-Information Division, METOC Support, Rostock, Germany
| | - Jacob Hansen Rye
- The Danish Coastal Authority, Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark, Lemvig, Denmark
| | - Johannes Baltzer
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Büsum, Germany
| | - Andreas Ruser
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Büsum, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Büsum, Germany
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22
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Wisniewska DM, Johnson M, Teilmann J, Siebert U, Galatius A, Dietz R, Madsen PT. High rates of vessel noise disrupt foraging in wild harbour porpoises ( Phocoena phocoena). Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2017.2314. [PMID: 29445018 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Shipping is the dominant marine anthropogenic noise source in the world's oceans, yet we know little about vessel encounter rates, exposure levels and behavioural reactions for cetaceans in the wild, many of which rely on sound for foraging, communication and social interactions. Here, we used animal-borne acoustic tags to measure vessel noise exposure and foraging efforts in seven harbour porpoises in highly trafficked coastal waters. Tagged porpoises encountered vessel noise 17-89% of the time and occasional high-noise levels coincided with vigorous fluking, bottom diving, interrupted foraging and even cessation of echolocation, leading to significantly fewer prey capture attempts at received levels greater than 96 dB re 1 µPa (16 kHz third-octave). If such exposures occur frequently, porpoises, which have high metabolic requirements, may be unable to compensate energetically with negative long-term fitness consequences. That shipping noise disrupts foraging in the high-frequency-hearing porpoise raises concerns that other toothed whale species may also be affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danuta Maria Wisniewska
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark .,Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - Mark Johnson
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Jonas Teilmann
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buesum, Germany
| | - Anders Galatius
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Teglberg Madsen
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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23
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Ladegaard M, Madsen PT. Context-dependent biosonar adjustments during active target approaches in echolocating harbour porpoises. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.206169. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.206169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Echolocating mammals generally target individual prey items by transitioning through the biosonar phases of search (slow-rate, high-amplitude outputs), approach (gradually increasing rate and decreasing output amplitude) and buzzing (high-rate, low-amplitude outputs). The range to the main target of interest is often considered the key or sole driver of such biosonar adjustments of acoustic gaze. However, the actively-generated auditory scene of an echolocator is invariably comprised of a large number of other reflectors and noise sources that likely also impact the biosonar strategies and source parameters implemented by an echolocating animal in time and space. In toothed whales the importance of context on biosonar adjustments is largely unknown. To address this, we trained two harbour porpoises to actively approach the same sound recording target over the same approach distance in two highly different environments; a PVC-lined pool and a semi-natural net pen in a harbour, while blind-folded and wearing a sound recording tag (DTAG-4). We show that the approaching porpoises used considerably shorter interclick intervals (ICI) in the pool than in the net pen, except during the buzz phase where slightly longer ICIs were used in the pool. We further show that average click source levels were 4-7 dB higher in the net pen. Because of the very low-level in-band ambient noise in both environments, we posit that the porpoises adapted their echolocation strategy to the different reverberation levels between the two settings. We demonstrate that harbour porpoises use different echolocation strategies and biosonar parameters in two different environments for solving an otherwise identical target approach task and thus highlight that biosonar adjustments are both range and context-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ladegaard
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Teglberg Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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24
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Nuuttila HK, Brundiers K, Dähne M, Koblitz JC, Thomas L, Courtene‐Jones W, Evans PGH, Turner JR, Bennell JD, Hiddink JG. Estimating effective detection area of static passive acoustic data loggers from playback experiments with cetacean vocalisations. Methods Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanna K. Nuuttila
- SEACAMS Department of BiosciencesUniversity of Swansea Swansea UK
- School of Ocean SciencesUniversity of BangorMenai Bridge Anglesey Wales
| | | | | | - Jens C. Koblitz
- German Oceanographic Museum Stralsund Germany
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Department of Collective BehaviourMax Planck Institute for Ornithology Konstanz Germany
| | - Len Thomas
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental ModellingUniversity of St Andrews St Andrews Scotland
| | | | | | - John R. Turner
- School of Ocean SciencesUniversity of BangorMenai Bridge Anglesey Wales
| | - Jim D. Bennell
- School of Ocean SciencesUniversity of BangorMenai Bridge Anglesey Wales
| | - Jan G. Hiddink
- School of Ocean SciencesUniversity of BangorMenai Bridge Anglesey Wales
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25
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Lee JH, Lewis KM, Moural TW, Kirilenko B, Borgonovo B, Prange G, Koessl M, Huggenberger S, Kang C, Hiller M. Molecular parallelism in fast-twitch muscle proteins in echolocating mammals. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaat9660. [PMID: 30263960 PMCID: PMC6157964 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat9660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Detecting associations between genomic changes and phenotypic differences is fundamental to understanding how phenotypes evolved. By systematically screening for parallel amino acid substitutions, we detected known as well as novel cases (Strc, Tecta, and Cabp2) of parallelism between echolocating bats and toothed whales in proteins that could contribute to high-frequency hearing adaptations. Our screen also showed that echolocating mammals exhibit an unusually high number of parallel substitutions in fast-twitch muscle fiber proteins. Both echolocating bats and toothed whales produce an extremely rapid call rate when homing in on their prey, which was shown in bats to be powered by specialized superfast muscles. We show that these genes with parallel substitutions (Casq1, Atp2a1, Myh2, and Myl1) are expressed in the superfast sound-producing muscle of bats. Furthermore, we found that the calcium storage protein calsequestrin 1 of the little brown bat and the bottlenose dolphin functionally converged in its ability to form calcium-sequestering polymers at lower calcium concentrations, which may contribute to rapid calcium transients required for superfast muscle physiology. The proteins that our genomic screen detected could be involved in the convergent evolution of vocalization in echolocating mammals by potentially contributing to both rapid Ca2+ transients and increased shortening velocities in superfast muscles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Hoe Lee
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kevin M. Lewis
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164–4630, USA
| | - Timothy W. Moural
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164–4630, USA
| | - Bogdan Kirilenko
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Barbara Borgonovo
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Gisa Prange
- Institute for Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Manfred Koessl
- Institute for Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Huggenberger
- Department II of Anatomy—Neuroanatomy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - ChulHee Kang
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164–4630, USA
| | - Michael Hiller
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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26
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Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) sonar slacks off before touching a non-alimentary target. Behav Processes 2018; 157:337-345. [PMID: 30059762 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Odontocetes modulate the rhythm of their echolocation clicks to draw information about their environment. When they approach preys to capture, they speed up their emissions to increase the sampling rate of "distant touch" and improve information update. This global acceleration turns into a "terminal buzz" also described in bats, which is a click train with drastic increase in rate, just as reaching the prey. This study documents and analyses under human care bottlenose dolphins' echolocation activity, when approaching non-alimentary targets. Four dolphins' locomotor and clicking behaviours were recorded during training sessions, when sent to immersed objects pointed by their trainers. Results illustrate that these dolphins profusely use echolocation towards immersed non-alimentary objects. They accelerate click emission when approaching the target, thus displaying a classical terminal buzz. However, their terminal buzz slackens off within a quarter of second before the end of click train. Typically, they decelerate to stop clicking just before they touch the object using their rostrum lower tip. They do not emit clicks as the contact lasts. In conclusion, when exploring inert objects, bottlenose dolphins under human accelerate clicking like other odontocetes or bats approaching preys. Bottlenose dolphins' particular slackening-off profile at the end of the buzz shows that they anticipate the moment of direct contact, and they stop just as real touch relays distant touch of the object.
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27
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Sørensen PM, Wisniewska DM, Jensen FH, Johnson M, Teilmann J, Madsen PT. Click communication in wild harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). Sci Rep 2018; 8:9702. [PMID: 29946073 PMCID: PMC6018799 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28022-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Social delphinids employ a vocal repertoire of clicks for echolocation and whistles for communication. Conversely, the less social and acoustically cryptic harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) only produce narrow-band high-frequency (NBHF) clicks with properties that appear poorly suited for communication. Nevertheless, these small odontocetes likely mediate social interactions, such as mate choice and mother-calf contact, with sound. Here, we deployed six tags (DTAG3) on wild porpoises in Danish waters for a total of 96 hours to investigate if the patterns and use of stereotyped NBHF click trains are consistent with a communication function. We show that wild porpoises produce frequent (up to 27 • min-1), high-repetition rate click series with repetition rates and output levels different from those of foraging buzzes. These sounds are produced in bouts and frequently co-occur with emission of similar sounds by nearby conspecifics, audible on the tags for >10% of the time. These results suggest that social interactions are more important to this species than their limited social encounters at the surface may indicate and that these interactions are mediated by at least two broad categories of calls composed of short, high-repetition rate click trains that may encode information via the repetition rate of their stereotyped NBHF clicks.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Sørensen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, C.F. Moellers Allé 3, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - D M Wisniewska
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, C.F. Moellers Allé 3, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, 120 Ocean View Blvd, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, USA
| | - F H Jensen
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, DK, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 6b, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - M Johnson
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, C.F. Moellers Allé 3, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, United Kingdom
| | - J Teilmann
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - P T Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, C.F. Moellers Allé 3, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, DK, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 6b, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
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28
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Diagnosis of atlanto-occipital dissociation: Standardised measurements of normal craniocervical relationship in finless porpoises (genus Neophocaena) using postmortem computed tomography. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8474. [PMID: 29855530 PMCID: PMC5981431 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26866-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the different craniocervical structures in humans and cetaceans, a standardised method assessing the normal craniocervical relationship in cetaceans is lacking, causing difficulties in defining the presence of atlanto-occipital dissociation (AOD) in cetaceans. The present study aimed to 1) describe a novel standardised method of determining the normal craniocervical relationships, and 2) define the 95% accuracy range of the normal craniocervical relationship in finless porpoises (genus Neophocaena), that allowed AOD diagnosis. Fifty-five out 83 stranded or by-caught finless porpoise carcasses were analyzed in term of their craniocervical relationship in dorsal-ventral and medial-lateral dimension, using postmortem computed tomography measurements. The normal craniocervical relationship in both dorsal-ventral (mean BD/OV: 0.87 ± 0.24 [2 SD]) and medial-lateral dimension (mean VR/VL: 0.98 ± 0.17 [2 SD]) was first defined. The 95% accuracy ranges of the normal craniocervical relationship in dorsal-ventral (0.63–1.11) and medial-lateral dimension (0.82–1.15) were proposed. The baseline ranges could facilitate AOD assessment, and provide an objective means of record for AOD related injury and death of cetaceans caused by anthropogenic trauma. The technique developed may be applied to live cetaceans with abnormal craniocervical relationship to aid diagnosis and guide corrective therapy.
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29
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Nuuttila HK, Bertelli CM, Mendzil A, Dearle N. Seasonal and diel patterns in cetacean use and foraging at a potential marine renewable energy site. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 129:633-644. [PMID: 29108737 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.10.051] [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] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Marine renewable energy (MRE) developments often coincide with sites frequented by small cetaceans. To understand habitat use and assess potential impact from development, echolocation clicks were recorded with acoustic click loggers (C-PODs) in Swansea Bay, Wales (UK). General Additive Models (GAMs) were applied to assess the effects of covariates including month, hour, tidal range and temperature. Analysis of inter-click intervals allowed the identification of potential foraging events as well as patterns of presence and absence. Data revealed year-round presence of porpoise, with distinct seasonal and diel patterns. Occasional acoustic encounters of dolphins were also recorded. This study provides further evidence of the need for assessing temporal trends in cetacean presence and habitat use in areas considered for development. These findings could assist MRE companies to monitor and mitigate against disturbance from construction, operation and decommissioning activities by avoiding times when porpoise presence and foraging activity is highest in the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna K Nuuttila
- SEACAMS, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK.
| | - Chiara M Bertelli
- SEACAMS, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Anouska Mendzil
- SEACAMS, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Nessa Dearle
- SEACAMS, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
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30
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Smith AB, Pacini AF, Nachtigall PE. Modulation rate transfer functions from four species of stranded odontocete (Stenella longirostris, Feresa attenuata, Globicephala melas, and Mesoplodon densirostris). J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2018; 204:377-389. [PMID: 29350260 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-018-1246-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Odontocete marine mammals explore the environment by rapidly producing echolocation signals and receiving the corresponding echoes, which likewise return at very rapid rates. Thus, it is important that the auditory system has a high temporal resolution to effectively process and extract relevant information from click echoes. This study used auditory evoked potential methods to investigate auditory temporal resolution of individuals from four different odontocete species, including a spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris), pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata), long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas), and Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris). Each individual had previously stranded and was undergoing rehabilitation. Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABRs) were elicited via acoustic stimuli consisting of a train of broadband tone pulses presented at rates between 300 and 2000 Hz. Similar to other studied species, modulation rate transfer functions (MRTFs) of the studied individuals followed the shape of a low-pass filter, with the ability to process acoustic stimuli at presentation rates up to and exceeding 1250 Hz. Auditory integration times estimated from the bandwidths of the MRTFs ranged between 250 and 333 µs. The results support the hypothesis that high temporal resolution is conserved throughout the diverse range of odontocete species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam B Smith
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 2538 McCarthy Mall, Edmondson Hall Room 216, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA. .,Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, 46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA.
| | - Aude F Pacini
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 2538 McCarthy Mall, Edmondson Hall Room 216, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.,Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, 46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - Paul E Nachtigall
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 2538 McCarthy Mall, Edmondson Hall Room 216, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.,Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, 46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA
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31
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Verfuss UK, Gillespie D, Gordon J, Marques TA, Miller B, Plunkett R, Theriault JA, Tollit DJ, Zitterbart DP, Hubert P, Thomas L. Comparing methods suitable for monitoring marine mammals in low visibility conditions during seismic surveys. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 126:1-18. [PMID: 29421075 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Loud sound emitted during offshore industrial activities can impact marine mammals. Regulations typically prescribe marine mammal monitoring before and/or during these activities to implement mitigation measures that minimise potential acoustic impacts. Using seismic surveys under low visibility conditions as a case study, we review which monitoring methods are suitable and compare their relative strengths and weaknesses. Passive acoustic monitoring has been implemented as either a complementary or alternative method to visual monitoring in low visibility conditions. Other methods such as RADAR, active sonar and thermal infrared have also been tested, but are rarely recommended by regulatory bodies. The efficiency of the monitoring method(s) will depend on the animal behaviour and environmental conditions, however, using a combination of complementary systems generally improves the overall detection performance. We recommend that the performance of monitoring systems, over a range of conditions, is explored in a modelling framework for a variety of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula K Verfuss
- SMRU Consulting, Europe, New Technology Centre, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SR, UK.
| | - Douglas Gillespie
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Jonathan Gordon
- Marine Ecological Research, 7 Beechwood Terrace West, Newport-On-Tay, Fife DD6 8JH, UK
| | - Tiago A Marques
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, The Observatory, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - Brianne Miller
- SMRU Consulting, North America, 1529 W 6th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1R1, Canada
| | - Rachael Plunkett
- SMRU Consulting, Europe, New Technology Centre, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SR, UK
| | - James A Theriault
- Ocean Environmental Consulting, 9 Ravine Park Cres, Halifax B3M 4S6, NS, Canada
| | - Dominic J Tollit
- SMRU Consulting, North America, 1529 W 6th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1R1, Canada
| | - Daniel P Zitterbart
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Philippe Hubert
- Prove Systems Ltd, Unit 1 Mill court, Mill lane, Tayport, Fife DD6 9EL, UK
| | - Len Thomas
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, The Observatory, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9LZ, UK
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32
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Frasier KE, Roch MA, Soldevilla MS, Wiggins SM, Garrison LP, Hildebrand JA. Automated classification of dolphin echolocation click types from the Gulf of Mexico. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005823. [PMID: 29216184 PMCID: PMC5720518 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Delphinids produce large numbers of short duration, broadband echolocation clicks which may be useful for species classification in passive acoustic monitoring efforts. A challenge in echolocation click classification is to overcome the many sources of variability to recognize underlying patterns across many detections. An automated unsupervised network-based classification method was developed to simulate the approach a human analyst uses when categorizing click types: Clusters of similar clicks were identified by incorporating multiple click characteristics (spectral shape and inter-click interval distributions) to distinguish within-type from between-type variation, and identify distinct, persistent click types. Once click types were established, an algorithm for classifying novel detections using existing clusters was tested. The automated classification method was applied to a dataset of 52 million clicks detected across five monitoring sites over two years in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Seven distinct click types were identified, one of which is known to be associated with an acoustically identifiable delphinid (Risso’s dolphin) and six of which are not yet identified. All types occurred at multiple monitoring locations, but the relative occurrence of types varied, particularly between continental shelf and slope locations. Automatically-identified click types from autonomous seafloor recorders without verifiable species identification were compared with clicks detected on sea-surface towed hydrophone arrays in the presence of visually identified delphinid species. These comparisons suggest potential species identities for the animals producing some echolocation click types. The network-based classification method presented here is effective for rapid, unsupervised delphinid click classification across large datasets in which the click types may not be known a priori. Health of marine mammal populations is often considered an indicator of overall marine ecosystem health and resilience, particularly in highly-impacted regions such as the Gulf of Mexico. Marine mammal populations are difficult to monitor given the many challenges of observing animals at sea (e.g. weather, limited daylight, ocean conditions, and expense). An increasingly common approach is the use of underwater acoustic sensors capable of recording marine mammal calls at remote locations for months at a time. Acoustic sensors generate large datasets in which dolphin echolocation clicks are commonly present. Dolphins are the most diverse family of marine mammals, and distinguishing click characteristics have only been described for a small subset of species. We developed a workflow to automatically identify distinct dolphin click types within large datasets without prior knowledge of their distinguishing features. Our algorithm then recognizes these click types in novel recording data across a range of monitoring locations. Known species-specific click types emerge from the data using this approach, as well as new click types potentially associated with additional species. This technique is a key step toward determining species identification for passive acoustic monitoring of offshore populations of dolphins and other toothed whales under a big data paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin E. Frasier
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Marie A. Roch
- San Diego State University, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Melissa S. Soldevilla
- NOAA NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Protected Resources and Biodiversity Division, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Sean M. Wiggins
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Lance P. Garrison
- NOAA NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Protected Resources and Biodiversity Division, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - John A. Hildebrand
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, United States of America
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33
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Wingfield JE, O’Brien M, Lyubchich V, Roberts JJ, Halpin PN, Rice AN, Bailey H. Year-round spatiotemporal distribution of harbour porpoises within and around the Maryland wind energy area. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176653. [PMID: 28467455 PMCID: PMC5415022 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Offshore windfarms provide renewable energy, but activities during the construction phase can affect marine mammals. To understand how the construction of an offshore windfarm in the Maryland Wind Energy Area (WEA) off Maryland, USA, might impact harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), it is essential to determine their poorly understood year-round distribution. Although habitat-based models can help predict the occurrence of species in areas with limited or no sampling, they require validation to determine the accuracy of the predictions. Incorporating more than 18 months of harbour porpoise detection data from passive acoustic monitoring, generalized auto-regressive moving average and generalized additive models were used to investigate harbour porpoise occurrence within and around the Maryland WEA in relation to temporal and environmental variables. Acoustic detection metrics were compared to habitat-based density estimates derived from aerial and boat-based sightings to validate the model predictions. Harbour porpoises occurred significantly more frequently during January to May, and foraged significantly more often in the evenings to early mornings at sites within and outside the Maryland WEA. Harbour porpoise occurrence peaked at sea surface temperatures of 5°C and chlorophyll a concentrations of 4.5 to 7.4 mg m-3. The acoustic detections were significantly correlated with the predicted densities, except at the most inshore site. This study provides insight into previously unknown fine-scale spatial and temporal patterns in distribution of harbour porpoises offshore of Maryland. The results can be used to help inform future monitoring and mitigate the impacts of windfarm construction and other human activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E. Wingfield
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Solomons, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Michael O’Brien
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Solomons, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Vyacheslav Lyubchich
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Solomons, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jason J. Roberts
- Marine Geospatial Ecology Laboratory, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Patrick N. Halpin
- Marine Geospatial Ecology Laboratory, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Aaron N. Rice
- Biacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Helen Bailey
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Solomons, Maryland, United States of America
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Nuuttila HK, Courtene-Jones W, Baulch S, Simon M, Evans PGH. Don't forget the porpoise: acoustic monitoring reveals fine scale temporal variation between bottlenose dolphin and harbour porpoise in Cardigan Bay SAC. MARINE BIOLOGY 2017; 164:50. [PMID: 28275285 PMCID: PMC5320002 DOI: 10.1007/s00227-017-3081-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Populations of bottlenose dolphin and harbour porpoise inhabit Cardigan Bay, which was designated a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), with bottlenose dolphin listed as a primary feature for its conservation status. Understanding the abundance, distribution and habitat use of species is fundamental for conservation and the implementation of management. Bottlenose dolphin and harbour porpoise usage of feeding sites within Cardigan Bay SAC was examined using passive acoustic monitoring. Acoustic detections recorded with calibrated T-PODs (acoustic data loggers) indicated harbour porpoise to be present year round and in greater relative abundance than bottlenose dolphin. Fine-scale temporal partitioning between the species occurred at three levels: (1) seasonal differences, consistent between years, with porpoise detections peaking in winter months and dolphin detections in summer months; (2) diel variation, consistent across sites, seasons and years, with porpoise detections highest at night and dolphin detections highest shortly after sunrise; and (3) tidal variation was observed with peak dolphin detections occurring during ebb at the middle of the tidal cycle and before low tide, whereas harbour porpoise detections were highest at slack water, during and after high water with a secondary peak recorded during and after low water. General Additive Models (GAMs) were applied to better understand the effects of each covariate. The reported abundance and distribution of the two species, along with the temporal variation observed, have implications for the design and management of protected areas. Currently, in the UK, no SACs have been formally designated for harbour porpoise while three exist for bottlenose dolphins. Here, we demonstrate a need for increased protection and species-specific mitigation measures for harbour porpoise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna K. Nuuttila
- SEACAMS, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP UK
- Sea Watch Foundation, Paragon House, New Quay, Ceredigion, SA45 9NR UK
| | | | - Sarah Baulch
- University of York, York, YO10 5DD UK
- Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), 62-63 Upper Street, N1 0NY London, UK
| | - Malene Simon
- Greenland Climate Research Center, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 570, Kivioq 2, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Peter G. H. Evans
- Sea Watch Foundation, Ewyn y Don, Bull Bay, Amlwch, Isle of Anglesey, LL68 9SD UK
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Macaulay J, Gordon J, Gillespie D, Malinka C, Northridge S. Passive acoustic methods for fine-scale tracking of harbour porpoises in tidal rapids. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 141:1120. [PMID: 28253702 DOI: 10.1121/1.4976077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The growing interest in generating electrical power from tidal currents using tidal turbine generators raises a number of environmental concerns, including the risk that marine mammals might be injured or killed through collision with rotating turbine blades. To understand this risk, information on how marine mammals use tidal rapid habitats and in particular, their underwater movements and dive behaviour is required. Porpoises, which are the most abundant small cetacean at most European tidal sites, are difficult animals to tag, and the limited size of tidal habitats means that any telemetered animal would be likely to spend only a small proportion of time within them. Here, an alternative approach is explored, whereby passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is used to obtain fine scale geo-referenced tracks of harbour porpoises in tidal rapid areas. Large aperture hydrophone arrays are required to obtain accurate locations of animals from PAM data and automated algorithms are necessary to process the large quantities of acoustic data collected on such systems during a typical survey. Methods to automate localisation, including a method to match porpoise detections on different hydrophones and separate different vocalising animals, and an assessment of the localisation accuracy of the large aperture hydrophone array are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Macaulay
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, Institiud Chuantan na h-Alba, University of St. Andrews, Gatty Marine Laboratory, East Sands, St. Andrews KY16 8LB, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Gordon
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, Institiud Chuantan na h-Alba, University of St. Andrews, Gatty Marine Laboratory, East Sands, St. Andrews KY16 8LB, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas Gillespie
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, Institiud Chuantan na h-Alba, University of St. Andrews, Gatty Marine Laboratory, East Sands, St. Andrews KY16 8LB, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Chloë Malinka
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, Institiud Chuantan na h-Alba, University of St. Andrews, Gatty Marine Laboratory, East Sands, St. Andrews KY16 8LB, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Northridge
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, Institiud Chuantan na h-Alba, University of St. Andrews, Gatty Marine Laboratory, East Sands, St. Andrews KY16 8LB, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Arranz P, DeRuiter SL, Stimpert AK, Neves S, Friedlaender AS, Goldbogen JA, Visser F, Calambokidis J, Southall BL, Tyack PL. Discrimination of fast click-series produced by tagged Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus) for echolocation or communication. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:2898-2907. [PMID: 27401759 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.144295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Early studies that categorized odontocete pulsed sounds had few means of discriminating signals used for biosonar-based foraging from those used for communication. This capability to identify the function of sounds is important for understanding and interpreting behavior; it is also essential for monitoring and mitigating potential disturbance from human activities. Archival tags were placed on free-ranging Grampus griseus to quantify and discriminate between pulsed sounds used for echolocation-based foraging and those used for communication. Two types of rapid click-series pulsed sounds, buzzes and burst pulses, were identified as produced by the tagged dolphins and classified using a Gaussian mixture model based on their duration, association with jerk (i.e. rapid change of acceleration) and temporal association with click trains. Buzzes followed regular echolocation clicks and coincided with a strong jerk signal from accelerometers on the tag. They consisted of series averaging 359±210 clicks (mean±s.d.) with an increasing repetition rate and relatively low amplitude. Burst pulses consisted of relatively short click series averaging 45±54 clicks with decreasing repetition rate and longer inter-click interval that were less likely to be associated with regular echolocation and the jerk signal. These results suggest that the longer, relatively lower amplitude, jerk-associated buzzes are used in this species to capture prey, mostly during the bottom phase of foraging dives, as seen in other odontocetes. In contrast, the shorter, isolated burst pulses that are generally emitted by the dolphins while at or near the surface are used outside of a direct, known foraging context.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Arranz
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, UK
| | - S L DeRuiter
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9LZ, UK Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, USA
| | - A K Stimpert
- Vertebrate Ecology Lab, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA
| | - S Neves
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, UK
| | - A S Friedlaender
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR 97635, USA
| | - J A Goldbogen
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - F Visser
- Kelp Marine Research, Hoorn 1624 CJ, The Netherlands Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden 2311, The Netherlands
| | | | - B L Southall
- Southall Environmental Associates, Aptos, CA 95003, USA University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - P L Tyack
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, UK
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37
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Abstract
Ultrasonic emissions of bats are directional and delimit the echo-acoustic space. Directionality is quantified by the aperture of the sonar beam. Recent work has shown that bats often widen their sonar beam when approaching movable prey or sharpen their sonar beam when navigating through cluttered habitats. Here we report how nose-emitting bats, Phyllostomus discolor, adjust their sonar beam to object distance. First, we show that the height and width of the bats sonar beam, as imprinted on a parabolic 45 channel microphone array, varies even within each animal and this variation is unrelated to changes in call level or spectral content. Second, we show that these animals are able to systematically decrease height and width of their sonar beam while focusing on the approaching object. Thus it appears that sonar beam sharpening is a further, facultative means of reducing search volume, likely to be employed by stationary animals when the object position is close and unambiguous. As only half of our individuals sharpened their beam onto the approaching object we suggest that this strategy is facultative, under voluntary control, and that beam formation is likely mediated by muscular control of the acoustic aperture of the bats' nose leaf.
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Gol’din P, Vishnyakova K. Habitat shapes skull profile of small cetaceans: evidence from geographical variation in Black Sea harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena relicta). ZOOMORPHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00435-016-0311-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Kloepper LN, Buck JR, Smith AB, Supin AY, Gaudette JE, Nachtigall PE. Support for the beam focusing hypothesis in the false killer whale. J Exp Biol 2015; 218:2455-62. [PMID: 26056247 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.119966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The odontocete sound production system is complex and composed of tissues, air sacs and a fatty melon. Previous studies suggested that the emitted sonar beam might be actively focused, narrowing depending on target distance. In this study, we further tested this beam focusing hypothesis in a false killer whale. Using three linear arrays of hydrophones, we recorded the same emitted click at 2, 4 and 7 m distance and calculated the beamwidth, intensity, center frequency and bandwidth as recorded on each array at every distance. If the whale did not focus her beam, acoustics predicts the intensity would decay with range as a function of spherical spreading and the angular beamwidth would remain constant. On the contrary, our results show that as the distance from the whale to the array increases, the beamwidth is narrower and the received click intensity is higher than that predicted by a spherical spreading function. Each of these measurements is consistent with the animal focusing her beam on a target at a given range. These results support the hypothesis that the false killer whale is 'focusing' its sonar beam, producing a narrower and more intense signal than that predicted by spherical spreading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Kloepper
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 185 Meeting St Box G-LN, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - John R Buck
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 185 Meeting St Box G-LN, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Adam B Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 185 Meeting St Box G-LN, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Alexander Ya Supin
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 185 Meeting St Box G-LN, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Jason E Gaudette
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 185 Meeting St Box G-LN, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Paul E Nachtigall
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 185 Meeting St Box G-LN, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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WANG Z, AKAMATSU T, MEI Z, DONG L, IMAIZUMI T, WANG K, WANG D. Frequent and prolonged nocturnal occupation of port areas by Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis): Forced choice for feeding? Integr Zool 2015; 10:122-32. [DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhitao WANG
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing China
| | | | - Zhigang MEI
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing China
| | - Lijun DONG
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing China
| | | | - Kexiong WANG
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan China
| | - Ding WANG
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan China
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41
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Sostres Alonso M, Nuuttila HK. Detection rates of wild harbour porpoises and bottlenose dolphins using static acoustic click loggers vary with depth. BIOACOUSTICS 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2014.980319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hanna K. Nuuttila
- Department of Biosciences, SEACAMS, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SwanseaSA2 8PPWales, UK
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42
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Stimpert AK, DeRuiter SL, Southall BL, Moretti DJ, Falcone EA, Goldbogen JA, Friedlaender A, Schorr GS, Calambokidis J. Acoustic and foraging behavior of a Baird's beaked whale, Berardius bairdii, exposed to simulated sonar. Sci Rep 2014; 4:7031. [PMID: 25391309 PMCID: PMC4229675 DOI: 10.1038/srep07031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Beaked whales are hypothesized to be particularly sensitive to anthropogenic noise, based on previous strandings and limited experimental and observational data. However, few species have been studied in detail. We describe the underwater behavior of a Baird's beaked whale (Berardius bairdii) from the first deployment of a multi-sensor acoustic tag on this species. The animal exhibited shallow (23 ± 15 m max depth), intermediate (324 ± 49 m), and deep (1138 ± 243 m) dives. Echolocation clicks were produced with a mean inter-click interval of approximately 300 ms and peak frequency of 25 kHz. Two deep dives included presumed foraging behavior, with echolocation pulsed sounds (presumed prey capture attempts) associated with increased maneuvering, and sustained inverted swimming during the bottom phase of the dive. A controlled exposure to simulated mid-frequency active sonar (3.5-4 kHz) was conducted 4 hours after tag deployment, and within 3 minutes of exposure onset, the tagged whale increased swim speed and body movement, and continued to show unusual dive behavior for each of its next three dives, one of each type. These are the first data on the acoustic foraging behavior in this largest beaked whale species, and the first experimental demonstration of a response to simulated sonar.
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Affiliation(s)
- A K Stimpert
- 1] Department of Oceanography, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA [2] Vertebrate Ecology Lab, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA
| | - S L DeRuiter
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modeling, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
| | - B L Southall
- Southall Environmental Associates, Inc., Aptos, CA
| | | | | | - J A Goldbogen
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA
| | - A Friedlaender
- Sea and Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR
| | - G S Schorr
- Cascadia Research Collective, Olympia, WA
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Yoshida YM, Morisaka T, Sakai M, Iwasaki M, Wakabayashi I, Seko A, Kasamatsu M, Akamatsu T, Kohshima S. Sound variation and function in captive Commerson's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus commersonii). Behav Processes 2014; 108:11-9. [PMID: 25225038 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Revised: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Commerson's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii), one of the smallest dolphin species, has been reported to produce only narrow-band high-frequency (NBHF) clicks and no whistles. To clarify their sound repertoire and examine the function of each type, we analysed the sounds and behaviour of captive Commerson's dolphins in Toba Aquarium, Japan. All recorded sounds were NBHF clicks with peak frequency >110kHz. The recorded click-trains were categorised into four types based on the changing pattern of their Inter-click intervals (ICI): Decreasing type, with continuously decreasing ICI during the last part of the train; Increasing type, with continuously increasing ICI during the last part; Fluctuating type, with fluctuating ICI; and Burst-pulse type, with very short and constant ICI. The frequency of the Decreasing type increased when approaching an object newly introduced to the tank, suggesting that the sound is used for echolocation on approach. The Burst-pulse type suddenly increased in front of the object and was often oriented towards it, suggesting that it was used for echolocation in close proximity to the object. In contrast, the Increasing type was rarely recorded during approach, but increased when a dolphin approached another dolphin. The Increasing and Burst-pulse types also increased when dolphins began social behaviours. These results suggest that some NBHF clicks have functions other than echolocation, such as communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayoi M Yoshida
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Tanaka-sekiden, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8203, Japan.
| | - Tadamichi Morisaka
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Tanaka-sekiden, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8203, Japan; Institute of Innovative Science and Technology, Tokai University, 3-20-1, Orido, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka 424-8610, Japan
| | - Mai Sakai
- Institute of Innovative Science and Technology, Tokai University, 3-20-1, Orido, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka 424-8610, Japan; JSPS, 5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Mari Iwasaki
- Tokyo Institute of Technology, W3-43 2-12-1, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
| | | | - Atsushi Seko
- Toba Aquarium, 3-3-6, Toba-city, Mie 517-8517, Japan
| | | | - Tomonari Akamatsu
- National Research Institute of Fisheries Engineering, Hasaki, Ibaraki 314-0408, Japan; CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Gobancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan
| | - Shiro Kohshima
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Tanaka-sekiden, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8203, Japan
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Ridgway SH, Moore PW, Carder DA, Romano TA. Forward shift of feeding buzz components of dolphins and belugas during associative learning reveals a likely connection to reward expectation, pleasure and brain dopamine activation. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:2910-9. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.100511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
For many years, we heard sounds associated with reward from dolphins and belugas. We named these pulsed sounds victory squeals (VS), as they remind us of a child's squeal of delight. Here we put these sounds in context with natural and learned behavior. Like bats, echolocating cetaceans produce feeding buzzes as they approach and catch prey. Unlike bats, cetaceans continue their feeding buzzes after prey capture and the after portion is what we call the VS. Prior to training (or conditioning), the VS comes after the fish reward; with repeated trials it moves to before the reward. During training, we use a whistle or other sound to signal a correct response by the animal. This sound signal, named a secondary reinforcer (SR), leads to the primary reinforcer, fish. Trainers usually name their whistle or other SR a bridge, as it bridges the time gap between the correct response and reward delivery. During learning, the SR becomes associated with reward and the VS comes after the SR rather than after the fish. By following the SR, the VS confirms that the animal expects a reward. Results of early brain stimulation work suggest to us that SR stimulates brain dopamine release, which leads to the VS. Although there are no direct studies of dopamine release in cetaceans, we found that the timing of our VS is consistent with a response after dopamine release. We compared trained vocal responses to auditory stimuli with VS responses to SR sounds. Auditory stimuli that did not signal reward resulted in faster responses by a mean of 151 ms for dolphins and 250 ms for belugas. In laboratory animals, there is a 100 to 200 ms delay for dopamine release. VS delay in our animals is similar and consistent with vocalization after dopamine release. Our novel observation suggests that the dopamine reward system is active in cetacean brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. H. Ridgway
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2410 Shelter Island Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
- US Navy Marine Mammal Program, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, 53560 Hull Street, San Diego, CA 92152-5001, USA
| | - P. W. Moore
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2410 Shelter Island Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
- US Navy Marine Mammal Program, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, 53560 Hull Street, San Diego, CA 92152-5001, USA
| | - D. A. Carder
- US Navy Marine Mammal Program, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, 53560 Hull Street, San Diego, CA 92152-5001, USA
| | - T. A. Romano
- US Navy Marine Mammal Program, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, 53560 Hull Street, San Diego, CA 92152-5001, USA
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Fenton B, Jensen FH, Kalko EKV, Tyack PL. Sonar Signals of Bats and Toothed Whales. BIOSONAR 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-9146-0_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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46
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Huggenberger S, André M, Oelschläger HHA. An acoustic valve within the nose of sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus. Mamm Rev 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Huggenberger
- Cologne Biocentre; University of Cologne; Cologne 50923 Germany
- Department II of Anatomy; University of Cologne; Cologne 50924 Germany
| | - Michel André
- Laboratori d'Aplicacions Bioacústiques; Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya; Centre Tecnològic de Vilanova i la Geltrú, Avenida.Rambla Exposició, s/n, Vilanova i la Geltrú Barcelona 08800 Spain
| | - Helmut H. A. Oelschläger
- Department of Anatomy III (Dr. Senckenbergische Anatomie); Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main; Frankfurt am Main 60590 Germany
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Madsen PT, Surlykke A. Functional Convergence in Bat and Toothed Whale Biosonars. Physiology (Bethesda) 2013; 28:276-83. [DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00008.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Echolocating bats and toothed whales hunt and navigate by emission of sound pulses and analysis of returning echoes to form a self-generated auditory scene. Here, we demonstrate a striking functional convergence in the way these two groups of mammals independently evolved the capability to sense with sound in air and water.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. T. Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; and
| | - A. Surlykke
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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48
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Bordino P, Mackay AI, Werner TB, Northridge SP, Read AJ. Franciscana bycatch is not reduced by acoustically reflective or physically stiffened gillnets. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2013. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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49
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Madsen PT, de Soto NA, Arranz P, Johnson M. Echolocation in Blainville’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris). J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2013; 199:451-69. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-013-0824-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2013] [Accepted: 04/20/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Wisniewska DM, Johnson M, Beedholm K, Wahlberg M, Madsen PT. Acoustic gaze adjustments during active target selection in echolocating porpoises. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 215:4358-73. [PMID: 23175527 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.074013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Visually dominant animals use gaze adjustments to organize perceptual inputs for cognitive processing. Thereby they manage the massive sensory load from complex and noisy scenes. Echolocation, as an active sensory system, may provide more opportunities to control such information flow by adjusting the properties of the sound source. However, most studies of toothed whale echolocation have involved stationed animals in static auditory scenes for which dynamic information control is unnecessary. To mimic conditions in the wild, we designed an experiment with captive, free-swimming harbor porpoises tasked with discriminating between two hydrophone-equipped targets and closing in on the selected target; this allowed us to gain insight into how porpoises adjust their acoustic gaze in a multi-target dynamic scene. By means of synchronized cameras, an acoustic tag and on-target hydrophone recordings we demonstrate that porpoises employ both beam direction control and range-dependent changes in output levels and pulse intervals to accommodate their changing spatial relationship with objects of immediate interest. We further show that, when switching attention to another target, porpoises can set their depth of gaze accurately for the new target location. In combination, these observations imply that porpoises exert precise vocal-motor control that is tied to spatial perception akin to visual accommodation. Finally, we demonstrate that at short target ranges porpoises narrow their depth of gaze dramatically by adjusting their output so as to focus on a single target. This suggests that echolocating porpoises switch from a deliberative mode of sensorimotor operation to a reactive mode when they are close to a target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danuta Maria Wisniewska
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Building 1131, C. F. Moellers Alle 3, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
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