Download or read book Temporal and Spatial Distributions of Baleen Whales in Central New Zealand Based on Passive Acoustic Monitoring written by Victoria Warren and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Effective management of wild animal populations relies on an understanding of their spatio-temporal distributions, and how they overlap with threats. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is a non-invasive method to investigate the distribution of free-ranging species that reliably produce sound, and soundscape analysis enables an integrated approach whereby vocal species are sampled concurrently with ambient environmental information. Physical and acoustic overlaps between soundscape contributors can highlight potential interactions and threats. Worldwide, the distributions of baleen whales have proven difficult to study due to logistical constraints imposed by their offshore distributions and limited surface time. However, many baleen whales reliably produce stereotyped sound, and are therefore suitable to study acoustically. In the western South Pacific, weather and sea conditions have particularly constrained understanding of baleen whale distributions. Here, four acoustic recorders were deployed in the marine environment around central New Zealand to elucidate the spatio-temporal distributions of " ̃data deficient' baleen whales that frequent the region. The recorded data featured notable acoustic contributions from several baleen whale species. Seismic surveys, shipping and earthquakes overlapped in time, space, and frequency with baleen whale vocalisations, highlighting potential risks and stressors in New Zealand waters. An acoustic approach enabled pygmy blue whales (PBWs) to be distinguished from " ̃critically endangered' Antarctic blue whales (ABWs). PBWs were detected in the South Taranaki Bight (STB) throughout recording periods, and detection area modelling demonstrated that an aggregation of PBWs likely occurs in the STB; an industrial area. ABWs and humpback whales migrated through central New Zealand seasonally, with both species generally travelling north through Cook Strait and the STB, rather than along the east coast of the North Island. ABWs were also detected during their breeding season. Based on song content, the humpback whales were likely migrating to breed in New Caledonia, or East Australia, and song transmission may occur between the two breeding populations in the New Zealand migratory corridor. This study highlights the utility of PAM to map the distributions of free-ranging species and potential stressors, which can be challenging to study via alternative methods. Such data are essential to underpin conservation and management decisions.
Download or read book Tracking marine megafauna for conservation and marine spatial planning written by Jorge M. Pereira and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2023-02-09 with total page 553 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Spatio temporal Patterns in Antarctic Minke Whale Balaenoptera Bonaerensis Vocal Behaviour in the Weddell Sea written by Diego Andrés Filun Hernández and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Antarctic minke whales (AMW) have a circum-antarctic distribution and are known to occur in both open and ice-covered waters of the Southern Ocean (SO). They are a pagophilic species and are regularly observed in heavily sea-ice covered areas. Because of this, current knowledge about Antarctic minke whales is scarce and limited to austral summer and ice-free regions where the majority of visual survey data have been collected. Hence, very little is known on their winter distribution in high latitude waters and to what extent the wintering individuals that are occasionally observed in Antarctic waters represent single observations or a structurally present behavioral trait of the species. Likewise, AMW population structure is poorly known. As most baleen whale species, AMWs are known to undertake annual migrations between high latitude feeding areas and low latitude breeding areas. However, available data to date suggest that for AMWs, migrations seem more protracted and complex than in other baleen whale species. The recent identification of vocalizations produced by AMWs (“bio-duck call”) now makes it possible to also use passive acoustic technology to study occurrence patterns and behavior. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) offers a versatile technology with which long-term archival data can be collected on sound-producing species using autonomous recording units. Acoustic observation has the additional advantages that it can continue data collection independent of light conditions and under poor weather conditions. Furthermore, it can monitor large areas at the same time, since it collects data omnidirectionally, and it can collect data over extended periods (i.e., multi-year time scales) through the use of autonomous devices. In the scope of this doctoral thesis, I analysed passive acoustic data from high and low latitudes collected in the Atlantic Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean (Weddell Sea) and southern Atlantic Ocean, to investigate spatio-temporal patterns in the acoustic presence and vocal behaviour of AMWs. In Chapter I, I investigate year-round spatial- temporal patterns in AMW occurrence in ice-covered areas. Our analysis was based on a 9-year passive acoustic dataset (2008- 2016) from 21 locations throughout the Weddell Sea (WS). AMW bio-duck calls were detected acoustically at all mooring locations from May to December, with the highest presence between August and November (bio-duck calls present at more than 80% of days). At the southernmost recording locations, bio-duck calls were present up to 10 months of the year. We identified a substantial inter-annual variation in the seasonality of vocal activity correlated to variation in local ice concentration. Our analysis indicates that part of the AMW population stays in the Weddell Sea during austral winter. In Chapter II, I used PAM data from 6 positions located along the WS during 2013 as well as three consecutive years of PAM data (2015-2016-2017) recorded at the stationary coastal acoustic observatory PALAOA to study both spatial and inter-annual variability in the acoustic behavior of AMWs. During 2013, between May and December throughout the WS, we detected 11 different bio-duck call types. The comparative analyses of the AMW bio-duck call repertoire throughout the WS showed that these 11 call types can be attributed to four call type groups. Furthermore, multi-year data from PALAOA on AMW repertoire composition showed an inter-annual difference in bio-duck call type usage. The observed patterns in AMW vocal behavior show that AMW vocal behavior matches the definition of song, exhibiting regional differences and highly dynamic revolutions over time. This study provides new information to potentially explore stock structures and movement patterns using passive acoustic methods. In Chapter III, my work addressed the occurrence of the AMW through bio-duck acoustic detections in the Santos Basin, South-Southeastern Brazil (22o and 28o S / 42o and 48o W), recorded between 12 November and 19 December 19, 2015, utilizing advanced passive acoustic technologies, i.e., an autonomous underwater vehicle (SeaGlider), for sampling. AMW calls were detected during 12 days. We detected and classified 9 different bio-duck calls in Brazilian coastal waters, evidencing a highly diverse acoustic behavior on this potential Antarctic minke whale breeding ground. Finally, in Chapter IV, our study investigated the temporal patterns of acoustic occurrence of baleen whales in a presumed baleen whale breeding area off Namibia. Our results show seasonal acoustic presence of humpback whales, fin whales and Antarctic minke whales from November to January and from June to August. Their acoustic absence from February to May possibly indicates that most animals migrated to other areas (presumably in higher latitudes) in austral summer to feed. Our findings support the presumed ecological importance of the oceanic area off Namibia, providing (part of) a suitable cetacean wintering and, possibly, breeding range or migratory corridor. Furthermore, the occurrence of Antarctic blue and minke whales off Namibia, concurrent with their reported acoustic presence in high-latitude feeding areas, adds to growing evidence that baleen whale migration is not obligate but much more dynamic than previously assumed. Overall, this PhD thesis highlights the significance of using long-term and large-scale datasets for the investigation of distribution patterns, habitat preferences, behavior and the effects of environmental variation on AMW distribution. The results present new information about fundamental and ecological knowledge of AMWs that can be implemented for the conservation and management of populations and ecosystems.
Download or read book Advances in Ecoacoustics written by Almo Farina and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2022-09-02 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Habitat Use of Calling Baleen Whales in the Southern California Current Ecosystem written by Elizabeth Tram Anh Vu and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The extent to which temporal, spatial, environmental, and physiological factors influence baleen whale acoustic occurrence was investigated in the southern California Current Ecosystem, a highly productive, upwelling-driven ecosystem that hosts a large abundance of top predators. By combining data sets from ten years of passive acoustic monitoring and concurrent environmental sampling, this dissertation presents detailed intra-annual and mesoscale spatial patterns previously unknown. Analyses of temporal acoustic patterns revealed different acoustic occupancy by three species: blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). The temporal separation between blue whale feeding and breeding call types showed a shift between behavioral states throughout the year. The temporal separation between blue and humpback whale reproductive calls showed different displays of reproductive calling behavior despite their overlapping migratory and seasonal reproductive cycles. Spatial patterns revealed different onshore and offshore occupancy, dependent on season, for each species. The reconciliation between acoustic and visual seasonal abundance demonstrated an increase in individual-level acoustic reproductive display during or approaching the mating season of each species. Analyses of habitat factors on call types from each species identified association of seasonality, bathymetry, sea surface temperature, and mixed layer depth with calling behavior. Generalized additive mixed models of acoustic calling revealed significant responses to seasonality and bathymetry at three different spatial scales, indicating the importance of these factors in explaining baleen whale distribution at broad scales. Lastly, a possible physiological driver of acoustic behavior was investigated by quantifying seasonal hormone concentrations in humpback whale blubber. The results of this research advance scientific understanding of yearlong acoustic cetacean occurrence in a productive oceanographic habitat and provide additional insight into the reproduction and migration of these species.
Download or read book Innovation and Discoveries in Marine Soundscape Research written by Bob Dziak and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2022-04-04 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Cetaceans written by Walter M. X. Zimmer and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2011-04-21 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Passive acoustic monitoring is increasingly used by the scientific community to study, survey and census marine mammals, especially cetaceans, many of which are easier to hear than to see. PAM is also used to support efforts to mitigate potential negative effects of human activities such as ship traffic, military and civilian sonar and offshore exploration. Walter Zimmer provides an integrated approach to PAM, combining physical principles, discussion of technical tools and application-oriented concepts of operations. Additionally, relevant information and tools necessary to assess existing and future PAM systems are presented, with Matlab code used to generate figures and results so readers can reproduce data and modify code to analyse the impact of changes. This allows the principles to be studied whilst discovering potential difficulties and side effects. Aimed at graduate students and researchers, the book provides all information and tools necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of this interdisciplinary subject.
Download or read book Advancing Baleen Whale Acoustic and Habitat Monitoring in the Northwest Atlantic written by Hansen Dalmasse Johnson and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Baleen whales of the Northwest Atlantic live in an urbanized ocean. They attempt a slow recovery from commercial whaling amid threats from the infrastructure, pollution, and shifting environmental baseline associated with human exploitation of the natural world. Current risk mitigation strategies all rely on a comprehensive knowledge of whale distribution, which is difficult to obtain given limited resources, a vast ocean, and the cryptic nature of whale behaviour. This thesis strives to advance baleen whale monitoring with passive acoustics, habitat ecology, and new technology. Chapters 2 and 3 use several different approaches to improve the quality and interpretation of data derived from passive acoustic monitoring. Chapter 4 introduces "WhaleMap", a tool for rapidly collating and displaying whale survey results to inform dynamic research and management activities. Chapters 5 and 6 characterize associations among baleen whale species and their oceanographic habitat to identify priority areas and times for increased monitoring and/or risk mitigation. Particular focus is paid to the North Atlantic right whale because their dire conservation status motivates much of this work, but in many cases the results apply to other baleen whale species. It is our hope that the monitoring advancements put forward by this thesis lead directly to improved conservation outcomes that help preserve these species for generations to come.
Download or read book Using Passive Acoustic Data to Track Changes in Baleen Whale Distribution Throughout the Western North Atlantic Ocean written by Genevieve E. Davis and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Hearing by Whales and Dolphins written by Whitlow W.L. Au and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 499 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here, experts in different areas of the field provide an overview of the bioacoustics of whales and dolphins as well as a thorough introduction to the subject for investigators of hearing in other animals. Topics covered include the structure and function of cetacean auditory systems, the unique sound production system of odontocetes, acoustic communication, psychoacoustics, echolocation and models of sound propagation.
Download or read book The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America written by Acoustical Society of America and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 1592 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Baleen Whale Distributional Patterns and the Potential Influence of Biological and Physical Processes written by and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Sei Whale written by Joseph Horwood and published by Routledge. This book was released on 1987-01-01 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Characteristics of Fin Whale Vocalizations Recorded on Instruments in the Northeast Pacific Ocean written by Maria Michelle Josephine Weirathmueller and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 123 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thesis focuses on fin whale vocalizations recorded on ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs) in the Northeast Pacific Ocean, using data collected between 2003 and 2013. OBSs are a valuable, and largely untapped resource for the passive acoustic monitoring of large baleen whales. This dissertation is divided into three parts, each of which uses the recordings of fin whale vocalizations to better understand their calling behaviors and distributions. The first study describes the development of a technique to extract source levels of fin whale vocalizations from OBS recordings. Source levels were estimated using data collected on a network of eight OBSs in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. The acoustic pressure levels measured at the instruments were adjusted for the propagation path between the calling whales and the instruments using the call location and estimating losses along the acoustic travel path. A total of 1241 calls were used to estimate an average source level of 189 +/-5.8 dB re 1uPa @ 1m. This variability is largely attributed to uncertainties in the horizontal and vertical position of the fin whale at the time of each call, and the effect of these uncertainties on subsequent calculations. The second study describes a semi-automated method for obtaining horizontal ranges to vocalizing fin whales using the timing and relative amplitude of multipath arrivals. A matched filter is used to detect fin whale calls and pick the relative times and amplitudes of multipath arrivals. Ray-based propagation models are used to predict multipath times and amplitudes as function of range. Because the direct and first multiple arrivals are not always observed, three hypotheses for the paths of the observed arrivals are considered; the solution is the hypothesis and range that optimizes the fit to the data. Ray-theoretical amplitudes are not accurate and solutions are improved by determining amplitudes from the observations using a bootstrap method. Data from ocean bottom seismometers at two locations are used to assess the method: one on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, a bathymetrically complex mid-ocean ridge environment, and the other at a flat sedimented location in the Cascadia Basin. At both sites, the method is reliable up to ~4 km range which is sufficient to enable estimates of call density. The third study explores spatial and temporal trends in fin whale calling patterns. The frequency and inter-pulse interval of fin whale 20 Hz vocalizations were observed over 10 years from 2003-2013 on bottom mounted hydrophones and OBSs in the northeast Pacific Ocean. The instrument locations extended from 40°N and 130°W to 125°W with water depths ranging from 1500-4000 m. The inter-pulse interval (IPI) of fin whale song sequences was observed to increase at a rate of 0.59 seconds/year over the decade of observation. During the same time period, peak frequency decreased at a rate of 0.16 Hz/year. Two primary call patterns were observed. During the earlier years, the more commonly observed pattern had a single frequency and single IPI. In later years, a doublet pattern emerged, with two dominant frequencies and two IPIs. Many call sequences in the intervening years appeared to represent a transitional state between the two patterns. The overall trend was consistent across the entire geographical span, although some regional differences exist.
Download or read book New Directions in the Study of Low Frequency Sound in Baleen written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Integrated field research was conducted on the potential impact of man-made underwater sound on marine mammals and the functions of the low-frequency sounds of whales. This was accomplished using passive acoustics, active acoustics, tagging, vessel survey, biopsy sampling, and photo-ID. Relationships were determined between low-frequency vocal rates of individual fin (Balaenoptera physalus) whales; the identity and sex of singers; and the presence, number and distribution of animals. All singers (n = 9) were males. There were correlations between number of whales seen, level of vocal activity and number of singers. There were associations between where and when males sang, food distribution and feeding activity. Contrary to previous assumptions singers concentrated near high densities of food and sang more during periods of high feeding activity. Resultant data are important for estimating relative abundance based on passive acoustic monitoring systems and for models (e.g., AIM) used to predict acoustic impact for mitigation purposes. By placing the biologically important behavior of acoustic communication within the appropriate ecological context, hypotheses on communication functions (e.g., whale sounds are detected throughout the oceans on (USS) can be tested. This should result in a more rigorous understanding on the potential impact of human-produced LFS on large whales.
Download or read book Whale Watching in Australian New Zealand Waters written by Peter Gill and published by New Holland Publishing Australia Pty Limited. This book was released on 2004 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This guide identifies 43 species of baleen and toothed whales found in Australia and New Zealand waters. Travel tips are incorporated into each site entry, and details regarding accommodation and transport are also covered.
Download or read book Ecoacoustics written by Almo Farina and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2017-07-24 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The sounds produced by geophonic, biophonic and technophonic sources are relevant to the function of natural and human modified ecosystems. Passive recording is one of the most non-invasive technologies as its use avoids human intrusion during acoustic surveys and facilitates the accumulation of huge amounts of acoustical data. For the first time, this book collates and reviews the science behind ecoaucostics; illustrating the principles, methods and applications of this exciting new field. Topics covered in this comprehensive volume include; the assessment of biodiversity based on sounds emanating from a variety of environments the best technologies and methods necessary to investigate environmental sounds implications for climate change and urban systems the relationship between landscape ecology and ecoacoustics the conservation of soundscapes and the social value of ecoacoustics areas of potential future research. An invaluable resource for scholars, researchers and students, Ecoacoustics: The Ecological Role of Sounds provides an unrivalled set of ideas, tools and references based on the current state of the field.
