Exploring sperm whale population demographics in the northern Gulf of Mexico using passive acoustic monitoring

2021 ◽  
Vol 150 (4) ◽  
pp. A47-A47
Author(s):  
Renea Briner ◽  
Natalia Sidorovskaia ◽  
Naomi Mathew
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Sperm Whale ◽  
Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Passive Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Population Demographics ◽  
Northern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Passive Acoustic

Passive acoustic monitoring in the Northern Gulf of Mexico using ocean gliders

2017 ◽  
Vol 142 (4) ◽  
pp. 2533-2533 ◽  
Author(s):  
David K. Mellinger ◽  
Sharon L. Nieukirk ◽  
Sara L. Heimlich ◽  
Selene Fregosi ◽  
Elizabeth T. Küsel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Passive Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Northern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Passive Acoustic

Comparison of the first-year response of beaked and sperm whale populations to the Northern Gulf oil spill based on passive acoustic monitoring

2012 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
pp. 2009-2009
Author(s):  
Natalia Sidorovskaia ◽  
Azmy Ackleh ◽  
Christopher Tiemann ◽  
Juliette Ioup ◽  
George Ioup
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Sperm Whale ◽  
Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
First Year ◽  
Passive Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Gulf Oil Spill ◽  
Passive Acoustic

scholarly journals Cues, creaks, and decoys: using passive acoustic monitoring as a tool for studying sperm whale depredation

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 1621-1636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Thode ◽  
Delphine Mathias ◽  
Janice Straley ◽  
Victoria O'Connell ◽  
Linda Behnken ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Frequency ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Sperm Whale ◽  
Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Sperm Whales ◽  
Passive Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Fishing Activity ◽  
Fishing Vessels ◽  
Passive Acoustic

Abstract Since 2003, a collaborative effort (SEASWAP) between fishers, scientists, and managers has researched how Alaskan sperm whales locate demersal longline fishing activity and then depredate sablefish from gear. Sperm whales constantly produce relatively low-frequency biosonar signals whenever foraging; therefore, over the past decade, passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has become a basic tool, used for both measuring depredation activity and accelerating field tests of potential depredation countermeasures. This paper reviews and summarizes past published PAM research on SEASWAP, and then provides a detailed example of how PAM methods are currently being used to test countermeasures. The review covers two major research thrusts: (i) identifying acoustic outputs of fishing vessels that provide long-distance “cues” that attract whales to fishing activity; and (ii) validating whether distinctive “creak” sounds can be used to quantify and measure depredation rates, using both bioacoustic tags and statistical comparisons between visual and acoustic depredation estimates during federal sablefish surveys. The latter part of the paper then provides an example of how PAM is being used to study a particular potential countermeasure: an “acoustic decoy” which transmits fishing vessel acoustic cues to attract animals away from true fishing activity. The results of an initial 2011 field trial are presented to show how PAM was used to design the decoy signals and monitor the efficacy of the deployment. The ability of PAM to detect both whale presence and depredation behaviour has reduced the need to deploy researchers or other specialists on fishing cruises. Instead, volunteer fishers can deploy “user-friendly” acoustic recorders on their gear, greatly facilitating the testing of various deterrents, and providing the industry and regulators a convenient and unobtrusive tool for monitoring both the scale and long-term spread of this behaviour across the Alaskan fishery.

scholarly journals Assessing Seasonality and Density From Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Signals Presumed to be From Pygmy and Dwarf Sperm Whales in the Gulf of Mexico

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
John A. Hildebrand ◽  
Kaitlin E. Frasier ◽  
Simone Baumann-Pickering ◽  
Sean M. Wiggins ◽  
Karlina P. Merkens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Sperm Whales ◽  
Passive Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Passive Acoustic

Comparing performance of bottom-moored and unmanned surface vehicle towed passive acoustic monitoring platforms for sperm whale detection

2017 ◽  
Vol 142 (4) ◽  
pp. 2561-2561
Author(s):  
Sakib Mahmud ◽  
Natalia Sidorovskaia ◽  
Kun Li ◽  
Chris Pierpoint ◽  
Christopher Tiemann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Whale ◽  
Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Passive Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Unmanned Surface Vehicle ◽  
Passive Acoustic

scholarly journals Cetacean occurrence offshore of Washington from long-term passive acoustic monitoring

2021 ◽  
Vol 168 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ally Rice ◽  
Amanda J. Debich ◽  
Ana Širović ◽  
Erin M. Oleson ◽  
Jennifer S. Trickey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Sperm Whale ◽  
Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Physeter Macrocephalus ◽  
Passive Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Temporal Separation ◽  
Cetacean Species ◽  
Beaked Whales ◽  
Passive Acoustic

AbstractA variety of cetacean species inhabit the productive waters offshore of Washington State, USA. Although the general presence of many of these species has been documented in this region, our understanding of fine-scale habitat use is limited. Here, passive acoustic monitoring was used to investigate the spatial and temporal distributions of ten cetacean species at three locations offshore of Washington. Between 2004 and 2013, a total of 2845 days of recordings were collected from sites on the continental shelf and slope, and in a submarine canyon. Acoustic presence was higher for all species at sites farther offshore. Detections were highest during the fall and winter for blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fin (B. physalus), and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), likely related to reproductive behavior, while minke whales (B. acutorostrata) were only detected on two days. Odontocetes showed temporal separation, with sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) detections highest in spring, Risso’s (Grampus griseus) and Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) highest in summer, and Stejneger’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon stejnegeri), Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris), and the BW37V signal type highest in winter or spring. There was interannual variation in detections for most mysticete species, which may be linked to oceanographic conditions: blue and fin whale detections increased during 2007 and 2008, and fin and humpback whale detections increased in 2011. These results inform our understanding of cetacean behavior and habitat use in this region and may aid in the development of conservation strategies suited to the dynamic conditions that drive cetacean distribution.

scholarly journals Passive acoustic monitoring of beaked whale densities in the Gulf of Mexico

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John A. Hildebrand ◽  
Simone Baumann-Pickering ◽  
Kaitlin E. Frasier ◽  
Jennifer S. Trickey ◽  
Karlina P. Merkens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Beaked Whale ◽  
Passive Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Passive Acoustic

scholarly journals Clicking throughout the year: sperm whale clicks in relation to environmental conditions off the west coast of South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 475-494
Author(s):  
FW Shabangu ◽  
RK Andrew
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
West Coast ◽  
Sperm Whale ◽  
Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Height Anomaly ◽  
Sperm Whales ◽  
Passive Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
The West ◽  
Passive Acoustic

Knowledge of cetacean occurrence and behaviour in southern African waters is limited, and passive acoustic monitoring has the potential to address this gap efficiently. Seasonal acoustic occurrence and diel-vocalizing patterns of sperm whales in relation to environmental conditions are described here using passive acoustic monitoring data collected off the west coast of South Africa. Four autonomous acoustic recorders (AARs) were deployed on 3 oceanographic moorings from July 2014 to January 2017. Sperm whale clicks were detected year round in most recording sites, with peaks in acoustic occurrence in summer and late winter through spring. Diel-vocalizing patterns were detected in winter, spring and summer. Higher percentages of sperm whale clicks were recorded by AARs deployed at 1100 m water depth compared to those concurrently deployed at 850 and 4500 m, likely inferring that the whales exhibited some preference to water depths around 1100 m. Acoustic propagation modelling suggested a maximum detection range of 83 km in winter for sperm whale clicks produced at 1100 m. Random forest models classified daylight regime, sea surface height anomaly and month of the year as the most important predictors of sperm whale acoustic occurrence. The continuous acoustic occurrence of sperm whales suggests that the study area supports large biomasses of prey to sustain this species’ food requirements year round. This is the first study to describe the seasonal acoustic occurrence and diel-vocalizing patterns of sperm whales off the west coast of South Africa, extending knowledge of the species previously available only through whaling records.

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