Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vaclav M. Kuna, John L. Nabelek
Summary: Fin whale calls are utilized to study the seismic properties of oceanic sediment, basaltic basement, and the lower crust beneath and around ocean bottom seismic stations. The recordings from ocean-bottom seismometers not only capture waterborne signals but also signals reflected and refracted from crustal interfaces. This study highlights the potential of using fin whale calls as a complementary method to traditional air-gun surveys in seismic research.
Article
Ecology
M. Roman Ruiz, C. Rossi, J. A. Esteban
Summary: This paper presents the application of Deep Neural Networks to detect Fin Whales pulses from long acoustic recordings. Acoustic signals are converted to images using Fourier transform, making the pulses specific shapes. The detection of pulses and their seasonal distribution have important ecological value, but the variations in shape and background noise make it difficult. Automated instruments are crucial for processing the large amount of data in a fast and effective way.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sergio F. Nigenda-Morales, Meixi Lin, Paulina G. Nunez-Valencia, Christopher C. Kyriazis, Annabel C. Beichman, Jacqueline A. Robinson, Aaron P. Ragsdale, R. Jorge Urban, Frederick I. Archer, Lorena Viloria-Gomora, Maria Jose Perez-Alvarez, Elie Poulin, Kirk E. Lohmueller, Andres Moreno-Estrada, Robert K. Wayne
Summary: Industrial whaling in the 20th century led to the near extinction of several species, particularly the fin whales. However, a small resident population in the Gulf of California was not targeted by whaling. By analyzing the genomes of Eastern North Pacific and Gulf of California fin whale populations, researchers found that the two populations diverged around 16,000 years ago and the Eastern North Pacific population experienced a significant reduction during the whaling period. In contrast, the Gulf of California population remained small and isolated, relying on low levels of migration to maintain viability.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Farook Sattar
Summary: This paper proposes a promising method using wavelet scattering transform and deep learning to detect/classify whale calls, particularly focusing on blue whales and fin whales, in the increasingly noisy ocean with a small dataset. The proposed method demonstrates high efficiency in terms of classification accuracy (>97%), outperforming the state-of-the-art methods. Enhancing passive acoustic technology to monitor endangered whale calls becomes essential for efficiently tracking their population, migration patterns, and habitat, aiming to reduce preventable injuries and deaths and contribute to their recovery.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Megan Wood, Ana Sirovic
Summary: This study characterizes the fin whale song and temporal pattern variations in the Western Antarctic Peninsula. The research identifies three pattern variants of the song, with the singlet variant being the most prevalent. The study also finds changes in the intervals and frequency of overtones in the song over time. Further research is needed to understand the reasons for song changes and the feasibility of using song to identify whale populations.
Article
Biology
Miriam Romagosa, Sergi Perez-Jorge, Irma Cascao, Helena Mourino, Patrick Lehodey, Andreia Pereira, Tiago A. Marques, Luis Matias, Monica A. Silva
Summary: The study examined the vocalizations of fin whales and found that the production of 20-Hz calls is influenced by season and year, supporting their reproductive function hypothesis, while the 40-Hz calls are associated with prey biomass, indicating a food-associated function. Understanding animal signals can aid in identifying functional habitats and predicting impacts of human activities on conservation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Pan Xiong, Jianghong Deng, Xinyuan Chen
Summary: This paper proposes a flap configuration that can improve the hydrodynamic performance of hydrofoils by studying the flapping motion of fish tail fins, significantly improving the performance of hydrofoils at small angles of attack, increasing the critical stall angle, and providing valuable information for the design and optimization of hydrofoils.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Valerio Manfrini, Nino Pierantonio, Alessandro Giuliani, Federico De Pascalis, Nicola Maio, Annalaura Mancia
Summary: This study presents a comprehensive overview of historical and modern mortality events of fin whales along the Italian coast. The spatial and temporal patterns of these events are analyzed, and the causes of mortality are discussed. The results show that certain areas along the coast are hot spots for mortality events, and younger and immature individuals are most affected by ship strikes. The study emphasizes the importance of implementing a conservation plan to ensure the survival of the species in the Mediterranean region.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Alasdair Houston
Summary: The author discusses the discrepancies between models predicting optimal diving behavior and actual data regarding the use of oxygen stores by underwater divers. The key feature predicted by the model is that divers should have no oxygen stores left when they resurface.
Article
Sport Sciences
Fabian Moeller, Elena Jacobi, Uwe Hoffmann, Thomas Muth, Jochen D. Schipke
Summary: This study found that ventilation is decreased when using oxygen-enriched air in diving, especially during high-speed fin-swimming, while heart rate, lactate levels, and time to exhaustion showed no significant differences.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Andreas Koch, Dennis Kramkowski, Mattes Holzum, Wataru Kahler, Sebastian Klapa, Bente Rieger, Burkhard Weisser, Jochen D. Schipke
Summary: This study presents an underwater ergospirometry system and investigates the impact of breathing characteristics and fin-swimming style on air consumption for scuba divers. The results show that beginners have higher air consumption compared to experienced divers, and differences in breathing characteristics and fin-swimming style affect air consumption and the risk of running out of air.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Virginia Sciacca, Giuseppe Morello, Laura Beranzoli, Davide Embriaco, Francesco Filiciotto, Giuditta Marinaro, Giorgio Maria Riccobene, Francesco Simeone, Salvatore Viola
Summary: This study describes the structure and characteristics of Mediterranean fin whale songs recorded in the Ionian Sea. It assesses the occurrence of recurring patterns by analyzing inter-note intervals and note types, and investigates the differences between patterned songs and irregular sequences.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Claudia Oliveira, Sergi Perez-Jorge, Rui Prieto, Irma Cascao, Paul J. Wensveen, Monica A. Silva
Summary: This study used high-resolution multi-sensor tags to evaluate the short-term behavioral responses of sperm whales to whale watching vessels. The researchers found no significant changes in foraging behavior and overall dive behavior between exposure and non-exposure periods. However, there was an increase in body pitch variation during non-foraging periods. Additionally, sperm whales showed higher vertical velocity during ascents in response to vessel exposure. These findings highlight the potential impact of whale watching disturbance on the energetic balance and fitness of cetaceans.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Alexandre P. Plourde, Mladen R. Nedimovic
Summary: The Lower St. Lawrence Seaway is an important habitat for endangered baleen whale species in eastern Canada. With the aim of reducing threats from human activity, it is crucial to understand their habitat use. The existing hydrophone network is limited for remote whale observation, but onshore seismometers can record fin and blue whale calls. By applying a simple method, a catalog of fin and blue whale detections at 14 onshore seismometers across the LSLS was built. However, a denser deployment of onshore and/or offshore seismometers is needed for accurate whale tracking.
REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Catarina T. Fonseca, Sergi Perez-Jorge, Rui Prieto, Claudia Oliveira, Marta Tobena, Annette Scheffer, Monica A. Silva
Summary: Efficient use of energy budget is crucial for long-distance migrants like fin whales, which need to cope with seasonal energy demands and environmental conditions. This study analyzed the diving behavior and activity patterns of fin whales in a migratory habitat, revealing different dive types associated with foraging and their differences between day and night. The findings suggest that fin whales prioritize energy intake over energy conservation and are more vulnerable to ship strikes at night.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Letter
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
A. Wayne Vogl, Margo A. Lillie, Marina A. Piscitelli, Jeremy A. Goldbogen, Nicholas D. Pyenson, Robert E. Shadwick
Article
Biophysics
T. E. Clark, M. A. Lillie, A. W. Vogl, J. M. Gosline, R. E. Shadwick
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS
(2015)
Article
Biology
Margo A. Lillie, A. Wayne Vogl, Stephen Raverty, Martin Haulena, William A. McLellan, Garry B. Stenson, Robert E. Shadwick
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2017)
Article
Biology
Margo A. Lillie, A. Wayne Vogl, Stephen Raverty, Martin Haulena, William A. McLellan, Garry B. Stenson, Robert E. Shadwick
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Biophysics
M. A. Lillie, R. E. Shadwick, J. M. Gosline
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS
(2010)
Article
Biophysics
M. A. Lillie, T. E. Armstrong, S. G. Gerard, R. E. Shadwick, J. M. Gosline
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS
(2012)
Review
Anatomy & Morphology
Marina A. Piscitelli, Stephen A. Raverty, Margo A. Lillie, Robert E. Shadwick
JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY
(2013)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Margo A. Lillie, A. Wayne Vogl, Kelsey N. Gil, John M. Gosline, Robert E. Shadwick
Article
Biophysics
M. A. Lillie, J. M. Gosline
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS
(2007)