Article
Biology
E. Girola, R. A. Dunlop, M. J. Noad
Summary: Animal communication systems have evolved in the presence of natural noise, and many species have a Lombard response. Human activities generate additional noise in the environment, posing further challenges for animals. This study investigated the Lombard response of humpback whales to motor vessel noise and found that they adjust their singing levels to compensate for wind noise but do not increase their levels for the additional vessel noise. Understanding the response of humpback whales to noise is crucial for developing mitigation policies for anthropogenic activities at sea.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Acoustics
Eduardo Mercado
Summary: The duplex sonar model of humpback whale song suggests that singing whales alternate between broadband and narrowband units in order to increase the efficacy of their song as a sonar source. This study confirms two novel predictions of the model by showing the consistency and precision with which humpback whales interleave these different units.
JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tamara Narganes Homfeldt, Denise Risch, Andrew Stevenson, Lea-Anne Henry
Summary: Humpback whales show a clear seasonal and diel pattern at the migratory stopover site off Bermuda, with increased singing activity at night. The study highlights the importance of Bermuda as a two-way migratory stopover site for humpback whales and provides better constraints for anthropogenic activities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Acoustics
Pina Gruden, Junsu Jang, Anke Kugler, Thomas Kropfreiter, Ludovic Tenorio-Halle, Marc O. Lammers, Aaron Thode, Florian Meyer
Summary: Passive acoustic monitoring using acoustic vector sensors (AVSs) for detecting and tracking marine mammals is investigated in this study. Two fully automated approaches for azimuthal tracking based on AVS data are proposed and compared. Results show that both approaches successfully track multiple singing humpback whales, demonstrating the potential for fully automated AVS tracking applicable to all species of baleen whales.
JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Acoustics
Ludovic Tenorio-Halle, Aaron M. Thode, Marc O. Lammers, Alexander S. Conrad, Katherine H. Kim
Summary: Acoustic vector sensors estimate the direction of travel of acoustic waves by measuring pressure and motion, allowing for determination of the source location through triangulation. This study demonstrates the use of two-dimensional vector sensors to generate azimuthal tracks of singing humpback whales and link them between sensors using cross-correlation. By utilizing at least two vector sensors, simultaneous localization and tracking of whales in latitude and longitude can be achieved.
JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Susan M. Bengtson Nash, Jasmin Gross, Juliana Castrillon, Maria Valeria Casa, Greta Dalle Luche, Justin Meager, Ruma Ghosh, June Eggebo, Pernilla Bohlin Nizzetto
Summary: The past six years in the Antarctic region have witnessed some of the most drastic climatic events in recent history, including the 2017 sea-ice extreme low. The Humpback Whale Sentinel Programme, a circum-polar biomonitoring program, has previously detected the extreme La Nina event in 2010/11. In this study, six ecophysiological markers were used to assess the impacts of the 2017 anomalous climatic events, indicating a negative trend in most indicators except for bulk stable isotope dietary tracers.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Zoology
E. Girola, R. A. Dunlop, M. J. Noad
Summary: Male humpback whales increase the volume of their songs in response to increasing natural noise, but do not modify the frequency and duration of their sounds. This may be a way to adhere to the requirements of a shared repertoire.
BIOACOUSTICS-THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SOUND AND ITS RECORDING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Susan M. Bengtson Nash, Maria Valeria Casa, So Kawaguchi, Iain Staniland, Poul Bjerregaard
Summary: The study highlights the risk of elevated exposure to mercury in large animals in the Antarctic region, such as humpback whales, due to the bioaccumulative nature of organic mercury. Monitoring mercury accumulation in animals like humpback whales can provide important clues for understanding mercury exposure in Antarctic wildlife.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elena Schall, Divna Djokic, Erin C. Ross-Marsh, Javier Ona, Judith Denkinger, Julio Ernesto Baumgarten, Linilson Rodrigues Padovese, Marcos R. Rossi-Santos, Maria Isabel Carvalho Goncalves, Renata Sousa-Lima, Rodrigo Hucke-Gaete, Simon Elwen, Susannah Buchan, Tess Gridley, Ilse Van Opzeeland
Summary: The Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean attracts migratory baleen whale species due to its high density of Antarctic krill. Humpback whales sing extensively while feeding in this area, and comparative song analyses suggest that individuals from at least three breeding populations migrate to shared feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean. The area is important for cultural and genetic exchange between populations.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jan-Olaf Meynecke, Saumik Samanta, Jasper de Bie, Elisa Seyboth, Subhra Prakash Dey, Giles Fearon, Marcello Vichi, Ken Findlay, Alakendra Roychoudhury, Brendan Mackey
Summary: Whales have been labeled as climate savers in the media, but there is limited scientific evidence to support this claim. While whales do remove carbon from the atmosphere and contribute to the ocean carbon cycle, the amount they sequester may not have a significant impact on climate change. Overstating their role as climate engineers may distract from other effective methods of reducing greenhouse gases.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Koki Tsujii, Tomonari Akamatsu, Ryosuke Okamoto, Kyoichi Mori, Yoko Mitani
Summary: Research indicates that humpback whales breed in shallow and warm coastal waters, with males singing complex songs during the breeding season. The singing behavior of humpback whales is influenced by diel and tidal cycles, with singers peaking before sunrise and in the evening.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Kavya Ramesh, Simon Berrow, Rossa Meade, Joanne O'Brien
Summary: The study investigated the response of fin whales in the southwestern offshore Irish waters to low-frequency shipping noise, finding that whale call detections increase with night-time, sea surface height, and chlorophyll-a concentration, but decrease with increasing shipping noise. Further research is needed to establish robust management and mitigation measures to minimize the effects of shipping noise on fin whales.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rob Williams, Erin Ashe, Laurel Yruretagoyena, Natalie Mastick, Margaret Siple, Jason Wood, Ruth Joy, Roland Langrock, Sina Mews, Emily Finne
Summary: The study found limited impact of ship speed on foraging behavior of southern resident killer whales (SRKWs), but a strong correlation between received noise level from ships and the likelihood of SRKWs engaging in foraging activity. Reducing ship speed and noise amplitude can help decrease the disruption of SRKW foraging activity caused by ship noise.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fannie W. Shabangu, Dawit Yemane, George Best, Bobbi J. Estabrook
Summary: This study quantitatively describes the sources of underwater noise and the effects of underwater noise on the acoustic detectability of different whale species off the west coast of South Africa. The study found that noise from vessel traffic dominated the soundscape below 500 Hz, while wind-generated noise dominated the soundscape above 500 Hz. The acoustic detectability of humpback, minke, and sperm whales decreased with increasing ambient noise levels, while the detectability of blue and fin whales increased with ambient noise levels.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jennifer L. Miksis-Olds, Peter J. Dugan, S. Bruce Martin, Holger Klinck, David K. Mellinger, David A. Mann, Dimitri W. Ponirakis, Olaf Boebel
Summary: MANTA software is a tool that facilitates comparisons and identification of ambient ocean sound trends, enabling assessment of soundscapes at any desired scale. The software consists of two applications: MANTA Metadata App and MANTA Data Mining App, producing consistent processed time series products of sound pressure levels. Main outputs include daily spectral energy calculations and statistics images.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Management
Neil Watson, Sharief Hendricks, Theodor Stewart, Ian Durbach
Summary: Research utilizing neural networks to predict rugby match outcomes and provide tactical guidance found that considering sequential data and field location can improve classification accuracy. Conducting scenario analyses with data visualizations can provide tactical insights on which strategies are most likely to achieve the desired outcome.
JOURNAL OF THE OPERATIONAL RESEARCH SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Alexander M. Conway, Ian N. Durbach, Alistair McInnes, Robert N. Harris
Summary: The study demonstrates an improvement in video classification by combining CNN and RNN, using two different datasets for illustration. It is recommended to include temporal information whenever manual inspection suggests that movement is predictive of class membership.
Article
Ecology
Emmanuel Dufourq, Ian Durbach, James P. Hansford, Amanda Hoepfner, Heidi Ma, Jessica Bryant, Christina S. Stender, Wenyong Li, Zhiwei Liu, Qing Chen, Zhaoli Zhou, Samuel T. Turvey
Summary: Developing an automated classifier for extracting species calls from passive acoustic recordings, particularly focusing on the Hainan gibbon calls, using deep neural networks has proven to be an effective and efficient method. The use of neural networks in ecology can greatly simplify the manual process and improve accuracy in identifying species calls.
REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gantulga Bayandonoi, Koustubh Sharma, Justine Shanti Alexander, Purevjav Lkhagvajav, Ian Durbach, Chimeddorj Buyanaa, Bariushaa Munkhtsog, Munkhtogtokh Ochirjav, Sergelen Erdenebaatar, Bilguun Batkhuyag, Nyamzav Battulga, Choidogjamts Byambasuren, Bayarsaikhan Uudus, Shar Setev, Lkhagvasuren Davaa, Khurel-Erdene Agchbayar, Naranbaatar Galsandorj, Darryl MacKenzie
Summary: This study aimed to create the first probabilistic distribution map of snow leopards in Mongolia, addressing the challenge of imperfect detection. The study found that snow leopards are more likely to be present in areas with rugged terrain, lower vegetation indices, less forest cover, and at intermediate altitudes. Detection probability was higher for segments walked on foot and in more rugged terrain.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Regina A. Guazzo, Ian N. Durbach, Tyler A. Helble, Gabriela C. Alongi, Cameron R. Martin, Stephen W. Martin, E. Elizabeth Henderson
Summary: The study found that the swimming behavior of fin whales is related to their vocalization rate and time, with whales swimming slower and turning more when the vocalization rate is higher. There are also differences in swimming behavior between day and night. The presence of fin whales in Hawaiian waters is influenced by factors such as time of day and sea state.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
E. Elizabeth Henderson, Mark Deakos, Dan Engelhaupt
MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
E. Elizabeth Henderson, Mark Deakos, Jessica Aschettino, Dan Englehaupt, Gabriela Alongi
Summary: This study provides insight into the inter-island movements and behavior of humpback whales on the Hawaiian breeding grounds as well as their migration behavior. Using photo-identification and satellite telemetry, researchers discovered similar movement patterns and routes between the islands, and a transition in behavior from breeding to migration. Additionally, dive data demonstrated a correlation with movement behavior.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Eiren K. Jacobson, E. Elizabeth Henderson, David L. Miller, Cornelia S. Oedekoven, David J. Moretti, Len Thomas
Summary: This article investigates the behavioral responses of Blainville's beaked whales to naval use of mid-frequency active sonar in Hawaii and the Bahamas. The results indicate a stronger reaction to naval training and sonar than previously reported.
MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Roanne Manzano-Roth, E. Elizabeth Henderson, Gabriela C. Alongi, Cameron R. Martin, Stephen W. Martin, Brian Matsuyama
Summary: Long-term passive acoustic monitoring detected beaked whale foraging pulses off Kaua'i, Hawaii. The species of these unidentified pulses is still unknown, but their foraging dive characteristics were identified through data analysis. The study also found that the whales reduced their vocalizations during sonar activity.
MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
Philip A. Ebert, Ian N. Durbach
Summary: This study investigates the differences in perceived danger and recklessness judgements between experts and laypeople in adventure sports. It examines how factors such as fatality frequency, gender, dependants, competence, and motivations affect these judgements. The findings suggest that experienced skiers have lower overall danger and recklessness ratings, and are more sensitive to variations in fatality rates and participant competence.
JOURNAL OF RISK RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Emmanuel Dufourq, Carly Batist, Ruben Foquet, Ian Durbach
Summary: Progress in deep learning, specifically in using convolutional neural networks for classification models, has been significant. This study investigates the use of transfer learning in passive acoustic monitoring, showing that it can improve F1 score up to 82% while simplifying implementation and design decisions.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cameron R. Martin, Regina A. Guazzo, Tyler A. Helble, Gabriela C. Alongi, Ian N. Durbach, Stephen W. Martin, Brian M. Matsuyama, E. Elizabeth Henderson
Summary: The study found that the calling behavior of minke whales is closely related to the proximity of other calling conspecifics. The call rate of minke whales increases when they are closer to other calling conspecifics, while it decreases when they are farther away. In addition, the study also found that minke whales may exhibit other behavioral changes when there are calling conspecifics nearby.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tyler A. Helble, Regina A. Guazzo, Ian N. Durbach, Cameron R. Martin, Gabriela C. Alongi, Stephen W. Martin, E. Elizabeth Henderson
Summary: Behavioral responses of minke whales to Navy sonar have been studied and compared to their natural movement patterns in order to understand the severity of responses. The results show that while natural factors such as calling season and wind speed can influence their movement, exposure to Navy sonar causes the fastest swim speeds.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)