Document Detail


Automated detection of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) creaks and association with depredation events.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20331092     Owner:  NLM     Status:  In-Data-Review    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Sperm whales have been depredating black cod (Anoplopoma fimbria) from demersal longlines in the Gulf of Alaska for decades, but the behavior has now become pervasive enough that it is starting to affect government estimates of the sustainable catch, motivating further studies of this behavior. In July 2007 and June 2009, bioacoustic tags were attached to adult sperm whales off Southeast Alaska under both natural foraging conditions and situations wherein the animals were depredating sablefish from commercial longlining vessels. Tags remained attached for a cumulative hours, yielding more than 100 h of depth, orientation, and acoustic data. Results show that when depredating, sperm whales often dive at depths shallower than 50 m, compared to natural foraging depths of 300-400 m in the area. Dive durations, pitch, and roll rates are also distinctively different. Techniques such as spectrogram cross-correlation and cepstral analysis are used to automatically detect creak events, which have lower intensities and narrower frequency ranges than conventional clicks. Acoustic measurements such as creak production rate, duration, and intensity are then extracted. Correlations are derived between creak events, sudden changes in body orientation and depredation rate, with a goal of determining an acoustic measure of depredation activity and efficacy. [Work conducted under the SEA SWAP Program, supported by the North Pacific Research Board and the National Geographic Society.].
Authors:
Delphine Mathias; Aaron Thode; Jan Straley; John Calambokidis; Gregory S Schorr; Bill Burgess
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America     Volume:  127     ISSN:  1520-8524     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Acoust. Soc. Am.     Publication Date:  2010 Mar 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-03-24     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7503051     Medline TA:  J Acoust Soc Am     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  2005     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Marine Physical Lab., Scripps Inst. of Oceanogr., 9500 Gilman Dr. La Jolla, CA, 92037-0238, delphine.mathias@gmail.comUniv. of Alaska Southeast, Sitka, AK 99835Cascadia Res. Collective, Olympia, WA, 98501Greeneridge Sci. Inc., Goleta, CA 93117.
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