Beaked whales are diverse and species rich taxa. They spend the vast majority of their time submerged, regularly diving to depths of hundreds to thousands of meters, typically occur in small groups, and behave inconspicuously at the surface. These factors make them extremely difficult to detect using standard visual survey methods. However, recent advancements in acoustic detection capabilities have made passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) a viable alternative. Beaked whales can be discriminated from other odontocetes by the unique characteristics of their echolocation clicks. In 2009 and 2010, PAM methods using towed hydrophone arrays were tested. These methods proved highly effective for real-time detection of beaked whales in the Southern California Bight (SCB) and were subsequently implemented in 2011 to successfully detect and track beaked whales during the ongoing Southern California Behavioral Response Study. The three year field effort has resulted in (1) the successful classification and tracking of Cuvier's (Ziphius cavirostris), Baird's (Berardius bairdii), and unidentified Mesoplodon beaked whale species and (2) the identification of areas of previously unknown beaked whale habitat use. Identification of habitat use areas will contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationship between beaked whale distribution, occurrence, and preferred habitat characteristics on a relatively small spatial scale. These findings will also provide information that can be used to promote more effective management and conservation of beaked whales in the SCB, a heavily used Naval operation and training region.
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September 2013
September 01 2013
Passive acoustic monitoring using a towed hydrophone array results in identification of a previously unknown beaked whale habitat
Tina M. Yack;
Tina M. Yack
a)
Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NMFS
, NOAA, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, California 92037
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Jay Barlow;
Jay Barlow
Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NMFS
, NOAA, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, California 92037
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John Calambokidis;
John Calambokidis
Cascadia Research
, 218 1/2 West 4th Avenue, Olympia, Washington 98501
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Brandon Southall;
Brandon Southall
b)
SEA Inc.
, 9099 Soquel Drive, Suite 8, Aptos, California 95003
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Shannon Coates
Shannon Coates
Bio-Waves Inc.
, 364 2nd Street, Suite #3, Encinitas, California 92024
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a)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Also at: Bio-Waves Inc., 364 2nd Street, Suite #3, Encinitas, CA 92024. Electronic mail: tina.yack@noaa.gov
b)
Also at: University of California, Santa Cruz, Long Marine Laboratory, 100 Shaffer Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 134, 2589–2595 (2013)
Article history
Received:
July 02 2012
Accepted:
June 21 2013
Citation
Tina M. Yack, Jay Barlow, John Calambokidis, Brandon Southall, Shannon Coates; Passive acoustic monitoring using a towed hydrophone array results in identification of a previously unknown beaked whale habitat. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1 September 2013; 134 (3): 2589–2595. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4816585
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