Masked detection thresholds were measured for two killer whales (Orcinus orca) using a psychoacoustic, adaptive-staircase procedure. Noise bands were 1-octave wide continuous Gaussian noise. Tonal signals extended between 500 Hz and 80 kHz. Resulting critical ratios increased with the signal frequency from 15 dB at 500 Hz up to 32 dB at 80 kHz. Critical ratios for killer whales were similar to those of other odontocetes despite considerable differences in size, hearing morphology, and hearing sensitivity between species.
References
1.
Au
, W. W. L.
, and Moore
, P. W. B.
(1990
). “Critical ratio and critical bandwidth for the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
88
, 1635
–1638
.2.
Bain
, D. E.
, and Dahlheim
, M. E.
(1994
). “Effects of masking noise on detection thresholds of killer whales
,” in Marine Mammals and the Exxon Valdez
, edited by T. R.
Loughlin
(Academic
, San Diego
), pp. 243
–256
.3.
Baird
, R.
(2000
). “The killer whale: Foraging specialization and group hunting
,” in Cetacean Societies: Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales
(University of Chicago
, Chicago
), pp. 127
–153
.4.
Baird
, R. W.
, and Whitehead
, H.
(2000
). “Social organization of mammal-eating killer whales: Group stability and dispersal patterns
,” Can. J. Zool.
78
, 2096
–2105
.5.
Barrett-Lennard
, L. G.
, Ford
, J. K. B.
, and Heise
, K. A.
(1996
). “The mixed blessing of echolocation: Differences in sonar use by fish-eating and mammal-eating killer whales
,” Anim. Behav.
51
, 553
–565
.6.
Branstetter
, B. K.
, Bakhtiari
, K.
, Black
, A.
, Trickey
, J. S.
, Finneran
, J. J.
, and Aihara
, H.
(2016
). “Energetic and informational masking of complex sounds by a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus
),” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
140
, 1904
–1917
.7.
Branstetter
, B. K.
, Bowman
, V. F.
, Houser
, D. S.
, Tormey
, M.
, Banks
, P.
, Finneran
, J. J.
, and Jenkins
, K.
(2018
). “Effects of vibratory pile driver noise on echolocation and vigilance in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus
),” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
143
, 429
–439
.8.
Branstetter
, B. K.
, and Finneran
, J. J.
(2008
). “Comodulation masking release in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
124
, 625
–633
.9.
Branstetter
, B. K.
, Trickey
, J. S.
, Aihara
, H.
, Finneran
, J. J.
, and Liberman
, T. R.
(2013a
). “Time and frequency metrics related to auditory masking of a 10 kHz tone in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
134
, 4556
–4565
.10.
Branstetter
, B. K.
, Trickey
, J. S.
, Bakhtiari
, K.
, Black
, A.
, Aihara
, H.
, and Finneran
, J. J.
(2013b
). “Auditory masking patterns in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) with natural, anthropogenic, and synthesized noise
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
133
, 1811
–1818
.11.
Branstetter
, B. K.
, Van Alstyne
, K. R.
, Wu
, T. A.
, Simmons
, R. A.
, Curtis
, L. D.
, and Xitco
, M. J.
, Jr. (2017
). “Critical ratio functions for odontocete cetaceans
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
142
, 1897
–1900
.12.
Clark
, C. W.
, Ellison
, W. T.
, Southall
, B. L.
, Hatch
, L.
, Van Parijs
, S. M.
, Frankel
, A.
, and Ponirakis
, D.
(2009
). “Acoustic masking in marine ecosystems: Intuitions, analysis, and implication
,” Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.
395
, 201
–222
.13.
Cunningham
, K. A.
, Southall
, B. L.
, and Reichmuth
, C.
(2014
). “Auditory sensitivity of seals and sea lions in complex listening scenarios
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
136
, 3410
–3421
.14.
Deecke
, V. B.
, Barrett-Lennard
, L. G.
, Spong
, P.
, and Ford
, J. K. B.
(2010
). “The structure of stereotyped calls reflects kinship and social affiliation in resident killer whales (Orcinus orca
),” Naturwissenschaften
97
, 513
–518
.15.
Erbe
, C.
, and Farmer
, D. M.
(1998
). “Masked hearing thresholds of a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) in icebreaker noise
,” Deep-Sea Res.
45
, 1373
–1378
.16.
Erbe
, C.
, Reichmuth
, C.
, Cunningham
, K. A.
, Lucke
, K.
, and Dooling
, R.
(2016
). “Communication masking in marine mammals: A review and research strategy
,” Mar. Pollut. Bull.
103
, 15
–38
.17.
Finneran
, J. J.
(2016
). “Auditory Weighting Functions and TTS/PTS Exposure Functions for Marine Mammals Exposed to Underwater Noise
,” SSC Pacific Technical Report 3026
(SSC Pacific
, San Diego
).18.
Finneran
, J. J.
, and Branstetter
, B.
(2013
). “Effects of noise on sound perception in marine mammals
,” in Animal Communication and Noise. Animal Signals and Communication
, edited by H.
Brumm
(Springer
, Berlin
), Vol 2.19.
Finneran
, J. J.
, and Schlundt
, C. E.
(2007
). “Underwater sound pressure variation and bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) hearing thresholds in a small pool
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
122
, 606
–614
.20.
Finneran
, J. J.
, Schlundt
, C. E.
, Carder
, D. A.
, and Ridgway
, S. H.
(2002
). “Auditory filter shapes for the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the white whale (Delphinapterus leucas) derived with notched noise
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
112
, 322
–328
.21.
Fletcher
, H.
(1940
). “Auditory patterns
,” Rev. Mod. Phys.
12
, 47
–65
.22.
Government of Canada
(2020
). “Species profile (killer whale)—Species at Risk Public Registry
,” https://wildlife-species.canada.ca/species-risk-registry/species/speciesDetails_e.cfm?sid=699 (Last viewed 3/22/2021).23.
Heffner
, H. E.
, and Heffner
, R. S.
(2008
). “High-frequency hearing
,” in Handbook of the Senses: Audition
, edited by P.
Dallos
, D.
Oertel
, and R.
Hoy
(Elsevier
, New York
), pp. 55
–60
.24.
Holt
, M. M.
(2008
). “Sound exposure and southern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca): A review of current knowledge and data gaps
,” NOAA Technical Memo, NMFS-NWFSC-89 (United States Department of Commerce, Washington, DC), p. 59
.25.
Holt
, M. M.
, Noren
, D. P.
, and Emmons
, C. K.
(2011
). “Effects of noise levels and call types on the source levels of killer whale calls
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
130
, 3100
–3106
.26.
Holt
, M.
, Noren
, D. P.
, Veirs
, V.
, Emmons
, C. K.
, and Veirs
, S.
(2009
). “Speaking up: Killer whales (Orcinus orca) increase their call amplitude in response to vessel noise
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
125
, EL27
–EL32
.27.
Holt
, M. M.
, and Schusterman
, R. J.
(2007
). “Spatial release from masking of aerial tones in pinnipeds
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
121
, 1219
–1225
.28.
Houser
, D. S.
, Martin
, S. W.
, and Finneran
, J. J.
(2013
). “Exposure amplitude and repetition affect bottlenose dolphin behavior responses to simulated mid-frequency sonar signals
,” J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol.
443
, 123
–133
.29.
Johnson
, C. S.
(1968
). “Masked tonal thresholds in the bottlenosed porpoise
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
44
, 965
–967
.30.
Johnson
, C. S.
, McManus
, M. W.
, and Skaar
, D.
(1989
). “Masked tonal hearing thresholds in the beluga whale
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
85
, 2651
–2654
.31.
Kastelein
, R. A.
, Wensveen
, P. J.
, Hoek
, L.
, Au
, W. W. L.
, Terhune
, J. M.
, and de Jong
, C. A. F.
(2009
). “Critical ratios in harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) for tonal signals between 0.315 and 150 kHz in random Gaussian white noise
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
126
, 1588
–1597
.32.
Ketten
, D. R.
(1992
). “The marine mammal ear: Specializations for aquatic audition and echolocation
,” in The Biology of Hearing
, edited by D.
Webster
, R.
Fay
, and A.
Popper
(Springer-Verlag
, New York
), pp. 717
–754
.33.
Ketten
, D. R.
(1998
). “Marine mammal auditory systems: A summary of audiometric and anatomical data and its implications for underwater acoustic impacts
,” Polarforschung
72
(2
), 79
–92
.34.
Lawrence
, M. K.
, Borger-Turner
, J. L.
, Turner
, T. N.
, and Eskelinen
, H. C.
(2016
). “Investigating the effects of applied learning principles on the ‘create’ response in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
,” Int. J. Comp. Psychol.
29
, 1
–9
.35.
Lemonds
, D. W.
(1999
). “Auditory filter shapes in an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
,” Ph.D. dissertation, University of Hawaii
, Honolulu, HI
.36.
Lemonds
, D. W.
, Kloepper
, L. N.
, Nachtigall
, P. E.
, Au
, W. W. L.
, Vlachos
, S. A.
, and Branstetter
, B. K.
(2011
). “A re-evaluation of auditory filter shape in delphinid odontocetes: Evidence of constant-bandwidth filters
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
130
, 3107
–3114
.37.
Levitt
, H.
(1971
). “Transformed up-down methods in psyhcoacoustics
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
49
, 467
–477
.38.
Mooney
, T. A.
, Yamato
, M.
, and Branstetter
, B. K.
(2012
). “Chapter Four—Hearing in cetaceans: From natural history to experimental biology
,” Adv. Mar. Biol.
63
, 197
–246
.39.
National Marine Fisheries Services
(2016
). Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus Orca) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation
(National Marine Fisheries Service West Coast Region
, Seattle, WA
).40.
NOAA Fisheries
(2018
). “Technical guidance for assessing the effects of anthropogenic sound on marine mammal hearing
,” NOAA Fisheries, NOAA, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/technical-guidance-assessing-effects-anthropogenic-sound-marine-mammal-hearing (Last viewed 3/22/2021).41.
Nummela
, S.
, Wägar
, T.
, Hemila
, S.
, and Reuter
, T.
(1999a
). “Scaling of the cetacean middle ear
,” Hearing Research
133
, 71
–81
.42.
Nummela
, S.
, Reuter
, T.
, Hemilä
, S.
, Holmberg
, P.
, and Paukku
, P.
(1999b
). “The anatomy of the killer whale middle ear (Orcinus orca
),” Hear. Res.
133
, 61
–70
.43.
Parsons
, E. C. M.
(2017
). “Impacts of navy sonar on whales and dolphins: Now beyond a smoking gun?
,” Front. Mar. Sci.
4
, 1
–11
.44.
Patterson
, R. D.
, and Moore
, B. C. J.
(1986
). “Auditory filters and excitation patterns as representations of frequency resolution
,” in Frequency Selectivity in Hearing
, edited by B. C. J.
Moore
(Academic
, London
), pp. 123
–127
.45.
Penner
, M. J.
(1980
). “The coding of intensity and the interaction of forward and backward masking
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
67
, 608
–616
.46.
Popov
, V.
, Supin
, A.
, Wang
, D.
, and Wang
, K.
(2006
). “Nonconstant quality of auditory filters in the porpoises, Phocoena phocoena and Neophocaena phocaenoides (Cetacea, Phocoenidae)
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
119
, 3173
–3180
.47.
Recio-Spinoso
, A.
, and Cooper
, N. P.
(2013
). “Masking of sounds by a background noise-cochlear mechanical correlates
,” J. Physiol.
591
, 2705
–2721
.48.
Richardson
, W. J.
, Greene
, C. R.
, Malme
, C. I.
, and Thomson
, D. H.
(1995
). Marine Mammals and Noise
(Academic
, San Diego
).49.
Sills
, J. M.
, Southall
, B.
, and Reichmuth
, C.
(2017
). “The influence of temporally varying noise from seismic air guns on the detection of underwater sounds by seals
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
141
, 996
–1008
.50.
Thomas
, J. A.
, Pawloski
, J. L.
, and Au
, W. W. L.
(1990
). “Masked hearing abilities in a false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens)
,” in Sensory Abilities of Cetaceans: Laboratory and Field Evidence
, edited by J. A.
Thomas
and R. A.
Kastelein
(Plenum
, New York
), pp. 395
–404
.51.
Thompson
, P. M.
, Hastie
, G. D.
, Nedwell
, J.
, Barham
, R.
, Brookes
, K. L.
, Cordes
, L. S.
, Bailey
, H.
, and McLean
, N.
(2013
). “Framework for assessing impacts of pile-driving noise from offshore wind farm construction on a harbour seal population
,” Environ. Impact Assess. Rev.
43
, 73
–85
.52.
Williams
, R.
, Clark
, C. W.
, Ponirakis
, D.
, and Ashe
, E.
(2014
). “Acoustic quality of critical habitats for three threatened whale populations
,” Anim. Conserv.
17
, 174
–185
.© 2021 Acoustical Society of America.
2021
Acoustical Society of America
You do not currently have access to this content.