The effects of vessel noise on the communication network of humpback whales

Humpback whales rely on acoustic communication to mediate social interactions. The distance to which these social signals propagate from the signaller defines its communication space, and therefore communication network (number of potential receivers). As humpback whales migrate along populated coas...

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Published in:Royal Society Open Science
Main Author: Dunlop, Rebecca A.
Other Authors: U. S. Office of Naval Research, Australian Antarctic Division
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Royal Society 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.190967
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.190967
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsos.190967
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spelling crroyalsociety:10.1098/rsos.190967 2024-09-15T17:57:25+00:00 The effects of vessel noise on the communication network of humpback whales Dunlop, Rebecca A. U. S. Office of Naval Research Australian Antarctic Division 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.190967 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.190967 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsos.190967 en eng The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ Royal Society Open Science volume 6, issue 11, page 190967 ISSN 2054-5703 journal-article 2019 crroyalsociety https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.190967 2024-07-15T04:26:41Z Humpback whales rely on acoustic communication to mediate social interactions. The distance to which these social signals propagate from the signaller defines its communication space, and therefore communication network (number of potential receivers). As humpback whales migrate along populated coastlines, they are likely to encounter noise from vessel traffic which will mask their social signals. Since no empirical data exist on baleen whale hearing, the consequences of this are usually assumed, being the modelled reduction in their communication space. Here, the communication space and network of migrating humpback whales was compared in increasing wind-dominated and vessel-dominated noise. Behavioural data on their social interactions were then used to inform these models. In typical wind noise, a signaller's communication space was estimated to extend to 4 km, which agreed with the maximum separation distance between groups that socially interacted. An increase in vessel noise reduced the modelled communication area, along with a significant reduction in group social interactions, probably due to a reduction in their communication network. However, signal masking did not fully explain this change in social behaviour, implying there was also an additional effect of the physical presence of the vessel on signaller and receiver behaviour. Though these observed changes in communication space and social behaviour were likely to be short term and localized, an increase in vessel activity due to tourism and coastal population growth may cause more sustained changes along the humpback whale migration paths. Article in Journal/Newspaper baleen whale Humpback Whale The Royal Society Royal Society Open Science 6 11 190967
institution Open Polar
collection The Royal Society
op_collection_id crroyalsociety
language English
description Humpback whales rely on acoustic communication to mediate social interactions. The distance to which these social signals propagate from the signaller defines its communication space, and therefore communication network (number of potential receivers). As humpback whales migrate along populated coastlines, they are likely to encounter noise from vessel traffic which will mask their social signals. Since no empirical data exist on baleen whale hearing, the consequences of this are usually assumed, being the modelled reduction in their communication space. Here, the communication space and network of migrating humpback whales was compared in increasing wind-dominated and vessel-dominated noise. Behavioural data on their social interactions were then used to inform these models. In typical wind noise, a signaller's communication space was estimated to extend to 4 km, which agreed with the maximum separation distance between groups that socially interacted. An increase in vessel noise reduced the modelled communication area, along with a significant reduction in group social interactions, probably due to a reduction in their communication network. However, signal masking did not fully explain this change in social behaviour, implying there was also an additional effect of the physical presence of the vessel on signaller and receiver behaviour. Though these observed changes in communication space and social behaviour were likely to be short term and localized, an increase in vessel activity due to tourism and coastal population growth may cause more sustained changes along the humpback whale migration paths.
author2 U. S. Office of Naval Research
Australian Antarctic Division
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Dunlop, Rebecca A.
spellingShingle Dunlop, Rebecca A.
The effects of vessel noise on the communication network of humpback whales
author_facet Dunlop, Rebecca A.
author_sort Dunlop, Rebecca A.
title The effects of vessel noise on the communication network of humpback whales
title_short The effects of vessel noise on the communication network of humpback whales
title_full The effects of vessel noise on the communication network of humpback whales
title_fullStr The effects of vessel noise on the communication network of humpback whales
title_full_unstemmed The effects of vessel noise on the communication network of humpback whales
title_sort effects of vessel noise on the communication network of humpback whales
publisher The Royal Society
publishDate 2019
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.190967
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.190967
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsos.190967
genre baleen whale
Humpback Whale
genre_facet baleen whale
Humpback Whale
op_source Royal Society Open Science
volume 6, issue 11, page 190967
ISSN 2054-5703
op_rights https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.190967
container_title Royal Society Open Science
container_volume 6
container_issue 11
container_start_page 190967
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