Preferred shallow-water nursery sites provide acoustic crypsis to southern right whale mother–calf pairs
Adaptations to sound production behaviour can reduce the detectability of animal signals by eavesdroppers in a phenomenon known as acoustic crypsis. We propose that acoustic crypsis can include selection of locations that affect how sound transmits through the environment: habitats with poor acousti...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220241 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.220241 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsos.220241 |
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crroyalsociety:10.1098/rsos.220241 2024-06-02T08:14:51+00:00 Preferred shallow-water nursery sites provide acoustic crypsis to southern right whale mother–calf pairs Zeh, Julia M. Dombroski, Julia R. G. Parks, Susan E. Marine Mammal Commission U.S. Navy Living Marine Resources Program National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship 2022 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220241 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.220241 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsos.220241 en eng The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ Royal Society Open Science volume 9, issue 5 ISSN 2054-5703 journal-article 2022 crroyalsociety https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220241 2024-05-07T14:16:49Z Adaptations to sound production behaviour can reduce the detectability of animal signals by eavesdroppers in a phenomenon known as acoustic crypsis. We propose that acoustic crypsis can include selection of locations that affect how sound transmits through the environment: habitats with poor acoustic propagation can minimize the range of detectability of animal signals. We investigated the potential for the preferred habitats of southern right whales to confer acoustic crypsis. We modelled acoustic propagation and range of detection of calls from southern right whales in the shallow, sandy, near shore waters where mothers and calves aggregate during the calving season. At three nursery sites across three continents in the southern hemisphere, results showed that the depth at which right whales are most commonly sighted has the most limited acoustic detection range for their calls. Thus, these habitats allow mother–calf pairs to remain acoustically cryptic from potential eavesdroppers, both predators and conspecifics, when their calves are the most vulnerable. Our results provide preliminary evidence that, in addition to other behavioural strategies, the use of habitats with poor acoustic propagation can contribute to acoustic crypsis. This adaptation may be a widespread and underappreciated mechanism for avoidance of eavesdroppers. Article in Journal/Newspaper Southern Right Whale The Royal Society Royal Society Open Science 9 5 |
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Open Polar |
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The Royal Society |
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crroyalsociety |
language |
English |
description |
Adaptations to sound production behaviour can reduce the detectability of animal signals by eavesdroppers in a phenomenon known as acoustic crypsis. We propose that acoustic crypsis can include selection of locations that affect how sound transmits through the environment: habitats with poor acoustic propagation can minimize the range of detectability of animal signals. We investigated the potential for the preferred habitats of southern right whales to confer acoustic crypsis. We modelled acoustic propagation and range of detection of calls from southern right whales in the shallow, sandy, near shore waters where mothers and calves aggregate during the calving season. At three nursery sites across three continents in the southern hemisphere, results showed that the depth at which right whales are most commonly sighted has the most limited acoustic detection range for their calls. Thus, these habitats allow mother–calf pairs to remain acoustically cryptic from potential eavesdroppers, both predators and conspecifics, when their calves are the most vulnerable. Our results provide preliminary evidence that, in addition to other behavioural strategies, the use of habitats with poor acoustic propagation can contribute to acoustic crypsis. This adaptation may be a widespread and underappreciated mechanism for avoidance of eavesdroppers. |
author2 |
Marine Mammal Commission U.S. Navy Living Marine Resources Program National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Zeh, Julia M. Dombroski, Julia R. G. Parks, Susan E. |
spellingShingle |
Zeh, Julia M. Dombroski, Julia R. G. Parks, Susan E. Preferred shallow-water nursery sites provide acoustic crypsis to southern right whale mother–calf pairs |
author_facet |
Zeh, Julia M. Dombroski, Julia R. G. Parks, Susan E. |
author_sort |
Zeh, Julia M. |
title |
Preferred shallow-water nursery sites provide acoustic crypsis to southern right whale mother–calf pairs |
title_short |
Preferred shallow-water nursery sites provide acoustic crypsis to southern right whale mother–calf pairs |
title_full |
Preferred shallow-water nursery sites provide acoustic crypsis to southern right whale mother–calf pairs |
title_fullStr |
Preferred shallow-water nursery sites provide acoustic crypsis to southern right whale mother–calf pairs |
title_full_unstemmed |
Preferred shallow-water nursery sites provide acoustic crypsis to southern right whale mother–calf pairs |
title_sort |
preferred shallow-water nursery sites provide acoustic crypsis to southern right whale mother–calf pairs |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220241 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.220241 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsos.220241 |
genre |
Southern Right Whale |
genre_facet |
Southern Right Whale |
op_source |
Royal Society Open Science volume 9, issue 5 ISSN 2054-5703 |
op_rights |
https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220241 |
container_title |
Royal Society Open Science |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
5 |
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1800738836591935488 |