Behavioral responses to predatory sounds predict sensitivity of cetaceans to anthropogenic noise within a soundscape of fear

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• Main Authors: Miller, Patrick James O'Malley, Isojunno, Saana, Siegal, Eilidh, Kvadsheim, P. H., Lam, Frans-Peter A., Curé, Charlotte
• Other Authors: Sea Mammal Research Unit University of St Andrews (SMRU), School of Biology University of St Andrews, University of St Andrews Scotland -University of St Andrews Scotland -Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Unité Mixte de Recherche en Acoustique Environnementale (UMRAE), Université de Lyon-Centre d'Etudes et d'Expertise sur les Risques, l'Environnement, la Mobilité et l'Aménagement (Cerema)-Université Gustave Eiffel
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2022
• Subjects: Cerema; ACLI; Impact; evolution; Cetacea; disturbance; naval sonar; risk–disturbance hypothesis; bioacoustique; [PHYS.MECA.ACOU]Physics [physics]/Mechanics [physics]/Acoustics [physics.class-ph]; Killer Whale; Killer whale
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03616707; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2114932119

accepté 28/01/2022 International audience As human activities impact virtually every animal habitat on the planet, identifying speciesat-risk from disturbance is a priority. Cetaceans are an example taxon where responsivenessto anthropogenic noise can be severe but highly species and context specific,with source–receiver characteristics such as hearing sensitivity only partially explainingthis variability. Here, we predicted that ecoevolutionary factors that increase speciesresponsiveness to predation risk also increase responsiveness to anthropogenic noise. Wefound that reductions in intense-foraging time during exposure to 1- to 4-kHz navalsonar and predatory killer whale sounds were highly correlated (r = 0.92) across fourcetacean species. Northern bottlenose whales ceased foraging completely during killerwhale and sonar exposures, followed by humpback, long-finned pilot, and sperm whales,which reduced intense foraging by 48 to 97%. Individual responses to sonar were partlypredicted by species-level responses to killer whale playbacks, implying a similar level ofperceived risk. The correlation cannot be solely explained by hearing sensitivity, indicatingthat species- and context-specific antipredator adaptations also shape cetaceanresponses to human-made noise. Species that are more responsive to predator presenceare predicted to be more disturbance sensitive, implying a looming double whammy forArctic cetaceans facing increased anthropogenic and predator activity with reduced icecover.