Environmental Influences on Diel Calling Behavior in Baleen Whales

Our objective is to investigate the relationship between prey behavior and baleen whale calling behavior in a poorly studied environment: the central Gulf of Maine during late fall and early winter. We hypothesize that diel calling patterns are established, in part, by the diel availability of prey:...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Baumgartner, Mark, Fratantoni, David M
Other Authors: WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION MA
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Biological Oceanography
Acoustic Detection and Detectors
*ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATIONS
*VARIATIONS
*WHALES
ACOUSTIC DETECTION
DATA ACQUISITION
FEEDING
GLIDERS
MAINE GULF
MONITORING
PASSIVE SYSTEMS
BALEEN WHALES
CALLING BEHAVIOR
DIEL CALLING PATTERNS
PREY DISTRIBUTION
baleen whale
baleen whales
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA573311
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA573311
Description
Summary:Our objective is to investigate the relationship between prey behavior and baleen whale calling behavior in a poorly studied environment: the central Gulf of Maine during late fall and early winter. We hypothesize that diel calling patterns are established, in part, by the diel availability of prey: when prey is strongly aggregated during the day at depth, calling activity is reduced while the whales feed. Conversely, during periods of active vertical migration by prey or when prey is diffusely distributed, the whales cannot profitably forage, and therefore increase calling activity and social interactions in lieu of feeding. To address this hypothesis, we will (1) deploy ocean gliders to locate whales and simultaneously observe prey migration behavior and whale acoustic activity, and (2) conduct shipboard zooplankton sampling in the region to identify available prey, including both migrating and non-migrating species. The original document contains color images.

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