Hearing threshold shifts and recovery after noise exposure in beluga whales, Delphinapterus leucas

Temporary threshold shift (TTS) after loud noise exposure was investigated in a male and a female beluga whale ( Delphinapterus leucas ). The thresholds were evaluated using the evoked-potential technique, which allowed for threshold tracing with a resolution of ~1 min. The fatiguing noise had a 0.5...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Experimental Biology
Main Authors: Popov, Vladimir V., Supin, Alexander Ya., Rozhnov, Viatcheslav V., Nechaev, Dmitry I., Sysuyeva, Evgenia V., Klishin, Vladimir O., Pletenko, Mikhail G., Tarakanov, Mikhail B.
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: Company of Biologists 2013
Subjects:
Research Articles
Beluga
Beluga whale
Beluga*
Delphinapterus leucas
Online Access:http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/216/9/1587
https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.078345
Description
Summary:Temporary threshold shift (TTS) after loud noise exposure was investigated in a male and a female beluga whale ( Delphinapterus leucas ). The thresholds were evaluated using the evoked-potential technique, which allowed for threshold tracing with a resolution of ~1 min. The fatiguing noise had a 0.5 octave bandwidth, with center frequencies ranging from 11.2 to 90 kHz, a level of 165 dB re. 1 μPa and exposure durations from 1 to 30 min. The effects of the noise were tested at probe frequencies ranging from −0.5 to +1.5 octaves relative to the noise center frequency. The effect was estimated in terms of both immediate (1.5 min) post-exposure TTS and recovery duration. The highest TTS with the longest recovery duration was produced by noises of lower frequencies (11.2 and 22.5 kHz) and appeared at a test frequency of +0.5 octave. At higher noise frequencies (45 and 90 kHz), the TTS decreased. The TTS effect gradually increased with prolonged exposures ranging from 1 to 30 min. There was a considerable TTS difference between the two subjects.

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