High Source Levels and Small Active Space of High-Pitched Song in Bowhead Whales (Balaena mysticetus)
The low-frequency, powerful vocalizations of blue and fin whales may potentially be detected by conspecifics across entire ocean basins. In contrast, humpback and bowhead whales produce equally powerful, but more complex broadband vocalizations composed of higher frequencies that suffer from higher...
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ftpubmed:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:3530606 2023-05-15T15:07:08+02:00 High Source Levels and Small Active Space of High-Pitched Song in Bowhead Whales (Balaena mysticetus) Tervo, Outi M. Christoffersen, Mads F. Simon, Malene Miller, Lee A. Jensen, Frants H. Parks, Susan E. Madsen, Peter T. 2012-12-26 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3530606 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23300591 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0052072 en eng Public Library of Science http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3530606 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23300591 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0052072 This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. CC-BY Research Article Text 2012 ftpubmed https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0052072 2013-09-04T17:38:37Z The low-frequency, powerful vocalizations of blue and fin whales may potentially be detected by conspecifics across entire ocean basins. In contrast, humpback and bowhead whales produce equally powerful, but more complex broadband vocalizations composed of higher frequencies that suffer from higher attenuation. Here we evaluate the active space of high frequency song notes of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in Western Greenland using measurements of song source levels and ambient noise. Four independent, GPS-synchronized hydrophones were deployed through holes in the ice to localize vocalizing bowhead whales, estimate source levels and measure ambient noise. The song had a mean apparent source level of 185±2 dB rms re 1 µPa @ 1 m and a high mean centroid frequency of 444±48 Hz. Using measured ambient noise levels in the area and Arctic sound spreading models, the estimated active space of these song notes is between 40 and 130 km, an order of magnitude smaller than the estimated active space of low frequency blue and fin whale songs produced at similar source levels and for similar noise conditions. We propose that bowhead whales spatially compensate for their smaller communication range through mating aggregations that co-evolved with broadband song to form a complex and dynamic acoustically mediated sexual display. Text Arctic Balaena mysticetus Fin whale Greenland PubMed Central (PMC) Arctic Arctic Sound ENVELOPE(-108.852,-108.852,67.534,67.534) Greenland PLoS ONE 7 12 e52072 |
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Research Article |
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Research Article Tervo, Outi M. Christoffersen, Mads F. Simon, Malene Miller, Lee A. Jensen, Frants H. Parks, Susan E. Madsen, Peter T. High Source Levels and Small Active Space of High-Pitched Song in Bowhead Whales (Balaena mysticetus) |
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Research Article |
description |
The low-frequency, powerful vocalizations of blue and fin whales may potentially be detected by conspecifics across entire ocean basins. In contrast, humpback and bowhead whales produce equally powerful, but more complex broadband vocalizations composed of higher frequencies that suffer from higher attenuation. Here we evaluate the active space of high frequency song notes of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in Western Greenland using measurements of song source levels and ambient noise. Four independent, GPS-synchronized hydrophones were deployed through holes in the ice to localize vocalizing bowhead whales, estimate source levels and measure ambient noise. The song had a mean apparent source level of 185±2 dB rms re 1 µPa @ 1 m and a high mean centroid frequency of 444±48 Hz. Using measured ambient noise levels in the area and Arctic sound spreading models, the estimated active space of these song notes is between 40 and 130 km, an order of magnitude smaller than the estimated active space of low frequency blue and fin whale songs produced at similar source levels and for similar noise conditions. We propose that bowhead whales spatially compensate for their smaller communication range through mating aggregations that co-evolved with broadband song to form a complex and dynamic acoustically mediated sexual display. |
format |
Text |
author |
Tervo, Outi M. Christoffersen, Mads F. Simon, Malene Miller, Lee A. Jensen, Frants H. Parks, Susan E. Madsen, Peter T. |
author_facet |
Tervo, Outi M. Christoffersen, Mads F. Simon, Malene Miller, Lee A. Jensen, Frants H. Parks, Susan E. Madsen, Peter T. |
author_sort |
Tervo, Outi M. |
title |
High Source Levels and Small Active Space of High-Pitched Song in Bowhead Whales (Balaena mysticetus) |
title_short |
High Source Levels and Small Active Space of High-Pitched Song in Bowhead Whales (Balaena mysticetus) |
title_full |
High Source Levels and Small Active Space of High-Pitched Song in Bowhead Whales (Balaena mysticetus) |
title_fullStr |
High Source Levels and Small Active Space of High-Pitched Song in Bowhead Whales (Balaena mysticetus) |
title_full_unstemmed |
High Source Levels and Small Active Space of High-Pitched Song in Bowhead Whales (Balaena mysticetus) |
title_sort |
high source levels and small active space of high-pitched song in bowhead whales (balaena mysticetus) |
publisher |
Public Library of Science |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3530606 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23300591 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0052072 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-108.852,-108.852,67.534,67.534) |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Sound Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Sound Greenland |
genre |
Arctic Balaena mysticetus Fin whale Greenland |
genre_facet |
Arctic Balaena mysticetus Fin whale Greenland |
op_relation |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3530606 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23300591 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0052072 |
op_rights |
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0052072 |
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PLoS ONE |
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7 |
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12 |
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e52072 |
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1766338702869528576 |