Tables S1-S8 and Figures S1-S4 from Diel spatio-temporal patterns of humpback whale singing on a high-density breeding ground

• Main Authors: Anke Kügler, Marc O. Lammers, Adam A. Pack, Ludovic Tenorio-Hallé, Aaron M. Thode
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Ecology not elsewhere classified; Animal behaviour; humpback whale; Megaptera novaeangliae; Hawaii breeding ground; diel habitat use; song; acoustic masking; Humpback Whale
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24973094.v2; https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Tables_S1-S8_and_Figures_S1-S4_from_Diel_spatio-temporal_patterns_of_humpback_whale_singing_on_a_high-density_breeding_ground/24973094

Humpback whale song chorusing dominates the marine soundscape in Hawaiʻi during winter months, yet little is known about spatio-temporal habitat use patterns of singers. We analysed passive acoustic monitoring data from five sites off Maui and found that ambient noise levels associated with song chorusing decreased during daytime hours near shore but increased offshore. To resolve whether these changes reflect a diel offshore–onshore movement or a temporal difference in singing activity, data from 71 concurrently conducted land-based theodolite surveys were analysed. Non-calf pods ( n = 3082), presumably including the majority of singers, were found further offshore with increasing time of the day. Separately, we acoustically localized 217 near shore singers using vector-sensors. During the day, distances to shore and minimum distances among singers increased, and singers switched more between being stationary and singing while travelling. Together, these findings suggest that the observed diel trends in humpback whale chorusing off Maui represent a pattern of active onshore–offshore movement of singers. We hypothesize that this may result from singers attempting to reduce intraspecific acoustic masking when densities are high near shore and avoidance of a loud, non-humpback, biological evening chorus offshore, creating a dynamic of movement of singers aimed at increasing the efficiency of their acoustic display.