Social functions of cetacean acoustic communication

The effects of acoustic misclassification on cetacean species abundance estimation.

To estimate the density or abundance of a cetacean species using acoustic detection data, it is necessary to correctly identify the species that are detected. Developing an automated species classifier with 100% correct classification rate for any species is likely to stay out of reach. It is therefore necessary to consider the effect of misidentified detections on the number of observed data a...

Passive Acoustic Survey of Cetacean Abundance Levels (PASCAL)

Background SWFSC conducted a dedicated acoustic survey for cetaceans throughout the California Current off the U.S. West Coast in August and September 2016. The survey was called PASCAL: Passive Acoustic Survey of Cetacean Abundance Levels. It was conducted from the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada (hereafter just “Shimada”), which is quieter vessel than the older vessels used in previous large scale ...

Cetacean sightings and acoustic detections in the offshore waters

The Indian Ocean Sanctuary was established in 1979 in an effort to allow exploited stocks of whales to recover from whaling and to facilitate benign research. Further information is required to establish comprehensive management and conservation measures for species within these waters. The current study took place in the offshore waters of Sri Lanka in early 2003. During three research cruises...

On the Acoustic System in the Cetacean Brains

Cetacean Density Estimation from Novel Acoustic Datasets by Acoustic Propagation Modeling

This project’s long-term goal is the application and refinement of population density estimation methods based on detections of marine mammal vocalizations combined with propagation modeling. The density estimation method is applied to a novel acoustic data set, collected by a single hydrophone, to estimate the population density of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) off of the Kona coa...