Acoustic and foraging behavior of a Baird’s beaked whale, Berardius bairdii, exposed to simulated sonar
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Authors
Stimpert, A.K.
DeRuiter, S.L.
Southall, B.L.
Moretti, D.J.
Falcone, E.A.
Goldbogen, J.A.
Friedlaender, A.
Schorr, G.S.
Calambokidis, J.
Subjects
Animal behaviour
Conservation biology
Behavioural ecology
Conservation biology
Behavioural ecology
Advisors
Date of Issue
2014
Date
Publisher
Language
Abstract
Beaked whales are hypothesized to be particularly sensitive to anthropogenic noise, based on previous
strandings and limited experimental and observational data. However, few species have been studied in
detail. We describe the underwater behavior of a Baird’s beaked whale (Berardius bairdii) from the first
deployment of a multi-sensor acoustic tag on this species. The animal exhibited shallow (23 6 15 m max
depth), intermediate (324649 m), and deep (11386243 m) dives. Echolocation clicks were produced with
a mean inter-click interval of approximately 300 ms and peak frequency of 25 kHz. Two deep dives included
presumed foraging behavior, with echolocation pulsed sounds (presumed prey capture attempts) associated
with increased maneuvering, and sustained inverted swimming during the bottom phase of the dive. A
controlled exposure to simulated mid-frequency active sonar (3.5–4 kHz) was conducted 4 hours after tag
deployment, and within 3 minutes of exposure onset, the tagged whale increased swim speed and body
movement, and continued to show unusual dive behavior for each of its next three dives, one of each type.
These are the first data on the acoustic foraging behavior in this largest beaked whale species, and the first
experimental demonstration of a response to simulated sonar.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep07031
Series/Report No
Department
Oceanography
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Research was supported by the US Navy Chief of Naval Operations, Environmental Readiness Program, the Office of Naval Research, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the National Research Council.
Funder
Format
Citation
Scientific Reports, Volume 4, 7031, doi: 10.1038/srep07031
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.