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Beaked whale and dolphin tracking using a multichannel autonomous acoustic recorder
Sean M Wiggins1, Mark A McDonald, John A Hildebrand
1Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0205, USA. swiggins@ucsd.edu
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|January 28, 2012
Summary
Acoustic monitoring using a four-hydrophone array successfully tracked high-frequency echolocation clicks from beaked whales and dolphins. This method provides valuable insights into marine mammal behavior and detection ranges.
Area of Science:
- Marine Bioacoustics
- Odontocete Ecology
- Acoustic Monitoring Technology
Background:
- Odontocetes (toothed whales) produce highly directional echolocation clicks.
- Tracking these sounds is crucial for understanding marine mammal behavior and distribution.
- Traditional methods may have limitations in long-term, high-frequency sound localization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy of a small-aperture hydrophone array for tracking odontocete echolocation clicks.
- To obtain long-term behavioral data on beaked whales and dolphins using passive acoustics.
- To estimate animal detection ranges and detection probability functions.
Main Methods:
- A four-hydrophone tetrahedral array with 0.5 m spacing was coupled to an autonomous acoustic recorder.
- Deployed at 1000 m depth offshore of southern California in 2009.
- Time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements between sensor pairs estimated 3D bearings to sound sources.
Main Results:
- Successfully tracked both near-seafloor beaked whales and near-sea surface dolphins.
- Generated tracks provided swimming and diving behavioral information for free-ranging animals.
- Derived animal detection ranges, enabling estimation of detection probability functions.
Conclusions:
- A small-aperture hydrophone array is effective for long-term tracking of high-frequency odontocete sounds.
- This technique offers a valuable tool for studying marine mammal behavior and acoustics.
- The derived detection ranges improve ecological and acoustic models for odontocetes.
