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Sperm whales exhibit variation in echolocation tactics with depth and sea state but not naval sonar exposures

Tyack, P.L. (author), Benti, B. (author), Foskolos, I. (author), Bort, J. (author), Neves, M. (author), Biassoni, N. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author)

Auditory masking by anthropogenic noise may impact marine mammals relying on sound for important life functions, including echolocation. Animals have evolved antimasking strategies, but they may not be completely effective or cost-free. We formulated seven a priori hypotheses on how odontocete echolocation behavior could indicate masking. We...

article 2022

document

Diving apart together Call propagation in diving long-finned pilot whales

Kok, A.C.M. (author), van Kolfshoten, L. (author), Campbell, J.A. (author), von Benda-Beckmann, A.M. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author), Slabbekoorn, H. (author), Visser, F. (author)

article 2020

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Predicting acoustic dose associated with marine mammal behavioural responses to sound as detected with fixed acoustic recorders and satellite tags

von Benda-Beckmann, A.M. (author), Wensveen, P.J. (author), Prior, M. (author), Ainslie, M.A. (author), Hansen, R.R. (author), Isojunno, S. (author), Lam, F.P.A. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author)

To understand the consequences of underwater noise exposure for cetaceans, there is a need for assessments of behavioural responses over increased spatial and temporal scales. Bottom-moored acoustic recorders and satellite tags provide such long-term and large spatial coverage of behaviour compared to short-duration acoustic-recording tags....

article 2019

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A large Late Miocene cetotheriid (Cetacea, Mysticeti) from the Netherlands clarifies the status of Tranatocetidae

Marx, F.G. (author), Post, K. (author), Bosselaers, M. (author), Munsterman, D.K. (author)

Cetotheriidae are a group of small baleen whales (Mysticeti) that evolved alongside modern rorquals. They once enjoyed a nearly global distribution, but then largely went extinct during the Plio-Pleistocene. After languishing as a wastebasket taxon for more than a century, the concept of Cetotheriidae is now well established. Nevertheless, the...

article 2019

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Behavioral response study on the effects of continuous sonar on sperm whales in Norwegian waters: The S3-2016-CAS cruise report

Lam, F.P. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), Isojunno, S. (author), Wensveen, P.J. (author), van IJsselmuide, S. (author), Siemensma, M. (author), Dekeling, R. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author)

There has been a significant increase of underwater anthropogenic noise in recent decades, leading to increased background noise levels and more frequent exposure of marine animals to high intensity impulse sounds such as seismic signals and naval sonar. Modern long range anti-submarine warfare surveillance sonars transmit very powerful sound...

report 2018

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Behavioral response study on the effects of continuous sonar and the effects of source proximity on sperm Whales in Norwegian waters: The S3-2017-CAS cruise report

Lam, F.P. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), Isojunno, S. (author), van IJsselmuide, S. (author), Wensveen, P.J. (author), Hansen, R.R. (author), Siemensma, M. (author), Sivle, L.D. (author), Kleivane, L. (author), López, L.M.M. (author), Benti, B. (author), Dekeling, R. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author)

Modern long range anti-submarine warfare sonars transmit powerful sound pulses which might have a negative impact on marine mammals. Behavioral response studies (BRS) conducted by research groups in the US (the AUTEC project 2006-2009 (Tyack et al. 2011) and the SOCAL project 2010-2016 (Southall et al. 2012)) and in Norway (the Sea Mammals and...

report 2018

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Avoidance Responses of Minke Whales to 1-4 kHz Naval Sonar

Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), DeRuiter, S. (author), Sivle, L.D. (author), Goldbogen, J. (author), Hansen, R.R. (author), Miller, P. (author), Lam, F.P.A. (author), Calambokidis, J. (author), Friedlaender, A. (author), Tyack, P. (author), Kleivane, L. (author), Southall, B. (author)

Minke whales are difficult to study and little information exists regarding their responses to anthropogenic sound. This study pools data from behavioural response studies off California and Norway. Data are derived from four tagged animals, of which one from each location was exposed to naval sonar signals. Statistical analyses were conducted...

article 2017

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Lack of behavioural responses of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) indicate limited effectiveness of sonar mitigation

Wensveen, P.J. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), Lam, F.P.A. (author), von Benda-Beckmann, A.M. (author), Sivle, L.D. (author), Visser, F. (author), Cure, C. (author), Tyack, P.L. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author)

Exposure to underwater sound can cause permanent hearing loss and other physiological effects in marine animals. To reduce this risk, naval sonars are sometimes gradually increased in intensity at the start of transmission ('ramp-up'). Here, we conducted experiments in which tagged humpback whales were approached with a ship to test whether a...

article 2017

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Assessing the effectiveness of ramp-up during sonar operations using exposure models

von Benda-Beckmann, A.M. (author), Wensveen, P.J. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), Lam, F.P.A. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author), Tyack, P.L. (author), Ainslie, M.A. (author)

Ramp-up procedures are used to mitigate the impact of sound on marine mammals. Sound exposure models combined with observations of marine mammals responding to sound can be used to assess the effectiveness of ramp-up procedures. We found that ramp-up procedures before full-level sonar operations can reduce the risk of hearing threshold shifts...

bookPart 2016

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Naval sonar disrupts foraging in humpback whales

Sivle, L.D. (author), Wensveen, P.J. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), Lam, F.P.A. (author), Visser, F. (author), Curé, C. (author), Harris, C.M. (author), Tyack, P.L. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author)

Modern long-range naval sonars are a potential disturbance for marine mammals and can cause disruption of feeding in cetaceans. We examined the lunge-feeding behaviour of humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae before, during and after controlled exposure experiments with naval sonar by use of acoustic and motion sensor archival tags attached to...

article 2016

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Disturbance-specific social responses in long-finned pilot whales, Globicephala melas

Visser, F. (author), Curé, C. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), Lam, F.P.A. (author), Tyack, P.L. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author)

Social interactions among animals can influence their response to disturbance. We investigated responses of long-finned pilot whales to killer whale sound playbacks and two anthropogenic sources of disturbance: Tagging effort and naval sonar exposure. The acoustic scene and diving behaviour of tagged individuals were recorded along with the...

article 2016

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Biological significance of sperm whale responses to sonar: Comparison with anti-predator responses

Curé, C. (author), Isojunno, S. (author), Visser, F. (author), Wensveen, P.J. (author), Sivle, L.D. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), Lam, F.A. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author)

A key issue when investigating effects of anthropogenic noise on cetacean behavior is to identify the biological significance of the responses. Predator presence can be considered a natural high-level disturbance stimulus to which prey animals have evolved adaptive response strategies to reduce their risk of predation by altering behavior away...

article 2016

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Controlled sonar exposure experiments on cetaceans in norwegian waters Overview of the 3s-project

Lam, F.P. (author), Kleivane, L. (author), Sivle, L.D. (author), van Ijsselmuide, S.P. (author), Visser, F. (author), von Benda-Beckmann, A.M. (author), Wensveen, P.J. (author), Dekeling, R.P.A. (author)

bookPart 2016

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Predator sound playbacks reveal strong avoidance responses in a fight strategist baleen whale

Curé, C. (author), Doksæter Sivle, L. (author), Visser, F. (author), Wensveen, P.J. (author), Isojunno, S. (author), Harris, C.M. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), Lam, F.P. (author), Millewr, P.J.O. (author)

Anti-predator strategies are often defined as ‘flight’ or ‘fight’, based upon prey anatomical adaptations for size, morphology and weapons, as well as observed behaviours in the presence of predators. The humpback whale Megaptera nova eangliae is considered a ‘fight’ specialist based upon anatomy and observations of grouping behaviour and active...

article 2015

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Severity of Expert-Identified Behavioural Responses of Humpback Whale, Minke Whale, and Northern Bottlenose Whale to Naval Sonar

Sivle, L.D. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), Cure, C. (author), Isojunno, S. (author), Wensveen, P.J. (author), Lam, F.P.A. (author), Visser, F. (author), Kleivane, L. (author), Tyack, P.L. (author), Harris, C.M. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author)

Controlled exposure experiments using 1 to2 kHz sonar signals were conducted with 11 humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), one minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), and one northern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus) during three field trials from 2011 to 2013. Ship approaches without sonar transmis-sions, playbacks of killer whale...

article 2015

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First indications that northern bottlenose whales are sensitive to behavioural disturbance from anthropogenic noise

Miller, P.J.O. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), Lam, F.P.A. (author), Tyack, P.L. (author), Curé, C. (author), DeRuiter, S.L. (author), Kleivane, L. (author), Sivle, L.D. (author), van IJsselmuide, S.P. (author), Visser, F. (author), Wensveen, P.J. (author), von Benda-Beckmann, A.M. (author), Martín López, L.M. (author), Narazaki, T. (author), Hooker, S.K. (author)

Although northern bottlenose whales were the most heavily hunted beaked whale, we have little information about this species in its remote habitat of the North Atlantic Ocean. Underwater anthropogenic noise and disruption of their natural habitat may be major threats, given the sensitivity of other beaked whales to such noise disturbance. We...

article 2015

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The social context of individual foraging behaviour in long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas)

Visser, F. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author), Antunes, R.N. (author), Oudejans, M.G. (author), Mackenzie, M.L. (author), Aoki, K. (author), Lam, F.P.A. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), Huisman, J. (author), Tyack, P.L. (author)

Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) are highly social cetaceans that live in matrilineal groups and acquire their prey during deep foraging dives. We tagged individual pilot whales to record their diving behaviour. To describe the social context of this individual behaviour, the tag data were matched with surface observations at the...

article 2014

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High thresholds for avoidance of sonar by free-ranging long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas)

Antunes, R. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author), Lam, F.P.A. (author), Tyack, P.L. (author), Thomas, L. (author), Wensveen, P.J. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author)

The potential effects of exposing marine mammals to military sonar is a current concern. Dose-response relationships are useful for predicting potential environmental impacts of specific operations. To reveal behavioral response thresholds of exposure to sonar, we conducted 18 exposure/control approaches to 6 long-finned pilot whales. Source...

article 2014

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Classification of large acoustic datasets using machine learning and crowdsourcing: Application to whale calls

Shamir, L. (author), Carol Yerby, C. (author), Simpson, R. (author), von Benda-Beckmann, A.M. (author), Tyack, P. (author), Samarra, F. (author), Miller, P. (author), Wallin, J. (author)

Vocal communication is a primary communication method of killer and pilot whales, and is used for transmitting a broad range of messages and information for short and long distance. The large variation in call types of these species makes it challenging to categorize them. In this study, sounds recorded by audio sensors carried by ten killer...

article 2014

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Vocal matching of naval sonar signals by long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas)

Alves, A. (author), Antunes, R. (author), Bird, A. (author), Tyack, P.L. (author), Miller, P.J.O. (author), Lam, F.P.A. (author), Kvadsheim, P.H. (author)

article 2014