Seasonal trends and primary contributors to the low-frequency soundscape of the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Haver, Samara M.; Rand, Zoe; Hatch, Leila T.; Lipski, Danielle; Dziak, Robert P.; Gedamke, Jason; Haxel, J. H.; Heppell, Scott A.; Jahncke, Jaime; McKenna, Megan F.; Mellinger, David K.; Oestreich, William K.; Roche, Lauren; Ryan, John P.; Parijs, Sofie M. Van

doi:10.1121/10.0001726

Cited by 18 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Our findings indicate that species presence alone may not always be a good indicator of behavioural responses to environmental variability. Both acoustic (Burtenshaw et al., 2004; Haver et al., 2020) and visual (Calambokidis et al., 2015) survey methods indicate that at latitudes higher than that of the present study (i.e. the Gulf of the Farallones (~38°N) and poleward), blue whales tend to persist in foraging‐associated shelf break habitat later into the annual cycle.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Acoustic signature reveals blue whales tune life‐history transitions to oceanographic conditions

et al. 2022

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1. Matching the timing of life-history transitions with ecosystem phenology is critical for the survival of many species, especially those undertaking long-distance migrations. As a result, whether and how migratory populations adjust timing of life-history transitions in response to environmental variability are important questions in ecology and conservation. Yet the flexibility and drivers of lifehistory transitions remain largely untested for migratory marine populations, which contend with the unique spatiotemporal dynamics and sensory conditions found in marine ecosystems.2. Here, using an acoustic signature of blue whales' regional population-level transition from foraging to breeding migration, we document significant interannual flexibility in the timing of this life-history transition (spanning roughly 4 months) over a continuous 6-year study period.3. We further show that variability in the timing of this transition follows the oceanographic phenology of blue whales' foraging habitat, with a later transition from foraging to breeding migration occurring in years with an earlier onset, later peak and greater accumulation of biological productivity.4. These findings indicate that blue whales delay the transition from foraging to southward migration in years of the highest and most persistent biological productivity, consistent with the hypothesis that this population maximizes energy intake on foraging grounds rather than departing towards breeding grounds as soon as sufficient energy reserves are accumulated.5. The use of flexible cues (e.g. foraging conditions and long-distance acoustic signals) in timing a major life-history transition may be key to the persistence of this endangered population facing the pressures of rapid environmental change. Furthermore, these results extend theoretical understanding of the flexibility and drivers of population-level migration to a relatively solitary marine migrant.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Acoustic signature reveals blue whales tune life‐history transitions to oceanographic conditions

et al. 2022

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“…Building upon acoustic power methods introduced by previous studies for fin [19,52] and blue [53,52] whales, the blue whale B call index (CI) was calculated as a signal to noise ratio between peak and background frequencies in calibrated long-term spectral averages (LTSAs). The frequency resolution of the LTSAs was 1 Hz, which enabled clear distinction of the energy peak of B calls (Figure 1B).…”

Section: Star+methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Animal-Borne Metrics Enable Acoustic Detection of Blue Whale Migration

et al. 2020

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Animal-Borne Metrics Enable Acoustic Detection of Blue Whale MigrationHighlights d Acoustic monitoring reveals patterns in population-level blue whale song production d Tag-derived metrics provide behavioral context for distinct diel patterns in song d When integrated, tag and acoustic metrics reveal an acoustic signature of migration d Key to discerning timing, plasticity, and drivers of a dispersed migration

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“…Our findings indicate that species presence alone may not always be a good indicator of behavioral responses to environmental variability. Both acoustic (Burtenshaw et al, 2004;Haver et al, 2020) and visual (Calambokidis et al, 2015) survey methods indicate that at latitudes higher than that of the present study (i.e., the Gulf of the Farallones (~38° N) and poleward), blue whales tend to persist in foraging-associated shelf break habitat later into the annual cycle. This persistence is thought to be associated with foraging effort (Bailey et al, 2010;Calambokidis et al, 2015) and likely follows the later peak and persistent elevated levels of both upwelling (Jacox et al, 2018) and biomass at lower trophic levels (Burtenshaw et al, 2004;Mackas et al, 2006) at these higher latitudes.…”

Section: Flexibility In a Life History Transitionmentioning

confidence: 44%

Acoustic signature reveals blue whales tune life history transitions to oceanographic conditions

Oestreich¹,

Abrahms²,

McKenna³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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1.Matching the timing of life history transitions with ecosystem phenology is critical for the survival of many species, especially those undertaking long-distance migrations. As a result, whether and how migratory populations adjust timing of life history transitions in response to environmental variability are important questions in ecology and conservation. Yet the flexibility and drivers of life history transitions remain largely untested for migratory marine populations, which contend with the unique spatiotemporal dynamics and sensory conditions found in marine ecosystems. 2.Here, using an acoustic signature of blue whales’ regional population-level transition from foraging to breeding migration, we document significant interannual flexibility in the timing of this life history transition (spanning roughly four months) over a continuous six-year study period. 3.We further show that timing of this transition follows the oceanographic phenology of blue whales’ foraging habitat, with a later transition from foraging to breeding migration occurring in years with an earlier onset, later peak, and greater accumulation of biological productivity. 4.These results indicate that blue whales use flexible cues, likely including individual sensing of foraging conditions and long-distance vocal signals from conspecifics, to match timing of this population-level life history transition with interannual oceanographic variability in their vast and dynamic foraging habitat. The use of flexible cues in timing a major life history transition may be key to the persistence of this endangered population facing the pressures of rapid environmental change. 5.Further, these findings extend theoretical understanding of the flexibility and drivers of population-level migration beyond insights derived primarily from group-living and terrestrial migrants, illuminating the drivers and flexibility of a life history transition in a relatively solitary marine migrant.

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Seasonal trends and primary contributors to the low-frequency soundscape of the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Cited by 18 publications

References 57 publications

Acoustic signature reveals blue whales tune life‐history transitions to oceanographic conditions

Acoustic signature reveals blue whales tune life‐history transitions to oceanographic conditions

Animal-Borne Metrics Enable Acoustic Detection of Blue Whale Migration

Acoustic signature reveals blue whales tune life history transitions to oceanographic conditions

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