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1.
The Oceania population of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) using Tongan waters is a listed Endangered subpopulation that supports a large swim-with whale industry focussed primarily on mothers and calves. This raises concerns about the industry's potential to impact on the subpopulation's breeding success and recovery. This study investigated whether whales responded differently to approaches by swimmers from boats than to boat approaches alone and whether different types of swimming (quiet approach, loud splashing or diving following a quiet approach) induced different avoidance responses. An avoidance response was defined as whales moving away from boats or swimmers and the strength of the response was defined by how far the whales moved away and whether there was an increase in surface activity. Animals responded more quickly to a loud splashing approach than to quiet approaches. There were no significant differences in measures relating to the strength of the response caused by swim type, however closer approaches by a boat did significantly increase the level of whale activity. These results suggest that managing swimmer behaviour around whales, particularly ensuring quiet approaches, will contribute to the ability of the industry to minimise disturbance of the animals and support the industry's sustainability.  相似文献   

2.
Au et al.'s arguments against the hypothesis that humpback whale songs function as long-range sonar are based on questionable assumptions rather than on empirical data. Like other echolocating mammals (e.g., bats), singing humpback whales: 1) localize targets in the absence of visual information; 2) possess a highly innervated peripheral auditory system; and 3) modulate the temporal and spectral features of their sounds based on environmental conditions. The sonar equation is inadequate for determining whether humpback whale songs generate detectable echoes from other whales because it does not account for temporal variables that can strongly affect the detectability of echoes. In particular, the sonar equation ignores the fact that much of the noise encountered by singing humpback whales is spectrally and temporally predictable, and that audition in mammals is a dynamic and plastic process. Experiments are needed to test the hypothesis that singing humpback whales listen for and respond to echoes generated by their songs  相似文献   

3.
Tongans have a long history of interaction with humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) ranging from imbuing whales with religious and cultural significance to commercial exploitation, originally through hunting and later through whale watching and swimming activities. Excessive commercial harvesting, mostly outside of Tongan waters, means that the number of humpback whales in the Oceania region remains low despite a ban on commercial harvesting since 1978. Concurrently, the opportunity for fee paying tourists to swim with this endangered population is a significant source of income for the Kingdom of Tonga. The Ha'apai island group has until recently experienced only a low density of whale focused tourism compared to the Vava'u island group, but it is showing signs of significant expansion. Photographs of the animals using the Ha'apai region identified a maximum of 331 unique individuals over the period 2006-2010, which generated 26 resightings of 22 individuals. In light of the low whale numbers and the industry expansion it is an appropriate time to implement a precautionary management system in the region. This is particularly important if, as suggested here, individual humpback whales are moving through all Tongan waters meaning management changes in one area impact on the entire population. Options to minimise the impact on these animals include limiting the number of licences issued for Ha'apai and zoning activities to ensure that there are areas closed to whale watching/swimming that can act as a refuge for the animals.  相似文献   

4.
The Sainte Marie Channel on the northeast coast of Madagascar is an important breeding ground for humpback whales; the first observation of birth was documented there, yet it has never been investigated for phenology and habitat use of humpback whales. The present study was aimed at examining temporal and spatial distribution patterns and the encounter rate of different social groups of humpback whales during the breeding season. We used a large set of opportunistic sightings data collected from whale-watching boats. A total of 3 247 sightings were collected during 897 whale-watching trips conducted between June and September from 2009 to 2013. Our study complements previous information on the seasonal presence of humpback whale social groups by demonstrating a persistent and well-structured temporal pattern in the succession of the different groups. Over the different years of the study period, groups without calves consistently dominated the first 30 days of the breeding season, followed by an increase in groups with calves. Interannual differences were observed in the encounter rates, with significantly higher global encounter rates in 2009, 2011 and 2013 (2.2, 2.3 and 2.3 sightings h–1, respectively), and likewise for the mean encounter rates for groups with calves. In contrast, the encounter rate of groups without calves was similar over the study period. Although our study area exhibits a narrow configuration and poorly contrasting physiographic features due to its restricted spatial extent, we report a spatially segregated pattern of humpback whale social groups in the Sainte Marie Channel. A general linear model showed that groups with calves were influenced by water depth and distance from shore, being observed mostly in shallow waters (to 20 m depth) and close to the coastline (6 km). Our findings will be useful for the development of strategic sustained management plans by providing baseline information on humpback whale distribution at an important but poorly documented breeding site.  相似文献   

5.
Globally, baleen whales were severely depleted by historic whaling. Recovering populations have been observed to alter their behaviour. These changes have been attributed to climate change in some cases and raise concerns over the successful recovery of baleen whale populations. Current data-driven statistical habitat and behavioural models have proven useful for addressing questions of whale distribution changes within their limitations. Given observed changes in oceanic conditions, a new approach to managing baleen whale population recovery is necessary. Model predictions of future whale movements and distributions under climate change scenarios are vital to enable adequate conservation management. This paper presents a new perspective on understanding the impacts of climate change on humpback whales, arguing the need for a system-based multidisciplinary research approach. Our approach includes coupled, mechanistic models based upon robust ecological principles, and integrates key physical, biogeochemical, biological and ecological modules to address long-term changes associated with climate change. To illustrate the need for this system-based multidisciplinary approach, we focus on Southern Hemisphere humpback whales, the recovery of which may be impacted by rapid changes in habitat conditions brought about by anthropogenic climate change.  相似文献   

6.
Hydrophone recordings, made in the presence of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) in the Bay of Fundy during the daytime in July 1999, are used to determine the characteristics of the recorded sounds. A spectrogram-based method was implemented to discriminate whale sounds from background noise and the time-frequency envelope of the primary harmonic in the spectrogram was used as the basis for sound characterization. Sounds were typically (82%, n=45) in the 300- to 600-Hz range with up- and downsweeping modulations. Lower (<200 Hz) and higher (>900 Hz) frequency sounds were relatively rare. Most sounds were frequency modulated, with 95% of the observed instantaneous relative frequency variation being within /spl plusmn/4.5% of the mean peak frequency. Harmonics were observed in 18% of the sounds. The average sound duration was 0.42 s/spl plusmn/0.26 SD. The sounds occurred at a rate of between 0.3 and 0.7 min/sup -1/. The time intervals between adjacent sounds (2-700 s) were not randomly distributed. The number of sounds occurring among different waiting times did not reflect a Poisson distribution and a clustering of sounds (2 to 5 cluster/sup -1/) was observed. The sound characteristics are compared to those documented elsewhere and as reported for the southern right whale.  相似文献   

7.
Anticipating the impacts of a new policy before implementation on a complex social–ecological system is a challenging task for managers and policymakers. This paper reports on the development and use of an agent-based model (ABM) dedicated to support marine park managers in their effort to devise policies to sustainably manage whale-watching activities. The ABM, called the Marine Mammal and Maritime Traffic Simulator (3MTSim), represents the spatiotemporal dynamics of marine mammals and navigation activities in and around the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park in Canada. In the context of updating the current regulations on whale-watching in the Marine Park, 3MTSim was run to evaluate the merits of a proposed set of rules compared to the current regulations. To do so, a set of variables related to policies’ impacts on the three spheres of sustainable development, namely the impact on whales (Environment), on whale-watching companies (Economy), and tourist experience (Society) was analysed. 3MTSim's simulations highlighted that the proposed rules are expected to improve the situation regarding whale conservation and tourist experience with only marginal impact on the whale-watching industry. In the proposed regulations, one rule is expected to be very influential on whale-watching activities. This rule limits to 10 the number of whale-watching boats allowed to stand within 926 m of any boat in observation mode. Assuming efficient law enforcement, 3MTSim predicts a significant decrease in overall boat concentration around whales in the Marine Park, which is one of the management objectives benefiting both whales and tourists. Interestingly, 3MTSim reveals that this rule could indirectly force some boats to observe second-choice whales present in higher abundance rather than some more attractive species scarcer in the region. This highlights the following management tradeoffs: Reducing boat exposure for the humpback whale and endangered blue whale is likely to increase it for the more abundant fin whale listed as of special concern (Canada's Species at Risk Act) and minke whale. This work demonstrates the utility of ABMs to support policy analysis in the context of sustainable management in a Marine Park. ABMs developed in close relationship with end-users are unarguably a tool of choice to manage complex social–ecological systems since they provide insight into phenomena hard or impossible to measure in the real system. Despite the labour intensive nature of their implementation, this investment is worth the effort.  相似文献   

8.
Daily charts of the aerial search effort (432 206 nautical miles) of the Union Whaling Company and 1 099 sightings of 10 497 whales were available from 628 flights off Durban between 1972 and 1975. Densities of whales were analysed by month and water depth distribution over the four-year period. Low observed densities of blue Balaenoptera musculus, right Eubalaena australis, sei B. borealis and humpback Megaptera novaeangliae whales most likely resulted from earlier whaling pressure. Seasonality of blue, sei and humpback whales was bimodal, indicative of winter migrations to the north of the Durban whaling grounds, whereas the unimodal seasonality of fin whales B. physalus and minke whales B. bonaerensis or B. acutorostrata suggest the offshore region as the northern terminus of their migrations. Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus migrate northwards offshore of the KwaZulu-Natal coast in autumn/early winter and southwards in late winter/spring, with larger males migrating later than the smaller males and females. Killer whale Orcinus orca presence was coincident with that of offshore minke whales and the southward migrations of other baleen whales, whereas densities of animals deemed as bottlenose whale Hyperoodon planifrons suggest strong early and late summer seasonal abundance in the offshore region. Such extensive surveys offshore of the KwaZulu-Natal coast are unlikely to be repeated; hence, data-extraction of whaling records provides a valuable source of seasonal and distributional information for marine management.  相似文献   

9.
Mexico's Federal Programme of Actions for the Conservation of the Blue Whale (PACE) (Balaenoptera musculus) prioritizes whale watching (WW) research in the Loreto Bay National Park due to the increase of this activity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether whale watchers’ socioeconomic characteristics, motivations, attitudes towards whale conservation, and boat crowding influence the potential demand for WW for both first visits and the willingness to return to Loreto Bay National Park. A total of 143 structured surveys were conducted during the 2014 winter season after WW boats had returned to port. Logit econometric models in STATA were used in this analysis. The results show that the first WW experience is determined significantly by gender, nationality, whether hotel activities are a motivation for travelling, and knowledge about whales. The willingness to return depends on gender, nationality, sun and beach beauty, plans for WW before leaving home, and attitudes towards whale conservation. The results show that the reported crowding of whale mothers and calves and the willingness to accept more boats is negatively related to the willingness to return. Management recommendations are to maintain the current legislation, continue with passive observation and optimize the number of trips and tourists per boat. Differences in the demand determinants and in the type of tourists for first and repeat visitors suggest the possibility of creating different market segments. A national programme for WW that considers WW diversity and conservation initiatives would enhance sustainable wildlife tourism as part of marine policies.  相似文献   

10.
Western Hong Kong is home to two species of marine mammals: Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins (Sousa chinensis) and finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides). Both are threatened in many parts of their range in southeast Asia [for example, International Biological Research Institute Reports 9 (1997), 41; Asian Marine Biology 14 (1997) 111]. In 1998, when the new Hong Kong International Airport opened in western Hong Kong, small tankers (about 100 m long, cargo capacity about 6300 metric tons) began delivering fuel to the Aviation Fuel Receiving Facility (AFRF) just off Sha Chau Island, north of the airport. Calibrated sound recordings were taken over a 4-day period from a quiet, anchored boat at distances 80-2000 m from aviation fuel delivery activities at the AFRF. From the recordings, 143 sections were selected for analysis. Narrowband spectral densities on the sound pressures were computed, and one-third octave band levels were derived for center frequencies from 10 to 16,000 Hz. Broadband levels, viz. 10-20,000 Hz. were also computed. The results showed that the Sha Chau area is normally noisy underwater, with the lowest broadband levels measured corresponding to those expected during a storm at sea (sea state 6). This background noise is believed to come largely from heavy vessel traffic in the Urmston Road to the north and east of Sha Chau and from vessels in the Pearl River Estuary to the West. The sound levels from the AFRF tankers are comparable to the levels measured from similar- and smaller-sized supply vessels supporting offshore oil exploration. The strongest sounds recorded were from a tanker leaving the AFRF at distance 100 m from the hydrophone, for which the one-third octave band level at 100 Hz was 141 dB re 1 microPa (spectrum level 127 dB re 1 microPa2/Hz) and the 10-20,000 Hz broadband level was 146 dB. At distances of 100 m or more and frequencies above 300 Hz, the one-third octave band levels were less than 130 dB (spectrum level 111 dB re 1 microPa2/Hz) and decreased with increasing frequency and distance. At distances greater than about 500 m, AFRF-associated sounds were negligible, masked by the generally high noise level of the area and attenuated by poor transmission in the very shallow water (<10 m). Because it is believed that humpbacked dolphins and finless porpoises are not very sensitive to sounds below 300 Hz, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) stipulated that dedicated terminal vessels not radiate underwater sounds at spectrum levels greater than 110 dB re 1 microPa2/Hz at frequencies above 300 Hz and distances greater than 300 m. The spectrum levels at 300 Hz and higher frequencies of sounds from the tankers arriving, departing, or off-loading at AFRF were less than 110 dB re 1 microPa2/Hz even at distances of 200 m or less. The AA stipulation was met. However, it is presently unknown whether the generally strong noise levels of western Hong Kong inhibit acoustically based feeding and communication, or result in increased stress or permanent shifts in hearing thresholds.  相似文献   

11.
The Norwegian Sea is a migration and feeding ground for fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in summer. During the last decade, significant structural changes in the prey community, including northerly expansion and movement in the distribution of pelagic fish species, have been reported from this ecosystem. However, little information on whale feeding ecology exists in the Norwegian Sea and surrounding waters. A total of 59 fin whales and 48 humpback whales were sighted during 864 h of observation over an observation distance of about 8200 nmi (15,200 km) in the Norwegian Sea from 15 July to 6 August 2006 and 2007. The fin whale group size, as mean (±SD), varied between one and five individuals (2.1 ± 1.2 ind.) and humpback whale group size varied between one and six individuals (2.5 ± 1.7 ind.). Fin‐ and humpback whales were observed mainly in the northern part of the study area, and were only found correlated with the presence of macro‐zooplankton in cold Arctic water. Humpback whales were not correlated with the occurrence of adult Norwegian spring‐spawning herring (Clupea harengus) except for the northernmost areas. Despite changes in the whale prey communities in the Norwegian Sea, no apparent changes in fin‐ or humpback whale distribution pattern could be found in our study compared to their observed summer distribution 10–15 years ago.  相似文献   

12.
Cetacean research, in terms of the number of papers, and areas for which data are available, has expanded considerably in the southern African subregion in the past decade, especially in the South-West Indian Ocean. We review cetacean research within this subregion from the 1800s to the present to provide an overview of findings, investigate trends and identify knowledge gaps. Data are presented separately for large whales (those subject to commercial whaling) and smaller cetaceans, and are separated by era and ocean basin. Over 550 peer-reviewed papers and books were identified relating to research on cetaceans within the subregion. More than half (284) have been produced since 1990 and 193 relate specifically to South African waters. The most-studied species are those that are most accessible due to their coastal distributions (southern right whale Eubalaena australis: 45 papers, humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae: 31 papers, killer whales Orcinus orca: 27 papers, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin Tursiops aduncus: 30 papers, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin Sousa chinensis (plumbea form): 25 papers) and/or were hunted commercially (sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus: 25 papers). Identified conservation concerns vary throughout the subregion, but include bycatch and directed hunts, oil and gas development, ecotourism activities, shifts in prey resources, and noise and chemical pollution. The inshore stocks of Bryde's whales Balaenoptera edeni, the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin and the Atlantic humpback dolphin S. teuszii were identified as the populations of highest conservation concern, although there are considerable knowledge gaps relating to deep-water species and almost no data (even on species occurrence) are available for several areas and countries.  相似文献   

13.
Swimming with humpback whales in the Kingdom of Tonga is a growing industry that provides important revenue for a small Pacific Island economy. However the sustainability of this industry has been questioned due to its potential impact on the animals involved. The activity focuses on an ‘endangered’ subpopulation of humpback whales, with swimming occurring in the breeding area primarily with groups of animals containing young calves. This paper examines the relationship between the existing Tongan Government draft regulations and Tonga Whale Watching Operator Association guidelines that control the industry and visitor expectations about the management of the activity. There is significant support from visitors for strong, easy to understand and enforceable regulations governing the swim with whales industry. There is a clear correlation between current moves to strengthen Government regulations and the expectation from visitors that their activity is, and will be, conducted in a sustainable manner. The study recommends that to ensure compliance with regulations, appropriate management fees should be charged, visitors should be engaged in environmental education activities and further research should be conducted on the impacts of swimming with humpback whales.  相似文献   

14.
A buoy for measuring wind speed and the ambient noise sound pressure level from 10 to 1500 Hz with 1-Hz resolution is described. The measurement buoy was deployed in a remote fjord in southeastern Alaska from October to December, 1989. The results from the data collected show that, for a wind speed of 5 kn, the measured ambient noise level at 900 Hz lies well below the Knudsen curve for open-ocean, wind-generated noise. As the wind speed increases from 5 to 10 kn, the measured ambient noise level approaches the Knudsen curve, increasing at 4 dB/kn compared to 1 dB/kn for the Knudsen curve. Above 10 kn, the measured ambient noise level matches the Knudsen curve  相似文献   

15.
The major causes of large whale entanglement in South Africa are static fishing gear, especially the type associated with the West Coast rock lobster Jasus lalandii industry, and large-mesh gillnets that are set off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to reduce shark attacks (shark nets). The prevalence of entanglements is seasonal with the peaks in activity coinciding with the breeding migrations of humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae and southern right whales Eubalaena australis, the two large whale species that are the most prone to entanglement. Generalised linear models with a Poisson or quasi-Poisson distribution were used to describe the relationship between the number of incidents and time. Taking into account the combined length of shark-net installations per year as an offset variable, entanglement of humpback whales in shark nets increased at 15.1% per year (95% CI = 9.5–21.6%) from 1990 to 2009. This is comparable to the rate of increase in the numbers of this species migrating past the KZN coast, between 1988 and 2002 (9–11%). The number of reported incidents of southern right whales entangled in gear other than shark nets also increased between 1990 and 2009. This was accounted for by the increase in numbers of this species in South Africa (7% per year), so in neither case are the two species at increasing risk of individual entanglement, and anthropogenic factors including entanglement do not seem to be affecting the recovery of these whale populations. Nevertheless, there is concern regarding the vulnerability to entanglement of a small assemblage of humpback whales that habitually visits the West Coast in spring and summer. The continued recovery of whale populations is likely to lead to greater levels of anthropogenic interaction and heighten the need for adequate mitigation measures. The KZN Sharks Board and the South African Whale Disentanglement Network (since 2006) have respectively released (disentangled) 81% and 23% of confirmed entangled individuals, and recorded relevant information on entanglement incidents. Such information is critical for developing mitigation measures and monitoring the prevalence of entanglement.  相似文献   

16.
Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas), Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus), melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra), Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris), Sowerby's beaked whales (Mesoplodon bidens), northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus), sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sima) and pygmy sperm whales (Kogia breviceps) make up the large community of deep-diving odontocetes occurring off the Bay of Biscay, northeast Atlantic. The ecology of these toothed cetaceans is poorly documented worldwide. The present study described their prey preferences from stomach content analysis and showed resource partitioning within the assemblage. The majority of the species appeared to be mostly teutophageous. Fish was an important food source only for the Sowerby's beaked whale and, to a lesser extent, for the long-finned pilot whale. In terms of foraging habitats inferred from prey composition, either pelagic oceanic or demersal neritic habitats were exploited by toothed whales in the Bay of Biscay, with only the long-finned pilot whale foraging in the two habitats. Finally, with more than 14,000 identified cephalopods from 39 species, the present study highlighted also the poorly known deep-sea cephalopod community off the Bay of Biscay using top predators as biological samplers.  相似文献   

17.
A portable matched-field processing (MFP) system for tracking marine mammals is presented, constructed by attaching a set of autonomous flash-memory acoustic recorders to a rope to form a four-element vertical array, or "insta-array." The acoustic data are initially time-synchronized by performing a matched-field global inversion using acoustic data from an opportunistic source, and then by exploiting the spatial coherence of the ocean ambient noise background to measure and correct for the relative clock drift between the autonomous recorders. The technique is illustrated by using humpback whale song collected off the eastern Australian coast to synchronize the array, which is then used to track the dive profile of the whale using MFP methods. The ability to deploy autonomous instruments into arbitrary "insta-array" geometries with conventional fishing gear may permit nonintrusive array measurements in regions currently too isolated, expensive, or environmentally hostile for standard acoustic equipment  相似文献   

18.
The correlation of ambient noise with wind speed, and the depth dependence of ambient noise are both investigated, where the ocean noise data were recorded by a vertical line array in the northern South China Sea. It is shown that the correlation coefficients increase with increasing hydrophone depth during typhoon periods when the frequency ≥ 250 Hz, which opposes the generally accepted knowledge that the correlation coefficients of noise level and wind speed decrease with increasing depth during non-typhoon periods. Particularly at frequencies of 250 Hz, 315 Hz and 400 Hz, the correlation coefficients increase by more than 0.05 at depths ranging from 155 m to 875 m. At the three frequencies, the average noise levels also increase with increasing depth during typhoon periods. It is suggested that these differences are attributed to the wind-generated noise in shallow waters and the effect of "downslope enhancement" to sound propagation. During typhoon periods, the surf breaking and surf beat upon the shores and reefs are strengthened, and the source levels are increased. The wind-generated noise in shallow waters interacts with the downslope sea floor, with the noise-depth distribution changed by a "downslope enhancement" effect promoting noise propagation.  相似文献   

19.
Definitive studies on the response of marine mammals to anthropogenic sound are hampered by the short surface time and deep-diving lifestyle of many species. A novel archival tag, called the DTAG, has been developed to monitor the behavior of marine mammals, and their response to sound, continuously throughout the dive cycle. The tag contains a large array of solid-state memory and records continuously from a built-in hydrophone and suite of sensors. The sensors sample the orientation of the animal in three dimensions with sufficient speed and resolution to capture individual fluke strokes. Audio and sensor recording is synchronous so the relative timing of sounds and motion can be determined precisely. The DTAG has been attached to more than 30 northern right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) and 20 sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) with recording duration of up to 12 h per deployment. Several deployments have included sound playbacks to the tagged whale and a transient response to at least one playback is evident in the tag data.  相似文献   

20.
海上风电场建设期风机打桩会产生高强度的水下噪声,研究水下冲击打桩噪声的监测方法、特性分析及对海洋生物的影响是非常重要的。采用自容式水下声音记录仪,多点同步测量了福建省兴化湾海上风电场二期工程建设期单次完整的水下冲击打桩噪声,从时频域特性进行了分析,并利用最小二乘法拟合得到了打桩声源级和声暴露级。结果表明：水下冲击打桩噪声是典型的低频、高强度的脉冲信号,单个脉冲持续时间约90~100 ms,峰值声源级约209.4±2 dB,声暴露级约197.7±2 dB;主要能量分布在50 Hz~1 kHz频段,750 m测量点的该频段声压级相比海洋环境背景噪声,提高了约40~50 dB。水下冲击打桩噪声频域能量分布与大黄鱼的听觉敏感频段相重叠,对大黄鱼影响程度和范围较大,实际工程应用中宜采用声暴露级作为评价指标。  相似文献   

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