Measuring sound is a critical factor for cetaceans as hearing is their primary sense used for foraging, migration and reproduction, and impairment of communication and hearing can have serious population consequences. The study was undertaken as a matter of urgency and as a means to identify conservation solutions by acoustically assessing the presence and seasonality of whales, and monitoring the amount and effects of ambient noise on whales. The project was conducted off the coast of Oman in Hallaniyats Bay and the Gulf of Masirah from 2011 to 2013.Ĭurrently listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, the Arabian Sea humpback whale has a population estimated to be less than 100.
The aim of the project was to document spatial and temporal distribution of Arabian Sea humpback whales in the region, investigate singing behaviour and geographic variation, as well as assess potential threats to the population posed by anthropogenic noise. The Environment Society of Oman (ESO) in partnership with New England Aquarium (NEA) have recently finalised their findings on a two-year acoustic dataset on the Arabian Sea Humpback Whales (ASHW). The following is a press release from the Environment Society of Oman: One surprise finding includes the detection of Southern Hemisphere singers at one location during the Omani summer, when Arabian sea whales were not singing. Passive recorders stationed in various locations off the coast have confirmed that Arabian Sea humpback whales sing different songs to their Southern Hemisphere Indian Ocean counterparts, and provided insight into the seasonal variations in humpback whale song in different locations. Male humpback whales sing complex songs underwater.
Humpback whale off the coast of Oman (copyright Environment Society of Oman).
0 kommentar(er)
