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Publication
Raise your pitch! Changes in the acoustic emissions of resident bottlenose dolphins in the proximity of vessels
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Maritime traffic is a major contributor of anthropogenicdisturbance for cetaceans, especially for coastal populations,such as that of resident common bottlenose dolphins(Tursiops truncatus) in the Sado estuary (Portugal). Animalshave been found to adjust their vocal behavior by changingvocal rates, or call frequency and/or duration, to overcomemasking effects of underwater noise. To evaluate the poten-tial impacts of boat traffic on the acoustic behavior of thesedolphins, emission rates and acoustic characteristics of whis-tles and burst-pulsed signals were analyzed with and withoutboats operating nearby. In this study, no significant differ-ences were found for emission rates of each type of vocalelement in the presence of vessels. However, significant dif-ferences were found in acoustic parameters, namely changesin frequency and duration, for whistles and for pulsed sounds(creaks, grunts, squeaks, and gulps). These changes, such as ashift in vocal frequencies and production of shorter signals,may represent behavioral strategies to compensate for thenoisy environment. Although resident bottlenose dolphins inthe Sado region seem to have developed some tolerance tovessel noise, continuous noise exposure and noise-inducedfrequency shifts in vocal outputs could have indirect fitnesscosts for this population
Description
Keywords
Acoustic behavior Bottlenose dolphin Frequency shifts Pulsedsignals Tursiops truncatus Vessel noise Whistles
Citation
Sobreira, F. V., Luís, A. R., Alves, I. S., Couchinho, M. N., & dos Santos, M. E. (2024). Raise your pitch! Changes in the acoustic emissions of resident bottlenose dolphins in the proximity of vessels. Marine Mammal Science, 40(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.13090
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell