Synchronous behaviour of cetaceans observed with active acoustics

• Published in: Deep-sea research. Part II, Topical studies in oceanography Vol. 98; pp. 445 - 451
• Main Authors: Godø, Olav Rune, Sivle, Lise Doksæter, Patel, Ruben, Torkelsen, Terje
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15.12.2013
• Subjects: Active acoustics; Feeding; Synchrony; Tracking; Whale behaviour; Tracking; Whale behaviour; Active acoustics; Synchrony; Feeding
• ISSN: 0967-0645; 1879-0100
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dsr2.2013.06.013

Scientific split-beam echosounders are sensitive instruments for observing biomass densities and individual behaviour. Earlier studies have demonstrated that these instruments can be used to study diving behaviour of cetaceans. In this paper, we go into more detail about the recorded signal to see if and how acoustic split-beam data can be used to extract information about synchronous behaviour and other species related characteristics. Data of several cetacean individuals were collected by a moored echosounder pinging upwards from about 900m in the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone. In this paper, we discuss methodological issues associated with using split-beam tracking of large marine animals. Further we demonstrate that target tracking of cetaceans can be used to study solo dives as well as behavioural synchrony. We also show that paired signals can easily be interpreted as false synchrony due to the size of the animals. In such cases a rough estimate of the diameter, and hence size, of the animals can be estimated. We emphasise on four examples that clarify methodological challenges including synchronous swimmers as well as large single cetaceans that might be interpreted as two synchronous swimmers. The applied technology requires that the animals remain in a narrow acoustic beam for long enough time to extract behavioural information. The technology can be improved by developing automatic tracking of cetaceans with a steerable transducer. This will substantially increase the search volume and enable tracking of cetaceans over longer periods and thus, produce more realistic information about the whale behaviour.