Bioacoustic research on cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

In recent years new impetus has been put into cetacean research in the Mediterranean Sea. Specific instruments and software packages were developed, including a high-quality towed array of hydrophones, with its own amplifier and filtering unit, a portable Digital Signal Processing Workstation (DSPW) with real time analysis and file processing capabilities and an Interactive Digital Sound Library (IDSL).Cetacean sounds were recorded in their natural environment from auxiliary sailing vessels up to 26 m long; sounds from six odontocete and one mysticete species were recorded, analyzed, catalogued and organized in a sound library in order to allow flexible and specific access to sound information for research and other purposes such as environmental monitoring, species identification, censusing activities and educational applications.

Annual Acoustic Presence of Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) Offshore Eastern Sicily, Central Mediterranean Sea

“…Acoustic methods represent a well-established tool in cetacean conservation in the Mediterranean Sea [ 2 , 33 , 37 , 38 ]. Cabled deep-sea multidisciplinary observatories, such as NEMO-SN1, extend cetacean monitoring capabilities [ 39 , 40 ] by providing continuous real-time acoustic data for long-term observations [ 23 , 32 , 34 , 35 , 41 , 42 ].…”

Distribution and relative abundance of sperm whales in the Mediterranean Sea

“…Notarbartolo di Sciara et al (1993) previously reported a low sperm whale sighting frequency in the Tyrrhenian Sea (0.48 per 100 h of survey) from a purely visual survey. Pavan & Borsani (1997) reported acoustic detection of sperm whales, particularly in the southeastern part of the Tyrrhenian Sea. They also detected sperm whales off the steep continental slope, immediately east of Sicily, in the western Ionian Sea.…”

“…Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher have most frequently been of isolated individuals and couples (Mangano 1983, Pavan & Borsani 1997, Gannier 1998b, Mussi et al 1998. Social groups have occasionally been reported in recent times (Duguy et al 1983), although schools of more than 15 individuals were observed in the 1950s (Bolognari 1951).…”

Patterns of Sound Production in Diving Sperm Whales in the Northwestern Mediterranean

“…Nevertheless, the acoustic repertoire and diving behavior of Mediterranean sperm whales is still sketchy compared to some other areas of the world. In the Mediterranean Sea this species is usually encountered as isolated individuals or in small groups of two to three individuals, with few or no visible interactions at the surface (Pavan and Borsani 1997). Groups of socializing whales with females and juveniles have only recently been reported (Druout 2003), including various surface activities associated with production of social vocalizations like codas and chirrups.…”