1. Dual instrument passive acoustic monitoring of belugas in Cook Inlet, Alaska.
- Author
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Castellote, Manuel, Small, Robert J., Lammers, Marc O., Jenniges, Justin J., Mondragon, Jeff, and Atkinson, Shannon
- Subjects
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ACOUSTIC variables measurement , *ACOUSTIC transducers , *WHALE sounds , *PORPOISES , *WHITE whale , *KILLER whale , *ICE formation & growth - Abstract
As part of a long-term research program, Cook Inlet beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) presence was acoustically monitored with two types of acoustic sensors utilized in tandem in moorings deployed year-round: an ecological acoustic recorder (EAR) and a cetacean and porpoise detector (C-POD). The EAR was used primarily to record the calls, whistles, and buzzes produced by belugas and killer whales (Orcinus orca). The C-POD was used to log and classify echolocation clicks from belugas, killer whales, and porpoises. This paper describes mooring packages that maximized the chances of successful long-term data collection in the particularly challenging Cook Inlet environment, and presents an analytical comparison of odontocete detections obtained by the collocated EAR and C-POD instruments from two mooring locations in the upper inlet. Results from this study illustrate a significant improvement in detecting beluga and killer whale presence when the different acoustic signals detected by EARs and C-PODs are considered together. Further, results from concurrent porpoise detections indicating prey competition and feeding interference with beluga, and porpoise displacement due to ice formation are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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