A multi-year study of narwhal occurrence in the western Fram Strait—detected via passive acoustic monitoring
Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has proven to be an efficient method for studying vocally active marine mammals in areas that are difficult to access on a year-round basis. In this study, a PAM recorder was deployed on an oceanographic mooring in western Fram Strait (78°50'N, 5°W) to record t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Norwegian Polar Institute
2019-03-01
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| Series: | Polar Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3468/9142 |
| _version_ | 1818145719539728384 |
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| author | Heidi Ahonen Kathleen M. Stafford Christian Lydersen Laura de Steur Kit M. Kovacs |
| author_facet | Heidi Ahonen Kathleen M. Stafford Christian Lydersen Laura de Steur Kit M. Kovacs |
| author_sort | Heidi Ahonen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has proven to be an efficient method for studying vocally active marine mammals in areas that are difficult to access on a year-round basis. In this study, a PAM recorder was deployed on an oceanographic mooring in western Fram Strait (78°50'N, 5°W) to record the acoustic presence of narwhals (Monodon monoceros) over a 3-yr period. Acoustic data were recorded for 14–17 min at the start of each hour from 25 September 2010 to 26 August 2011, from 2 September 2012 to 11 April 2013 and from 8 September 2013 to 27 April 2014. Pulsed and tonal signals, as well as echolocation clicks, were detected throughout the recording periods, demonstrating that this species is present in this region throughout the year. Generalized linear mixed-effect models showed a negative correlation between the acoustic presence of narwhals and very dense sea-ice cover (≥90%). Surprisingly, a positive correlation was found between the acoustic presence of narwhals and the presence of warm Atlantic Water in the area. Available data suggest that there might be a unique stock of narwhals in the Eurasian sector of the Atlantic Arctic that do not exhibit the “traditional” narwhal pattern of seasonal migration between coastal summering areas and offshore wintering grounds, but rather remain resident year-round in deep, offshore waters. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T12:07:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-75ef5faab5154208aed904ae9c89ced5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1751-8369 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T12:07:56Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | Norwegian Polar Institute |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polar Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-75ef5faab5154208aed904ae9c89ced52022-12-22T01:07:53ZengNorwegian Polar InstitutePolar Research1751-83692019-03-0138011410.33265/polar.v38.34683468A multi-year study of narwhal occurrence in the western Fram Strait—detected via passive acoustic monitoringHeidi Ahonen0Kathleen M. Stafford1Christian Lydersen2Laura de Steur3Kit M. Kovacs4Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, NorwayApplied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USANorwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, NorwayNorwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, NorwayNorwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, NorwayPassive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has proven to be an efficient method for studying vocally active marine mammals in areas that are difficult to access on a year-round basis. In this study, a PAM recorder was deployed on an oceanographic mooring in western Fram Strait (78°50'N, 5°W) to record the acoustic presence of narwhals (Monodon monoceros) over a 3-yr period. Acoustic data were recorded for 14–17 min at the start of each hour from 25 September 2010 to 26 August 2011, from 2 September 2012 to 11 April 2013 and from 8 September 2013 to 27 April 2014. Pulsed and tonal signals, as well as echolocation clicks, were detected throughout the recording periods, demonstrating that this species is present in this region throughout the year. Generalized linear mixed-effect models showed a negative correlation between the acoustic presence of narwhals and very dense sea-ice cover (≥90%). Surprisingly, a positive correlation was found between the acoustic presence of narwhals and the presence of warm Atlantic Water in the area. Available data suggest that there might be a unique stock of narwhals in the Eurasian sector of the Atlantic Arctic that do not exhibit the “traditional” narwhal pattern of seasonal migration between coastal summering areas and offshore wintering grounds, but rather remain resident year-round in deep, offshore waters.https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3468/9142ArcticecholocationMonodon monocerosseasonal distributionvocalizationwhales |
| spellingShingle | Heidi Ahonen Kathleen M. Stafford Christian Lydersen Laura de Steur Kit M. Kovacs A multi-year study of narwhal occurrence in the western Fram Strait—detected via passive acoustic monitoring Polar Research Arctic echolocation Monodon monoceros seasonal distribution vocalization whales |
| title | A multi-year study of narwhal occurrence in the western Fram Strait—detected via passive acoustic monitoring |
| title_full | A multi-year study of narwhal occurrence in the western Fram Strait—detected via passive acoustic monitoring |
| title_fullStr | A multi-year study of narwhal occurrence in the western Fram Strait—detected via passive acoustic monitoring |
| title_full_unstemmed | A multi-year study of narwhal occurrence in the western Fram Strait—detected via passive acoustic monitoring |
| title_short | A multi-year study of narwhal occurrence in the western Fram Strait—detected via passive acoustic monitoring |
| title_sort | multi year study of narwhal occurrence in the western fram strait detected via passive acoustic monitoring |
| topic | Arctic echolocation Monodon monoceros seasonal distribution vocalization whales |
| url | https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3468/9142 |
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