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Acoustic analysis of crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophaga) vocalizations in the Southern Kerguelen Plateau region of East Antarctica

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-21, 11:18 authored by Nagaraj, H, Owen, K, Mary-Anne LeaMary-Anne Lea, Miller, BS
Crabeater seals are circumpolar, ice-dependent seals that produce distinct vocalizations during the breeding season. This study provides the first description of the acoustic repertoire of the crabeater seal in East Antarctica, using data from a stationary hydrophone at 1.8 km depth in the Southern Kerguelen Plateau region in 2014-2015. Two call types were identified in the data set: the low and the high moan calls. Of the 8821 calls detected, 92.5% were classified as low moan calls and 7.5% were high moan calls. The mean duration of the two call types was similar (2.3 and 2.8 s, respectively), however, the high moan calls had a higher frequency range (1020-4525 Hz, n = 11) than the low moan calls (360-2753 Hz, n = 120). The calls were primarily detected in the austral spring. Diel analysis showed that the low moan calls were mostly made at nighttime or proximal to dusk and dawn. The results of this study could aid in the development of automated detectors for crabeater seal vocalizations. This would facilitate comparisons of the distribution and abundance of the species using extant acoustic data and could increase knowledge on the breeding behavior of crabeater seals.

History

Publication title

Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

Volume

150

Issue

5

Pagination

3353-3361

ISSN

0001-4966

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Acoustical Soc Amer Amer Inst Physics

Place of publication

Ste 1 No 1, 2 Huntington Quadrangle, Melville, USA, Ny, 11747-4502

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences

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