Editorial

2 pages, 178 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Passive Acoustics to Study Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems

by Giuseppa Buscaino

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(7), 994; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jmse10070994 - 21 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1231

Passive acoustic monitoring is becoming an important tool to study the ecosystem thanks to technological improvements, high temporal resolution, relatively low cost and time effort, and the zero impact on environment and animal behavior [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Passive Acoustics to Study Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems)

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22 pages, 10789 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Fish and Dolphin Biophony in the Boat Noise-Dominated Soundscape of the Cres-Lošinj Archipelago (Croatia)

by Marta Picciulin, Marta Bolgan, Nikolina Rako-Gospić, Antonio Petrizzo, Marko Radulović and Raffaela Falkner

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(2), 300; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jmse10020300 - 21 Feb 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2785

Abstract

Spatio-temporal variability of marine soundscapes reflects environmental dynamics and local habitat health. This study characterizes the coastal soundscape of the Cres-Lošinj Natura 2000 Site of Community Importance, encompassing the non-tourist (11–15 March 2020) and the tourist (26–30 July 2020) season. A total of [...] Read more.

Spatio-temporal variability of marine soundscapes reflects environmental dynamics and local habitat health. This study characterizes the coastal soundscape of the Cres-Lošinj Natura 2000 Site of Community Importance, encompassing the non-tourist (11–15 March 2020) and the tourist (26–30 July 2020) season. A total of 240 h of continuous recordings was manually analyzed and the abundance of animal vocalizations and boat noise was obtained; sound pressure levels were calculated for the low (63–2000 Hz) and high (2000–20,000 Hz) frequency range. Two fish sound types were drivers of both seasonal and diel variability of the low-frequency soundscape. The first is emitted by the cryptic Roche’s snake blenny (Ophidion rochei), while the second, whose emitter remains unknown, was previously only described in canyons and coralligenous habitats of the Western Mediterranean Sea. The high-frequency bands were characterized by bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) vocalizations, indicating dolphins’ use of area for various purposes. Boat noise, however, dominated the local soundscape along the whole considered periods and higher sound pressure levels were found during the Tourist season. Human-generated noise pollution, which has been previously found 10 years ago, is still present in the area and this urges management actions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Passive Acoustics to Study Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems)

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19 pages, 27651 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variability in Anthropogenic Underwater Noise Due to Bathymetry and Sound Speed Characteristics

by Svein Vagle, Rianna E. Burnham, Caitlin O’Neill and Harald Yurk

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(10), 1047; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jmse9101047 - 23 Sep 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2633

Abstract

Oceanic acoustic environments are dynamic, shaped by the spatiotemporal variability in transmission losses and sound propagation pathways of natural and human-derived noise sources. Here we used recordings of an experimental noise source combined with transmission loss modeling to investigate changes in the received [...] Read more.

Oceanic acoustic environments are dynamic, shaped by the spatiotemporal variability in transmission losses and sound propagation pathways of natural and human-derived noise sources. Here we used recordings of an experimental noise source combined with transmission loss modeling to investigate changes in the received levels of vessel noise over space and time as a result of natural water column variability. Recordings were made in the Juan de Fuca Strait, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, a biologically productive coastal region that hosts several cetacean species. Significant variability in noise levels was observed due to changing water masses, tied to seasonal temperature variation and, on a finer scale, tidal movements. Comparisons of interpreted received noise levels through the water column indicated that vessel noise recorded by bottom-stationed monitoring devices might not accurately represent those received by whales in near-surface waters. Vertical and temporal differences of 3–5 dB were commonly observed in both the recorded and modeled data. This has implications in estimating the success of noise mitigation measures, and our understanding of the change in sound fields experienced by target species for conservation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Passive Acoustics to Study Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems)

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14 pages, 3367 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) in the Ligurian Sea: Preliminary Study on Acoustics Demonstrates Their Regular Occurrence in Autumn

by Laura Pintore, Virginia Sciacca, Salvatore Viola, Cristina Giacoma, Elena Papale and Giacomo Giorli

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(9), 966; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jmse9090966 - 06 Sep 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3043

Abstract

The patterns of movement of the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758)) in the Mediterranean Sea are still a matter of debate. Feeding aggregations are well known in the Corso-Liguro-Provençal Basin from July to September, but little is known for the autumn [...] Read more.

The patterns of movement of the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758)) in the Mediterranean Sea are still a matter of debate. Feeding aggregations are well known in the Corso-Liguro-Provençal Basin from July to September, but little is known for the autumn and winter seasons. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) was implemented in the Ligurian Sea to overcome this gap and to investigate the temporal and spatial variation of fin whale acoustic presence. From July to December 2011, five autonomous recorders were deployed at between 700 and 900 m depths. Fin whale calls were automatically detected almost every day, with higher vocalization rates in October, November, and December. Furthermore, daily vocalization rates were higher during light hours, and closer to the coast. These outcomes suggest that not all the individuals migrate, staying in the area also during autumn for feeding or breeding purposes. The dial cycle of vocalization might be related to feeding activities and zooplankton vertical migration, whereas the proximity to the coast can be explained by the morphology of the area that promotes the upwelling system. Although this work only represents a six-month period, certainly it suggests the need for a larger spatial and temporal PAM effort, crucial for species management and for mitigating possible impact of anthropogenic activities at the basin level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Passive Acoustics to Study Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems)

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16 pages, 2219 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decadal Assessment of Sperm Whale Site-Specific Abundance Trends in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Using Passive Acoustic Data

by Kun Li, Natalia A. Sidorovskaia, Thomas Guilment, Tingting Tang and Christopher O. Tiemann

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(5), 454; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jmse9050454 - 22 Apr 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2672

Abstract

Passive acoustic monitoring has been successfully used to study deep-diving marine mammal populations. To assess regional population trends of sperm whales in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM), including impacts of the Deepwater Horizon platform oil spill in 2010, the Littoral Acoustic Demonstration [...] Read more.

Passive acoustic monitoring has been successfully used to study deep-diving marine mammal populations. To assess regional population trends of sperm whales in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM), including impacts of the Deepwater Horizon platform oil spill in 2010, the Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center-Gulf Ecological Monitoring and Modeling (LADC-GEMM) consortium collected broadband acoustic data in the Mississippi Valley/Canyon area between 2007 and 2017 using bottom-anchored moorings. These data allow the inference of short-term and long-term variations in site-specific abundances of sperm whales derived from their acoustic activity. A comparison is made between the abundances of sperm whales at specific sites in different years before and after the oil spill by estimating the regional abundance density. The results show that sperm whales were present in the region throughout the entire monitoring period. A habitat preference shift was observed for sperm whales after the 2010 oil spill with higher activities at sites farther away from the spill site. A comparison of the 2007 and 2015 results shows that the overall regional abundance of sperm whales did not recover to pre-spill levels. The results indicate that long-term spatially distributed acoustic monitoring is critical in characterizing sperm whale population changes and in understanding how environmental stressors impact regional abundances and the habitat use of sperm whales. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Passive Acoustics to Study Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems)

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19 pages, 6188 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From the Reef to the Ocean: Revealing the Acoustic Range of the Biophony of a Coral Reef (Moorea Island, French Polynesia)

by Xavier Raick, Lucia Di Iorio, Cédric Gervaise, Julie Lossent, David Lecchini and Éric Parmentier

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(4), 420; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jmse9040420 - 13 Apr 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4039

Abstract

The ability of different marine species to use acoustic cues to locate reefs is known, but the maximal propagation distance of coral reef sounds is still unknown. Using drifting antennas (made of a floater and an autonomous recorder connected to a hydrophone), six [...] Read more.

The ability of different marine species to use acoustic cues to locate reefs is known, but the maximal propagation distance of coral reef sounds is still unknown. Using drifting antennas (made of a floater and an autonomous recorder connected to a hydrophone), six transects were realized from the reef crest up to 10 km in the open ocean on Moorea island (French Polynesia). Benthic invertebrates were the major contributors to the ambient noise, producing acoustic mass phenomena (3.5–5.5 kHz) that could propagate at more than 90 km under flat/calm sea conditions and more than 50 km with an average wind regime of 6 knots. However, fish choruses, with frequencies mainly between 200 and 500 Hz would not propagate at distances greater than 2 km. These distances decreased with increasing wind or ship traffic. Using audiograms of different taxa, we estimated that fish post-larvae and invertebrates likely hear the reef at distances up to 0.5 km and some cetaceans would be able to detect reefs up to more than 17 km. These results are an empirically based validation from an example reef and are essential to understanding the effect of soundscape degradation on different zoological groups. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Passive Acoustics to Study Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems)

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20 pages, 8915 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Underwater Noise Monitoring with Real-Time and Low-Cost Systems, (The CORMA Experience)

by Paolo Diviacco, Antonio Nadali, Massimiliano Iurcev, Mihai Burca, Rodrigo Carbajales, Matteo Gangale, Alessandro Busato, Fabio Brunetti, Lorenzo Grio, Alberto Viola and Nikolas Potleca

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(4), 390; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jmse9040390 - 07 Apr 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3850

Abstract

Marine life can be severely affected by anthropogenic underwater noise. This latter increased proportionally to the rise of human activities such as maritime traffic, marine civil engineering works, oil- and gas-related activities or offshore wind farms; so much so that, currently, it can [...] Read more.

Marine life can be severely affected by anthropogenic underwater noise. This latter increased proportionally to the rise of human activities such as maritime traffic, marine civil engineering works, oil- and gas-related activities or offshore wind farms; so much so that, currently, it can be considered a threat to the environment. Assessing underwater noise requires quite some investments both in personnel and instrumentation. If this is affordable by several governmental and scientific organizations, this cannot be extended straightforwardly to all research initiatives or to developing countries. In addition, time and geographic coverage of monitoring can also be significantly limited by the costs of multiple installations. We explore the possibility to use a solution based on off-the-shelf and low-cost technologies combined with a scalable infrastructure developed with open-source tools only. The perspective to avoid proprietary solutions allows great flexibility in extending the current paradigm toward real-time transmission, processing, and web-based data access. Our solution has been deployed at sea in November 2020 and is providing data continuously ever since. First results from the analysis of these data allowed us to highlight several interesting abiotic and anthropogenic temporal patterns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Passive Acoustics to Study Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems)

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12 pages, 2294 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Acoustic Presence of Dolphins through Whistles Detection in Mediterranean Shallow Waters

by Martina Gregorietti, Elena Papale, Maria Ceraulo, Clarissa de Vita, Daniela Silvia Pace, Giorgio Tranchida, Salvatore Mazzola and Giuseppa Buscaino

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(1), 78; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jmse9010078 - 13 Jan 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2755

Abstract

The evaluation of acoustic temporal rhythms in wide-ranging cetaceans can reveal patterns in animal spatial presence and the occurrence of periodical phenomena. Here, we aimed at assessing the temporal patterns of dolphin’s acoustic presence in a shallow-water area in the Sicily Strait (Mediterranean [...] Read more.

The evaluation of acoustic temporal rhythms in wide-ranging cetaceans can reveal patterns in animal spatial presence and the occurrence of periodical phenomena. Here, we aimed at assessing the temporal patterns of dolphin’s acoustic presence in a shallow-water area in the Sicily Strait (Mediterranean Sea). Whistles were collected continuously for 14 months from an acoustic monitoring station installed aboard of an elastic seamark. Over a total of 6955 h of recording, 14,048 signals were identified using both automatic and visual methods. Three parameters were analyzed: hourly presence (HP), used as a proxy of the presence of dolphins in the area; detection rate (DR), indicating the acoustic activity rate of dolphins measured per hour in the entire dataset; and detection rate in presence of dolphins (DRD), indicating the acoustic activity rate of dolphins considering only the hours when whistles were recorded. The highest values of both HP and DR were reached during the night, and the Autumn and Winter months, suggesting an increase in the dolphin’s occurrence and a possible moving away and towards the monitoring station potentially following prey. DRD, instead, showed an almost uniform distribution throughout the day implying that when the animals are close to the monitoring station, the acoustic activity does not show any pattern. However, possible changes in the communication exchange along the seasons were suggested. This study complements other work on this subject, improving the knowledge of dolphins’ acoustic activity in the area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Passive Acoustics to Study Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems)

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