Comparison of acoustic patterns recorded for the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Northern Ionian Sea (Central Mediterranean Sea) and in the North-western Levantine Sea (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)
Aylin Akkaya, Tim Awbery, Patrick Lyne, Giulia Cipriano, Rosalia Maglietta, Vito Reno, Carmelo Fanizza, Roberto Carlucci
Abstract:
Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus show a steady population decline, yet despite their threatened status, there remains a dearth of knowledge in the Mediterranean Sea. The current study reports the preliminary results of sperm whales' acoustic patterns within the Gulf of Taranto and the Northwestern Levantine Sea. "Regular" clicks were recorded in both regions indicating the presence of foraging grounds. "Codas" were also present in the Northwestern Levantine. The presence of codas and social units emphasises the importance of the North-western Levantine as potential nursery grounds. Further, interclick intervals were slightly smaller for the Taranto Gulf while recordings from the North-western Levantine Sea showed similarities with the Mediterranean Sea. Lastly, sperm whales were larger in size in the Taranto Gulf compared to the Northwestern Levantine Sea. The current results depended on data collected on a single date, therefore further research must be implemented to understand the acoustic patterns of sperm whales.
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IMEKO-TC19-MetroSea-2020-19.pdf
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Event details
IMEKO TC:
TC19
Event name:
MetroSea 2020
Title:

TC19 International Workshop on Metrology for the Sea

Place:
Naples, ITALY
Time:
05 October 2020 - 07 October 2020
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