Accession Number:

AD1013959

Title:

Linking Deep-Water Prey Fields with Odontocete Population Structure and Behavior

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report,02 Jul 2015,14 Jul 2015

Corporate Author:

Oregon State University Corvallis United States

Personal Author(s):

• Benoit-Bird,Kelly
• Moline,Mark
• Southall,Brandon

Report Date:

2015-09-30

Pagination or Media Count:

4.0

Abstract:

We seek to integrate of direct measurements of the prey environment for beaked whales to provide a critical, and previously unavailable, mechanistic link for understanding beaked whale ecology in the Tongue of the Ocean, Bahamas. Active acoustic sampling integrated into a deep water AUV was combined with ship-based acoustic sampling to provide measures of potential beaked whale prey throughout the water column, ground-truthed with net tows. Beaked whale habitat use was quantified using a combination of synoptic visual observations from the ship and passive acoustics from a towed array on the ship, sensors placed on the deep water platform, and with the AUTEC range hydrophone array. The sampling design was informed historical patterns of habitat use from other studies in the same area. The research cruise was completed July 2-14, 2015.

Descriptors:

• whales
• ecology
• food
• Tongue of the Ocean
• acoustic detection
• statistical analysis
• sampling
• correlation techniques

Subject Categories:

• Biological Oceanography
• Ecology

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE