An investigation of sound use and behavior in a killer whale (Orcinus orca) population to inform passive acoustic monitoring studies

摘要

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has become a popular approach to determine the distribution of animals in remote locations given the logistical constraints of other survey methods. This is particularly true for marine mammals given their aquatic lifestyle and vociferous nature, but there are biases and limitations with this approach (Van Parijs et al. 2009, Zimmer 2011). Sounds detected by PAM recorders are dependent on a number of variables including hydrophone sensitivity, local transmission loss, ambient noise, and for directional signals, the animal’s orientation relative to the receiver. There is often variability in vocalization patterns as well that is based on behavior (e.g., activity state and/ or level of arousal). Data on vocalization patterns correlated with behavioral activities can address some of these detection limitations of PAM methods that can be incorporated into detection probability models (e.g., Parks et al. 2011).