Behavioral Responses of Naive Cuvier's Beaked Whales in the Ligurian Sea to Playback of Anthropogenic and Natural Sounds.

摘要

The principle goal of this project was to study responses of Cuvier s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) to MFA sonar signals. Secondary goals included conducting a killer whale playback that has not been preceded by a sonar playback (as in Tyack et al. 2011) and collecting more baseline data on Ziphius. This investigation set out to safely test responses of Ziphius to sonar signals and to determine the exposure level required to elicit a response in a site where strandings have been associated with sonar exercises and where the whales seldom hear sonar.