New acoustic sensing technology is allowing scientists to track blue whale movements in real time, a breakthrough that could help save whales’ lives.
whales
Wiretapped Cables and the Songs of Whales
Researchers jerry-rigged fiber-optic cables in a fjord to eavesdrop on blue whales, with possible applications ranging from seafloor mapping to meteorology.
Arctic Unicorns and the Secret Sounds of a Glacial Fjord
The successful deployment of a seafloor seismometer near the calving front of a Greenland glacier has opened a new avenue to study hidden glacial processes and the behavior of fjord-dwelling wildlife.
Wind and Ocean Currents May Contribute to Mass Dolphin Strandings
Coastal wind patterns correlate with mass strandings of dolphins, suggesting that storm-induced upwelling could be influencing cetaceans’ behavior.
Autonomous Vehicles Could Benefit from Nature
A team of researchers at the University of Michigan is looking to animals to find new ways for autonomous vehicles to navigate through the environment.
Narwhal Tusks Record Changes in the Marine Arctic
This new paleorecord can help scientists better understand how climate change and human activity are changing marine mammals’ environments and habits.
Geomagnetic Storms Probably Don’t Cause Mass Cetacean Strandings
Solar-induced geomagnetic activity and mass strandings of whales and dolphins on shorelines both show seasonal patterns, but the beachings likely result from multiple environmental factors.
Seasonal and Annual Changes in Pitch in Blue Whale Calls
Six years of acoustic recordings detect seasonal shifts in blue whale vocalizations that correlate with the presence of icebergs, a primary source of ambient ocean noise in the southern Indian Ocean.