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19575
Open
SC/68D/SH/01
Geographic variation in fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) calls in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica
Victoria R. Field, Elke Burkhardt, Ilse Van Opzeeland
IWC
Currently, little is known about the population identity of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in Antarctic waters. Initial analyses of acoustic recordings from the Southern Ocean (SO) have shown that fin whale calls differ between regions, possibly representing different fin whale populations. In the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean, the typical fin whale low frequency (LF) 20-Hz song is often accompanied by simultaneous higher frequency (HF) component at around 89 Hz or 99 Hz. However, the distribution of these call types throughout the area and whether there is a clear spatial separation between these call types is so far unknown. In this study, fin whale call characteristics were analysed and compared between two recording locations: the Greenwich Meridian (from 2009 and 2011) and Elephant Island (from 2013 and 2015). The HF call component was found to be significantly (p-value
