Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-g4j75 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-12T14:55:41.027Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Optimizing T-pod settings and testing range of detection for bottlenose dolphins in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 April 2011

Riley G. Elliott ,
Stephen M. Dawson  and
William J. Rayment
Riley G. Elliott
Affiliation:
Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
Stephen M. Dawson*
Affiliation:
Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
William J. Rayment
Affiliation:
Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: S.M. Dawson, Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand email: steve.dawson@otago.ac.nz
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Autonomous acoustic data loggers can provide useful data on habitat use and activity patterns of vocalizing cetaceans. One type, the T-POD, uses filters that can be set to match the click characteristics of the target species. We used wideband acoustic recordings to document typical click spectra of bottlenose dolphins in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand, in order to develop T-POD settings optimal for that population. T-PODs at these settings made between 8 and 33 times as many detections as accompanying T-PODs set as in other studies of this species, confirming the value of optimizing settings for a particular dolphin population. Maximum detection range was 1313 m, and mean range of first detection was 593 m. Of 45 groups observed within 500 m of the T-POD, 47% were detected acoustically. Effective detection radius was estimated at 266 m (95% CI 222–317 m).

Keywords

bottlenose dolphinT-PODacousticecholocationdetection
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 92 , Issue 8: Marine Mammals , December 2012 , pp. 1901 - 1907
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ainslie, M.A. and McColm, J.G. (1998) A simplified formula for viscous and chemical absorption in sea water. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 103, 1671–1672.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Akamatsu, T., Wang, D., Wang, K. and Wei, Z. (2001) Comparison between visual and passive acoustic detection of finless porpoises in the Yangtze River, China. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 109, 1723–1727.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Au, W.W.L. (1993) The sonar of dolphins. New York: Springer-Verlag.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Au, W.W.L. (2002) Echolocation. In Perrin, W.F., Thewissen, J.G.M. and Würsig, B (eds) Encyclopaedia of marine mammals. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, pp. 359–367.Google Scholar
Au, W.W.L., Floyd, R.W., Penner, R.H. and Murchison, A.E. (1974) Measurement of echolocation signals of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus Montagu, in open waters. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 56, 1280–1290.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Au, W.W.L., Carder, C.A., Penner, R.H. and Scronce, B.L. (1985) Demonstration of adaptation in beluga whale echolocation signals. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 77, 726–730.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Au, W.W.L., Moore, P.W.B. and Pawloski, D. (1986) Echolocation transmitting beam of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 80, 668–691.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bailey, H., Clay, G., Coates, E.A., Lusseau, D., Senior, B. and Thompson, P.M. (2010) Using T-PODs to assess variations in the occurrence of coastal bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 20, 150–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buckland, S.T., Anderson, D.R., Burnham, K.P., Laake, J.L., Borchers, D.L. and Thomas, L. (2001) Introduction to distance sampling. New York: Oxford University Press Inc.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carlström, J. (2005) Diel variation in echolocation behaviour of wild harbor porpoises. Marine Mammal Science 21, 1–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carstensen, J., Henriksen, O.D. and Teilman, J. (2006) Impacts of offshore wind farm construction on harbour porpoises, acoustic monitoring of echolocation activity using porpoise detectors (T-PODs). Marine Ecology Progress Series 321, 295–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cox, T.M., Read, A.J., Solow, A. and Tregenza, N. (2001) Will harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) habituate to pingers? Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 3, 231–286.Google Scholar
Culik, B.M., Koschinski, S., Tregenza, N. and Ellis, G.M. (2001) Reactions of harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena and herring Clupea harengus to acoustic alarms. Marine Ecology Progress Series 211, 255–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dawson, S.M. and Thorpe, C.W. (1990) A quantitative analysis of the acoustic repertoire of Hector's dolphin. Ethology 86, 131–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
dos Santos, M.E. and Almada, V.C. (2004) A case for passive sonar: analysis of click train production patterns by bottlenose dolphins. In Thomas, J. (ed.) Echolocation in bats and dolphins. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, pp. 400–403.Google Scholar
Gannon, D.P., Barros, N.B., Nowacek, D.P., Read, A.J., Waples, D.M. and Wells, R.S. (2005) Prey detection by bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus: an experimental test of the passive listening hypothesis. Animal Behaviour 69, 709–720.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holler, P. (1995) Orientation by the bat Phyllostomus discolor (Phyllostomidae) on the return flight to its resting place. Ethology 100, 72–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jefferson, T.A., Hung, S.K., Law, L., Torey, M. and Tregenza, N. (2002) Distribution and abundance of finless porpoises in Hong Kong and adjacent waters of China. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 10, 43–55.Google Scholar
Jones, G.J. and Sayigh, L.S. (2002) Geographic variation in rates of vocal production of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins. Marine Mammal Science 18, 374–393.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koschinski, S., Culik, B.M., Damsgaard Henriksen, O., Tregenza, N., Ellis, G., Jansen, C. and Kathe, G. (2003) Behavioural reactions of free-ranging porpoises and seals to the noise of a simulated 2 MW windpower generator. Marine Ecology Progress Series 265, 263–273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koschinski, S., Culik, B.M., Trippel, E.A. and Ginzkey, L. (2006) Behavioral reactions of free-ranging harbor porpoises Phocoena phocoena encountering standard nylon and BaSO4 mesh gillnets and warning sound. Marine Ecology Progress Series 313, 285–294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kyhn, L.A., Tougaard, J., Jensen, F., Wahlberg, M., Stone, G.S., Yoshinaga, A., Beedholm, K. and Madsen, P.T. (2009) Feeding at a high pitch: source parameters of narrow band, high-frequency clicks from echolocating off-shore hourglass dolphins and coastal Hector's dolphins. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 125, 1783–1791.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leaper, R., Chappell, O. and Gordon, J. (1992) The development of practical techniques for surveying sperm whale populations acoustically. Report of the International Whaling Commission 42, 549–560.Google Scholar
Leatherwood, S. and Reeves, R.R. (1983) The Sierra Club handbook of whales and dolphins. San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books.Google Scholar
Leeney, R.H., Berrow, S., McGrath, D., O'Brien, J., Cosgrove, R. and Godley, B.J. (2007) Effects of pingers on the behaviour of bottlenose dolphins. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 87, 129–133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lusseau, D.M. and Slooten, E. (2002) Cetacean sightings off the Fiordland coastline. Science for Conservation 187, 1–42.Google Scholar
McDonald, M.A. and Fox, C.G. (1999) Passive acoustic methods applied to fin whale population density estimation. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 105, 2643–2651.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nowacek, D.P. (2005) Acoustic ecology of foraging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates), habitat-specific use of three sound types. Marine Mammal Science 21, 587–602.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Philpott, E., Englund, A., Ingram, S. and Rogan, E. (2007) Using T-PODs to investigate the echolocation of coastal bottlenose dolphins. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 87, 11–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rayment, W., Dawson, S. and Slooten, E. (2009a) Use of T-PODs for acoustic monitoring of Cephalorhynchus dolphins: a case study with Hector's dolphins in a marine protected area. Endangered Species Research 10, 333–339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rayment, W.Dawson, S.M. and Slooten, E. (2009b) Trialing an automated passive acoustic detector (T-POD) with Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 89, 1015–1022.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simon, M., Nuuttila, H., Reyes-Zamudio, M.M., Ugarte, F., Verfub, U. and Evans, P.G.H. (2010) Passive acoustic monitoring of bottlenose dolphin and harbour porpoise, in Cardigan Bay, Wales, with implications for habitat use and partitioning. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 10, 1–7.Google Scholar
Teilmann, J., Henriksen, O.D., Carstensen, J. and Skoy, H. (2002) Monitoring effects of offshore windfarms on harbour porpoises using PODs (porpoise detectors). Technical Report to the Ministry of the Environment, Denmark, 95 pp.Google Scholar
Tougaard, J., Rosager Poulsen, L., Amundin, M., Larsen, F., Rye, J. and Teilmann, J. (2006) Detection function of T-PODs and estimation of porpoise densities. In Leeney, R. and Tregenza, N.J.C. (eds) Proceedings of the workshop; static acoustic monitoring of cetaceans. European Cetacean Society, Gdynia, Poland. ECS Newsletter No 46 (Special Issue).Google Scholar
Villadsgaard, A., Wahlberg, M. and Tougaard, J. (2006) Echolocation signals of wild harbour porpoises, Phocoena phocoena. Journal of Experimental Biology 210, 56–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, K., Wang, D., Akamatsu, T., Li, S. and Xiao, J. (2005) A passive acoustic monitoring method applied to observation and group size estimation of finless porpoises. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 118, 1180–1185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed