Virtual Experiments in Marine Bioacoustics: Whales, Fish, and Anthropogenic Sound

This programmatic effort has three long-term goals. The first is to simulate bioacoustic interactions within and near individual fish. We developed a methodology that combines x-ray CT scans with tissue elasticity measurements and finite-element modeling software (WHACR). This technique has provided significant insights and discoveries regarding toothed whale bioacoustics (Cranford et al., 2008b; Cranford et al., 2008c), and now, within a fish’s head. The second long-term goal is to improve and refine our ability to measure tissue elasticity in samples by building a portable device to measure physical properties from tissue samples. The third and final goal is to validated the finite element models and add more functionality to the WHACR software.