Baseline hearing abilities and variability in wild beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas).
نویسندگان
چکیده
While hearing is the primary sensory modality for odontocetes, there are few data addressing variation within a natural population. This work describes the hearing ranges (4-150 kHz) and sensitivities of seven apparently healthy, wild beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) during a population health assessment project that captured and released belugas in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The baseline hearing abilities and subsequent variations were addressed. Hearing was measured using auditory evoked potentials (AEPs). All audiograms showed a typical cetacean U-shape; substantial variation (>30 dB) was found between most and least sensitive thresholds. All animals heard well, up to at least 128 kHz. Two heard up to 150 kHz. Lowest auditory thresholds (35-45 dB) were identified in the range 45-80 kHz. Greatest differences in hearing abilities occurred at both the high end of the auditory range and at frequencies of maximum sensitivity. In general, wild beluga hearing was quite sensitive. Hearing abilities were similar to those of belugas measured in zoological settings, reinforcing the comparative importance of both settings. The relative degree of variability across the wild belugas suggests that audiograms from multiple individuals are needed to properly describe the maximum sensitivity and population variance for odontocetes. Hearing measures were easily incorporated into field-based settings. This detailed examination of hearing abilities in wild Bristol Bay belugas provides a basis for a better understanding of the potential impact of anthropogenic noise on a noise-sensitive species. Such information may help design noise-limiting mitigation measures that could be applied to areas heavily influenced and inhabited by endangered belugas.
منابع مشابه
13: Baseline Hearing Measurements in Alaskan Belugas
While hearing is the primary sensory modality for odontocetes, there are few data addressing baseline hearing and subsequent variation within a natural population. To determine the effects of noise on marine mammals we need to understand what they hear. This is imperative in the Arctic where there is both an increase in human activity and a concurrent increase in human-produced noise. This work...
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عنوان ژورنال:
- The Journal of experimental biology
دوره 217 Pt 10 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2014