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Listening to Deep Ocean Whales

Overview

Passive acoustic monitoring of marine mammals is a growing research theme on both the VENUS and NEPTUNE observatories. UVic Co-op student Jasper Kanes works with the Ocean Networks Canada Innovation Centre (formerly Centre for Enterprise and Engagement, ONCCEE) to process passive acoustic data from their technology demonstrations. Together with John Dorocicz, Acoustic Systems Developer, the two “listeners” publicize the highlights from these data within relevant research communities. Jasper and John are helping promote Canadian technologies, which is part of ONCCEE’s mandate as a national Center of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR), while informing scientists of relevant data they can freely access from ONC for their research. Recent marine mammal highlights include [sperm whales at Barkley Canyon](https://soundcloud.com/oceannetworkscanada/humpback-songs-with-sperm-whale-clicks) and [fin whales in the Cascadia Basin](https://soundcloud.com/oceannetworkscanada/fin-whale-calls-in-seismic). They were recorded with Ocean Sonics icListen low frequency hydrophones. “We’ve been listening to sperm whales almost every day for the past month, “ notes Jasper. “The clips we’ve posted are just a sampling.” # Deep Divers: the Sperm Whales The sperm whale, so named because of the liquid wax spermaceti in its head, has the largest brain of any known animal. They are the largest of the toothed whales, growing up to 20.5 metres long. Sperm whales live in every ocean, and each sperm whale clan is culturally unique. Highly intelligent and social, these animals are one of several species that some scientists want to legally recognize as non-human persons. This designation would endow them with legal rights and freedoms, including freedom from confinement and the right to live. Research conducted by Dalhousie’s Hal Whitehead has been central to the inclusion of sperm whales in this legal battle. ## Elusive Ocean Giants: the Fin Whales At up to 27 metres long, the fin whale is the second largest animal on Earth. They can live for 100 years or more. Their 20-40 Hz calls are some of the lowest-frequency sounds in the animal kingdom. Fin whale populations were depleted by whaling and they are endangered on the IUCN red list. Their low numbers, high speeds and preference for offshore waters makes them difficult to study, and little is known about their population dynamics, ecology or habitat use. Cascadia Research Collective is conducting a large-scale comparison of photo-identified fin whales from the US and Canada to learn more about these giants, while the University of Washington’s Michelle Weirathmueller is taking advantage of Ocean Networks Canada’s and Cascadia Initiative’s seismometers to localize and track phonating fin whales. ## Improving our Listening Capabilities Low frequency hydrophones are proving to be more sensitive to fin whale calls than seismometers. Ocean Networks Canada may one day further contribute to fin whale research by deploying low frequency hydrophones with Precision Time Protocol (PTP) timing. With PTP capable hydrophone arrays, the VENUS and NEPTUNE observatories could also help researchers tracking marine mammals with higher frequency calls, such as sperm whales.

JASCO’s Sound Monitoring Technology Used to Protect the Orcas

Overview

Sound is a powerful tool for studying the ecosystem beneath the surface of the sea. Nowhere is it more important than in the Salish Sea, the critical habitat of the endangered southern resident orcas. JASCO Applied Sciences (Canada) Ltd. designs and manufactures instruments that measure and monitor the effect of noise on marine life. The company has recently taken its undersea sound-monitoring technology in a new direction through its participation in efforts to protect orcas off Canada’s west coast. “It’s a high-water mark for us from a technology point of view,” JASCO president Scott Carr said in an interview. “Technology originally developed to detect submarines is now used to protect sea animals.” The University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada operates the world’s most advanced cabled ocean observatories off British Columbia’s coast and the Arctic for the advancement of science and the benefit of Canada. These observatories supply continuous power and Internet connectivity to a broad suite of subsea instruments from the coast to the deep sea and allow researchers to operate instruments remotely and transmit real time, digital data freely to any computer on the globe. JASCO has been collaborating with the Ocean Networks Canada’s Innovation Centre since 2012 on a product development and demonstration project related to their new Autonomous Multichannel Acoustic Recorder (AMAR). The AMAR is JASCO’s advanced system for collecting and delivering precisely calibrated acoustic and oceanographic data for ocean monitoring. It enables scientists to collect data from numerous oceanographic instruments including arrays of underwater microphones (hydrophones). The information can be transmitted in real time when the instrument is connected to cabled observatories such those deployed by Ocean Networks Canada off the BC coast.

Listening station to study impact of ship noise on whales

Overview

NEWS RELEASE **Vancouver, B.C.** The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA), with support from the University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada and JASCO Applied Sciences, has deployed a hydrophone listening station that will monitor underwater vessel noise in the Strait of Georgia. Underwater noise has been identified as a key threat to at-risk whales.

Do fish talk? An innovative experiment to study fish using sound and imaging

Overview

Understanding whether fish communicate using sound is of growing interest and importance. Although many fish species are soniferous⎯they naturally produce sounds⎯we know very little about how and why this happens. Among the approximately 400 known marine fish species swimming in British Columbia waters, only 22 have been reported to be soniferous, although many more species are suspected to produce sound. Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is partnering with University of Victoria and the Institute of Marine Sciences in Barcelona, Spain, to deploy an innovative experiment to study fish behaviour through sound and imaging. Combining video and passive acoustics (i.e., hydrophones) with acoustic imaging, the experiment aims to better understand fish behaviours through fish-emitting sounds, and to explore how human-made sounds⎯such as shipping noise⎯affects those behaviours. This ground-breaking research project will be led by University of Victoria biology professor Francis Juanes, who specializes in fish behavior applied to fisheries management. Xavier Mouy is a PhD student in Dr. Juane’s laboratory who also works for [JASCO Applied Sciences](http://www.jasco.com/); Mouy plans to use the data from this experiment for his thesis.

Monitoring Canada’s ocean, coasts, and killer whales through technology and data

Overview

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) technology and data continue to monitor our country’s ocean, extensive coastlines, and endangered killer whale habitat through an underwater listening station, hydrophones, community observatories, and oceanographic radar systems. In early September 2017, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada made two separate announcements on additional [Oceans Protection Plan](https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/oceans-protection-plan.html) measures to [protect our coasts](https://www.canada.ca/en/fisheries-oceans/news/2017/09/government_of_canadaannouncesadditionalmeasurestoprotectourcoast.html), and the [southern resident killer whales](https://www.canada.ca/en/fisheries-oceans/news/2017/09/southern_residentkillerwhales.html) in the Salish Sea (Figure 1), and to [study areas of high vessel traffic](https://www.canada.ca/en/fisheries-oceans/news/2017/09/new_science_programtostudyareasofhighvesseltraffic.html).

Experience ocean data through interactive art

Overview

Our first artist-in-residence program was an exciting, innovative and fruitful venture that helps the public understand and engage with ocean data in the Salish Sea and Fraser Delta. Visual artist and University of Victoria alum Colton Hash recently completed a six-month residency working with Ocean Networks Canada scientists and data specialists to create artistic visualizations from ocean data. ![Colton.jpg](https://cdn.onc-prod.intergalactic.space/Colton_b17dc34229.jpg) “I think interactive art has an opportunity to engage with environmental data in a way that is intuitive and interactive, that allows people to form their own connections,” comments Colton. The Atmospheric Ocean visualizes the carbon dioxide exchange between air and sea, Marine Scintillation is an immersive visualization of plankton, Alluvial Plum allows viewers to experience the interconnections between the Fraser River and the Salish Sea, and Acoustic Turbulence uses hydrophone recordings to provide an experience of ship noise above and below the water.

Hushed seas: monitoring underwater noise during COVID-19

Overview

A new study using Ocean Networks Canada’s (ONC) Pacific Ocean hydrophone data reveals a significant reduction in underwater noise during the COVID-19 shutdown, which may be good news for endangered southern resident killer whales.